Scripture:
"So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people." (Luke 3:18 ESV)
Observation:
I find it interesting that the summarizing description of the message that John brought to his audience is labeled here 'good news'. Especially considering that he begins his message by addressing his audience as "a brood of vipers" and intimating that the consequences of ignoring his warnings will certainly result in God's wrath and eternal banishment to the fires of hell! He further warns them that the remedy that will shortly arrive on the scene (in the form of their Messiah) will only provide relief if they are appropriately prepared through a radical reevaluation and reversal of their way of life. What part of this spells 'Good News'?
The 'Good News' is, for those of us who are willing to humbly acknowledge our desperate condition and become willing to turn from our open rebellion against God's benevolent rule and reign, there is a Savior who not only purchased our redemption with his blood (for those in this story it will be a near future event), but ushered in a 'new and living way' into the Kingdom of Heaven through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Application:
The gate is small and the path difficult that leads to eternal life...the Good News is that genuine faith in Jesus that leads to repentance and a life of ongoing obedience to his commandments comes with the promise of supernatural power for holy living and good works through the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is "Christ in [me] - the hope of glory"!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I praise you and thank you for your Gospel of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Thank you that you did not leave us helpless, lost and doomed to eternal punishment. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who comes to dwell inside of us and for the many promises that we have of his amazing work on behalf of those who by faith have become, by your grace, obedient to your message of salvation. Please help me to keep my eyes on you, Jesus, and to hear, moment by moment, the still, small voice of the Spirit directing my steps. Help me to trust you with all of my earthly needs so that I can stay focused on the mission that you have invited me to join you on: to seek and to save that which is lost, and to make disciples of all nations. Give me a heart of love and compassion for my fellow man, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ. Use me to win as many as possible to Jesus and to live a life that conforms to yours so that I can confidently say like the Apostle Paul "follow me as I follow Christ". Amen!
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
Sunday, January 01, 2017
Daily S.O.A.P. - The Wisdom of Preparation
Scripture:
"And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."" (Luke 1:16-17 ESV)
Observation:
Wisdom according to Google is "the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement". But experience, knowledge, and even good judgement, as important as they sound are like the pieces of a puzzle: unless we are familiar with the picture they belong to, it is almost impossible to put them together in a meaningful way. Experience and knowledge are not bad things, but without a good reference point, they can just as easily be used for evil as for good.
John the Baptist was on a mission from God: to turn as many of his countrymen as possible back to God. His assignment was to prepare them for the arrival of their Messiah, Jesus. To accomplish his goal he was set apart and given a message designed to shock people out of their complacency and get them to face the frightening reality of their bankrupt spiritual condition and what that would mean on the great and terrible Day of the Lord if they didn't repent and seek God's mercy and forgiveness. Grace and Truth were right around the corner, but unless we are prepared by being brought face to face with our profound need for grace, we are most certainly doomed to deny the truth.
Application:
"And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."" (Luke 1:16-17 ESV)
Observation:
Wisdom according to Google is "the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement". But experience, knowledge, and even good judgement, as important as they sound are like the pieces of a puzzle: unless we are familiar with the picture they belong to, it is almost impossible to put them together in a meaningful way. Experience and knowledge are not bad things, but without a good reference point, they can just as easily be used for evil as for good.
John the Baptist was on a mission from God: to turn as many of his countrymen as possible back to God. His assignment was to prepare them for the arrival of their Messiah, Jesus. To accomplish his goal he was set apart and given a message designed to shock people out of their complacency and get them to face the frightening reality of their bankrupt spiritual condition and what that would mean on the great and terrible Day of the Lord if they didn't repent and seek God's mercy and forgiveness. Grace and Truth were right around the corner, but unless we are prepared by being brought face to face with our profound need for grace, we are most certainly doomed to deny the truth.
Application:
"The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand"...but I can easily miss it if I simply focus on trying to deal with the endless stream of problems and tasks that present themselves day by day without fail. I have been offered the promise of abundant eternal life which Jesus defines as "to know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you sent" John 17:3
This year I have resolved to seek above all else to 'know God'. Not to get busy (I'm already too busy!), but to get still. Not to spend more time in prayer so that I can bend God's ear with all my endless needs and wants, but to be intentionally more quiet, listening for the 'still, small voice' of God. I will pray more, to be sure; but I will pray that the Spirit will help me know how to pray and what to pray for. Also to know what things I have been assigned to do...and what those things are that are not to be my concern. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...but I'm only called to do a few things...well.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your mercies which are 'new every morning'...and every New Year. I am weary and weighed down with stuff and busyness and sins that have tangled themselves around my ankles like kelp in the Monterey Bay. I long to see your church come alive and my neighborhood, city, state, country and the world get whacked with the Gospel and the Holy Spirit. But I sense that, in this coming year, I need to slow down and make it job one to abandon busyness in favor of a simpler, less distracted life that is focused on seeking your Face. Please help me to make this a reality. Help me to get rid of stuff, say 'No!' to the unnecessary, and put the things that are truly priorities on my calendar...in INK. And then help me to remember to consult my calendar BEFORE I get distracted by some noisy little emergency designed by the enemy to steal my serenity, kill my joy and destroy all of the good works that you have prepared in advance for me to walk in.
In Jesus' name...AMEN!
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Striking It Rich
October 24, 2015
What if you suddenly discovered that you were fabulously wealthy? And I don't mean just along the lines of Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Rupert Murdoch or Mark Zuckerberg...I mean REALLY wealthy!
What if you found out that somehow you had a credit card that had no limit, and that you would never have to pay off the balance. In fact, the balance would be paid in full by someone else, regardless of the amount. It's a crazy thought, but let's just imagine that it really happened and right now you're holding that piece of priceless plastic in your hand. And, just to keep you from veering off track, you don't have to worry about any eventualities that might put a damper on seeing your wildest dreams fulfilled (in as far as money is able to achieve them). None of the negative side-effects that immediately begin to come to mind are a possibility. All you need to do is point and shoot. Bam!
What would you do?
I'm assuming that as a Christ-follower (or even as a reasonably decent human being) your mind would begin to focus on all the good you could do in the world rather than on all the cool stuff you could buy to make your life cushy. There would be no problem in the world that you couldn't address, provided that the only hindrances to solving the problem are ones that money could overcome. Given that you would have no worries whatsoever about 'running out' of resources, I'm sure you would become prodigally magnanimous. It would be insane (as long as you really believed that the unlimited line of credit was really real) for you to give a second thought to being selfish or miserly.
But, leaving the orbit of fantasy, and re-entering the atmosphere of reality, we find that we are back in the world of limited means, where we judiciously consider whether a person or cause is worthy of a chunk of the finite resources that have been entrusted to us. And thus, we find ourselves often arbitrating as to whether, if we give in to our consciences that tell us that as followers of Christ we should be generous, we will have enough to meet our own needs. We know that some Christians give a 10th of their paychecks. Some even tithe on the gross amount of their earnings. And some go even further than that. But many of us, because we're "not under the law, but under grace" choose to give only sparingly. We seem to only have enough to meet our own needs, and it would be irresponsible (our reasoning goes) to put our families at risk since the Bible tells us that we are to provide for our families and "anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
However, life in the Kingdom of Heaven, is not subject to that brand of 'reality'. Life in the Kingdom is upside down. The problem with us 'believers' is that we often fail to believe! Even though we are told "Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back". (Luke 6:30 ESV), we somehow justify not obeying Jesus' instructions. Or maybe we are quick to whip out a dollar for the homeless guy, but when the offering plate comes around we treat it like the homeless guy! :-p
But we are the children of the King of kings and Lord of lord!. Everything in the universe (and beyond) belong to our Heavenly Father. And we are his heirs, co-heirs with Christ!
For all things are yours, whether ... the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. (1Co 3:21-23 ESV)
Therefore, Jesus tells us that we should imitate God, who out of his love that is beyond comprehension, sent his own Son to earth to experience all of the trials, struggles and temptations to be selfish and stingy that we experience, and then to die on the cross in our place that we could be set free from the distorted reality of a life of limited means that results from choosing to live it apart from the rule of the Benevolent King and Creator and Owner of the Universe...and beyond!
"give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." (Luk 6:38 ESV)
God promises that if we seek to imitate him in our generosity toward others that he will ensure that our resources never run out. But that requires faith, because in the natural world, unless you are very fortunate, no one is going to give you anything you don't earn yourself. In fact nearly everyone in the world and most institutions and organizations are trying to get a piece of what you have. And if you squander it or otherwise use it up, it's on you to figure out how to replenish your coffers, and it's usually by the sweat of your own brow.
But that's not how it works in the Kingdom of God. Our Heavenly Father is fabulously wealthy and ridiculously generous; and not just to those who are righteous and deserving (as if there were any who are).
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Mat 6:33 ESV)
The point I'm trying to make is that this is the Gospel. It's the good news about the Kingdom of God. We need to ask ourselves whether we are truly in the faith. The Apostle Paul challenges us to do this because of the very real possibility that we have veered from the authentic Good News of the Kingdom and have built our faith and practice on a false one. The Gospel that Jesus and his disciples preached was "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand". It is available here and now. Eternal life, abundant life is not in the future. It is here...NOW! In fact, it's ONLY available here...and now. If we don't take it here and now, and invest it in the world around us, we won't have it when we transition into eternity. Jesus demonstrated the Kingdom way of life by healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and bringing the Good News of God's prodigal generosity to the poor.
