5 Columns as Catechism

The 5 columns are a graphic showing Creation, Separation, Redemption, Transformation, Completion.  I will be working on it over the next few months as part of my work, hoping to share it with experienced Christian workers and new believers from various groups of people in Asia with very few in their language who are also believers.

The goal will be to have a simple organizing view of the Christian explanation of the human response to good and bad in light of Christ's plan.  (I'm sure I will edit that sentence, a lot).

This is not primarily an evangelism tool.  It is more an early discipleship too.  However, many early discipleship tools can be used for 'ev' if there is enough dialogue going on with someone who isn't sure what believing would entail.  Part of the reason is that the symbols require a willingness to 'see' them.  They are not self-evident and compellingly clear.
crown = God as sovereign
heart = human, created in God's image to give and receive appropriate love with him and people
globe = creation, the world, physical and spiritual (angels, demons, etc), on this planet and beyond (cosmos).

stacked in 1st column

1. crown
2. heart
3. globe

This shows the original order of God/man/everything else.  The point is man's purpose is to be God's representative to the rest of creation, under his authority in a loving relationship.  The aspect of our current experience which relates back to this '1st column' is the experience of 'goodness'; of 'oughtness'.  To phrase it more simply, and like a mini-catechism "Why do we experience good?"  "Because God is good and created a good world with a good role for us as people".

stacked in column 2

1. cloud with dotted outline of crown
2. globe is upside down
3. heart is upside down

cloud with dotted outline of crown = God is there, but not seen directly

globe is upside down = the world is now over man and not working like it should (sickness, death, storms, demonic, etc.)

heart is upside down = humanity has submitted to creation, specifically to rebellious spiritual powers, which results in love not working with one another as it should, and our desire to worship God blocked by creation, which explains why we are natural idolators.   

side by side in column 3

1. heart 

2. upside down heart under a cross

3. heart

The first heart shows the incarnation.  Jesus is the 2nd Adam, humanity as we were intended to be.

The upside down heart under the cross shows Jesus becoming sin for us, taking all of our column 2 failure as if it were his own and dying as a result; in judgment.

The final heart shows the vindication through resurrection.  Righteous Jesus  + sins of the world dying on the cross = resurrected Jesus.  His righteousness is greater than our condemnation.

Column 4

1. cloud with dotted outline of crown
2. globe is upside down
3. heart is upside right with a cross in it

The only differences between column 2 and 4 are the result of the cross on the heart.  Now the cross is turned toward love when it abides in the work of Christ on the cross.  This is meant to show a number of things to believers who are struggling with hard circumstances.

1. God is there, but we do NOT see him clearly as we would like.

2. The world was intended for good, but it is NOT working like it should.  People do get sick and die, spirits do bully, lie and manipulate; life is STILL hard after coming to faith in Christ.

3. We don't have to have our hearts upside down in subjection to creation.  We can be conformed to the image of Christ by resting in his work such that we put off worldly ways and put on Christ's ways.

Column 5

1. crown

2. heart with cross in it

3. globe

This is the final hope, the destination of life which is reconciled with God.  God is clearly seen because he is with us.  Humanity is restored in authority over creation (including spirits) and everything works the way it should.  No sickness, sadness, death remain (all the bad is judged in the transition from column 4 to 5).

How to use it?  For personal reference in processing.

1. processing experiences = good?  thank God for his good creation.  bad?  remember the consequences of leaving God's way for the way of idolatry (ruined the world and life).  choice?  good over bad, in Christ, in me/us, and eventually in all that remains.

2. processing scripture = notice in Scripture God's goodness and intended ways is column 1.  Notice the way of death (idolatry, spirit of Babylon, etc.); that is column 2.  Follow the plan of salvation, from the beginning of Genesis to the resurrection is column 3.  Transformation of someone who turned to God's grace and was changed is column 4 (even in Old Testament stories).  Column 5 is Hope revealed, including Psalm 67, 96 and anywhere the final state of restored completeness is described.

