PCBC Adult Sunday School

Does God Hold Nations Accountable?

2010-12-22T20:27:00.003-05:00

Wow. Long time, no blog.

I tried a few last year, and didn't get much of a response and sort of....gave up.

But now I got a comment on a blog from a year ago and I'm all excited! Obviously, it doesn't take much!

Here's the comment, and I quote:

"So I've been thinking a lot about something that Peter said in Sun. School last week - that the Twin Towers and other disasters in the US is God's judgement on us. This bothers me for a number of reasons. One if God is judging the US we are assuming that we are His chosen nation and therefore come under His judgment as a nation which is not Biblical. Only the nation of Israel is God's chosen nation/people and the covenant of blessings and curses applies to them. Beyond that Heb. 8:13 tells us that the old covenant is obsolete - not the Davidic but the Mosaic. Jesus has replaced it with His blood. Therefore even the Israelites do not fall under the the old covenant any more. Jesus has given them a new covenant which we all chose to accept or reject. If we reject it, we will face judgment. Why do bad things happen? Because we are at war with Satan who is determined to destroy the Godly things of this world. We should expect events like 911 because we are at war with the principalities and powers of this world. It is not God's judgment on His chosen nation of the USA. Yes, we are moving farther away from God as a society and culture, just as nations have before us. But I don't believe God is so much concerned with what we do as a nation, as what we do as individuals. Am I going to far with this? What are your thoughts? How do we live as Christians in a nation that is moving farther away from God and will continue to do so? Should we focus on the salvation of the US or on the salvation on those individuals that God is calling to Him? "

Great comments and thoughts! Here's my response:

First off, I don't believe that the good ole US of A is God's chosen nation today, or any other day for that matter. If you google the subject, you'll find all sorts of people claiming this to be true. Many teach that the USA has replaced Israel and quote a number of OT texts. Some say that the "lost 10 tribes" of Israel ended up here in North America after being carried away by the Assyrians. Others say that since our nation was founded on the grounds of religious freedom by Christians and for Christians, then God somehow HAS to choose us and has granted us Most Favored Nation status. I don't believe any of that. Based on the Bible, God has clearly chosen one nation and one nation only, Israel. And there's no hint that America or any other nation has replaced Israel. Romans chapter 11 makes it clear that because of Israel's unbelief, they- the natural olive branches have been broken off and wild olive branches have been grafted in. America? Nope, but the Gentiles have replaced Israel... for a time. The gospel of the grace of God now goes out to every people and tongue and tribe and nation, while Israel is under God's judgement or discipline. Paul sums it up in ch 11 vs 25-29

25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

So Israel has "experienced a hardening" which is only for a certain time- until the Church body is completed and the "full number of the Gentiles has come in". Then God will turn back to Israel and keep His promises to that nation. See, "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable."

Second, I believe that God DOES hold nations responsible for their conduct. Let's have a little look see at just one example from the OT. Jeremiah 25 has a fascinating prophesy in which God predicts the 70 year captivity of Judah. After centuries of spiritual adultery, God has enough and disciplines Judah. In fact, God uses another Nation as the HAMMER to execute the judgement.

8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the LORD, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Notice how God describes the "hammer"- King Nebuchadnezzar as MY SERVANT. God uses this man and the nation as His servant, to execute His will. We see God's sovereignty in dealing with and controlling the nations.

Then, something else is said a little further down the chapter.

12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the LORD, “and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

We see that even though God used the king of Babylon and his nation as the hammer to pound Judah, God holds the nation responsible for their actions!!! We see these two parallel and seemingly contradictory truths of God. God is sovereign and all things are in His control; yet man is responsible for his actions before a holy and just God. These two truths are throughout scripture. On one hand, God "chose us in Him before the creation of the world" (Eph 1:4) and on the other hand, "whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36) God's sovereignty and Man's responsibility. But I digress... The point is that God cares about nations and holds them responsible for their conduct. There are many other examples in the OT.

Third, our responsibility today is to individuals, first and foremost. The great commission from Matthew 28 says:

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

I suppose that some might interpret the passage in a way that commands us to make disciples of nations- like I'm going over to Africa and convert Swaziland to be a national disciple of Jesus. No commentary that I have interprets this way. Instead, the interpretation is that we are to make disciples of individuals from all nations. And that clearly is the teaching throughout the New Testament. Individuals are saved, and sometimes in large numbers as on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, but they are individuals and not nations.

To summarize, I believe scripture teaches that God holds individuals responsible and holds nations responsible. Some have made the point that when England was at it's most powerful, it was sending out the largest number of Christian missionaries of any country in the world. And that as their missionaries dropped off, so did their world position- and the same has happened with the US. I don't think you can make too much of this (and I'm not even sure it's accurate), but you can say that if God holds nations responsible, then He can chose to bless nations as well. I might go as far as saying that it seems God blessed the US during it's history. But does power and prosperity lead to dependence on God? Instead it seems to lead to corruption, pride, self-reliance, and completely forgetting God. So is it a blessing from God at all? Does the NT teach us the power and prosperity will result from a faithful witness? Not hardly.

What are your thoughts?

Eric

Suggestions for Christmas

2009-12-06T19:14:00.010-05:00

Good morning, afternoon, evening!

As the Christmas season is upon us, I thought it a good idea to make a couple of suggestions for what you might get your spouse for a gift- in the way of excellent Christian books. I know- how boring!

No listen- hear me out on this.

First, it doesn't have to be the ONLY gift you give your spouse- I'm all for something very romantic as well. Like the year I bought Annette a new ax handle for her ax and carved a nice heart with her initials inside it, right on the end. You should have seen her face on Christmas morning when she saw that! Why, she was out back in no time, chopping wood for a nice Christmas fire. So go romantic and go big or go home. Second, what could be better for your spouse than a book that will grow them spiritually? There are some tremendous Christian books out there. Let me give you a few recommendations, and...I'll tell you what I asked for!

1. First, you gotta get this one! It's called "Counterfeit Gods- The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters " by Tim Keller.

This book was just released a couple of months ago and is my number 1 top pick!!! It is a very simply written book that tackles the subject of where we put our trust, our hopes, our dreams. Of course we say "Duh....God!" But wait...what motivates you as a person? What makes you happy? Why do you DO the things you do, and ACT the way that you do? He digs past the surface and provides startling insights on who we really are as people. So not only does it clearly talk about the World and the counterfeit Gods it produces and follows, but shows how we as believers do the same thing, but oh so subtly. Keller is amazing! To get a taste of him, check out this link below. He was the opening speaker for the 2009 Gospel Coalition Conference, and spoke on The Gospel and Idolatry. Click on the video link when that page opens and see and hear his address.

The Gospel and Idolatry

2. Here's my number 2 recommendation- If Good Is Good...Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn.

This book deals with very ancient questions about who God is. If God is all-good, why does He allow suffering? Maybe He's not powerful enough to stop it...BUT, if God is all-powerful, then why does He allow suffering? Maybe He's not all that good.... OR, if GOD is all-good and all-powerful, then why is there so much suffering in the world???? This is a CLASSIC question that many able writers have grappled with over the ages. Randy brings a clarity and compassion to this topic. It's not a theoretical discussion about philosophy- it's "my child has cancer...what about my faith now?" Or "my neighbor's son was hit by a car, what on earth do I say to her??" Every chapter has testimony of people that have experienced tremendous suffering or been faced with terrible evil. You'll be amazed at what they say about God! Check out Randy's intro to the book- he writes like he speaks.

3. And my third recommendation is a classic. It's called "The Return of the Prodigal Son- The Story of a Homecoming" by Henri Nouwen.

I read the book several years ago, but today, someone from church brought it for me and I re-read the majority of this afternoon. It's a beautiful little book about the story of the prodigal son. Nouwen has returned exhausted from six weeks of speaking, and is drawn to Rembrandt's painting of the prodigal, pictured on the cover of his book. He reflects upon the painting for hours and days, rereading the story from scripture again and again. He first sees himself as the prodigal and spends a third of the book from that perspective. Then, he comes to see himself as the elder son, the son who stayed at home with the father, but out of bitterness cannot join the party. Finally, he realizes that God is calling him to be more like the father in the story, stretching out his arms in love and forgiveness. A wonderful book!!

Okay! There's my three recommendations!

And what did I ask for, you say? Here's three things that are on my list that I gave my wife:

First, John Sailhamer's new book "The Meaning of the Pentateuch". If you haven't read Sailhamer on the OT, you ain't read NOTHING! See what John Piper says-

Piper on Sailhamer

Second, Carson's new magnum opus, "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament". This is a huge volume that looks at every single OT quotation or paraphrase in the NT and answers five questions.

1. What is the NT context of the citation? What is the genre and literary structure of the book or chapter? 2. What is the OT context of the citation? Do these Markan citations come directly from Exodus, for example, or are they quoted from Isaiah's use of Exodus verses? 3. How was the OT quote handled or interpreted by Second Temple Judaism, or early Judaism in general? 4. From what text is the OT quotation copied. The Septuagint (LXX), the Masoretic text, or a Targum (scripture translated into Aramaic or Coptic). 5. What is the ultimate use or connection being made by the NT author's use of the OT. Is it simply to emote a connection, is it a use of a common OT idiom, is it a parable use, shorthand to evoking an OT story, or is there a belief that events in NT times fulfill a specific OT prophecy.

Third, the latest Showbread CD, "The Fear of God". Just remember...raw rock kills...(more about these guys in a future blog).

Oh I can't WAIT for Christmas!!!!

Eric

Acts 2- A Few Questions Answered

2009-11-22T19:46:00.005-05:00

Today in Sunday School we had a little review of Acts 2. Afterwards, several people asked me some questions about this passage. Since they had these questions, maybe you did to. Here they are, including the answers that I gave.

1. Were the tongues a miracle of speaking or a miracle of hearing?

IE, was it possible that a particular person spoke, proclaiming the wonderful works of God, and the hearers each heard the SAME speech in THEIR tongue. Sort of a like a universal translator in which one person speaks and everyone hears it translated into his own tongue. This is a common question and one commentator, Abraham Kuyper says that the apostles spoke one pure language that someday we all will speak in heaven, and the others heard them speaking in their respective native languages. This however, is not correct. This was not a gift of hearing, nor was it a gift of pure speech. It was clearly a gift of SPEAKING in various languages. Acts 2:4 "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." A better translation ends this verse with "as the Spirit gave them utterance." It's clear then, that the gift of tongues was not of hearing but of speech, speaking other languages.

2. Who spoke in tongues?

There are two main views on who spoke in tongues in Acts 2. One view says that it was the 12 apostles, plus the 120 believers that were there waiting for the promise to be fulfilled. Acts 1:15 mentions this group of 120 believers or "brothers" as the marginal note says. So were they all speaking in tongues, all 132 of them? The second view says that it was just the apostles that spoke in tongues. There are several reasons for this view. 1) The closest antecedent of the pronoun "they" used in Acts 2:1 is the apostles mentioned in the last verse of chapter 1. 2) Christ gave the promise of the Spirit directly to the apostles as recorded in Acts 1. Notice what is said in vs 4 to the apostles: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." And further in vs 8- "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." These verses specifically refer to the apostles receiving the spirit and power, so it seems they would be the ones speaking in tongues. 3) In Acts 2:7, the witnesses of the tongues remark "Are not all these men speaking Galileans?" We know that in Acts 1 vs 11 the angel calls the apostles "Men of Galilee" as they watched Jesus ascend into heaven. Based upon these three reasons, it seems that those speaking in tongues were just the apostles.