We so need to understand and receive the love of God, which is beyond understanding, deep into our souls. It needs to become as real to us as the things that we can see, touch, smell, and hear around us right now. When we are overcome with how much we don't deserve God's goodness, kindness, mercy and generosity, and the reality of the availability of all of it to us right now, we will begin to live differently. We will understand the urgency of bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God to every creature. We will understand why Jesus left us with the command:
"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."" (Mat 28:18-20 ESV)
God has generously offered ALL the resources of his Benevolent Kingdom, here and now, to 'whosoever will' and it's our job to live in and promote that reality to an impoverished world. May it be so in my life...and yours.
Thursday, July 09, 2015
Who You Callin' a 'Fool', Fool?!!
Just try to use the Bible to establish a code of righteous behavior that will get you into heaven. Just try to use the Bible to establish a code of righteous behavior that will get you into heaven. Actually don't... you'll fail miserably!
For example: Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:22 that calling someone a fool can send you to hell. But in Luke 12:20 he tells us that God calls someone a fool. And here Paul (for no reason I can discern) calls the hypothetical person who would ask a simple and, in my mind, understandable question, a fool.
It's clear that a dogmatic approach to sorting out Biblical truth can be problematic at best and lethal at worst. Jesus himself told the Pharisees, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," (John 5:39 ESV)
The more I study Scripture and try to be a genuine disciple of Jesus, the more I realize that following Jesus is a heart and soul thing.
"...you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV)
"And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."" (Luke 10:27 ESV)
The bottom line is LOVE and without a divine intervention none of us has it.
"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19 ESV)
In John 5:39 Jesus warns us that trying to make the Bible into a step by step guide to getting to heaven only produces a hell-bound self-righteousness. If you get two people in the same room who are taking this approach you'll soon have a fist fight over some finer point of biblical interpretation. "...Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." (1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV)
'Having' Jesus is the only sure path to eternal life. Knowing him...abiding in him...eating his flesh and drinking his blood...loving him above even our own lives is the path to heaven. And that is not attainable without God's supernatural intervention in our lives. The Good News is that it is available to 'whosoever'. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth (Jesus is THE TRUTH). But though it is offered freely to 'whosoever' it must be actively received. There is no such thing as 'Irresistible Grace'. If there was, there would be no sense to the many exhortations and admonitions in the Bible to act decisively regarding our spiritual condition and the eternal destiny of our souls.
"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to CONFIRM YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." (2 Peter 1:10 ESV)
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)
"STRIVE for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which NO ONE will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14 ESV)
""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, BUT THE ONE WHO DOES the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
"And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation TO ALL WHO OBEY HIM," (Hebrews 5:9 ESV)
"Yet you have still a few...people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" (Revelation 3:4-6 ESV)
The free gift of forgiveness and abundant, eternal life is offered to 'whosoever' but only those who will humbly acknowledge their profound need for it and daily reach out and actively make it their own can receive it.
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17 KJV)
For example: Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:22 that calling someone a fool can send you to hell. But in Luke 12:20 he tells us that God calls someone a fool. And here Paul (for no reason I can discern) calls the hypothetical person who would ask a simple and, in my mind, understandable question, a fool.
It's clear that a dogmatic approach to sorting out Biblical truth can be problematic at best and lethal at worst. Jesus himself told the Pharisees, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me," (John 5:39 ESV)
The more I study Scripture and try to be a genuine disciple of Jesus, the more I realize that following Jesus is a heart and soul thing.
"...you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV)
"And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."" (Luke 10:27 ESV)
The bottom line is LOVE and without a divine intervention none of us has it.
"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19 ESV)
In John 5:39 Jesus warns us that trying to make the Bible into a step by step guide to getting to heaven only produces a hell-bound self-righteousness. If you get two people in the same room who are taking this approach you'll soon have a fist fight over some finer point of biblical interpretation. "...Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." (1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV)
'Having' Jesus is the only sure path to eternal life. Knowing him...abiding in him...eating his flesh and drinking his blood...loving him above even our own lives is the path to heaven. And that is not attainable without God's supernatural intervention in our lives. The Good News is that it is available to 'whosoever'. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth (Jesus is THE TRUTH). But though it is offered freely to 'whosoever' it must be actively received. There is no such thing as 'Irresistible Grace'. If there was, there would be no sense to the many exhortations and admonitions in the Bible to act decisively regarding our spiritual condition and the eternal destiny of our souls.
"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to CONFIRM YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." (2 Peter 1:10 ESV)
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV)
"STRIVE for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which NO ONE will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14 ESV)
""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, BUT THE ONE WHO DOES the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
"And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation TO ALL WHO OBEY HIM," (Hebrews 5:9 ESV)
"Yet you have still a few...people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" (Revelation 3:4-6 ESV)
The free gift of forgiveness and abundant, eternal life is offered to 'whosoever' but only those who will humbly acknowledge their profound need for it and daily reach out and actively make it their own can receive it.
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17 KJV)
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Daily S.O.A.P.: Wash Your Step!
Scripture:
John 12:7-10
"Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”"
Observation:
This passage gets preached on frequently in the context of how we should serve one another and prefer one another in honor, etc. All of this is, of course, unquestionably true. If we claim to be Christ-followers, disciples of Jesus, then we must learn from him that we are not primarily here for our own self-gratification and self-promotion. We are here as servants of Christ and by extension servants of those who bear the image of Christ, who are members of his body.
But, I've never heard anyone address what to me seems an obvious, though somewhat puzzling comment that Jesus makes about this object lesson that he presents at his final meal with his disciples. He tells them that they are not going to get what he is really trying to convey to them by his act of foot washing. And I think we don't get it either. I mean, what is difficult to comprehend if we view this demonstration as simply an act of uncommon humility in which the master becomes the servant? It's not rocket science! And it's not a new theme in the disciple's curriculum either. Humility and service are woven through much of Jesus' teaching.
So what is it that he is claiming that they will miss in this living parable? The key, I believe, is in what he says to counter Peter's prideful protest: "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." We just gloss over this statement as if it's just Jesus trying to squeeze some extra juice out of this moment by raising an off-topic parallel. But I believe that he's actually speaking to his central point about this act of foot-washing. He explains it further with the clarification that Peter is already clean and that he only needs his feet washed occasionally. He's not talking about physical acts of service here, but about the central focus of what will become the 'sanctification process' after he completes his work on the cross and returns to the Father: confessing our faults (sins) to one another and praying for one another that we may be healed. And it's not just about us each volunteering our self-disclosure to a fellow disciple, Jesus also tells us that when we see one of our brothers or sisters sinning, we are to confront them in private with their trespasses. We are not very good at this, in general, in the body of Christ. We do so-so at creating safe environments for self-disclosure, but avoid consistently Jesus' command to be confrontational when we see a brother blowing it. It's not easy and it takes intentionality and lots of grace.
Application:
I definitely have room for growth in this area. I struggle with a co-dependent fear of rejection when it comes to pulling a brother's covers. I can recall a situation that was so egregious that it screamed to have this spiritual CPR administered, but the offending person has such a strong personality that I kept my trap clapped out of fear. It didn't stop me from sharing it with my wife though, which probably was gossip for me. Though I have exercised this spiritual discipline on several occasions, I think that often when there has been a blip on my radar I've waited, out of fear and doubt, until the the target was nearly out of range before launching the torpedo. I recall one incident recently where the person couldn't completely recall the situation that I was trying to bring to their attention. Stalling is not helpful, and in most cases I think it's better to wait for another infraction before bringing it up. If significant time has elapsed...forget it!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the blood of Christ. Thank you for his finished work on the cross that settles the issue of sin and eternal life for everyone who responds in faith to your call to repentance and to make your Son, Jesus, Lord and Savior of their life. Thank you that though you accept me as I am when I come to you in faith and repentance, you don't leave me as I am. Thank you that you have taught us and demonstrated the means of grace by which we find healing and transformation through confession and prayer. Thank you for giving us this holy commandment to be our brother's keeper and to lovingly hold one another accountable for how we represent your Holy Name. Please help me and my brothers and sisters to be courageous and wise in how we relate to one another. Help us to have pure hearts as we follow your example of washing the world from one another's feet. Amen.
John 12:7-10
"Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”"
Observation:
This passage gets preached on frequently in the context of how we should serve one another and prefer one another in honor, etc. All of this is, of course, unquestionably true. If we claim to be Christ-followers, disciples of Jesus, then we must learn from him that we are not primarily here for our own self-gratification and self-promotion. We are here as servants of Christ and by extension servants of those who bear the image of Christ, who are members of his body.
But, I've never heard anyone address what to me seems an obvious, though somewhat puzzling comment that Jesus makes about this object lesson that he presents at his final meal with his disciples. He tells them that they are not going to get what he is really trying to convey to them by his act of foot washing. And I think we don't get it either. I mean, what is difficult to comprehend if we view this demonstration as simply an act of uncommon humility in which the master becomes the servant? It's not rocket science! And it's not a new theme in the disciple's curriculum either. Humility and service are woven through much of Jesus' teaching.
So what is it that he is claiming that they will miss in this living parable? The key, I believe, is in what he says to counter Peter's prideful protest: "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." We just gloss over this statement as if it's just Jesus trying to squeeze some extra juice out of this moment by raising an off-topic parallel. But I believe that he's actually speaking to his central point about this act of foot-washing. He explains it further with the clarification that Peter is already clean and that he only needs his feet washed occasionally. He's not talking about physical acts of service here, but about the central focus of what will become the 'sanctification process' after he completes his work on the cross and returns to the Father: confessing our faults (sins) to one another and praying for one another that we may be healed. And it's not just about us each volunteering our self-disclosure to a fellow disciple, Jesus also tells us that when we see one of our brothers or sisters sinning, we are to confront them in private with their trespasses. We are not very good at this, in general, in the body of Christ. We do so-so at creating safe environments for self-disclosure, but avoid consistently Jesus' command to be confrontational when we see a brother blowing it. It's not easy and it takes intentionality and lots of grace.
