Ramblings of a pilgrim

Handing off leadership....

2011-10-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

Handing off one of the most precious things I have ever known.....

My recent days have been filled with reflections on the move my family is making to Medford. For those who don't know, I am taking an assistant pastor position at Heritage Christian Fellowship. In the process of making this transition there have been moments of sorrow and realization....
Sorrows...

1- The people who should know you the best...
It is a strange thing to make a move like this and see the reactions of the people around you. In the last couple of weeks I have had some of the people closest to me question my motives more than anyone. In fact, the newer believers are often more confident in who you are in the Lord than the people who have travelled with us the longest. It is a great sorrow to see some of the friends who we have shared life with simply decide that our hearts aren't pure in the decisions we are making. Maybe it is due to the kinds of grieving that people go through. Or maybe it is because they know you well enough to know your flaws, and doubt your decision making. I don't know. But it is painful....

2- The fear of the future....To witness firsthand the power of fear in the lives of God's people has been distressing in some ways as well. I have seen the faithful in the church become the most faithless. It is as though God is not sovereign, and the universe is spinning helplessly out of control of the God who made it. Even more distressing than seeing it in others is to see it in myself. I find my thoughts often turning to the church I love and wondering if it is strong enough to handle this type of change. It's as though, my presence there is what hold the body at BCC together. Father, forgive my pride. You are the Chief Shepherd. By You all things consist and are held together. Even now, the gates of hell will not prevail against your church.

"a heart that is a soft as baby

and skin as thick as a rhino"

3- Pastors are people too...
Maybe it is that people somehow get a perception of you that you are superhuman, or maybe it is that their own glaring need seems more important, but people seem to forget that a pastor is actually a person too. If you cut him, he will bleed. Often, my wife is the only one who still remembers. It has been said that a pastor has to have "a heart that is a soft as baby and skin as thick as a rhino". That has proven to be true.

4- Where has all the teaching gone...
It is surprising to see how much time and energy can be poured into teaching the foundational biblical principles that undergird our church only to have them discarded with the latest opinion. When we made the transition to Bridgeview, one of the main things that needed to happen was a change in church government from a congregational (everyone votes) to an elder led (those with spiritual maturity and a heart to bear the responsibility make the decisions). Much time was spent explaining the necessity of these changes. We then spent about 7 months teaching an introduction to theology. During this time we talked about the biblical model for church leadership that we see in the scriptures. But now that God is leading the leaders, some want the right to vote. Don't we remember the teachings?

5- The untamed tongue...

James says that a huge fire is started by a small flame...There can be much destruction as the result of those who just haven't tamed their tongues. The after church meetings, the coffee discussions, whispered conversations that leech into the heart like septic lines. Oh the poison I wish I could unhear...

Realization...

1- I have realized the importance of handing off ministry…
You might think this is so that you can get more things done but that is not the emphasis that I see as being of utmost importance. Ministries can become very lop-sided in that the work of church is left to the “professionals” and those in the body will not take ownership of their own part in the Kingdom. Handing things off keeps it from being all about the “professional”, and when God calls the professional out the work will continue.

2- Being senior pastor isn’t more important….
Although the role of senior pastor carries a large responsibility it isn’t the only one. It is just as much a sin for a man called to be a janitor in the public school to not be as it is for a man called to be a pastor to not be. We are given a position in the Kingdom of God to play. No matter the position, play it with all your heart. I am now called to take a role that seems like a demotion in the eyes of the world, but it is just the King moving the members of His Kingdom around. The King’s agenda is bigger than any one player. The truth is, a ministry is more accurately judged by the body than the Pastor.

3- People matter...
We know that. But you really don’t realize how much people matter until you are getting ready to say goodbye to them. The church has become closer to us than our own extended family in many ways. These are the people we dream about hanging out with, these are the people we think of first when we make plans for a BBQ, or family camping trip.

4- It’s good to plan for your departure….
You never know when God is going to shuffle you around. Pastors, structure your church so that you are replaceable. This is for the Kingdoms sake and the sake of the people you love. We make plans for our families (if we can afford life insurance), why not give the body assurance as well. It’s just loving. Secondarily it gives you the freedom to be able to go when God says go without worry. I am thankful God gave me a man like Sonny who will love the church like I do. I am thankful for the men who are standing with their sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, ready to build and protect rather than pick apart and destroy.

"Handing off a church is like

watching that child you love go."

5- Having a church is like having a kid….
When the day comes that you actually have to hand your daughter off, or watch your son drive out the driveway, there is a fear and sorrow that only love knows. Sorrow because it leaves a big hole. Fear because you realize you are going to have to trust God with the outcome. Handing off a church is like watching that child you love go.

B.S.

2011-04-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

(Bitter Springs)

James 3:11 “Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?”

God has “called” my heart on it’s B.S. (Bitter Spring) and I want to confess my sin to you all. You see, James chapter three opens with a warning. The warning is simply that not many people should become teachers. The reason? The teacher will be judged with greater strictness.

The problem with being a teacher is that most of your time is spent trying to draw clear lines of logic that expand and explain the truth. In doing so, I make an effort to build a case much like a lawyer does. I examine biblical directives and try to delineate what the passage really means and then apply it to life and practice for both body of Christ and myself. In recent years my target has often been religious people. Now, just so you understand, by religious people I mean Christians that carry a certain dogma that becomes the all-encompassing truth of their lives. Some examples might include the “I only listen to Christian music “crowd, or the “If you really love Jesus you will home school your kids crowd”. Religious people are my favorite people to make fun of. Maybe you can empathize? Maybe you have been the object of scorn as the people in your church find out you have had a divorce, or like to drink a beer, or _____________ (you fill in the blank). Maybe, like me ,these experiences have soured your appetite for people and their religious perspectives. Whether it be about the day you worship on, the people you associate with, or the way you dress often our relationship with Jesus can get reduced to a list of rules and do’s or don’ts that lead to a graceless existence that feels more like slavery than love. So….As a teacher, I point out the logical errors that people who hold such values have made and seek to defend those that have been oppressed by “religion”. Religious people make an easy target.

The interesting thing is that I can often fall off the horse the other way too. What I mean is that my view of liberty can become the new religious set of rules by which I judge those who don’t share the same liberty. I should always defend the freedom that we have in Christ, and the simplicity that is in the gospel (Jesus plus nothing else). Liberty in Christ must be defended because a church that sets it’s standard by the person with the weakest faith becomes a church weak in faith. But, I can often take that too far. You see, some of those “religious” people, are just that, “weak in faith.”

Romans 14:1 “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.”

When I make Christians with a weak conscience feel like they are second class Christians because they don’t feel the freedom to eat, or drink, or worship the way I do; I do a disservice to the gospel. Part of the gospel is that Jesus freed us from religion to a relationship with Him. As with any relationship, the uniqueness of the relationship is derived from the uniqueness of the individuals involved and various ways that they express love to one another. Therefore some people love Jesus by worshipping on a specific day every week, others worship God by dressing up in their Sunday best for church. Some folks love Jesus most when their radio station is set to KLOVE 24/7 and they can listen to Christian radio all day long. My job is to encourage people to love Jesus. What that may look like, is God’s business. Noah built a boat, Abraham built an altar, Isaac dug wells, Jacob poured oil on a rock, David danced in his under-roos, some wrote songs, others played instruments, others created magnificent works of art, and others still, built things with the talents God gave them in construction. There are people in our town that love Jesus with dancing, with home-made denim skirts, by blowing a shofar at specific times of the day, by celebrating the jewish feasts with Christian understanding, out of hymnals, with electric guitars, some with long hair, some with short hair, some with no hair and a neck beard!

Worship has little to do with the form and everything to do with the heart.

As a teacher, I have to guard my heart against B.S (Bitter Springs) for with my mouth I can bless God and curse those around me that are created in His image…These things ought not to be……Father in heaven, friends and family. Please forgive me.

Knowing God...

2011-02-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Started reading a book by JI Packer the other day and it got me to thinking about some of the questions he raises in the first chapter. Let me sum up some of his ideas here and then propose a question to you....

Can anyone truly say that they have “known God”? Knowing God is not the same as sharing your testimony or having some experience of God.

Paul says that he never thinks of the things he has missed but what he has gained. (Philippians 3:7-10) When Paul says he counts the things he lost as dung he means not merely that he does not think of them as having any value but that he does not live with them constantly on his mind. What normal person spends his time nostalgically dreaming of manure? When we do think fondly of our manure, we prove we have little of the knowledge of God.

We may have all kinds of theological truth about God but the evidence of the joy of knowing Him seems largely missing in theological circles. Whereas circles that are less theologically proficient often exude the joy that is synonymous with knowing Him. A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about Him.

Let me make this point a little clearer:

1- One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him.

We may have a great interest into the study of God called theology. The deeper we dig the more we begin to reach conclusions about who He is and what He does. This gains us notoriety among men for our educated opinions. But, the capacity to think clearly and talk well on Christian themes is not at all the same thing as knowing Him.

2- One may know a great deal about godliness without much knowledge of God.

There is no shortage of analytical, and technical resource explaining the various views of Christian living. The bookstores, sermon archives, and pulpits aroud the world are full of all the various “how-to-s” of Christianity. You may gain a reputation for being quite the pastor by giving “how-to” answers. Yet one can have all this and hardly know God at all.

James goes on to say that even the demons believe in God. They fear Him and tremble in His presence. Surely we do not know God in the same way that demons do.

So my question to you is......How can you know God beyond a theological, analytical, philosophical, and moral knowledge of Him?

Wine and Spiderman

2010-11-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the false post earlier.... (pushed the wrong button)

"...and do not be drunk with wine..." Eph 5:18

I have found that this issue (alcohol) sparks tons of controversy in the Christian community for a number of reasons.

One reason is that many have seen dramatic examples of what the abuse of alcohol can do in the life and lives of those who abuse and those around them. We see the wreckage of this sin and the catastrophic consequences on families, children and communities where people abuse alcohol.

Another reason is that christians can tend to associate the object (alcohol) with the sin (the abuse). That is, when Christians see the wreckage of the abuses of alcohol they assume the alcohol is to blame.

