The Mighty God Blog

Ambassadors for Christ & The Greatest Commandment of All

2011-07-03T02:45:00.014-04:00

(2Cr 5:20 ,KJV)
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

The apostle Paul is reminding us of a profound truth: we are ambassadors for Christ. What is an ambassador? Christians are diplomatic agents from another country (Phil 3:20). As Christians, we are commissioned by the King of Kings to represent Him in the earth. Indeed, we Christians are the very representatives of Heaven!

I urge my fellow brothers and sisters to imitate Christ in regards to how we treat others. We are to treat others the way Christ did in the first century. God cares more about how we treat others than all other religious activities combined. Let's read the greatest commandment of all again:

(Mk 12:30-31)
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Notice Jesus uses the word neighbor, and not friend or relative. We know that even the worst of sinners love their own family and friends. What is to separate Christians from the world is that we are to love others gratuitously -- as God loves us!

In simple terms, we Christians are to be God's voice, hands and feet in the earth in this temporary assignment as ambassadors. The idea to feed the hungry, visit the sick and the ones in prison, and to aid strangers isn't just a good idea, it is the chiefest of commandments (Mat 25:35-46).

In closing, let me encourage us all to rid ourselves of unbecoming attitudes that limit our service to our King. How many time have we seen a homeless person and thought

1) They are making more money than I am panhandling on the street
2) They are drug addicted
3) They failed to plan for their future
4) If a man not work, let him not eat (a perversion/misunderstanding of the Biblical text)

These attitudes "let us off the hook" so that we may circumvent one of the most important commandments of all. As Christians we are called to get involved and to show our neighbors God's unmerited grace through our own actions.

We are the only Jesus some people will ever see and the only Bible some people will ever read. As the body of Christ, we truly are God's voice, hands and feet in the earth. In the first century, God manifested Himself in the person of Christ Jesus (Jhn 14:9). Presently, He manifests Himself in His Church -- the Body of Christ with Jesus as the head.

Friends, we have work to do and time is short. Fulfilling this commandment requires taking some risks and "getting our hands dirty." Aren't you glad that God is a God who isn't afraid of getting His hands dirty when He reached down and brought you and me into the Knowledge of his Son? God is a worker. He expects us to demonstrate His love and grace in this very temporary world.

God's Word is His Will

2010-07-18T06:36:00.001-04:00

God's Word is His will. This is a very simply and important truth that many Christians fail to grasp.

Let's take healing for example. In the Gospels, I can find no instances where Christ failed to meet any need that was brought before him. Often all manner of sicknesses were cured. Hungry people were fed. Broken hearts were mended. It seems you couldn't be in Jesus' presence without being changed.

Having our needs met is fundamental to the Christian faith. Jesus instructed us not to even consider our needs, because God takes it on Himself to meet every one of them.

(Matt 6:25 [KJV])
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

There is no problem that God's Word doesn't have a solution for. I know the naysayers claim that God has retired and His promised were for a by-gone era. But these people do not know the Jesus of the Gospels. Jesus never changes and he is still moved with compassion. He still takes care of every need of His followers.

Jesus' Word is His will and we don't even have to pray about God's will concerning our needs, including healing, marriage restoration, financial problems (etc ...) or any of the promised we find in the Bible.

I'm only human!

2010-07-16T12:30:00.004-04:00

I'm only human. This is one of the best known clichés at lest in the Western world. This term is always used in a pessimistic sense, to explain or excuse our mistakes and shortcomings. Lots of people have this same attitude toward God.

"I'm not all that I should be," many say, "but I'm only human." To some extent this is a true and healthy attitude. In this fallen world, no Christian has "arrived on the Great Plateau." Even St. Paul claimed that he was still pressing toward the mark (Phil 3:14, KJV).

But the Bible teaches us that good can come from our weaknesses, shortcomings and sicknesses.

(2Cor 12:9, KJV)
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Apostle Paul went on to say that he takes pleasures in such things, because it's at those times when God can especially manifest His great power in his life.

(2Cor 12:10)
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

So what about sickness? According to Jesus, it serves the same purpose. When the disciples encountered a blind man, they assumed that the blindness was the result of the man's sin (Jn 9:1). The Jewish disciples believed in the retribution principle: if you or your parents sinned, sickness would result. Jesus dispelled this notion:

(John 9:3, KJV)
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

According to Jesus sickness is an open door for God to show us His great healing power. Afflictions are an open door for God to show us his strength; Afflictions, I believe make up closer to God (Ps 34:18).

So let's never again use the phrase "I'm only human" in a negative manner. For every affliction and shortcoming, God has a remedy. In our weakest moment, God will strengthen us.

The Role of Women in the Church

2010-02-24T04:29:00.007-05:00

The role of women in the Church is still a hot-button issue for many. Prohibitionists use certain passages from Paul's letters as proof-texts, while egalitarians try to see the larger context of such verses. Paul clearly supported women in ministry; indeed, he could not possibly have meant for them to simply “be silent” (1 Tm 2:11, NIV) since it would contradict the Prophet Joel's description of the last days and Paul's own exhortation for women to prophesy with their heads covered (1 Cor 11:5, NIV) . Further, such a stance on women in ministry is not consistent with the workings of the early church. Additionally, Paul's writings do not support the notion that women were not permitted in leadership positions.

In the first century, Jewish women were thought to be completely inferior to their male counterpart. Observant men would generally not speak to women outside of family. It was believed that nothing good could come from conversing with women because women were uneducated and thought not to be very bright. In fact, it was felt that such a conversation might allow a woman to seduce the man; thus, only bad things could happen by talking to a woman¹. Following this line of thought, the women were not even taught the Torah and were segregated from the men in the synagogues. Women were not counted in the number required to have a prayer meeting. The synagogue prayer recited at each service included the words, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, who has not made me a woman."

To understand the role of women in the early Church, one needs to look no further than the New Testament texts that state their position and role. We would expect to find unity in the role women were playing and the teachings of the New Testament. Finally, an exegetical exploration of certain passages is in order. We must somehow insert ourselves into the early church at Corinth and hear Paul speaking to us again.