3. Did they all speak at once? Did they speak in turn?

One commentator described the situation in Acts 2 where all the apostles were speaking at the same time, each in a different language. As the crowd heard them, each would gather around a speaker speaking the language of his homeland. Other commentators say that the apostles probably spoke one at a time in an orderly manner. We simply don't know the answer to this one.

4. Was Peter speaking in tongues when he gave his sermon? What language was he speaking?

There is no indication whatsoever that Peter was speaking in tongues during his sermon. IE, he doesn't indicate he is speaking anything but his normal language nor do the hearers respond as if he is speaking a tongue. Since they all seem to hear and understand him, it must have been a common language that all understood. There are three choices- Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic. Hebrew is the written and spoken language of Judea and the Old Testament is mainly written in this language. Archaeological evidence in burial sites shows that Hebrew was an active language of the time. Because the Greeks had conquered Judea about 200 years prior to Jesus' birth, Greek was the trade language of the region. The New Testament is written in Koine Greek, and is a good indication that there were two languages active in that time frame in that region. In addition, Aramaic was the native tongue of Galilee and also a common tongue. Jesus' use of Aramaic is quoted a number of times in the gospels. So which was it? I throw out Aramaic, as not all there would have understood it. That leaves either Hebrew or Greek. I chose Hebrew, because Peter was preaching a sermon to devout Jews, convincing them of Jesus from the Old Testament scriptures and quoting from them. Undoubtedly, he would have used the native Jewish language- Hebrew.

5. Tell me again about the quotation from Joel?

Joel is one of the earliest of the OT prophets and his message to Judah is one that contains two elements: Judgment and Blessing. This is what the devout Jews would have thought when they heard Peter quote from Joel- "Oh boy, he's quoting from Joel which describes a terrible time of judgment upon our people. An army from the North will arrive and destroy the city and scatter everyone. And that's just what happened to our people when the Babylonians came. God judged us for our unbelief! But then God promises blessing! He'll pour out His Spirit on all people, which will be followed by wonders in the heavens. Then Mount Zion and Jerusalem will be a place of salvation. That hasn't happened yet- it was promised long ago that the Messiah would return to Mt Zion. But somehow, Peter is saying that what we see here today is what Joel was talking about." Judgment and blessing. As the book of Acts unfolds, we see that the message of the risen Messiah is brought to the Jews again and again. Some believe but in general, they persecute the new Christians. Peter speaks in Acts 3:19-20 and says "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you- even Jesus." The common message to the Jews is to repent from their sins and unbelief. Listen carefully- it seems that IF the vast majority of Jewish people had repented at that time...then Jesus would have returned THEN. It's almost as if Jesus is in heaven at that point, poised to come back. Why even Stephen when he is stoned sees Jesus STANDING at God's right hand, as if ready to return! But no...the Jews by and large will have none of it. Until finally, both Peter and Paul turn from the Jews and concentrate on the Gentiles. Then judgment falls on the Jews in AD 70 when Titus and the Roman army destroy Jerusalem. Jesus is then described as SITTING at God's right hand. So when Peter quoted Joel, we see the beginning of the blessing- the Spirit poured out, but the conclusion is postponed until later. When the Lord returns, THEN the rest of Joel will be fulfilled- the wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below.

Hope that helps!

Eric

Background for Tongues

2009-11-09T19:36:00.007-05:00

This past Sunday we spend looking at the Old Testament usage of tongues/languages to get some background for our study in I Cor 14. New Testament tongues are first used on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and the witnesses were Jewish people. With their rich OT background, what came into the mind of the Jews when tongues were spoken in Acts 2? We looked at 4 OT texts.

Genesis 11 The Tower of Babel

In this account, the people of that day decided to make a name for themselves by building a tower right into heaven. God looked down upon them and said "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do is impossible." So God went down and confused their language and scattered them. A Jew thinking back on this would conclude "God judged the people by confusing the language." God struck the very thing which binds men together- a common language. The result of this judgement? Various languages, the people are scattered, and they can no longer reach their potential.

Deut 28 Blessings and Cursings

Around 1500BC, near the end of Moses life, he gave a series of discourses captured in the book of Deuteronomy. The 3rd discourse is called "Blessings and Cursings" and is found in chapters 27 and 28. Chapter 28 in particular provides a series of blessings for Israel if they obey the Lord their God:

1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

Later, come the curses for disobedience:

15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.
18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.

The curses go on for the remainder of the chapter in quite some detail. God describes how He will use foreign nation to punish Israel for it's disobedience:

49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. 52 They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the LORD your God is giving you.

When this punishing nation attacked and overran Israel, they would know it by their foreign language. It was a clear sign of God's judgement on their unbelief.

Isaiah 28 Woe To Judah

In this passage, we have the prophet Isaiah describing Ephraim, the northern 10 tribes, and their captivity by Assyria around 700BC. Ephraim's leaders are described as drunken men, with their faces in their own vomit. The leaders respond to this condemnation by mocking the prophet, saying that Isaiah is speaking as if to children. The response?

11 Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people, 12 to whom he said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose"— but they would not listen.

In the remainder of the chapter and in the next, God describes how He will do His work, His strange work, of punishing the people by sending an army from a foreign nation. Because of their unbelief, He will punish them- they will know it by the "foreign lips and strange tongues" of the besieging army- that is how God will speak to them. Again, tongues are associated with judgement for unbelief.

Jeremiah 5 Spiritual Adultery

The prophet preaches against the rampant idolatry of the day in 600BC- the people have run after and served other gods and again and again committed spiritual adultery. God says in vs 9 "Should I not punish them for this?" Once again, the method of punishment is for God to send a foreign nation to inflict the punishment.

15 O house of Israel," declares the LORD, "I am bringing a distant nation against you— an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. 16 Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors.

Now for the fourth time, we have God's judgement on unbelief connected with foreign languages.

Acts 2 The Day of Pentecost

Now go ahead to Acts 2 where the Holy Spirit comes down to form the church. Notice the details:

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

A couple of things to point out.

Jews from every nation witnessed the speaking in tongues- they heard them speak in the language of their home.

Some reacted with amazement and asked "What does this mean?"

Others reacted with unbelief and made fun.

Peter then stands up and explains the situation. The Jews have murdered their Messiah- due to their unbelief, they have crucified God's own Son and His blood is upon their hands. After many words, the Jews are convinced of their guilt and cry "what shall we do?" Peter replies that they must repent, believe in Jesus, and save themselves from this generation. Why the latter? Because it was going to be JUDGED by God...just a few short years and Titus would come through and grind Jerusalem to dust. What was the sign of the judgement upon them? Tongues- other languages.

That's why Paul quotes Isaiah 28 in I Cor 14:22 and says "Tongues are for a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers." When those with unbelieving hearts hear tongues...they know the judgement of God is upon them.

Finally, one more comment about Acts 2. The breaking of the language barrier is a sign that the Church of the Living God can do all things! All things are now possible for the church, the Body of Christ! All barriers now fall!

Eric

57 Varieties- An Unforgettable Experience

2009-10-22T18:51:00.008-04:00

This past Monday, I took the day off from work and along with my friend Frankie the Greek, attended an all day conference for pastors and lay leaders in the far away land of Williston VT. The speaker was none other than world renowned theologian, author, and teacher, Dr. D.A.Carson. Dr. Carson has written a total of 57 books. FIFTY-SEVEN. Like in how many varieties good ole Heinz comes in! Carson gave four lectures of about an hour an a half each, and let me tell you...as the sign says...these were PURE FOOD for the soul. I have never ever in all my days heard anyone speak, preach, and teach like this man. His knowledge of history, politics, world events, and especially scripture coupled with his engaging presentation style left me completely amazed at his abilities. How can I describe it? Here's a little story...

I was saved in college due to the teaching of an older engineering student named Bruce. He held a Bible study every Friday night on campus. I was utterly amazed that he could open the Bible, find things, teach things, and pretty much know his way around the scriptures. I clearly remember one night some asked "what's the deal with anointing with oil?" And Bruce immediately replied "oh, that's in the book of James, right at the end. Let's have a look." Well, pardon me ma'am, but you could have knocked me over with a feather. I couldn't BELIEVE this Bruce guy knew about this anointing thing and where to FIND it. I said right there and then "I gotta get me some of that. I need to know the Bible." Thirty years later...well, I guess I know my way around the Bible a little bit. And I'm pretty conversant with the issues and debates going on in western Christianity today. Ahem.

But this guy. This Dr. 57 Varieties guy- totally and utterly blew me away with his profound knowledge of the Word of God. I feel like I did 30 years ago, listening to Bruce. I was a babe playing at his feet. I'm not kidding you.

His topic was "Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament- The Gospel According to Jeremiah". A full day in the book of Jeremiah! I took 12 pages of notes. I couldn't write fast enough.

In fact, the day spent under the teaching of this Man of God (yes, that's Man with a capital M) resulted in a range of responses from me.

Encouragement- I now know the true meaning of "edify". I was built up in my most holy faith like no other time in recent memory.
Wonder- at God's goodness and the amazing perfection of the Word of God.
Conviction- I was convicted about several things as I heard him speak. My devotion, my study habits, my outreach, sin in my life. But done in such a way that I wasn't overcome by guilt, but with a desire to IMPROVE, to be the man of God (see, for me it's a little m) that I need to be.
Refreshment- it was like cold water to a parched man. I couldn't get enough of the Word of God and the breaks came too soon. I didn't want him to stop.
Joy- at the love of God and the work of Jesus on the cross.
Sorrow- in one passage, Carson eloquently explained the tension between God as Light and God as Judge. Israel had committed adultery by going after other Gods and these sins are described in detail along with God's judgement, chapter after chapter. Then amazingly, right in the middle of this, the language turns and God begins weeping over His lost daughter "Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing; for my virgin daughter-my people- have suffered a grievous wound." Jer 14:17 His VIRGIN daughter. After a couple hundred years of Israel playing the harlot, God the Father weeps over his virgin daughter. I was overcome by sorrow.
Fear- Oh boy. I got a glimpse of the holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin. Not sure I've ever quite seen such a thing. It scared me right to the core. Enough said.
Filled to Overflowing- by day's end I was totally filled...but spent also. Like after a long run- tired to the bone but energized at the same time. Over the course of the next day at work, several people asked "what is UP with you?" One person said "you look different today. Radiant." I felt like Dr. Carson had brought us into the presence of God, through his exposition of the scriptures.

An unforgettable day.

On another note, here's a little video you might like called "Perspectives".

