Martha vs. Martha (or Ken vs. Ken)

As I've taken some time off this summer, it's given me time to reflect on my routines. And as I've done so, I've thought about the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. It's not the first time I've felt challenged at Jesus' unflinching comparison of Mary's devotion to Martha's distraction. But this time, I noticed the way the story highlights conflict within Martha herself. I mean, sure, Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus puts most of us in a rather bad light. But even aside from Mary, I realized that I can identify way too well with the way Martha seems at odds with herself!

Luke 10:38 describes "a woman named Martha" who "welcomed Jesus into her house." Not a bad thing. Not bad at all. There were others in the Gospels who didn't welcome Jesus anywhere, let alone their house. But then in Luke 10:40, it's said that "Martha was distracted with much serving" -- so much so that she complained to Jesus about Mary not helping.

It's the phrase "much serving" that got my attention. That seems to me to be something commendable in my world. Those willing to sacrificially serve are highly praised -- in the church as well as in society. But in this instance it's labelled as a distraction, and it stands in contrast to Martha's initial welcome. "Martha welcomed Him... Martha was distracted with much serving."

I can't help but see what a mirror this is of my own life. There was a day when I initially welcomed Jesus into my heart and home. I was thrilled He was willing to come in! But as I've sought to live for Him, things I've done for Him have become a distraction from Him. As a pastor, I feel particularly vulnerable to this. Reflecting back on this past year, it feels as though the level to which I've been distracted with "much serving" has sometimes been greater than the level to which I've welcomed Jesus into my heart from day to day. Though it's painful to face up to, it seems like there have been days when I've even forgotten that He's there in my heart, waiting for my fellowship, while I scurry about with "much serving."

As I face the coming season that will follow this summer break, I know that the answer is not to minimize the value of serving. Jesus set an amazing example of serving and challenged His disciples to follow that example (John 13:14-15). But I must be alert to how easily my desire to serve Jesus can conflict with my desire to welcome Him in my heart. And it's important that I remember: It's not what I do for Him that truly matters, but who I am in Him as I enjoy His friendship.

© 2009 by Ken Peters

Used books

I can't seem to walk past a used book store without going in. I have to look. I have to check and see. Though I'm sure I already have hundreds of books at home that I've yet to read (I've never counted them), I'm convinced there are more out there I need, and someone is prepared to sell me one for $1.25.

Every time I'm on vacation, this bug hits me hard. On past summer holidays, I've found beautiful first editions of old classics at cut-rate prices, books autographed by famous people and then priced as though nobody noticed, and vintage editions of out-of-print books by the likes of John Wesley and Charles Spurgeon in a give-away box! Those are the kinds of discoveries that keep me in the hunt.

So this year, I took my family on an exciting ferry ride to Victoria, BC. Beautiful city. Full of sights and attractions. World-class museums, a beautiful waterfront walkway, national historic landmarks. So much to see and do. And amidst all that, I made sure we found the time to visit two local bookstores. Not that they minded. My wife now loves such stores too. And all but one in our family bought books. But as we walked toward the second bookstore, the one child who didn't buy any books exclaimed exhaustedly, "Not another bookstore!" That got my attention.

And yet even as I pondered the significance of my daughter's plaintive cry regarding the prospects of another eternal wait as her family disappeared into the catacombs of another used bookstore, I fell prey. I had decided that the day after our day in Victoria would not be a commercial day, but a day out in the parklands of Vancouver Island. So we drove out of the city and surrounded ourselves with natural beauty. There's so much to see and experience on the island: thundering waterfalls and towering forests and gorgeous ocean beaches. And as we were walking together, the sea gulls happily calling us toward a sunny sea shore, the kids eager to find shells before the tide came in, I saw a used book store down the street. And before you could say "Hard cover, first edition", we were all in the store, surrounded by books once again. Sea shore? What's that?

The thing is, I simply don't need more books to read. I'm already reading about a dozen books right now. No, that's not right. It's more like I've got bookmarks in about a dozen books right now, and some of those have remained untouched for a few years. But I can't help it. I'll start a book, and then before I'm done, I get distracted by another book, and then before I'm done, I get distracted... you get the picture. The point is, I have plenty of reading material.