Too often Christians forget that Paul’s “books” are not books at all. It would be unfair to label them even as pamphlets. The letters have had been of immeasurable importance in shaping Christianity— especially those of the reformed traditions. God’s Word is alive and well within Paul’s writings.

However, that does not mean that we can “proof-text” important Biblical doctrines without examining its cultural, literary, and historical context². The Mickelsen’s explain: “The basic context of any passage is the entire book.” “We dare not so interpret the Bible that we have Christ or the Apostle Paul teaching something contrary to their own practice.”³ Modern Christians are a world away from the original culture and traditions of the early Church. Correct hermeneutics is not always an easy task. Even simple passages often had different, if only slightly, meanings to the original hearers—the early Church. Applying Paul’s teachings to the church today requires some detective work.

We will begin our exegetical study in 1 Corinthians. Paul wrote to the mostly Gentile church at Corinth in order to answer some question and address some reports that he had received. Paul wrote the letter from Ephesus to the saints of Corinth to clear up some misunderstandings concerning fundamental Christian ethics and how the church should operate.

WE ARE TO WORSHIP IN AN ORDERLY FASHION

The major theme of 1 Corinthians 14 is orderly worship. Since we only have one side of the conversation-- Paul's instructions to the churches, we do not always see the whole picture. We are forced to imagine much of the things Paul was dealing with. However, his letter paints a fairly good picture of the services the church at Corinth and some problems they were having. Most of the services in the early church had a more casual order to them as opposed to contemporary churches that may have every minute of the service scheduled. Paul's main concern was to bring some fundamental order to their service while not hindering its charismatic and spontaneous nature. Some of the problems cited in 1 Cor 14 include:

1.Speaking in tongues with no interpretation
2.Church services with everyone speaking in tongues
3.General disorder and confusion due to a lack of decorum

Additional problems surfaced with some female members of the church. Paul does not address the problem, only the solution. Here is where one must do his or her exegetical duty. One verse that must be examined is 1 Corinthians 14:34:

(...) women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

If we fail to see the purpose of Paul's writing, to bring order to the church at Corinth, we may think Paul was trying to limit woman's role in the church. The Mickelsen's give an important clue for our exegetical task: “Discussions about biblical teachings on the role of women in the church and society is complicated by the fact that Greek uses the same word, gyne, for 'women' and for 'wife,' and the word aner means either 'man' or 'husband'.”⁴

A better translation of the word “woman” (Greek: gunhv) in 1 Cor 14:34 is wife. We only have the context of the passage to go on since the Greek word is not definitive. Two clues from the passage should point us to “wife” instead of “woman.” First, Paul insists the females, “must be in submission, as the Law says.” The Law (Gen 3:16) refers only to wives: “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Confirmation of this belief is found in the same verse when Paul explains that “they should ask their own husbands at home...”

1 Cor 14:34 is an obscure scripture since we do not know the precise problem of the church. After careful exegetical study of the language and literary context, we can only surmise that some of the wives at Corinth had a problem with subordination to their husbands. Let's consider the historical and cultural context of Paul's instruction concerning wives. Paul Marish explains⁵:

The verb lalein (to speak) is too general to refer to any particular kind of speaking. It is used of tongues (27) and also prophecy (29) and refers equally to the questions with which the women might interrupt a discourse. So general is the word that the suggestion that Paul is merely referring here to irregular talking, be it chattering, calling to children, soothing or more often rebuking babies, or interjecting a remark or query, cannot be ruled out. At church services in Asia the rebuke is frequently heard, ‘Sisters, be silent; don’t talk in church’. And the verb used is the general equivalent of lalein. Few things are so conducive to confusion and disruptive of peace as the noise which emanates from the women's section of the congregation—the sexes are segregated—in an Asian worship service.

For Paul to call attention to these wives illustrates their collective insubordinate and disruptive talking. We must press on to find the accepted role of women in the early Church.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE EARLY CHURCH

Paul gives us a very good indication of the acceptance of women in ministry through his writings. He is clear that prophecy is for both men and women (1 Cor 11:4-5). Prophecy was fundamental in the early church. In Joel 2:28, God promised to “... pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” Joel's prophecy was very alive in Paul's churches. The gifts of the Spirit are available to all believers: men and women. If the women could not speak in the churches, they could not prophesy nor could the gift's of the Spirit operate in them to edify the church. Such a prohibition would be a hindrance to the Church of God and contrary to the Prophets.

We must consider the possibility that Paul's attitude toward women was more conservative than the other apostles. After Paul's conversion/call, he did not immediately join the church leaders at Jerusalem. He received a revelation from Christ; he didn't seek approval or support from the established church. Since he seldom rubbed elbows with the elders, it is very likely that some non-essential doctrinal differences existed. Fee and Stewart write, “...the New Testament does not appear uniform on such matter as woman's ministries in the church.”⁶ Much of the apparent discrepancies can be reconciled by historical exegetics.

As an apostle, it was Paul's responsibility to play the role of peacemaker. The women at Corinth were causing trouble and it was Paul's responsibility to put a stop to it. Much of the false doctrines might have been attributed to the female members, especially since educational opportunities were mostly limited to men. The first century was a man's world. Women were generally expected to keep a low profile and be in full submission of their husband. If women were trying to “run the show” it would have been a religious and cultural scandal for many members of the church.

PAUL'S OTHER WRITINGS SUPPORT WOMEN IN MINISTRY

In the last chapter of Romans, Paul gives us a glimpse at the important role some women were playing within the church. Claire Powell give a summary:

We know from Acts and the Letters that women were prominent among the leaders in almost all the early house-church groups. Lydia was a leader in Philippi; Phoebe was a deacon in Cenchrea (Romans 16:1); Junia (the majority manuscript evidence points to Junia as a woman) was an apostle (Romans 16:7).⁷

While there is ongoing debate as to whether Junia was a female, or male (Junias), it should be noted that the early church fathers thought Junia was a woman⁸, the earliest manuscripts indicate a woman⁹, and the male name Junias can't be found in first-century Greek writings.