Perspectives from Peacemaker Ministries on Vimeo.

So if Grandfather Goosey Gander doesn't get bedridden with the colly-wobbles, I'll write to you again next week!

Eric

PS- leave a comment!

Columbus Day

2009-10-12T19:35:00.013-04:00

Greetings and Salutations!

Today is Columbus Day. So what do you recall from all your years toiling at school about good ole Chris Columbus?
In fourteen hundred and ninety-two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Well of course we remember that little ditty. And of course we know that Columbus set out to prove the world was round, not flat. In fact, most school textbooks talk about how Columbus was opposed by the church leaders of his day that vehemently insisted that the world was FLAT as a pancake. We were told how even his crew almost mutinied because they were afraid of sailing over the edge! The children's poem ends with these lines:

Some people still thought the world was flat.
Can you imagine that?

This situation has been held up for 150 years as a classic example of how Christians oppose science. Opponents to Christianity smile smugly and nod knowingly as they think of poor Chris, surrounded by a mob of Christians screaming stupidly about how the earth is flat! They say Christians haven't gotten any smarter today, with they denial of Darwin and their babbling about Intelligent Design. Ouch! What a black eye Christians have taken over this incident! As the poem says, "Can you imagine that?"

Too bad it's a lie. A lie repeated in decades of school textbooks.

Did you know that? Did you know that virtually no one in the Middle Ages believed the world was flat, including the theologians and the main churches? It was a semi-fictitious book by Washington Irving called "The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus" in 1828 that got the lie rolling. Those opposed to Christianity picked up on his inaccurate portrayal and found it a convenient caricature of Christianity. It became so popular, that it was perpetuated for over a century.

Want to know more? Here's a couple of links to get you going...

Justin Taylor
Wikipedia Article

What other lies are out there, that are perpetuated to make Christians look bad?

What's that got to do with Sunday School? Well, not too much...other than we have to try everything by the Word of God, and sometimes get rid of preconceived notions. Are we open to what the Word says? Do we have ears to hear? Often, our position is slanted and skewed, and is based on what we've heard somewhere. I asked Shep tonight, on the way home from play practice, about Chris Columbus. He told me that he discovered America and proved the world was round. I asked him where he heard that. "I dunno. Somewhere. School I guess." Often, that's how we answer when it comes to the Word. When pressed, we have no real biblical backing, no proof, no real understanding of the facts or the context or even the issues surrounding the subject. Instead, we have an idea, we read something somewhere, we faintly remember a sermon or a Sunday school class, we heard it...somewhere. As we continue our 1000 year study in I Corinthians, let's continue to be students of the Word- to work hard, to dig deep, and be open to letting the Word mold our thoughts, not the other way around.

Someone made a great comment to me after the class on Sunday with respect to the verse we talked about "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." He mentioned that one understanding of this text is that now, in our bodies of sin and death, we are but a poor reflection of our Saviour. But you just wait until our salvation is complete, when Jesus will come and change our vile bodies, so they we be like HIS GLORIOUS BODY. Phil 3:21. Oh, I like that thought. It's so rich. We're supposed to reflect Jesus in all we do. We have no light of our own, but we reflect His glorious light. Just like the moon reflects the sun...

Have a great week!

Eric

Welcome Back Carter

2009-10-05T20:38:00.006-04:00

After a year-long hiatus to get my hair done and my back waxed, and after being called out publicly seven times by Joe Carter, I guess it's time to post a blog or three...

So where are we??? Just like Days of Our Lives, The World Turns, and The Edge of Night, not much has changed in 12 months. STILL in I Corinthians. But at least we've made it into Chapter 13.

Chapter 13 is the "Love" chapter and part of my challenge has been for us to have a fresh look at this chapter and to really understand the context. What first comes to mind with this chapter are weddings and marriage ceremonies, where the chapter is often read. While the application is certainly appropriate, it's not the context for marriage- remember back in the dark ages when we studied marriage in Chapter 7 of I Corinthians? The context of Chapter 13 is spiritual gifts. Paul is addressing a misuse of spiritual gifts and at the end of chapter 12, he says "and now I''ll show you a more excellent way." Then comes the Love Chapter. The first verse of chapter 14 says "Follow the way of love...". So chapter 13 is his exhortation to exercise spiritual gifts in a loving way. That's how it fits in.

Last week, I was asked, as a Justice of the Peace (JP for short) to perform a wedding for a young couple in Addison. We discussed how the ceremony would go- the vows, the rings, and any readings. I told them that I'd like to read a passage from the Bible and they readily agreed. And what passage did I choose? You guessed it- I Cor 13 the Love Chapter! - sigh- I'll never learn...

Chapter 13 can be divided into three sections:

Verses 1-3 The Necessity of Love- no matter how complete the spiritual gift, if it isn't used in Love, then it's useless, a clanging symbol (the Dixie Chicks, as it were)!

Verses 4-7 The Character of Love- 15 verbs are used to describe love in both positive (Love is...) and negative ways (Love is NOT...).

Verses 8-13 The Permanence of Love- some things are for the present time only, but love is forever.

Our SS class will start on this last section this coming week. And I have a feeling that there might be some difference of opinion on this section. Let me explain....

Many respected Christians believe that certain spiritual gifts were exercised during the time of the apostles and stopped soon after the apostles died. The gifts ceased. These Christians are called Cessationists. John MacArthur believes in this way. These specific gifts are called "sign gifts" and accompanied the apostles to give credence to the word preached...until the New Testament was written. Sign gifts include tongues, prophecy, and healings.

Other respected Christians believe that all the spiritual gifts named in the New Testament continue on to this day, including the so-called "sign gifts". There are two main branches of believers in this group. One branch is made up of many pentecostal and charismatic churches and believes the sign gifts are generally part of the normal Christian experience. The other branch believes that the sign gifts are not part of everyday experience, but that God does use them in special circumstances or locations. IE, God can send the gift of tongues to a Christian today.

What has this got to do with the price of lobster in Maine (low these days) or I Corinthians? ALOT! Cessationist Christians use the last section of I Corinthians 13 to explain their position. This section describes three specific spiritual gifts that will cease- prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. Paul then uses two specific allegorical examples to describe the use of these gifts presently (NOW) and then when they stop (THEN).

Understanding what Paul means by NOW and THEN is the crux of the matter. When is "NOW" and when is "THEN"?? Is NOW during Paul's life or like... right NOW? Is THEN after the NT was written or like...later in our future?

Or should I say "NOW" and "LATER"???

So this week in preparation for the study, have a read through the chapter and see what you think. Are you a Cessationist? Or a Continuist?

And now for something completely different....

I read a great book this week called "Unmasking Male Depression" by Dr. Archibald Hart.

This book is written from a Christian perspective and I highly recommend it for anyone suffering from depression or that lives one someone that suffers from depression. One of the key premises is understanding how male depression differs from female depression, particularly in how the sufferer reacts to his depression. For example, males tend to be more aggressive in makeup and their symptoms tend to be along those lines- impatience, anger, critical outbursts can all be ways that men respond to their depression. The book's table of contents is below:

It can be obtained from Christian Book Distributors or Amazon among many places.

Have a great week and if the teakettle doesn't run away with the dishpan, I'll see YOU in Sunday School!

Eric

How We Handle the Word

2008-10-20T19:40:00.005-04:00

I've never been one to get excited over teacher's that provide an outline that begins with all one letter; in fact, I find most of those somewhat contrived. But I have to tell you, as I prepared for the message this past Sunday, it came flying out automatically. So in case you missed it, here's the outline from II Chronicles concerning the story of Josiah, the boy king:

33:21-25 Rotten to the Core

34:1-2 Right in God's Sight

34:3a Return to God

34: 36-7 Removal of Sin

34:8-13 Repair of the Temple

34:14-18 Recovery of a Treasure

34:22-28 Responsive Heart

34:29-30 Read Aloud the Word

34:31-32 Renewal of the Covenant

Chap 35 Rejoice in Worship

I want to share with you another relatively obscure chapter in the OT and how it relates to II Chronicles 34 and Josiah. Keep in mind that the main point that was impressed upon me as I read and studied this exciting chapter, was how Josiah treated the Word of God. Simply,

- He heard it.
- He recognized it's authority.
- He internalized the message.
- He acted on it.
- He shared it with the people.

This is a very powerful example that is much needed in our day. The world has thrown the Word on the trash heap and is doing it's best to bury it, just like in the days leading up to Josiah. It's a story of hope and excitement to see how God can work.

Now I didn't really finish the story of Josiah. It has a bad ending. Have you read it? Check out II Chronicles 35:20-26. This Egyptian king by the name of Neco comes onto the scene- I think they named the wafer after him some years later.

Anyway, even though Neco, an Egyptian, tells Josiah he is being directed by God, Josiah persists in attacking him. He puts on a disguise and engages Neco in battle. Archers shoot King Josiah and he's brought back to Jerusalem to die. Sad day. All of Judah laments his death. What do we lesson do we learn from this? Always listen to God. Don't stand in His way. And don't wear a silly disguise- it never works.

So a sad day in the history of Israel. Even Jeremiah writes a lament about Josiah to be recorded for the ages.

Which brings me to that obscure chapter I mentioned earlier.

Some weeks ago, I was reading a blog and the writer mentioned Jeremiah chapter 36. I had a read through that chapter and when it came time for the message, I was pretty certain that my message would be based on that chapter. Let's have a very quick look at it.

Jehoiakim was king in Judah, just a couple after Josiah. And he was a pretty rotten guy. Have a quick look here for a great summary of the Kings of Israel, all color-coded to show their level of rottenness.

http://www.geocities.com/thekingsofisrael/kings.html

Judah is in terrible shape and it won't be too long before God has enough of them and sends in Nebuchandnezzar to carry them off to Babylon for a few hundred years. God speaks to Jeremiah and says this:

1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."

So Jeremiah dictates the Words of God and Baruch the scribe copies them on a scroll to take to the king. The people are so scared of Jehoiakim that they tell Jeremiah and Baruch to go hide and someone else will read the message to the king. Here's how the king handled the Word from God.

20 After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. 22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.

So as you can see, the king is pretty rotten-hearted and burns the Word of God as it's being read. My idea was to do a sermon on this passage and talk about how the Word of God is treated today. It's being burned, piece by piece, every where we turn.

As I did research on this passage, I was led to the story of Josiah and I was overcome by his handling of the long forgotten Word of God.

In these two stories, we have the extremes of the spectrum. One man sees it for exactly what it is and it transforms his life and the lives of those around him.

Another man will not accept it, but cuts it in ribbons and throws it in the fire. His life and the lives around him are also transformed.

29 Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both people and animals?" 30 Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.' "

And judgement soon came to pass on Jehoiakim, because of his rejection of God's Word.

Both chapters speak to us today- one shows the right way to handle God's Word and the other shows the wrong way.

Eric

Joe Carter- Update

2008-10-01T20:37:00.002-04:00

We had a surprise phone call from Joe a few minutes ago. It was great to hear his voice! It was full of enthusiasm and very positive. Here's a summary of what's going on...

