Blog https://www.citypresabq.com Mon, 18 Mar 2024 19:58:51 -0600 http://churchplantmedia.com/ An Abundant Fountain https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/an-ever-flowing-fountain- https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/an-ever-flowing-fountain-#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2022 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/an-ever-flowing-fountain- Hey City Pres,

Last week, Emily and Josh did a great job introducing our word of the year this year — Deeper. Emily wrote, “When we survey the year ahead of us, and the things we are asking for, the things we’ve been asking for, we will again hear, ‘Abide.’ But the abiding this year gets to come from the Lord’s abundance of provision, and I think we’ll ultimately get to hear, ‘Deeper.’”

So what does this mean for us in practice? Well, I want you to think of this in the following areas —

Going Deeper into the love of God
Going Deeper in your friendships and community
Going Deeper in your mission and calling

We will unpack each of these in the coming weeks. But the first thing I want you to hear is that God is a deep, deep well from which we can draw to go deeper ourselves. God often describes himself as a fountain. Consider Psalm 36:

They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.

Instead of drawing upon this abundance, I think we approach Him and life with a mindset of scarcity. Look around — inflation, covid, war and rumor of war — needs are everywhere. Often, these needs encroach upon us, and we feel hemmed in and closed off. I can’t do anymore. There is something very real about our finiteness. We know too much and can’t do much with all that we know. So we hibernate, or vent, or pour another round, or hunker down. Deep down, we know that the knowledge of another thing implicates us in that thing, or at least takes up thought energy about that thing; we also know that we can’t do anything about that thing. Lots of these things aren’t in my locus of power or influence. They are out there somewhere. So, hunkering down feels safe. It cocoons us from all those needs out there. From this place, we think, “If my energies are this scarce, and my time this full, then imagine how Patty or Jenny or Tom feel. They have way more stuff to deal with than me.”

This point of view then infects our understanding of God. We fail to remember that God is as the Psalmist describes: an abundant fountain, a river of delights, a full house, a radiant light. The Psalmist knows God never operates out of scarcity. Where we must begin with Deeper is recognizing the ever flowing depths of the fountain of God. He is living water, because it is always abundant and always flowing. Scarcity mindset keeps us from going deeper, because we are afraid the safety net either isn’t there or doesn’t go deep enough. We won’t risk, because we can’t. We can’t possibly risk such things. There might not be anything left. There might not be any left for me. We are all like Goldilocks lamenting lost porridge, broken chairs, and occupied beds. But God always has room and always makes room. He is an overflowing fountain. Maybe Audio A can help us. We Gen X kids know it, so maybe we can help our Millennials and Gen Zer’s by reminding them of this song. You too, Baby Boomers. Sing with me:

It's a big big house
With lots and lots a room
A big big table
With lots and lots of food
A big big yard
Where we can play football
A big big house
Its my Father's house

This is what the Psalmist is calling us to sing. God is deeper still. God is wider still. God is longer still. God is farther still. His basin is full. Even when He gives and gives and gives — there is still cattle on a thousand hills. We must know this about our God if we will ever venture to go deeper. His grace is abundant. It is a gift that keeps and keeps and keeps giving. There truly are 10,000 charms hidden inside of Him, so we can, “venture on Him and venture wholly.” We must begin here if we will venture on going deeper into His love, or deeper with our friends and people who make up this community, or deeper into ourselves and our sins and fears, or deeper into our missional call, into our work and into our city.

This week, I want you to ponder some of the ways you operate with a scarcity principle instead of an ever flowing fountain. Be curious and not judgmental with this question. Ask why is it that I fail to go deeper in some of these ways? What safety nets of my own making do I create? What fears paralyze me? And then reflect on the abundance that can be found in Christ. How deep is the Father’s love? How full is His gift of grace? What if I do this, or that? Will it ever run dry?

Paul does this as he ends his reflection on the Gospel that he preaches in Romans 11:33:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”



Let’s start to stick our toes in the water of God’s fountain and venture out into the deep water with Him this year.

]]>
Hey City Pres,

Last week, Emily and Josh did a great job introducing our word of the year this year — Deeper. Emily wrote, “When we survey the year ahead of us, and the things we are asking for, the things we’ve been asking for, we will again hear, ‘Abide.’ But the abiding this year gets to come from the Lord’s abundance of provision, and I think we’ll ultimately get to hear, ‘Deeper.’”

So what does this mean for us in practice? Well, I want you to think of this in the following areas —

Going Deeper into the love of God
Going Deeper in your friendships and community
Going Deeper in your mission and calling

We will unpack each of these in the coming weeks. But the first thing I want you to hear is that God is a deep, deep well from which we can draw to go deeper ourselves. God often describes himself as a fountain. Consider Psalm 36:

They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.

Instead of drawing upon this abundance, I think we approach Him and life with a mindset of scarcity. Look around — inflation, covid, war and rumor of war — needs are everywhere. Often, these needs encroach upon us, and we feel hemmed in and closed off. I can’t do anymore. There is something very real about our finiteness. We know too much and can’t do much with all that we know. So we hibernate, or vent, or pour another round, or hunker down. Deep down, we know that the knowledge of another thing implicates us in that thing, or at least takes up thought energy about that thing; we also know that we can’t do anything about that thing. Lots of these things aren’t in my locus of power or influence. They are out there somewhere. So, hunkering down feels safe. It cocoons us from all those needs out there. From this place, we think, “If my energies are this scarce, and my time this full, then imagine how Patty or Jenny or Tom feel. They have way more stuff to deal with than me.”