CONCLUSION

Women do not have a stained glass ceiling in the church of God. God calls men and women into His service. While some problems existed in the early Church with women becoming insubordinate to their husbands, Paul never intended to exclude women in leadership positions. His other writings instructed women how they should pray and prophesy. He mentioned women deacons and their contribution to the church. Since Paul clearly accepted women deacons, the door is wide open for female apostles too. Junia was the only female apostle mentioned in the New Testament; however, she was “outstanding among the apostles” (Rom 16:7). At least six of the early church fathers have either written about, or indicated that they believed that Junia was a woman. The best and oldest Biblical manuscripts that we have indicate Junia was a female; some later editions seem to add an “s” signifying a male name. In short, the early church more easily believed and understood that women were called to leadership positions than many Christians today.

Some of Paul's instruction to the church related to the culture of the first century. For example, Paul instructed women to cover their heads: (1 Cor 11:5)

And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.

This is clearly applicable only within their culture; a woman would cover her head to show submission to her husband, and, in a larger sense, the culture. Not to do so would be seen as rebellion.

There is much support to conclude that Paul's instruction to women was relative to their culture. Due to educational limitations, woman were more likely to teach unorthodox doctrines. Their culture demanded them to be “seen and not heard.” Paul's limitations were only intended to show the wives' submission to their husband-- with a veiled head and no conversations in church. It is apparent that this restriction did not limit women from prophesying or from leading a church service in the first century.

Paul's culture was a world away from our Western 21st century; it is difficult even to imagine their worldview. It would be interesting to speak to Paul about our modern way-of-life. Are we too liberal today, or have we really evolved into a more enlightened, tolerant society? I think Paul would be very happy to see the progress we have made as a society, and the important role women are playing in the church today.

The following verse illustrates that women may praise, teach, and whatever God leads of them. “Everyone” includes women.

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. (1Co 14:26)

1 Marcus J Borge, Jesus A New Vision (San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1987), 134

2 A Berkley and Alvera M. Mickelsen Understanding Scripture- How to Study the Bible (Peabody, Ma: Hendrickson Publishing, Inc., 1992), 62

3 A Berkley and Alvera M. Mickelsen Understanding Scripture- How to Study the Bible (Peabody, Ma: Hendrickson Publishing, Inc., 1992), 62

4A Berkley and Alvera M. Mickelsen Understanding Scripture- How to Study the Bible (Peabody, Ma: Hendrickson Publishing, Inc., 1992), 38

5 Marsh, Paul W, “Women in church”, In New International Bible Commentary. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), n.p.

6 Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth (Grand Rapids,MI: Zondervan, 2003), 82

7 Claire Powell, “The Bible Through Women's Eyes,” in Zondervan Handbook to the Bible, ed. by Pat and David Alexander (Oxford, England: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 90

8 John Chrysostem, “Homily 31 on Romans,” in New Advent, Online: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210231.htm , [October 10, 2007]

9 A Berkley and Alvera M. Mickelsen Understanding Scripture- How to Study the Bible (Peabody, Ma: Hendrickson Publishing, Inc., 1992), 62

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Borg, Marcus. Jesus A New Vision. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987

Chrysostem, John. “ Homily 31 on Romans.” in New Advent. Online: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210231.htm , [October 10, 2007].

Fee, Gordon and Stuart, Douglas. How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth. Grand Rapids,MI: Zondervan, 2003.

Kruse, C. G. “Ministry.” In Dictionary of Paul and his Letters. Edited by Geald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin. Downers Grove, Il., 1993.

Powell, Claire. “The Bible through woman’s eyes.” In Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Edited by Pat and David Alexander. Oxford, England: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999.

Marsh, Paul W. “Women in church (14:33b-36)” In New International Bible Commentary. 1380. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.

Mickelsen, Berkeley and Alvera. Understanding Scripture- How to Read and Study the Bible. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992.

The Holy Bible, New International Version®. Pradis CD-ROM:1Co 14:26. Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, © 1973, 1978, 1984.

Free college classes

2009-12-05T17:58:00.002-05:00

Yale University is offering the public to view a few classes on religious studies. The website, Academic Earth, currently offers two classes on religion. The classes are an introduction to the Old and New Testaments.

These classes are for personal enrichment, not college credit (unless you are enrolled at Yale ;) Other personal enrichment classes may be found by Googling "free bible college." You might be surprised at how many free classes are available via the Web. One of the oldest is, Ames International School of Ministry. I think they charge $20 per class.

Just remember, free classes are not accredited (no matter what they say). Is accreditation necessary? It is generally required for those who want to become a chaplain or school teacher, or transfer their credits to another school in the future.

For the mother load of free religious classes, check out iTunes.

Should Sex Offenders Be Barred from Church?

2009-10-15T06:33:00.004-04:00

A new Time.com article tells the story of North Carolinian, James Nichols, who was arrested in 2009. His crime? Going to church.

Nichols is a registered sex offender. In North Carolina, that means that he can't come within 300 ft. of any type of child care facility. The police charged Nichols with criminal charges because this church has a nursery.

Nichols' attorney asks the question, "Will pastors be charged as an accessory for letting a known sex offender sit in a front-row pew and worship?"

Here we have it. Some sinners can no longer attend church. This is not a Christian attitude. We can't expect God to forgive us while we hold that others can never be forgiven. That doesn't mean that we put sex offenders in charge of the church's nursery or youth group. If we allow "rehabilitated" murderers to attend church should we not allow sex offenders also?

Can sex offenders be rehabilitated? Are all sex offenders the same? Are some sex offenders at church only to seek out new victims? I have more questions than I have answers for this one.

The government has no place in determining who can and can't attend church. They may kick us all out eventually.

My Testimony

2009-10-09T08:13:00.002-04:00

I am a third year student at Regent University. My major is religious studies. I've been following the Lord for 20 years now.

He is wonderful!

In any case, now that I am a Christian I can say that I never chose Christianity. I hated religion. I even had very serious doubts about the existence of God notwithstanding 10+ years of Sunday School (indoctrination).

My biggest mistake was going to a "crazy" charismatic tent revival when I was 18. Those people really scared me. They would run the isles and act even more crazy than the Baptists.

The preacher came up to me afterwards and asked if he could lay hands on me. I said sure. But I wasn't going to run around the tent acting crazy.

And I didn't.

