Deep Fry

Imagine being Jehu. King of Israel. Successor to Ahaziah’s nefarious reign. Charged and anointed by a prophet sent by Elisha. And prior to your commission, this messenger is given the most random instruction: “Tuck your cloak into your belt” (v. 1). Wait, what? Is Elisha tipsy here? Did somebody bump his head after doing the chicken dance too many times? Probably not. What is certain is the Bible does not directly clarify the significance of this action; however, you can bank on this representing something important. Quick rabbit trail: I would argue that God crafted the Word so that its readers would have to dig in to find certain answers pertaining to inherent questions. Another message for another day though… Back to the cloak… A concordance check reveals that this isn’t the first time this instruction is mentioned. We find it earlier in 2 Kings 4 and Exodus 12, when God bestows Passover guidelines to Moses. In both situations, haste is specifically addressed. Why? Per...

Before church this morning, I asked the Lord to help me understand what it means to "decrease", while allowing him to "increase". Although the broad definitions haven't been difficult in recognizing (see Acts 17 and Mark 8), the current crux has come in applying the inherent details (i.e. What does the art of losing myself specifically look like today? Are the core AND surrounding mantles of each spiritual blockade in my relationship with Christ being identified?) Recent conviction has taught me within discipleship and freedom prayer arenas, Christians are perhaps overfocusing on the root of sin, and missing the bigger picture (a.k.a. the root-taproot-stem combination, to speak in plant anatomy terms). What this means is we're not thoroughly connecting the dots to the factors that strengthen the root of each sin. I believe many of us can determine the home base of our own personal iniquities, but there's that challenge of going taking the extra step (thi...

Last Easter, I found great meaning in Paul’s teaching on the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5): the redeemed redeeming the lost in Jesus’ name by way of the cross. This year, I’ve backpedaled several chapters to 2 Corinthians 2 and have basked in Paul’s charge to live as ministers of the New Covenant. First, what is the relationship between these two segments? Applying “passage unification”, we denote reconciliation as the pulse of the New Covenant minister. We are all Kingdom agents, whether we realize it or not, for the cross’ power cannot be denied; however, the choices we make influence our evangelical effectiveness. So the question is not whether we are Christ ambassadors, it’s how will we carry our respective crosses. What is our cross? It’s our callings, purposes, burdens and struggles between spirit and flesh. Secondly, Paul offers a unique comparison between commission and fragrance that grips me. To be like Christ is to be like sweet perfume. Mary, in Mark 14, ...