Application:
I definitely have room for growth in this area. I struggle with a co-dependent fear of rejection when it comes to pulling a brother's covers. I can recall a situation that was so egregious that it screamed to have this spiritual CPR administered, but the offending person has such a strong personality that I kept my trap clapped out of fear. It didn't stop me from sharing it with my wife though, which probably was gossip for me. Though I have exercised this spiritual discipline on several occasions, I think that often when there has been a blip on my radar I've waited, out of fear and doubt, until the the target was nearly out of range before launching the torpedo. I recall one incident recently where the person couldn't completely recall the situation that I was trying to bring to their attention. Stalling is not helpful, and in most cases I think it's better to wait for another infraction before bringing it up. If significant time has elapsed...forget it!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the blood of Christ. Thank you for his finished work on the cross that settles the issue of sin and eternal life for everyone who responds in faith to your call to repentance and to make your Son, Jesus, Lord and Savior of their life. Thank you that though you accept me as I am when I come to you in faith and repentance, you don't leave me as I am. Thank you that you have taught us and demonstrated the means of grace by which we find healing and transformation through confession and prayer. Thank you for giving us this holy commandment to be our brother's keeper and to lovingly hold one another accountable for how we represent your Holy Name. Please help me and my brothers and sisters to be courageous and wise in how we relate to one another. Help us to have pure hearts as we follow your example of washing the world from one another's feet. Amen.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Daily S.O.A.P: #AtTheTable
Daily S.O.A.P.: #AtTheTable
March 24, 2016
Scripture:
Psalm 23:5
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."
Observation:
I'll bet this Psalm has been quoted, recited, preached on and written about as much or more than any other Bible passage I could name. And for good reason. It fully captures the beauty and intimacy of our Heavenly Father's love and intent for our safety and provision in this fallen world. There is such a serene, tranquil tone to it, even when it's speaking about 'my enemies' and the 'valley of the shadow of death' there is a comforting sense of God's loving presence that banishes all fear and concern from my thoughts. I am almost oblivious to the fact that enemies and death are even mentioned in these verses. I think this is because just reading this amazing little collection of revelations about the tender heart of God towards me and his all encompassing provision for my welfare and sustenance gives me a sense of well-being like nothing else can. I am drawn from whatever inner chaos or outer conflict I may be experiencing into a 'happy place'. Into a place where even the prospect of impending death itself is non-threatening. I am in the embrace of the Good Shepherd and nothing can disturb that. I have the peace that passes understanding.
Application:
In spite of the preceding observations, I find that I'm quickly cast into chaos and tribulation where such comforting realities evaporate like sweat on a fry cook's griddle. After all I'm a sheep and my natural inclination is to wander away from the capable and vigilant Shepherd into some thorny thicket or near to the tooth and talon of a 'roaring lion'. But the Lord's table is always set for me and his provision of wine and oil, representing the Blood of the Covenant and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit are always at hand. Regardless of the battle that rages around me and the taunts of the enemy, regardless of even the very real threat of death, I need not be in a state of turmoil or terror. God's provision is always abundantly and immediately available if I will just take a seat #atthetable.
Prayer:
Dear Shepherd, Dear Savior, I am so grateful for your loving provision for my life - both this present earthly existence and for life eternal. Thank you that your loving care is always available to me; that I never need to be alarmed at the the noise of the enemy - even when the enemy is me. Please help me to live in this Psalm. Help me to remain always within the reach of your rod and staff. Help me to never let my seat at the table get cold. Help me to bring the tranquility of your presence and the abundance of your provision into every circumstance and let my cup overflow to the benefit of the many needy individuals whom you cause to cross my path. Let them be drawn to your loving kindness and goodness through my life and find that there is a placard upon which their name has been inscribed, reserving their place #AtTheTable. Amen.
Scripture:
Psalm 23:5
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows."
Observation:
I'll bet this Psalm has been quoted, recited, preached on and written about as much or more than any other Bible passage I could name. And for good reason. It fully captures the beauty and intimacy of our Heavenly Father's love and intent for our safety and provision in this fallen world. There is such a serene, tranquil tone to it, even when it's speaking about 'my enemies' and the 'valley of the shadow of death' there is a comforting sense of God's loving presence that banishes all fear and concern from my thoughts. I am almost oblivious to the fact that enemies and death are even mentioned in these verses. I think this is because just reading this amazing little collection of revelations about the tender heart of God towards me and his all encompassing provision for my welfare and sustenance gives me a sense of well-being like nothing else can. I am drawn from whatever inner chaos or outer conflict I may be experiencing into a 'happy place'. Into a place where even the prospect of impending death itself is non-threatening. I am in the embrace of the Good Shepherd and nothing can disturb that. I have the peace that passes understanding.
Application:
In spite of the preceding observations, I find that I'm quickly cast into chaos and tribulation where such comforting realities evaporate like sweat on a fry cook's griddle. After all I'm a sheep and my natural inclination is to wander away from the capable and vigilant Shepherd into some thorny thicket or near to the tooth and talon of a 'roaring lion'. But the Lord's table is always set for me and his provision of wine and oil, representing the Blood of the Covenant and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit are always at hand. Regardless of the battle that rages around me and the taunts of the enemy, regardless of even the very real threat of death, I need not be in a state of turmoil or terror. God's provision is always abundantly and immediately available if I will just take a seat #atthetable.
Prayer:
Dear Shepherd, Dear Savior, I am so grateful for your loving provision for my life - both this present earthly existence and for life eternal. Thank you that your loving care is always available to me; that I never need to be alarmed at the the noise of the enemy - even when the enemy is me. Please help me to live in this Psalm. Help me to remain always within the reach of your rod and staff. Help me to never let my seat at the table get cold. Help me to bring the tranquility of your presence and the abundance of your provision into every circumstance and let my cup overflow to the benefit of the many needy individuals whom you cause to cross my path. Let them be drawn to your loving kindness and goodness through my life and find that there is a placard upon which their name has been inscribed, reserving their place #AtTheTable. Amen.
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Simplify
I recently made a bold commitment to fast and pray for the purpose of bringing 2014 to a close and getting some insights for launching 2015. Well...I'm still kind of a weenie in regards to the fasting thing. My new goal is just to stay out of the ice cream carton for a week...just a freakin' week! Yes, I'm still in recovery. Step 1 - Admitted that we were powerless...
But, I did spend an amazing weekend away with my former sponsor, and current dear friend and mentor, Bud Lamb. You might know him if you ever attended Santa Cruz Bible Church back in the days right before and after Chip Ingram left there to launch 'Living On The Edge'. Anyway, during that weekend getaway, I was listening for God's whisper and what I clearly perceive to be my watchword for 2015 is SIMPLIFY! It's time to STOP THE CHAOS! Or at least get a leash on the dang thing. :-)
I recently read Bill Hybels' book 'Simplify' and two things struck me as very profound and yet very obvious.
The first is that if I want to have a positive impact for Jesus in my spheres of influence, I need to discern those vocations to which God is calling me, and prioritize my activities accordingly. This, by it's very nature, will cause me to 'simplify' my life by eliminating the expenditure of my time and energy on stuff that isn't part of my job description. I'm not called to be or do everything. I'm just called to do a few things ...really well. Sounds simple, but I get excited about SOoo many things, that I am reluctant to let go of a lot of stuff. I think the answer, for me, is to relegate those things that clearly aren't among the 2 or 3 very highest priorities to recreational pursuits. Those things then become things that I can still be in touch with, but they just add spice to my schedule. They're not the main ingredients. For me...still a work in progress. Right now, my top 3 are my relationship with Christ, my marriage, and discipling men. (Actually, I think stewarding my health should be up near the top, but it might actually be part of #1...I'd love to hear your thoughts on that!)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1Co 6:19-20
The second thing that I find just brilliant (but which I've thus far not managed to make very much progress on) is making my calendar work for me. If something is a priority, shouldn't it have a spot on my calendar? Some wise person said "If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail!". Another wise person said, "If your calendar has no blank spots, you're planning to have a massive coronary!" (I think that was me ;-) But I think you get the point. If I don't at least have a 'To Do' list on my desk or somewhere (Outlook Calendar, Evernote...I'm sort of a geek), then I'm probably being driven by the 'urgent' instead of the 'essential'. I hate to admit that I resemble that remark much more than I would like to. But...'progress - not perfection' as they say in the 12 Step rooms (or is that just CR?).
Uhhh...too much white space on my calendar...gotta go!
--
Peace & grace,
Wayne
Wayne
Friday, August 01, 2014
To Heal or Not to Heal...
A minor dispute broke out yesterday morning at a local, weekly prayer gathering which I attend with religious regularity. It was triggered by a prayer offered up for a person suffering with an illness. In my usual fashion, I was somewhat preoccupied with my internal talk show ('Waynez Whirled' of which I am the host and the main guest), so I wasn't aware of the precise phrasing of the request. Apparently though, something was expressed that seemed to give God an 'out' in case he was not particularly in favor of performing a healing in the case of this particular person (it really bothers me to use both the adverb and the adjective form of the same word in a single sentence!) . Or, perhaps, as was subsequently expressed by one of the other Saints, the verbiage was more along the order of giving the pray-er an out should their faith or confidence in God's willingness to heal in a manner consistent with what we read in the Gospels was less than compelling.
The objection raised, in the form of an exhortation with 'all due respect' offered, is one with which I am well familiar. As a frequent guest speaker on 'Waynez Whirled' I have raised it myself on numerous occasions. It goes something like this: Why, when Jesus clearly expects that we "shall do greater works" than the ones he did, and that the laying on of hands should produce healing for those who believe (Mark 16:17-18), should we shy away from fully expecting that a complete healing should result from our faithful intervention on God's behalf toward the sick? Even though we believe, based on the overwhelming evidence presented in the New Testament, that the confirmation of the Good News that 'the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand' is the accompaniment of miraculous signs (the most obvious of which is physical healing), we struggle to reconcile our belief-system with our practice and experience. I believe there are two primary reasons for this.