This point of view then infects our understanding of God. We fail to remember that God is as the Psalmist describes: an abundant fountain, a river of delights, a full house, a radiant light. The Psalmist knows God never operates out of scarcity. Where we must begin with Deeper is recognizing the ever flowing depths of the fountain of God. He is living water, because it is always abundant and always flowing. Scarcity mindset keeps us from going deeper, because we are afraid the safety net either isn’t there or doesn’t go deep enough. We won’t risk, because we can’t. We can’t possibly risk such things. There might not be anything left. There might not be any left for me. We are all like Goldilocks lamenting lost porridge, broken chairs, and occupied beds. But God always has room and always makes room. He is an overflowing fountain. Maybe Audio A can help us. We Gen X kids know it, so maybe we can help our Millennials and Gen Zer’s by reminding them of this song. You too, Baby Boomers. Sing with me:

It's a big big house
With lots and lots a room
A big big table
With lots and lots of food
A big big yard
Where we can play football
A big big house
Its my Father's house

This is what the Psalmist is calling us to sing. God is deeper still. God is wider still. God is longer still. God is farther still. His basin is full. Even when He gives and gives and gives — there is still cattle on a thousand hills. We must know this about our God if we will ever venture to go deeper. His grace is abundant. It is a gift that keeps and keeps and keeps giving. There truly are 10,000 charms hidden inside of Him, so we can, “venture on Him and venture wholly.” We must begin here if we will venture on going deeper into His love, or deeper with our friends and people who make up this community, or deeper into ourselves and our sins and fears, or deeper into our missional call, into our work and into our city.

This week, I want you to ponder some of the ways you operate with a scarcity principle instead of an ever flowing fountain. Be curious and not judgmental with this question. Ask why is it that I fail to go deeper in some of these ways? What safety nets of my own making do I create? What fears paralyze me? And then reflect on the abundance that can be found in Christ. How deep is the Father’s love? How full is His gift of grace? What if I do this, or that? Will it ever run dry?

Paul does this as he ends his reflection on the Gospel that he preaches in Romans 11:33:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”



Let’s start to stick our toes in the water of God’s fountain and venture out into the deep water with Him this year.

]]>
Deeper https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/deeper- https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/deeper-#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/deeper- And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life, or riches, or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
1 Kings 3:6-14

When the staff team came together to reflect on the faithfulness of the Lord in 2021, and expectant for His work in 2022, we voiced aloud what this year might hold for City Pres:

“Well, we’d like to buy our building…”
“Then we’re going to need money.”
“What about being a faithful presence in our neighborhood? What about being
consistent in one outreach ministry as a church? Like-minded, goal-oriented,
mission-focused.”
“Is 2022 going to be the year we fight complacency, starting with us, the staff?”

I felt daunted by the task list at hand, not even fully knowing what it included, but knowing that my heart was still recovering from almost two years of Covid distancing us. I remember showing up to staff meeting after staff meeting frustrated, and constantly hearing,
“Abide.”
Justin preached that to us as a staff through the pruning and the conflict:
“Abide.”
I worked through the monotony of responsibilities I covered while Bronwyn was on maternity leave each week, and again in my head I heard:
“Abide.”
And we came to the end of the year hearing about this lofty goal of $30,000 from the Christmas Offering just so we could break even, and the Lord repeated:
“Abide.”

Abiding through the fall at City Pres meant holding on for dear life to your life preserver ring hoping the other side of the rope is attached to the rescue boat, continually clinging, continually waiting.

But abiding in the new year at City Pres is what I think we’re being called into: “Deeper.”

When Solomon was faced with his inadequacies as a new king for Israel, he had the opportunity to ask for anything from the Lord. He could have asked for what normal kings ask for - riches, power, respect, honor, a long life. Instead, he comes humbly before the Lord, daunted by his task list, not even sure what all it entails, and asks him for wisdom.

In December, we invited the church, again, into the practice of Impossible Prayers. Surprisingly, my Impossible Prayer is not something I haven’t prayed for in the past. Rather, it’s praying for those things in a different way.

So when we survey the year ahead of us, and the things we are asking for, the things we’ve been asking for, we will again hear, “Abide.” But the abiding this year gets to come from the Lord’s abundance of provision, and I think we’ll ultimately get to hear, “Deeper.”

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
Romans 11:33

]]>
And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life, or riches, or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
1 Kings 3:6-14

When the staff team came together to reflect on the faithfulness of the Lord in 2021, and expectant for His work in 2022, we voiced aloud what this year might hold for City Pres:

“Well, we’d like to buy our building…”
“Then we’re going to need money.”
“What about being a faithful presence in our neighborhood? What about being
consistent in one outreach ministry as a church? Like-minded, goal-oriented,
mission-focused.”
“Is 2022 going to be the year we fight complacency, starting with us, the staff?”

I felt daunted by the task list at hand, not even fully knowing what it included, but knowing that my heart was still recovering from almost two years of Covid distancing us. I remember showing up to staff meeting after staff meeting frustrated, and constantly hearing,
“Abide.”
Justin preached that to us as a staff through the pruning and the conflict:
“Abide.”
I worked through the monotony of responsibilities I covered while Bronwyn was on maternity leave each week, and again in my head I heard:
“Abide.”
And we came to the end of the year hearing about this lofty goal of $30,000 from the Christmas Offering just so we could break even, and the Lord repeated:
“Abide.”

Abiding through the fall at City Pres meant holding on for dear life to your life preserver ring hoping the other side of the rope is attached to the rescue boat, continually clinging, continually waiting.

But abiding in the new year at City Pres is what I think we’re being called into: “Deeper.”

When Solomon was faced with his inadequacies as a new king for Israel, he had the opportunity to ask for anything from the Lord. He could have asked for what normal kings ask for - riches, power, respect, honor, a long life. Instead, he comes humbly before the Lord, daunted by his task list, not even sure what all it entails, and asks him for wisdom.

In December, we invited the church, again, into the practice of Impossible Prayers. Surprisingly, my Impossible Prayer is not something I haven’t prayed for in the past. Rather, it’s praying for those things in a different way.

So when we survey the year ahead of us, and the things we are asking for, the things we’ve been asking for, we will again hear, “Abide.” But the abiding this year gets to come from the Lord’s abundance of provision, and I think we’ll ultimately get to hear, “Deeper.”

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
Romans 11:33

]]>
God's Rest https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/gods-rest https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/gods-rest#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/gods-rest “Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.'” Psalm 95: 10-11.

What are God's ways? In the Old Testament, the ten commandments summarized what it meant to love God and love your neighbor. The odd part about many of these commandments is that they seem pretty obvious to modern-day Americans – don't lie or steal. And, if you're a Christian, the first two about only worshiping God and not making any idols also seem pretty obvious. But what about taking a day of rest? What about the fourth commandment? Taking one day in seven to rest, to do nothing productive, goes against everything we know.