I believe that this is a misunderstanding of the issue and can't really be fixed if the root issue isn't addressed. This post is an attempt at addressing a much larger underlying issue that will help us (or at least helps me) sort through the biblical response to these issues.

"All things are lawful..." 1 Cor 10:23

In this passage in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is addressing things that a person eats that go into the body. His overall point is about loving others more than ourselves and making sure we don't encourage behavior in others that would be sinful because of their own proclivities. He sums up this idea by saying in verse 31, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Notice that Paul does not condemn the person who eats meat that had been sacrificed to idols. For Paul the issue wasn't the meat. This is explained by Paul in further detail in 1 Cor 8. In 8:8-9 he says, "Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse of if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But, take care that this right of yours (to eat) does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."

Food is not the issue. Alcohol is not the issue.

Both food and alcohol go into the body and create responses in both the body and the brain. They affect the way you act, and think. When people eat too much food and become morbidly obese, we do not then say "No one should ever eat again." So too, when people abuse alcohol and get drunk, the Christian should not then pull to the extreme and say, "No one should ever drink alcohol again." You see, this type of logic doesn't solve the problem.

Confronting our idolatry:

The problem is the sinful heart of people. Some will abuse food because of a deep need for comfort, or because food makes them "feel" good. What they are seeking is escape. What they are needing is salvation from the stresses of this world. Sometimes it is the feelings of rejection and inadequacy, and other times it is medication for deep sorrow or stress that drive the desire. People do the same things with alcohol. What we really are seeking is a savior. What we need, is Jesus.

For the Christian that feels the freedom to drink alcohol there are some questions that must be asked.

Why am I drinking?- Is this because I am avoiding something in life? Is this my "decompression chamber? Am I using alcohol for something, that I should be running to Jesus for? Am I drinking to numb something, avoid something, or get a buzz?
Can I treat alcohol as normal?- Is having a beer or martini like having a cup of coffee, or a soda? Do I place unnatural emphasis on this beverage because it is more than just a drink for me?
How often do I drink?- Is this a special occasion kind of thing, or is it an everyday kind of thing?
Does alcohol have power over me?- What is driving my desire to consume alcohol? Do I feel shame and the need to hide my drinking? How much time, money and energy goes to drinking and does it steal away resources from other more valuable areas of my life?
Am I getting drunk?- The clear commandment of scripture is not to be drunk but to be filled with the Spirit.( Eph 5:18) The bible also teaches that the fruit of God's Spirit is "self-control". (Gal 5:23) Am I in control of myself when I drink, or do I make poor or sinful choices, and say carnal things?
Do I care more about my "freedom" than I do those around me?- Am I knowingly hurting those around me by drinking? Do I allow my freedom to be a temptation to people who don't share my freedom? Is someone around me emboldened to sin because of my use of alcohol?

"...not all things are helpful...not all things build up..." 1 Cor 10:23

In the words of Spiderman..."With great power, comes great responsibility." As Christians, we have been given great power in being given freedom. With the freedom we have, comes an incredible responsibility to love others more than ourselves, and make sure that our freedom isn't just a cloak for indulgence into sinful behavior. Some believers truly have the freedom to consume alcohol. Sometimes it is not the most helpful thing to exercise that freedom. Sometimes it does not build up or edify to exercise that freedom. And those with the freedom are held accountable by God to consider how they have used their freedom.

Highlights From Sunday...

2010-04-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Thought I might share some of my favorite thoughts from Sunday.

John 12:27-30 The Affect Of The Cross On Jesus

What does Jesus think about the cross? Jesus tells us in verse 27...

"Now is my soul troubled."

In other words," because I am now so close to that moment when I will bare the sins of the world I am deeply disturbed. I am really struggling with this."

The same Jesus that the bible tells us...

"Created all things" and "holds all things together" (Col 1:16-17)

Opened blind eyes

Made the lame walk

Caused the deaf to hear

Fed multitudes with a little boys sack lunch

Raised Lazarus from the dead

Will have people on the earth hiding under rocks and saying,"hide us from the wrath of the Lamb."

Will defeat His enemies at the end of the age and the blood will flow to the horses mane....

But... right now He confesses His troubled soul. As the cross approaches Jesus is more and more troubled.

"But," someone might say, "Doesn't Hebrews say that for the joy that was set before Him"

Yes it does the rest of the verse says "He ENDURED the cross DESPISING the SHAME."

Jesus wasn't looking forward to the cross. He was looking forward to the effects of the cross which is our fellowship with Him and the cleansing of our sin. But He hated the shame the entire time.

"What shame?" .... That is a good question! To answer that, let's find out what Jesus is not afraid of.

Jesus is not afraid of...

The devil- "One angel binds Satan" (Rev 20)

The Romans- "You would have no power unless my Father..."(Jn 19:11)

Physical suffering- "He says don't fear those who kill the body" (Matt 10:28)

Being powerless- "He emptied Himself" (Phil 2)

Being mocked- "Blessed are you when men insult and persecute you" (Matt 5:11-12)

Death- "No man takes my life" (Jn 10:18)

Jesus is troubled by two major things...

A) The weight of sin-

Jesus had lived in eternity past with God the Father in perfection. Jesus had been around our sin since Adam fell in the garden. He had watched every creature that He had made become the prisoner of the most insidious poison of all. Sin. He knew that sin is the reason death even existed. It was at the root of every pain in this world. He saw how it affected mothers, fathers, babies, and all levels of society. Yet, He only knew these things as an outside observer. He, Himself had never personally touched by sin itself. And now.... He is about to drink it in. Perfect purity is about to be defiled by the mud stained, blood stained sin of this world. And for the first time ever God Himself would feel the sting of sin and death.

Not only that. But now look at the sin that He would take. He took Adam's sin in Eden and every sin of Adam. He took the murder of Able. He took the lies of Abraham, and murderous hearts of the 12 sons of Jacob. He took the sins of the children of Israel in the wilderness as they rebelled and worshipped the golden calf and rejected the God who spared them from slavery. He took their constant backsliding once they got into the promised land. He took the sins of their sinful kings. Kings like the Saul who consulted a witch, and David who was a lying, murdering adulterer, and Solomon who kept sex slaves and wives like livestock and built temples for their false gods. He took the sins of countless other kings that rebelled against the only one who loved them purely....

He took the sins of Peter as he denied the Lord and swore with profanity that he did not know the man. He took the doubt of Thomas. The murderous persecution of Saul of Tarsus. The corruption of the 7 churches of revelation including their lack of love for Him, their desire to control people, the worship of other gods, their lack of love for one another, their hypocrisy, and their lukewarm hearts that keep Him on the outside of the church knocking to get in. And....He He took your sin and my sin.

2 Cor 5:21 "For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

B) The Wrath Of The Father

After thinking through the suffering that has been caused by sinners sinning, and the damage that we have done to our selves, our planet, and God's original intent for us; Do you think God might be mad about sin? He is!! To be blunt. God the Father is mad as....hell! He has stored up His wrath at all "unrighteousness and ungodliness of men" (Rom 1:18) God's anger at the damage done by the crusades, and the countless lives lost in Iraq and America over things like oil, and power, and the horrors of the holocaust has been stored up and is waiting the release of an object to judge. Jesus the Son. Is that object.

And as Jesus considers this... He says, "Now is my soul troubled."

How does Jesus respond to this pressure? He confesses it openly. "My soul is troubled" but then He says, "What am I going to do about it? How will I respond to this trouble? Should I ask the Father to save me from this hour?"

Then at the end of vs 27-28 He makes the most incredible statement. "But, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father glorify Your name!"

"I will not avoid it. It will cost me everything. But Father I want the world to know Your true nature. Be glorified through my death." In other words... "Give me the cross!"

"Keepin It Real"

2010-04-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

In the opening of Jon Pipers book “Brothers We Are Not Professionals” he makes a statement that has really left an impression on my heart. “Brothers, we are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet. It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ…. The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake.”

He then goes on to quote some verses and ask some questions. I will give them here.

There is no professional childlikeness (Matt 18:3)

There is not professional tenderheartedness (Eph 4:32)

There is no professional panting after God (Ps42:1)

Our business is to weep over sins (James 4:9) Is there professional weeping?

Our business is to strain forward to the holiness of Christ and the prize of the upward call (Phil 3:14)

to pummel our bodies and subdue them lest we be cast away (1 Cor 9:27)

to deny ourselves and take up the blood spattered cross daily (Luke 9:23) How do you carry a cross professionally?

We are to be filled not with wine but with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) How can you be drunk with Jesus professionally?

Is there a way to be a professional clay pot (2 Cor 4:7)

How do we carry in our bodies the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested professionally? (2 Cor 4:9-11)

We have become the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things (1 Cor 4:9-13)

Our citizenship is in heaven, and we wait with eager expectation for the Lord (Phil 3:20)

Our goals are an offense, they are foolishness (1 Cor 1:23)

We are aliens, and exiles in this world (1 Pet 2:11)

…The strong wine of Jesus explodes the wineskins of professionalism.

There is an infinite difference between the pastor whose heart is set on being the aroma of Christ, the fragrance of death to some and eternal life to others (2 Cor 2:15-16)

God, please give us a heart that thirsts for You! One that burns with the life giving gospel, and breaks for those ensnared by sin. Rebuke us when we stray and cause us to return to the simplicity of loving You and loving the world around us. May Your grace keep us close to the cross, humble, even broken before You. May we reject every fig leaf of self righteousness and religion and cling whole heartedly to the righteousness You give us by faith. Send us into the world under the power of Your love and not from selfish ambition, or the desire to be known, or the need to be needed. May every idol of success fall before You and our only desire become to see You smile and say "Well done! You have loved Me well!"

The Pressure A Pastor on Easter

2010-04-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

I thought that this week I would post my sermon from Sunday. Some of the scripture reading is assumed because when I gave the sermon people had their bibles open but i think you will get the bulk of the content of it. Hope you enjoy as we let His resurrection impact us like it did the disciples! It's a long post but one I think yo will enjoy if you take the time.

