Mar 11
17
America, We’re Better Than This
To listen to the news these last few days you would think that the United States was under a nuclear attack. Everyone from commentators to politicians are prophesying the dangers of a nuclear cloud coming ashore on the West Coast. Even the Surgeon General can’t decide if it’s a good idea to stock-up on anti-radiation (Potassium Iodide (KI) pills ). In fact the demand for the pills and Geiger counters has soared so much on the West Coast and Arizona that some merchants are selling out and price gouging on ebay has begun.
But really America could we be anymore selfish? While we are worrying about a radiation cloud that may never reach us and if it does will pose a minimal risk at worst have we forgotten what is really happening in Japan? Have we forgotten that Japan has suffered a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami which together have caused unparalleled damage? The entire island has been moved 8 feet and the coastline forever changed. Have we forgotten that over 4,000* men, women and children have already been confirmed dead and that the total number will likely triple? Have we forgotten that over 100,000 children have been displaced and many are waiting for parents who will likely never return because they have been killed?
Have we forgotten that nearly half a million people have no power and over 2.5 million households have no safe water? Apparently we have. And what about the threat of a nuclear meltdown? While we are wringing our hands and buying unnecessary supplies millions of Japanese people are facing a real possibility of radiation poisoning. While we seize upon the opportunity to reengage the debate over nuclear power and complain that the Japanese government is not being transparent enough about the danger, the “Fukushima 50”, which is actually about 190 brave men and women, are literally giving their lives to prevent a nuclear meltdown. Despite almost certain death or disease they continue to enter the plant to protect their countrymen, and oh yeah, us selfish Americans.
Isn’t there something better we could be doing besides crying about a so far nonexistent nuclear cloud? I think there is. We could cry with the Japanese people who have lost so much. A little genuine empathy and compassion would go a long way towards quelling our selfishness. The Apostle Paul reminds us to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). And pray, Paul says, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Tim 2:1). Pray for safety, pray for comfort, pray for healing, pray for salvation, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Tim 2:3-6). And, if you have the means, help. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal 6:10)
America, we’re better than this, especially Christians, let’s stop watching for a cloud from the west and start showing the world who we really are.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
*All numbers are estimates taken from reliable news sources, no one knows yet what the final figures will be.
Posted in Observations by .
Feb 11
7
The Fall of Man
The Fall of Man
It was not simply the bite itself that caused the Fall and gave birth to the first groanings of lament from both the creature and the creation. The bite was only a consequent act of disbelief. It was denial and doubting of God’s hesed that led to dis-belief that caused the two prodigals to be driven into the wilderness of His absence, never to return. It was bound up with mis-belief that God was only the sum of His gifts and no more. All this flowing from the stubborn sin of un-belief. – Michael Card
A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in The Lost Language of Lament (2005)
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Over the years I have read lots and LOTS of books on evangelism. Many, probably most, on technique: tract blitz, door to door, parking lot confrontations, friendship evangelism, seeker sensitive services, and evangelistic Bible studies. My favorite (note sarcasm) the gospel bomb, even explains how to properly crumple and release a tract from a moving car so that it lands at the feet of the hitchhiker or distressed motorist. Some I have found effective, some aggravating. In the end, I have come to appreciate the wisdom of D.L. Moody in his encounter with a critic of his evangelistic techniques. Moody’s reply was, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” The critic replied, “I don’t do it.” Moody retorted, “Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.” Techniques are techniques and a bad method may be better than no method of all. Not so of the message. Get the message wrong and in the words of Paul, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8-9. That is what is so refreshing about J. Mack Stiles, Marks of the Messenger. This is a book about getting the message right and, equally important, the messenger.
In this convicting yet eminently encouraging book, Stiles begins in chapter one by asking the question, “Who do you want to be?” If we answer the question, as Stiles assumes we will since we are reading a book about evangelism, “Evangelists” (sharers of the faith), then Stiles rightly responds:
So become a healthy evangelist by first asking, ‘Who do we want to be as people who share their faith?’ And we must ask, ‘Who would Jesus have us to be—period?’ This is a bedrock question. And the answer, in a nutshell: Jesus asks his followers to be people of faith. That is, we put our complete faith and trust in him in two important ways (pg 17,18).
He goes on to explain those ways as “first believing in Christ …through the message of the gospel,” and then, “becoming faithful followers [by placing] our trust in the teachings of Jesus from the Bible.” In short, “To share faith means that we must have faith first.”
If we are going to protect ourselves from the curse Paul proclaims in Galatians 1:8-9 then we must know the gospel. In chapter two, Stiles does a masterful job of explaining this. I would love to include it here in its entirety but a few excerpts will have to suffice. First, the bad news:
‘The gospel,’ in modern language, means, ‘Breaking News!’ And the news is good news, because there was bad news before. After all, what power is there in ‘good news’ if there was nothing wrong in the first place? And there is plenty of bad news (pg 27).
Have you heard people say that Christianity is a crutch? They’re far too optimistic. We don’t need crutches; we need spiritual defibrillators. The fact is, we were born rotten sinners to the core. We may be upright physically, but spiritually, we’re dead on arrival. Left to ourselves we have no hope (Romans 5:19; Ephesians 2:1, 12), (pg 27, 28).
We are chained to sin; we can’t help but sin, for it is in our nature (Romans 7:5). And this sin cuts us off from God. In our natural state we rebel against God and all his ways (Isaiah 59:2; Ephesians 4:18)—and this wickedness spits in the face of God (Isaiah 50:6; Mark 14:65). We are as attractive to God as a corpse at a dinner party (Matthew 23:27). (pg 28)
Don’t miss that at the cross we see ourselves in all our sin and evil and wickedness (Isaiah 53:5-6; Romans 3:12, 19). All of us: from Mother Teresa to the lowest, vilest child molester. What awaits us—what we’ve all earned—is hell. (pg 29)
But I contend that if this news, this bad news, offends rather than humbles, you are the one most in danger. For it’s not said to offend but to instruct and to warn about a reality—the same warning my doctor might bring of a grave illness, but with far, far greater consequences (pg 29).
We want people to see their sin in all its horror, not so they are motivated to ‘clean up their act,’ but so they fall at the feet of Jesus knowing that he is their only hope. People need to see the depth of their sin so that they come to a fuller understanding of the depth of God’s grace (pg 31).
The fact is we are under God’s judgment already (John 3:36). But this God is not a God of judgment alone. He is love (1 John 4:8), (pg 32).
And now the beginning of the “good news.”
God’s love is his most magnificent characteristic. This is so assumed in Western culture it’s practically lost all meaning, but one thing that distinguishes God’s love is how his love, his perfect, tender, self-sacrificing love, holds back his red-hot, scorching wrath.
He does this not by simply sweeping our sin under the rug. There’s too much brokenness crying out for justice for that to happen.
No, he demonstrates his love by sending his Son, Jesus, the Son he loves who is fully God, to live as a man, identify with our human condition, demonstrate through his earthly life as a man, what God is like, and then bear the weight of our sin on the cross (John 3:16).
We see God’s holiness satisfied when his love was nailed to the cross. It’s the place where God’s wrath and love come together -perfectly. Jesus died in our place; it was a substitution, a ransom, an act agreed upon by the Father and the Son to pay for the sins of the world, since Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. Jesus became a perfect blood sacrifice for all who would put their faith in him. This is how we gain his forgiveness and his righteousness as well (pg 33).
So what is this offer of good news?
The offer of the gospel is that our sins—in all their ugliness—can be forgiven and that we can be adopted as God’s children with all the earthly privileges and heavenly inheritance of a child of God the Father, by simply turning from our sin, especially our sin of unbelief, and placing our complete faith and trust in this Jesus.
That’s it?
Yes, that’s our response to the offer of God (pg 34).