The theme of rest is central to the Old Testament. Going all the way back to Genesis, the idea of a promised place of rest and peace is repeated over and over. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all wandered through the desert without a permanent home. Then came the Exodus, and God led the Israelites out of Egypt into the desert. After Mount Sinai, the next stop was supposed to be the promised land of rest. But instead of entering it, they doubted God. They saw that the land was already inhabited by powerful armies living in fortified cities. Thinking their own military was far too weak to conquer the promised land, they doubted God, complained against him, and turned away from him. Psalm 95 tells us the outcome: God's did not let them enter his rest.

Again in the New Testament, rest is a central theme. Jesus offers us rest. He promises that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He promises to provide all we need for both life in this world and that to come. But I doubt these promises daily, thinking “There's so much I have to do at home and at work, how can I be a success unless I work really really hard all the time? Will God really provide everything I need when I feel so stretched thin at home and at work?” In my life, the fourth commandment usually feels like a burden. “How do I have time to spend a whole day worshiping God and not working when I'm already so far behind?”

That's the point of the commandment, or at least part of it. Taking a day off from my day-to-day grind forces me to remember that God is in control and it forces me to remember who I am. The point of being a Christian is not to work really hard all the time and be an incredible success. We're called to rest and trust in God. As God says in Isaiah 30:15 “For thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling...”. God's call to us every week is to remember him and to rest in him. Instead of being a burden, the fourth commandment reminds us to stop burdening ourselves with all the cares and troubles of this world and focus on God, our redeemer and our strength.

~Philip Noell

]]>
“Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.'” Psalm 95: 10-11.

What are God's ways? In the Old Testament, the ten commandments summarized what it meant to love God and love your neighbor. The odd part about many of these commandments is that they seem pretty obvious to modern-day Americans – don't lie or steal. And, if you're a Christian, the first two about only worshiping God and not making any idols also seem pretty obvious. But what about taking a day of rest? What about the fourth commandment? Taking one day in seven to rest, to do nothing productive, goes against everything we know.

The theme of rest is central to the Old Testament. Going all the way back to Genesis, the idea of a promised place of rest and peace is repeated over and over. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all wandered through the desert without a permanent home. Then came the Exodus, and God led the Israelites out of Egypt into the desert. After Mount Sinai, the next stop was supposed to be the promised land of rest. But instead of entering it, they doubted God. They saw that the land was already inhabited by powerful armies living in fortified cities. Thinking their own military was far too weak to conquer the promised land, they doubted God, complained against him, and turned away from him. Psalm 95 tells us the outcome: God's did not let them enter his rest.

Again in the New Testament, rest is a central theme. Jesus offers us rest. He promises that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He promises to provide all we need for both life in this world and that to come. But I doubt these promises daily, thinking “There's so much I have to do at home and at work, how can I be a success unless I work really really hard all the time? Will God really provide everything I need when I feel so stretched thin at home and at work?” In my life, the fourth commandment usually feels like a burden. “How do I have time to spend a whole day worshiping God and not working when I'm already so far behind?”

That's the point of the commandment, or at least part of it. Taking a day off from my day-to-day grind forces me to remember that God is in control and it forces me to remember who I am. The point of being a Christian is not to work really hard all the time and be an incredible success. We're called to rest and trust in God. As God says in Isaiah 30:15 “For thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling...”. God's call to us every week is to remember him and to rest in him. Instead of being a burden, the fourth commandment reminds us to stop burdening ourselves with all the cares and troubles of this world and focus on God, our redeemer and our strength.

~Philip Noell

]]>
EXPL$T!VE https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/expl-tve https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/expl-tve#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2021 14:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/expl-tve Why is God’s name a big deal? Is He an egomaniac to care so much about His name? No, I don’t think so. His name is a big deal because it’s so closely related to who He is. And yet who He is remains somewhat of a mystery. We don’t have access into His inner divine essence. For His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways not our ways (Isaiah 55). Even our language is insufficient to truly describe who He is. He is so above our comprehension that we only know His attributes by way of analogy. For example, when Scripture speaks of God upholding the universe, it doesn’t mean God has a massive hand that is literally holding onto things. It means He is powerful and sovereign in such a way that we just can’t get it… except by way of an illustration. When Hebrews says He is a “consuming fire,” it doesn’t mean his substance is of flames. More likely this speaks to His holiness and righteousness. He uses analogies to accommodate Himself to our limited capacities. Divine accommodation to human frailty. Stooping to us in baby-talk.

When we take His name in vain (or bear His name lightly), a horrible reversal takes place. Instead of a transcendent Being revealing himself to us, we create a god of our own making. Robbing God of His true name. Instead of Yahweh: I am who I am…. He becomes ‘you are who we say you are.’ We make Him into a mascot for our life-story, a pet to make us feel better or entertain us, or a genie to give us our ‘best life now’ or our ‘best world now.’ We can only know God as He has revealed Himself to us. Instead of receiving that revelation, we often turn God into something we want; profaning who He is.

The profaning of God’s name reaches a climax in His Son’s earthly life. Jesus didn’t assume humanity to become a divine cheerleader. Rather, He came to be profanity for us. He was despised and rejected; one from whom men hide their faces. We esteemed Him not. Yet He opened not His mouth as He bore our iniquities (Isaiah 53). We profane God. But, God silently and humbly bore our profanity in Himself. He took our profanity and nailed it to the cross in His body. So that we might share in His overflowing goodness and love. That we might be remade like Him and enjoy Him. This humble savior is the same God who is utterly transcendent beyond comprehension. So now, may we confess, call upon, and praise His incredible name in reverent adoration.

~Luke Yeager

]]>
Why is God’s name a big deal? Is He an egomaniac to care so much about His name? No, I don’t think so. His name is a big deal because it’s so closely related to who He is. And yet who He is remains somewhat of a mystery. We don’t have access into His inner divine essence. For His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways not our ways (Isaiah 55). Even our language is insufficient to truly describe who He is. He is so above our comprehension that we only know His attributes by way of analogy. For example, when Scripture speaks of God upholding the universe, it doesn’t mean God has a massive hand that is literally holding onto things. It means He is powerful and sovereign in such a way that we just can’t get it… except by way of an illustration. When Hebrews says He is a “consuming fire,” it doesn’t mean his substance is of flames. More likely this speaks to His holiness and righteousness. He uses analogies to accommodate Himself to our limited capacities. Divine accommodation to human frailty. Stooping to us in baby-talk.