First off, Internet access has not been that frequent, so he hasn't been able to update his blogs. He was planning once a week, but he wasn't able to this past weekend. This weekend may be doubtful too, because...
He's been chosen to participate on a basketball team that will travel to several places in Nicaragua. It's primarily made up of native Nicaraguans and coached by a Christian. I'm assuming the team is made up of all Christians. The purpose is to play other teams and then minister- get to know the other players, hear their story, and then share the gospel with them. On Friday, he goes on his first trip to Matagalpa, a city in the mountainous highlands. This is the coffee capital of Nicaragua and is much cooler than Managua. Here's a bit about the city: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matagalpa Joe is really excited about this and said "It's going to be CRAZY- jungle and monkeys and mountains!" He said this was a two day trip, so I'm not sure if he'll be back to update his blog.
Joe's mornings are quite structured. He has Bible classes, prayer time, and then another class in which they are reading a book on spiritual warfare. He describes it this way "We're ready the Bible like crazy, very powerful... and it's WILD." That's a good thing!
Afternoon's are ministering as part of the local church. In typical Joe Carter fashion, he's made quite an impression on the local youth- he's raced them, arm-wrestled them, and played them at soccer and basketball. All this is used as a way to get to know them and he's been able to share his faith with them. He then brings them to Youth Group. He and the other guys in his group have also visited a local rehab facility. He didn't give details, other than it's a chance to talk to the people, hear their story, and then share the gospel. Note this common theme... There's a planned visit to an orphanage next week.
Joe seems really happy and excited about what he's doing. He's very much appreciated all the comments to his first blog.

That's about it...the call was over way too soon. It's hard to believe he's so far away!

Eric

The God Particle- Updated!

2008-09-29T19:12:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking about the God Particle alot lately. Not that I really even begin to understand it. But it's been on my mind. Let me explain.

Some 15 or 20 years ago, I picked up a book called "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes and couldn't put it down. It's a history of particle physics, laying the ground work for the Manhattan Project, the code name for the secret government project to develop the atomic bomb in time to stop World War II. This book introduced me to quantum mechanics and the men and women behind these theories. I was fascinated and read book after book on this subject, particularly about the scientists themselves. I couldn't get enough of Bohr, Fermi, Dirac, Einstein, Lawrence, Heisenburg, Oppenheimer and especially Richard Feinmen. I learned that the picture of the atom that I learned in grade school, high school, and even college was hopelessly incorrect- that electrons don't orbit around the nucleus like planets around the sun.

In fact, we really don't know what an electron is. Or exactly where it's supposed to be at a given instant. Quantum physics works in probabilities- that it's quite probably that a given electron will appear in a given location, but that's all. Probabilities. We can't know for sure.

And it gets worse. Light can exhibit the properties of a wave, like a pebble dropped into a lake- we all know how light waves scatter, reflect, and interact. But it also exhibits properties of a particle, which your old tube TV set was based on- firing photons from the "gun" to the screen to make an image. Which is it? A wave or particle? It can't be both... The answer? It depends on how you look for it. It seems you can actually impact it's very core properties by your own observation.

Faced with these difficult issues, Einstein made his famous quote "God does not play dice." This is not the last time we hear the name of "God" invoked...

As time went on, physicists identified four Fundamental interactions by which particles react to each other; "fundamental" because they can't be explained by any other interaction. These are as follows:

Strong Nuclear Force- how do all those positively charged protons in the nucleus keep from flying out?? Remember, like charges repel each other.

Weak Nuclear Force- how and why do atoms decay? What causes this thing called radioactivity?

Electromagnetism- what explains the electric and magnetic forces between objects?

Gravity- while our most familiar force, it has characteristics and properties that still baffle the greatest scientific minds.

Scientists are working on a theory that will unite these four fundamental forces into one giant equation, called the GUT or Grand Unification Theory. So far, they have been able to unite the first three into an equation, but have been unable to bring in gravity.

The math to unite these is complex, but has been highly successful. Over the years, the math has predicted that certain subatomic particles should exist, but have not been discovered yet. Many times, what that mathematics has predicted has been found by experiment. A fellow by the name of Steven Weinberg (with colleagues) was responsible for the equation that linked the first three forces into something called the Standard Model. As particles were discovered to match the Standard Model, Weinberg was awarded the Nobel Prize. He integrated his math with a fellow named Higgs, which resulted in a description of all particles along with their predicted masses. There is still one major particle predicted that has not been found. In simple terms, experimental discovery of this particle may explain why particles have mass. Which relates to their behavior with respect to gravity...which ties everything together!

Which brings us to the God particle. Otherwise known as the Higgs Boson. This is the missing particle!

As you've probably read, a giant super collider came on line in Geneva, Switzerland a short time ago that made the news. This thing is built in a tunnel 300 feet below the surface, and is 17 miles long. It may be the most complex feat of engineering and technology ever assembled by mankind, at the cost of several billion dollars. You can check out what this looks like here:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/god-particle/achenbach-text

Now somewhere along the line, a physicist by the name of Leon Lederman called the Higgs Boson "the God Particle", and even wrote a book by that title. Higgs himself tells the story that Lederman wanted to call it "the goddamn particle", because it's virtually impossible to find. However, "the God Particle" is more marketable and it stuck.

As I thought about the God Particle, I wondered what my smarter, more intellectual friends on the Web were saying. So I did a search. I expected to find some pretty technical discussions, along with some intelligent conclusions that we as Christians, might draw from the God Particles discovery (if its found).

This proved as elusive as the God Particle itself.

I found very little discussion, and what I did find was shocking and discouraging. There were two major viewpoints that I uncovered.

First, there were the Christian Wacko Contingent (CWC) that predicted the end of the world, based on the idea that the particle collider would produce a black hole that would in turn, swallow them up, along with their Aunt Matilda, her pet dog, and everything else. There were even several YouTube videos with these guys proclaiming "The END is NEAR". This didn't bother me so much, as it didn't actually come to pass, and I've seen my share of CWC's websites over the years.

What did, was the second viewpoint I encountered. This group, the Science Is Stupid League (SISL), posts blogs that start off "Dumb scientists. If they wanna find God, they should read the Bible. Yeesh. How stupid can they be, spending all that money, digging a hole, and thinking they'll find God at the bottom. " Then all their friends post comments in reply that say "Right on! They sure are stupid, snicker, snicker. God is gonna kill them, just like at the Tower of Babel."

Is this how dumbed down Christianity has become? As I read through these, I really was discouraged that Christians would be so negative about something they don't begin to have a clue about. They hear the name "God Particle" and immediately react, form an opinion, and get all their friends to agree to propagate the ignorance.

Finally, in the middle of one of these blogs with about 50 comments, a guy got on and said "Hey wait a minute...you guys really don't know what you're talking about." He went on to explain a bit about particle physics and the Higgs Boson and what it means.

He was immediately attacked.

But he persevered, with grace providing clear responses to their attacks.

Then he said something that struck a chord with me.

"I believe" he said, "that 'He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.'" Col 1:16

I don't really understand the weak force, or the strong force, or electromagnetism, or even gravity. And I can't fault scientists for developing theories...

But I do understand this: In Him all things hold together, whether at the subatomic level or the personal level, Christ is the author, creator, and sustainer of the universe. That's the Grand Unifying Theory of the Bible.

And one day, we'll all see the proof of this theory- Every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Thoughts?

Eric

Update 10/01/08:

Remember the guy I mentioned above that won the Nobel Prize for his work on unifying the four fundamental forces, Steven Weinberg?

He did an interview last May with Newsweek magazine in which he was asked repeatedly about God, especially in relationship to what the Geneva Collider will uncover. His answers are quite revealing as to how a scientific atheist thinks. Two in particular stand out:

But won't some people expect to find the presence of a grand designer in that final theory? "That's what was thought at the beginning, but we see less and less possibility of that. The more we learn about the universe the less sign we see of an intelligent designer."

Are they also going to be disappointed about our position in nature, our purpose? "We don't see any purpose dictated to human beings in nature."

So Weinberg, an extremely intelligent Nobel Prize winning physicist, working on some of the most complex theories in the world, can't see any evidence of intelligent design in the universe, or any purpose in human life.

How sad.

You can read the whole article here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/128877/page/1

Will We Ever Finish I Cor 7???

2008-09-17T20:32:00.002-04:00

Hey There,

I apologize for not updating the blog recently. After Lindsey went back to Gordon and Joe went off on some mission trip thing, I've had a bit of a problem getting computer time in the evenings. Both Joe and Lindsey took their laptops with them, leaving the remaining four of us with one lousy stinking slow moving computer. Doesn't work very well in this crazy computer-dependant age!

So my solution is to bring my laptop home from work and use that! We'll see how it goes!

And speaking of this crazy computer age, I find that as usual, I'm on the falling edge of technology. Meaning that I'm behind the times! Way behind. Blogs started some years ago, and in my way of thinking, are still sort of new. And now that I finally started one, I find I'm totally out of date. See, one of my favorite blogs is one by Joe Carter (not MY Joe, but another one by the same name) called the Evangelical Outpost. I've been reading it most every day for a couple of years. Joe talks alot about current politics, about ethics, about world events, all from a Christian world view... and he has a pretty sharp sense of humor. I find his posts informative and challenging to my way of thinking.

I was surprised to find out about a week ago that good old Joe finds blogs a little too passe and has moved on to the next new thing- something called a Social Network (socnet). Check out his blog that describes what he is now doing and why.

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/2008/09/culture11-and-t.html

I'm disappointed! Not only do I find out that I'm totally old-school, but now I have to get used to something completely different if I want to interact with Joe... oh well.

I'm still left with Pyromaniacs, another amazing blog site that I check out every day. These guys are way cool- a little too over-the-top in-your-face Calvinists, but challenging, entertaining, and VERY funny. Their graphics and pictures are GREAT. Check them out- in particular, scroll down and read the blog from Sept 12- it comments on an article from a major Canadian newspaper (The Globe and Mail) that makes the premise that because Sarah Palin has a child with Down's Syndrome, then people will stop aborting babies with Down's Syndrome and will actually HAVE them instead. Very scary article...

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/

Now on to I Corinthians chapter 7.

I woke up on Sunday morning a little discouraged. We're STILL in I Cor 7. This is really dragging. What more is there to say? I'm tired of this chapter. Time to move on....

That's what I was thinking.

Then I got reading the section for that morning's class- vs 17 to 24.

17Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 20Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

It repeats three times that we should remain in the situation that God calls us in. And Paul uses two practical examples from the Corinthian's day- circumcision and slavery.

I got thinking about slavery. Paul basically says to not let that bother you. You're a slave. So what. You can still minister right where you are. Paul was in chains and he ministered. He didn't whine and cry and make excuses like I would do. He got down to business. And his chains were used by God in a remarkable way.

So I thought more about how we make excuses about out situations, so we don't have to minister. And I thought about the bigger context of the chapter (marriage), and how we sometimes make excuses about our spouses even. "If only I wasn't married to person xyz- then I could really be the Christian that God wants me to be..." Paul doesn't leave any room for that excuse either. Similar to all mankind, we are without excuse.

