The Richland Church of Christ

Richland Blog 6.28.2021

Not Lacking Anything

I don’t know how anyone does it. I can imagine there is a false assumption that anyone can live life alone. I’ll admit that when I was about 12 years old, I thought life would be simpler spent living as a hermit in the Colorado mountains. In those unrealistic moments, I imagined that all people create problems and that if you eliminate “people” from the equation, life will become less complicated. That is an entirely naïve and crude way to look at life and people. As I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I have realized that people are the only things that benefit our lives. A lot of this wisdom comes from the fact that I now understand Jesus’ sacrifice more fully. Jesus was crucified for people, not a place or an idea; He offered himself up for people. More specifically, He offered up His life for the church.

(Ephesians 5:23-26 ESV)

“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”

Numerous passages point out why the church is important; namely, it is the manifestation of Christ’s body. In this passage, Paul quickly points out that Jesus is the Savior of His body, the church, and that He “gave Himself up for her” wash and cleanse His people. This passage alone should make us reflect on the importance of those who are members of His body. It should help us realize that we are unique and that Christ’s sacrifice was purposed.

(Romans 12:4-8 ESV)

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Each one of us fulfills these different roles within our community of the called out. We have been built and fitted together to give glory to God and take care of each other. Each of these roles is designed to lead us closer to God and Christ and take care of our physical needs.

All of these thoughts take me back to the first sentence, “I don’t know how anyone else does it.” I need the church, the collection of God’s people, working together in unison and carrying each other’s burdens. I have lost track of the kindness that has been given to my family since we moved to the Tri-Cities. People have given us: furniture, meals, helped us move the donated furniture, gifted us lawn equipment, given toys to our boys, invited us over for meals, watched our boys, painted walls, installed flooring, donated tools… and the list goes on and on. And most importantly, people have prayed for us and have cared for us in ways we can’t even begin to be thankful for or mention.

This is the church. I have benefited so greatly from being a part of God’s family; I can’t imagine living any other way.   Life is too hard to try to accomplish it solo, we need a family, and I am thankful that I have God’s family surrounding me. Thank you to everyone who has made our lives better and helped us out during a stressful but blessed transition.

Steadfast and Sure

Hope can be both the most wonderful thing and also dangerous. Hope can be extremely dangerous when the thing or event you are hoping for is uncertain or unattainable. When you place your hopes in something that is unlikely or that is continually removed from you it completely demoralizes you and tears up your character from the inside out. However, when you place your hope in something steadfast and sound it can pull you through the most difficult and challenging of times. The hard part is discovering something that is unwavering.

This last Monday I called the moving company. This is my normal routine, I typically call them twice a week, once on Monday the other on Thursday. You all are aware of the predictable run-around we get on the phone. But this week, the conversation was different, when I called this week they informed me it was loaded on a truck. In disbelief I corrected the dispatcher, “You mean it will be loaded this week?” They insisted it was already loaded and that it would be arriving in 10 days. It seemed incredible, too good to be true, after all of this time there was progress. But hope in something unsure is dangerous. These ne’er-do-wells have wronged us before and have practiced dishonest measures, how much can we believe them? Yet, we can’t help but get our hopes up, there is a glimmer of a possibility that our furniture and personal treasures might one day be reunited. 

This is all in sharp contrast to the hope we all have as Christians. The writer/preacher of Hebrews explains it this way:

Hebrews 6:17-20
“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

We are told that our hope is different. Our hope is first attached to God’s promise and oath, these two entities are constant because of the character of God (He cannot lie). The author of Hebrews goes one step further to illustrate this point, he draws the analogy of a ship at sea. Anchors would have been a well-known implement; and most individuals would have understood that an anchor is only as good as the ground it is secured to. The analogy can be explained in this way: imagine you are a ship tossed at sea and you need something to cling to, we know the most immovable and steadfast reality is rooted in God. The writer goes on to say that being in Christ is as if Jesus picked up your anchor walked back behind the curtain to where God resides and firmly attached your anchor to Him. There is now no wavering or shifting of your hope. It is securely affixed to the most stable personage, God.  

Steadfast and sure.

Planted by living water.