Luke 24
The pressure is on this Easter because of the increasing need in our culture to see something new. We don't like to watch the same movies twice or hear the same song on the radio more than once every hour. This day carries more pressure than any other day for Pastors. If there was a superbowl for pastors this would be the day. It is the one day out of the year when people who don't normally attend church will dress up in their Sunday best and make the effort. Many family and friends who don't think of themselves as religious and therefore don't participate in what Nacho Libre calls "churchy opportunities", will be dragged by guilt, coercion, or curiosity to accompany believing friends to church. But will the pastor have some new thing to say? Will the pastor have some new insight that will make the story come alive?

Also the pressure is on because of the bible. The apostle Paul says that this single event in history is the hinge pin upon which the door of all of Christianity swings. I cor 15:14 says, " If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." and then he even takes it a step further and says that we then, "are misrepresenting God...you are still in your sins...those who have died in Christ have perished...and we are the most pitiful people on the planet." Wow! Thanks Paul! No Pressure.

So we have before us two things that will be our guide and one thing that makes up the lack. I will use words to try to convey the reality of what happened outside the gates of Jerusalem 2000 years ago. The bible, written by eyewitnesses will be our tour guide in seeing how these events unfolded and looking at what it meant to people in the days when Jesus lived. And, the Holy Spirit will breath life into what I am saying so that the words don't just penetrate the mind but assault the heart.

Lets set the stage a little. Jesus, considered a celebrity prophet by some, and a menace by others, has been brutally killed. Some people want to argue this point but the evidence from early resources is enough to really give us a picture of how dead Jesus really was. Jesus was kept up for 36 hours beaten by fists, rods, and a Roman whip called the cat of nine tails. This would have caused major trauma and bleeding to the body. He was then forced on a death march, carrying the cross arm of the cross called the "Patibulum", outside the city and up a stone quarry hill that the locals called "Golgatha" or skull mountain. He was so weakened that physical strength failed the maker of the universe, so that He collapsed under the weight of a wooden beam He had created. Another was forced to carry His cross and Jesus was forced to the top of the hill. His hands were then nailed with hammer and nail to the cross arm that had been carried from the city. He was then either raised by the patibulum or fastened with the patibulum to a tree or a pole (called the stipe) that was planted firmly in the ground by the Romans. His feet were then nailed to the cross to give Him something to stand on. And there the He hung. For six hours he endured unthinkable pain and suffering and then He died. Now because of the feast of Passover the Jews who had Him killed wanted both Him and the two thieves that were crucified with Him to be taken down from the cross because there was a law from Deut 21:22-23 that prevented bodies from being hung on a tree over night. The death of the two thieves was expedited by breaking their legs which would keep them from being able to stand on the nails through their feet to breathe and respirate themselves. But when they came to Jesus they found Him to be dead already. Just for confirmation they took a spear and pierced His chest cavity on the side. When the soldiers did this, blood mixed with water came out. This indicates that bag of water that surrounds the heart, called the pericardium, had been ruptured by the point of the spear. When that happens, if you weren't dead already, you are now. So, Jesus died.

Now, when you think of Jesus death try to avoid thinking of it in the story book way, or the Hollywood way. This is the very real and tangible death of a person. I don't know if you have ever watched someone you love die or been around a family shortly after a death but it is a surreal experience. When you see a dead body there and the life has gone your mind can begin to play tricks on you. You look at the lifeless body and think that you see movement or you keep waiting to see the chest expand as though the body were taking in a breath. It is a strange experience seeing the body of a lifeless person. Jesus died. There was no expanding of His chest. There was no slight movement. 3 hours after the death of a person "rigor mortis" begins to set in reaching it's peak at 12 hours after death. Jesus was dead. And He needed to be placed in a tomb quickly before the Sabbath began at sundown. By the time the sun went down His body was already beginning to stiffen.

Now, pause for just a moment and consider what finality this brought to the disciples and those that followed Jesus. You see, for us, death brings with it an inescapable conclusion. Whatever plans we had, are gone. Whatever hopes we had for the relationship, are dashed into pieces. Whatever was left unsaid will forever be left undone. Death is final.

This explains the actions of the disciples. The Romans had crushed their hopes and now the leaders of Israel could easily dissuade anyone from following the disciples and their messianic movement. The disciples had left everything to follow this man they thought was messiah. Some had left their business, some their families but all had put their life on the line and all were wondering what the next step was. It has not even entered their minds that Jesus could be raised from the dead. Not only that, but these guys are struggling with an even more deadly internal battle than the ones without. They most likely feel deceived or like they had made some sort of mistake by thinking that He was the messiah. "How come I couldn't see this coming? How did I miss it?" Luke gives us their state of mind as they hid together wondering how they could go back to their normal lives. When the two Marys and Joanna come in to tell the disciples that the tomb was empty. In Luke 24:11 The bible tells us that they thought the idea of Jesus being raised from the dead "seemed to them as an idle tale" and that they "did not believe them". In the room that was filled with disciples only two, Peter and John went to the tomb to even check it out. The rest were unbelieving or indifferent. After hearing that the tomb was indeed empty two of the disciples decided to leave town. They were making their way to a small village outside of Jerusalem, about 7 miles away. These disciples believe that this chapter of their lives has closed like some sort of bad dream. To them, Jesus was dead. Listen to how they talked with Jesus on the road.

24:21 "But we HAD hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel"

Even after the two men encountered Jesus on the way to Emmaus, Jesus appeared again to some of his disciples while they were talking about what had happened on the road and Peter's encounter with Him. But when Jesus appears they think it is the Spirit of Jesus not actually a resurrected Jesus. Jesus actually has to comfort them that He isn't just a ghost.

24:37-40

Then the bible says that they were still trying to wrap their minds around a physical resurrection and struggling. Then Jesus did something to prove to them He wasn't just a ghost. He did what they saw Him do on many occasions before. He ate.

24:42-43

Can you put yourself in their shoes? Can you feel the finality of the death of Jesus? So Jesus has to explain that this was always the plan that God had for mankind. He had to explain that the scriptures from thousands of years previously had been pointing to this one moment in history. It was written in the Torah, in the prophets, and even in the Psalms. Then Jesus enabled them to see the Old Testament scriptures through a different lens and told them what the rest of God's plan was. He told them;

vs 47- That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in Jesus' name to all the nations.

vs 48- That they were the witnesses to the world (which implies that they needed to take this message to the world and record it for those around them)

vs 49- That the Holy Spirit would clothe them with power from on high.

Now, the fact of the resurrection did something in the hearts of the disciples. Their reasoning went something like this...

"If this is true, then this changes everything!"

And one by one all the hopes they had for a messiah were alive again.

It meant for them...

...That all that they had given up to follow Jesus was now worth it.

...That everything that He had taught them wasn't just good advice, it was the word of God

...That their lives had a great purpose not just the occupying of space.

...That the relationship between God and man just became more intimate and the God could be known personally.

...That the God of the Old Testament was REALLY a God of love.

...It meant that God loves those that don't know Him personally.

...That heaven is real, and so is hell.

...That God was calling all the world to repent and receive the forgiveness of their sins by allowing Jesus' punishment on the cross to be the substitute for theirs.

...That God had now made Himself available through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to all men who let Jesus pay for their sins.

...That prayers really do get heard, the sick do get healed, the lame do walk, the blind do see, and the dead are raised.

...That He is ruling on a throne in heaven!!!

...That He is coming back to take up His throne on earth.

...That the king who died on Friday was alive for evermore!!!

...That there will one day be a new heaven and a new earth and we will live happily ever after!!!

...That if you don't know Him, He is calling to you today saying, "Change your mind about your sin, let Me pay for it for you, receive My love and forgiveness, and know me personally."

I wish I had something new to say. But this is the good news that has been reaching the world one soul at a time since the first Easter 2000 years ago!

Three Lanes of Liberty

2010-02-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

There are basically 3 camps when it comes to the issue of Christian liberty. Two of these are commonly held misunderstandings about the freedoms we enjoy in Christ. As we sort through them I hope this will clear up some of the waters that seem muddied by debate.

The first camp is...

LICENSE
License is an attitude of the heart that encourages an individual to obey the appetites of the flesh above what his "A) conscience" and the "B) context" of his community require. It says, "I am free to enjoy this '_______' at whatever cost. Even though I feel conviction in my conscience and I know it hurts others I will still do it because the bible gives me that freedom."

A) CONSCIENCE
This way of thinking stands in direct contradiction to the clear teaching of scripture. God leads us by the conviction of the Holy Spirit and love for others. Even when the bible may give a freedom to some, others, because of their own conviction may not have the same freedom. This is clearly seen in that Paul says that there is nothing inherently sinful about eating meat that has been sacrificed to an idol because we know that the idol is nothing. Just because you eat the meat doesn't make you a worshiper of the idol. There were those in that culture though, that were absolutely persuaded that eating meat sacrificed to an idol was the same as worshiping that idol. Paul says to that group, "Don't eat the meat. Because in your heart you are sinning by eating this and believing that you are worshiping that idol." Though some had that freedom to eat (Paul apparently did) others did not. Exercising this freedom would cause their conscience to be defiled.

B) CONTEXT
The philosophy of license (where the word 'licentiousness' comes from) also doesn't take into account clear teaching from scripture about loving those around you. If the meat eating group A decides to eat meat with and encourage the non-meat eating group B to eat this meat that has been sacrificed to an idol, they will in effect, tempt group B to do something that is for them sinful. Group A is not being loving and considering more highly than themselves the CONTEXT of the community that they are a part of. Even though they have freedom it is not a license to run over the top of another brother or sister in Christ.

License- License fails to keep the biblical mandates of love and obedience in the following ways:

1- Doesn’t take into account that we have been freed to live *** in*** the Gospel as free from sin. Romans 6
2- Tramples the gospel and doesn’t consider the value of Christ’s sacrifice.
3- It is an abuse of liberty.
4- Boasts in freedom righteousness (Living in the world and not under the control of the Spirit Gal 5)
5- You end up ruled by the appetites of the flesh and your God is your belly
6- Leads to syncretism and the church has no distinction

Legalism

Legalism is an attitude of the heart that seeks approval from God by any other means than the cross. It says that, "God approves of me, loves me, or blesses me because I do x+y+z (read my bible, go to church, use the KJV, etc...) and don't do a+b+c (drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, watch R rated movies, listen to secular music, etc...). Legalists cling to something other than Jesus as a source of righteousness and thereby establish an idol as a means of what God calls "GRACE". The idol could be their works, or biblical theology, or even the established biblical community that they are a part of. The end result though is that rather than clinging to Jesus as the sole means of salvation, righteousness, and blessing, they abandon the only one who can provide them a basis for these things.