But that's not the point. I don't buy most book to read. I buy them to collect. I want to collect books that reflect my passions and values, whether I find time to read them or not. And I have read many, and eventually hope to read many more, but in the meantime, I keep wanting to find more. And I love it when I find books that package those passions and values in beautiful bindings with attractive covers and with old weathered pages that look as though others have shared those same passions that I have.

Call it Collector's Itch or call me crazy, but I love old, used books, and summer holidays provide me with the time to search them out. And I think I've infected most of my family with the same itch. (And we did make it to the beach, a forest and a waterfall, and to several historic landmarks in and around Victoria!)

© 2009 by Ken Peters

What manner of life am I living?

I came across a phrase today that got me thinking. Philippians 1:27 says, "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ". As I read that, I couldn't help but wonder -- what "manner of life" have I been living lately? Has it been worthy of the Gospel of Christ? In fact, how would I even sum up my "manner of life"? Is it comfort-seeking, or recreation-driven, or entertainment-based like the culture around me? Or has it been under momentum, or self-oriented, or people-pleasing in nature?

I certainly want my manner of life to be "worthy of the Gospel of Christ", so it's vital that I regularly examine how I'm living to be sure that it is. The apostle Paul gave me some clues (in the immediate context of Philippians 1:27-28) as to what manner of life he had in mind. He wrote that he hoped to hear that the Philippian believers were...

• "...standing firm..." -- persevering
• "...in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side..." -- unified with other Christians
• "...for the faith of the Gospel..." -- of faith and Gospel-oriented
• "...and not frightened in anything by your opponents" -- courageous

Those are five key components of a "manner of life" that are "worthy of the Gospel of Christ". And because I want my "manner of life" to reflect the character of God rather than the character of the culture in which I live, I want to actively and prayefully pursue such traits. That means regularly reflecting on my lifestyle and living a lifestyle of repentance as I seek to make my manner of life conform to the ways of the Gospel of God's kingdom each and every day.

© 2009 by Ken Peters

Keeping tabs on where I go for satisfaction (church bulletin cover)

Isaiah 55 begins with the words, "Come, everyone who thirsts..." As I read that, I can't help but ask myself two simple questions: Am I thirsty? And where have I turned lately to satisfy that thirst?

I'm conscious of a thirst that causes me to open my Bible to read such verses. It's a desire to find assurance and encouragement in something solid and reliable. But I have to admit that it's not typically a raging thirst. And I'm also conscious of a craving for other things -- things less solid and reliable -- hoping that I'll find some satisfaction in them. I don't mean the things that we'd all consider brazen sins, but rather, the simple earthly things that we'd all consider harmless until they became too consuming. In other words, I can say no to the brazen, and then pursue the blasé. It might be an innocent thing like a book or my blog, which aren't bad things. But if I neglect my life with God in my desire to pursue them, they become imposters for what deserves to be my true source of satisfaction: my pursuit of God and His ways.

The thirst is there whether I'm conscious of it or not. The vital question is where I am turning to satisfy it? Isaiah 55:1-2 says, "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!... Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in rich food." God freely offers us an abundance of that which deeply satisfies. The world charges money for things that don't satisfy. We simply need to choose what we'll turn to for the life we all crave.

© 2009 by Ken Peters

We want your soul

The culture of consumerism wants your soul. They want all of our passions to be focused on the glitz and bling of this material world. They want us living for what's now and what's new. But what does it profit us if we have all the fun in the world but neglect our soul (Matthew 16:26)?

Someone decided to approach consumerism from the lighter side and made a mini-musical about it. Why not? It mirrors the background music of our many malls and the flashing lights of our commercial strips. And yet the bags we fill can leave us as empty as the way the following video feels as it concludes...



It's worth a bit of reflection.

© 2009 by Ken Peters

The Great Faith of those who have Little Faith (part 4 in a series on faith)

(Not so much a series of teachings as much as a series of personal reflections on Bible passages that God has used to stir my heart regarding this important matter of faith amidst the challenges He has led me through. See part 3.)