I have included this extensive quote, certainly to whet your appetite to read the entire chapter, but more importantly, so that if by chance you have come upon this review and do not know God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, that you would hear the good news and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Could an unbeliever attend a major evangelical university and pass himself off as a believer? The answer is yes, and this is the illustration that Stiles uses to begin his warning on not “assuming the gospel.” How easy, and common, it is for the reality of the gospel to be replaced by “Christian signifiers,” like going to Bible study or church services, praying before meals, or other “Christian” behaviors. If he or she talks and acts like a “Christian” then there is no need to ask. Assuming the gospel is the first step to losing the gospel then this chapter sounds an important warning.
Chapter four is a pivotal chapter in the development of Stiles’ book. He asks the question “Does the message we share look like the message we bear?” Having pointed out the importance of getting the gospel right and protecting it, he makes a compelling case for the implications of the gospel. More than just reconciling us to God in the future, the gospel affects our life today. He quotes Tim Keller, “The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make progress in the kingdom” (pg 51). Stiles then gives five examples of how living the gospel could affect our daily lives:
- Seeing the depth of our forgiveness by God at the foot of the cross allows us to forgive others and guards us from self condemnation too.
- Knowing that we have been reconciled to God by the cross calls us to be people of reconciliation.
- Knowing that God did not spare even his own Son on the cross tells us we are deeply loved and that we can rely on God’s will for our lives without fear.
- Being accepted by God through the cross allows us to be obedient out of joyful gratitude, not out of duty.
- Knowing that we have been adopted as sons and daughters as a result of the work on the cross guards us from living as independent orphans alone in the world (pg 55).
Living the gospel then, has implications for proclaiming the gospel and shapes not only our message, but our delivery of it as well. We cannot proclaim a gospel that is not first lived out in our lives.
Chapters five through nine address practical matters in the proclamation of the gospel:
- 5 – The Gospel and Social Change
- 6 – Understanding True Biblical Conversion
- 7 – Slaying the Fear Factor
- 8 – Mistaking the World’s Love for God’s Love
- 9 – The Church
In the chapter on the church, Stiles includes a section on “16 Ways to Demonstrate Love and Unity in the Church and In So Doing Become a Healthy Evangelist.” Of them he writes, “[this] is a list of radical, mind-blowing, evangelism producing principals that, if practiced, will change the world. You have fair warning—these are countercultural, even bizarre to the watching world, but they demonstrate love for one another.” (pg 107,108) All I can say is that he is right.
Stiles concludes the book with “A Manifesto for Healthy Evangelism.” This is basically a recap of the book in two pages. Then he gives a call to action, a step by step plan to be prepared for the opportunities God will give us. And finally this encouragement:
The privilege is ours. The greatest thing about evangelism is that we get to do it—you and me. Somehow the great Creator God allows us—protoplasmic specks in the universe—to partner with him in his grand design. It’s a wonder and a mystery. To be healthy—really healthy—not just in evangelism, but in all of our spiritual life, is to have just a glimpse of what it means to take hold of that privilege in faith, with truth, through love, in boldness and faithfulness to the praise of his glorious grace (pg 122).
So, use whatever method you want (no gospel bombs, please) but be sure to prepare yourself by knowing and living the gospel you proclaim. This book is a great place to do just that.
Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Loving and Speaking the Gospel
Forward by Mark Dever
Published by IVP Books, 2010
122 pages with endnotes
About the Author: J. Mack Stiles is CEO of Gulf Digital Solutions and general secretary for the Fellowship of Christian UAE Students (FOCUS) in the Unites Arab Emirates. He worked for many years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the United States. He is author of Speaking of Jesus and coauthor with his wife of Mack and Leeann’s Guide to Short-Term Missions. (From the Cover)
Posted in Book Reviews by .
May 10
30
Man Up!
Sometimes I hate being a man. Not that I want to be a woman, I quite like my gender. It’s just that being a man in America these days is to be a wimp. It doesn’t take long watching TV or movies to see what I mean. Men are dimwitted, useless, scratching, belching morons. The only things they understand are sports, beer, and leering at women. When it comes to repairing the house, using the computer, or raising the kids, it’s mom that knows what to do – or, worse yet, the kids. Oh, we have an occasional “action hero” in the ilk of Clint Eastwood, but once the punching and sex are done they are clueless too. At first I thought this was a Hollywood thing; some sissified writer’s idea of life. But, you don’t have to look very far to discover that this is a case of art imitating life. You could blame it on the metrosexuals spending too much time getting their manicures, but it is even true here in the Northwoods where the water has an extra dose of testosterone built in. True, we do manly things here like hunting and fishing, but so does Sarah Palin. Where are the real men and what would one look like if we found him?
A real man loves God. It has been widely stated that religion is just a crutch for weak people. But people who say that don’t know real Christians. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is a manly thing to do. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at some examples, starting with Christ himself. The renaissance painters may have given us an effeminate Christ but the real Jesus was a man’s man: apprenticed and became a carpenter making a living with the skill of his hands and the strength of his back (Mark 6:3), spent 40 days in the wilderness withstanding the devil himself, not to mention wild animals and the elements (Mark 1:12-13), traveled hundreds of miles on foot, preached to multitudes of people, and never backed off no matter how angry they became. He was beaten mercilessly with a scourge (a leather strap with pieces of bone and metal imbedded in it that flayed the skin as it was ripped across the bare back and shoulders), and then delivered to be crucified (Mark 15:15).
The Apostles he chose were no girly men either. Fisherman, rebels, and a tax collector, two of them known as “Sons of Thunder,” (Mark 3:16-19). One of them, Peter, also known as “the rock”, had a knife and he was willing to use it. Ok, so he cut off an ear when he was probably going for the head, but he wasn’t afraid to stand up. Later, when he was old, tradition says he was crucified for his faith – upside down. And one of those “Sons of Thunder,” John, was in his nineties when he was boiled in hot oil for refusing to recant. The book of Hebrews lists many more, but note especially Hebrews 11:32-38; some who triumphed, some who died, but not a one who turned back.
But it was not just “Bible characters” who knew how to be men. Men in every century have given up health and wealth and life itself to follow Christ. Men like Antony of Padua who became “the most popular and effective preacher of his day.” Born in 1195 Antony was about 25 when he begged to leave his Augustinian monastery to go to Morocco to die with the martyrs. On the trip he became ill with malaria and was forced to return home. While in route the ship was blown off course and he ended up in Sicily where he would spend the next year waiting tables, washing dishes and gardening. It wasn’t long before his gift for preaching, and especially refuting the heretics, gained him the nickname “The Hammer of the Heretics.” Antony died at age 36, exhausted by his service to Christ.*
And there were more; missionaries like William Carey, David Livingston, and Hudson Taylor who left lives of relative ease to endure unknown lands and hardship. Pastors like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who stood against the Nazis and Hitler and died a martyr’s death. And all these men had one thing in common – they loved God. Jesus said the number one command, the most important thing, is to “… love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) A real man goes to church, reads the Bible, prays – A real man loves God.
A real man loves his wife. A wife is not arm candy or a bed mate, she is so very much more. Men, she is a co-regent of this earth, co-image bearer of God Almighty (Gen 1:26-27), and co-heir of the salvation that is through Christ alone (Gal 3:25-29). She is a precious vessel more valuable then the most priceless treasure on earth (1 Pet 3:7). So how do you love such an incredible creature? Paul says a real man loves his wife the way Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25-33). How did Christ love the Church? Here are three ways: interruption, sacrifice, death.
Interruption – think about it – God the Son, the second person of the Godhead, very God of very God, always existing, stops what he is doing, spends nine months in the womb, thirty years growing up and living a laborers existence and then three more years traveling by foot from town to town proclaiming reconciliation with God through salvation in Jesus Christ. That’s an interruption. What could a wife possibly ask of us that could compare with that?
Sacrifice – this same Jesus, God in human form, the one who should be worshipped and adored – is instead called the illegitimate child of a Roman soldier (among other things), chased out of the country before he is even two years old, kicked out off his hometown for telling the truth, threatened with stoning, and beaten until he was unrecognizable. Rejected by his townspeople, his brothers and sisters, and ultimately by God the Father. That’s sacrifice. What could a wife possibly ask of us that could compare with that?
