The Messianic Secret has to do with trying to figure out why Jesus in the book of Mark commands people to say nothing about the miracles they either receive or view (Mk 1;5;7;8). On two occasions, chapters 5 & 8, the command is ignored and the miracle is published abroad. What purpose is Mark threading this into his narrative, or what was Jesus intending? Good questions and in theological circles, many have pondered.

I collect a few signs…like the one below Jeremy Brock picked up for me at a garage sale. I hang them in my garage.

However, when you see my signs in my garage, they don’t mean the same thing as when you see them in real time because there is no reality behind them. Conversely, when you see a “Bump” sign in real time, you know there is a certain reality behind the sign, namely, a bump. The reality behind a school sign is a school…Stop sign=the Law and possibly a blue light behind you for ignoring it.

I reason Jesus performs miracles because they are necessary, a sign if you will. How else would people attribute any significance to his credibility if there were no signs and miracles? Sure, he confounded them by his teaching, but he also astounded them by authoritatively controlling and commanding the forces of nature…then he says don’t tell! Why? Because he was pointing to a greater reality, the Kingdom of God. The miracles were necessary, but if it was only about miracles, then the crowds would throng him only to suppress the real reality he was intent on revealing (the disciples also struggled with this. Peter rebuked him and Judas tried to force his hand). What power! We could put on a huge cosmic show that would garner the attention of the whole world!…and what, miss the reality behind why Jesus came? The priority was not on the signs themselves (though necessary), but to the Kingdom not of this world, in breaking into the world to reveal the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world through the cross.

And as he so did, I believe he so calls us to do the same. We are in the world, not of it, or we are signposts that point beyond ourselves to HIM. And it is always human nature to get bogged down in the miraculous and not realize the reality behind the miracle. In such cases, the signs becomes rather confusing. Like the following…

Official Meaning of Sign: Stop and then, as you proceed, do not stop. If you are a commercial vehicle you can actually stop, though it says you can’t, on the right side for 30 minutes.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign: Just slowly roll through, trying to load or unload for no longer than 30 minutes.
Where it’s Located: Fresno, California

Official Meaning of Sign: The right three lanes are open during rush hour, the right line is only open from 3:30 pm to 9:30 pm except for that period between 6:30 in the morning and 9:30 at night. The right two lanes are open from 9:30 pm to 6:30 am. The far left lane is lava or the twilight zone.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign: City planners in the District of Columbia either do not understand the difference between am and pm or it’s up to drivers to guess which lanes are open when. The far left lane is lava, twilight zone, full of nails…what?
Where it’s Located: Washington, D.C.

It should be our desire to make sure our sign matches the reality of Him, without confusion. Certainly, a worthy goal.

Phil 3:12
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus
KJV

The past few days, Tuesday-Thursday, Peyton and I have been in Durham, North Carolina for the regions Senior Camp. It has been a great time, and a privilege to preach to some great young people!

Pictured above separate from obviously Peyton and myself are the Wilmoths (left) and the Erskins (right). These are some great folks and they have treated us exceptional. We now head to Newport, NC to spend Sunday with Bro. and Sis. Ted Erskin, and then home to Cali. Boom!

Bro. Raymond Andreas gave a wordshot recently about going to work only to find the lift at the work site was not operating. This condition forced him to walk 5 stories with all his equipment (he made double sure he had everything before the trek up the stairs). However, once he arrived at the top and felt the cool breeze, and was able to see from this elevated vantage point the great view, the arduous journey was put into proper perspective. The struggles we may face in the here and now will be put into a much better context when we receive our heavenly reward. Great wordshot and it triggered a memory…

While in London, we embarked upon a journey to The Monument, built by Christopher Wren to commemorate the great fire of 1666 in London that destroyed 436 acres of the city. It is 311 steps to the top and the height of the structure is the exact distance from where the fire originated…the two pictures following show the Monument and the winding staircase, along with a picture of the kids with a certificate you receive to show you’ve “walked the walk.”

But when you arrive at the top, you have a great view of London, and the breeze cools you off, and well, it’s kind of like what Bro. Andreas was pointing out. Yet, the continuation of the story occurred on the ride back to the hotel. While on the Tube ride home, a gentleman asked where we had been. Upon hearing The Monument, he smirked and stated that he works nearby and upon passing the Monument every day and seeing the many people making the trek up; he wondered what the big deal was. This was like déjà vu to an earlier experience in New York. I asked a guy if he could point the way to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. He said, “Well I’ve lived in Manhattan all my life and I’ve never been there, so I can’t help you.” Ok, at least he wasn’t smirking.

…I asked the gentleman on the tube, “Have you ever been up there?” His reply? “No” Well, then how can you make a claim without seeing what the Monument is all about? This just struck me as funny, and theologically speaking it is kind of like, “The Holy Ghost is not for us today, only for the inauguration of the church.” Hmmmm….have you been up those stairs before? Nice breeze, great view, proper vantage point, …

While on a missions trip to Peru in February, Bro. Nix asked Brian Gregg if something could be done with an area outside some classrooms. This was not just any area, as the building housing the Lima church is an old, yet stately theater building, converted into a church and Bible School. The Bible school is in the upper regions of the building with some very nice classrooms that exit into a common area not usable because of its design. You can see the area from below in this picture (the four classrooms are tiered just like the lower section of this particular theater).

A picture from above reveals an area that could be configured so that the classrooms would exit into a “commons” area. This could be a library/study area and this is what Bro. Nix envisioned, but he needed some expertise to figure out how to make it happen.

The main building components in Peru are brick and mortar, as you can see in the photos. So Brian, along with helpers James Doty, Philip Ruiz, and a host of curious Peruvians, set out to make this happen using wood, sheet rock, and tape and texture. The following pictures tell the rest of the story.

Bro. Nix and the Bible School are certainly proud of the end results, and obviously, so are we. Great job Hermano Gregg for using your skills to build up the Kingdom, and great job James and Philip for giving a helping hand. Phenomenal!