The first is a survey of our present reality. Although we hear about miraculous healings on a fairly regular basis, very few of us have ever actually seen one first hand. We are mostly only familiar with them through second or third-hand (to be generous) anecdotal evidence, or partial or gradual improvements in the condition of some sick person whom we personally know that we proudly point to as evidence of our (or someone's) faith, being careful of course to verbally assign the glory to Whom it is due. Based on our firm belief that we have been commissioned by Jesus to carry on the mission which he began, to establish the Kingdom of Heaven of earth, it stands to reason that, in the absence of any real scriptural evidence that the gift of healing (or any of the charismatic gifts) were to cease upon the death of the last of the original apostles, that we should fully expect them to continue today. And to a large extent the church today firmly believes that to be true. But...when the subject of the supernatural character of God and his Kingdom comes up, most of us sheepishly admit that we seem to be lacking some key ingredient to our faith or knowledge that keeps us resigned to a reality that is mostly pretty mundane and constrained by the 'laws of nature'.
The second reason that we 'hold to a form of religion, but deny the power thereof' (OUCH!) is a little escape clause in the form of an interesting little explanation from the Apostle Paul about his 'thorn in the flesh'. Though we will never (on this side of eternity) know for sure the nature of Paul's troublesome condition, some scholars have offered an explanation that seems very plausible: that Paul had impaired vision possibly caused by cataracts resulting from the blinding light he experienced on the road to Damascus. Hence his comment in Galatians 4:15 that the Galatians would have given him their eyes if they could have, and also the evidence of his comment at the end of several of his epistles that the readers could verify the authenticity of his authorship by his over-sized signature (alluding to the fact he couldn't see what he was writing unless he made the letters remarkably huge). The only thing that casts possible doubt on this theory is that Paul describes this annoyance at one point as a 'messenger of Satan'. How could a buffeting from a mischievous specter produce a physical malady? Well, I personally think the most sensible explanation is that the 'buffeting' and the 'thorn' are two different aspects of God's purpose to keep Paul's ego under wraps. The thorn was Paul's near-blindness and the buffeting was a 'shoulder buddy' whispering in Paul's ear something to the effect of "Hey, big shot, if you've got this faith thing dialed in so well, why ain't you healed yet...you big phoney?!" Nevertheless, if we believe, based on this one incident, that in any given scenario there may be a key piece of undisclosed evidence that would cause God to override his default disposition of compassion to heal, in favor of achieving some greater purpose, we will always have a reason to explain away our lack of faith as a lack of knowledge.
But, ironically, even those of us who protest most vociferously about the apparent lack of faith in the church concerning healing, and advocate most vehemently for the manifestation of the supernatural, aren't really seeing much more than wisps of evidence that could mostly be explained by an over-active imagination or mass-hallucinations. The restoration of withered limbs or the restoration of sight to the blind is only something we read about in a para-church organization's online newsletter or hear about in a corner somewhere over coffee. And so we mostly just don't bring the subject up. And we mostly pray "Lord, if it be your will...".
So where does all this cogitation leave us? Well for one thing, I think we correctly focus on how we can love our fellow human beings who suffer by using Jesus-with-skin-on natural methods. There is no question that LOVE trumps everything in God's economy. The supernatural can apparently become a stumbling block that actually dooms us to getting it grossly wrong. The pronouncement of Jesus over those who thought they did good by focusing on the supernatural in Matthew 7 is frightening: "I never knew you!" They got it decidedly wrong. And Paul warns us again in 1 Corinthians 13 that even good works, if motivated by anything but the love of God, are just kindling for the fire. Nothing will remain that isn't originated and sustained by God's love. We can keep God's commandments (at least outwardly) and apparently even do the works Jesus did and still be sons of Satan. It's not just what we do that is evidence of a genuine faith (James 2:17). It's whether we have been reborn by God's love...'recreated' into the image of the God who loved the world so much that he gave...EVERYTHING! And for that to happen requires nothing less than THE SUPERNATURAL!!!
""For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 ESV
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
"For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." - Galatians 6:15 ESV
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." - John 15:7-10 ESV
BE A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST and...
"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy." - 1 Corinthians 14:1 ESV
The objection raised, in the form of an exhortation with 'all due respect' offered, is one with which I am well familiar. As a frequent guest speaker on 'Waynez Whirled' I have raised it myself on numerous occasions. It goes something like this: Why, when Jesus clearly expects that we "shall do greater works" than the ones he did, and that the laying on of hands should produce healing for those who believe (Mark 16:17-18), should we shy away from fully expecting that a complete healing should result from our faithful intervention on God's behalf toward the sick? Even though we believe, based on the overwhelming evidence presented in the New Testament, that the confirmation of the Good News that 'the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand' is the accompaniment of miraculous signs (the most obvious of which is physical healing), we struggle to reconcile our belief-system with our practice and experience. I believe there are two primary reasons for this.
The first is a survey of our present reality. Although we hear about miraculous healings on a fairly regular basis, very few of us have ever actually seen one first hand. We are mostly only familiar with them through second or third-hand (to be generous) anecdotal evidence, or partial or gradual improvements in the condition of some sick person whom we personally know that we proudly point to as evidence of our (or someone's) faith, being careful of course to verbally assign the glory to Whom it is due. Based on our firm belief that we have been commissioned by Jesus to carry on the mission which he began, to establish the Kingdom of Heaven of earth, it stands to reason that, in the absence of any real scriptural evidence that the gift of healing (or any of the charismatic gifts) were to cease upon the death of the last of the original apostles, that we should fully expect them to continue today. And to a large extent the church today firmly believes that to be true. But...when the subject of the supernatural character of God and his Kingdom comes up, most of us sheepishly admit that we seem to be lacking some key ingredient to our faith or knowledge that keeps us resigned to a reality that is mostly pretty mundane and constrained by the 'laws of nature'.
The second reason that we 'hold to a form of religion, but deny the power thereof' (OUCH!) is a little escape clause in the form of an interesting little explanation from the Apostle Paul about his 'thorn in the flesh'. Though we will never (on this side of eternity) know for sure the nature of Paul's troublesome condition, some scholars have offered an explanation that seems very plausible: that Paul had impaired vision possibly caused by cataracts resulting from the blinding light he experienced on the road to Damascus. Hence his comment in Galatians 4:15 that the Galatians would have given him their eyes if they could have, and also the evidence of his comment at the end of several of his epistles that the readers could verify the authenticity of his authorship by his over-sized signature (alluding to the fact he couldn't see what he was writing unless he made the letters remarkably huge). The only thing that casts possible doubt on this theory is that Paul describes this annoyance at one point as a 'messenger of Satan'. How could a buffeting from a mischievous specter produce a physical malady? Well, I personally think the most sensible explanation is that the 'buffeting' and the 'thorn' are two different aspects of God's purpose to keep Paul's ego under wraps. The thorn was Paul's near-blindness and the buffeting was a 'shoulder buddy' whispering in Paul's ear something to the effect of "Hey, big shot, if you've got this faith thing dialed in so well, why ain't you healed yet...you big phoney?!" Nevertheless, if we believe, based on this one incident, that in any given scenario there may be a key piece of undisclosed evidence that would cause God to override his default disposition of compassion to heal, in favor of achieving some greater purpose, we will always have a reason to explain away our lack of faith as a lack of knowledge.
But, ironically, even those of us who protest most vociferously about the apparent lack of faith in the church concerning healing, and advocate most vehemently for the manifestation of the supernatural, aren't really seeing much more than wisps of evidence that could mostly be explained by an over-active imagination or mass-hallucinations. The restoration of withered limbs or the restoration of sight to the blind is only something we read about in a para-church organization's online newsletter or hear about in a corner somewhere over coffee. And so we mostly just don't bring the subject up. And we mostly pray "Lord, if it be your will...".
So where does all this cogitation leave us? Well for one thing, I think we correctly focus on how we can love our fellow human beings who suffer by using Jesus-with-skin-on natural methods. There is no question that LOVE trumps everything in God's economy. The supernatural can apparently become a stumbling block that actually dooms us to getting it grossly wrong. The pronouncement of Jesus over those who thought they did good by focusing on the supernatural in Matthew 7 is frightening: "I never knew you!" They got it decidedly wrong. And Paul warns us again in 1 Corinthians 13 that even good works, if motivated by anything but the love of God, are just kindling for the fire. Nothing will remain that isn't originated and sustained by God's love. We can keep God's commandments (at least outwardly) and apparently even do the works Jesus did and still be sons of Satan. It's not just what we do that is evidence of a genuine faith (James 2:17). It's whether we have been reborn by God's love...'recreated' into the image of the God who loved the world so much that he gave...EVERYTHING! And for that to happen requires nothing less than THE SUPERNATURAL!!!
""For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 ESV
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
"For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." - Galatians 6:15 ESV
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." - John 15:7-10 ESV
BE A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST and...
"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy." - 1 Corinthians 14:1 ESV
Friday, August 23, 2013
"A Rose By Any Other Name...": Does the Bible lose it's value or credibility if we abandon the unsupportable tenet of 'inerrancy' and/or 'infallibility'?
