Elizabeth Browning - 1806 to 1861, wife our renowned English poet Robert Browning…
Yea, once Immanuel’s orphaned cry His universe hath shaken.
It went up single, echoless, “My God, I am forsaken!”
It went up from the Holy’s lips amid His lost creation…
…that, of the lost, no son, no daughter, should use those words of desolation.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"Right of Jenna"
At our church, The City Life Church, we talk about everyone having a M548 priority. It comes from Matthew 5:48 where Jesus says, "...be perfect." We should all have some areas of growth that we are believing for, striving for, change that we are expecting to come, personal transformation, knowing that Jesus' call to us may be impossible to fully obtain but we can closer to perfection this year than we were last year, believing that Jesus knows we will never be perfect as He is perfect but we MUST never be content with how far we have already come...pressing forward always, longing to be less in some ways but also more in others...GROWING!
One of the "more in some ways" for me is that I want to experience what the Apostle Paul refers to as a prophetic gift in 1 Corinthians 12...which in part means that God will give to us a message for others, sometimes an individual, that will have details in it that would be impossible for you to otherwise know if it were not for God revealing it to you. The Apostle Paul continues in the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians that a person is estranged from God may come into a meeting, a gathering where people are worshipping God and studying the Bible and someone there begins to speak, to share a message from God that feel inspired to give...and the person estranged from God is listening. And in the message are details about this person's current circumstances, even thought they know no one there knows them...how could this person speaking know such things, such specific details about my life...and in that moment they finally believe that God is real and through God these details have been revealed. So often Jesus spoke of the miracles He performed were for the purpose of people finally believing in God! I, me, Pastor Fred...I want to experience the supernatural in such proportions that it causes others to believe in God...I want to grow in that way!!
So, I grew a little this past week. I was praying for our Saturday service that was just a few days away and I felt God's voice speak. He said, "I have something I want to say to someone who is going to be there on Saturday and it is going to be the person who sitting to the right of Jenna." I knew exactly who He was speaking of, but the problem was that Jenna doesn't come to our church. She is a member of our mother church, Christian Life Center, in Williamsburg. So, I asked God if He could possibly suggest a different person! He assured me that she would be there. I was doubtful. Sometime later He speaks to me again and challenges me to believe! He challenges me to right down all these details in my sermon notes, to make a record of it so that when Saturday comes and everything that He has told me comes true that there will be documented evidence of this prophetic moment.
I get to church on Saturday and guess who is already there? Not only is she there, but she is on the keyboard, filling in on the worship team!! I walk into the sanctuary and she is on the stage! She's there!! I just couldn't contain it so I interrupted the worship practice to tell them the story! We all joked with Jenna that she better be careful where she sat!
The words God gave me for whoever the person was going to be sitting to her right was "strength and power." I found those words in Psalm 68.
PS 68:28 Summon your power, O God;
show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.
PS 68:35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
What a precious moment it was for the couple who was just to the right of Jenna. What a precious moment it was for all of us...
Believe!
Pastor Fred
One of the "more in some ways" for me is that I want to experience what the Apostle Paul refers to as a prophetic gift in 1 Corinthians 12...which in part means that God will give to us a message for others, sometimes an individual, that will have details in it that would be impossible for you to otherwise know if it were not for God revealing it to you. The Apostle Paul continues in the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians that a person is estranged from God may come into a meeting, a gathering where people are worshipping God and studying the Bible and someone there begins to speak, to share a message from God that feel inspired to give...and the person estranged from God is listening. And in the message are details about this person's current circumstances, even thought they know no one there knows them...how could this person speaking know such things, such specific details about my life...and in that moment they finally believe that God is real and through God these details have been revealed. So often Jesus spoke of the miracles He performed were for the purpose of people finally believing in God! I, me, Pastor Fred...I want to experience the supernatural in such proportions that it causes others to believe in God...I want to grow in that way!!
So, I grew a little this past week. I was praying for our Saturday service that was just a few days away and I felt God's voice speak. He said, "I have something I want to say to someone who is going to be there on Saturday and it is going to be the person who sitting to the right of Jenna." I knew exactly who He was speaking of, but the problem was that Jenna doesn't come to our church. She is a member of our mother church, Christian Life Center, in Williamsburg. So, I asked God if He could possibly suggest a different person! He assured me that she would be there. I was doubtful. Sometime later He speaks to me again and challenges me to believe! He challenges me to right down all these details in my sermon notes, to make a record of it so that when Saturday comes and everything that He has told me comes true that there will be documented evidence of this prophetic moment.
I get to church on Saturday and guess who is already there? Not only is she there, but she is on the keyboard, filling in on the worship team!! I walk into the sanctuary and she is on the stage! She's there!! I just couldn't contain it so I interrupted the worship practice to tell them the story! We all joked with Jenna that she better be careful where she sat!