So this excited me about the chapter and about the verses. Maybe chapter 7 isn't so long after all!

Let me know what you think.

Eric

I Corinthians 7 and Divorce

2008-09-02T19:40:00.008-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for being patient and hearing me out as I brought out some different ways of looking at a couple of the divorce passages. This is a challenging topic for me and been a real struggle to address. The problem is that I bring some ideas about divorce with me to the table and I read and interpret the scriptures based on those ideas. It's a problem we all face in different areas of study. This one is especially difficult because on the face of it, the scriptures seem quite clear- divorce and remarriage are allowed in only two circumstances. Otherwise, the parties involved have to carry the penalty of their sin for the rest of their lives. This seems to me incompatible with the gospel message, the love and grace of God, and the main thrust of Jesus' teaching. I certainly don't want to find a way "around" the scriptures- I want to find out their true meaning and application.

I'd like to start with the so-called "Laws of Divorce" in the Old Testament, something I referred to briefly on Sunday. Any book, article, or discussion on divorce often starts at this point. What is quite eye-opening to me is the brevity of the subject in the OT, and what the REAL subject of the passage is. The main area of scripture referred to is in Deut chapter 24. Have a read through the Laws of Divorce (NIV)...

1 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

What's the topic of this passage?

Divorce? Well...not the main topic.

The topic is REMARRIAGE. It's a very narrow case where a twice-divorced woman is not allowed to remarry to her FIRST husband. In fact, it could be that the woman isn't even twice-divorced- her second husband could have died. Still, she cannot remarry her first husband.

Very interesting. Many Christian churches teach that marriage is once-for-all, meaning that the first marriage bond can NEVER be broken- never ever. They go on to teach that even if people are married, divorced and remarried to other people, they MUST go back to their ORIGINAL spouses to honor God.

So much for that theory.

The other point about this passage is that it does not rule out divorce or remarriage. Just remarriage under a very narrow circumstance.

A huge amount of discussion has been had for centuries on exactly what is meant by the man "finding something indecent about her". Exactly what is "indecent"? Jewish scholars have debated and written volumes on this subject. Their intent was to try and discover the exact legal cases when divorce could be allowed and couldn't be allowed, based on their interpretation of "something indecent". The Jewish writings reveal that they would take case after case of divorce/remarriage and try to figure out exactly what was allowed and what wasn't. There were conservative Rabbi's that said "something indecent" could only mean adultery, the only grounds for divorce. Others said that it could be almost anything, giving the man especially, the power over the woman to get rid of her for any reason whatsoever.

Which brings us to Jesus' day. That exact debate was still going on. The religious powers were wrangling over a number of issues, trying to pin them down exactly. They were legalists- trying to discover what they could get away with and what they couldn't. Looking for laws to burden the people, or loopholes to allow them to get their way.

Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount and blows them away with six topics in chapter 5 of Matthew that should put an end to their legalistic debates- God cares about the HEART. He focuses on not the final action, but the MOTIVE that caused the action.

You heard it said "don't murder". I say if you're angry at your brother, it's murder.

You heard it said "don't commit adultery." I say if your look at a woman with lust, it's adultery.

And it goes on, for six topics.

Look at the fourth one, about taking oaths.

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Many Christians read this and say. "Oh man. Jesus says 'no oaths'. What if I get called into court and have to swear on the Bible and all that. The Bible forbids it, so what will I do??"

That's not what Jesus is saying. The problem Jesus was addressing was not oaths, but TELLING THE TRUTH. See, people in his day had a practice of lying. They also developed a system, with the help of the legalists, to find loopholes around telling the truth. They'd say "It's okay to stretch the truth as long as I don't swear an oath." Then the rules got more complicated- a person could lie as long as he didn't swear by heaven. Or some were saying what really matters is swearing by God's throne. Others said it wasn't the throne, but the earth, God's footstool....on and on it went. Lying and finding a loophole.

Jesus said "Enough. Let your yes be yes and your no be no." IE, tell the truth for crying out loud. No more crossing your fingers behind your back and no more stupid OATHS!!!

So we read Matthew 5 and we see all this and what is our reaction? Sadly, we entirely miss the point and become just like the legalists. We try to establish a complicated set of rules, regulations, and loopholes based upon Jesus' words in that sermon.

Remember what Jesus said at the start

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

We read that and immediately think that Jesus was talking about his ACTIONS. He went about and didn't murder, commit adultery, divorce, swear oaths, etc. We then apply His words to our actions.

I think it goes deeper then that. Much deeper.

And there's more...

Did you know that the term "fulfill the law" had a specific meaning in Jesus' day? When a rabbi told his followers that he was going to "fulfill the law", they understood him to mean that he was going to "tell the law", or "fully explain the law"- give it's true meaning and intent.

So in one sense, especially to the Jewish hearers of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was saying "I'm not here to get rid of the law, I'm going to explain to you WHAT IT WAS REALLY GETTING AT- God cares about your heart!"

Have a think about that, read Matthew 5 and the six topics, and see if you have a different perspective.

So much more to say...

Let me just summarize my points on divorce and remarriage that I gave you on Sunday.

1. God's standard is life-long marriage.
2. Divorce is not God's standard, but is permitted because of the hardness of our hearts (sin).
3. Both the OT and NT permit divorce and remarriage.
4. Divorce is not an unforgiveable sin.
5. Divorce and remarriage must be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Let me recommend an excellent book on the topic:

"Divorce and Remarriage- A Redemptive Theology" by Rubel Shelly

This book was written with a spirit of grace coupled with a desire to bow to the Scriptures. Shelly looks at all the occurances of the topic in both the OT and NT in detail, but in a very readable way.

Also, another good book is

"Divorce and Remarriage- Four Christian Views" edited by H. Wayne House.

This book looks at the four predominant views in Christian churches. Here's the description:

Divorce. No one likes it, but it doesn't go away. Even among Christians, the divorce rate continues to climb. How should Christians approach this issue? May Christians ever legitimately divorce? If they divorce legitimately, may they remarry?Not everyone who appeals to Scripture agrees on how we should understand what it says about divorce and remarriage. In this book, four authors present their distinct perspectives. Carl Laney argues that the Bible indicates that marriages are always intended to be permanent, that there is never a need for divorce and that remarriage is never permissible after divorce. William Heth contends that while there are legitimate biblical grounds for divorce, there are no legitimate grounds for remarriage after divorce. Thomas Edgar defends the position that Scripture allows for divorce and remarriage in cases of adultry or desertion. Larry Richards holds that Scripture, while decrying divorce and the pain it causes, points to a God of grace who will not condemn those who divorce and remarry.Such a sensitive debate cannot remain abstract, so a case study accompanies each position, followed by critical responses from each essayist. The result is a thoughtful, helpful resource for all who wish to think biblically about a crucial issue confronting the church.

Very informative and helpful.

Finally, when this topic comes up, people often quote a verse from Malachi "God hates divorce" and think the discussion is over at that point.

Did you know that God was speaking to a particular people at a particular time when He made that statement? In fact, if you read the passage, He was speaking about a particular TYPE of divorce that was going on, one common today. Have a read in Malachi and find out...you may be surprised!

Eric

Misc. Ramblings and I Cor 7

2008-08-24T18:45:00.005-04:00

Hi,

Remember me?

Not many posts recently- sorry about that. Internet connection in Europe was pretty spotty...

Which reminds me.

I have to get something off my chest.

I didn't want to go. I was against it from the start. Too much money. Economy is in the toilet. Gas and oil are through the roof. I felt the good old "g" word hitting me right between the eyes.

Guilt.

I felt really guilty about going. My Maine upbringing makes me tighter than bark on a tree when it comes to spending money on myself. And as a Christian, how could I justify such an expense? I couldn't.

So for months leading up to this trip, I was a wreck. Ask my wife. We had a number of "discussions" about the trip and I was really really negative about it to the point we where almost didn't go. Then it got to be too late with all the deposit money and we had to go. But I still couldn't let go of my guilt and worry.

However, on July 30th, we flew out of Boston to Heathrow in London. Away we went, on the trip of a lifetime!

The other side of the story has to do with all the travel I used to do for Goodrich. I averaged at least two trips a month for several years. When I was in Europe and things were tough at home for Annette with the kids, she would say to them "Daddy's way over the ocean. One day, he's going to take all of us over there and we're going to see where he's been and have the trip of a lifetime!" And through hard work, perseverance, and saving money for almost 20 years, Annette made it happen. We have this giant bottle, the Europe bottle- it probably holds five gallons- and she's been putting money in it for as long as I can remember. Any loose change from the counter. A few bills sometimes get thrown in. Even tens and twenties. All saved up in a bottle so we could go to Europe to see where I'd been. And five free frequent flyer tickets sure helped!

So this morning, when I stood up for Sunday school class and gave you the 2 minute synopsis of the trip, I still felt a little funny. Because the trip cost a lot of money, even though we tried hard to do things cheaply (like food- let me tell you, there were a lot of meals that were bread and cheese). And some of you may not have too much money, especially these days. Especially with winter right around the corner and $4 or $5 per gallon home heating oil prices. Especially if you're on a fixed income.

Some may think it was extravagant to take 6 people to Europe for 3 weeks. It was. Some may think it was not a good use of my money as a Christian. I struggle with that myself.

In the end, it was a trip of a lifetime with my entire family. We saw the sights, we had tremendous experiences, we bonded together, we had times of stress and times of joy. And we fulfilled a decades long dream of seeing where "Daddy went". A heartfelt thanks to Annette for making it happen.

On a related topic, we read a lot of books on this trip. Thanks to Josh who brought a backpack full. Minimum number of books read by any one person was three and I think the most was five or six. And it was an eclectic mix, let me tell you. I love to read and I love to read books as a family and talk about them. As you know, I spend quite a bit of time reading Christian books, especially commentaries, which are detailed, verse-by-verse expositions on a particular book of the Bible. Plus I read several Christian blogs every day. In addition, I usually have at least one or two other books going that are "secular" in nature. I read them for enjoyment and in particular, with my "Christian glasses" on. (These, by the way, due to my advancing age, are 1.75X magnifying glasses, found at Kinney Drugs or the Dollar Store) What I mean by this is that I find it very healthy and stimulating to read books and enjoy them for the writing style, the plot, etc, and especially to see what the main message is and how it compares to my Christian world view. I find this particularly helpful with books my children are reading. So here's a quick list of what I read while on vacation (in order).