Last month in the Tri-Cities, there was a dazzling light show. It was caused by the fire that was contained in the Columbia delta by Richland. It was stunning to see the red-orange glow late into the night, and we prayed for the safety of the first responders and anyone caught up in the inferno. Theo still believes it was some volcano that erupted lava in the area regardless of how many times I tell him it was only fire. Thankfully the fire only consumed brush and some groves of Russian Olive trees, and the river contained the more dangerous elements of fire to some islands dotted throughout the water. Based on the intensity of the flames, I would have imagined that the fire would have consumed all vegetation on the island, but it only affected the smaller brush. The proximity to the water is responsible for the durability of the other plants and trees on the islands. It reminds me of this passage from the writings of the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 17:7-13

 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
¹⁰ “I the LORD search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”
¹¹ Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
so is he who gets riches but not by justice;
in the midst of his days they will leave him,
and at his end he will be a fool.
¹² A glorious throne set on high from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary.
¹³ O LORD, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.

The person described in this passage is the person I want to be. I want to be known as a person that trusts in God. Observe how Jeremiah describes this person; they stay alive, vibrant, and do not become anxious even in difficult times. This passage comes from the greater narrative regarding the narrative of Judah’s failings. This interior passage contrasts the behavior of Judah, choosing to trust human abilities, and ultimately trusting God. If we rely on only our skills or the people around us, we will fail, and they will let us down. There is only one way to acquire our outcome, and that is by trusting in God.

People have remarked how impressed they are that our family can stay positive without receiving our household goods. I suppose it is remarkable, but I don’t see this as an opportunity to live begrudgingly but to realize that this is an opportunity to trust in God. Even if we never see our “stuff” again, God has taken care of us. Not only are we blessed spiritually speaking, but the worldwide church (even people we have never met) have blessed us financially and have showered us with so many things; it is hard not to be anything but grateful. And so, even in a difficult time, my attitude is not resentful or bothered but thankful.

Having an attitude like this is what it means to be planted by a stream, placing our trust in God. We know that whatever happens, God is still sitting on His throne. He is the fountain of living water; in Him, we will trust.

I’m All Better.

I am not a perfect parent. This realization has always existed; I think most people appreciate how imperfect and unqualified they are when their child enters the world. I felt inadequate almost immediately, and I have carried this thought daily, although there are moments when I feel up for the task of childrearing. But mainly, I fluctuate between inept and overwhelmed. For a while, I felt up to the challenge of being a parent; then, we moved into an apartment. It is not the size of the apartment that makes being a parent difficult it is a concern for our neighbor’s happiness that worries me most. Having our three boys run and roughhouse on the third floor makes this conscientious dad squirm. Frustrations mount and tensions flare, a cranky dad emerges, and the cacophony of noise dies down for a moment.  

About a week ago, the noise was far less boisterous; our boys had a slight head cold, runny noses, and congestion mellowed them out. Two elements make sick kids difficult. No one likes being sick, for starters, and little people struggle to express how they feel, and they wouldn’t understand it anyway. Secondly, as a parent, there is only so much a person can do to help them feel better… and the continual blowing of the nose only goes so far.

It is difficult to relate to God. How can we even begin to understand the character and nature of a being so far above us? I continually struggle with His glory. Either I fail to think of His divine attributes or underestimate His abilities, and most of the time, I entirely undervalue His qualities. Through inspiration, the biblical authors try to demonstrate who God is and what would make Him worthy of praise. One such passage is found in Psalm 103. In this poem, David wants us to grasp the reality of God. As you read this, I want you to interpret the rest of this psalm with verse 13, “As a father has compassion on his children.”

Psalm 103

¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
⁶ The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children —
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, my soul.

This psalm tugs at my heartstrings because I can visualize God having compassion on us, His ill and uncomfortable children. Knowing that we are like dust, and whither like grass, we are just far feebler than He is. We need Him like a child who needs a father, and we are drawn to the compassionate God that is slow to anger and abounding in love. We cry out to our God that heals us and removes our sickness. Like a two-year-old doesn’t understand why they feel like crud, we humans do not fully understand what sin-sickness does to our lives. And here I see a God that has the compassion of a father, holding our hands and trying to help us feel better, attempting to give us the only medicine that can help. As an earthly dad, I can only do so much for my children’s “colds,” but God can heal fully and completely. When I stop and reflect on these qualities of God and know that His compassion is even greater than my own, I am humbled, and then I am exceedingly grateful for a God who I can call my Father. A Father that sees my infirmities and has healed me perfectly.