I don't know about you, but I'm easily inclined to view Jesus' rebukes to His disciples for their lack of faith as being applicable to me. Jesus says numerous times to them, "You of little faith" and in Luke 9:41, "You unbelieving and perverted generation!" That's a strong rebuke, and if it's true of Jesus' first disciples (to whom it was addressed), it must be even more true of me! For that reason, I tend to take those rebukes to heart and can end up feeling discouraged by the little faith that I have.

But I don't believe that was Jesus' intent. I've noticed something else about the two stories that surround the rebuke in Luke 9:41 -- stories that are about Jesus' disciples going out and doing miracles in Jesus' name. Luke 9:1-6 speaks of the twelve going out, and says they were "preaching the Gospel and healing everywhere" (9:6). And Luke 10:1-24 speaks of the seventy going out to "heal the sick" (10:9) and of how they "returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name'" (10:17).

Now I think that is what Jesus wants me to be mindful of when reading these chapters in Luke. Yes, I need to grow in faith -- yes, Jesus wants me free of unbelief -- but Jesus also wants me to realize how much can be accomplished by disciples who have only a little faith! When He said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation" to His disciples, Jesus didn't intend to leave His disciples discouraged over how unbelieving they were. He was expressing a heartfelt burden for them to grow in faith, and it wasn't long before He sent them out a second time ready to do miracles in His name.

What this tells me is that, yes, there will be times when I encounter situations beyond my present level of faith, but that shouldn't leave me discouraged. Because God can take someone without faith for some situations to do miracles in others! That's why I can't allow myself to become so fixated on my limited faith that I'm paralyzed with a fear of failure or of disappointment. These chapters in Luke tell me that God can still use those who sometimes struggle in faith, and can even use such people -- like me -- to do miracles in His name!


© 2009 by Ken Peters

Faith: A Precious Commodity (part 3 in a series on faith)

(Not so much a series of teachings as much as a series of personal reflections on Bible passages that God has used to stir my heart regarding this important matter of faith amidst the challenges He has led me through. See part 2. Go to part 4.)

Faith in God is something precious for those who have it. The apostle Peter called it "more precious than gold" as he wrote to Christians who were facing persecution that was testing their faith (1 Peter 1:7). But I sometimes feel like it takes only a minor test of my faith to feel in short supply of it. A little thing goes wrong and I can end up struggling to believe God will help me.

But faith is way too valuable to lose it so easily! It's clear from how Matthew describes Jesus' ministry in Matthew 9, that faith was an essential factor in the miracles Jesus did for people. After the woman with the hemorrhage touched Jesus' cloak, Jesus said to her that "your faith has made you well" (Matthew 9:22). Six verses later, Jesus asks two blind men who had come to Him if they believed He could help them: "'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' They said to Him, 'Yes, Lord'" (Matthew 9:28). So Jesus healed them and said, "It shall be done to you according to your faith" (Matthew 9:29). That makes faith pretty important!

For someone like me who feels as though my faith has been weakened by personal disappointments, it's encouraging to see how the above stories are sandwiched between two references to the certainty of Jesus' love for sinful and distressed people. In Matthew 9:10-13, Jesus was accused of eating with "tax collectors and sinners" (9:11), and His response was to say that He desires to show mercy to those who are sinners (9:13). Then in Matthew 9:35-38, as Jesus was traveling through all the cities and villages, it says, "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (9:36).

So if the Gospel stories of healing in Matthew 9 cause me to become worriedly introspective, wondering if I have enough faith for my prayers to be answered, I don't have to look far to find stories of Jesus' mercy and compassion that should get my eyes off of myself and onto Jesus where they should've been all along! After all, that's who the woman with the hemorrhage and the two blind men were focused on! If I feel in short supply of faith, Jesus is the source of it and He's the One I should be seeking in order to strengthen it. And as I spend quality time with a merciful and compassionate God, He will give me the faith I need to keep praying in faith for the challenges I face.

© 2009 by Ken Peters

Blessed by Faith, not by Effort (part 2 in a series on faith)

(Not so much a series of teachings as much as a series of personal reflections on Bible passages that God has used to stir my heart regarding this important matter of faith amidst the challenges He has led me through. See part 1. Go to part 3.)