Death – ultimately Jesus gave the greatest gift of love He could, His life. Though guilty of nothing wrong He was condemned to die on a cross. In His sinless death He open the door to reconciliation with God. Receiving Christ as our sin bearer God declares us righteous, sins forgiven, “holy and without blemish”. Paul says, “In the same way husbands should love their wives…”. Now, let’s be realistic, not many husbands will be faced with the opportunity to die for their wife. It does occasionally happen and men we should be prepared to take a bullet for her or jump in front of the bus, but most often our “dying” comes in much more subtle ways. It is accomplished by giving up your life for your wife’s betterment. The things that you hold dear are set aside for her. It’s not a grudging, resentful, “pry it from my cold dead hands” giving up. It is a joyful release of your wants for her needs. Jesus didn’t die just so we could live a few more years on this earth, He didn’t even die so we could go to heaven when we die. He died so that we could become the pure and sinless creation that God had intended from eternity past (Eph 5:26-27). Men, your job as a husband is not to thump your chest, slay the wild beast and drag home its carcass for dinner. Your purpose in life is not to produce offspring. Your mission is to be God’s chief instrument in helping your wife be all that He intended her to be. You are a tool in His hands. What is going on in your life that is getting in God’s way? Get rid of it. What isn’t going on in your life that God wants to use? Build it in. When you are willing to jettison all of the things that are not useful in God’s work and replace them with the desires and characteristics that are, you will have started to understand loving your wife as Christ loves the church. A real man loves his wife.
A real man loves his kids. Dad. The word invokes some vivid memories. True, not all of them are good, in fact some of you may have a hard time remembering any good things about your dad. But regardless of good or bad, fathers leave an indelible mark on their children’s lives. Eph 6:4 says, “ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” As I look at this verse I see two main responsibilities:
DON’T Exasperate and DO Bring them up…
Exasperate means to irritate or anger, to infuriate. What exasperates children?
Being unimportant
Someone said, “My son does not want his dad to be the most important person in the world, he wants to be the most important person in his dad’s world.” Our children feel the same way. I have a friend that I really like but to be honest with you I question if he thinks very much of me. You see, when ever I am with him he is so busy thinking about all the things he has to do and people he needs to see that I never get his full attention. I may be in the middle of answering his question when he will begin talking about some contact at work. As a result, I really wonder if he wants me around. Dads, we do the same thing to our children. To the extent that we fail to give our kids time, wholly devoted time, we will exasperate them.
Being Inconsistent
Another way we exasperate our children is by being inconsistent. Inconsistency occurs when we say one thing and do another. It occurs when we tell them they must tell the truth but they hear us tell a story to our buddies they know is not true. It occurs when we tell them they must obey the rules but they see us going 5 over, “after all,” we reason, “the police don’t care if its just a little over the speed limit.” It occurs when we tell them not to steal but we “borrow” things from work. It occurs when we tell them to treat their brother or sister with kindness but they see us fighting with our boss or the next door neighbor. It is often the little things that do the most damage.
Inconsistency also occurs when we change the rules on our kids. We tell them they must abide by a set of rules and then we either do not enforce the rules or we punish them for breaking a rule they were not told about. Children, for all their grumbling, crave boundaries but if you keep changing the boundaries you will drive them nuts. I’m sure you can think of other ways to exasperate your children and if you can’t you might try asking them what you do that really makes them mad.
DO Bring them up
That means active parenting. God has assigned the task of teaching our children – especially spiritual things – to dads. Not your wife, not the babysitter, not the TV; we cannot abdicate our responsibility. Teach them the Word of God, teach them values, teach them skills, and while you’re at it, teach your sons what it means to be a real man.
A real man loves his children.
In these days of grunting guys and girly men it’s time for real men to stand up. Real men who love God, love their wives, and love their children. It’s time to Man Up!
That’s my take, what’s yours?
*Galli, M., & Olsen, T. (2000). 131 Christians everyone should know (57). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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I recently finished reading the Gospel of Mark in my daily Bible reading so when I was asked a question on Mark 6:1-6 it peaked my interest. Mark is an action packed book, filled with short vignettes of Jesus’ life. This passage is one of those stories.
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:1-6
At first glance this is a sad story of missed opportunity; and it is, but it is much more. Lets take a look. Mark writes that Jesus “went away from there and came to his hometown.” “There” was probably Capernaum and the house of Jairus where Jesus had just brought his daughter back to life. This was just the latest stop in a long ministry trip where Jesus had healed many sick, cast out demons and raised the dead to life. Now he was headed home.
This is not his first visit to Nazareth since he began his ministry, in fact it was in his hometown that he officially announced his ministry in Luke 4:16-30. It didn’t go well then either. After reading to them the prophecy from Isaiah (Luke 4:18-19) and telling them that he was the fulfillment of it – the Messiah, the headline would have read “Local Boy Makes Good.” But the nodding heads stopped when he added that the Gentiles were going to get in on the blessings. If the hometown folks had their way the newspaper would soon be posting his obituary.
Having arrived back in Nazareth this second time, Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. Mark doesn’t tell us what he taught but it was impressive. The people that heard him were astonished at his teachings, his wisdom, and the miracles they had heard about. This wasn’t like the teachers they were used to. This man had power, but from where? There were really only two options – God or the devil – and they were opting for the latter. But here is the really sad part, it wasn’t because his teaching was wrong or his mighty works were evil, it was because he was too common – too familiar. Look at their evaluation, “Is not this the carpenter?” In other words, he is just a laborer, he works with his hands, he is just like us. Then the next critique, “the son of Mary.” Much more than an identification, this was an accusation. It was normal to be identified as the son of a father but never as the son of a mother. This was a barely veiled reference to the belief that he was an illegitimate son who’s real father was unknown. This man has sin in his past, he is just like us. Finally they said, “His brothers and sisters are still here.” They are common ordinary residents of Nazareth, nothing special about them, they are just like us so he is just like us. God can’t use an ordinary person so he must be evil. He was just too familiar and that offended them.
Their familiarity with Jesus was an offense, a skandalon (Rom 9:33, 1 Cor 1:23, 1 Pet 2:8), a stumbling block that they couldn’t get over. In truth he wasn’t like them, he was more, so very much more. Others could see it and received great blessings: healings, exorcisms, dead raised to life, and most importantly new life – eternal life. But not in Nazareth; here they could only see the little boy who played in the field, the teenager who built furniture with his dad, the carpenter who fixed their houses. “And he could do no mighty work there… .” Matthew says that “he did not do many mighty works.” Its not that their unbelief had the power to stop his miracles and healings, Jesus made that choice himself. He is not a carnival magician who performs at the whim of the crowd (John 6:30, Matt 12:38). Jesus’ miracles authenticate who he is, the Son of God, Messiah, and they confirm belief in those who receive him. They also confirm unbelief in those who reject him. Had Jesus done mighty works in Nazareth they would have served only to heap more guilt on his home town. So Jesus went on his way.
It occurs to me that many of us are just like the people of Nazareth – we have grown up with Jesus. Having been born into a Christian household I have never known anything else. In church since I was just days old, it is all very familiar to me. Saved at the age of four, there was no miraculous recovery from addiction or renunciation of a wicked lifestyle. In fact, life with Jesus looks pretty ordinary. I could decry my “misfortune” at having such a mundane Christian experience or even blame it for my lack of passion (I have), but then I would sound an awful lot like the Jews in Romans 3:1-3. Paul just finished telling them that all of the religious trappings of Judaism, even following the letter of the law, got them no closer to God then the godless gentiles. So they respond, “then what good is it? I might as well have enjoyed the sin, then I would have had something to get saved from.” Paul rebukes such an attitude and says you had a great advantage, you had the Word of God to read and the reality of God lived out in front of you. He would issue the same rebuke to me today. Not everyone in Nazareth confused the boy Jesus with the Messiah who now stood before them. Mark tells us that “he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them,” Mark 6:5. So I have a choice, you have a choice. We can let our familiarity with Jesus allow us to fall into a boring, mundane denial of the power of Jesus, or we can see past the ordinary and experience the power of the risen Christ. I choose the later. I want to live on the edge and be available to the Holy Spirit to use me. And as much as it scares me, I want to say with Paul:
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7–11)
That’s my take, what’s yours?