When we take His name in vain (or bear His name lightly), a horrible reversal takes place. Instead of a transcendent Being revealing himself to us, we create a god of our own making. Robbing God of His true name. Instead of Yahweh: I am who I am…. He becomes ‘you are who we say you are.’ We make Him into a mascot for our life-story, a pet to make us feel better or entertain us, or a genie to give us our ‘best life now’ or our ‘best world now.’ We can only know God as He has revealed Himself to us. Instead of receiving that revelation, we often turn God into something we want; profaning who He is.

The profaning of God’s name reaches a climax in His Son’s earthly life. Jesus didn’t assume humanity to become a divine cheerleader. Rather, He came to be profanity for us. He was despised and rejected; one from whom men hide their faces. We esteemed Him not. Yet He opened not His mouth as He bore our iniquities (Isaiah 53). We profane God. But, God silently and humbly bore our profanity in Himself. He took our profanity and nailed it to the cross in His body. So that we might share in His overflowing goodness and love. That we might be remade like Him and enjoy Him. This humble savior is the same God who is utterly transcendent beyond comprehension. So now, may we confess, call upon, and praise His incredible name in reverent adoration.

~Luke Yeager

]]>
Sight-Limiting Perceptions https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/sight-limiting- https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/sight-limiting-#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2021 13:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/sight-limiting- I first met Josh (my husband of 7 years) through the Navigators at the University of New Mexico. My older sister had engrained herself in community there, and as a high school senior with my sights set on entering the college experience, I begged her to bring me along to all of her college events.

One Wednesday evening, the weekly event called “Nav Night” started, and all the heads in the room turned as this long-haired guy and his road bike entered after the worship had already begun. I looked back and instantly thought, “Who is that guy? He’s attractive.”

I didn’t speak to Josh that night, or at all for another year until I was actually on campus as a college student. By that time, my sister had basically decided I would enter an arranged marriage with another student she had become close friends with. I had long forgotten that I had any interest in getting to know who Josh was as I thought my future marriage was already decided.

So, my preliminary interactions with Josh happened in group settings with no thought on my mind to pursue anything other than an acquaintanceship. The initial judgment I had made with my eye, through sight alone, was irrelevant, and I now had the chance to gain a greater understanding and appreciation with Josh through hearing.

Unfortunately, the more I heard Josh speak in theological debates and weighty conversations, the more I came to dislike him. I perceived him as condescending, and the way he would get passionate in conversation made me think he was too harsh. The judgment of my ears didn’t match the initial judgment of my eyes.

But later on, I began to realize that the judgment I was making of him based on the things I heard from him were tainted by that initial judgment of the eyes. Upon seeing him, I formed an image in my head of how his physical appearance should translate into personality, and any deviation from that judgment meant I would conclude that he was not good enough for me.

In the same way, we are commanded not to create graven images of God because this is the manmade perception cycle we get stuck in: we create an image in our minds of who God should be and then fight against our inability to break from the expectations we assign to God based on the image we’ve created. We long to know God through image, through sight, but because our God is so much bigger than what our minds could ever conceive, our sight limits our relationship even more.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Everyday requires an evaluation of our sight-limiting perceptions of God. Where are our graven images keeping us from hearing and understanding God when He speaks? How is our worship of the manmade image we’ve each created in our minds of Him causing us to believe He isn’t speaking, or even worse, causing us to imagine the words we think He should be speaking?

“This life’s dim windows of the soul,
Distorts the heavens from pole to pole,
And leads you to believe a lie,
When you see with, not through, the eye.”
-William Blake

~Emily Spare 

]]>
I first met Josh (my husband of 7 years) through the Navigators at the University of New Mexico. My older sister had engrained herself in community there, and as a high school senior with my sights set on entering the college experience, I begged her to bring me along to all of her college events.

One Wednesday evening, the weekly event called “Nav Night” started, and all the heads in the room turned as this long-haired guy and his road bike entered after the worship had already begun. I looked back and instantly thought, “Who is that guy? He’s attractive.”

I didn’t speak to Josh that night, or at all for another year until I was actually on campus as a college student. By that time, my sister had basically decided I would enter an arranged marriage with another student she had become close friends with. I had long forgotten that I had any interest in getting to know who Josh was as I thought my future marriage was already decided.

So, my preliminary interactions with Josh happened in group settings with no thought on my mind to pursue anything other than an acquaintanceship. The initial judgment I had made with my eye, through sight alone, was irrelevant, and I now had the chance to gain a greater understanding and appreciation with Josh through hearing.

Unfortunately, the more I heard Josh speak in theological debates and weighty conversations, the more I came to dislike him. I perceived him as condescending, and the way he would get passionate in conversation made me think he was too harsh. The judgment of my ears didn’t match the initial judgment of my eyes.

But later on, I began to realize that the judgment I was making of him based on the things I heard from him were tainted by that initial judgment of the eyes. Upon seeing him, I formed an image in my head of how his physical appearance should translate into personality, and any deviation from that judgment meant I would conclude that he was not good enough for me.

In the same way, we are commanded not to create graven images of God because this is the manmade perception cycle we get stuck in: we create an image in our minds of who God should be and then fight against our inability to break from the expectations we assign to God based on the image we’ve created. We long to know God through image, through sight, but because our God is so much bigger than what our minds could ever conceive, our sight limits our relationship even more.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Everyday requires an evaluation of our sight-limiting perceptions of God. Where are our graven images keeping us from hearing and understanding God when He speaks? How is our worship of the manmade image we’ve each created in our minds of Him causing us to believe He isn’t speaking, or even worse, causing us to imagine the words we think He should be speaking?

“This life’s dim windows of the soul,
Distorts the heavens from pole to pole,
And leads you to believe a lie,
When you see with, not through, the eye.”
-William Blake

~Emily Spare 

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Bound to God https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/bound-to-god https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/bound-to-god#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/bound-to-god As a child in Sunday school class, I can remember doing lessons on the Ten Commandments. We memorized them and the order in which they were presented and for this Enneagram 1, I loved having a clear set of rules to follow. When Justin mentioned he would be preaching through them this year, I was excited to get a fresh perspective on what has forever been the rules in my head, that I daily fail to live up to.