Whenever I find myself discouraged by the idea of not being good enough in the eyes of God, I know it means I'm not looking at my life through spiritual eyes. There was a time when God opened my spiritual eyes to see my need for a saviour and to see Jesus as that saviour. But too often I'm prone to going back to using my old earthly eyes as I strive to be good enough to please God.

Galatians 3:3 calls that foolish. "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Paul then goes on to refer to being people of faith or to living by faith 13 times in the next 23 verses. He also mentions eight times in about as many verses that the great promises God made to Abraham had nothing to do with anything Abraham did to earn them. The message? That the way to please God is not by striving to be good enough, but by believing His Word and by receiving all He has promised us!

Okay, but I find myself thinking that I know all this. It sounds familiar. And yet I still sometimes find myself battling thoughts that I'm not good enough for God, and that I have to measure up to be entitled to His promises. And I can still let myself get discouraged when I make a mistake of even the smallest variety!

Well, according to Paul in Galatians 3, my battle cry in such times should be: Have faith! Faith in God's mercy, faith in what Jesus did on the cross, faith in God's fatherhood, faith in God's promises! And I need to persistently remind myself that the promise of my inheritance in Christ is not based on how well I perform (3:18), but on God's goodness, and received by faith in God (3:22). I ought to shout that out the next time I'm distracted by my own humanity! And as I do, I will be blessed simply because God blesses those who believe.


© 2009 by Ken Peters

Keeping Firm in Faith (part 1 in a series on faith)

(Not so much a series of teachings as much as a series of personal reflections on Bible passages that God has used to stir my heart regarding this important matter of faith amidst the challenges He has led me through. Go to part 2.)

When my heart is persistently shaken by challenging circumstances, it can feel like the core of who I am is vulnerable to wear and tear. This affects things that are essential -- the pillars of my heart that my life in God depend on. One of those pillars is the pillar of faith.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it's impossible to please God. Romans 14:23 says that whatever isn't done with faith is sin. But Isaiah 7:9 puts it yet another attention-grabbing way: "If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all" (ESV). In other words, if our faith fails, we fail. If we're not firm in our faith in God, we won't be able to be firm in love, hope -- in anything that God is meant to provide.

This makes faith mighty important. "More precious than gold" according to 1 Peter 1:7. It's something I don't want to lose. It's something that I need to pursue in order to grow in (1 Timothy 6:11) so that when circumstances shake it, it will be firm and I will be firm.

I've known such shaking and there have been times when I've seen serious cracks develop in my faith. And the only way of repair that I know of is to fill my heart with the truth of God's Word, for I know that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). And as I cling to "the hope of the Gospel that you heard", I can be "stable and steadfast" in my faith (Colossians 1:23) no matter what I face!


© 2009 by Ken Peters

The Gospel: Spread it or Lose it

Nearly a month ago, I posted a video by and a comment about Ralph Winter, a man who has greatly impacted my life. More recently, I found a related posting on John Piper's blog. It expresses further insights from Ralph Winter that are a great challenge to me. I wanted to share them with you here.

John Piper writes:

At Ralph Winter’s memorial service in Pasadena on June 28, I drew attention to one main reason for gratitude out of many I feel.

I thanked God that Dr. Winter’s relentless pressing of the global application of the gospel and his tireless emphasis on the biblical and global reality of unreached peoples (not just fields), helped me know and love the enormity and centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He explained why such a missions focus would have this effect. I find this insight historically true and needed today. He wrote in 1995 in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research,

One of the most important functions of the missionary movement is to continually rescue the faith itself from becoming lost through institutional and cultural evolution and absorption.... That process of trying to make our faith understandable cross-culturally has in many different but vital ways pumped back into the home church a constantly renewed sense of what is, and what is not the [gospel]...
Unless we become as serious about rediscovering the true faith in contrast to the assumptions of our own culture, we will trumpet an uncertain sound wherever else we go. (Vol. 19., No. 2, April, 1995, p. 60)

In other words, the constant effort to spread the gospel—especially across cultures—is crucial to preserving the gospel. This is true for more reasons than we realize. I would say it is true at the global level, the denominational level, the local church level, and the individual level.

Where a person or a group is not spreading the gospel, they are losing their grasp on what it actually is.

© 2009 by Ken Peters