1. "Point Counterpoint" by Aldous Huxley. Huxley wrote "Brave New World" among others. This book is set in London in the 1930's and chronicles a couple of weeks in the lives of several upper crust Londoners. Since I was going to London, it seemed like a good choice. The prose was dense by lively. Huxley's characters were variable and quite amazing. Almost all were totally immoral and unscrupulous. Shows the character of sin and its deadly results in the end. Not sure I can really recommend it.
2. "Dharma Bums" by Jack Kerouac. This book was written and 1958 and along was Kerouac's "On the Road", became a standard for the Beat Generation. It's a semi-fictional account of his hitchhiking around the US, climbing mountains, doing poetry readings, communing with nature, along with his Buddhist friend Japhy. This book as very engaging and his discussions with Japhy are very interesting, as the author has Christian leanings. While I certainly disagree with the Buddhist philosophy of Japhy's, I can bring away several encouraging thoughts that permeate the book. First, is the appreciation and love of God's creation. We need, especially as Christians, to sit back in awe and wonder over the creation and the Creator. Second, is the desire for simplicity in our lives. Our possessions tend to possess us- they control our lives in an unhealthy way. I've read several Christian books and articles over the last few years that talk about the need to simplify our lives so that we can devote it to God and not to our possessions. Third, the main character meets all kinds of characters on his trips and he can always find some characteristic or quality to commend. We, as Christians, need to adopt this attitude. We are quick to judge and find fault. So in sum, while this was not a Christian book by any stretch of the imagination, I found it very encouraging and thought provoking. Sort of a non-Christian "Blue Like Jazz".
3. "Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. What can I say about this classic? You have to read this epic about growing old, about man vs nature, about man vs himself, the relationship between an old man and a young boy, etc. I could go on and on with the symbolism and the message in this book. Many have said the Old Man represents Christ in his suffering, and that can't be missed. Also, the Old Man searching for the fish and struggling to acquire it, almost to the point of losing his life. In the end, what does he end up with? A picture of our struggles to get things of the world... A must read.
4. "Eiger Dreams" by Jon Krakauer. He wrote "Into the Wild", which was made into a popular movie this year. "Eiger Dreams" is a series of chapters about his experiences mountain climbing, rock climbing, and ice climbing. Each chapter is thrilling and amazing as he describes his adventures on sheer rock faces- some he conquers, some he doesn't. As someone who is afraid of heights, I was amazed by his exploits and his determination. I was constantly reminded of the capabilities of man and thought several times of the Tower of Babel- "come, let us build a tower..." Krakauer also wrote "Under the Banner of Heaven", which a read a couple of years ago. It's a detailed history of the Mormon Church, particularly with the radical polygamist offshoots of the mainline Mormon Church. Fascinating reading.
5. "I Corinthians Commentary" by Gordon Fee. This massive tome, along with one by John MacArthur, are my main resources for the Sunday School class. Fee is absolutely amazing with his understanding of scripture. I highly recommend it, although it's not for the faint-hearted, as its almost 900 pages in small type! During our trip, I read his detailed exposition of chapter 7. I also read ahead into chapter 11 for some verses that I was interested in.

So what's my message in this? Read. Read broadly. Read with a Christian world view. Read with your family. Read what your family's reading. Talk about what you read.

So how does this relate to 1 Cor chapter 7?

It doesn't.

I want to talk about divorce and share with you my struggles on trying to teach this difficult subject. However, I think I'll let it sit for a few more days. So check back later in the week.

And post a comment! Let's try to make this a dialogue. I've hesitated about commenting on the comments, as I want to hear YOUR comments. But I see that lively discussions occur on the Christian blogs I read every day and the authors respond quite frequently.

Eric

I Corinthians 6- Adult with a Capital "A"

2008-07-07T20:22:00.004-04:00

In case you didn't happen to attend Adult Sunday School this past Sunday, let me tell you it was the must difficult one yet. If you were there, you know what I mean! Our topic, based on I Cor 6, was a very adult topic. Here's the verses that we covered:

12"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13"Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

I always look forward to having the HS and MS people in class for the summer. In fact, I can't wait to get them in there. I want to show off our adult class. I'm so impressed and amazed at our discussions over the Word, that I can't wait for them to be part of it. I want them to clearly see how relevant the Word of God is for their lives today. I want them to hear us intelligently talk through a passage. Sometimes we struggle and sometimes it comes easy- I want these young people to see how we as adults do it. This isn't a Bible story. Or a Bible lesson. It's the real deal. No dis against their previous Sunday School classes- the difference is the maturity of the conversations. And oh boy, was it mature yesterday.

I've been debating this for several weeks. What am I going to do when these guys show up? Half of me says to just carry on in I Corinthians and let the chips fall as they may. And the other half says to do something relevant- something edgy- something to catch their attention- something that they may struggle with- something that they can REALLY APPLY RIGHT NOW.

I think we got both covered pretty well.

Right up until class started, the debate was going on in my mind, especially as I saw them heading out the back door for their classes. I thought of the verses we'd be covering and sort of gave out a sigh and thought "Carry on today. Maybe finish up I Cor 6 and stop for the summer. Maybe I'll figure out something else to take up."

Then they came marching back in.

Here we go.

I definitely had one of those out-of-body experiences. You've all had them. They come during times of stress. After I read the passage (actually to the end of the chapter) and launched into my opening monologue, it was like I was watching myself from above talk about this awkward subject. As I was talking, I was simultaneously (from above, up near the chandelier where all the horrid ultra bright light bulbs are the give me a headache during church) making comments to myself about what I was saying...

Am I going too far?
Be clear. Absolutely crystal.
Don't shy away and avoid this- meet it head on.
They've heard the world's version in Health class and probably seen pictures, demonstrations, and pretty much everything.
I hope no parents are getting upset. Have they all had "the talk" yet???
Who do I think I am talking about this?
This may be THE chance, the ONE chance I have in this church to lay this all out- don't blow it.
Don't laugh. This is serious. Even though I want to laugh during tension filled moments like this. No jokes, anecdotes or limericks!
Run away. Fast and far.
Be clear.
Make eye contact. That's it...hold it. But not too much...
Crystal clear.

Pretty soon, I returned to my body, away from those bright light bulbs. I was overwhelmed with this one idea- make it clear. Don't beat around the bush. Don't sugar coat it. Now is not the time for timidity.

So that's what I tried to do.

Just to summarize, here's what I think I emphasized:

We are taught by the world (TV, Internet, School, etc) that we can do what we want- we have complete freedom. However, not everything we do is beneficial. Particularly when it comes to sex.
Some people say that sex is like eating- it's a strong bodily urge and all we're doing is satisfying that natural urge. However, sex outside of marriage is wrong in God's eyes.
The body is not meant for sexual immorality- in particular fornication/adultery and pornography.
When we are sexually immoral, we sin against the Lord Jesus since our bodies are members of Christ Himself.

I plan to carry on with this topic, using the verses in I Corinthians. Next week we'll get into the spiritual side of sexual sin. After that, as we move into chapter 7, I'll attempt to reinforce the positive side of sex within a marriage. That it's God's gift, that it's healthy, pleasurable, and appropriate behavior for married couples. So what's coming are these verses:

4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.

Have you ever thought of those verses? How would you like to teach them to a room full of people including MS and HS? Uh huh. Time for an out of body experience!

Let me know what you think about this...

Eric

I Corinthians 6- Who Do We Think We Are?

2008-06-23T21:58:00.004-04:00

My teenage years took place way back in the nineteen hundred and seventies. The music of the day was a big part of my life and I hardly did anything without a big transistor radio plugged in nearby. This was still the height of tinny AM radio, as FM mainly had classical programming. Most nights, I went to sleep listening to far-away stations that would skip off the ionosphere when the sun went down. These stations would drift in and out as atmospheric conditions changed and it would make me mad if they drifted out during a particularly good song. One of my favorite groups of the day was a British band called Deep Purple, one of the first rock bands to incorporate an organ, and famous for their anthem "Smoke on the Water". In 1972 they recorded their seventh album (a most excellent number) called "Who Do We Think We Are". The title had no question mark and seemed to be more of a statement- a bit brash, a bit in-your-face.

In I Corinthians chapter 6, we've been reading about the 3rd problem in this church- lawsuits among Christians for the most trivial things. Paul uses some pretty harsh language to get in the face of the people involved in this- vs 5 states "I say this to shame you." By the very fact of the lawsuits, they were "completely defeated already". Then Paul does something very interesting. He reminds the Corinthian brothers and sisters who they are.

Paul lists off some pretty serious offenses in verses 9 and 10. The first few deal with sins of a sexual nature, a topic that Paul discusses in chapter 5, and will move back to in the latter part of chapter 6. Then he names things that could be associated with the problem at hand- the lawsuits and the associated cheating and wrongdoing. He names thieves, the greedy, and swindlers. After the list of the 10 sins, Paul says this:

"And such were some of you."

Who do we think we are.

We need to always remember our life before Christ. It's so easy to forget. Paul never forgets his life before Christ. He never hides it or minimizes it. In fact, as he matures in his Christian life, we see a progression in the terms he uses for his previous life. In I Cor 15:9 Paul says about himself "For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God." In Eph 3:8, a few years later, he says "I am less than the least of all God's people". In I Tim 1:15, towards the end of Paul's life, he says this "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst."

See the progression?

- Least of the apostles.
- Least of all God's people.
- Worst of all sinners.

As we grow in Christ, our maturity will lead us into seeing things more clearly, more in perspective; we'll see with the eyes of God how horrible sin really is. We'll see how corrupt we really were in our disobedience and rejection of God. Read the first three verses of Ephesians chapter 2- "we were by nature objects of wrath."

Who do we think we are.

But then Paul brings them into the present. Stop living in the past. Stop behaving like you did in the past. Leave that life behind you and start acting like you really are.

"But you were washed." Speaks of the new life we have in Christ. We are clean, free of the filth of sin.

"But you were sanctified." Speaks of new behaviour as we live for Christ. We are set apart for the Master's use. We are stewards- the Master of the house has gone away and given us responsibilities until He returns. He's coming back and will evaluate how we've done in His absence.

"But you were justified." Speaks of the new position we have before God. Now that our sins are gone, we are brought into the family of God. We have a rightful place there, based on the sacrifice of Jesus and His righteousness.

These are extremely powerful, liberating, and enabling verses.

We are sinners, saved by grace. We are children of God.

That's who we think we are.

Eric

PS: Now for a little quiz. No googling allowed!

1) Smoke on the Water is a true story about what?
2) What is the name of the most famous song on Who Do We Think We Are?
3) What is the name of Deep Purple's organist?

I Corinthians 6- Lawsuits

2008-06-16T20:06:00.002-04:00

Hey There,

Sorry I missed a week. It seems like I've been overwhelmed with the circumstances of life these days and my energy has been totally sapped, particularly in the evenings. When I started this, I had every intention of updating it a couple of times a week, but that doesn't seem to be happening just yet. I'm amazed at the people that can provide updates to their blogs every day!

We had some interesting conversations during our class this past week, and the energy level was quite high, with the discussion continuing right up until the service. That's really good. I'm encouraged by how alive the Word is and how relevant. Although we don't have the specific problem in PCBC to the degree that Paul discusses, I wonder if we are missing out on an important principle of church responsibility.

As I've studied this section of scripture (I Cor 6:1-8) and thought about it over the last week or so, I've been challenged by the expectation that Paul has for the Corinthian Church. It's one thing to bring matters of faith and doctrine before the church for judgement. But his expectation is that "trivial cases" be brought before the church. I really wonder exactly what he meant by that. What type of things were to be brought before the church for contemplation, discussions, and ultimately, for judgement? Let's explore this...