Grace

A week ago, the Stevens took my family on their boat for a day on the Snake River. It was a fantastic day; it is incredible how beautiful these river canyons are tucked into the vast farmland and rolling hills. If you did not know, the Stevens are avid water enthusiasts and recreationists; the newest trend in watersports is wake surfing. If you are not familiar, you have a specially designed surfboard that allows you to ride the wake of the boat you are riding in. After watching a few spectacular demonstrations, they asked if I would like to try; I obliged and got out of the boat into the chilly spring runoff water. There were multiple take-offs and subsequent wipeouts (some quite exquisite), but I couldn’t get the hang of it. The seasoned veterans of the waiter assured me that it takes a little getting used to and not to feel discouraged. Then my wife tried. She started surfing almost immediately (second attempt, in fact); she seemed to be a natural, effortlessly gliding on top of the waves.

I have never been good at watersports. I’m a landlocked mountain kid and feel more comfortable with the “terra firma” under my feet. Exasperated and exhausted, I tried once more to get the hand of wake surfing, and after countless attempts, I was able to stay on top of the water for about 10 seconds (probably less if someone would have timed me). Afterward, in the post-surfing brief, the Stevens told me that women usually pick up these activities faster. They said it’s because women don’t typically fight the process as much as men and let the surfboard do the work for them. Thinking back on the results, I was trying exceptionally hard to muscle my way around the water, which only led to me being exhausted and sore from the day’s activities.

Romans 3:21-31
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
²⁷ Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Paul continues his thoughts from chapters one and two, namely that God is righteous and that everyone else is a sinner. The only hope for us is that we would somehow obtain the same righteousness that God has. Paul concludes this passage with a straightforward premise that the only way for us to receive this righteousness is if God were to extend a gift of grace to justify our iniquities. This justification cannot be accomplished by “muscling” through it, either by upholding the law or works (v 27). Both Jew and Gentile are justified by faith and that it is God’s grace that justifies us. Verse 30 is the key; Paul states that God justifies the Jews “by” faith, and the Gentiles “through” faith. Faith can only be made evident through actions (James 2:14-26); meaning the Jews were justified “by” their faith in the God who gave them the law to live, and thus they upheld the law, whereas the Gentiles will be justified “through” the lives that are born out of faith in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Making our faith independent of our ability to uphold the law, we rely on God’s grace to justify both parties.

Why do we depend on God’s grace? Because we would never be able to live righteously enough, it is impossible. Just like my experience on the surfboard, the more I think I can do it on my own the more exhausted and defeated I would become. All of us must at some point realize that it is only God that can justify us. Our justification has already been accomplished by Jesus paying the price for our unrighteousness. Our response is to walk according to this reality by faith in the grace freely given to us.

Jesus did the work. God bestows grace. Now I need to live like it.     

 

This last week Theo started saying the most beautiful and wise thing he had ever uttered, and for me, it will be something that sticks with me for a very long time. He started saying, “Today is a great day!” and I would respond, “Why do you think that?” His answer both surprised and delighted me, and he said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Because God made it.” Well, you could imagine my heart almost exploded. Now I know he is probably just combining things that he knows he has heard. We sing that portion of Psalm 118 almost weekly, but it made me extremely glad for him to verbalize it.

There is so much wisdom in Psalm 118; it was a hymn to be sung as the Jewish people walk into Jerusalem for any one of their festivals. As these religious pilgrims made their way into that great city, they would sing and recite this psalm and recount the goodness of God, regardless of present circumstances. Here it is in its entirety.

​Psalms 118

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

² Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

³ Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁴ Let those who fear the LORD say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

⁵ Out of my distress I called on the LORD;

the LORD answered me and set me free.

⁶ The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

⁷ The LORD is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes.

¹⁰ All nations surrounded me;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

¹¹ They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

¹² They surrounded me like bees;

they went out like a fire among thorns;

in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

¹³ I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

but the LORD helped me.

¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

¹⁶ the right hand of the LORD exalts,

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

¹⁷ I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the LORD.