As he prayed with me, I began to feel God's love like rain-- it felt tangible. For once I knew God existed. It felt like He took time out from whatever He does, and introduced Himself to me. You could add up all of the love in the world, and it would pale in comparison to how God loves one person.

I wish I could say that my life has been perfect since then. I just know when I call on His name, I always find Him. He is always willing to pick me up from any mud hole I may have fallen into.

I couldn't make it one day without Him. I don't know how others make it. My goal is to introduce to others this wonderful man named Jesus.

Does God Do Miracles Today?

2009-08-27T06:28:00.008-04:00

Does God Do Miracles Today? - A response to John MacArthur's question and sermon by the same name.

John MacArthur is a well informed cessationist. We can look at all the facts and still draw the wrong conclusion. Cessationists, in short, believe that miracles have ceased long ago at the end of the apostolic age. Cessationist are people who have never experienced God's power in their own life or ministry; therefore, they insist that miracles must have ceased. Indeed books upon books have been written claiming that God is retired or on an extended vacation.

Let's take a look at some of MacArthur's claims from the referenced article.

A miracle is an event in nature so extraordinary in itself and so coinciding with the prophecy or command of a religious teacher or leader as fully to warrant the conviction on the part of those who witness it, that God has wrought it with the design of certifying that this teacher or leader has been commissioned by him.

First, MacArthur defines miracles so narrowly they some of Jesus' miracles should be written off as flukes. One such instance was when Christ instructed Peter to find money in a fish's mouth ( Matt 17: 27, KJV). This was not a miracle per MacArthur. The Bible doesn't say that miracles were to certify a teacher from God. Jesus' miracles were the result of His love for people. Jesus was recorded as being moved with compassion 14 times in the Gospels before healing the sick. MacArthur's definition of a miracle is not Biblical.

Next, MacArthur lists many dubious “miracles” such as a fried tortilla that looked like Jesus. Thank you Mr. MacArthur, but I'm not a fool. How does a fried tortilla give one the right to dismiss all miracles everywhere? This is a straw-man argument along others such as, “Is there a need for ongoing miracles to substantiate the Bible?”

Nothing in Scripture indicates that the miracles of the apostles' age were meant to be continuous.

These were miracles of the church age. There is not one verse of Scripture in the entire Bible to support the notion that miracles were only for the "apostolic age" or that miracles were to cease.

(1Cor 12:28 [KJV])
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

According the the Bible, miracles are attached to the church, not some manufactured idea of an "apostolic age." As long as the Church of God is still on earth, there will be miracles.

Finally, MacArthur says, “You hear Charismatics say, 'God has a special miracle for you today.' No, He doesn't.” Wow! MacArthur speaks for God, but he doesn't speak too highly of God. Amazing. His message comes straight from the pit of unbelief.

Does the Bible support him?

(Ps 34:19 [KJV])
Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

(John 14:14 [KJV])
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].

(Mark 16:17 [KJV])
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

If we insist that God is no longer working miracles, then we must also conclude that Christ is no longer moved with compassion. MacArthur's teachings are clearly opposite of the Bible. This author doesn't believe every miracle out there, and is aware of the many shenanigan selling holy water. These things don't diminish God's will to heal or perform miracles today. Since God is a supernatural God, everything He does, by definition, is a miracle.

Mr. MacAurthur denies God's power with academic wordiness that is both empty and dubious.

Asbury Revival

2009-08-24T10:34:00.005-04:00

This may be the most interesting video you will ever see. It is a documentary of the revival at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. This video was used in one of my classes at Regent University. I found this video to be a huge blessing.

For the ones who believe that God has retired, you should watch this video. Revivals are more than posting signs on the church lawn or waiting for Benny Hinn to come to town. I doubt Hinn would know revival if it fell from the sky. But this blog isn't about Benny Hinn.

Take a look and let me know what you think...

From Chaos to Perfection

2009-08-23T10:13:00.007-04:00

Genesis 1:1 details, to some extent, how our world was created. Initially, the earth was in total darkness. It had no form; the water and land mass had no boundaries.

Everything was chaotic until God began to speak.

Oh boy, do I know chaotic! Has your life ever been in disarray? Chaotic? Seemingly without purpose? If so you are not alone. In fact, I would say that you are very common indeed.

Just like the earth's creation, God can speak into our lives and bring about His divine purpose. He can turn on the lights. God is an expert in working from chaos. Unlike many fathers on Christmas day, God is not dismayed at the label, “Some assembly required.” All of us carry that label.

This is how God works. Remember, the adage, “Rome was not built in a day.” The earth wasn't either. God's people are a work in progress. The good news is that God knows how to put the pieces together.

And the pieces are coming together. One by one. Unlike Christmas day, there will be no missing or “extra” parts when the assembly is complete.

Contemplative Christianity

2009-08-11T03:01:00.009-04:00

The Internet is satiated with watchdog websites that report the dirt on misguided Christian authors, movements and pastors. Each website has their own hit list of those they feel should be ostracized. It certainly sounds like a noble cause, but are some of these groups hypersensitive, or even misguided themselves?

Let's check out Lighthouse Trails Research. They have an especially interesting list of the “misguided.” The website is subtitled, “750 pages, over 1300 articles, and nearly 25,000 links.” It appears they have ran out of material long ago. Their website asks the question: “Through Which Avenues is this New Mystical Spirituality Entering the Church?”

Apparently, their writers have the same grasp of “mystical spirituality” as they do the English language. Their website gives the definition of “Contemplative Spirituality” thusly:

A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all).

First off, I want to say that the definition is frightening. Is occultism really slipping into the church today? Maybe. But let's look at some of their examples of “mystical spirituality” promoters.

John Ortberg, my favorite author, is on their hit list: John Ortberg Promotes Contemplative Spirituality. Does Dr. Ortberg actually promote “contemplative spirituality?” The Lighthouse website gives exactly zero references to back up their claim. Instead, they cite people who have endorsed his book and some references he made in his books. If Ortberg promoted contemplative Christianity, his books would be in the garbage, not on my list of recommended books. His advice is always completely Bible based. The Lighthouse failed to cite even one line of the 10+ books Ortberg has written that promoted “contemplative spirituality.” And rightly so.