The context of the passage provides a hint. Notice in verses 3 and 4 Paul says "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life. Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters..."

Do you see the hint? Paul is talking first about the future millennial state, when the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus will be established on the earth for all to see. He talks about the believer's responsibilities in "judging" during this time. The Greek word for "judge" is "krino" and can mean to rule or govern. So as Jesus taught in Matt 19 and Rev 2, believers will have a hand in ruling the world, both the spiritual and the material. Paul makes the argument that if we can handle THAT immense responsibility, we ought to be able to handle things now. What things?

"The things of this life."

That's the hint that Paul gives. If we have disputes (or discussions to determine a decision) about things of this life, we need to appoint judges within the church to deal with them.

It's clear that the Corinthians had two problems. First, they were bringing their disputes before the world for judgement- they had things all turned around. In chapter 5, they had a tendency to judge the world and in chapter 6, they had a tendency to let the world judge them! Second, they had a moral problem with cheating and defrauding their Christian brothers and sisters.

But does that obscure the implication that's under the surface? That we are to bring "the things of this life" to the church so they can help us figure out what to do?

We have two choices when it comes to "things of this life". We can figure them out ourselves or we can go to the world for advice and council to have them make decisions for us.

But there is a third choice. A radical one.

We can bring them to the church.

Let's face it. Many times you and I don't have the resources to make a good decision or judgement. Sometimes our vision is clouded by emotion- we're too close to the problem. We do the best we can, but often feel overwhelmed with what we have to face in this life. Pride comes into play and we figure we can make our decision on our own. Or we don't want to appear weak. Or we don't want to share our issues. Good old pride drives us to continue to be inward.

Most often, if we feel particularly in over our heads, we go to a pro-fessional to get advice and to help us make decisions. Many times, they can offer excellent advice in their areas of expertise. But many that we go to are not Christians. They don't have our worldview. They don't understand what motivates us and what is important to us. Our way of looking at this life is radically different from theirs, the World's view. So we go to them and the advice is "you need to put more money in your 401k and save for retirement so you're comfortable and maybe you want to cut back on your charitable contributions." Hmm.

Has it ever entered your mind (or my mind) to go to the church for help with things of this life? Practical things. Can you imagine asking three or four people in the church to meet with you to talk about that new job you've been offered? Picture the situation...

"I've been offered a new position at work. It's a promotion with a higher salary. With it comes more responsibilities, such as more hours, some travel and a bunch of extra stress. I feel competent to be able to do it, and feel like maybe God has put it before me, since I sure wasn't asking for it. I feel like I can be a positive influence for Jesus if I took this position. But I'm not sure if I really should take it. Can you help me?"

Pick another topic. College. Or a girlfriend. Or buying a house.

The things of this life.

Wouldn't it be really cool and amazing and rad and awesome if somehow we felt like we were all in this together? That we could rely on each other and count on each other for making decisions, judgements about the things of this life?

"All the believers were together and they had everything in common." Acts 2:44
"All the believers were one in heart and mind." Acts 4:32

The early church sold all their goods and lived together in community. While we might not do that today, we can certainly act on a similar principle. Think how that would feel. Think about the support we would have. Think about the reduction in stress and piece of mind we might have.

Maybe I wouldn't be so overwhelmed with the circumstances of this life, as I have been lately.

Eric

I Corinthians 5- Discipline

2008-06-01T19:17:00.004-04:00

Today in class, we had a most difficult chapter- not difficult because we don't understand what Paul says, but difficult because we shrink from actually doing what is described. And Paul is most upset with the church in Corinth for NOT acting.

Here are a couple of additional thoughts that I'd like to share.

Paul instructs the church to expel the man who won't repent by handing him over to Satan so that the sinful nature might be destroyed. We talked at length on what this means and I shared several verses with you. Here's another similar situation from Rev 2- the church in Thyatira:

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (NIV)

See how similar it is to Corinth?

The sin had to do with sexual immorality, same as Corinth.
Here, its a person of authority, a teacher.
God is patient, giving her time to repent. It seems that in Corinth, ample time had gone by such that everyone had heard about it and the church was proud instead of grieving. Ample time to repent.
God gets to the point where He's had enough. "Okay" He says, "if that's the life you want to lead, go right ahead. But you'll pay for your choice."
The result is intense suffering, for Jezebel and for those that join her. She may have lost children as part of this judgement. In Corinth, the result is exactly the same- the destruction of the flesh, the sinful nature, to the point of death. This can be avoided if repentance occurs.

Another portion of relevant scripture is in Hebrews chapter 12.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child."
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate children at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)

This section teaches us to expect God's hand of discipline to be upon us because He loves. God's discipline is for our good. God's discipline is painful. It could very well affect our health. Similar to what Paul says in I Cor 11- "that is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep...when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."

When a person is disciplined by the local church, its confirming the decision the person has already made. The person is expressing the following:

I will not change my behavior.
In fact, I choose that behavior .
I will not be subject to the scriptures, or to the local church.
I reject the truth of God.
I embrace the world and its standards.

Just like the prodigal son, this person goes and embraces all the world has to offer...until, he comes to himself, living with the pigs.

The local church provides an umbrella of protection from the dangers of the world. There is the person of Christ to shepherd us and to feed us. There's the ministry of the Holy Spirit that joins us to the other believers, the divine link that bonds us together. There's the ministry of other believers- those that teach and preach the word- to build us up in our most holy faith. There's the fellowship of other believers that encourages us and gives us opportunities to serve. There's the power of prayer, an unseen by palpable force that unites us, comforts us, and protects us. When a believer is caught up in sin and refuses to repent, he cuts himself off from all these blessings. He chooses the pleasures of sin for a season in exchange for all of the benefits that the local church body can offer. That's why we should grieve and cry out to God when someone chooses this path- its a path of hurt and pain and despair directly away from all the provisions that God provides in His church, the body of Christ.

Finally, I'd like to touch on Galatians chapter 6.

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If any of you think you are something when you are nothing, you deceive yourselves...
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. People reap what they sow. 8 Those who sow to please their sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; those who sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (NIV)

This amazing passages teaches us the responsibility we have to come around someone caught up in sin and lift them up to restoration. It's easier for us to look down our nose at someone struggling with sin and literally cross the road. What attitudes we can have as Christians! "Thank God" prays the religious leader, "that I'm not like this person here..." That's the judgemental attitude that God condemns- judgement that makes us think we are somehow better. It gets so bad that no one is able or willing to share personal struggles because of the condemnation of others. I often wonder why prayer requests are so infrequent for personal struggles- "can you pray for ME, I'm struggling with abc..." Can you think of an example when someone asked for prayer for themselves? Why is it so rare? Pride. That's why.

If any of you think you are something when you are nothing, you deceive yourselves.

Next, Paul makes certain to let us know that our sin has consequences. If we feed the flesh and sow to please our sinful nature, we reap destruction. Could this be physical punishment, as it seems to be in the other passages (I Cor 5, I Cor 11, Heb 12, Rev 2)? God is not to be trifled with. We know Him and we understand His ways. We are NOT deceived and we KNOW that God cannot be mocked and sin will have consequences. For the believer, we can rest assured that "our spirit will be saved on the Day of the Lord". The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 10: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire the will consume the enemies of God."

That's why its such an important aspect of our ministry and responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ to shoulder their burdens and to help them in their struggle with sin. This is not easy work, but it's a tremendous need and especially rewarding. I'll close with these very interesting verses at the end of Jude.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)

These verses have to do with sin and how we react to it. Have you ever shown mercy to a doubter? Have you ever shown mercy to someone totally corrupted by sin? Has their corruption scared you? Or, have you ever snatched someone from the fire?

Let me know your thoughts.

Eric

Nooma VIDEO- Prayer

2008-05-18T19:24:00.008-04:00

For about a year, I've been wanting to show one of Rob Bell's Nooma videos in our Sunday School class. I've read two of his books, both of which had profound effects on me. The first was "Velvet Elvis" and I think I've read that three times, cover-to-cover. The second book is called "Sex God", which is a really odd name for a christian book. It's about God's desire for profound intimacy with us.

And I've heard great things about his video series and had a couple of opportunities to view them. I finally ordered the latest one from Christian Book Distributors several weeks ago, not really reading what the subject was. You can click on the following link to see the Nooma list at CBD:

http://www.christianbook.com/nooma/785613343

Several days later, it arrived and I settled in to watch it. I found it very intense. I watched it again right away, as I felt like I missed quite a bit the first time through. I was very intent on seeing the connection between the younger woman and the man, both in the hospital, so I couldn't concentrate on Rob's words as well as I could have. Since then, I've watched it several times.

I'm tempted to use this blog as a review of the video, commenting on its good points and bad points. But I really would rather not do that, although it will be tough for me to stay away from that! I'll attempt to just focus on two things- first, my reactions when I saw the video today (although it was not my first time), and second, the reactions I saw and heard from you today.

I wrote down several words as we watched together...

OPEN- prayer involves being open to the God who works in the here and now.
HONEST- true prayer is being brutally honest with God.
POSTURE- our whole posture, our entire being should be a prayer to God, such that even other people can see that.
CONNECTION- prayer draws us closer to people and provides a connection that we can feel.
ENLARGES- prayer opens our hearts and changes our attitudes such that it makes us reach out in a physical way.
CHANGE- prayer can't help but change us.

And finally, the one sentence that really caught my attention "Don't ask God to feed the hungry when you have plenty of food."

It seems that the main message from the video, is that prayer can have a profound effect upon the person praying. While this is only one aspect of prayer, I find that it is absolutely true. If you pray for someone, your feeling about them changes and intensifies. You feel closer and more connected with them. If you pray for a need, you're compelled to do something; you're stirred to action.

One person shared this thought with me: "prayer is life and death".

We are in a battle, right here and now. A battle between good and evil. A spiritual battle that is being waged around us and half the time we don't even know it. Remember the book that took the Christian world by storm a few years ago called "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti? (Time passes- it was actually published in 1986, more than 20 years ago. I'm getting old!!) One of the most compelling ideas that Peretti put forth was that our prayers have tremendous power in the spiritual warfare around us. In a review of the book by Dean Halverson at the Creation Research Institute, the following Peretti quote appears:

In an interview with Charisma magazine, he said that "whether people like it or not, there is a spiritual war going on. The main thrust of my book is encouraging believers to engage in intercessory prayer and to open their eyes to spiritual realities." (Dan O'Neill, "The Supernatural World of Frank Peretti," Charisma and Christian Life, May 1989, 48, 50.) (1)

Prayer is life and death.

It certainly has the physical connotation as well. And that's what the person's comment was referring to. Think about the hospital scene. Or the accident scene. Thing about when our prayers are the most intense.

Someone else mentioned to me the long line of cars stopped along the road. It's night. Something terrible has happened. All the people in all those cars are stopped along the road. What are they thinking? What are they wondering? What if all of them were praying, connected together in a long line, with their lights on in the darkness, all focusing their energy, their light, on the tragedy ahead?