Legalism fails in the following ways...

1- Hedges the gospel- out of love for the gospel because issues are too complex and we want to protect others from sin

2- Legalism boasts itself in self-righteousness

3- Our relationship is based upon rules, laws, and the expectations of others

4- The danger is that we cling to our works rather than the cross

5- It ultimately leads to sectarianism

Liberty- "All things are lawful but all things are not profitable"

Liberty understands that Christ is the sole source of salvation, righteousness, and blessing. It humbles us to a place of moment by moment dependance on the Holy Spirit and careful understanding of God's word. Liberty recognizes the freedom of others yet does not enjoy every personal freedom. Liberty sees the falleness of mankind and guards against using freedom as an excuse to sin. It keeps us close to Jesus and less critical of the actions of others. It enables us to see every man as a new creation in Christ while at the same time keeps us aware of the weaknesses of others and not encouraging them to sin.

The success of Christian liberty

1- Makes full use of what Jesus purchased on the cross for us

2- Recognizes the freedom from being ruled by the appetites of the flesh

3- Is ruled by obedience to Christ, a gospel formed conscience, and the context of the community we live in

4- Leads to celebration of the full work of the cross

Christian Liberty

2010-02-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

Fear of Freedom (proposal for a prison courtyard or a town square), 2009.
Taken from
http://ricwarren.blogspot.com/

The Doctrine of Christian Liberty

This may seem like a small topic to begin with but I hope to prove over the next few posts that this is a really important issue. I believe issues in dealing with Christian Liberty are directly linked to a straying from the gospel. One of the reasons that churches stray from the gospel and begin to become isolated communities that grow sick and weak is that they have yet to understand this very foundational issue. We need a proper understanding of the gospel and how it affects everyday life, the community of believers that we fellowship with, and the unbelievers that come into our context.

Issues of Christian Liberty are all around our church communities. We all want to know what a Christian is free to do and what a Christian is not free to do. We like lines and boundaries that are clear and defined because they provide us with some tangible security. To be sure, there are defined lines of sin and not sin in the bible. Those things named as sin in the bible are to be obeyed if we desire to be submitted to the lordship of Jesus in our lives. Often though, there is a list of unspoken extra commands that get placed on people if they want to be considered a good Christian. It may be something as simple and small as what bible translation you use and something as big as whether or not you home school your kids or send them to public school. Some standards seem really wise and spiritual like dating verses courtship or what kind of dress code should be enforced, but in the end they lead to a pseudo righteousness that is derived from something other than Jesus. These issues are usually presented in this way. "Oh sure you are free to do these things, but.... If you are really committed to the Lord.... If you really want to be holy...." These standards are placed on the people of God like so many rules from the traditions of Judaism. In an up and coming post I will talk about how to use our liberty wisely and we will deal with "causing others to stumble". We will also deal with what issues of liberty cover and what they don't cover and what to do when an abuse of liberty occurs. But first, I need to prove why it is important.....

Why is the doctrine of Christian Liberty important?

1- Protection from Paganism-
"You shall have no other gods before Me." Ex 20:3

A clear understanding of the gospel and the standard that is required to be made just with God causes us to cling to Christ in faith and not in external standards for righteousness. When cling to external standards for righteousness we establish another savior other than Christ. This standard then becomes the object of our worship and focus of our lives.

2-Protection from Pride-
"What becomes of our boasting then?...It is excluded...by faith" Romans 3:27

A clear understanding of the gospel keeps us in a place of humility. When we cling to external standards for righteousness we begin to feel good because we do good. These feelings lead us into a false security in our own strength and keep us dependent on self will rather than Holy Spirit power.

3- Protection from Pedestals-
"...we regard no one according to the flesh...." 2 Cor 5:16

A clear understanding of the gospel keeps us from exalting one person over another. It puts everyone where they need to be.... Sinners at the foot of the cross. When we cling to external standards for righteousness we begin to see some people as good Christians because they do the things on the good list and don't do the things on the bad list. We begin to classify people in a sort of Christian caste system. Those who don't do the right things, and do do the wrong things are seen as a sort of sub-Christian and while they may be saved ultimately, they are not really good Christians.

In Paul's epistle to the Galatians, and before he talks about what the fruits of the flesh and of the Spirit are, he makes a statement to the Christians wrestling this issue out. He basically says to them that clinging to something other than Jesus for a sense of righteousness is like slavery. He concludes this thought by saying.....

Galatians 5:1 " For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery"

Solid words from a wise man.

John 11 "Lessons from Lazarus" Part 3

2010-01-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

His Moment With Mary- Jesus feels our pain
Poor Mary. She is so caught up in her grief that she just sits there while all this stuff is going on around her. When Martha got up to go greet Jesus Mary apparently either didn't notice or didn't care. All she could see was the pain of Lazarus' death looming before her. She is living the reality of death and drinking in every ounce of it's sorrow.

Martha comes up to Mary and whispers into her ear. "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
Mary gets up quickly and marches right to where Jesus is. She has a few thing that have been on her mind. She is barely able to hold herself together as she walks down the dirt road. Her eyes are puffy from crying and she is trying desperately to get a hold of her emotions. But when she sees Jesus she can no longer hold it in. She runs up to Him but immediately falls at His feet in anguish. She says the same words as Martha but apparently the inflection was a little different. Her cry seems to be slightly accusatory and more an expression of her disappointment with Jesus.

"Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus looks down at Mary's brokenness and takes a sip of her sorrow. He then turns to the crowd and sees all their weeping as well. And as He takes in this moment and absorbs the pain of those he loves there is a swirling mixture of emotion in this text. It says in vs 33 "He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled." Believe it or not this actually means He got angry. The phrase moved in His spirit means to snort like a bull. The word "embrimaomai" in the Greek denotes a scolding disapproval for the phrase "deeply moved". Also, the word "greatly troubled" is "Tarasso" which means to be agitated. And then... He wept. From anger and frustration to sorrow and tears.

What was Jesus angry at? My submission is that He was angry at Death. Jesus , the author of life is about to face off with His greatest foe, death itself. Like a UFC fighter about to go into the ring with a mortal enemy Jesus is angry and broken hearted at the same time. He feels the exact same way Mary does. He feels the exact same way that you and I do about death.

Isn't it curious that Jesus has such emotions? Doesn't He already know what He is going to do? There is no reason for Him to weep except to bare Mary's pain. Though our God is in heaven and can see how it all is going to work out, He still understands our sorrow in the meantime.

Mary now looking up at Jesus can see the mixture of emotion on His face. And now she knows that He knows how she feels. As our Great High Priest, Jesus can be the mediator between God the Father and Man because He both sees the end from the beginning and can sympathize with how we feel.

The crowd can see it too and they think it is because He is missing Lazarus. But in the back of their minds the question that they have still lingers as well. "This guy opened the eyes of the blind just a few weeks ago, couldn't He have done something here?"

At this point Jesus gets angry again and lowers His head like a fighter about to step into the ring. With determination He makes His way to the tomb. But this tomb is not just any tomb. It is a cave in the mountain side, with a rock rolled over the entrance. Sound familiar?

Almost as a command Jesus says, "Take away the stone!" His tone seems terse here.

Martha protests. "It has been four days and His body probably is rotting and stinks."

Jesus reminds Martha of their conversation earlier and essentially says, "you said that you trusted me."

Martha apparently gives her approval. She signals to someone and the stone is moved. There is now a dramatic pause as Jesus looks up to heaven. He then begins talking to His Father out loud so everyone else can hear. "Father I thank You that You have heard me. I know You always hear me (implying even when I talk without speaking). But I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent me."

Then Jesus cried out with, what is phrased in the Greek, "Megas Phone" or loud voice. "Lazarus come out!"

I love how the bible phrases the next verse. vs 44 "Th man who had died came out,"

Lessons from Lazarus Part 2

2010-01-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

The Message To Martha- "I am the Resurrection and the Life"

Martha is in mourning. People from the community have gathered around to console her but there is only one person that she has been waiting for. The proof of that is that when she hears that Jesus has come she runs out to meet Him; Martha brings her heart and hurt to Jesus as well. The first thing that she can think to say is "Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give you"

This seems to be a proclamation of love from what I can tell from the context of the passage. Her tone is different than that of Mary's. She comes to Jesus with confidence that if He had been here in time Lazarus would not have died. It doesn't seem like the statement is accusatory because she follows with a statement that "even at this moment God listens to Your requests". She seems to be reassuring Jesus that it isn't His fault that Lazarus died and that if He had been there he could have done something and that He just barely missed the opportunity.

Jesus responds by saying "Your brother will rise again". In other words, "I haven't missed my opportunity Martha. It's not too late. "

This clues us in to the fact that she wasn't saying that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead because when He tells her plainly that Lazarus will be raised she thinks He is talking about prophecy. She draws a wrong conclusion in thinking that Jesus is using theology to comfort her. But this is not a moment for theological comfort and knowing information that will help console her in her grief. This is the revelation of the power of Christ over death itself.

Jesus cuts off her wrong conclusion and interrupts her thoughts of what He is saying to show her that this is not theoretical, it is reality. "I am the resurrection and the life". Jesus is saying to Martha, "Everything you hope for in the future is found in me. I am the 'raiser upper' and the source of life. I am the only way that the dead live. And I am the the only way that the living never die."

Then He drops this question "Do YOU believe this?"

The same question can be posed to us. You see it is not enough just to know the facts about Christianity. It isn't enough to say "I have asked Jesus into my heart." It isn't enough to read your bible every day. The question that Jesus asks Martha is the same question that is posed to us today. "Will you put your trust and rest your hopes not in a system of thought but a person?" If Jesus could shout it out to us today I believe He would say, "I AM NOT A THEORY!!! I AM THE REALITY!!! What do you trust in? Is it some point of theology? Or do you stake all of your hopes upon HIM? Jesus the person. Jesus the reality.