Here are a couple of resources from Francis Chan that I have found helpful in increasing my passion:
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
The Forgotten God
Posted in Observations by .
Apr 10
9
God IS to Blame
Recently I read an Op-Ed piece by Amy Becker in Christianity Today about a future treatment for Down Syndrome. [You can read it here: "Considering 'Curing' Down Syndrome with Caution."] Amidst the many issues raised was the author’s objection to the Theological view that says sin (Adam’s in particular) was to blame for her daughter’s condition.
Although there is a broad spectrum of theological perspectives, many Christians see Down syndrome as “evidence of the Fall.” Due to the entrance of sin into God’s good world, creation “fell.” This Fall had implications for our moral lives and our physical lives. Thus, we see the existence of cancer and other diseases. Thus, according to this narrative, we see the existence of Down syndrome. As the mother of Penny, a four-year old with Down syndrome, I have wrestled with the theological, ethical, and medical questions posed by this extra chromosome in every cell of our daughter’s body. Was it a cosmic accident? A manifestation of sin? Something that needs healing, be that through a drug to boost cognitive function or through prayer? … The larger cultural narrative that conflates cognitive delay with disease and the Christian story that assumes genetic deviations from the norm occur only as a result of the Fall are both flawed. Our daughter is fallen, yes, but she is no more fallen than I am. She is no more or less broken, no more or less beloved. She is no more or less valuable to God.
In a response to Becker’s article Ellen Dollar took issue with her opinion on original sin. [You can read it here: I’ll Take a Cure] Dollar says
I embrace the fallen-world explanation for my bone disorder because I cannot embrace the other two explanations. One option is that my bone disorder, and the pain and suffering that come with it, are God’s will, something God either orchestrated or allowed to serve a greater purpose. … I do not believe my bone disorder was given in order to serve some greater purpose (even if it does end up serving some greater purpose) because I do not believe in a cruel God, and I do believe in a God who created us to have whole, pain-free, immortal bodies. Remember: Death and pain were not part of the original plan, and Jesus not only healed people of their physical ailments (albeit not in isolation from their spiritual need for repentance and forgiveness), but also defeated the ultimate result of bodies that don’t work as God intended them to—death.
The second option for explaining my condition—and perhaps the one Becker is advocating for, at least in terms of Down syndrome—is that genetic disorders are a manifestation of human diversity that we need to honor. But I cannot accept my bone disorder as value-neutral—just another human difference that people need to accept. It is a difference that demands acceptance, but that is not all it is.
The articles peaked my interest, especially the fact that they were both, while wrought with personal emotion, totally lacking in theological accuracy. I was disappointed, although not surprised, that CT did not follow them up with a carefully written theological response. Still it is not my interest to take these two authors to task but to explore what God says because; these are issues that are close to my heart.
I have just completed Exodus 39 in my daily Bible reading which is important only because there are two passages crucial to the question at hand in the first two books of the Bible. The first is found in the creation account in Genesis 1-3. In Genesis 1 as God has completed the creation he looked and, “… saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good …” Gen 1:31 ESV When God completed his work everything was “very good,” no Down Syndrome, no brittle bone disease, no Alzheimer’s Disease, no ASD, just perfection. So where did disease come from? In chapter 3 we read the account of Adam and Eve’s encounter with the serpent and their decision to believe that God had lied to them and that God did not want the best for them. To paraphrase, “the serpent said, God is lying to you, He knows that not only won’t you die but instead you will get smarter, as smart as Him.” They did get smarter, smart enough to know they had screwed up. And now, the danger God had tried to protect them from invaded their bodies and souls. Death had arrived in all its vile manifestations. One of those manifestations was sickness. Yes Ms Becker, sin is responsible for your daughter’s illness, but not specifically her sin. Personal sin can be a cause of an individual’s sickness and suffering. Promiscuity can, and often does, lead to STD’s. Speeding can lead to an accident that may leave you a quadriplegic. There are plenty of examples in the Bible but here are just a couple: Acts 5:1-10, 1 Corinthians 11:27-31. BUT, sickness is not always a result of personal sin. When confronted with a man who was blind from birth the disciples applied the conventional wisdom that personal sin must be the cause.
And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” John 9:2
Jesus quickly corrected them,
“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents…” John 9:3a
There is a much bigger issue here than who sinned and if they got their just deserts. But don’t miss what Jesus said. In a few short words he quashed centuries of misunderstanding by rebutting the idea that sickness, or disability, is a result of personal sin. It can be, often is, but not always.
Jesus was about to teach his disciples about just how huge God is.
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:3 (emphasis added)
God had chosen this man to be born blind for His own purpose. He was disabled so the works of God could be put on display in him. His disability was going to be the platform from which Jesus was going to be exalted.
If you need further proof take a look at Job. In fact that is just what God said:
And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Job 1:8
Satan replied (paraphrasing), “Why wouldn’t he? You give him everything he wants, nice house, lots of money, great family, and on top of that you protect him from everything. Let me at him and he will change his tune.” So God did. Satan went to work and destroyed his house, wiped out his fortune and killed his children. Still Job did not sin. Satan said (again paraphrasing), “Let me at HIM.” And God said to Satan,
“Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” Job 1:6
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Job 2:7–8
Why? Not because he had sinned but so that God could be displayed for the great Creator and Provider God that He is.
Ok, watch this progression: Adam’s sin is the root cause of all sickness and death, personal sin can be the cause of personal sickness and death, God uses sickness to accomplish His purpose, God allows sickness to display His glory. But this next step is the hardest. Are you ready?
God causes sickness.
If you think those are hard words to hear, try saying them. It sounds downright blasphemous. It’s a good thing that God said it and not me. Don’t believe me? Listen in:
Moses the great liberator of the Jews had a speech impediment. Whether real or perceived, he tried to use it as an excuse to get out of serving God.
But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
Exodus 4:10
But God said something shocking, not only wasn’t Moses’ disability an excuse not to do what God called him to do, God said, “It’s My fault.”
Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Exodus 4:11
In this stunning confession God takes credit for the assignment of disability, whether by sickness or accident or birth. Yes Ms Dollar, your brittle bone disease is God’s fault and He is willing to take the blame. Instead of being “value neutral” – just a genetic anomaly, or more spiritually – a result of the fall, God says I gave you that sickness or disability for a purpose. Maybe it is to be a platform from which the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached. Maybe it is to display the remarkable power of God without the hindrance of your own eloquence. Maybe it is the gift of God to protect you from arrogance like the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthian 12:7). Maybe it is to show all creation that God is worthy to be worshiped whether able bodied and rich or in sickness and poverty. And maybe, like Job, you will never know the purpose in this life. And if your sickness is because of your own sin then that is God’s doing too. It is His gracious call for you to renounce your sin and come to Him. As for a cruel God: it is a cruel God indeed Ms Dollar who could heal my disease and instead leaves me suffering purposelessly. It is because God has specifically chosen my (or your) sickness or disability to accomplish His purpose (known or unknown) that gives it value. If your God is too small to take responsibility for sickness and disability then your God is too small.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
Posted in Observations by .
Apr 10
4
The Essence of Easter
Do you ever get confused by Easter? The Easter bunny, Easter Eggs, Easter egg hunts, candy, presents, new clothes, family gatherings, on and on it goes. Even the church confuses us with all its observances — Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, 40 Days of Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and finally Easter Sunday. (Not that there is anything wrong with these observances — they’re just confusing.) Don’t you wish that someone could just boil down all of it and find the Essence of Easter? Well tucked away in between rules for elders and deacons and condemnation of apostates, The Apostle Paul does just that. In six short lines taken from a hymn sung by the early church Paul tells us what Easter is all about.
