**I found these short essays that Tim had shared with me in one of my Dropbox folders for a spiritual formation book that never officially materialized, sadly. Reading over them, it is great to hear Tim’s wise, loving, beneficent, pastoral admonitions in my head again. I miss my friend and brother-in-Christ.**
The Strongest Foundation
Discipleship programs are foundational to church life today. They take many forms: small groups, intentional communities, cell groups, mid-week Bible studies, early morning men’s or women’s meeting at a popular coffee shop, house meetings, and so on. These opportunities for spiritual growth take a variety of approaches. Some use the teacher/student approach, others are discussions facilitated by a leader, and yet others are very informal where there is a honest openness to the sharing of ideas. All of these programs and others not listed here have a common goal. They are organized to promote spiritual growth, spiritual community, and help in the spiritual development of the people in these communities.
I propose that a very important subject for such groups to study is the development of the biblical foundation of each member’s life. It is not enough that we meet to share, study and pray. Every follower of Christ must posses a biblical foundation for his/her faith. Our philosophy of life (theology of life) must be built on a strong biblical foundation. In the following chapters, I will share the biblical basis for my life as an example. This I do as a lifelong follower of Christ. It was introduced to me during my seminary years at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, when I was asked, “What was the basis for your calling to ministry that led you to the seminary?”
The nourishing of my soul started in the Greek Evangelical Churches in Katerini and Thessaloniki Greece, and later in the Greek Evangelical Church (Boston, MA) under the teaching of Rev. Argos Zodhiates. In the Newton United Presbyterian Church (Newton Corner, MA), I began to practice the skills of my calling under the guidance of Rev. Burton Smith, and was further encouraged by the Rev. James Brantingham of the Evangelical Friends Church in Newport, RI. To these men, I want to publicly say, “Thank you for believing in me;” to their churches, I want to say, “Thank you loving me, nourishing my soul, and for trusting me to practice my faith.” To the many individuals in these communities, “Thank you for being a Christian witness.”
These communities developed in me the hunger and thirst for God, and the passion for a systematic, study of the Holy Scriptures so that I could with the Apostle Paul with confidence say (Philippians 4:8-9), that I trained my mind, and I am also willing to put my life out there as an example of a Christian on his journey with Jesus Christ and the Church.
My Biblical Theology of Life
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52)
“Finally, brothers, what is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8,9)
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11,12)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1,2)
“….whom I love in the truth…all who know the truth, because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.” (2 John 1,2:)
“For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)
The Essence
The following great hymn of the church captures the essence of the foundation upon which a life should be built upon. The strength and stability of such a foundations give the person the confidence to live life fully. It provides something or someone to lean on, be supported by, and fill one with hope and stay. Jesus had such a foundation and was able to grow in all areas of His life completely. Luke tells (Luke 2:52) of Jesus growing up in all area of His life. All aspects of His personality (spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual) are mentioned.
“The Solid Rock”
by Edward Mote, 1797–1874
1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness seems to hide his face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In ev'ry high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Here, we are given a glimpse of the healthy life built on a strong foundation. A quick observation around us would indicate that many over-emphasize an aspect of life, which they would like to develop. All around us, we are encouraged to look good, to be healthy, to have the right job, the right home, the right car, to belong to the right group, etc. However, very little is pointing to a comprehensive growth. The hymn declares that one’s life will be built on nothing else.
The Eight Keys to Happiness
It was at a great turning point in his life that the Lord spoke these words to us, which today are known to us as "The Beatitudes." It was when he elected those twelve who would become his apostles, and thus assembled for himself the first nucleus of the body that would become his Church, that he addressed these words to the people. This is inferred from a combined study of Matthew and Luke. All night long he had taught her in prayer, and when the new day dawned, he called his disciples to him, and from them he elected twelve who would now become his apostles.
But the day had not progressed much, and crowds of people, Luke tells us, from all Judea and even from the shores of Tyre and Sidon flocked to the slopes of the mountain, where Christ was with his apostles, and brought their sick to him to heal. It was at some point on this day that Christ lifted his eyes and saw the multitudes of people who had surrounded him, and addressed to them this sermon, which begins with the Beatitudes.
From this sermon, we will take only its beautiful introduction, the Beatitudes, to make them, in a series of nine sermons, the subject of our special study. Today, we will not enter into the content of the Beatitudes, but will confine ourselves to a few general considerations. We will confine ourselves today to standing with that crowd on the mountainside, and to look at the Speaker and take a very general look at His speech.
Or rather, I would say that we will let Him gaze upon us, because that is how this sermon began, which had the Beatitudes as its introduction (and see the mobs), says Matthew (He opened His mouth and taught them). He saw the multitude of people, and there was something in that crowd of people that caused this speech. It was something the Lord saw beneath the surface of that crowd that invited Him, as it were, to address this speech to them. Many see the crowd, but do not see the people who make up the crowd.
But Christ, with the look He cast at that crowd, saw them one by one separately. His gaze embraced every special life represented in that crowd. And he bent down and watched this life carefully, and saw with how many unfulfilled desires this life was filled, and with how many hopes were dashed, and even how many disappointments and bitterness this life had experienced and how many tears it had shed.
That morning on that mountainside a conversation took place between the heart of that crowd and Him, who was the Maker of that heart. The heart said to its Maker, You created me to be an instrument of happiness, You created me to be a receiver of joy. You made me for laughter, for light, for music. But look at me how sin has descended me. Laughter withered on my lips, music faded from my life. And instead of joy, bitterness and pain and tears is my share of life. I have a great need, And that is to rediscover lost joy, to become an instrument of happiness again,
All this was said to Him by the heart of the crowd that morning, and He answered (open, says Matthew, his mouth), and told the crowd that it is possible to regain their lost happiness. This is the meaning of the Beatitudes. Blessed means happy. The beatitudes, then, are nothing but the Lord's answer to that prayer of the human heart to regain its lost happiness. It was as if the Lord said that morning to that crowd and to all of us (I saw your life, I felt your pain, I heard your prayer, and lo and behold, if you want to regain your lost joy, take these keys and unlock the secret of happiness).
That is why Christ came. This is the deeper reason for His coming into our world and into man's life. To give back to man the keys to happiness that he has lost. How misunderstood many people are about Christ's mission in the world. They say (Religion), they say (Gospel), they say (Faith) and in their minds immediately rises the cold and melancholy image of a monastery. People think that Christ came to steal the joy from their lives, that He came to make their lives poorer and uglier, when the reality is exactly the opposite. Christ came to make man's life richer and more beautiful and to give it back the joy it had lost because of sin.