The words God gave me for whoever the person was going to be sitting to her right was "strength and power." I found those words in Psalm 68.
PS 68:28 Summon your power, O God;
show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.
PS 68:35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
What a precious moment it was for the couple who was just to the right of Jenna. What a precious moment it was for all of us...
Believe!
Pastor Fred
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Church
I found this on a blog recently while doing some research on the origins of the word "church"...hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
church - etymology
Long story ... but I ran across the Online Etymological Dictionary. This is a neat little tool that gives you the etymological background of words. Of course I had to check a couple of words out, and I figured I'd share my findings with y'all over a couple of posts.
churchO.E. cirice "church," from W.Gmc. *kirika, from Gk. kyriake (oikia) "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord." For vowel evolution, see bury. Gk. kyriakon(adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Gk.-to-Gmc. progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it was probably used by W.Gmc. people in their pre-Christian period. Also picked up by Slavic, via Gmc. (cf. O.Slav. criky, Rus. cerkov). Romance and Celtic languages use variants of L. ecclesia.
(For abbreviations see below)I found this definition very interesting. Here are a couple of observations:1) the term church does not derive from the term ekklesia which is commonly translated church in the English translations of the Greek New Testament.2) the term church is derived from an old tradition of calling the place where Christians meet, "the house of God." A tradition which apparently goes back to c. 300. See Spurgeon's quote for my view on this terminology.So, what do we do with this information? The use of words changes over time, and their etymological root does not have to represent the current meaning. So is it useless? No. There is some historical interest in it. For example, in this case, we see that "houses of Christian worship" apparently existed since ca. 300. It also points to the strong possibility that the term the "Lord's house" is 1700 years old. This gives us some insight into the mutation of Christian customs over time. And, if nothing else, it is an interesting bit of trivia, so just enjoy it.BTW ... the following is of interest also:
kirkc.1200, northern England and Scot. dial. form of church, from O.N. kirkja "church," from O.E. cirice (see church).Abbreviations:
Gk. Greek, Indo-European language spoken in Greece in the classical period, c. 8c. B.C.E.-4c. C.E. Among its dialects were Ionian-Attic (the language of Homer and the Athenian dramatists), Aeolic (used in Thessaly, Boeotia and Lesbos), and Dorian (the language of Sparta).
Gmc. Germanic, a branch of Indo-European, ancestral language of English, German, Dutch, Frisian, Scandinavian tongues and several extinct languages such as Gothic and Frankish.L. Classical Latin, the Italic language of ancient Rome until about 4c.O.E. Old English, the English language as written and spoken c.450-c.1100.O.N. Old Norse, the Norwegian language as written and spoken c.100 to 1500 C.E., the relevant phase of it being "Viking Norse" (700-1100), the language spoken by the invaders and colonizers of northern and eastern England c.875-950. This was before the rapid divergence of West Norse (Norway and the colonies) and East Norse (Denmark and Sweden), so the language of the vikings in England was essentially the same, whether they came from Denmark or from Norway. Only a few of the loan words into English can be distinguished as being from one or the other group.O.Slav. Old Slavic, another name for Old Church Slavonic (q.v.).Russ. Russian, East Slavic language of Russia.W.Gmc. West Germanic, the subgroup of Germanic comprising English, Dutch, German, Yiddish, Frisian, etc.
Never stop learning!!
Pastor Fred
church - etymology
Long story ... but I ran across the Online Etymological Dictionary. This is a neat little tool that gives you the etymological background of words. Of course I had to check a couple of words out, and I figured I'd share my findings with y'all over a couple of posts.
churchO.E. cirice "church," from W.Gmc. *kirika, from Gk. kyriake (oikia) "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord." For vowel evolution, see bury. Gk. kyriakon(adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Gk.-to-Gmc. progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it was probably used by W.Gmc. people in their pre-Christian period. Also picked up by Slavic, via Gmc. (cf. O.Slav. criky, Rus. cerkov). Romance and Celtic languages use variants of L. ecclesia.
(For abbreviations see below)I found this definition very interesting. Here are a couple of observations:1) the term church does not derive from the term ekklesia which is commonly translated church in the English translations of the Greek New Testament.2) the term church is derived from an old tradition of calling the place where Christians meet, "the house of God." A tradition which apparently goes back to c. 300. See Spurgeon's quote for my view on this terminology.So, what do we do with this information? The use of words changes over time, and their etymological root does not have to represent the current meaning. So is it useless? No. There is some historical interest in it. For example, in this case, we see that "houses of Christian worship" apparently existed since ca. 300. It also points to the strong possibility that the term the "Lord's house" is 1700 years old. This gives us some insight into the mutation of Christian customs over time. And, if nothing else, it is an interesting bit of trivia, so just enjoy it.BTW ... the following is of interest also:
kirkc.1200, northern England and Scot. dial. form of church, from O.N. kirkja "church," from O.E. cirice (see church).Abbreviations:
Gk. Greek, Indo-European language spoken in Greece in the classical period, c. 8c. B.C.E.-4c. C.E. Among its dialects were Ionian-Attic (the language of Homer and the Athenian dramatists), Aeolic (used in Thessaly, Boeotia and Lesbos), and Dorian (the language of Sparta).