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 NIV
While no name is used, simply the pronoun he, it is clear that Jesus was being sung about. The phrase appeared in a body is exactingly precise in its statement of Jesus incarnation. It does not say he was created or came into being. Rather its meaning is that he was made know, shown to be. That he appeared in a body indicates that he existed already prior to his manifestation, his birth. It is exactly what the Apostle John said in the Gospel of John,
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. John 1:1-4 NIV
The first thing we need to know about Easter is that God came to earth, became as one of us so that he could stand in our place.
Then Paul says, he was vindicated by the Spirit. It is uncertain whether the s in spirit should be capitalized or not. If not, then this statement refers to Jesus declaration of righteousness demonstrated by his sinless life. Having been made human in the physical realm he now lived a sinless life, the only sinless life, to prove that he was in fact more than human – that is, God – and therefore able to offer himself as the payment for our sin.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24 NIV
The cross. That hideous purveyor of death. Christ’s ultimate goal. For it was here that he gave himself to bear our sins.
But if the “s” is too be capitalized then it refers to the Holy Spirit and His work in relation to the declaration of Jesus’ righteousness.
and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 1:4 NIV
This was indeed the ultimate vindication of Jesus Christ. It was the proof of not only his sinless life but of the satisfaction of sins penalty. If Jesus had not been sinless then his death could have been only for himself. The righteous justice of the Father would not have been satisfied and the Holy Spirit would not have raised him, Jesus would have remained in the grave.
Is it possible that God left this question – capital or lower case “s” intentionally ambiguous so that we would be forced to look at both ways that Jesus was declared righteous – both by his sinless life and his resurrection? I think it is.
The next phrase of the hymn states that he was seen by angels. Throughout his earthly life and death Jesus was observed and attended to by angels. From the announcement of his birth, his protection as a child, and their ever ready presence in case he called: remember that at his arrest he said he could have called 72,000 angels to protect him (Mt 26.53). But they were not just watching out of angelic duty. Peter tells us that they watched out of amazement and curiosity as the drama of God’s redemption of man played out before them.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 1 Peter 1:10-12 NIV
Now Paul moves to another realm, the realm of this world. While Jesus was on display before all the angelic hosts he was also being made known throughout the world. The word translated nations refers to the gentiles – all peoples who are not Jews. The death and resurrection of Jesus was not an isolated incident meant only for the Jews. Its effect did not end in the outskirts of Jerusalem. It was for all peoples. Thank God that means you and me too.
But it was not just the declaration that went out into the whole world, so did the belief. People from all over the then known world believed in Jesus and today he continues to be believed on every continent. But the importance of this statement may not be its scope. But the need of it. May I dare say that this is the missing element of most Easter celebrations? Oh, we acknowledge the death of Christ, perhaps even the resurrection of Christ, one noted Jewish scholar has published a book contending for the historical accuracy of the resurrection. But is belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus enough? No. Believing on Jesus requires that we believe something about ourselves. That we are in need of a savior and that we cannot save ourselves. Rebecca Manley Pippert writes,
Jesus died and we crucified him. And the good news is that because of the price God was willing to pay we can be forgiven and reconciled back to God. But to experience and benefit from the cure we must turn to him and quit pretending there is nothing wrong with us. That is true sacrilege, pretending there is nothing wrong with us when it cost God the life of his son to rectify our problem. It is not enough to believe that Jesus died and rose again, I must believe that he did it for me.
Finally, Paul ends his quotation of this hymn with the line he was taken up in glory. Having done all that was required to reconcile us to God, Jesus returned to heaven.
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. Acts 1:9 NIV
He did not return to heaven to rest however. He said he still had work to do. In John 14 he promised us that he was returning to heaven to prepare a place for his followers. In Hebrews we are told that he interceeds on our behalf. And in Philippians 2:8-11 we find that having finished his work of redemption he was honored by his Father
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 0n heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11 NIV
But it is not over, as the disciples stood watching Jesus return to heaven they were joined by two angels, Luke records their words…
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11 NIV
And Jesus himself assured us that “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3 NIV
Jesus returned to heaven but he will come back. Someday, maybe soon, he will return for his own. Will you be ready? The essence of Easter is that
He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.Jesus Christ became a man, lived a sinless life, died a death he did not deserve, was raised on the third day as proof of his finished work, was seen by the angelic world and the human, believed on in the world and returned to his glory in heaven.
He did it for you and for me. Have you believed?
It’s because of the finished work of the cross that we are the recipients of His amazing love, His tender mercy, unfailing grace and abundant life. Jesus dies and was buried, but He rose again, and ascended into heaven where He sits today at the right hand of the Father. And this same Jesus will come again, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And we look forward to the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Behold, the Lamb!
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Mar 10
25
The Miracle of Water
I’ve been getting anxious lately for the ice to melt off the lake. I realize I am being impatient because it usually doesn’t thaw until the end of April. But with the warm weather I am ready for it to be gone. As I’ve been waiting I have been thinking about the amazing properties of water/ice.
We don’t think about it much; we get water out of the faucet, throw a couple of ice cubes in it and enjoy a cold drink. Did you notice the ice floating on top of the water? Did you ever wonder why? It’s one of water’s miracles. For an object to float it must displace a weight of fluid equal to or greater than its own weight. Ice floats on water because it is less dense than water, thus displacing enough weight to float. This may not seem all that impressive except that most materials reach their highest density in their solid state. On the contrary, water is most dense at 39 degrees (more on why that is important later.) As the temperature decreases to the freezing point the hydrogen atoms begin to push the oxygen atoms apart – creating ice. This spreading makes ice approximately 9% less dense then its liquid form causing the ice to take up more space than water and float. So who cares? Does it really matter if your ice cubes are at the top of the glass or the bottom? Probably not, but when it comes to the lake outside my window it sure does. If ice didn’t float I would not be waiting for it to melt, it never would. The heavier ice would sink to the bottom and the water would float to the top. The water would freeze again and sink displacing more water. This would continue until all the water was frozen and the lake was ice from bottom to top. This would be devastating as all life in the lake would stop, the fish would freeze and die. The plant life would be starved of oxygen and die.
Earlier I said that water is most dense at 39 degrees. This is another of water’s miracles. Twice a year a life giving exchange happens because of this property of water. As Autumn arrives and the nights get colder, the water at the surface begins to cool. When it reaches the “magical” point of 39 degrees (it’s densest) the water below can no longer support it and it sinks. As it sinks it forces the lower, warmer water to the surface. This prepares it to cool in preparation for freezing, but that is not the most important thing. It also takes oxygen to the bottom to feed the plant life and to prepare for the long winter so the fish and marine life will survive. Once again in the Spring as the ice melts and the water begins to warm it passes the 39 degree mark. Again, the dense water on the top sinks and carries oxygen to the bottom. This is vitally important as the long winter has depleted the life giving oxygen at the bottom.
Without these amazing properties of water, northern climate lakes would die and become giant blocks of ice. How did water get so smart? Evolution? I suppose that given enough time by trial and error the hydrogen and oxygen atoms could have figured out that they needed to behave in this unique way. But what of the fish and marine life and plants in the mean time? How much better to understand this as one more example of God’s perfect design…
…and evidence of the sustaining power of Jesus Christ who controls even the atoms of all that is…
…and cause to bow our knees in worship.
16For 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. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And 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.
Colossians 1:16-18 (English Standard Version)
So even though the temperature is going to drop to 5 degrees tonight delaying the spring melt even longer, I will see the remaining ice as reason to praise my God and trust in His perfect plan, both for His lake and His child.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
Posted in Observations by .
Nov 09
14
I Cried In Church On Sunday
I cried in church on Sunday. Anyone who really knows me knows that’s not a big surprise, it doesn’t take too much to get my emotions going. I had plenty of reason to be emotional and most people around me probably thought correctly, that I was crying for my friend John who’s memorial service was the day before. I was attending his church and he would have been very happy. It used to be my church too, 19 years ago. I cried because I missed him; his dumb jokes, his infectious smile, his hearty singing of the hymns he loved. He would have enjoyed this service, especially the hymn we were singing. The choir, 80 people strong, the orchestra in the pit, and the congregation all joining together to praise God.