Martha thinks for a moment and then she confesses what her heart is telling her is the truth. " I believe that You are the Christ (anointed one, messiah), the son of God, who is coming into the world." Or to state it another way. "All of my hopes for what God has promised rest in You."
At that moment, Martha has nothing left to say. There is no argument, nor debate, because she has put her trust, not in a theory that might later be disproved, but a person who never fails. She is at rest and now she runs to get Mary, who needs comfort as well.

John 11" Lessons From Lazarus"

2010-01-24T22:54:00.000-08:00

I preached from John 11 this Sunday and really enjoyed the things that I learned form the sermon. I though I might share my notes with you all. It won't be all of the message at once but a piece at a time throughout the week. Hope you enjoy.

John 11

Sometimes in a story it yields great insight to view the story from the shoes of each of it's characters. Today's message will be an attempt to do that in brief.

The Duty Of The Disciples- Follow

When the news of Lazarus' sickness first reaches the disciples, there was, no doubt, concern. But when Jesus responds with what appears to be supernatural knowledge of the situation their fears are quieted. (Vs 4) "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God." He says it with such confidence that the disciples simply trust what He says and continue life as though it is true. "I mean hey, if Jesus isn't worried then we shouldn't worry either." they might have thought.

Then 2 days later it seems like Jesus' tune has changed. "Let us go to Judea." (vs 7)

Maybe Jesus hasn't thought this through carefully enough. Maybe Jesus forgot what happened the last time they were in that area. Remember when Jesus said "I and my Father are one." (vs 10:30) and then they picked up rocks to stone Him. "Let's remind Him" they must have thought. We are not welcome there, people don't like our message, it is dangerous, we aren't very popular, etc.... The excuses for not going were thousands. As the disciples reach for the one that fits them best Jesus addresses the real issue.

"Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble., because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night he stumbles, because the light is not in him." In other words, there isn't much time to get done what needs to be done. So, we better get busy. The disciples must have been thinking, "What work could we possibly do other than be killed?!"

Jesus again comes with further revelation of what is on His mind. "Our friend Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him."

Still resisting the risk, "Well then let him sleep. That's what the sick need isn't it? Let him rest and he will recover."

Jesus illuminates further, "Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. "

At this point the disciples get why it is such a priority in Jesus' mind. Lazarus is dead. Something bigger than their temporary comfort is at stake here. There is someone that Jesus loves and wants to save from perishing. Jesus is saying to his disciples, "I want to go, but will you follow? Is saving the perishing worth it to you like it is to me. Are you shepherds or are you hirelings? Are sheep that follow or goats that but.

In Josephine County only 18.7 percent of the total population is religious. This translates to 15,225 out of 81,618 residents. Before we go congratulating ourselves we have to consider that some of those that are religious are not within what is considered Christianity. By the time you take away Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses you end up with only 12,637 people that are within the scope of Christianity. This group includes Catholics, 7th Day adventists, Aog and other evangelicals. And within these groups are many that do not have actual saving faith in Jesus. This leads us to the statistic that it is likely that less than 1 in 10 people in our County are "saved" and for every one that you meet that is "saved" 9 go to hell. "Pray to the Lord of the harvest."

You have to love Thomas' response here."Let us also go that we may die with Him." In essence Thomas is saying, "I'd rather die if it means I get to be with Jesus. Death with Him is better than life without Him!"

Every disciple must decide. Will I follow Jesus, whatever that may mean? Is life with Him more valuable than anything else?

Jon Piper phrases the question best, in his book God is the Gospel. "The critical question for our generation is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Jesus wasn't there?"

A disciple:
Holds his relationship with Jesus to be more precious than "Wife, kids, mother, father, friend"
Gladly would leave "families and homes and earthly goods" to follow Christ (Luke 14:25-33)
sees that "my life is not my own, I have been bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:20)
"puts his hand to the plow and never looks back" (Luke 9:62)
"Is crucified with Christ yet he lives but it not him that lives but Christ in him." (Gal 2:20)
"Takes up his cross daily and follows Him" (Luke 9:23)
Sees Jesus as the prize (Phil 3:8-19)

The reward of our faith is Jesus. Fellowship with Him. He is our exceeding great reward! And being with Him in danger is better than a thousand safe lives without Him!

The Father in Abraham

2009-12-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

One of the crowning moments of faith in Abraham's life was Moriah. It was a moment where God opened the eyes of His friend to be able to see into His own heart. When asked to offer Isaac, Abraham was given a window to experience the love of God for us. And for a brief moment Abraham experienced what it was like to be in God's shoes. God allowed Abraham access to the deepest parts of His own heart. This is something only a friend gets to see.

The Father in Abraham

It had been three days journey

When finally they reached that hill

A heart heavy father

And a boy that could hardly stand still

He lifted his eyes to see it

The mountain that would test his faith

He choked back the tears when he saw it

And tried to hide his face

He said son take the wood for the altar

I’ll take the fire in my hand

Let’s climb this mountain together

We’ll worship and come again

They set off to climb that mountain

A hill of sacrifice

When the boy looked to his father

With a question that cut like a knife

He said dad here’s the wood for the altar

You’ve got the fire in your hand

We’ve come to this place to worship

But Father, where is the lamb

Oh the heart of the Father

How it ached with love for the son

Oh how it pained him

Knowing what must be done

He tried to give him an answer

As he swallowed the lump in his throat

He fought of the tears of sorrow

As he clung to his only hope

From somewhere deep within him

Faith rushed in like a wave

He lifted his eyes to heaven

This is all I can say

We’ve got the wood for the altar

And I’ve got the fire in my hand

We’ve come to this place to worship

God will provide the lamb

God is incomprehensible but knowable?

2009-12-01T23:54:00.000-08:00

I read this verse at thanksgiving and again to my wife tonight and I can't seem to get it out of my head. So, I guess I'll just ponder it openly with the rest of you.

Jer 9:23-24 "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,

but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."

As I step into the world of theology I come again and again to a wall. God is the wall. He is incomprehensible. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts, they are higher! Even when I consider His divine attributes I can only see those things in part. Right now I know in part but some day face to face. His grace is without limit. His mercies are new every morning. Yet at the same time His justice and His righteousness are perfect. Though it would seem that His grace and mercy would come into conflict with His righteousness and justice, he holds these attributes in perfect harmony. We can never hit the bottom of this well. The bible calls this the unsearchable riches. And there, looming in the background, is the elephant that many do not want to face. We can't even comprehend what we know in part about God. He is infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, eternal, and triune, and we can't comprehend the depths of His nature or attributes. Theology will always have a blockade when it comes to this point. Often this is where wise men begin to boast in their wisdom. They reach, at times, to grasp what we can not. Like trying to catch a lion by the tail, the Lion of Judah can't be handled. Strong men have tried to wrestle God into the conformity of their own understanding. Men rich in their biblical knowledge have argued and wrangled over the minutest details of scripture all with the hope of purchasing for themselves an understanding of God.

There is only one thing God wants us to boast about. He is incomprehensible, but we can know Him. We can get God's M.O.! We can share in knowing Him in the same way Adam knew Eve. We know that His love is steadfast, He is perfectly just, and righteous. We can know His heart, observe His dealings with mankind and come to conclusions regarding His nature. But we will never be able to comprehend Him. God delights in our knowing Him but cautions our pursuit of knowledge saying that it "puffs up." So what can we know of God's nature and attributes?

There are two Categories:
Incommunicable- These are attributes that He doesn't share with us.
Independence (self existence, self sufficiency), Immutability (unchangeablenesss), Eternality, Omnipresence, Omniscience

Communicable- These are attributes that He does share with us
Spirituality, knowledge, truthfulness, goodness, love, mercy , holiness, peace, beauty, glory, sovereignty

To sum it all up, there are parts of God that will always remain a gorgeous and beautiful mystery. We will not ever be able to comprehend them or partake in them. Like my 3 year old at Disneyland, we don't understand how it all works but it sure is gloriously thrilling! There are some things about God that I will not just know in theory but, He actually invites me to partake in experientially. I can share with Him in the Spirit, grow in grace and knowledge, love truth and mercy, partake in His holiness, rest in His peace, bask in His beauty, let my jaw drop at His glory, and trust in His sovereignty because it is motivated by His love. He is incomprehensible but He is knowable!

God is a person.

2009-11-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

I am prepared to get slammed for this but here I go anyway.

I have recently had quite a few discussions with some Calvinists, and reformed brothers. The discussions have been stimulating for thoughts and the debating has been courteous and fruitful. I have been reading a lot of the puritans, listening to Piper, Keller, Driscoll, and Chandler. I have a deep respect for their opinions but sometimes find myself at opposite conclusions mainly because of the staring point of our logic. They start from a view of Sovereignty and free-will that pits the two against each other, I start from a view that sees both being woven together. I don't bring this up to start yet another round of scriptural loopty-loop but to say both sides are very cerebral. I wonder if that is not a part of the problem.

Here is what I mean. Theology is like a good Jock-strap and a cup. It is necessary for protection but not to be a badge of honor proudly displayed. I wonder if the end of theology amounts to nothing more than finite man trying to "nail down" the infinite God to a process or system. I know all the stuff about God's word being infallible, and truth lasting forever, and how Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. I am not talking about being able to depend on His promises. I am talking about trying to pin God under our intellect and reduce Him to being constrained under our logic. I have found this to hold true for me, that the deeper I delve into theological circles the less I enjoy my relationship with God. Some of it is necessary and I do my best to know why I believe what I believe. Having said that theology almost killed me recently. Everything becomes about trying to figure God out rather than trying to relate to Him. I find myself studying Him rather than enjoying Him. It's like having a picture of my wife and spending hours a day staring at and examining every detail of who she is but never, or rarely coming home to enjoy her. As necessary as it is to study to show ourselves approved, as workmen that don't need to be ashamed, it is far more necessary to be like a child and relate to God as a father. In my learning I forget that God is a person.