This week we looked at the First Commandment, found in Exodus 20:1-3. Justin explained that instead of the term commandments, these are meant to be read as ten words from the Lord to His people. God in giving these words, has bound Himself to His creation, His people, and promises to see it through to completion. And knowing that God doesn’t just throw these out and leave us to fend for ourselves is comforting to a wayward and wandering people. God binding himself to us, helps us view these words through the right lens. God’s relationship with His people, helps us understand God better. We cannot keep these rules on our own, only in right relationship with God, in His promise to be with us, can we live these out rightly.

As the hymn “Come Thou Fount” says, “Bind my wandering heart to thee”. The ten words were given by God to Moses for the people delivered from Egypt, who were wandering in the desert. God is binding Himself to this wandering people as a Father does to a Son. God has called His people to image Himself to the world, and when we obey these ten words from the Lord, we do just that.

That was the convicting question I wrestled with from this Sunday’s sermon- Do I image God to a broken world? And truthfully, that feels like a weighty call, a responsibility I am not sure I want. But, if God has bound Himself to me, and I am truly His, He is making me new, and the pressure is off. I can’t keep these commandments on my own, but God strengthens me daily to reflect Himself back to the world. “The World” seems like such a big undertaking, but I forget my world looks like reflecting Jesus to my kids, my neighbors, my family, those I disagree with, those I sit next to each Sunday. It can be tempting to get caught up in the current cultural climate of our day- whether it is the pandemic, political division, etc. We have lost sight of the bigger picture. Our daily call is to follow Jesus and to image Him to a fallen world. I pray that this year our church would be marked by this calling because we have been bound to God, because He is our Good Shepard, and spurring each other on towards this call is so much sweeter than our differences.

~Bronwyn Siebert 

 

]]>
As a child in Sunday school class, I can remember doing lessons on the Ten Commandments. We memorized them and the order in which they were presented and for this Enneagram 1, I loved having a clear set of rules to follow. When Justin mentioned he would be preaching through them this year, I was excited to get a fresh perspective on what has forever been the rules in my head, that I daily fail to live up to.

This week we looked at the First Commandment, found in Exodus 20:1-3. Justin explained that instead of the term commandments, these are meant to be read as ten words from the Lord to His people. God in giving these words, has bound Himself to His creation, His people, and promises to see it through to completion. And knowing that God doesn’t just throw these out and leave us to fend for ourselves is comforting to a wayward and wandering people. God binding himself to us, helps us view these words through the right lens. God’s relationship with His people, helps us understand God better. We cannot keep these rules on our own, only in right relationship with God, in His promise to be with us, can we live these out rightly.

As the hymn “Come Thou Fount” says, “Bind my wandering heart to thee”. The ten words were given by God to Moses for the people delivered from Egypt, who were wandering in the desert. God is binding Himself to this wandering people as a Father does to a Son. God has called His people to image Himself to the world, and when we obey these ten words from the Lord, we do just that.

That was the convicting question I wrestled with from this Sunday’s sermon- Do I image God to a broken world? And truthfully, that feels like a weighty call, a responsibility I am not sure I want. But, if God has bound Himself to me, and I am truly His, He is making me new, and the pressure is off. I can’t keep these commandments on my own, but God strengthens me daily to reflect Himself back to the world. “The World” seems like such a big undertaking, but I forget my world looks like reflecting Jesus to my kids, my neighbors, my family, those I disagree with, those I sit next to each Sunday. It can be tempting to get caught up in the current cultural climate of our day- whether it is the pandemic, political division, etc. We have lost sight of the bigger picture. Our daily call is to follow Jesus and to image Him to a fallen world. I pray that this year our church would be marked by this calling because we have been bound to God, because He is our Good Shepard, and spurring each other on towards this call is so much sweeter than our differences.

~Bronwyn Siebert 

 

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Nothing Can Separate https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/nothing-can-separate https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/nothing-can-separate#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2021 11:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/nothing-can-separate A little over a week ago, I was excited to say goodbye to 2020. It was a difficult and exhausting year. I have been hoping for a fresh start and year with a declining virus and a more stable political atmosphere. Unfortunately, that hope was crushed by the events in our Nation’s capital last week. I was shocked to see the images of people storming the Capital building and causing so much destruction in a place that represents alot for our country. It was hard to not let my mind wander to all of the other events of the past year in which many horrible things happened. We saw a virus which we didn’t know anything about stop the world in its tracks as we tried to figure out how to deal with it. We saw police brutality, rioting and destruction, daily death counts, and a country that continued to become more and more divided. With all of this in my head it is hard to feel any hope at all. I am afraid for what hardships this year is going to bring.

Thankfully, God is there to remind me of the truths and promises that He gives to us. In the sermon text this week we see the passing of Jacob, his burial and his sons uncertainty of what the future holds for them. God continues to bless them so that they can carry on His story and pass on their faith. Hearing this is a great comfort to me because it reminds me that God’s story is much bigger than 2020, 2021, COVID, or the Untied States. His kingdom was around long before our time and will continue until Christ comes again. Pastor David reminded of Romans 8 on Sunday:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It is a great assurance to me that God is always there for me and nothing of this world or my actions will separate His love from me. It is my prayer for myself and the church that as we continue into 2021, we would hold onto that truth and continue to live out God's love in our lives. It is easy to be overwhelmed and consumed by the events of the day, but trust that the Lord is present in the chaos and faithful to His people.

~Stephen Siebert

]]>
A little over a week ago, I was excited to say goodbye to 2020. It was a difficult and exhausting year. I have been hoping for a fresh start and year with a declining virus and a more stable political atmosphere. Unfortunately, that hope was crushed by the events in our Nation’s capital last week. I was shocked to see the images of people storming the Capital building and causing so much destruction in a place that represents alot for our country. It was hard to not let my mind wander to all of the other events of the past year in which many horrible things happened. We saw a virus which we didn’t know anything about stop the world in its tracks as we tried to figure out how to deal with it. We saw police brutality, rioting and destruction, daily death counts, and a country that continued to become more and more divided. With all of this in my head it is hard to feel any hope at all. I am afraid for what hardships this year is going to bring.