I cried because John had been there for those 19 years only now they were tears of joy. If anything he was skeptical when we first considered merging our struggling church of 30 some with the larger 270+ College Park Baptist Church. He didn’t much like the music and he was very uncomfortable with all those people he didn’t know, but, as always, he was willing to obey his God. And so he joined in, becoming not just a member, but a fixture. So loved and appreciated that the auditorium had been filled the day before when his life of service for Jesus Christ had been remembered. I cried because College Park Church would not be what it is without him.
I cried because I saw Marty Goode in the orchestra pit. This one time member of the Indianapolis Symphony had been the only string player at College Meadows Bible Church before it merged with College Park. His God given gift that he had so carefully tended and matured had been a beautiful sacrifice to God in that small auditorium filled with 30 or 40 people. Now 19 years later it still sounded sweet although blended with the gifts of many others.
I cried because I saw Jack Hogan running the media ministries for this massive operation. The last time I saw him he was a small boy sitting with his dad at the “sound board.” How God had even then been preparing him for this vital ministry.
I cried because I thought of Debbie and Dave (now with the Lord) Lamb who so faithfully ministered to the teens of this church.
I cried when I looked at the list of missionaries College Park supports; most of whom had come with that weary band of 30. It had been one of the sticking points early on. College Park wanted to focus on just a few missionaries and did not want their involvement diluted. But the people of College Meadows stood firm, “we don’t come unless they come with us.” And so they did. Again John became a key figure as he joined the missions leadership of his new church. And now, 19 years later, the son of one of those missionary families is the Pastor of Global Outreach.
I cried, yes tears of sadness this time, because in God’s sovereign plan I had not been there to enjoy all that He had accomplished. In a sudden unexplained way he moved us on. On to other blessings and trials, but surely to where he wanted us.
But as I looked around again my tears stopped and my heart wanted to shout hallelujah because everywhere I looked from the brick and mortar of the building that had been built from the money God sent with College Meadows, to the people and the staff, not one aspect of this church had escaped the imprint of that faithful band of 30. Never underestimate what God will do with one (or thirty) who are willing to follow him into unknown opportunities of ministry.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
This blog was written after attending College Park Church following the memorial service of John Hartzell on October 31,2009.
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On September 12th the Wall Street Journal decided that it wasn’t enough to bring us the news about man’s god – money, it needed to school us on the truth (or lack there of) about the Creator God, YAWH. In two separate essays the Journal asked two authors to answer the question, “Where does evolution leave God?” WSJ – Man vs. God Why they chose these two authors is not explained but the fact that both are ardent evolutionists becomes clear almost immediately.
The first essay, written by former Catholic nun turned self proclaimed monotheist Karen Armstrong, praises Richard Dawkins (author of the second piece) and worships Darwin for putting to death the notion that God deals with the mundane realities of this world – like creation. Her view is that God is not a personal God involved in this world but an overarching concept that we use to mold our ideas and thus become better people. The simplistic view that God might actually be involved in the daily reality of life and therefore complicit (at best) in the evil of this world, most notably the extinction of species is anathema to Anderson and mercifully put to death by Darwin. Anderson writes, “Evolution has indeed dealt a blow to the idea of a benign creator, literally conceived. It tells us that there is no Intelligence controlling the cosmos, and that life itself is the result of a blind process of natural selection, in which innumerable species failed to survive.” The good news of this obituary is that God is no longer confined to the restrictions of a literal being but is once again restored to its rightful place as a concept. Gone is the literal interpretation of the Bible, or any other spiritual writing - restored is the Greek dualism of logos (reason) and mythos (stories). As long as religion (mythos) stayed in its place, the explainer of things unexplainable: sickness, death, oppression, etc., then it was welcome and useful for soothing the souls of the people. But when, as Anderson contends, it usurped its bounds somewhere around the 18th century and began to insist on a literal understanding of God and the cosmos it became destructive and a burden. Anderson argues that requiring a literal God makes God into the kind of idol that the Bible forbids while allowing God to be simply a concept restores the wonder and inexplicable nature that is rightly God’s. Unfortunately, the right to rewrite God, and history for that matter, is also restored. For that is the beauty of mythos, we make up new ones as needed to fit our society and and the crises at hand. Sounds to me like remaking God into our own image. Isn’t that the definition of an idol? From this dualistic view of the world Anderson is not compelled to let the Bible speak for itself. Contrary to her revisionist view that literal interpretation did not occur until the 18th century and that logos and mythos must be kept separate, the apostle John records in John 1:1-3,14,
1In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 14And the Word (logos) became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
And the writer of Hebrews in chapter 1:3
3And He [Jesus] is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
The creator God, much more that a concept, made Himself a man and bothered Himself with the mundane details of man even dying on a cross. Maybe, as Anderson states, “many of the most influential Jewish, Christian and Muslim thinkers understood that what we call “God” is merely a symbol that points beyond itself to an indescribable transcendence,” but the writers of the Bible didn’t. They knew God. Again the Apostle John talks about his “hands on” experience with the Creator God in 1 John 1
1What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– 2and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us– 3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Karen Anderson may be searching for her answers in some revisionist mythos but her hero Richard Dawkins knocks the props out from under her when he writes in his essay, “The mainstream belief of the world’s peoples is very clear. They believe in God, and that means they believe he exists in objective reality, just as surely as the Rock of Gibraltar exists. If sophisticated theologians or postmodern relativists think they are rescuing God from the redundancy scrap-heap by downplaying the importance of existence, they should think again. Tell the congregation of a church or mosque that existence is too vulgar an attribute to fasten onto their God, and they will brand you an atheist. They’ll be right.”
God either exists or He doesn’t, if He does (and He does) He ought to be allowed to speak for Himself. When He does he tells us that He made us and He loves us. Loves us enough to be involved in our lives. Loves us enough to rescue us from the sin which cut us off from Him, even when that involvement took Him to the cross. That Ms Anderson is a concept I can believe in.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
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Sep 09
12
Still Waiting
Are you picking up on a common theme in my blogs? I am, and not because I particularly want it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I hate to wait. But in the past few weeks both the messages that God has had me prepare and the experience of my life drive me back to waiting. On Sunday mornings we have been studying 1 Timothy and Paul’s instructions about life in the church. What comes through loud and clear? Prayer. In the evenings we have been studying that genius of leadership, Nehemiah. Nehemiah prayed a lot of sentence prayers but he had mastered the art of waiting on God. For four months, so burdened by the news of the state of Jerusalem that he wept and fasted, he did nothing but pray. Not me, I would have been on the first horse out of town. But Nehemiah knew better. He waited on God for the right plan, he waited on God for the right time, he waited on God for the right words, and he waited on God for the answer. If Nehemiah had jumped on that first horse he would have been back home a defeated failure. When he finally did leave town he had the king’s permission, the king’s guards, the king’s money, and the king’s authority. Nothing could stop him.
It occurred to me as I was studying Nehemiah that all too often we stop too soon because we start too soon. It seems silly to say, but think about it. We see a need or an opportunity and jump right in. After all, if it is a need it must need a solution and it must need it now. The first solution that comes to our mind must be God’s solution so off we go, but before long we wonder why things are going so wrong. We would never admit this but we act as if all crises take God by surprise. They don’t. Nehemiah was not unconcerned about the crisis that was brought to his attention but he was wise enough to know that God knew about it before him and cared about it more than he did. So his solution? Find out what God wanted. That’s why he could spend four months praying the same prayer while his soul was in such agony that eventually he could no longer hide it from the king. If I spend four minutes praying I think I have worked hard. Perhaps this is where the forced waiting comes in. In order to get my undivided attention God allows me to be in situations I can’t fix by myself…and leaves me there until I realize it. And that is exactly where He has me now. The question is will I learn the lesson of Nehemiah and wait prayerfully for God’s solution?