¹⁸ The LORD has disciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

²¹ I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

²² The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

²³ This is the LORD’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴ This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵ Save us, we pray, O LORD!

O LORD, we pray, give us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

²⁷ The LORD is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

²⁸ You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

²⁹ Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

 

 

This beautiful psalm begins by stating we can depend on God. That no matter what may be happening in our lives, we serve a good God that maintains an enduring love for His people. We cannot undervalue this statement; it opens and closes the song and acts as a thesis statement for the poem. This song mentions that it does not matter which dangers or threats arise; God will be there with them, provide salvation and deliverance from these attacks. The climax and the reason for our reflection on this psalm are verses 22- 24. The first singers of this psalm would reflect upon this statement, knowing that what the world rejects, God will make foundational. The world may think of something as foolish and unfit, but God will raise that object to be of utmost importance. They would have acknowledged that although Israel is not the strongest, most significant, or most prestigious, God still chose them to be His people. We look at this and reflect that we now know this was a prophecy pointing to our savior Jesus.  

For this reason, we can look at each day with confidence, comfort, and contentment. It is not that the day itself will be significant because of what we put into it or what we are doing. The day is great because of who God is. And whether a day is “good” or “bad,” we can rejoice in each day because of who God is and what He has done. Think about the plagues that decided the fate of the Israelites in Egypt. Those days would probably not be recounted as pleasurable or “good.” Still, when you think about what those days accomplished for Israel, they were good because God worked it out for their benefit. Suppose we start each day by thanking God and knowing that the day will be good not because of its contents but because of the contentment of knowing the Creator. If we do this, our lives will be much better every day after that.

The day is good because God is good and faithful, and He is the one that made the day.

 

-Today is a great day!

Why?

-Because God made it!

 

The Truth is Better

In the ongoing saga that is the acquisition and delivery of our household goods, I have come to the earth-shattering realization that I don’t enjoy someone lying to me. Throughout this process, the moving company has told us just another 5-7 days, and we continue to wait. Still, deep down, we have accepted our fate. Here is the typical conversation:

Me: Good morning. How are you doing this morning?

Customer Service: I’m great, thank you for asking. What can I do for you?

Me: I am calling to check on the status of my household goods shipment.

Customer Service: Okay, let me look at your file… Okay, I see what is happening. Let me call dispatch and find out if the company has loaded your items.

*placed on hold*

Customer Service: Dispatch did not answer, but I will call you back as soon as they let us know what is happening.

 

Here is the issue, they never call back. The first time the brokers said it, it sounded genuine. However, after a month and a half, it sounds fake and dismissive. We’ve tried other tactics, as well, such as mentioning that they never call back, asking if I can talk to dispatch or a manager/owner. However, the more aggressive I become, the harsher their replies. If I am kind and patient, they dismiss my concern, and I realize they are pacifying me to get me off the phone. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have the truth; even if it were negative, it would be better for me in the long run to have the truth.

In his conversation with some Pharisees and other Jews, Jesus is having this conversation about truth. In John chapter eight, he tries to relate the truth about who he is; he comments that he bears witness to himself. The legal-minded Pharisees know that a person cannot be their own witness; you must have someone else testify on your behalf. In this hardheaded crowd, Jesus discusses truth, freedom, and testimony as he tries to show them who he is. Jesus entirely agrees and says that his Father also testifies about who he is, “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me” (John 8:17-18 ESV). The group questions who Jesus’ father is, and they do not like his answer, and Jesus asserts that this is because they don’t want the truth. After all, their father is the adversary and the father of lies. “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:42-44 ESV).  

What follows is my take-home application. Sometimes lies are easier to hear because they placate or soothe us. When someone tells me a lie, it is probably easier for me to accept. Here are the Jews, they say they have never been slaves, but they have; most of their existence has been slavery and foreign occupation and exile. Jesus is trying to tell them that they are slaves to their traditions, heritage, and sin; however, this is hard to hear. Jesus wants them to know that by following him, he can remove all of these lies. If Jesus wanted to gain a following, he would have lied and appeased the crowd. On the other hand, Jesus only wants to distribute the truth, and the truth is what we need.

Even if the truth is hard to hear, make sure your heart can accept it and go seek it out.