It's clear that unless we believe that the
Bible is the inspired word of God, we have no solid basis for trusting
what it says. It then becomes just a collection of wild ramblings and tales of questionable veracity. But, the fact that it is inspired and divinely secured for the ages is indisputable (you can dispute it if you like, but if you do, do it with someone else because you clearly haven't researched it or even bothered to read the research of numbers of scholarly people). But most churches and para-church organizations
also believe that the Bible is 'infallible', which I, frankly, find
unsupportable practically, and even on the basis of what the Bible says
about itself. (And don't quote me Psalm 19:7 - 'perfect' doesn't mean what you think.)
So here are the questions that cover this topic in a complete fashion:
1. How can we know that the Bible is the inspired word of God?
2. How do we know that the Bible as it now exists is faithful to the original?
3. Is there really any substance (or even necessity to adhere) to the belief that the Bible is 'infallible' (or 'inerrant' - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_infallibility)?
For myself, I have no problem with the first 2 questions. I've heard wonderful lectures on the statistical improbability of the number of detailed prophecies that have been fulfilled and the history of Satan's futile attempts to rub out the Scriptures. The facts are imposing concerning the multitude of original manuscripts and their consistency and reliability when judged by the same criteria as other ancient works that the secular world holds as reliable and faithful to the original. However, I do find convincing arguments against the idea that the Bible is infallible or inerrant in the common sense of the words.
Let's start with by defining the words (thanks to Professor John M. Frame):
Inerrant: without errors
Infallible: there can be no errors
http://reformedperspectives.org/files/reformedperspectives/theology/TH.Frame.inerrancy.html#F4B
First of all, Paul says that 'all' scripture is inspired by God and 'profitable' for (this, that, and the other). He never says anything close to "Everything I had my scribe write down was written by the Holy Spirit taking over his will to choose every word and arrange it exactly where you now find it." He even says that some of it is his own opinion and not from the Lord. And then there's the issue of whether we can even be sure of which nuance of a Greek or Hebrew word is actually evoked in a particular context, which in many cases can radically impact the meaning of a passage. And since every one can't be a Greek and Hebrew scholar, we have to rely on 'fallible' men and women who undertook to translate from the original. And even the scholars are at a loss to find words in the target languages that effectively represent the meaning of the original. It's clear that unless God himself was the sole agent in producing the written words (in whatever linguistic form), the abundantly fallible and biased hand of sinful man has ruled out the possibility of infallibility from both the origin and the interpretation of what we now hold in our hands as God's word.
And don't even get me started on the canonization of the books of the Bible! Which version of the canon is the infallible one? Are we to believe that the Protestants, some of whose champions (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli) followed Augustine's heretical belief that torture and execution are acceptable forms of evangelization and church discipline (based on the parable where the king tells his servants to 'compel' the guests to come to the wedding feast) were 'inspired' in their canonization process but the Catholics weren't? And if an 'infallible' Bible is necessary for salvation, sanctification and rule of life, then how could someone who is illiterate or even mentally disabled find salvation through faith? It's not "All who read and memorize the infallible, inerrant words of scripture are the sons of God" - it's "All who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God." Paul makes a point in Romans of explaining clearly that the law (the Jewish Bible) isn't even necessary for knowing everything we need to know about about God and righteousness. Nature and our own consciences will get the basic job done quite nicely, so that there's no excuse for anyone.
Anyway, I can't buy the ideas of infallibility or inerrancy as I think they are implied by most, and I don't think it's a necessary tenet in order to anchor the fundamental beliefs of our faith. Jesus warned the Pharisees that their dogmatic way of approaching Scripture was blinding them to the saving truth of the Gospel: John 5:39 NASB - "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." If we deify the written words, we are basically committing idolatry. God isn't contained in the pages of a book. We aren't saved by obeying the letter, but by being led by the Spirit through the real-time Word of God, Jesus, speaking into our hearts "this is the way...walk in it". A static faith in even the fundamental truth of Christ's substitutionary death on the cross won't save us as James clearly reveals: James 2:14 NASB - "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" Believing that the Bible is true, whether or not we hold it to be infallible, won't save us. So why do we cling so tenaciously to this unsupportable idea? The Bible is 'profitable' for knowing God's revealed truth about himself and his way of salvation, but to say that it is 'infallible' is meaningless...in my opinion. Only God is infallible and the written word is not God - the Living Word of God, Jesus, is God...and he's still speaking:
Hebrews 3:7-12 NASB - Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. (not the dead letter).
So here are the questions that cover this topic in a complete fashion:
1. How can we know that the Bible is the inspired word of God?
2. How do we know that the Bible as it now exists is faithful to the original?
3. Is there really any substance (or even necessity to adhere) to the belief that the Bible is 'infallible' (or 'inerrant' - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_infallibility)?
For myself, I have no problem with the first 2 questions. I've heard wonderful lectures on the statistical improbability of the number of detailed prophecies that have been fulfilled and the history of Satan's futile attempts to rub out the Scriptures. The facts are imposing concerning the multitude of original manuscripts and their consistency and reliability when judged by the same criteria as other ancient works that the secular world holds as reliable and faithful to the original. However, I do find convincing arguments against the idea that the Bible is infallible or inerrant in the common sense of the words.
Let's start with by defining the words (thanks to Professor John M. Frame):
Inerrant: without errors
Infallible: there can be no errors
http://reformedperspectives.org/files/reformedperspectives/theology/TH.Frame.inerrancy.html#F4B
First of all, Paul says that 'all' scripture is inspired by God and 'profitable' for (this, that, and the other). He never says anything close to "Everything I had my scribe write down was written by the Holy Spirit taking over his will to choose every word and arrange it exactly where you now find it." He even says that some of it is his own opinion and not from the Lord. And then there's the issue of whether we can even be sure of which nuance of a Greek or Hebrew word is actually evoked in a particular context, which in many cases can radically impact the meaning of a passage. And since every one can't be a Greek and Hebrew scholar, we have to rely on 'fallible' men and women who undertook to translate from the original. And even the scholars are at a loss to find words in the target languages that effectively represent the meaning of the original. It's clear that unless God himself was the sole agent in producing the written words (in whatever linguistic form), the abundantly fallible and biased hand of sinful man has ruled out the possibility of infallibility from both the origin and the interpretation of what we now hold in our hands as God's word.
And don't even get me started on the canonization of the books of the Bible! Which version of the canon is the infallible one? Are we to believe that the Protestants, some of whose champions (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli) followed Augustine's heretical belief that torture and execution are acceptable forms of evangelization and church discipline (based on the parable where the king tells his servants to 'compel' the guests to come to the wedding feast) were 'inspired' in their canonization process but the Catholics weren't? And if an 'infallible' Bible is necessary for salvation, sanctification and rule of life, then how could someone who is illiterate or even mentally disabled find salvation through faith? It's not "All who read and memorize the infallible, inerrant words of scripture are the sons of God" - it's "All who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God." Paul makes a point in Romans of explaining clearly that the law (the Jewish Bible) isn't even necessary for knowing everything we need to know about about God and righteousness. Nature and our own consciences will get the basic job done quite nicely, so that there's no excuse for anyone.
Anyway, I can't buy the ideas of infallibility or inerrancy as I think they are implied by most, and I don't think it's a necessary tenet in order to anchor the fundamental beliefs of our faith. Jesus warned the Pharisees that their dogmatic way of approaching Scripture was blinding them to the saving truth of the Gospel: John 5:39 NASB - "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." If we deify the written words, we are basically committing idolatry. God isn't contained in the pages of a book. We aren't saved by obeying the letter, but by being led by the Spirit through the real-time Word of God, Jesus, speaking into our hearts "this is the way...walk in it". A static faith in even the fundamental truth of Christ's substitutionary death on the cross won't save us as James clearly reveals: James 2:14 NASB - "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" Believing that the Bible is true, whether or not we hold it to be infallible, won't save us. So why do we cling so tenaciously to this unsupportable idea? The Bible is 'profitable' for knowing God's revealed truth about himself and his way of salvation, but to say that it is 'infallible' is meaningless...in my opinion. Only God is infallible and the written word is not God - the Living Word of God, Jesus, is God...and he's still speaking:
Hebrews 3:7-12 NASB - Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. (not the dead letter).
Monday, March 18, 2013
Unity of the Spirit Leads to Unity of the Faith
I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. - (John 17:23 NASB)
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ... until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. - (Ephesians 4:3, 13 NASB)
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. - (Colossians 3:14 NASB)
In my pursuit of 'pure doctrine' I've been wrestling with the tenets of Reformed Theology and those of the Wesleyan school of thought (which I favor). I am amazed that God has chosen to use such broken vessels as Martin Luther (who advocated shipping all the Jews back to Palestine and recommended execution of the Anabaptists) and John Calvin (who advocated torture and execution as acceptable means of 'evangelism'. Why should I trust myself to Biblical interpretations from men whose lives in no way resembled that of the Christ whom they claimed to have been disciples of?
Of course I'm not eager to have my own life put under the microscope!
Anyway, I see that there is a tension between 'right doctrine', which is definitely essential, and which the Scriptures themselves admonish us to guard with diligence, and pursuit of unity in the bond of peace whereby we are told by Jesus himself that we will be identified as genuinely His disciples. So, even though I consider Calvin's views heretical (and question whether with his advocacy of forced conversions he will even attain to life eternal), I may not be able so easily to write off those who adhere to his teachings.
I'm reading 'Revival' by Winkey Pratney. Last night I read a wonderful exchange between the imminent 18th century preacher Charles Simeon and John Wesley which I think speaks eloquently to my struggle:
**********************************************************************************
Simeon - Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
Wesley - Yes, I do indeed.
Simeon - And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
Wesley - Yes, solely through Christ.
Simeon - But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
Wesley - No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
Simeon - Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
Wesley - No.
Simeon - What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?
Wesley - Yes, altogether.
Simeon - And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
Wesley - Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
Simeon - Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things where in we agree. (Moule, 79ff.)