3. in choices.  

thank God for good.

take responsibility for being part of the problem (we all contribute to sin pollution) when we sadly face evil and suffering in a fallen world.  

pay attention to the sovereign plan of God unfolding in promises, events, and examples leading to Christ.  

humble ourselves under God by trusting in Christ and his ways. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  That grace is given to transform us to be more like Christ.

stay hopeful, even when things are dark and difficult.  Remember where things are headed, and don't be afraid to ask for miraculous glimpses into the final state in the form of miracles even now (healings, etc.).  Part of the discipleship process will include explaining miracles as 'column 5 signs and samples', not as any current pattern.  In other words, God does do amazing things, but the basic pattern of this world, even in the life of someone living a column 4 life, is hardship, suffering, and ultimately death.  Be real (and Biblical), but also be free to call upon God for exceptional provisions, particularly as signs to others of where the future is headed.

This is the general idea to be edited and practiced.

buying and selling treasures

Matthew 13

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,

46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

What do I have that is worth selling? What is worth buying?

Kingdom of heaven is the pearl. It is hidden. It can be found. Then it is ‘covered up’. In a real story it would be so that no one else gets it. The point being that the guy wants to make sure he does get it. What pops into my mind is Mt. 6:1

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

I imagine myself going through life, maybe even being like the merchant studying different philosophies of life, then I find IT. IT is so good that I hide it to make sure that I really get it.

I sell what I have (irresponsibility, arrogance, drama, pettiness, indulgence)… to whom? Not the point. The point is liquidation. They become dead to me. I no longer own them, nor do I need to tend to them. Now I have resources freed up: time, focus, energy, attention.

I go back to that hidden treasure and get it. With what currency? What I freed up by releasing. Time, focus, energy, attention. Will I spend what I have on the treasure of the Kingdom of heaven?

Colossians and the Story

Colossians 1:15-29 is a good example of the Story: Creation Fall Redemption Transformation Completion are all there:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

So why do I exist (and the world in which I exist)? Through and for Christ. What has happened? Alienation then reconciliation, through death, the formation of a community of hope laboring in a painful world toward being telos.

My existence, and the world in which I exist, have a source. Today, as I start the week of 'to-do' lists and appointments and opportunities for success and failure... I frame my awareness with Christ.

The goodness of existence and opportunity is personal

Dark vs Light

It appeared that DARKNESS had overcome LIGHT.

Luke 23

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, Certainly this man was innocent! And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

It appeared that DARKNESS had overcome LIGHT. How devastating. Should those who saw hope die look for it elsewhere? Or resign to the miserable evidence that life is futile and suffering, evil and death are inevitably victorious?

Luke 24

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead?

LIGHT overcame. Hope in Christ, the LIVING ONE was displayed.

Today? Darkness is real, but Light is greater. Identify and invest in LIGHT.

Easter Story Board

This is a story board. It explains the significance of Easter in light of the big picture. The concept was designed by Telos X, the graphics which make it speak by http://csstanley.com/blog/
I will sketch out below a few of the ideas contained in this story board. I also look forward to hearing from some of you as to what you see in the story as it is presented here.

May your Easter worship inspire you to live like exiled royalty with hope that the King has risen and he will return!

God is the Alpha and Omega in Whom we live

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. (Isaiah 44:6)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)

And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. (Revelation 21:6)

The background for the Easter Story Board reveals that God (YHWH) is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, First and Last. What does that mean? All of reality, including time and space, exist in God; God is involved in the unfolding of history, butHe is also above it. As Paul explained to the Greek philosophers using their own thinking:

Acts 17:24-31 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ... he is actually not far from each one of us, (28) for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' ... (30) The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, (31) because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

King Regent Ruled

The Crown represents God as Lord over all.

The heart is humanity. God is love and we are created in His image. The two greatest commands are to love God and love people.
The legs extending from the heart shows that man is designated to be God's regents, ruling over creation.

The world under man's rule, with man under God's rule, is a very good place. That is the vision we long to see fulfilled. Why isn't it? What has gone wrong?

Fallen

God assigned man as the royal regent over creation. A serpent (creature) appeals to hidden treasures (fruit of the knowledge of good and evil) in spite of God's royal decree.

The royal regent foolishly rebels in pursuit of the treasure and finds himself banished; outcasts.

Now the world is cursed. Access to God is blocked and man's heart is dead in rebellion. Humanity looks to the world and worships the creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:18ff).