Gmc. Germanic, a branch of Indo-European, ancestral language of English, German, Dutch, Frisian, Scandinavian tongues and several extinct languages such as Gothic and Frankish.L. Classical Latin, the Italic language of ancient Rome until about 4c.O.E. Old English, the English language as written and spoken c.450-c.1100.O.N. Old Norse, the Norwegian language as written and spoken c.100 to 1500 C.E., the relevant phase of it being "Viking Norse" (700-1100), the language spoken by the invaders and colonizers of northern and eastern England c.875-950. This was before the rapid divergence of West Norse (Norway and the colonies) and East Norse (Denmark and Sweden), so the language of the vikings in England was essentially the same, whether they came from Denmark or from Norway. Only a few of the loan words into English can be distinguished as being from one or the other group.O.Slav. Old Slavic, another name for Old Church Slavonic (q.v.).Russ. Russian, East Slavic language of Russia.W.Gmc. West Germanic, the subgroup of Germanic comprising English, Dutch, German, Yiddish, Frisian, etc.
Never stop learning!!
Pastor Fred
Friday, January 23, 2009
Shammah
A dear friend recently shared the following question with me that I want to share with you...it deeply intrigued me so here it is...with my response following...
So here's the thing (and it sounds really silly now that I'm writing it out!) but... okay, so I am so in love with Jesus, and I need Him with me every minute, and I know that He will never leave me, and He's the Friend that sticks closer than a brother, and I have that promise my whole life. But in light of that, whenever I think of heaven, I suddenly feel abandoned, like I've lost that closeness. That seems totally backward--I mean, heaven is supposed to be the complete fulfillment, of getting to be with my Lord for all eternity. But how do I get to be with Him when there's millions of other people there, and they all want to be with Him, too? Do I get a turn every thousand years or so? And what kind of heaven is that?? Omnipresence is easier to understand when we are here and He is invisible--but when we are *there* and then God is up on the throne, and there are ten thousand upon ten thousand gathered around, and maybe I'm in the back row... well it's a lot harder to understand...help?
So, here's my answer...included is a link that is a great article on the names of God and a brief discusion on the Biblical concept of glory, in the Greek, doxa...
http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=220
Thank you for trusting me with such a deep question! I must admit that I had never pondered that one myself but in meditating upon it, it stirred my own curiosities and interest…so thank you too for the journey it has been for me!
Here is an article for you to read, mostly because it is a reliable listing of the names of God, that is where the journey for me, this question begins and ends.
I usually find myself turning to His names when I face questions like this because as the article states, I believe that God with great intentionality gave us very specific names to reveal very specific aspects of His character.
I was teaching these to our children, rather the concept, a few years ago in the car as we were driving to pass the time. Derick was really the only one old enough to grasp it and when we got to Shammah, this is what he said…
“So Dad, God is in the car with us right?” I said, “Yes, that is right.” My son replied, “But He is also at home waiting for us to get there?” I said, “Yes that is right.” My son said, “He also still at the grocery store where we just left?” I said, “Yes, that is right.” He responded, “But He is still in the car with us even though He is at all those other places?” I said, “Yes, that is right…He is Jehovah Shammah.” My son said, “Wow, that’s cool!”
He is Jehovah Shammah, He is “there,” it’s just that simple because He is just that vast, glorious isn’t it! So in heaven, for every person, for every entity, He is still Shammah…on the throne surrounded by all of us in worship of Him, yet with each an every one of us, giving each and everyone His complete attention…Shammah! And not only with us, but fully in us…Shammah! You get to have all of Him as if you were the only one there, as do we all…doxa!
So here's the thing (and it sounds really silly now that I'm writing it out!) but... okay, so I am so in love with Jesus, and I need Him with me every minute, and I know that He will never leave me, and He's the Friend that sticks closer than a brother, and I have that promise my whole life. But in light of that, whenever I think of heaven, I suddenly feel abandoned, like I've lost that closeness. That seems totally backward--I mean, heaven is supposed to be the complete fulfillment, of getting to be with my Lord for all eternity. But how do I get to be with Him when there's millions of other people there, and they all want to be with Him, too? Do I get a turn every thousand years or so? And what kind of heaven is that?? Omnipresence is easier to understand when we are here and He is invisible--but when we are *there* and then God is up on the throne, and there are ten thousand upon ten thousand gathered around, and maybe I'm in the back row... well it's a lot harder to understand...help?