Thankfully, God is there to remind me of the truths and promises that He gives to us. In the sermon text this week we see the passing of Jacob, his burial and his sons uncertainty of what the future holds for them. God continues to bless them so that they can carry on His story and pass on their faith. Hearing this is a great comfort to me because it reminds me that God’s story is much bigger than 2020, 2021, COVID, or the Untied States. His kingdom was around long before our time and will continue until Christ comes again. Pastor David reminded of Romans 8 on Sunday:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It is a great assurance to me that God is always there for me and nothing of this world or my actions will separate His love from me. It is my prayer for myself and the church that as we continue into 2021, we would hold onto that truth and continue to live out God's love in our lives. It is easy to be overwhelmed and consumed by the events of the day, but trust that the Lord is present in the chaos and faithful to His people.

~Stephen Siebert

]]>
Count Your Blessings https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/count-your-blessings- https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/count-your-blessings-#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/count-your-blessings- Where are true happiness and blessing to be found? This is the question Josh posed to us on Sunday. It seems especially appropriate right now, as so many reflect on how terrible 2020 was as a year and how much better 2021 will inevitably be - as if by changing the calendar year we expect everything to be magically right with the world and we will achieve the happiness we desire.


In Genesis 49, Jacob’s sons were called together to receive individual final blessings from their father. While some of these blessings sound like what you might expect (prosperity, good food, success in battle, etc.) others are particularly harsh as sins are called out. And yet as Josh unpacked for us, the good things that were promised often came with implicit warnings not to love comfort too much at the expense of following God. Likewise, judgments often served as a means of God’s grace and mercy - as when Levi received no inheritance of land in order to be a tribe of priests with God as their inheritance. If these blessings are anything to go by, would you even recognize a blessing when you receive it?


More specifically, in this passage (and in reflections on my own life) I see two types of blessing from God. The first type of blessing is the obviously good things - a comfortable house, a job that pays well, loving family, or even good surprises like an unexpected bonus at work. I personally often fail to recognize this type of blessing because God has been so abundant toward me that I have come to expect it, or to see it as something I have earned rather than a gift I don’t deserve.


Maybe that’s part of why God sends the second type of blessing - the unpleasant things like sickness or injuries, job uncertainties, or financial problems. I’m not suggesting that we need to exercise a stubborn optimism to find the good in an otherwise bad situation; that gets too close to trying to solve our own problems by denying that they are actually problems. When I receive this type of blessing from God, it’s a gift that I never asked for or tried to earn in any sense, something that can ONLY be good because of the ways that God is using it in my life. And I may not even see the ultimate outcome in my lifetime - Jacob’s sons certainly didn’t. But those painful blessings often do a much better job of conveying God’s grace and love than mere comforts ever did.


While I was in college, I attended a weekly Bible study hosted by a family from my church. The leader was a man named Roy - about my parents’ age, with kids of his own, who had a heart for college students. Roy was a cancer survivor, but he had been in remission for several years. Near the beginning of my senior year, Roy went in for a routine biopsy and something went wrong with the surgery. He ended up in a coma for several weeks, and in the aftermath suffered some personality changes that made it very difficult for him to be around large groups of people, so he wasn’t able to attend church most weeks. That year, I stayed on campus for the Easter weekend rather than driving home. I was glad I had, because Roy actually made it to church. At the end of a beautiful Easter Sunday service, the pastor asked Roy if he would lead us in a closing prayer. He got slowly to his feet and proceeded to joyfully thank God for all His blessings - not just generically, but for God’s blessings to him personally. To this day it absolutely floors me when I remember it - I looked at Roy’s circumstances and saw a tragedy, but he saw only the blessings of God. Roy died a few months later.


So where do you look for happiness and blessing? Are you like a child writing a letter to Santa, expecting good things to magically appear? Or like an adult who thinks they have to earn good things for themselves, trusting in the willpower generated by New Year’s resolutions? Maybe this year it’s time to try an Impossible Prayer Request instead. When I seek blessing from God, I know it’s not something I’ve earned and I don’t have to put human limitations on it. I also recognize that the answer may not be what I want or expect - but I have the courage to ask anyway because I know that ALL God’s blessings are good.


Which brings us to the third type of blessing from God, the one the other types point to and help us to see - the blessing of Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, given for us. The true, ultimate blessing.

~Joanna Hinks

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Where are true happiness and blessing to be found? This is the question Josh posed to us on Sunday. It seems especially appropriate right now, as so many reflect on how terrible 2020 was as a year and how much better 2021 will inevitably be - as if by changing the calendar year we expect everything to be magically right with the world and we will achieve the happiness we desire.


In Genesis 49, Jacob’s sons were called together to receive individual final blessings from their father. While some of these blessings sound like what you might expect (prosperity, good food, success in battle, etc.) others are particularly harsh as sins are called out. And yet as Josh unpacked for us, the good things that were promised often came with implicit warnings not to love comfort too much at the expense of following God. Likewise, judgments often served as a means of God’s grace and mercy - as when Levi received no inheritance of land in order to be a tribe of priests with God as their inheritance. If these blessings are anything to go by, would you even recognize a blessing when you receive it?


More specifically, in this passage (and in reflections on my own life) I see two types of blessing from God. The first type of blessing is the obviously good things - a comfortable house, a job that pays well, loving family, or even good surprises like an unexpected bonus at work. I personally often fail to recognize this type of blessing because God has been so abundant toward me that I have come to expect it, or to see it as something I have earned rather than a gift I don’t deserve.


Maybe that’s part of why God sends the second type of blessing - the unpleasant things like sickness or injuries, job uncertainties, or financial problems. I’m not suggesting that we need to exercise a stubborn optimism to find the good in an otherwise bad situation; that gets too close to trying to solve our own problems by denying that they are actually problems. When I receive this type of blessing from God, it’s a gift that I never asked for or tried to earn in any sense, something that can ONLY be good because of the ways that God is using it in my life. And I may not even see the ultimate outcome in my lifetime - Jacob’s sons certainly didn’t. But those painful blessings often do a much better job of conveying God’s grace and love than mere comforts ever did.


While I was in college, I attended a weekly Bible study hosted by a family from my church. The leader was a man named Roy - about my parents’ age, with kids of his own, who had a heart for college students. Roy was a cancer survivor, but he had been in remission for several years. Near the beginning of my senior year, Roy went in for a routine biopsy and something went wrong with the surgery. He ended up in a coma for several weeks, and in the aftermath suffered some personality changes that made it very difficult for him to be around large groups of people, so he wasn’t able to attend church most weeks. That year, I stayed on campus for the Easter weekend rather than driving home. I was glad I had, because Roy actually made it to church. At the end of a beautiful Easter Sunday service, the pastor asked Roy if he would lead us in a closing prayer. He got slowly to his feet and proceeded to joyfully thank God for all His blessings - not just generically, but for God’s blessings to him personally. To this day it absolutely floors me when I remember it - I looked at Roy’s circumstances and saw a tragedy, but he saw only the blessings of God. Roy died a few months later.


So where do you look for happiness and blessing? Are you like a child writing a letter to Santa, expecting good things to magically appear? Or like an adult who thinks they have to earn good things for themselves, trusting in the willpower generated by New Year’s resolutions? Maybe this year it’s time to try an Impossible Prayer Request instead. When I seek blessing from God, I know it’s not something I’ve earned and I don’t have to put human limitations on it. I also recognize that the answer may not be what I want or expect - but I have the courage to ask anyway because I know that ALL God’s blessings are good.


Which brings us to the third type of blessing from God, the one the other types point to and help us to see - the blessing of Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, given for us. The true, ultimate blessing.

~Joanna Hinks

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Abiding Word of God https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/abiding-word-of-god https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/abiding-word-of-god#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/abiding-word-of-god We are nearing the end of the Joseph-Judah narrative. Many thanks to those who have labored to preach in this sermon series. Given the ground we covered, it seemed like a reasonable time to try and summarize how both Joseph and Judah prefigure and anticipate Christ. Below is an attempt to draw parallels between Joseph and Judah as they relate to Jesus. This is based on the assumption that Jesus is the central character of all scripture (see John 5:46 and Luke 24:44-46) and that the narrative ultimately points to him even when he is not explicitly in the text. My attempt below is not meant to be exhaustive.


How does Joseph anticipate Jesus?


Both Joseph and Jesus are stripped of their garments, suffered hatred at the hands of their brothers, and were sold for pieces of silver.


Genesis 37:31: Joseph’s robe is dipped in blood. Revelation 19:13: Jesus is clothed in a “robe dipped in blood.”


Joseph shares his unjust prison sentence with two other prisoners (Genesis 40), one prisoner is restored and lifted up. The other is condemned and “hang[ed].. on a tree” (v. 19). Jesus shared his unjust sentence with two other prisoners, one prisoner is eternally saved and the other is condemned hanged on a tree.


Joseph goes from an unjust prison sentence to being exalted as Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Jesus goes from the cross (and grave) to being exalted at the right hand of the father.


You might even say Joseph functions as a prophet (interpreting dreams and future events), priest (reconciling his brothers and changing their hearts), and king (ruling Egypt providing during the famine). These are the three offices of Jesus (prophet, priest, and king) (Heidelberg Catechism Q31).


Both Jesus and Joseph started their ministry at age 30 (Gen 41:46; Luke 3:23).
Joseph’s true identity is veiled to his brothers (Genesis 42:8). Jesus true identity is veiled to many during his earthly ministry, including his own followers (Luke 24:16).
Through Joseph’s deliverance abundant blessing comes to his family and the world (Genesis 47:6); the same is true for the deliverance of Jesus.


How does Judah anticipate Jesus?


Genesis 43:9: Judah gives a pledge to his father, promising the safety of his brother Benjamin He does this by substituting himself. “I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.” This anticipates Christ substitutionary atonement for us. It has been argued, that this verse is the chiastic center (and therefore the central emphasis) for the entire Joseph-Judah narrative! (For a beautiful discussion of this see The Story of Joseph and Judah by Warren Austin Gage and Christopher Barber).
Judah’s blessing in Genesis 49:8-12 promises a descendant whose scepter and staff will not depart from between his feet. Who washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. Jesus was descended from the tribe of Judah (Matt 1:2; Hebrews 7:14). He is the lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5).


Psalm 78 contrasts the lineage of Joseph (via Ephraim) from that of Judah. The “Ephraimites... did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law” (v 9-10). Thus, God “rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves” (v 67-68).


In light of the new testament, hopefully you can appreciate how Joseph and Judah anticipate Christ in typology and lineage. It’s no wonder that Jesus said all scripture is about him (Luke 24 and John 5). We don’t believe in myths or fairy-tales... but the abiding word God.

Happy (or maybe just content) New Year

~Luke Yeager

]]>
We are nearing the end of the Joseph-Judah narrative. Many thanks to those who have labored to preach in this sermon series. Given the ground we covered, it seemed like a reasonable time to try and summarize how both Joseph and Judah prefigure and anticipate Christ. Below is an attempt to draw parallels between Joseph and Judah as they relate to Jesus. This is based on the assumption that Jesus is the central character of all scripture (see John 5:46 and Luke 24:44-46) and that the narrative ultimately points to him even when he is not explicitly in the text. My attempt below is not meant to be exhaustive.


How does Joseph anticipate Jesus?


Both Joseph and Jesus are stripped of their garments, suffered hatred at the hands of their brothers, and were sold for pieces of silver.


Genesis 37:31: Joseph’s robe is dipped in blood. Revelation 19:13: Jesus is clothed in a “robe dipped in blood.”


Joseph shares his unjust prison sentence with two other prisoners (Genesis 40), one prisoner is restored and lifted up. The other is condemned and “hang[ed].. on a tree” (v. 19). Jesus shared his unjust sentence with two other prisoners, one prisoner is eternally saved and the other is condemned hanged on a tree.


Joseph goes from an unjust prison sentence to being exalted as Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Jesus goes from the cross (and grave) to being exalted at the right hand of the father.


You might even say Joseph functions as a prophet (interpreting dreams and future events), priest (reconciling his brothers and changing their hearts), and king (ruling Egypt providing during the famine). These are the three offices of Jesus (prophet, priest, and king) (Heidelberg Catechism Q31).


Both Jesus and Joseph started their ministry at age 30 (Gen 41:46; Luke 3:23).
Joseph’s true identity is veiled to his brothers (Genesis 42:8). Jesus true identity is veiled to many during his earthly ministry, including his own followers (Luke 24:16).
Through Joseph’s deliverance abundant blessing comes to his family and the world (Genesis 47:6); the same is true for the deliverance of Jesus.