**********************************************************************************
being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ... until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. - (Ephesians 4:3, 13 NASB)
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. - (Colossians 3:14 NASB)
In my pursuit of 'pure doctrine' I've been wrestling with the tenets of Reformed Theology and those of the Wesleyan school of thought (which I favor). I am amazed that God has chosen to use such broken vessels as Martin Luther (who advocated shipping all the Jews back to Palestine and recommended execution of the Anabaptists) and John Calvin (who advocated torture and execution as acceptable means of 'evangelism'. Why should I trust myself to Biblical interpretations from men whose lives in no way resembled that of the Christ whom they claimed to have been disciples of?
Of course I'm not eager to have my own life put under the microscope!
Anyway, I see that there is a tension between 'right doctrine', which is definitely essential, and which the Scriptures themselves admonish us to guard with diligence, and pursuit of unity in the bond of peace whereby we are told by Jesus himself that we will be identified as genuinely His disciples. So, even though I consider Calvin's views heretical (and question whether with his advocacy of forced conversions he will even attain to life eternal), I may not be able so easily to write off those who adhere to his teachings.
I'm reading 'Revival' by Winkey Pratney. Last night I read a wonderful exchange between the imminent 18th century preacher Charles Simeon and John Wesley which I think speaks eloquently to my struggle:
**********************************************************************************
Simeon - Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
Wesley - Yes, I do indeed.
Simeon - And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
Wesley - Yes, solely through Christ.
Simeon - But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
Wesley - No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
Simeon - Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
Wesley - No.
Simeon - What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?
Wesley - Yes, altogether.
Simeon - And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
Wesley - Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
Simeon - Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things where in we agree. (Moule, 79ff.)
**********************************************************************************
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Hungry For Change
Matthew 3
I'm starving. I'm parched. I'm hungry for change (http://tradeasone.com/get_involved/hungry_for_change/).
It would appear that the Judeans during John's ministry were also experiencing hunger and thirst as they flocked to the Jordan to confess their sins and identify with a symbol of cleansing and regeneration. What were they anticipating? Jesus had not yet begun to expound on the attributes of the Kingdom of Heaven. They must have been knowledgeable about the OT prophesies about the Messianic Age and the good things that would characterize God's reign on earth.
So John came indicating what was necessary to prepare for the Kingdom that was 'at hand'. Repent...prepare the way...bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. I can't rely on my heritage or my list of accomplishments. I must acknowledge my spiritual poverty and mourn over my infatuation with my worldly riches. This is not a message of cheap grace. The axe is laid to the root. He will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor.
Maranatha
I'm starving. I'm parched. I'm hungry for change (http://tradeasone.com/get_involved/hungry_for_change/).
It would appear that the Judeans during John's ministry were also experiencing hunger and thirst as they flocked to the Jordan to confess their sins and identify with a symbol of cleansing and regeneration. What were they anticipating? Jesus had not yet begun to expound on the attributes of the Kingdom of Heaven. They must have been knowledgeable about the OT prophesies about the Messianic Age and the good things that would characterize God's reign on earth.
So John came indicating what was necessary to prepare for the Kingdom that was 'at hand'. Repent...prepare the way...bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. I can't rely on my heritage or my list of accomplishments. I must acknowledge my spiritual poverty and mourn over my infatuation with my worldly riches. This is not a message of cheap grace. The axe is laid to the root. He will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor.
Maranatha
Friday, September 21, 2012
Ask...Seek...Knock - Luke 11:9,13
Wow! Long time - no blog...
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. ... "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" - (Luke 11:9-10, 13 NASB)Father up in heaven...and in my heart
Please give it to me now
Or I can't start
Livin' out the lovin' life that you prepared
Just starin' at the formless void
I get so scared
I've got to have the Spirit now
Or I can't start
Building up a store of good
Within my heart
The devils now are mostly gone
The floor is clean...I've mowed the lawn
But now I've go no furniture
And I am sore afraid
Of who might ending up sleeping by me
In this bed I've made
There's seven hombres malos
Who've been hanging 'round my door
I need the power of the Ghost
So they don't come 'round no more
And there's a bunch of other beggars
Dressed in rags like me
(Or that's the way I used to look...
but now I'm clean and free)
They masquerade as rich men
But they haven't got a clue
They need to take their tarnished bling
And trade it in for You
I want to pull their covers
And expose their starving souls
But I'm reaching in my bag of tricks
And find it's full of holes
So Father, for my Xmas gift (or birthday or whatever)
I'd like a brand new wineskin
That's been made of supple leather
Though for your sake I don't imbibe
I'm askin' that you please
Fill up that sack with brand New Wine
That brings me to my knees
I'd like to get a little drunk
And be forced to explain
That a different kind of Spirit
Has just pickled up my brain
And then fluent in a dialect
That cuts right to the heart
I'd like to set those beggars free
To get a brand new heart
But right now I can't cut a thing
With this here rubber sword
I need the sharp and living One
Your Spirit has in store
So come on Giver of all good
I'm askin', seekin', knockin'
You won't be rid of me today
Until you open up and say
"I've filled your Xmas stocking!"
Amen!
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. ... "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" - (Luke 11:9-10, 13 NASB)Father up in heaven...and in my heart
Please give it to me now
Or I can't start
Livin' out the lovin' life that you prepared
Just starin' at the formless void
I get so scared
I've got to have the Spirit now
Or I can't start
Building up a store of good
Within my heart
The devils now are mostly gone
The floor is clean...I've mowed the lawn
But now I've go no furniture
And I am sore afraid
Of who might ending up sleeping by me
In this bed I've made
There's seven hombres malos
Who've been hanging 'round my door
I need the power of the Ghost
So they don't come 'round no more
And there's a bunch of other beggars
Dressed in rags like me
(Or that's the way I used to look...
but now I'm clean and free)
They masquerade as rich men
But they haven't got a clue
They need to take their tarnished bling
And trade it in for You
I want to pull their covers
And expose their starving souls
But I'm reaching in my bag of tricks
And find it's full of holes
So Father, for my Xmas gift (or birthday or whatever)
I'd like a brand new wineskin
That's been made of supple leather
Though for your sake I don't imbibe
I'm askin' that you please
Fill up that sack with brand New Wine
That brings me to my knees
I'd like to get a little drunk
And be forced to explain
That a different kind of Spirit
Has just pickled up my brain
And then fluent in a dialect
That cuts right to the heart
I'd like to set those beggars free
To get a brand new heart
But right now I can't cut a thing
With this here rubber sword
I need the sharp and living One
Your Spirit has in store
So come on Giver of all good
I'm askin', seekin', knockin'
You won't be rid of me today
Until you open up and say
"I've filled your Xmas stocking!"
Amen!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Fasting for Freedom
I'm a slave. I think we all are, really. And, though it may sound strange, we should be slaves. But it's to whom (or what), and by what arrangement that we're enslaved that determines whether this is a good or a bad thing.
I used to be a slave of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Now I have sex in the context of the mysterious love-covenant with my beautiful wife to express and enhance the devine intimacy that we share. I use ibuprofin at the slightest hint of cranial discomfort because I'm a weenie when it comes to headaches. I still LOVE rock 'n' roll, but I couldn't tell you which songs top the charts in the various genres of rock music. I mostly listen to K-Love and Air1 and occasionally listen to ChristianRock.net on my computer.
But was I ever really a slave of those external manifestations? Not really. I went through a 'program' to get 'recovery'. It was very helpful. My life changed dramatically and permanently. I don't live in pursuit of those things that were destroying my life before, and I am now much more myself, more the person God created me to be, than I ever was before. But I'm still a slave.
I'm a slave...but it's different now. I've left Egypt and watched Pharaoh's armies drown in the Red Sea of the blood of Christ. I'm no longer Pharaoh's slave. There, in Egypt, I was an unwilling slave. There, I toiled day after day to build a kingdom that was not my homeland. I served a king who did not love me; who only gave me lots of abuse and just enough of what I really need to keep me a barely functioning unit in the labor pool. Now, I'm a willing slave...the 'bond-slave' of a Benevolent King: the King of Kings. I'm a free man, but I chose to be a subject of, and a slave to, the Lord of Lords.
But the journey out of Egypt into the Promised Land is a faith journey. Like the Children of Israel, I wander in a desert and occasionally get to visit the place of which I'm a naturalized citizen. I hold documents that prove that I'm a citizen of that place, but I don't see the full benefits of that citizenship except by faith.
But the journey out of Egypt into the Promised Land is a faith journey. Like the Children of Israel, I wander in a desert and occasionally get to visit the place of which I'm a naturalized citizen. I hold documents that prove that I'm a citizen of that place, but I don't see the full benefits of that citizenship except by faith.
So I experience that I am in a struggle with invisible enemies who would like to capture and return me to Egypt. Now, in addition to my oath to serve my Master, my Savior, I also find that I am still at least partially a slave to some invisible dark forces. I have the documents to prove that I'm a free man, but I am not yet able to experience fully that freedom. I now appear to be enslaved to food. I often eat 'recreationally', even though I know that I don't need another cookie or bowl of ice cream and that it will not have a positive effect on my well being...just an endorphin rush. I'm also a slave to unfruitful 'busyness' and a lack of self-discipline. When I should be passionately seeking access to the presence of my Almighty Benefactor, I become distracted over word studies or find my thoughts drifting off to some imaginary role playing with a person in my life to whom I don't have the guts to say what I see myself telling them in my mind's eye.