So, here's my answer...included is a link that is a great article on the names of God and a brief discusion on the Biblical concept of glory, in the Greek, doxa...
http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=220
Thank you for trusting me with such a deep question! I must admit that I had never pondered that one myself but in meditating upon it, it stirred my own curiosities and interest…so thank you too for the journey it has been for me!
Here is an article for you to read, mostly because it is a reliable listing of the names of God, that is where the journey for me, this question begins and ends.
I usually find myself turning to His names when I face questions like this because as the article states, I believe that God with great intentionality gave us very specific names to reveal very specific aspects of His character.
I was teaching these to our children, rather the concept, a few years ago in the car as we were driving to pass the time. Derick was really the only one old enough to grasp it and when we got to Shammah, this is what he said…
“So Dad, God is in the car with us right?” I said, “Yes, that is right.” My son replied, “But He is also at home waiting for us to get there?” I said, “Yes that is right.” My son said, “He also still at the grocery store where we just left?” I said, “Yes, that is right.” He responded, “But He is still in the car with us even though He is at all those other places?” I said, “Yes, that is right…He is Jehovah Shammah.” My son said, “Wow, that’s cool!”
He is Jehovah Shammah, He is “there,” it’s just that simple because He is just that vast, glorious isn’t it! So in heaven, for every person, for every entity, He is still Shammah…on the throne surrounded by all of us in worship of Him, yet with each an every one of us, giving each and everyone His complete attention…Shammah! And not only with us, but fully in us…Shammah! You get to have all of Him as if you were the only one there, as do we all…doxa!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Believe! (Romans 10:3-11)
Sometimes portions of scripture seem elusive. Remember, it is translated from an ancient language, often using illustrations and metaphors from an ancient time, from an ancient culture. Not all portions of scripture are like this, but some certainly are. These verses in Romans can be confusing, especially verses 5 through 8. Here is re-write I feel captures the essence of the truth God conveys.
People, all of us included, have a terrible habit of arrogance. We even try to tell God what is best, and worse, we become deeply offended when the sovereign God of all creation reminds us that He has everything under control...and that while He loves us deeply, He doesn't need our help. On the contrary, we are the ones desperate for His help.
Each of us are born with a curse, human nature. Our natural inclination is selfishness and while we may have commendable moments, we are sure to slip back into our self-centeredness. We think that if we just try harder, make a stronger effort, we can change. That too is part of the curse of our humanity, the arrogance of total self-reliance.
There is only one hope for humanity and that hope is Jesus. He came from heaven to earth to live a perfect life, never once a moment of selfishness, and then submitted Himself, voluntarily, to a physical death from which, He rose from the dead. In doing all this, He broke the power of the curse over mankind. Even if you discover some power, a power that no one in all of human history has yet to discover, to begin living a perfect life...and you should know that God says no such power exists apart from Him...but just for the sake of argument you discover such a power...you still are left with the pressing question, "What about all the wrong, all the mistakes, all the hurt, all the sorrow I've caused already?"
Jesus' death on the cross stands as the greatest act of courage in history, never to be surpassed as long as the human race endures. He took the punishment for every selfish act ever committed by every human being ever to live and who will ever live in the tomorrows of history. There is only one way to be forgiven and that is to give Jesus our complete devotion and in that moment, we become the benefactor of His death, we stand forgiven.
But there's more, Jesus doesn't just offer forgiveness, He promises true power to change, to be transformed, to begin to break free from our natural inclination for self-centeredness. In the moment of our giving complete devotion to Jesus, in that moment of being forgiven by God because He sees we've accepted Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, something miraculous occurs. God comes and fills us with His Spirit, amazing isn't it! And now, with His power at work in us, the same power that created the Universe in all its splendor, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, we can begin to learn how live a life free from the curse of our humanity. We still won't get all the way to perfection, but we'll make it farther than we could have ever dreamed possible, and we'll make it into eternity with God because of the forgiveness we have now received. And oh yeah, by the way, this promise is for anyone, I mean anyone who would only believe.
Believe!
Pastor Fred
People, all of us included, have a terrible habit of arrogance. We even try to tell God what is best, and worse, we become deeply offended when the sovereign God of all creation reminds us that He has everything under control...and that while He loves us deeply, He doesn't need our help. On the contrary, we are the ones desperate for His help.
Each of us are born with a curse, human nature. Our natural inclination is selfishness and while we may have commendable moments, we are sure to slip back into our self-centeredness. We think that if we just try harder, make a stronger effort, we can change. That too is part of the curse of our humanity, the arrogance of total self-reliance.