This is how life seems. Nature is wild and dangerous and people learn to be the same. Sexual immorality, violence, selfish agression; as the world goes so goes the heart of man. Humanity has lost sight of God and tragically gets entagled in ongoing deception for the powers and principalities who have usurped the rule abdicated by Adam. The sin of Adam is the source of the tragic world we now see on nature documentaries as well as on news broadcasts. The kingdom has fallen upside down.

First Adam's death; Second Adam's life

Romans 5:12-15 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- (13) for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (14) Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (15) But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Easter is the judgment of humanity for the sin of Adam abandoning his role as God's regent over creation. That is what happened on the cross.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit...

The resurrection is the first of many. Jesus' resurrection not only shows that God the Father accepted his sacrifice for Adam's race, it also shows that their is a new humanity. The resurrected Christ is the Hope for the Omega community, the renewed world. As Christ has overcome death with life, those who surrender their rebellion and declare their loyalty by grace through faith in Christ will likewise live beyond death. The fallen world is passing away, the undying world is coming!

Already! but not yet...

Romans 8:14-25 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (15) For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (16) The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (18) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (19) For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (23) And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (24) For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? (25) But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Now we see the hope that comes through faith. Jesus has conquered the rebellion and been declared the Lord of Heaven and Earth (Mt 28). He then calls on his apprentices to be making more apprentices who are to be immersed in The NAME (who is Father and Son and Holy Spirit). This people who are immersed in God's ultimate reality (the self-existent I AM) become different. Adopted into the royal family and given a newly created heart, these people still live in a world that is wild and dangerous. However, these do not live like the world in rebellion is the ultimate reality. They have faith (confidence) that Christ is King and that his people will be revealed in fullness when the King of Kings renews the world in victorious judment.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

The conlusion is like the beginning. The difference? Where we were once naive young royals, then we will be sobered and wise, humbled by redemption and resolute by Christ's incorruptible resurrection. We will rule like we were intended to rule.

Revelation 1:3-8 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. (4) John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, (5) and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (6) and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (7) Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (8) "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 21:1-6 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (2) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (4) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (5) And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (6) And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Alpha failure completed on the cross; Omega hope launched with the resurrection

Alpha – the beginning. God created humanity and told humanity to make more people and to rule over God's earth. God – man – creation (love God, love people, rule wisely)

Alpha failure – the serpent, a member of creation who should be under man's dominion, tricked humanity with promises about the power of the fruit of creation (specifically the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil). Adam should have taken authority but he foolishly left his role of responsibility and in doing so abdicated his rule under God to the rebellious creation. Enter: sin and death under the rule of the Adversary.

Life after the Alpha failure has meant that rebellious creation now blocks God and man. Powers and principalities in rebellion to God function as if they were in charge. God has condemned this with a curse upon man and creation. Subsequently the natural creation is in chaos, full of violence, aggression and frustration. How do we experience this? We justify animal like behavior arguing that it is natural. Death defines the fallen world.

How does God deal with the Alpha failure? God the Son takes the failure onto himself by reliving the challenge of Adam to trust and obey God the Father by the power of God the Spirit. Jesus lives the life Adam should have lived and does it in a much more demanding environment. Jesus then takes on the consequences of the Alpha failure by submitting to the death of a rebel. The cross is the consequence of the Alpha failure.

What message comes from the cross? "τετέλεσται/Tetelestai!" – it is finished. The price of the Alpha failure has been paid for. And then there was silence, until a new hope arose: the Omega – the ending. Jesus' was raised to life as the first of the last. He is the Hope of how it will end. God will be visibly and undeniably in charge as King, people will once again worship and obey Him as kings and priests in the King's service and the world will flourish under wise rule. What was started will be accomplished.

But what about now? We still see a world gone wild in aggression and death. What is different is that our hearts can be turned upside right. We can by faith see beyond the oppression of rebellious creation. We have been declared righteous heirs in the Kingdom in spite of the pretense of the powers and principalities. We, in Christ, are to live up to what we have already attained: sonship. We are the children of glory, the princes and princesses of the King and we are to act like it. How does true royalty act? With dignified strength and grace standing up for justice and for mercy in humble service to the King of Kings, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega.