Nothing to declare?

NORSK
“Doesn’t the Salvation Army have anything to declare?” replied the custom officer to our firm statement. When we were a little bit puzzled by his reaction, he continued with a smile: “I expected you to declare that Jesus Christ is Lord!”

A brother in Christ at the Romanian side of the border to Moldova gave us this challenge earlier today. 

Of course:

“every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Phil 2:11

On this very date 47 years ago I declared it when I was enrolled as a soldier in The Salvation Army, and I have something to declare every day of my life until I meet my Lord face to face.

‘Manna’ for today:

I have something to declare!

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Knowing when to remain silent - a step on the journey

"There is a time for everything", the ecclesiastic wrote and then followed a tirade of opposites such as the following:

“a time to be silent and a time to speak”
Eccl 3:7b

Most likely I was more inclined to overspend the time to speak in the past, and I was probably regarded as rather ascetic in my use of the time to be silent. However, I have become more conscious of the importance of taking a deep breath and testing out the art of listening rather than speaking. Sometimes I succeed, but not always.

After Jesus had affirmed Peter and told that his confession was right, he came with an exhortation that must have seemed strange for his disciples:

Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Matt 6:20

A couple of days back, I stated that it is important for others that I confess who Jesus is. Therefore, it may seem a little strange that Jesus came with this message.

The quote from Ecclesiastes is part of the explanation. It was important for Jesus to 'buy time'. Jesus knew that the scope of time he had to teach his disciples about what would happen in Jerusalem, was limited. If the disciples began to spread the news that Jesus is the Messiah, he could risk being stoned before they reached Jerusalem. I think the simple explanation is that Jesus needed every minute of the journey to the preparation and teaching of the disciples. In a few days’ time, I will return time set aside to speak.

Today I am reminded about how important it is to listen to what the Lord says when it comes to art of being silent.

‘Manna’ for today:

God, tell me when it is right to remain silent!

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* Something made me silent even when I was young

Knowing what the mission is – a step on the journey

NORSK 
I have always been focused on the mission, and as I have grown older, it has become even stronger. A couple of days back, I made a point of the fact that it was not only ‘one’ step on the journey of getting to know Jesus, but ‘a’ step because it takes many steps to know Jesus intimately. 

In the same way as there is only ‘one’ Jesus, there is also only ‘one’ mission. However, even in relation to the ‘one’ mission it takes many steps to get to know it so well that the mission becomes an integral part of my identity.

When Simon had made his confession and was affirmed and given the name Peter (rock), Jesus continued:

“…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matt 16:18

St Peter's Basilica in Rome was built on the spot believed to be the place where Peter was crucified. This was done to symbolize the connection between Peter and the church. The image works well as long as there are no theological strings attached, because in the end the confession is the rock. A church without the confession, is merely a humanitarian organization. There is nothing wrong in being a humanitarian organization, but that is not the whole mission.

That is one of the reasons why the Army has been busy ascertaining that we are 'one' army with 'one' mission. This has become a challenge because we have a strong desire to build a church for those who share our call to the mission, and we have an equally strong desire to alleviate suffering in the world, which is a part of the ‘one’ mission. We do not have a dual mission in the meaning of ‘two’. It is an integrated mission that is based on the 'one' message, which again is based on the 'one' confession. The 'one' confession is the starting point for the journey up to Jerusalem - step by step.

‘Manna’ for today:

To get to know the mission takes more than one step

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(1) I stand where Peter stood - at least when it comes to the confession. St. Peter's Basilica - July 2013.

A step on the journey: To discover who Jesus is

NORSK
It is important that the headline is read correctly. It does not say ‘one’ step, but ‘a’ on the journey. To discover who Jesus is not one step, but many steps and I must take one step at a time. 

Personally I have taken quite a few steps and expect that there will be many more before I finally meet Jesus face to face.

Peter is a good example of such a development. He walked with Jesus both before and after the ascension of Jesus, and for Peter it was a journey with ongoing new revelations of who Jesus is. Peter knew a great deal about Jesus before he and the other disciples were challenged to answer the question: “Who do you say I am?” I do not know if Peter realized the scope of the confession he gave:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matt 16:16

It can hardly be said briefer and more accurate. Anyway, Peter's confession made a strong impact on Jesus. Like his Father, Jesus loves to hear confession. It becomes evident in several of the stories recorded in the Bible, and Paul summarizes it in an important verse:

Trusting with the heart leads to righteousness, and confessing with the mouth leads to salvation.
Rom 10:10 

In a salvation-historical perspective, it may be a bit premature to say that Peter was saved through this confession, but his confession was sufficient for Jesus to launch his teaching about the necessity for him to go up to Jerusalem to lay the foundation for salvation.
 
Geographically, this was a relatively short trip. Spiritually, it was a long and challenging journey for the disciples in general, and for Peter in particular, but it is a very exciting journey.
 
‘Manna’ for today:

To confess who Jesus is, is an important step on the journey.

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Confession causes movement

NORSK
Peter’s journey up to Jerusalem began close to Caesarea Philippi. I will not spend time to reflect on why the start happened just there, but I do not think it was accidental. For although the geographical journey was necessary, it was Peters spiritual journey that took off from that place.

Peter had followed Jesus for some time. He was a faithful disciple, but had he grasped what the journey was all about? Only God knows.
Jesus had asked the disciples a couple of important questions:

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

And the disciples gave report on what people thought about Jesus.
I think there were at least two reasons why Jesus asked this question:

1. He wanted to know whether the disciples were aware of what the people around them had on their minds. I think he has the same concerns with regard to his disciples today too.
2. He wanted to know whether or not the disciples were affected by the public opinion about Jesus, or whether or not they were able to stand up for what they believed. I think he has the same concerns with regard to his disciples today too.

Because his next question was:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (1)

Peter was the first to respond. Although I am aware that he was very impulsive and often acted before he thought, but he made a confession which had enormous consequences, and I do not think that it came easy. Firstly, it started off his own journey to Jerusalem, but it also seems as though he gave Jesus the signal: ‘Now you can start your journey too!’

I will return to Peter’s confession tomorrow, but today I declare that confession causes movement. If it does not create movement, there is a risk that profession only empty phrases.

Today 'manna'

Confession causes movement

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(1) The Bible passage:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Matt 16:13-15

Where do you belong? - 4

NORSK
Today I will take a trip to the “hobbling country" (1). To hobble has synonyms like to limp, shuffle, falter or even to proceed irregularly.

In a spiritual perspective, I know many who live in the land of hobbling people, and they even acknowledge that they live there. I think that they choose to confess their hobbling in fear of being labelled as believers. In my eyes many of them are true believers who have postponed their confession.

For me, faith is primarily a matter of choice. I choose to believe, and to act on what I believe with a presumption that it is actually true. This is also how I experience that my faith is confirmed.

Of course I feel that I lose my footing when I act this way. The reason is that I step on only one foot, on God’s. It is God who has the control and not me. Again I quote Søren Kierkegaard's statement: 

“To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”

Elijah challenged the people in this way:

“How long will you hobble back and forth between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow God. If Baal is God, follow Baal.” The people gave no answer.
1 Kings 18:21

Faith is about choosing which foot I will stand on.

'Manna' for today:

The Christmas mystery is that God became man to give us his foot to stand on.

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(1) The most important Christmas song

It is about an important confession

NORSK
If it is correct that the holiness and fruit are captured in one word: Love, why should it be important with confession?

This is an important question for me, primarily because I will much rather have life than doctrine. At the same time the spreading of spiritual life depends on the fact that I know something about how the spiritual matters are connected. I believe that is the background for John’s statement:

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God”
1 John 4:2

Why was it important for John to remind his readers about this confession if all is about believing in Jesus and loving one another? And why is it important for me to write about holiness?

The answer is simple:

If it is not possible for me to accept that Jesus fully and truly God and fully and truly man, I clearly limit what is possible for God:
How can I believe that he can work through his body in our present time if he is not able to reveal himself in Jesus Christ?

Already in the first century after Christ, this teaching was challenged. However, even today the connection between the faith in Jesus as man and God is a precondition for believing that the Spirit of God in Jesus’ body will be able to be in the body God has chosen to use today.

Thus, what I confess about Jesus is important for the spreading of his life. What I confess and teach will either limit or nourish life. The same applies to the subject of holiness.

Manna’ for today:

Jesus has come in “flesh”, and Jesus comes in “flesh”

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