There is only one hope for humanity and that hope is Jesus. He came from heaven to earth to live a perfect life, never once a moment of selfishness, and then submitted Himself, voluntarily, to a physical death from which, He rose from the dead. In doing all this, He broke the power of the curse over mankind. Even if you discover some power, a power that no one in all of human history has yet to discover, to begin living a perfect life...and you should know that God says no such power exists apart from Him...but just for the sake of argument you discover such a power...you still are left with the pressing question, "What about all the wrong, all the mistakes, all the hurt, all the sorrow I've caused already?"
Jesus' death on the cross stands as the greatest act of courage in history, never to be surpassed as long as the human race endures. He took the punishment for every selfish act ever committed by every human being ever to live and who will ever live in the tomorrows of history. There is only one way to be forgiven and that is to give Jesus our complete devotion and in that moment, we become the benefactor of His death, we stand forgiven.
But there's more, Jesus doesn't just offer forgiveness, He promises true power to change, to be transformed, to begin to break free from our natural inclination for self-centeredness. In the moment of our giving complete devotion to Jesus, in that moment of being forgiven by God because He sees we've accepted Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, something miraculous occurs. God comes and fills us with His Spirit, amazing isn't it! And now, with His power at work in us, the same power that created the Universe in all its splendor, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, we can begin to learn how live a life free from the curse of our humanity. We still won't get all the way to perfection, but we'll make it farther than we could have ever dreamed possible, and we'll make it into eternity with God because of the forgiveness we have now received. And oh yeah, by the way, this promise is for anyone, I mean anyone who would only believe.
Believe!
Pastor Fred
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Help...I'm biased!
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
I love reading several chapters of scripture in sequence when I have the time. I remembering waking up one morning at 5:30am, on my day off, couldn't fall back to sleep, it was ugly. At our house, we have a special name for that hour of the day, especially on your day off. Some call it the "crack of dawn." We call it "the butt crack of dawn" because being up at that hour, on your day of rest, is ugly, uglier than plumber's pants.
So, I love reading several chapters in sequence because it affords us the opportunity to discover themes and truths that are born out of the connectedness of the text as opposed to themes and truths that you find in the context of a few verses. Let me share one that came into focus from reading the first several chapters in the Gospel of John.
All of us have biases and assumptions that we carry. They are a part of us. They affect the way we think, the conclusions we reach, the judgments we make, and they even give us expectations. They result from our spiritual gifts, passions, personalities, life experiences, teaching we have embraced, and even cultural practices. Often, they are valid, justified, they make sense and in these instances, the worst that can happen is that we might be surprised if our expectations aren't met. But when they wrong, when our biases are incorrect. They mislead us, like a guide that pretends to know the way and in our following him, we too become lost.
(Read John 2:1-3, 8-10)
During such feasts, one would always serve the best wine first, just as the text stated. When so much wine is being consumed, the guests' palettes become numb with intoxication. The more they drink, the less they are able to appreciate the complexities of finer wines. Thus, the better wines are served first. Because this was everyone's practice, it became a cultural norm. In becoming a cultural norm, it created assumptions in people, assumptions that led to expectations. When people attended a wedding feast, no one had to explain that the first wine would be the best wine. It was their expectation and thus the surprise of the master of the feast in John 2. God is putting this truth into play here in John 2 in a culturally relevant way because He wants us to understand the impact biases and assumptions have on our lives, on our ability to make sound judgments, especially when those judgments have spiritual implications.
As one continues to read in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, this theme of biases and assumptions continues to confront us. Nicodemus in John 3 questioned, "how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" His limiting bias was that the physical realm always had to be considered, even in dealing with spiritual matters. In John 4, the Samaritan woman upon realizing that she was in the presence of a prophet, a holy man of God, proceeds to ask Him a question of doctrine! What was her bias, that the primary purpose of religion is to solve our doctrinal and political conundrums. Isn't it interesting that she was willing to engage Him in a conversation about her deepest needs, her physical needs, her emotional needs, until she realized He was prophet. And then, it became about doctrine and politics. Then, there is the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5. Who told him that he had to lie and wait for the angel to stir the water for his healing? It was the cultural practice of his day. The text tells us this in verse 6, "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" Jesus was saying to him, shed your bias, you never had to wait for an angel, you just had to come to the Father in faith, and if it was His will to heal you, it would have been done. John 6, "…where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" The biases and assumptions that we carry often blind us to the true realities of life with God. Thus, one of Jesus' greatest ministries on this earth was to expose the biases and assumptions of people's hearts, just as we have seen in these 6 chapters.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
One of the great ministries that we find, that we experience, that we receive in the community of the church is that people, in assembling together, exhort one another, continuing the work of Christ, speaking the truth in love, helping one another see the biases and assumptions in our lives that blind us to the realities of life with God.
Be seen by others, expose yourself...well you know what I mean...let someone show you your biases!
Pastor Fred
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
I love reading several chapters of scripture in sequence when I have the time. I remembering waking up one morning at 5:30am, on my day off, couldn't fall back to sleep, it was ugly. At our house, we have a special name for that hour of the day, especially on your day off. Some call it the "crack of dawn." We call it "the butt crack of dawn" because being up at that hour, on your day of rest, is ugly, uglier than plumber's pants.
So, I love reading several chapters in sequence because it affords us the opportunity to discover themes and truths that are born out of the connectedness of the text as opposed to themes and truths that you find in the context of a few verses. Let me share one that came into focus from reading the first several chapters in the Gospel of John.
All of us have biases and assumptions that we carry. They are a part of us. They affect the way we think, the conclusions we reach, the judgments we make, and they even give us expectations. They result from our spiritual gifts, passions, personalities, life experiences, teaching we have embraced, and even cultural practices. Often, they are valid, justified, they make sense and in these instances, the worst that can happen is that we might be surprised if our expectations aren't met. But when they wrong, when our biases are incorrect. They mislead us, like a guide that pretends to know the way and in our following him, we too become lost.
(Read John 2:1-3, 8-10)
During such feasts, one would always serve the best wine first, just as the text stated. When so much wine is being consumed, the guests' palettes become numb with intoxication. The more they drink, the less they are able to appreciate the complexities of finer wines. Thus, the better wines are served first. Because this was everyone's practice, it became a cultural norm. In becoming a cultural norm, it created assumptions in people, assumptions that led to expectations. When people attended a wedding feast, no one had to explain that the first wine would be the best wine. It was their expectation and thus the surprise of the master of the feast in John 2. God is putting this truth into play here in John 2 in a culturally relevant way because He wants us to understand the impact biases and assumptions have on our lives, on our ability to make sound judgments, especially when those judgments have spiritual implications.
As one continues to read in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, this theme of biases and assumptions continues to confront us. Nicodemus in John 3 questioned, "how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" His limiting bias was that the physical realm always had to be considered, even in dealing with spiritual matters. In John 4, the Samaritan woman upon realizing that she was in the presence of a prophet, a holy man of God, proceeds to ask Him a question of doctrine! What was her bias, that the primary purpose of religion is to solve our doctrinal and political conundrums. Isn't it interesting that she was willing to engage Him in a conversation about her deepest needs, her physical needs, her emotional needs, until she realized He was prophet. And then, it became about doctrine and politics. Then, there is the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5. Who told him that he had to lie and wait for the angel to stir the water for his healing? It was the cultural practice of his day. The text tells us this in verse 6, "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" Jesus was saying to him, shed your bias, you never had to wait for an angel, you just had to come to the Father in faith, and if it was His will to heal you, it would have been done. John 6, "…where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" The biases and assumptions that we carry often blind us to the true realities of life with God. Thus, one of Jesus' greatest ministries on this earth was to expose the biases and assumptions of people's hearts, just as we have seen in these 6 chapters.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
One of the great ministries that we find, that we experience, that we receive in the community of the church is that people, in assembling together, exhort one another, continuing the work of Christ, speaking the truth in love, helping one another see the biases and assumptions in our lives that blind us to the realities of life with God.
Be seen by others, expose yourself...well you know what I mean...let someone show you your biases!
Pastor Fred
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Question
I thought I'd share a question, the question, someone posed to me recently...why would a benevolent God condemn people to hell? I call it The Question because it is the one I find most commonly asked by people who are interested in Christianity but just can't seem to trust God because of this apparent contradiction...here are my thoughts on this one...
I'll be the first to admit that many churches have focused on the wrong thing. Churches have been trying to frighten people into repeating a prayer after some deacon standing at an altar for years that only makes the church's roles get bigger but I'm not sure has any real impact on the person, no real change happens in the person's life. It frustrates me!
I like your question but I think it is better understood when we answer the more important question. Does God make any promises to me? His promises are more than we can number! He promises a life filled with meaning, purpose, significance, acceptance, calm, peace, enthusiasm, perseverance, endurance...and yes, forever...the best possible existence in this life and then, not just indescribably better after death but that which will one day be indescribable will never end...almost too much for my simple mind to grasp.
I don't know if you are much of reader but C.S. Lewis has this great little book called The Great Divorce. He has a very interesting view of "hell." He basically says that the very essence of hell is an existence void of God with no hope of changing that condition. You should check it out, very interesting.
So back to your question...I was just thinking today that how you and I would agree that every country in the world has leader, a president, a dictator in some instances. There would be no arguing about that list, it's factual. The second thing we would quickly agree on is that to be protected by that leader, their laws...one would have to be a citizen of that country. I may know everything there is to know about a particular country but I only have rights where I have citizenship.
The Kingdom of Heaven is open to anyone. Citizenship is available to anyone. There is no criteria, no test, no status to meet, no nothing. Think of it as a country with completely open borders, with no border patrol!
There is however an issue of allegiance. While it is open to all, all who expect the rights of "country" must be willing to give a sacred vow of loyalty. In fact, I would argue that all we see in this temporal world in regards to citizenship and culture and etc. was by God's design to point us to how His Heavenly Kingdom works. The moment I pledged my allegiance to Jesus, yes, as my King, I became a citizen of Heaven, with all the rights and privileges according to His Constitution and Bill of Rights, what we know to be the Bible. That happened for me in December of 1990.
From that day, I began to learn what I like to call the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus' teachings are all about culture...what is true, how to act in certain situations, how to feel in certain situations...when you really stop and listen to what Jesus said, He's saying this is how God's citizens should conduct their lives. I've devoted my life to it and I've got to tell you it has been one incredible journey...and is only going to get better if I truly believe all His promises, and I certainly do.
I also believe, just as with all sovereigns, there is an enemy. I believe the devil is real. A real presence in this universe. Real evil. I believe he has once sense of purpose and that is to prevent as many people as possible from "citizenship." I want to be direct with you because that is also one of my frustrations with some churches. People want real answers to their questions. I trust you do too. The devil's best trick is to get people to ask the wrong questions. Seriously, pick up and start reading in any of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and you'll find that Jesus is always correcting people's questions or just answering something all together different from what they asked...why...because He is trying to get them back on focus.
The question why would a benevolent God condemn people to an eternal hell is the wrong question. The right question is why would any person ever reject a benevolent God? Like C.S. Lewis, I believe that hell is both now and forever, for anyone who rejects God. Hell describes the state we are in, apart from a benevolent God. The devil wants us to believe that it is about God rejecting us. It is what the devil does...he takes a concept that is true and twists it just enough to distract us but leaves enough in there to keep us feeling like we are on the right track. That is the nature of deception. Are you a LOST fan? Sawyer, the con man in the series, will tell you a good con always has an element of truth.
This is where it gets serious. God says that citizenship has to be determined in this life, while we have breath. Why He designed it to be that way, I can't answer that. For me, I trust that since He created the universe, He knows what He is doing. Are there second chances for people after death? The Bible seems to be clear that there isn't, but for me, that's not the point. Why would anyone reject a benevolent God now, reject all the promises He makes to us in this life, why? He is so perfect, so complete, so everything. Why would anyone want to exist for another moment without all that He freely gives.
I know that you love your children deeply, like we do ours. But one day, when our children become adults, they too will have to choose to be in right relationship with us. Just like you do with your Mom. I know she loves you deeply, just as you love your son. I know this is not your situation but as an example if you chose a destructive life style, she would always be there for you to come home to but would never accommodate your own self destruction, if she truly loves you. I pray you'll never have to make that decision with your son...and I believe in your heart, you feel the truth of the words I am sharing with you. As parents, we unconditionally love our children but must never accommodate their self-destruction.
As a pastor, my heart breaks for all the children who reject their parents for a life that always ends up in heart ache and misery. The greater sin is however the parent who keeps them there because they are forever accommodating. God can't accommodate our own personal self destruction. God has never in all of history ever rejected anyone. He is always waiting with open arms. The question is whether or not we'll come home.
To take it a step further, one might say, "I understand all that but if He really loves us that much, why doesn't He just rescue us?" I would say He already has. Imagine someone you love standing in a burning building. You can see them, they can see you, you can hear one another. You are calling to them to come out, the door is open and safety is just steps away. Yet, perplexingly, they just stand there. I know courage would compel you to do what I would do, run in at your own risk. But what if they fight you, resist you, nothing you do is able to move them, they insist on staying.
Has God rushed in? I think He has. That is the beauty of the story of Jesus. Jesus came from heaven to earth, He rushed into the burning building of our humanity. Why won't people follow Him to safety, to life? I've devoted my whole life to asking people that question. Where are you?
I'm teaching about this on Sunday...I hope you come to listen. (blog readers can hear the pod cast from our site, http://www.thecitylifechurch.com/ for the Sunday message on 10/19).
Pastor Fred
I'll be the first to admit that many churches have focused on the wrong thing. Churches have been trying to frighten people into repeating a prayer after some deacon standing at an altar for years that only makes the church's roles get bigger but I'm not sure has any real impact on the person, no real change happens in the person's life. It frustrates me!
I like your question but I think it is better understood when we answer the more important question. Does God make any promises to me? His promises are more than we can number! He promises a life filled with meaning, purpose, significance, acceptance, calm, peace, enthusiasm, perseverance, endurance...and yes, forever...the best possible existence in this life and then, not just indescribably better after death but that which will one day be indescribable will never end...almost too much for my simple mind to grasp.
I don't know if you are much of reader but C.S. Lewis has this great little book called The Great Divorce. He has a very interesting view of "hell." He basically says that the very essence of hell is an existence void of God with no hope of changing that condition. You should check it out, very interesting.
So back to your question...I was just thinking today that how you and I would agree that every country in the world has leader, a president, a dictator in some instances. There would be no arguing about that list, it's factual. The second thing we would quickly agree on is that to be protected by that leader, their laws...one would have to be a citizen of that country. I may know everything there is to know about a particular country but I only have rights where I have citizenship.
The Kingdom of Heaven is open to anyone. Citizenship is available to anyone. There is no criteria, no test, no status to meet, no nothing. Think of it as a country with completely open borders, with no border patrol!
There is however an issue of allegiance. While it is open to all, all who expect the rights of "country" must be willing to give a sacred vow of loyalty. In fact, I would argue that all we see in this temporal world in regards to citizenship and culture and etc. was by God's design to point us to how His Heavenly Kingdom works. The moment I pledged my allegiance to Jesus, yes, as my King, I became a citizen of Heaven, with all the rights and privileges according to His Constitution and Bill of Rights, what we know to be the Bible. That happened for me in December of 1990.
From that day, I began to learn what I like to call the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus' teachings are all about culture...what is true, how to act in certain situations, how to feel in certain situations...when you really stop and listen to what Jesus said, He's saying this is how God's citizens should conduct their lives. I've devoted my life to it and I've got to tell you it has been one incredible journey...and is only going to get better if I truly believe all His promises, and I certainly do.
I also believe, just as with all sovereigns, there is an enemy. I believe the devil is real. A real presence in this universe. Real evil. I believe he has once sense of purpose and that is to prevent as many people as possible from "citizenship." I want to be direct with you because that is also one of my frustrations with some churches. People want real answers to their questions. I trust you do too. The devil's best trick is to get people to ask the wrong questions. Seriously, pick up and start reading in any of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and you'll find that Jesus is always correcting people's questions or just answering something all together different from what they asked...why...because He is trying to get them back on focus.
The question why would a benevolent God condemn people to an eternal hell is the wrong question. The right question is why would any person ever reject a benevolent God? Like C.S. Lewis, I believe that hell is both now and forever, for anyone who rejects God. Hell describes the state we are in, apart from a benevolent God. The devil wants us to believe that it is about God rejecting us. It is what the devil does...he takes a concept that is true and twists it just enough to distract us but leaves enough in there to keep us feeling like we are on the right track. That is the nature of deception. Are you a LOST fan? Sawyer, the con man in the series, will tell you a good con always has an element of truth.
This is where it gets serious. God says that citizenship has to be determined in this life, while we have breath. Why He designed it to be that way, I can't answer that. For me, I trust that since He created the universe, He knows what He is doing. Are there second chances for people after death? The Bible seems to be clear that there isn't, but for me, that's not the point. Why would anyone reject a benevolent God now, reject all the promises He makes to us in this life, why? He is so perfect, so complete, so everything. Why would anyone want to exist for another moment without all that He freely gives.
I know that you love your children deeply, like we do ours. But one day, when our children become adults, they too will have to choose to be in right relationship with us. Just like you do with your Mom. I know she loves you deeply, just as you love your son. I know this is not your situation but as an example if you chose a destructive life style, she would always be there for you to come home to but would never accommodate your own self destruction, if she truly loves you. I pray you'll never have to make that decision with your son...and I believe in your heart, you feel the truth of the words I am sharing with you. As parents, we unconditionally love our children but must never accommodate their self-destruction.
As a pastor, my heart breaks for all the children who reject their parents for a life that always ends up in heart ache and misery. The greater sin is however the parent who keeps them there because they are forever accommodating. God can't accommodate our own personal self destruction. God has never in all of history ever rejected anyone. He is always waiting with open arms. The question is whether or not we'll come home.
To take it a step further, one might say, "I understand all that but if He really loves us that much, why doesn't He just rescue us?" I would say He already has. Imagine someone you love standing in a burning building. You can see them, they can see you, you can hear one another. You are calling to them to come out, the door is open and safety is just steps away. Yet, perplexingly, they just stand there. I know courage would compel you to do what I would do, run in at your own risk. But what if they fight you, resist you, nothing you do is able to move them, they insist on staying.
Has God rushed in? I think He has. That is the beauty of the story of Jesus. Jesus came from heaven to earth, He rushed into the burning building of our humanity. Why won't people follow Him to safety, to life? I've devoted my whole life to asking people that question. Where are you?
I'm teaching about this on Sunday...I hope you come to listen. (blog readers can hear the pod cast from our site, http://www.thecitylifechurch.com/ for the Sunday message on 10/19).
Pastor Fred
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)