How does Judah anticipate Jesus?


Genesis 43:9: Judah gives a pledge to his father, promising the safety of his brother Benjamin He does this by substituting himself. “I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.” This anticipates Christ substitutionary atonement for us. It has been argued, that this verse is the chiastic center (and therefore the central emphasis) for the entire Joseph-Judah narrative! (For a beautiful discussion of this see The Story of Joseph and Judah by Warren Austin Gage and Christopher Barber).
Judah’s blessing in Genesis 49:8-12 promises a descendant whose scepter and staff will not depart from between his feet. Who washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. Jesus was descended from the tribe of Judah (Matt 1:2; Hebrews 7:14). He is the lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5).


Psalm 78 contrasts the lineage of Joseph (via Ephraim) from that of Judah. The “Ephraimites... did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law” (v 9-10). Thus, God “rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves” (v 67-68).


In light of the new testament, hopefully you can appreciate how Joseph and Judah anticipate Christ in typology and lineage. It’s no wonder that Jesus said all scripture is about him (Luke 24 and John 5). We don’t believe in myths or fairy-tales... but the abiding word God.

Happy (or maybe just content) New Year

~Luke Yeager

]]>
Motels and Hotels https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/motels-and-hotels https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/motels-and-hotels#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:00:00 -0700 https://www.citypresabq.com/blog/post/motels-and-hotels “We are meant to be where we are, but where we are is not where we are meant to be.”

Genesis 46 revealed our parallels to Joseph as sojourners and wanderers, here for a time, purposefully here, but passing through and headed to the Promised Land.

I was reminded of a song by the Lumineers called “Sleep on the Floor”. The whole song is a romantic call to the songwriter’s companion to abandon all that she knows and follow him on a whim wherever he goes. The song has multiple refrains, each one directing his lover to allow him to be her home and her adventure.

“Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear,
Pack yourself a favorite blouse,
Take a withdrawal slip,
Take all of your savings out,
‘Cause if we don’t leave this town,
We might never make it out.”

Throughout the song, the songwriter becomes more desperate in his pleas, eventually asking her to decide on him, even if the sun doesn’t shine, bridges break, and the subway floods. The songs also alludes to her chance at independence if she leaves her current life behind, especially leaving her parents.

The morals in the song are not sound or admirable, but the underlying theme of not getting too comfortable in one place, living in the moment, and knowing there’s greater things ahead is partially the mindset Josh wanted us to grasp from Genesis 46. We’re facing that “Now and Not Yet” tension again, and he illustrated it perfectly through the examples of motels and hotels.

It’s always easy for me to recognize that I am meant for more, meant for the Promised Land / Heaven / Eternity with Christ, when I’m living life in the motel. The ramshackle lodge of life is lacking the amenities, the comfort, the glamour, the splendor; and right in those moments when those things are stripped away, I seem to grab hold of the hope that it’s temporary and there’s something better coming. My eternal perspective is close at hand.

Of course it’s good to maintain an eternal perspective, but then I also seem to lack the ability to enjoy where I’ve been placed. My focus is so fixated on the fact that the motel life is temporary that I begin to hate it and have no perspective for the needs surrounding me, or the sharing of the eternal with others.

Then, when I live the fancy hotel life, I lose sight of the eternal. I become so wrapped up in the luxury and comforts of that life that I forget that this is only temporary, and not all I should be living for.

I will always struggle with a balanced perspective of knowing that eternity is coming but that I am purposed for the here and now. This is where the now and not yet tension exists. But when I recognize that the journey to the Promised Land is way better when I’m not journeying alone, then I’m able to sit in that tension. That is the crossroads for my ability to look forward to eternity, maintaining my eternal perspective, while also doing all that I can in the here and now to bring my brothers (and sisters) along with me, just as Joseph did.

~Emily Spare

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“We are meant to be where we are, but where we are is not where we are meant to be.”

Genesis 46 revealed our parallels to Joseph as sojourners and wanderers, here for a time, purposefully here, but passing through and headed to the Promised Land.

I was reminded of a song by the Lumineers called “Sleep on the Floor”. The whole song is a romantic call to the songwriter’s companion to abandon all that she knows and follow him on a whim wherever he goes. The song has multiple refrains, each one directing his lover to allow him to be her home and her adventure.

“Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear,
Pack yourself a favorite blouse,
Take a withdrawal slip,
Take all of your savings out,
‘Cause if we don’t leave this town,
We might never make it out.”

Throughout the song, the songwriter becomes more desperate in his pleas, eventually asking her to decide on him, even if the sun doesn’t shine, bridges break, and the subway floods. The songs also alludes to her chance at independence if she leaves her current life behind, especially leaving her parents.

The morals in the song are not sound or admirable, but the underlying theme of not getting too comfortable in one place, living in the moment, and knowing there’s greater things ahead is partially the mindset Josh wanted us to grasp from Genesis 46. We’re facing that “Now and Not Yet” tension again, and he illustrated it perfectly through the examples of motels and hotels.

It’s always easy for me to recognize that I am meant for more, meant for the Promised Land / Heaven / Eternity with Christ, when I’m living life in the motel. The ramshackle lodge of life is lacking the amenities, the comfort, the glamour, the splendor; and right in those moments when those things are stripped away, I seem to grab hold of the hope that it’s temporary and there’s something better coming. My eternal perspective is close at hand.

Of course it’s good to maintain an eternal perspective, but then I also seem to lack the ability to enjoy where I’ve been placed. My focus is so fixated on the fact that the motel life is temporary that I begin to hate it and have no perspective for the needs surrounding me, or the sharing of the eternal with others.

Then, when I live the fancy hotel life, I lose sight of the eternal. I become so wrapped up in the luxury and comforts of that life that I forget that this is only temporary, and not all I should be living for.

I will always struggle with a balanced perspective of knowing that eternity is coming but that I am purposed for the here and now. This is where the now and not yet tension exists. But when I recognize that the journey to the Promised Land is way better when I’m not journeying alone, then I’m able to sit in that tension. That is the crossroads for my ability to look forward to eternity, maintaining my eternal perspective, while also doing all that I can in the here and now to bring my brothers (and sisters) along with me, just as Joseph did.

~Emily Spare

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