Rick Warren, my least favorite author, is also on the list. While he isn't my cup of tea, and I never could finish his best selling book, he hasn't exactly sold out to the occult. The Lighthouse Trails Research website starts out by speaking out against Warren's “global peace agenda.” Sure! Rick Warren will be the first one in line for hell for that.

Regent University is also on their hit list. Apparently “spiritual formation” is also a bad word. I have personally taken the particular class they point out as being “contemplative Christianity.” Their claim is completely false. This class is completely Bible based and no references to Contemplative prayer or Christianity was made that I remember. There is a such a thing as Bible based “spiritual formation.”

Finally, contemplative Christianity is a bad thing. It borders on occultism and, simply, nonsense. However, if these websites loved Jesus like they say they do, they would emphasize Him a little bit more instead of tearing down every other ministry out there. Indiscriminately labeling pastors as "contemplative" goes far beyond heretical teachings.

Communion

2009-07-25T06:29:00.003-04:00

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19,KJV).

I'm not sure how communion, as generally practiced today, has mutated into a simple ritual. In the New Testament, we see Christ and the disciples sharing a meal together. They were interacting and sharing God's Word.

I wonder if European churches practice communion the same way as Americans these days. I don't believe Jesus wanted us to pass around little wine glasses and crackers in remembrance of him.

1 Cor 11:17 gives of a glimpse of the church having communion. Although some were apparently there only to eat (or get drunk) and some were in a big hurry, they followed closer to the teaching of Christ than all of the churches I have ever visited.

Most churches do have communion in the Biblical sense. However, It's called homecoming! That is a much closer picture of communion than passing around little cups of grape juice.

According to St. Paul, communion is a time for self-examination and to remember what our Lord has done on the cross. It's a time of fellowship: After all we are family!

Jehovah Witnesses: Beliefs and Practices

2009-06-09T09:47:00.008-04:00

Jehovah's Witnesses are a relatively new religious denomination founded by Charles Taze Russell in the 1870’s. They currently have a membership of over 6.6 million. They were also known as Bible Students in America and the International Bible Students Association. The organization is now based in Brooklyn, NY.

The founder of the Jehovah Witnesses denomination, Charles Taze Russell, was heavily influenced by the Advent Movement. The second coming of Christ – when Christ would return to earth — was a central teaching of the Adventists.

William Miller began the Adventist movement. Once a skeptic of the Bible, and even the existence of God, his Christian parents and wife convinced him to reassess the Christian faith. In 1818, he returned to the Christian faith, and began preaching. Most of the Christian churches were not teaching or focuses on the return of Christ at that time, and Miller felt that he had found a hidden truth in the bible. Miller became fascinated with prophecy of the Old Testament predicting the return of Christ and the end times. He examined Old Testament prophecies, and began to develop formulas to calculate the date of the return of the Christ. His predictions were well received by many followers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses

The group believed the second coming was close at hand and often predicted the date of His second coming. Each time the predicted day passed, the date was recalculated. Since the twentieth century was fast approaching, such an idea of Christ’s return was especially appealing. The Adventists predicted Christ’s return in 1873, and in 1874. When Christ didn’t return on either date, one group decided that Christ returned in 1874. One noted Adventist, Nelson H. Barbour, believed that Christ returned, but invisibly in 1874. This idea was adopted by Charles Russell and has become a central teaching of Jehovah Witnesses. The Adventists further predicted Christ’s return on 1918 1920, and 1925.

Charles Russell distributed millions of booklets, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, a publication proclaiming Christ’s return in 1874. He also authored a bible study called Millennial Dawn and later renamed Studies in the Scriptures to further their movement.

After Charles Russell’s death in 1916, Joseph Franklin Rutherford was elected president of the newly established editorial committee of the Watch Tower publications. Joseph Ruthford released a new book, The finished mystery, which had further predictions for the year 1918 and 1920. His new book caused a firestorm of controversy within the group. The opposing board members were eventually replaced by Rutherford; the board was suspended in 1925.

Attendance dropped by nearly seventy-five percent by 1928 due to internal power struggles and failed attempts to predict Christ’s return. The group tried to reinvent itself by changing its name to Jehovah Witnesses, and drastically changing their central beliefs. Additionally, they created their own version of the bible called the “New World Translation.”

The New World Translation is very similar to the King James Version, however with changes that better support the group’s doctrine. One clear example is in the revised book of John. In the revised version “The Word was God” was changed to “The Word was a god.” The subtle change supports their view of Jesus Christ, as they do not believe that Christ was God incarnate.

http://www.kevinquick.com/kkministries/books/reasoning/nwt.html

Current Beliefs of Jehovah Witnesses

Believe the year of 1914 is the beginning of Christ’s presence on earth and when Christ became King of God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
Taking blood through the mouth or veins is a violation of God’s law
One should only obey man’s law if it does not conflict with God’s law
Spiritualism must be avoided
Only 144,000 souls go to heaven as rulers with Christ
At death, the human soul no longer exists
Christ is inferior to God, and was God’s first creation
Christ is a created being or archangel
At the time of death, the soul ceases to exist
Resurrection is the only hope for the dead
Believe one should not serve in the military, vote in an election, or serve on a jury
The earth will never be destroyed; it will eventually become a peaceful paradise

http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm?article=article_03.htm

Conclusion

The doctrine of the Jehovah Witnesses is suspect. A belief that Christ would return on a certain date fueled the Jehovah Witness movement. The founders predicted the end of the world at least six times. After each date passed, the date was revised. The leaders finally decided that Christ had already returned, only invisibly to set up His kingdom. This new doctrine ended the practice of date setting.

One sure way to reconcile a prophecy is to determine its accuracy. The group predicted the end of the world six times, and each prediction failed. Since the prophecies of the group were clearly in error, the entire Jehovah Witness' doctrine is suspect. The group was still predicting Christ’s return in the 1940’s. It is very hypocritical for the group to now claim to be the only ones who are part of the “invisible kingdom.”