What's the answer? I know that my Liberator has triumphed over death, over darkness, over every force that would delight in my demise. But there is a secret to this journey that I'm beginning to understand. Apparently, I'm a hemophiliac. I hemorrhage at the slightest prick or nick of my fragile epithelium. I am in constant need of a blood transfusion. I'm in constant need of close proximity to the healing power of the Great Physician. My new job as his bond-slave is to work triage in his Love Clinic. There are sick and dying people all around me, but I'm helpless to do anything to alleviate their suffering or prevent their certain death if I'm not filled with the Divine Fluid which supplies the life force that these expiring souls so desperately require. I must be filled with His Presence. I must be filled with His Love. I must be 'being filled' with those absolutely, critically essential resources continuously and in increasing measure. This will not only counteract my natural tendency to slip back into decay and decomposition, but it will begin to reverse the grip and power of death that is affecting the other patients in this huge emergency room.
But here is where I currently find myself in need of some extraordinary measures. I, like the man in the parable of the Pearl of Great Price, must put the highest value on pressing into God's presence. My soul is not by nature comfortable in the presence of the Divine Glory. Like Isaiah and many others, when confronted with the holiness of the Almighty, my entire being wants to evaporate and avoid His blinding brilliance. I am profoundly aware of my unworthiness to be in His presence. But, ironically, it's exactly there, in his presence, that I need to be. I need to allow his glory to burn away all of the impurities in my life, and allow him to transform all that has been marred by the fall, by my sin, into that which was his original design; into that which is able to reflect and transmit his redeeming Love and Grace to a world full of desperate souls. Apparently, I need to starve my soul so that my spirit can more easily connect with God's Spirit. I need to reclaim the sense of wonder and the childlike faith, love and devotion that I had when I first experienced the overwhelming grace and love of Jesus. I've become too enmeshed in the trappings of this physical existence and too much a stranger to the Invisible Kingdom which is my true homeland.
I need to fast and pray. This isn't my guilty way of 'earning' God's favor. I know that I'm loved and accepted in spite of my unworthiness. This is what I believe the Spirit is speaking to my heart. And obedience is better than sacrifice. But boy oh boy is it hard for me to bring myself to do it! I made it until dinner yesterday, but I think I need to engage in an extended fast.
Peas & Grays,
Wayniack!
Friday, July 01, 2011
"Everybody Must Get Stoned"
Lord, why is the gate so small and the path so narrow? Lord, why are people so petty and their minds so narrow? Why is it so easy to get the Gospel wrong? What is the 'Good News'?
It's certainly good news that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins "of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). But if that's true, why did Calvin teach (and so many tragically believe) that only a select few were appointed to go to heaven and the rest are destined for hell with no possibility of altering their course? I'm aware of the verses the 'Reformed' Christians use to support this heresy and I must admit those verses seem to say what Calvin and his coven claim to be the truth. But then that would make the 'Good News' to be really just the 'So-so News'. It's great if you're chosen, but you might as well 'curse God and die' if you're not.
Anyway, Lord, I'll love the heretics just like you loved the Pharitics: I'll "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). But even though I clearly see that their predestination theory is bunk, I also have a hard time reconciling this idea of unconditional love and eternal security that everyone is cooing about with the passages that clearly warn against persisting in the works of the flesh:
Galatians 6:7-8 NASB - [7] Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Galatians 5:19-21 NASB - [19] Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,factions, [21] envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-12 NASB - [7] and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, [8] dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, [10] when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed--for our testimony to you was believed. [11] To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, [12] so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's clear that those who are not deemed "worthy of [their] calling" because they don't "obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" will suffer eternal destruction, banished from His presence forever. Why would Paul pray that they would be counted worthy if, as the Callvinists claim, the elect are called and then sanctified (entirely apart from their own free will!) so as to make their salvation an absolute certainty? They claim that those who backslide and return to a life of sin just prove that they were never really one of 'the elect'. But I never got the impression that the apostle Paul was a dimwit! Why would he waste his time praying "always" for something that is a foregone conclusion? I think he had better things to do.
But it's also clearly not as the 'once saved - always saved' folks would have us believe. The same verses blow that theory out of the water as well. Salvation is a gift, but not in the sense of an object contained in a box wrapped with festive paper and a pretty satin bow, that once opened becomes the permanent property of the recipient. Salvation is like a prescription for a medication that we must continue to take according to the Doctor's directions if we are to have any hope of recovering from our illness. The cure is guaranteed, but only if we continue the treatment. We can "know that [we] have eternal life" according to 1 John 5:13, but it's easy to take this statement out of context and many do. True faith (which according to James saves us) is characterized by:
1) A love for God - which John defines as keeping His commandments, which he claims are not burdensome. The New Covenant has only 2 directives: to believe in Jesus, and to love our spiritual siblings (John 6:29, 1 John 3:23 - read Gaylord Enns "Love Revolution"). Now that our hope is "Christ in you, the hope of glory", we are loving God when we love one another.
2) Overcoming the world. God loves us like we are, but he also loves us too much to leave us like we are. The letters to the 7 churches in 'The Revelation to John" make it clear that we must be overcomers. In the letter to the church in Sardis, Jesus states that those who overcome will never have their names erased from the Book of Life. Overcoming is not optional, but focusing on sin management is clearly not the answer as Colossians makes clear. The church in Sardis was guilty of 'incomplete works'. They apparently had lost their fervor for loving people in practical ways. They were dead, even though they had a reputation for being a happening place to 'do church'.
Well...I could go on forever, but the bottom line is that I need to be more in love with Jesus. I need to make room for Him to reveal His heart to me; to speak to me about what He wants to do in and through me. I need to be filled with His Spirit. I need to quit trying to make God happy by my performance and just focus on letting Him all the way into the depths of my soul, no matter what dark place He wants to shine the light of His glory into.
I just finished reading "Son of a Preacher Man" by Jay Bakker. He has a ministry in Atlanta called 'Revolution' that reaches out to punks, skaters, goths, metalheads, etc. Their MO is to just accept these kids as they are. They put on concerts with secular as well as Christian rock bands. They don't exclude kids from their Bible studies and activities over their dress or piercings or tattoos...or even if they are high or intoxicated. They try to love them like Jesus would, who hung out with the dregs of society when he was here in the flesh. But even Jay admits that the love that he knows Jesus wants to show the disenfranchised, he has a hard time appropriating for himself. We're so conditioned by 'the church' to be Pharisees, that we even turn on ourselves. I'm sometimes the worst Pharisee of all. Sometimes I'm right there, guarding the jackets at Stephen's execution. "Everybody Must Get Stoned"
It's certainly good news that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins "of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). But if that's true, why did Calvin teach (and so many tragically believe) that only a select few were appointed to go to heaven and the rest are destined for hell with no possibility of altering their course? I'm aware of the verses the 'Reformed' Christians use to support this heresy and I must admit those verses seem to say what Calvin and his coven claim to be the truth. But then that would make the 'Good News' to be really just the 'So-so News'. It's great if you're chosen, but you might as well 'curse God and die' if you're not.
Anyway, Lord, I'll love the heretics just like you loved the Pharitics: I'll "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). But even though I clearly see that their predestination theory is bunk, I also have a hard time reconciling this idea of unconditional love and eternal security that everyone is cooing about with the passages that clearly warn against persisting in the works of the flesh:
Galatians 6:7-8 NASB - [7] Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Galatians 5:19-21 NASB - [19] Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,factions, [21] envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-12 NASB - [7] and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, [8] dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, [10] when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed--for our testimony to you was believed. [11] To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, [12] so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's clear that those who are not deemed "worthy of [their] calling" because they don't "obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" will suffer eternal destruction, banished from His presence forever. Why would Paul pray that they would be counted worthy if, as the Callvinists claim, the elect are called and then sanctified (entirely apart from their own free will!) so as to make their salvation an absolute certainty? They claim that those who backslide and return to a life of sin just prove that they were never really one of 'the elect'. But I never got the impression that the apostle Paul was a dimwit! Why would he waste his time praying "always" for something that is a foregone conclusion? I think he had better things to do.
But it's also clearly not as the 'once saved - always saved' folks would have us believe. The same verses blow that theory out of the water as well. Salvation is a gift, but not in the sense of an object contained in a box wrapped with festive paper and a pretty satin bow, that once opened becomes the permanent property of the recipient. Salvation is like a prescription for a medication that we must continue to take according to the Doctor's directions if we are to have any hope of recovering from our illness. The cure is guaranteed, but only if we continue the treatment. We can "know that [we] have eternal life" according to 1 John 5:13, but it's easy to take this statement out of context and many do. True faith (which according to James saves us) is characterized by:
1) A love for God - which John defines as keeping His commandments, which he claims are not burdensome. The New Covenant has only 2 directives: to believe in Jesus, and to love our spiritual siblings (John 6:29, 1 John 3:23 - read Gaylord Enns "Love Revolution"). Now that our hope is "Christ in you, the hope of glory", we are loving God when we love one another.
2) Overcoming the world. God loves us like we are, but he also loves us too much to leave us like we are. The letters to the 7 churches in 'The Revelation to John" make it clear that we must be overcomers. In the letter to the church in Sardis, Jesus states that those who overcome will never have their names erased from the Book of Life. Overcoming is not optional, but focusing on sin management is clearly not the answer as Colossians makes clear. The church in Sardis was guilty of 'incomplete works'. They apparently had lost their fervor for loving people in practical ways. They were dead, even though they had a reputation for being a happening place to 'do church'.
Well...I could go on forever, but the bottom line is that I need to be more in love with Jesus. I need to make room for Him to reveal His heart to me; to speak to me about what He wants to do in and through me. I need to be filled with His Spirit. I need to quit trying to make God happy by my performance and just focus on letting Him all the way into the depths of my soul, no matter what dark place He wants to shine the light of His glory into.