The Gospel According To Ellie

2009-10-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

This morning started like lots of other days. I heard the footsteps of little feet entering my room and then I heard my daughter, Eva, crawl into bed on my wife's side of the bed. My son was soon to follow and he ended up crawling up on my side. It has to be one of my favorite ways to wake up! My wife was the first one out of bed and threw on some coffee. The coffee, full of the Spirit of Christ, raised me from the dead and I entered the land of the living as well. After a hurried morning ritual I took off to work doing some remodeling at a friend's house. Shorty after I arrived, my wife called. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Ellie died this morning...."

Immediately my heart imploded.

All I could say was "Ohhhhh noooo!", as my heart broke for our friends.

I called my dear friend Tano to just let him know I am praying and love him. His daughter Ellie, and my oldest, Acacia, are the same age. Our wives were pregnant at the same time and we both experienced the joy of first time fatherhood in the same season. But, his experience would be much different than mine. For the first 18 months or so we shared much of the same things. We enjoyed playing with our little girls and naps on the couch. But things began to change with Ellie. Tano and Abbey began to notice different things about Ellie's development. Ellie began to shake sometimes and didn't seem to be developing at the same rate as others her age. Ellie had been born with Rett syndrome, a debilitating disease that seems to occur in girls due to it's genetic nature. Due to the way that this disorder affects the nervous system little, precious, Ellie, became a prisoner in her own body. Ellie would never learn to walk or talk. Ellie's mind would continue to grow but her body isn't able to respond. Tano and Abby developed a blink language that seemed to allow Ellie to communicate simple needs but only in a limited way. For 8 years now Tano and Abby have loved, nurtured, and cared for their daughter through some of the most difficult circumstances. Ellie fought for life here on earth for 8 long and grueling years. Not a single day went by without struggle. There was never a morning when Tano or Abs heard the sound of Ellie's little feet on their floor, nor did they ever hear their daughter tell them, "I love you." Our friends never saw their daughter's first steps, or heard her read, nor did they watch her run and play like other children.

BUT..............

Today, everything changed. Ellie is prisoner no more. Her first "I love you" will be to Jesus. Her first steps will be on streets of gold. Her new resurrected body now works perfectly. Ellie no longer sits long hours to watch while others play. She is no longer in constant pain. Ellie will never know struggle again. Her hands can be lifted at any moment to the King of Kings, her voice soars with sounds of praise to the only immortal, wise, God. Ellie's suffering in this present life isn't even worthy to be compared with the glory she shares in now. Her face glows from the radiance of the Father and her feet can dance to the tunes of thousands upon thousands as they sing "Glory, honor, and power!!" And from heaven's vantage point Ellie will declare, along with the others in heaven, "Righteous and true are Your judgments Oh Lord!" All the damage that a fallen world has done to Ellie, is now undone so that she, (and we) might be able to say, "Death is swallowed up in victory! Oh Death where is thy sting? Oh grave where is thy victory?" And if she could talk to us right now I think she might remind us just what the "gospel" means......

GOOD NEWS!!!!

Where Is Thy Victory?

Heavy hearts, broken groans
Sleepless nights, in sorrowed homes
Feelings rule the rainy night
While He sits silently upon His throne

How could you do this?
Why allow such pain?
You claim a sovereign
And righteous name?

The questions dissipate in the air
While He just sits silently there.

Then comes anger
wielding the sword
" A pound of your flesh
For not keeping your word
You promised it would all work for good
But that's not how it's happening in my neighborhood"

The gavel slams down, as I hand out my judgment
"I find you guilty, of breaking your covenant!
This world is full of sadness and pain
And your only solution is "believe on your name?!"
Away with this soul ache, and away with you
If you have the power
then there's something you could do

"Why settle for a pound?" came the reply
"I've given it all, I came and died.
It was that soul I purchased, the one for which you grieve
It's her I redeemed, it's her I've received
All that I have is now hers to keep
Do you question my love, is this why you thus speak?
Your eyes haven't seen, your ears haven't heard
you can't imagine, you can't put it into words...
There is a place with me here
That's waiting for all
That understand my love and respond to my call
The world you live in is all upside down
I've made a place to turn that around !
When life ends there it's the end of the story
But here we go from glory to greater glory!
You go from birth, into life, then death
The world you live on goes from order to mess.
But this place I've prepared
Won't need to be repaired
It's where all is made right you see
Lay down your sword and come to me
Put down your gavel and give me your pain
I know that you're hurting, just call on my name
I mend the broken, heal the hurting, and give sight to the blind
It's all included in this gospel of mine!"

My lips became silent, what more could be said
by His loving power, He raises the dead!
So even while the torments of death still loom
I can rejoice in the victory found at His empty tomb!

The Desire for Beauty

2009-08-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

I got this thought off of a page where a guy was giving his top ten list of lessons from great christian minds.

(The picture is of me and my son, Elijah at the beach in Brookings on Saturday! It was a "Beautiful" sunset!)

Jonathan Edwards (18^th century): God is beautiful, and all beauty is divine. The fine historian Mark Noll—who spoke here at Taylor last week—has called Jonathan Edwards the “greatest evangelical mind.” If that isn’t an incentive to study this man’s brilliant work, then nothing is. Like Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, Edwards emphasized the sovereignty of God. Everything God does, he does for his own glory. This is, in fact, the point of history and the point of your life and mine: the glory of God. But Edwards recognized that the concept of glory is essentially an aesthetic concept. It falls within the category of beauty. So what this world is all about is showing the beauty of God. And all of our longing for beauty—whether in the form of art, good music, good films, poetry, or the beauty of other people—is really an aspect of our longing for the One who is beauty itself. And all of the finitely beautiful things we experience are so many expressions of God’s beauty.

So here is the question for our blogging purposes;

What do you think is beautiful?
How is that beauty exemplified and ultimately fulfilled in God's person and nature?

Pondering doubt???????

2009-07-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm reading this book by Tim Keller called "The Reason For God". So far it is a great book! In the opening chapter he brings up the issue of doubt. He made a really profound statement that I have been thinking about ever since. On Page 17 of the introduction he states" All doubts, however skeptical or cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs. You cannot doubt belief A except from a position of faith in belief B."

That got the wheels spinning for me about the doubts that I have as a believer. All the doubts that I have are really a belief in something else. Can I identify the underlying belief that is at the root of the doubts that I wrestle with?

For example:

I sometimes have trouble believing that a miracle has occurred. Someone may say to me, "God healed me from my migraine headache!" To which I will respond outwardly" Praise God! That's awesome!" But on the inside I am really questioning if a miracle really took place or if the migraine headache just went away. Why do I doubt that it was a miracle? It could be that I believe that God only does miracles in big ways like blindness, leprosy, and raising the dead. Or , more likely, because my experience with people and their propensity to claim God did something that He in fact, did not do, I believe the person telling me the story is embellishing or just emotional.

What doubts do you struggle with and what are the corresponding beliefs that accompany them?

Music That is My Style

2009-04-20T02:07:00.000-07:00

Finding good music as a christian is hard to do. As a reflection of the church our music tends to be geared to a time that has already passed. There are few artists that come on the scene that are a reflection of what it means to be real, normal, and in love with Jesus. Every once in a while some pops up that surprises me. I look for someone that isn't singing what is canned and sells. Someone that thinks more about how they relate to God than coming up with some cookie cutter christian version of the same old repeated lines and phrases..... And it doesn't hurt if they've got a little soul. (Just cause that's my flava!) So here is a dude I just discovered tonight.

Josh Garrels

You can listen to some more here if you want. I loved what heard!

Things I love from the body of Christ:

2009-02-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

The passion of the Pentecostals and Charismatics....
It reminds me of the fact that God isn't just after my brain but my soul. Jesus said true worshipers worship in truth but also in spirit. (Jn4 )

The compassion of the Catholics...
I am totally inspired by the selfless live of those such as Mother Theresa, Saint Francis, and others. They remind me that having a heat like God's wil give me a love for the hurting.

The conviction of the reformed...
I love the fervent passion that these guys have for the truth. The doctrine from the reformed church is very thought out. They inspire me to know why I believe what I believe and that the truth of God's word is beyond our ability to exhaust.

The community of the house church Amish-ish type movements...
I love to see the deep sense of love and community that these folks have for one another. There is a total dedication to help one another out and hold each other accountable as they travel life together.

The cultural sensitivity of the post-modern movement....
While most of these churches tend towards liberalism. I am totally in agreement that Jesus didn't come to change each culture (including our own) into some cookie cutter version of the church. I love the thought that churches should be a reflection of the culture that you live in (i.e. music style, decoration, building structure, and the way you dress) while not compromising the truth of God's word. It reminds me that I am a missionary and not a mercenary.

The purpose of the evangelical movement...
God chooses and uses all those who will say "here am I, Lord, send me!" It reminds me that my life automatically serves a purpose and that purpose is to reach the unreconciled. 2 Cor 5

The christocentricity of the Calvary movement...
They inspire me through the verse-by-verse study of God's word that Christ is the message of the bible from cover to cover. I am challenged to remember that if I can preach the message I have in a Buddhist temple or a synagogue that it is not a "christian" message and not good news.

The simplicity of the Applegate Fellowship family...
I love how keeping things simple has been guarded by our church family. Through strong leadership we have all stuck to simply teaching the bible simply. I have seen the radical and continual transforming power of keeping the main thing the main thing.

And, while I have not exhausted the list of all the things I have learned from the body of Christ, I sit here, even now, amazed at the working of God through the different giftings and callings that He has placed in each of our lives. So, I rejoice in knowing that I have a place that is prepared for me here and now. I have a spot in the plan of God. I am free to be who God has created me to be and as I grow in that freedom God is glorified in who He created me to be. In an effort to encourage the we often make the mistake of trying to get others to do what we are called to do. We can even look at the other parts of the body of Christ and begin to be critical because they specialize in one particular area or giftingand are not like us. While this doesn't mean that you don't deal with issues, it does mean that we should not be so quick to see the world through the lenses of our own glasses. At the end we will all stand before the same Lord, saved by the same cross, on the same crystal shore, with each of us throwing the crowns we earned at the feet of Jesus. Why? Maybe because while we were all busy fighting with each other here, by His grace, we managed to get some work done. And when we see us the way He sees us we will realize that our diversity was His idea. What do you think?