Further, since the group does not believe in fundamental Christian tenants, I believe the group is a cult, and misleading millions of people. I have talked with many Jehovah Witness’s claiming to be “bible students” as they went door-to-door spreading their beliefs. They believe they will be saved for their good works. This is a prime example of their false beliefs. The cult teaches that salvation is simply something obtained for good works performed, at the end of the race. This is contrary to the central teaching of Jesus that is perfectly expressed in John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The watchtower website gives some instruction on how to be saved, however the webpage explaining salvation is nonsensical. This page incessantly attacks protestant ideas about salvation without offering an alternative. It is clear that their idea of salvation relies upon good works, and not faith in the Christ.

http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1996/2/1/what_must_we_do.htm

Finally, even their core beliefs are contradictory and often nonsensical. For example, they believe the soul no longer exists once a person dies; however, they claim the only hope for the dead is resurrection. Like many of their beliefs, this is a belief that only the unchuched could believe. The belief in an eternal soul is a fundamental teaching of Christianity. Given their teachings of Christ, I do not believe Jehovah Witnesses should be included under the umbrella of Christianity.

WEBLIOGRAPHY:

http://www.jehovahswitnesstruth.com/1914.htm
History of the church © Jehovah Witness Truth

http://www.watchman.org/jw/1914hst2.htm
History of “1914” © The Watchman Exposer

http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
Jehovah Witness Official Website © Watchtower

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses
Jehovah Witness Encyclopedia Entry © wikipedia.org

http://www.kevinquick.com/kkministries/books/reasoning/nwt.html
The New World Translation © kevinquick.com

In the beginning

2009-06-07T18:15:00.007-04:00

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth Genesis (1:1, KJV).

What can we learn from the first verse in the Bible? On the surface, the purpose of Genesis 1 looks like an explanation of how everything came into being. The storyline of creation is secondary in these passages. The purpose of Genesis was to introduce the reader to the Almighty God.

The Bible is a book about God.

Genesis 1:1 begins to paint the picture of a God who is so mighty that he can speak words and create everything in the universe. Can you comprehend that? God is bigger than our comprehension. He is even bigger than our imagination.

A careful study of Genesis 1:1 shows us that God referred to Himself as plural. The word “God” is from the Hebrew word “elohim.” Elohim, by definition, is plural meaning more than two! See Gen 1:26 where God referred to Himself as “us”.

There is clearly a plurality about God beginning with the very first verse in the Bible. Many see God through the Trinity doctrine, which this writer also subscribes to. God is both singular and plural. The Trinity doctrine teaches us that God, Jesus and His Spirit are one person.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD (Deut 6:4)

Here we find another reference to God's unity in plurality. Again, the word “God” is in its plural form. While much linguistic study has been done to prove or to disprove God's multiplicity, we can clearly see God's plurality through Adam & Eve. They were both created in God's image (Gen 1:27). In verse 2:24, we see that husband and wife are “one” flesh:

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

This is the same “one” as used in “The LORD our God [is] one LORD.”

Is your head spinning yet? It happens anytime we try to fully comprehend God. I believe the language of the Hebrew text shows us not to put God in a box. God is big enough to be singular and plural and man and female all at the same time. He is big enough to be at the beginning and ending and everywhere in between all at the same time, too. This is what God was saying when He called Himself, “I AM THAT I AM” (Ex 3:14). God is God all by Himself.

Jesus and the Twelve Rejects

2009-05-29T03:14:00.010-04:00

Our world has a certain social hierarchy that comes into focus during our early youth. Everyone seems to be permanently ranked by their social status. In our world, the people at the top of this hierarchy are the ones with the best education, the best connections, the best income bracket, and -- well -- the best of everything!

Our hierarchy system is completely foreign to God. God isn't too impressed with worldly achievements or position.

The social hierarchy of God's Kingdom is completely backwards to our worldly pecking order. Jesus made it plain who would be at the top. Jesus proclaimed, “But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first (Matt 19:30, KJV).” This and similar verses (Mat 20:1, Mk 9:35, Mk 10:31, Lk 13:30) has multiple meanings. However these verses clearly show one characteristic of God's Kingdom.

At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, Jesus was mainly known as a rabbi. He must have had a reputation as a learned man, as the term “rabbi” is an academic title, not a term of endearment. Rabbi would be similar to a Phd in our society. Unlike other Rabbis, Jesus actually called out his disciples. Who did He call? As the title of this blog entry suggests, Jesus did not seek out the cream of the crop. For one, He chose a despised tax collector. Religious people of that day would not associate with tax collectors, shake hands, or enter a tax collectors home.

Jesus is doing things backwards again.

The other disciples, the ones we know anything about, were failures. Rejects isn't too harsh of a word. Jesus had a much better pool of people to choose from. The Pharisaical class were a staunchly religious group of Jews who were part of the upper social-economic class, many of whom were in the ruling class. None of Jesus' disciples were anywhere near the ruling class. These were bottom of the barrel folks.

The disciple's ship had already sailed. They had not been accepted to study under a great rabbi, which would be equivalent to a college education in our day. Their status in life would never change.

But Jesus offered them a second chance... a chance to do what they had always dreamed of. A chance for them to change direction in their lives. Apparently they followed Jesus without hesitation.

Jesus was making the first last, and the last first in choosing his disciples. In contrast, Jesus spoke of the “impossibility” of the rich entering into the Kingdom of God (Mat 19:24).

Jesus came to fulfill the Isaiah's prophecy (Isa 61:1). Jesus declared in Lk 4:18-21:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. (NIV)”

Are you poor? Bound? Oppressed? Sick? Maybe like Christ's Apostles, you simply never thrived in life. Maybe you too are the black sheep of the family, like the tax collector. God sees our potential, not our position. If God is speaking to you to follow Him like He did to those disciples, why not call a prayer counselor right now?

Where is God during bad times?

2009-05-18T00:07:00.007-04:00

I know this question is as old as humanity itself; however, it is a question most of us are faced with from time to time. Some of us are even faced with it often!

This question is never contemplated when things are going great. We are sure God must be at the reins during the good times. So what happens? Does God get tired of driving and take naps from time to time? It may seem like it.

The truth is that God is still driving. He is still in control. Remember Moses was following God and God brought Moses and the Children of Israel directly to the Red Sea. It must have looked like God didn't know what He was doing! Moses was following God's escape route and it must have looked like it would fail.