All of us are subject to waiting. Sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes painful, always unwelcome. But it is one of God’s great tools to woo us to Himself. We can resist, even refuse, for a while but when we relinquish control and acknowledge that God is not taken by surprise and does care about our needs, even more than we do, we can finally relax in His plan and wait for His provision. Then we will finish what we start.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
Posted in Sermon Thoughts by .
Sep 09
1
Pastor Prays for Obama to Die
Today as I read the various news feeds I follow I came across a very disturbing article from Tempe Arizona. It reports that a pastor is telling his church to pray that President Obama will get a brain tumor like Ted Kennedy and die. The article included this quote, "I’m gonna pray that he dies and goes to hell when I go to bed tonight. That’s what I’m gonna pray."
The pastor says that he hates Obama because of his stand on abortion and uses David’s imprecatory Psalms as his justification for praying for the President’s death. But is it?
I just wrote that Paul tells us to pray for the king or in this case president. He told us to pray for his salvation not his damnation. Don’t forget that the king when Paul wrote was Nero, arch enemy of Christians and their God. But David did pray for the destruction of God’s enemies and that they would not enter into God’s eternal rest. Is there a contradiction here? No. Paul does not deny the validity of David’s prayers, in fact he quotes them as inspired prophecies of Jesus Christ. For example, Romans 15:3 “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.’" NASB Jesus also quoted from David’s imprecatory Psalms as references to Himself. No, Paul sees these prayers for what they are, the inspired Word of God spoken against the enemies of Jesus Christ by the King of Israel under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul does not extend that same privilege to us, or to Pastor Anderson. It is not only ignorance of God’s Word and unabashed arrogance, it is sin. We do not know God’s plan for President Obama or any one else who does things contrary to God’s Word. Pastor Anderson is not the Anointed King of Israel, he is not, no matter what he thinks, inspired by the Holy Spirit and neither are you or I. Our mandate is found in 1 Timothy 2
1First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. NASB
That’s my take, what’s yours?
Posted in Sermon Thoughts by .
Aug 09
22
Are You Praying For Barack Obama?
No I mean it, really, are you praying for Barack Obama? It seems like, right now especially, a lot of people are shouting at him or for him, finding fault or fawning, but I’ll ask you again. Are you praying for Barack Obama? Why do I ask? Because Paul said we should. Read 1 Timothy 2:1,2
1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions…
How does that make you feel? I’m embarrassed to admit that it makes me feel a little guilty. It is so much easier to grumble and complain and criticize. But it doesn’t matter if you think George W. Bush is Attila the Hun or if Barack Obama is the reincarnation of Karl Marx, Paul’s injunction is to pray for him. Well I can make that work, I’ll just pray that he gets voted out of office. Simple really. Not really. Take a look at what Paul said: “…I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made …” Paul did not have a change in leaders in mind, he wanted a change in the leader’s heart . Notice the words Paul uses for prayer: supplications or requests – indicates there is a need, prayers – an asking word used only with God, indicates the source of the answer, intercessions – reminds us that in prayer we enter into the need of someone else. These are not the imprecatory prayers of David calling down God’s destruction on his enemies. And then there is the fourth word, thanksgivings. Are we giving thanks for our leaders? It seems best to understand this in context of Paul’s other references to prayer and thanksgiving as giving thanks to and for God who answers our prayers.
But what are we to pray for? From the relation of this instruction to verses 3 and 4: “3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” the answer would be salvation. The salvation of our leaders (and godly living of those who already claim to be saved) would lead to the result Paul has in mind, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” Again, the goal of that is to give credence to the gospel we proclaim. How different from the constant din of anger and hate fed to us 24 hours a day. Having trouble praying for your elected leaders? Maybe you need to scale back on MSNBC or FoxNews and spend more time with the King of Kings. Paul is not stifling our free speech or the opportunity to engage in the political process, in fact, Paul consistently says that Christians should be the very best citizens. No, he is shifting our focus form the temporal to the eternal. No matter how great the struggles of this world they pale in the light of eternity.
One final note: if you are tempted to complain that Paul just doesn’t understand how bad our leaders really are it might help to remember who was king when Paul wrote this command – Nero,one of Rome’s most wicked kings and certainly one of the most vicious persecutors of the church.
1 Timothy 2:1-10
1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. ESV
Posted in Sermon Thoughts by .
Aug 09
15
Waiting – an update
Here is a quote from Warren Wiersbe’s devotional Prayer, Praise and Promises:
“The Hebrew word translated "be still" actually means "take your hands off." God is saying to us, "Take your hands off, and let Me be God in your life." So often we want to manipulate and control. We talk about those who are "hands on" people. In the Christian life, God uses our hands. He used Noah’s hands to build the ark. He used David’s hands to kill a giant. He used the apostles’ hands to feed 5000 people. But sometimes only God’s hand can do the job. Sometimes our hands get in the way because we are manipulating, plotting or scheming.
A friend of mine used to remind me, "Faith is living without scheming." Whenever I discover myself pushing and prodding, God says to me, "Take your hands off. Be still, and know that I am God." The difference is simply this. If we play God in our lives, everything is going to fall apart. But if we let Him truly be God in our lives, He will be exalted, He will be with us, and He will get the job done.
Are you facing a problem or a challenge today? Are you wondering what you will do? Give it to the Lord. A time will come when He will say, "All right, I will use your hands." But until then, keep your hands off. Know that He is God. He does not expect us to do what only He can do. We can roll the stone away from the tomb of Lazarus, but only He can raise the dead. We can hand out the bread, but only He can multiply it. Let Him be God in your life.
To remain still seems to go against human nature. You want control. But as a believer, you need to remain yielded to God’s will and give your burdens to Him. What problem are you facing? Are you keeping your hands off and allowing Him to work in your life?”
Posted in Sermon Thoughts by .
Aug 09
8
The Love of God
It would be no exaggeration to say that the hymn “The Love of God,” is one of the greatest songs of all time. To ponder for a moment the theme of God’s love and how he has manifest it through all of time is staggering. This song, written in 1917, was the work of a man reduced from affluence to a life of manual labor. Contemplating the words of a sermon on God’s love he set to work composing this song.
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell,
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win:
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.
When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and mountains call,
God’s love so sure shall still endure,
All measureless and strong:
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race–
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Having completed the first two verses he was unable to produce a third, a necessary requirement to have it published. He remembered a poem printed on a card which contained the words which would become that third verse. Beneath the words were the explanation that they had been found written on the wall of a prison some 200 years earlier. But the history of those incredible words goes back even further. It was discovered that they were first written in Hebrew by a Jewish Rabbi around the year 1000.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Tho stretched from sky to sky.1
God’s love to a Jewish Rabbi, to an unknown prisoner, to a down on his luck businessman, to you and me can never be adequately explained. Still, even a brief excursion into the depths of his love will be greatly rewarding. To explore what the Bible tells us of God’s love. To delve into the greatness of his love. To understand, as Frederick Lehman has penned, that God’s love has spread through the ages — from its first promise to Adam and Eve to the final promise of Christ’s return. It truly is the song that “shall evermore endure.”
1 © 1917, renewal 1945 by Nazarene Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Aug 09
8
Sovereign Territory
I just watched a video on YouTube of the USS Nimitz leaving San Diego for a six month deployment to the Western Pacific.
It is of special interest to me because my son Tom is one of the more than 5,000 sailors onboard. It is also interesting to me because in 2005 I had the privilege of sailing for five days on the Nimitz as it returned to port. The Nimitz, for those who might not know, is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Its flight deck is about one quarter of a mile long and it carries approximately 90 aircraft. It is manned by over 3,000 sailors who run the ship and an additional 2,500 who man the flight operations. It is a floating city, complete with shops, barbers, dentists, a galley that serves meals numbered in the hundreds of thousands per week. It even has a fully functioning hospital. But this is no “Carnival Cruise” ship, the Nimitz is a war machine. It is designed to take air power anywhere in the world that it is needed. In a matter of days a Nimitz class aircraft carrier can put four and a half acres of Sovereign American Territory anywhere in the world.