I just finished reading "Son of a Preacher Man" by Jay Bakker. He has a ministry in Atlanta called 'Revolution' that reaches out to punks, skaters, goths, metalheads, etc. Their MO is to just accept these kids as they are. They put on concerts with secular as well as Christian rock bands. They don't exclude kids from their Bible studies and activities over their dress or piercings or tattoos...or even if they are high or intoxicated. They try to love them like Jesus would, who hung out with the dregs of society when he was here in the flesh. But even Jay admits that the love that he knows Jesus wants to show the disenfranchised, he has a hard time appropriating for himself. We're so conditioned by 'the church' to be Pharisees, that we even turn on ourselves. I'm sometimes the worst Pharisee of all. Sometimes I'm right there, guarding the jackets at Stephen's execution. "Everybody Must Get Stoned"
Friday, June 24, 2011
Found In Him - Revelation 3:14-22
Many times in the recent past I've pondered all my busyness and wondered if I'm missing the boat. I'm not lazy, though sometimes I think my sense of propriety motivates me to be 'productive' when I'd rather just flop on the couch with a bag of chips and let the acid rain of television comfy-cozy my cares away. Sometimes I do.
My activities consist of many 'good' and noble pursuits. I love my wife and therefore am diligent to apply myself to domestic tasks, since I'm of the opinion that in this age these obligation are not the sole domain of the female half of the species. I apply myself diligently to my IT consulting business so that I can bring in a significant portion of the money necessary to provide for our very comfortable lifestyle. I apply myself to as many service opportunities as I can reasonably manage in order to be a conscientious member of my community. And, lastly but certainly not leastly (I know...not a word), I endeavor to serve God in the areas where I feel like I've been gifted to do so.
But there's the rub as 'they' say. How do I know I'm doing something that's part of God's agenda? How do I know that I'm not just doing my own thing and asking God to bless it? We're told in the Bible that we should do everything as 'unto the Lord' and that 'whatever [our] hand finds to do, [we] should do it with all our might'; but does that hit the mark? In Matthew 7, Jesus tells a parable about a group who are sadly found to be wanting at a point where it's too late to make amends. They were apparently engaged in very spiritual activities: prophesying, casting out demons, working miracles, etc. But it's very interesting what Jesus says to them as the reason they are about to be cast into the outer darkness: "I never knew you!". How can that be? Well, I'm not really sure, but I think the admonishment to the Laodiceans in Revelation chapter 3 sheds some light on this, but only if one takes the time to really ponder the message of this oft misinterpreted passage.
In Revelation 3, verses 14 through 22, Jesus rebukes the Laodiceans for being neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. The common understanding of this passage is that they had become sort of 'ho-hum' about their Christianity. They were keeping up the appearances of being Christians, but in reality possessed no passion or zeal in their faith. They were just going through the motions. But this doesn't fit the context of this passage. First of all, if 'lukewarm' was an indication of a lack of enthusiasm for the things of God, why would Jesus prefer them to be cold instead of lukewarm? It doesn't make sense. The key to understanding this passage is in knowing a bit about the history and geography of Laodicea and it's citizens at that time. Without going into a lot of detail, I'll just say that it is pretty certain that Jesus was referring to the fact that they lived in an area where they were between two opposite but very desirable water sources: Hierapolis, which had renown for it's mineral hot springs and Colossi which had a source of clear, cold and refreshing water. Laodicea had an aqueduct that brought the mineral spring water to them, but by the time it reached them it was tepid. So Jesus isn't referring to their passion in serving him, but to their disconnection with his Spirit in all of their busyness, prosperity and deluded sense of self-righteousness. They were operating from their own strengths and perceived abundance of resources. It wasn't that they were dispassionate about their Christian walk. They were busy getting rich and probably engaged in all kinds of benevolence programs of which they were very proud. They were probably very excited about all of the good things they were doing and feeling like God's blessing must be really upon them. But they were disconnected from Jesus. Thus, the admonition to repent and the invitation to intimacy by opening the door and sharing a meal with Jesus.
Our relationship with Christ is more important than any 'good' thing that we could do 'for God'. Think of the story of Mary and Martha. Martha got all tweaked because Mary wasn't helping her check of all the tasks on her 'To Do' list. But Mary, rather than Martha, understood what was really important: listening to Jesus. Think of Jesus' words that "apart from me you can do nothing", and "all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God". We can only possess true love which empowers our work and causes it to bear the kind of fruit that will last if we first make room for God's love to fill us. "We love because he first loved us". As Paul points out in Romans, all my labors amount to nothing if they aren't fueled by God's love working through me. And this can only happen if I make time to draw near to Jesus by his Spirit and let him do his sanctifying work in me. I'm righteous when I let God show me my spiritual poverty and accept Jesus' blood as payment and then let God sit on the throne of my heart. I'm 'wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked' if I rely on my own strength and wisdom for serving God and on my own standard for achieving righteousness. And I run the risk of hearing Jesus say to me on that final day 'I never knew you!' God expects fruit, so I do need to be 'rich towards God'. I do need to be heeding Christ's admonishment to 'be so doing' when he returns. But I need to be 'led by His Spirit' and not just doing my own thing. I need to be allowing his light to shine in my dark heart and be 'walking in the light'. I need to open the door to my heart when I become aware that I can no longer sense the presence of God's Spirit in my life...when I'm just doing the Martha thing and neglecting the Mary thing. I need to be 'found in Him'.
Our relationship with Christ is more important than any 'good' thing that we could do 'for God'. Think of the story of Mary and Martha. Martha got all tweaked because Mary wasn't helping her check of all the tasks on her 'To Do' list. But Mary, rather than Martha, understood what was really important: listening to Jesus. Think of Jesus' words that "apart from me you can do nothing", and "all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God". We can only possess true love which empowers our work and causes it to bear the kind of fruit that will last if we first make room for God's love to fill us. "We love because he first loved us". As Paul points out in Romans, all my labors amount to nothing if they aren't fueled by God's love working through me. And this can only happen if I make time to draw near to Jesus by his Spirit and let him do his sanctifying work in me. I'm righteous when I let God show me my spiritual poverty and accept Jesus' blood as payment and then let God sit on the throne of my heart. I'm 'wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked' if I rely on my own strength and wisdom for serving God and on my own standard for achieving righteousness. And I run the risk of hearing Jesus say to me on that final day 'I never knew you!' God expects fruit, so I do need to be 'rich towards God'. I do need to be heeding Christ's admonishment to 'be so doing' when he returns. But I need to be 'led by His Spirit' and not just doing my own thing. I need to be allowing his light to shine in my dark heart and be 'walking in the light'. I need to open the door to my heart when I become aware that I can no longer sense the presence of God's Spirit in my life...when I'm just doing the Martha thing and neglecting the Mary thing. I need to be 'found in Him'.
Peace & Grace
Friday, October 01, 2010
Festivus - "I have a problem with you people!"
So...the New Testament book of Hebrews...
I have a question for those of the Dutch Reformed persuasion: What part of "...how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" don't you get?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
No Praise for Prez' Prayer Preclusion
Letter to Mr. Barak Obama:
Dear Mr. President,
I believe in prayer. I also believe that the greatness of this nation, and the justness of the greater portion of its causes in the world, is not without reason...it is no accident. If you have read the writings of our founding fathers as well as many of this nation's champions in the first 150 years of our existence, you will have no doubt noticed a frequent and recurring theme: the absolute necessity for this nation's leaders and citizen's to pray to and be guided by our Almighty Creator. Today we need to rediscover that truth more than ever before. The deterioration of our morals, the breakdown of the nuclear family, and the increasing devaluation and contempt for the sanctity of life are a testament to the fact that the one sound and reliable source for wisdom for living and governing has, along with prayer, been thrust out of our institutions of education and government.
Now you are guilty, by your lack of courage in answering the miniscule minority of scoffers who twist 'separation of church and state' into something it was never intended to mean, of removing one of the last acts of humble acknowledgement that "man cannot live by bread alone" - that men cannot govern well without out a reliable compass by which to guide them.
I prayer regularly for you and for your family. I pray for your protection and for your marriage. I pray for your precious daughters. This doesn't make me a better man than you. I'm a sinner in need of God's mercy and grace also. But the Bible says, "When you see your brother sin, go to your brother..."
Please consider, Mr. President what the Bible says and don't be a fool: "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.
Riches and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is at your discretion that people are made great and given strength." 1 Chron. 29:11,12
Regards,
Wayne Shaddock
Dear Mr. President,
I believe in prayer. I also believe that the greatness of this nation, and the justness of the greater portion of its causes in the world, is not without reason...it is no accident. If you have read the writings of our founding fathers as well as many of this nation's champions in the first 150 years of our existence, you will have no doubt noticed a frequent and recurring theme: the absolute necessity for this nation's leaders and citizen's to pray to and be guided by our Almighty Creator. Today we need to rediscover that truth more than ever before. The deterioration of our morals, the breakdown of the nuclear family, and the increasing devaluation and contempt for the sanctity of life are a testament to the fact that the one sound and reliable source for wisdom for living and governing has, along with prayer, been thrust out of our institutions of education and government.
Now you are guilty, by your lack of courage in answering the miniscule minority of scoffers who twist 'separation of church and state' into something it was never intended to mean, of removing one of the last acts of humble acknowledgement that "man cannot live by bread alone" - that men cannot govern well without out a reliable compass by which to guide them.
I prayer regularly for you and for your family. I pray for your protection and for your marriage. I pray for your precious daughters. This doesn't make me a better man than you. I'm a sinner in need of God's mercy and grace also. But the Bible says, "When you see your brother sin, go to your brother..."
Please consider, Mr. President what the Bible says and don't be a fool: "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.
Riches and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is at your discretion that people are made great and given strength." 1 Chron. 29:11,12
Regards,
Wayne Shaddock
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