Are we over-thinking the church?

2009-01-27T01:20:00.000-08:00

What if God never made the church in the way we think of it in it's present state? Is the "stage atmosphere" that we see in today's church the same format that existed in the early church? I'm not advocating chaos, and no order, but I often wonder how God sees the things that we would consider a "church service"? Are the essential elements of church (ie. worship, prayer, communion, the word) just building blocks and we are free to construct the order, style and length according to the needs of a particular body of believers? Is it helpful to rearrange those elements frequently so that the elements themselves do not become the idolatrous pattern that people perceive to be the way that we earn God's favor or blessing? To keep a grace centered church, that understands that it is not about works of righteousness that we have done, is it essential to dismantle the paradigm of worship to keep them from clinging to processes? These are the questions that I wrestle with as a pastor much of the time. Does God want less formality and more normality? Is formality a thin veil that hides our imperfections and keeps us from coming to God like we are? Has church, in the business style model that we see, become the next newest "fig leaf?" Do we hide behind formality because we are afraid that God will not receive the offering of ourselves apart from some ritual that makes us feel like we have checked off a checklist?

Jesus said in John 4:23-24 "... true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth"

The word "truth" used here in this text is Strong's # 227 in the Greek. It literally means without concealing. The question from this woman at the well is essentially," What is the correct way and place to worship? Is it here in our worship house or there in theirs? Is it their way or ours?" Jesus responds by saying the Father is seeking those that will worship Him with the inner man (in spirit), and without hiding behind anything (in truth)? Is it possible that we have made the search for truth more about academics and less about coming to Him as we really are? Are we hiding behind our systems, policies, and methodologies? Does God desire something more real and natural, something that looks a little more like real life?

What if church service is supposed to look like life and not like a ceremony? Could we as a culture indoctrinated and raised with a ceremonious church service get past that concept? What if, what we know as church had never come into existence and all we had was people that were Christ followers? What would it look like if they got together and there was no blueprint for what to do? What would a natural, spontaneous time of fellowship look like?

In the past I have made the incorrect assumption that the church in the book of Acts had no preconceived ideas of what to do in organizing a worship get together. The truth is that they had two working models of what it means to gather together in worship. The one they pulled from what they saw before Christ came. The second example they had after they had walked for 3 1/2 years with Jesus. In the first model, man became the center. In the latter God Himself was the center. Are pastors (myself included) more concerned about making a name and reputation for themselves? Or are we willing to be made of no reputation, an environment where there are no "superstar" Christians in order that Christ might be the superstar.

What do you think?

The Gates Of Hell!

2009-01-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

The last three weeks at our little church has been a great for me. I have been so refreshed in going over the simplicity of the gospel with our church.

Week 1:
We did a study of the "The Power Of The Gospel" in which we talked about the fact that the gospel does not need to be played up to make it more effective, or played down to make it not offensive, but played out as we share what God has done for us. We just need to proclaim the news of what He has done and..... Nothing else

Week 2:
We talked about "The Way We Share The Gospel". If we share from having been affected by the gospel ourselves it changes the way that we share. When we have daily come to the cross in need of God's grace, then we share from a place of humility and compassion.

Week 3:
We talked about "Why We Share The Gospel". In a word. Hell. The gospel doesn't just give us a better life. It is the only hope of salvation for a world that is condemned already.

Summation:
There are many difficulties in reaching out to the community that we live in. We can't expect that the world is going to walk through our church doors, fall on their knees, and ask us if we know Jesus. As a result, the typical forms of evangelism can often leave people feeling tricked because unbelievers show up for the "goodie" (concert, turkey giveaway, toy drive, etc...) and then realize that they have been hoodwinked like some sort of timeshare gimmick. As a result we are often pedaling the gospel with salesmanship rather than proclaiming the gospel in sincerity. Evangelism is often better received from someone you personally know, and in an environment where you don't feel like you were tricked or trapped. In other words evangelism should begin with the church going to the people that they already know and love and happen in a place where they don't feel like they are being targeted to sign up to be a part of an organization or club. We decided at CCF that the best way we could reach our community with the gospel is to give our people a platform and environment where they could share the gospel with their loved ones. So we handed out envelopes with cash amounts in them that were for they express purpose of taking someone they already know out to lunch or coffee and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with them!! In the coming weeks we will see what God does with those who used His resources wisely! Getting sixty people to walk into our church to hear the gospel would be next to impossible (apart from God) but the sixty or so people that took an envelope this Sunday will be reaching out to sixty plus people in our community with the gospel!!! May God fill their words with His power!

There are squatters (those who wait to be attacked) and there are soldiers (those storming the gates of hell!) Which one are you?

For Who's Glory?

2009-01-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

I was pondering the issue of rest yesterday in regards to taking a sabbath. Something hit me right between the eyes and I feel like it is worth sharing. God commands this day of rest for his people and also sets the example of resting Himself, even though He Himself is not tired. Why? As I thought of this in regards to my own labor (especially ministry) I suddenly realized that much of my identity is wrapped up in what I do. There is a part of us that feels value when we "do" something. We attain a certain level of worth by "doing" things. I wonder if taking a sabbath rest is partially about resting and partially about reorienting your life around who God is as opposed to who we are? Do people work themselves to death because they are seeking to be made valuable in the eyes of others or in their own eyes? As I talk to other pastors, I have noticed some of the same ideas coming up. On Mondays, many pastors feel like quitting their jobs and grabbing a nine-to-five somewhere else. This usually comes after a bombed teaching, disgruntled parishioner, or just an exhausting day where they find themselves weary. I wonder, would pastors still feel that way if so much of our identity was not wrapped up in what we do? Maybe the sabbath and vacations are more about us being reminded that when we step away from our activities and rest, the world continues to turn. Life still moves forward and in fact, we are not as important as we think... (wish) we are. Something about stepping back from our labor helps us to refocus our energy on things that do matter and things that will last. Things like our relationship with the Lord and our relationship with our families. When Jesus said ," the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath" it seems He meant what He said.

In the list of the ten commandments in Exodus 20 God gives the commandment to rest in verses 8-10. God couches the commandment to rest in the story of creation and the example set by Him from the beginning. He is saying essentially, "be like Me!" My identity is not in what I do but who I am.

In the list of commandments found in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, God couches the commandment to rest in the fact that the children of Israel used to be slaves in Egypt. He says in verse 15, "and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God hath brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." It is as if the Lord is saying, " your value as a human used to be determined by how hard you worked. But, I set you free from that. I want you to leave behind the slave-value system and embrace the glorious freedom of a God-centered value system." We have worth. Our worth is not based upon what we do or don't do. Our value scale is based upon what God has done in redeeming us. We have worth by the work of the cross and redemption. Even the word redemption should bring us to that word picture. Like an empty soda can that is trash to be discarded, we have "redemption value" to our manufacturer.

Heb 4:9-10 exhorts us, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

Not an excuse to be lazy, but an exhortation to prioritize your life to be God centered and not self centered. What think ye?

The "High"-Jacking of Jesus

2009-01-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Jesus ‘Healed Using Cannabis’

Published

DrQuickbeam

on January 9, 2006

in Cannabis and Religion

Jesus was almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to a study of scriptural texts published this month. The study suggests that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings.

The anointing oil used by Jesus and his disciples contained an ingredient called kaneh-bosem which has since been identified as cannabis extract, according to an article by Chris Bennett in the drugs magazine, High Times, entitled Was Jesus a Stoner? The incense used by Jesus in ceremonies also contained a cannabis extract, suggests Mr Bennett, who quotes scholars to back his claims.

“There can be little doubt about a role for cannabis in Judaic religion,” Carl Ruck, professor of classical mythology at Boston University said.

Guardian UK

Referring to the existence of cannabis in anointing oils used in ceremonies, he added: “Obviously the easy availability and long-established tradition of cannabis in early Judaism _ would inevitably have included it in the [Christian] mixtures.”

Mr Bennett suggests those anointed with the oils used by Jesus were “literally drenched in this potent mixture _ Although most modern people choose to smoke or eat pot, when its active ingredients are transferred into an oil-based carrier, it can also be absorbed through the skin”.

Quoting the New Testament, Mr Bennett argues that Jesus anointed his disciples with the oil and encouraged them to do the same with other followers. This could have been responsible for healing eye and skin diseases referred to in the Gospels.

“If cannabis was one of the main ingredients of the ancient anointing oil _ and receiving this oil is what made Jesus the Christ and his followers Christians, then persecuting those who use cannabis could be considered anti-Christ,” Mr Bennett concludes.

It seems every nitwit out there has their own agenda on how to make a God of their own design. When you come from a personal perspective or preconceived bias that you can read just about anything you want into the story of Jesus and the bible. How do we guard against seeing the bible from only our perspective? What controls do we have to guard us from deception. This deception can come from without or within. It can be the gospel according to "Mr Bennet" or it can be the gospel according to Jeremy Nehf. What is the gospel according to God and how do we know that it is the true gospel? Are there any controls or does anyone with some half-baked new theory about the gospel have a leg to stand on?

All things are better in Koine!!

2009-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Saw this video on another guys blog and loved it so much I thought I'd share the Joy. Sorry it has been so long since a for real post. I'll get back into the swing of things and get some of the things I've been pondering posted soon. God bless for now!!!

Unity In Diversity

2008-11-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

Don't lose your head over it all!!

Romans 12:4-5 " For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members of one another"

During this election season the one thing I see very clearly is that we as a nation do not always see things so clearly! Some groups are passionate about some issues and others about a whole different set of issues. Some see morality and the value of human life as being the most important issues. Others see the economy and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as being of the utmost importance. Who is right? Or are all the issues important? We are a nation divided in so many ways. Blue and red, left and right.