God brought them to this point in order to show them His handiwork -- His great power. Our escape route is through Jesus Christ. God still brings His people through these impossible situations in order to show His handiwork in their lives as well.

God is still in the sea parting business. Not only does He want to part your sea, He brought you to this point so that He could!

Praise (Bârak)

2009-05-15T01:16:00.015-04:00

Psalms 103:1

KJV

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

NIV

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good [things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The words Praise and Bless, in the above verses, were translated from the Hebrew word bârak. Bârak is a unique Hebrew word with no English equivalent. To understand what the Psalmist said we must dig a little deeper. Please note that there are seven Hebrew words that were translated as praise into the English language. We will cover them all in upcoming studies. Here is a definition for bârak from the concordance:

בּרך : bârak : baw-rak'

A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of {adoration}) and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the {king} as treason):- X {abundantly} X {altogether} X at {all} {blaspheme} {bless} {congratulate} {curse} X {greatly} X {indeed} kneel ({down}) {praise} {salute} X {still} thank.

The word bârak, as used in these verses, is a two-way street. It means when we bless God, He blesses us. David points out the benefits of praising God which basically correspond with Jewish ideas and expectations of God's salvation. The Jews believed in complete restoration and redemption, not a partial one. But that is a different word study.

I would like to point out one instance in the New Testament that demonstrates that the principle of bârak: Acts 16:25-26 (NIV):

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Instead of entertaining defeat while in jail, Paul and Silas sang praises to God. In result, God brought deliverance not only to Paul and Silas, but also their jailer (v. 30-31). This verse illustrates that when we praise God, even the people around us will benefit. I've always believed there should be enough of God in us to spill out-- slosh out-- onto others.

Don't worry what the ice-box churches teach. I dare you to praise God. I dare you to raise your hands. If God doesn't bless you, I will throw my Bible in the trash bin. Our enemy, the devil, doesn't have a predicament that God doesn't have a remedy for. The remedy is often found in praising God (1Sam 16:16).

We are told to "enter His gates with Thanksgiving" (Ps 100:4). Not only should we praise God when we pray, we should live in expectancy of God's answer. I know the Religious Order would like us to keep quiet; however, praise is not optional. Expecting God to move in our lives is not optional. Praise brings us in the presence of The Mighty God and His blessings.

What is the Word of God?

2009-05-13T09:40:00.007-04:00

It may sound like a silly question, but it is becoming very clear that many people haven’t a clue. Like many of you, I was taught in second-grade Sunday school that the Bible is God’s Word. In the same class I was taught about baby Jesus. We need to revisit these ideas. There is more to Jesus than a baby in a manger; indeed, there is more about the Word than we were taught in elementary Sunday school.

My previous post, “What ever happened to the Gifts of the Spirit?” illustrates how the Church is currently divided into two camps. One camp is the “Word Christians,” the other camp is the “Spirit-Filled Christians.” Such a division is due to a fundamental misunderstanding of Scripture. Let’s consider John 6:16 (NIV):

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

We simply can’t separate God’s Word from His Spirit. If we claim to have one and not the other, we are deceived. If we elevate one above the other we have a major problem with our Christian worldview. From the above verse, it is plain that God’s Word is (His) Spirit. They are one and in perfect unity; they are not in competition.

Maybe it would be easier to explain what God’s Word is not.

God’s Word isn’t exclusive to a certain translation of Biblical texts.
God’s Word isn’t simply a book you can purchase at Barns and Noble.
God’s Word isn’t independent of God’s Spirit
God’s Word isn’t exclusive to one group of Christians (Cults)

For example, many today seem to think that only the King James Version of the Bible is God’s Word. Such a claim is nearly too silly to debate. Some sites suggest that if you don’t read the KJV, you will go to hell (http://usekjvonly.com). I’m afraid that some of these “King James Version Only“ conspiracy theorists are in need of medication. If there thesis was true, that would mean that the original God-inspired Hebrew and Greek texts was not the Word of God, only one Engligh translation is worthy enough to be considered the Word. Otherwise God only allows one "approved" translation per language. Both conclusions are equally absurd and offensive.

Remember the devil quoted Scriptiures (Matthew 4:6). As with most cults, the Jehovah Witnesses can quote the Bible frontwards and backwards. Reciting words and having the Word dwell inside -- being born again-- are two separate things.

The Bible is a vehicle of getting God’s Word into our spirit. Don’t let religious people give you a choice between Word and Spirit camps. Let’s start a new camp: Christians who want both. I want correct theology AND the gifts of the Spirit in operation in the Church.

This is not a complete survey of my question, "What is the Word of God." However, this cross section should give you something to think about and lay a foundation for more in-depth discussions.

What ever happened to the Gifts of the Spirit?

2009-05-13T09:38:00.004-04:00

In the first century, God preformed many miracles. The lame walked, the blind received their sight and the dead were raised. Twenty percent of the New Testament is devoted to stories of the miraculous. It seemed like you couldn’t get near Jesus without being changed in some way.

What was going on and what was the purpose of such miracles?

This question brings us to the proverbial fork in the road, that, sooner or later, every believer finds himself or herself. Those that believe that God is still a miracle worker go one way, and those that believe such miracles have ceased go the other way.

It shouldn’t be this way. God’s Word is clear. It’s only when we bring in the religious ideas of man that muddies the water. Those that claim that God no longer performs miracles—cessationists– are in error.

Cessationists generally believe the gifts of the Spirit have ceased. They claim cessation began when the last apostle died. To be honest, some cessationists pick and choose which gifts they believe are still in operation. If cessationalism is beginning to sound unorthodox, we are on the same page. The ones who hold this belief must exercise theological gymnastics to prove their point.

Their main claim, in simple terms, is that once the New Testament was written, we no longer need miracles, healing, prophecy — anything from God. All we need is the New Testament. In fact, we no longer need God at all! This religious attitude isn’t new. Jesus dealt with it daily. The Pharisees were the most religious of the Jews. They were steeped in their holiness and perfectionist doctrines. Their religion wasn’t skin deep as many have been taught. They were religious through and through; they were eat up with it. Their God was standing in front of them though they didn’t recognize Him. Make no mistake, the Pharisees could quote from their canon, the Septuagint, as well.