On my son’s first two deployments its primary mission was to provide air support to the troops in Iraq. Day in and day out F/A 18 Hornet’s flew off the flight deck loaded with all manner of armaments (bombs, radar and laser guided missiles, a six-barreled Gatling-style rotary cannon that fires 100 rounds per second) to defeat the enemy and protect our troops. I have heard the deafening roar of the jet engines as the planes take off and land. I have seen the destructive power of the bombs exploding and the machine gun ripping through its target. I can imagine the fear of the enemy fighters as an F/A 18 comes screaming out of the sky and the relief of the soldier under enemy fire as he hears the welcome sound of those same jets.
The Nimitz has other purposes as well. Its mere presence in an area can serve as a deterrent to a foreign power up to no good. At the word of the President the Nimitz can quietly sail its 18 story tall, quarter of a mile long, “big stick” of diplomacy anywhere he needs it. Not only is it a jaw dropping kick in the shins all by itself, but any tyrant with half an once of sense knows that it represents the entire might of the United States of America. Many a problem was stopped before it ever started simply by the arrival of the USS Nimitz.
The Nimitz is also a purveyor of good will. While traveling around the globe it makes frequent stops in ports all over the world. To our friends it is a reminder that the US is strong and able to defend them. To those who do not know us it sends the message of strength as well as help in various forms (medical, community development, supplies.) It also introduces a world that only knows us from books and movies to real live American men and women, some of our very best, who help them get a true picture of this country we love.
One more interesting fact: the Nimitz, as mighty as she is, never travels alone. The battle group, of which the Nimitz is the core, is made up of at least four destroyers, two attack submarines and a supply ship, and of course its Air wing.
Obviously I am impressed with aircraft carriers, especially the USS Nimitz, who wouldn’t be? But, as I was watching the video of the Nimitz leave port it brought to mind another journey. 2000 years ago Jesus left the port of heaven on a multipart mission. At the word of His Father he set out to bring a piece of the Sovereign Territory of Heaven to earth. By his power He vanquished the enemies of sin and death, rendering Satan helpless before Him. His presence brought fear to His enemies and comfort to His friends. He healed the sick and cared for the poor and he gave us a flesh and blood picture of the Father.
But it doesn’t stop there. Today the Father is sending us out to bring little parcels of the Sovereign Territory of Heaven to the world we inhabit. We are his diplomats in a foreign world. Our presence reminds this world of the power of God to defeat evil. It reminds this world of the love of God who sent His Son to redeem them. Our loving touch to the person in need: the lonely man or woman who needs a friend, the down on their luck family who needs food or the utility bill paid, the sick and injured who need medical care and prayer, is the hand of God reaching out to this desperate world. Oh, remember that last point about the Nimitz? It never travels alone. Neither do we. We are empowered by the Spirit of God, protected by the power of God, cheered on by the hosts of heaven and don’t forget – we have each other. God has deployed us all over the world as His Nimitz’, have you answered His call?
That’s my take, what’s yours?
By the way, amidst the thousands of men and women on board the Nimitz are fellow believers, including my son Tom, bringing pieces of the Sovereign Territory of Heaven to the ship. Please pray for them during these exhausting days of deployment. Follow this link to see a picture of the chapel service aboard the Nimitz. Chapel Service on the USS Nimitz
Here’s another video of the Nimitz
Posted in Observations by .
Aug 09
3
Books
It was like Christmas and a family reunion at my house Saturday. For the first time in over ten years I unpacked my books. Not all of them, maybe 25%, but it was exciting. Like seeing old friends who have been away for a long time. I packed them up when we were in Colorado and I really didn’t know when I would ever use them again, but they were just too precious to get rid of. They sat in the basement in Colorado for a year and then in the attic of my dad’s garage for the last nine. We had no place to put them and honestly I just didn’t care that much at first. But with my new opportunity to preach every week I really needed them.
As I opened the boxes and began to put the books on the shelves I had set up, the memories started to flood back. Books I used in school brought back memories of teachers. As I put my Greek grammar book away I thought of Dr. Paul Haik. He could read Greek better than I could read English. Any knowledge I can claim of New Testament Greek is because of his love for the language and his Savior. Thank you Dr. Haik, I wasn’t your best student but your lessons were not lost on me.
Then there were books I used first in Indianapolis and the memories of the people there who had worked so hard to preserve their church and were so exhausted from fighting the good fight. They deserved better than a rookie preacher but they loved me and gave me a fair hearing. I made lots of mistakes but by His grace, God found something in my ministry there to bless. John, its time you know that the real miracle in Indianapolis wasn’t me bringing you out of your shell, it was you allowing me to be your pastor. You honored me with your attentiveness, you blessed me with your friendship, and you taught me how important prayer is by praying for me and with me.
As I put my commentaries on James on the shelf I thought of Colorado. It was there I first used them as I prepared to speak on what is now one of my favorite books. Perhaps the best known theme of James is demonstrating our faith by how we live. No one embodies that truth more than you Lance. I am amazed that God allowed me a part in your life. Truly the student has become greater than the teacher. God bless you as you labor in Sofia.
One of the last boxes I unpacked was my box of Bibles. It’s a combination of various translations, Greek, and study Bibles, as well as old Bibles I have used thorough the years. One of the last out of the box was one of the first Bibles I owned. On the inside flyleaf in my mothers handwriting was written:
Kenneth C Holt
Born October 4, 1955
Baptized May 17, 1964 following the example of his Lord Jesus Christ.
It was my parents’ love and example that brought me to the place of following Jesus into the waters of baptism. My Mom lead me to Christ when I was just five. My Dad led me to follow Christ (and still does) by his steadfast walk with his Lord. A legacy handed down to him by his father and one by God’s grace I will hand down too.
If there is a point to all this rambling it is this: although I love my books (and I really do), and I need my books, especially my Bible, the book I most need (and you do too) is the book that is written in the lives of the people God brings into our lives. The living example of his Word, the incarnation if you will, fleshed out for us to see and feel and believe. And that begs the question; who is reading my book today? Who is reasding yours?
That’s my take, what’s your’s?
Posted in Observations by .
Jul 09
30
Waiting
I hate waiting, how about you? It’s not that I can’t be lazy or relax, I can waste time with the best of ‘em. But waiting, waiting is different. Waiting involves someone else. Waiting at the checkout counter for the woman who is pulling coupons out of her purse. Waiting for the IRS to deposit my refund. Waiting also involves something I think is more important. I really need to get through the checkout line because I have the final ingredient for dinner and the company will be there momentarily. I have an unexpected bill that has to be paid and I need the tax refund to pay it with.
Even harder is when waiting involves trusting. The hardest waiting I have ever done is waiting outside the operating room while my wife was inside. I was helpless to do anything. Everything depended on the surgical team: would the anesthesiologist use the right dosage, would the nurses provide the right tools at the right time, did the surgeon really know what he was doing? And all the time there was not one thing I could do about it but wait.
Lehman Strauss used the phrase “in God’s waiting room” to refer to the times God does not immediately give us the answer to our prayer. The loved one who is struggling with cancer, the friend who needs Christ as savior, the church that is waiting for a new pastor. We wait and pray and pray and wait. We do what we can but ultimately it all comes down to trusting, trusting God. It seems like it should be simple enough, trusting the Almighty Creator of the universe, certainly He can solve our problem. But the longer we wait the more it changes from can He to will He. Then the self doubt, maybe I don’t deserve his help, maybe my sin is too great, maybe I’m just not important enough. I hate waiting, how about you?
This Sunday we will be looking at some people who were waiting, waiting for deliverance, waiting for protection, waiting for God. Here’s something to meditate on as God prepares your heart for Sunday.
Psalm 46:1-11 (English Standard Version)
Psalm 46
God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.
1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Posted in Sermon Thoughts by .
Jul 09
27
Looking For The Perfect Pastor
As I was reading one of my favorite blogs, desiringGod from John Piper, I came across this one on why there are no perfect pastors. Its worth thinking about as we embark on the search for God’s pastor for his flock here. Click on the link below to read Piper’s observations:
Why There Are No Perfect Pastors
That’s my take, what’s yours?