I wish that things in the church were better but that is not the case. And just like the political arena , we as Christians are grappling with the idea of unity. The desire of our hearts is that the whole world would see things the way we do. But, is that reasonable? We all cry out for unity, we attend "all church gatherings", and proclaim from pulpit to pew that we are all one body. In the words of Rodney King," Ca, Can, Can't we all just get along?" Isn't that what God wants? Doesn't the word say in Ephesians 4:3-6 that we should be "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."? In Psalm 133 we are told " Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."

The question is how and where do we draw the line? Do we have unity at the expense of truth? Do we sacrifice unity at the expense of holiness or righteousness? Do we lose the focus of God's grace and not fight legalism so that we can have "unity"? I think that in the three above mentioned passages is a real key to understanding God's heart and how we can reconcile these seeming contradictory issues. In each passage of scripture the way that unity is pictured is by the "body" adhering to the "head". In the scriptures there seems to be this idea that unity is a natural consequence of getting directions from the head, which is Christ.

In Romans 12 as you follow the flow of the whole chapter, the apostle Paul is talking about proving, by being a living sacrifice, what is the will of God. Dealing with first things first, how do we be a living sacrifice? Romans 12;1 " Present your bodies... which is your reasonable service". How do we do this? We do this by resisting conformity to the world and embracing the transforming work that God wants to do in our minds. What does the world think? The world thinks that life is all about self. In contrast, God's desire is that we would "lose ourselves" and "consider one another more highly than ourselves". We need to see ourselves as only a part of something much larger than ourselves. We are a part of something that God describes as being like a body. Each of us has a function that is for the health and strength of the whole body. We each have something that we bring to the table of God's bounty. Those things have been given as gifts, for us to offer back, to the good of the entire body. Those gifts are given by the Holy Spirit. The head or mind of the body is the Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is like the nervous system. All the will of Jesus is communicated to the body through the Holy Spirit. As each member obeys the will of the mind (Jesus), by the Spirit, we begin to act as one body. We then become a reflection of the one who give life and animation to the body. But we only act as one body as we do our part and our part only. Division within the body comes when one part of the body begins to reject their role in the body.That part of the body may try to make itself distinct from the rest of the body and separate itself. Or part of the body may begin to assume the role of another. This spasmodic, epileptic action causes the whole body to function improperly. And this can be one of the problems that we see in the church on a local and a global scale. In this analogy of the body there is something else that can happen. One part of the body can see the spasms the body and seek to remedy the situation by trying to beat or restrain that part of the body into submission. In other words we can see what is wrong in part of the church and begin to try and control the spasms by attacking that part. We think that legalistic rules, scathing public rebukes, and systems that we set up to prevent that from happening will somehow fix the problem. But this can further agitate the issue in so many ways. Like a claustrophobic trying to escape a confined space that part of the body begins to react even more. They are now in what is perceived as a fight for the validity of their existence as a part of the body.

So what should we do with the spasmodic parts? To just let them continue to spasm creates disharmony and to attack or suppress them causes only more violent reactions. We need to first understand what our role is to play. Don't abandon your role to devote yourself to trying to fix that part of the body. Second talk to the head of the body. Pray!! Pray!! Pray!! Now wait to see what Jesus would have you to do. If He wants to use you He will tell you. If He tells you that He wants to use you, He will also tell you how. In any case the remedy is to get the spasmodic part of the body to listen to Jesus and respond to the Spirit. Our best encouragement is not always in the confronting the issues ,which can be just symptoms of a larger problem, but in going to the root of the problem. The root is, how do we get them to connect with the head? If they begin to listen to the head again they will act in harmony with the rest of the body. Well, like a manual for the body, God has given us a record of His will in His word, by His Spirit. To expose how one part of the body is not listening to Jesus we need to be able to share with them what listening to Jesus looks like. He has given us that information in His word. To that end, Ephesians 4 gives us further insight. Jesus rose from the dead and gave gifts to the church. What are those gifts? The gifts that he gave were the leadership of the church. He gave some "apostles, some prophets; some evangelists; some pastors and teachers;" (Eph 4:11) Why did He give these men as gifts to the church? The scriptures go on to say that he gave these gifts for this purpose: " For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things which is the head, even Christ." (Eph 4:12-15) The shortened version of this passage is that God gave church leadership to keep people connected the head of the body. The leadership God provided is supposed to do this by equipping believers with the truth from God's word, and encouraging them to have a mature relationship with Jesus. If the body has those things verse 16 tells what will happen next. If we are connected to the head "from whom the whole body fitly joined together," then we will be "compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part." This will in turn make "the increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." In summary of this entire passage in Ephesians 4, Jesus as the head directs the body, and he directs the body through the word and those He has gifted to the body in leadership. Unity is born in submission to the head. If we all get our orders from Jesus we have unity.

What do we do when there are two different orders for two different parts of the body?
#1: We ask are both scripturally valid?
If they are then
#2: We can ask are both parties submitted to the authority of Jesus and His headship and the leadership structure that He has appointed?
If there is no seed of rebellion in either party we proceed to
#3: Then we can give the freedom to both parties to function as God has called them to.
There can be unity with diversity.

Psalms 133 describes this for us in picture "how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." This unity starts when the oil of God's Spirit falls onto the body from the head down. We cannot have unity at the expense of truth. Ephesians 4 tells us that unity should come from "speaking the truth in Love." To the degree that we are willing to let the Holy Spirit direct us will be the degree to which we will live in harmony and unity. So this begs the question, will there ever be unity? All we can do is, our part, to obey. The only lasting unity we will experience that can't be wrecked by the weakness of humanity, will be under the new leadership of Jesus in the new city made without hands, the new Jerusalem. Looking forward to that day!!

A Word On Wisdom

2008-10-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

James 3:13-16 "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your heart, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work"

What a powerful scripture for me today! The scriptures tell us that knowledge has is like a double edged sword. While knowledge is good and is a gift from God ( Prov 2:6). The bible also warns that to have knowledge can also cause us to become proud and arrogant (1 cor 8:1) We are not to reject knowledge because a lack of knowledge or to reject knowledge is to is to bring God's judgment upon yourself (Hos 4:6).

Doesn't this all sound so contradictory? I think James helps us to sort this all out. God wants us to have and increase in knowledge but how we hold this knowledge will determine the fruit of it in our lives. With knowledge comes great power. We have power to bring life or to hasten death. We can set people free or use that same knowledge to condemn. God tells us to use our knowledge with "meekness". I looked up the phrase "meekness of wisdom" in the Strong's and the word picture came to life for me. Meek wisdom is wisdom that restrains the right to pounce on someone because you are right. It uses knowledge with a sensitivity to those ways in which love can be best expressed and truth can ultimately set free. Right knowledge has all the strength of a giant elephant at a circus. If the elephant should choose to, he could pick the trainer up by his twiggy little neck and toss him like a rag doll across the ring. But all that power is being controlled. If I feel the need to overpower someone else with my knowledge I violate the law of love and my wisdom is inconsistent with the heart of God.

What a good reminder for me as a Dad!!!

2008-10-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Examining Our Excuses

2008-09-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

Prov 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets!

Our command from the Lord is to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). Often we neglect to actively share our faith though. And when looking for excuses it's not to share, it becomes really easy to put it off till another day. So stop "lion" (LOL get it lion like"Lying") to yourself and get going. What are our reasons? Here are eight I think everyone has used at least once!!

O-live This Promise!

2008-09-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Psa 128:1-6 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.
The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

I have just been reminded lately of the simplicity of God's design for the family. Last night Kristal and I got a phone call from a family in great distress. There are so many issues that from the outside the situation seems overwhelming. To sort through each individual hurt is a task that would be too burdensome for anyone to do. The question is not so much,"How did we get to where we are?", but,"Now that we are here what do we do now?" I believe countless hours of counseling are wasted in trying to sort through things that have already taken place and yet we have no ability to go back in time and undo those things. If you and I will begin from this moment to live like Paul and "forget those things that are behind", then we can start from right now to experience the joys of victory.

So, where do we start? According to Psalm 128:1 we start at the fear of the Lord. Why? because you will eat from the crop that you plant. You will either sow to the flesh and reap corruption or sow to the Spirit and reap life. If you live a life satisfied in the Lord and have the genuine joy of the Lord coming from that life of abiding in Him, God guarantees that you will see the effects in your marriage and children. Nothing is "hotter" to a husband or wife than a satisfied and genuinely joyful soul. Nothing inspires kids to want to be with their parents like having a house filled with joy. Wives clinging to their husbands like vines to a house and kids solid and kids growing and bearing fruit. This is God's design for the family. The easiest way to have the family God wants for us to have is to spend time at His feet. If He is lifted up in our lives He will draw all husbands and wives, and kids unto Him. I wonder if all the issues of marriage can be traced back to this as the root issue? The healing begins with coming to Jesus! That's the way it was in the gospels and nothing has changed in the 2000 plus years since. What do you think?

The comfort of His Jealousy

2008-09-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

This morning I read a devotional by Spurgeon in the "morning and evening devotional". How strange it is to think of the vehement passion of God to guard our heart from everything that would leave us less satisfied than Him. He is a jealous God but not for His own needs. He is jealous for ours! Selfless jealousy? Seems like a contradiction, but doesn't love require that you want the very best for the object of your love? What do you think?

"God is jealous." —Nahum 1:2

Your Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. Did He choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did He buy you with His own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own, or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that He would not stop in heaven without you; He would sooner die than you should perish, and He cannot endure that anything should stand between your heart's love and Himself. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in an arm of flesh. He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean upon Him, He is glad, but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely upon our own wisdom, or the wisdom of a friend—worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, He is displeased, and will chasten us that He may bring us to Himself. He is also very jealous of our company. There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in Him only, this is true love; but to commune with the world, to find sufficient solace in our carnal comforts, to prefer even the society of our fellow Christians to secret intercourse with Him, this is grievous to our jealous Lord. He would fain have us abide in Him, and enjoy constant fellowship with Himself; and many of the trials which He sends us are for the purpose of weaning our hearts from the creature, and fixing them more closely upon Himself. Let this jealousy which would keep us near to Christ be also a comfort to us, for if He loves us so much as to care thus about our love we may be sure that He will suffer nothing to harm us, and will protect us from all our enemies. Oh that we may have grace this day to keep our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved alone, with sacred jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world!