The ones who take the wrong fork in the road always dispute the gift of divine healing, prophecy and tongues. We don’t need an exhaustive study of this doctrine to show it is completely wrong. If their thesis, “the gifts ceased at the end of the apostolic age,” is false, then the whole doctrine must be wrong.

The apostolic age ended near the second century (100 C.E.). If we can show that God has preformed one miracle after 100 C.E., the whole doctrine is suspect. If we can show where God has given one vision or dream after the first century, then the doctrine must be completely false. In St. Augustine’s City of God, the Church father tells about divine healing, raising the dead, and God inspired dreams. St. Augustine is known as one of the greatest Church leaders; his writing spans the fourth and fifth centuries:

The miracle which was wrought at Milan when I was there, and by which blind man was restored to sight, could come to the knowledge of any; for not only is the city a large one, but also the emperor was there at the time, and the occurrence was witnessed by an immense concourse of people that had gathered to the bodies of the martyrs Protasius and Gervasius, which had long lain concealed and unknown, but were now made known to the bishop Ambrose in a dream, and discovered by him. By virtue of these remains the darkness of that blind man was scattered, and he saw the light of day. [1615]

Augustine’s writing was used here because he is sometimes credited for starting the cessation doctrine. Apparently, he changed his mind toward the end of his ministry. He was concerned that the gifts of the Spirit were in decline. Dr. Eddie Hyatt points out that the decline of the miraculous resulted when the Church became an institution of Rome¹. Dr. Hyatt chronicles the gifts of the Spirit in his book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity. He finds that there has never been a time since the first century that the gifts of the Spirit were absent, including tongues. His work includes the Azusa Street and the Zion City revivals of the early 1900’s that started the worldwide Charismatic movement. Other independent Charismatic moments around the same time birthed denominations such as the Worldwide Church of God (Tenn.).

Paul instructed Christians to “covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Cor 12:31, KJV). Paul’s gospel always included the gifts of the Spirit. Additionally he taught:

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8).

Are the gifts of the Spirit for today?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:38-39).

While the frequency of miracles declined after the first century, they never ceased. The best gifts of the Spirit are still to be “coveted.” The early part of the twentieth-century seemed to usher in a move of God that partially restored the church to its former glory. Since the early 1900’s, revival has been sporadic throughout the world. I am hoping that these moves were only the beginning of something that will turn the world on its head.

God’s Word and His Spirit are not in competition. In fairness, both Charismatics and anti-Charismatics sometimes error. It’s not an either/or choice. Christians need both, the Word and the Spirit to be effective.

The New Testament is the revelation of Christ. It’s central theme is the advent of God’s Kingdom which is characterized by God’s will, rule and power. Christ came to initiate His kingdom.

If we insist that God’s power is no longer in operation, we have thrown away the entire message of the Cross – the New Testament. The Gifts of the Spirit have not left the Church. We have left God and His plan for humankind. We have substituted the Gospel with religious ideas such as the cessationism theory.

Let’s again give God the reigns to His Church.

[1] Eddie L. Hyatt, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity (Lake Mary, Florida: Charisma House, 2002), 36.

Which way to heaven?

2009-05-13T09:35:00.003-04:00

A classmate of mine, a religious studies major, proudly told the class his favorite Bible verse. It was “God helps those who help themselves.” This would have been a great example if only it was a bible verse! This type of confusion is magnified in our postmodern age. Postmodernity insists that truth is personal and whatever works for you is The Way. After all, we can’t really know God anyway. This type of thinking has ushered in a hodgepodge of belief systems that are becoming more and more homogeneous.

It’s hard to separate public religious beliefs and God’s Word these days. Even if you attend Church regularly some of you only know the “prosperity gospel,” condemnation, or Psychology 101.

So which way is heaven, anyway?

It’s OK to ask this question; indeed, Christ’s disciples wanted to know the same thing. In John 14:5 (NIV):

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Christ made the claim that He is the only way to God. Christ is the only one who could pay the price for our redemption. Not Mohammad, not Budda, and certainly not our good works. This is a basic Christian truth that we must adopt.

Can’t Islam be another way to heaven? After all, they claim to serve the God of Abraham. The answer is no. There isn’t more than one way to heaven. If the Muslims served God, then they would know Jesus.

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 4:9)

God's Character

2009-05-13T09:26:00.002-04:00

What is God’s character like? Is He an angry God? Is He stewing in a corner with smoke coming from his ears, ready to destroy the next person who sins? If this were the case, everyone on earth would have been flattened by a very large fly-swatter already. God is not mad at you.

God is a God of forgiveness and reconciliation. Maybe you have rejected Him 100 times and feel undeserving. God says, “ask me anyway.” Jesus explained in Luke 5:32 (KJV):

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Not only is God a God of forgiveness, but He sent Christ to die in your stead. If you are a sinner — even the most rotten person alive, you are exactly the person God is calling today to repent and believe the Gospel. Unlike people, God has the ability to completely forgive and forget. As a human being, sometimes it takes effort to forgive; sometimes I can never really forget. David declared in Psalms 103:12:

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

In plain terms, when God removes our sins they are never to be seen again; they will not come back to haunt us on judgment day. He wants to do that for you. Even if you have tried before and failed, He wants to pick you back up. No matter how many times you have fallen on your face, God is a God of second, third, fourth … chances. He never gives up on us because He loves us.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

When is the last time you have prayed? How many more chances will you have to get everything right with God? It’s a very scary thing to fall into the hands of the Mighty God unprepared. Now is a good time to repent, call on His name and ask for forgiveness. We are not promised tomorrow.

This is certainly not a complete survey of God's character, but an aspect that too often gets overlooked in favor of the red-faced angry God. Maybe we can dig a little deeper in a later post.

Welcome!

2009-05-13T09:22:00.001-04:00

Thank you for your interest in my journey. For my visitors from Wordpress.com, I'm very glad you found my new location on the web.

Please check out my posts; your comments are welcome. Let's learn something together.