Another person told me that prayer is the glue that holds us together. That prayer is mystical and that it must be the Holy Spirit. Prayer is intensely personal. But corporate prayer, or being joined together in prayer like we were on the Day of Prayer is incredibly powerful. She said that's when she most feels prayer- when its more than one person- that's the power of the Spirit that connects us together to make up the body of Christ.

Finally, several people mentioned Rob's use of the term "creation narrative". While this is a bit off topic, I'll explain what he means by this. One of the movements going on in Christendom in the last few years is called the Emerging Church or Emergent Church. There are several characteristics of the EC movement. In fact, EC leaders shun the word "movement" and instead call it a "conversation" or a "dialogue". So one of the characteristics of the EC is a focus on the "dialogue of scripture" and passages are termed as "narratives". In this postmodern Christian world, there is a push away from the scientific method that analyzes and characterises verses in a cold, analytical way. We miss the beauty of the original languages, with all its tension and drama. One of the EC claims is that scripture was meant to be read in a group, to be narrated as a drama, and to be discussed at length in community. This is particularly true of the Old Testament. When Rob talks about the "creation narrative", I don't believe he is calling in question the literal text of Genesis, but he is drawing our attention to how it was communicated for centuries.

"Dad, tell us again about how God made the world."

"Okay. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. "

And the narrative begins. Questions arise and are voiced. Answers are given. The creation narrative unfolds... but I digress.

Please share your thoughts about the video. And about prayer.

Eric

References

(1) http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2739275/k.BBDC/DN082.htm

I Corinthians 4- Like Father, Like Son

2008-05-11T19:27:00.009-04:00

Today in Sunday School, we finished up the 4th chapter of I Corinthians- we are now 25% of the way through the letter. This section, from vs 14 to 21, is the conclusion of Paul's dealing with the first problem in Corinth- the factions where one says "I'm of Paul", another "I'm of Apollos", etc.

The subject of the class is a bit odd, given that today is Mother's Day. Another odd thing, is how the class itself ended up. I had planned to discuss the six points of Paul's fatherhood from this section. However, very early in the class, I felt a different call- a call to turn the scriptures around and talk about our opportunities to be spiritual fathers and mothers to those around us. Was it a message that we needed to hear?

I feel very strongly about this. Paul says to the Corinthian believers "I urge you to imitate me" in vs 16 of the chapter. What better way to imitate Paul than to take on the role of a loving, caring parent to those younger in the faith than we are, just like he does!

There are two topics related to our spiritual parenthood, that I'd like to go into in a bit more detail, based on comments I had after the class. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

The first topic has to do with one of the most difficult and trying parts of parenthood- correction and discipline. Notice that Paul talks about it in three ways, and there appears to be a progression- first is the admonition or warning. Next comes the urging or pleading. Finally, the discipline, if necessary. In our relationship with other Christians, seldom do we warn or plead, and almost never discipline.

Why is this?

Let me count the ways!

"It's none of my business."
"I shouldn't judge."
"They won't like me."
"It's too hard."
"That's the pastor's job."

And the favorite "Who am I to correct? I'm a failure myself."

If we use Paul's metaphor of the parent/child relationship, I think we can gain insight and confidence to remove some of these reasons and provide a real service to another Christian.

So put on your parent hat and think about your role and responsibilities as a father or mother to your child. Are you perfect? Nope. Do you make mistakes? Yep. Do you sometimes say one thing and do another? Uh huh. Do you sometimes correct your child for behaviors that they've copied from you??? Oh boy...like father, like son...

Get the picture?

But do these failings and inconsistencies mean that we somehow lose our responsibility as parents? Are we no longer longer able to warn them, urge them, or discipline them?

Picture this. Your child runs towards a busy street as you look on silently. A neighbor sees your child and rushes over to pull her from harms way. The neighbor turns to you with an angry look and says "Didn't you see your daughter run towards that street! Why didn't you do anything to save her???"

Your response "Well, see, yesterday, I got in an argument with my wife and I sorta lost my temper and raised my voice and things got out of control. And, well, I said some things that I shouldn't. And my daughter was right there to see the whole thing. Since I've made such a terrible mistake, I just don't feel its my place to correct her in these situations."

A silly, unrealistic example.

Or is it?

We use it all the time with our spiritual family.

So let's stop doing that and take on the role that God wants for us. If there's sin in our life, let's deal with it and stop using it as an excuse to not help someone rushing toward a busy street.

The second topic is the polar opposite. Forcing a role without a relationship. Think about that for a minute-

Forcing a role without a relationship.

Have you ever had someone you barely know give you correction? I find it irritating. I've had experience with a couple of people who've insisted from the moment I met them that their role in life is to fix all my problems. You've met people like this. They love to point out all the things people around them are doing wrong.

Most of us don't take this type of "help" very graciously. That's when we respond, either silently or verbally "who do YOU think you are, telling me what to do."

When I was in high school, back in the Stone Age when basketball players wore real shorts and most of Lynyrd Skynyrd was still alive, there was a character that everyone called "Cappy". Cappy was always in trouble and many tried to correct his wayward path. Cappy had a standard response to any type of correction or discipline, whether from a teacher or another student. He'd turn, glare the person right in the eye, screw up has face and yell out at the top of his lungs:

"You ain't my mother!!"

Forcing a role without a relationship.

In our zealousness to become spiritual fathers and mothers, let's make sure we develop the relationship first. Paul goes right back to that very thing in vs 14 and 15. He calls them "dear children" and he CAN, because he was the one that led them to Christ. He spent time with them. He talked, he reasoned, he shared his life with them. He discipled them, he taught them, he loved them. Now he has the relationship that gives him the credibility assume the role of warning, urging, and possibly disciplining.

I urge you then- ask God to give you a burden for someone that you know, that God would give you someone to mentor, to be an example for, to love and to guide in their Christian walk. Spend time with that person. Develop a relationship with them. Want the absolute best for them. And as time goes on, be prepared to warn, to urge, to discipline, to stop them from dashing into a busy street.

Let me know your thoughts or comments on this topic. Has someone been a spiritual father or mother to you?

Eric

PS-

And that 1967 anti-smoking commercial I described today? Click on the picture below and have a look:

I Cor 4: Who do you identify with?

2008-05-04T20:32:00.003-04:00

This morning at the beginning of the Sunday School class, I read I Cor 4, starting in v. 6 to get the context, and then read down through v. 14.

The response was not what I had expected. The more I read the passage, the more quiet the class became. As Paul compared himself to how the Corinthians were living, how they were viewing themselves, the gravity of the description pressed upon us. I finished up the description with

"Up to this moment, we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you."

I had nothing to say at that point. Normally, after I read the scripture passage at the beginning of class, my mind is bubbling over with a hundred thoughts about how to begin, where will the lesson go, how will I fit it all in. Not this time. I was dumb with conviction.

I want to share two additional scripture passages, and then talk about the connection to our worship service today.

In Revelation ch 3, Jesus writes to the church at Laodicea and says

"You say 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." v 17.

Here, it seems, is a situation with similar attitudes to those in Corinth. When I've read this passage in the past, I always think "that's us. That's the church today in the United States." We live like kings compared to the rest of the world.

Half the world survives on $2 a day.
Worldwide, 6 people die of hunger...every second.
It is estimated that to provide basic health and nutrition for every person on earth, it would cost $13 billion a year.
Yet, the US spends $14 billion per year on cosmetics and personal grooming products.

Ironic, isn't it? People are starving to death and we spend fortunes to make ourselves look pretty. Or trying to grow hair where it doesn't grow anymore. Or paying someone to remove it where we don't want it. We wash our hair with shampoo to get the oil out. Then use conditioner to add oil back in.

We live like kings. And we want more. And more. I'm no different, trust me. I completely identify with the Corinthians and the Laodiceans.

Paul writes this to the Philippian church:

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death." Phil 3:10

Do you see who Paul identifies with? And do you see what aspect of Jesus Paul identifies with? It doesn't quite fit in with the Corinthians or the Laodiceans or with me, does it? The fellowship of sharing in His suffering.

What about Peter in the passage read during today's worship service? Reread Matt 26:69-75.

Things are at a crisis. Jesus has been betrayed and stands now before the high priest. They spit in His face and strike Him with their fists.

Peter sees all this begin to unfold and follows at a distance. He now has a choice to make.

Out in the courtyard, there's a group of people. The night is chilly so they kindle a fire and warm themselves. Peter draws near the fire and is immediately identified as one of Jesus' disciples. Peter denies any connection with Jesus three times.

The last time, it is noticed that his very speech, his accent gives him away. Peter denies with cursing.

You know, we often talk like a Christian. We speak the language. But we don't want to identify with the complete package.

Our accent betrays us, but our actions condemn us.

We identify with the victorious Jesus; the warrior Jesus; the King Jesus. We don't want to identify ourselves with the suffering Jesus. The Man of Sorrows.

We live like kings.

And who do we identify with in this world? Interesting question, yes? We spend a large amount of time watching sports. Or TV. Or movies. We identify with who is cool, who is popular, who is famous. We watch American Idol and Dance With the Stars and the NBA playoffs. And we wish it was us on that screen with the world paying us homage. Who do we identify with in our community? In our church?

Who did Jesus identify Himself with, when He was here? The poor. The outcasts. The unpopular. Tax gatherers and prostitutes. All the losers. That's who He sought out.

Amazing how backwards we get it, isn't it?

Eric

Day of Prayer at PCBC

2008-05-03T08:24:00.000-04:00

I hesitated when the sign-up sheet came to me.

See, I'm not the giant of prayer that I should be. I'm more of a Zacchaeus of prayer, height-challenged. A midget of prayer at most. And I know it.

So I hesitated. But only for a moment. I signed up for the 6:30 AM time slot and quickly passed the sign-up sheet along.

The night before the Day, I didn't sleep well. It was odd. I normally have my alarm set for 6:00AM and the backup alarm for 6:30, just in case. In preparation for the Day, I set it for 5:45 and the backup for 6:00- plenty of time for getting up, getting ready, doing my hair, and making the long drive to PCBC.

I used to travel for work quite frequently, which often means getting up early and driving to the Burlington International Airport (one of the great mysteries of life- just WHERE, "Internationally", can you fly from Burlington?? To what other nation????). The night before a trip, I wake up frequently, in a panic, to check the clock. I'm fearful that I'll oversleep and miss the flight. It was the same feeling the night before the Day.

Finally, 5:45AM came- the Day had arrived and I was up and in the shower. I made some coffee and wondered what God would think of me if I drank coffee during my allotted time. Would He understand? Was it somehow unspiritual? Did Spurgeon drink coffee during his morning prayers? Coffee cup in hand, I fired up the Saab (Old Blue) and made the journey to PCBC. I thought about stopping at the store to buy a Free Press from Andy- sort of a joking thought- in case I couldn't make it through my 30 minutes.

I worried a little bit about that. I know what you're thinking- 30 minutes is NOT very much time to pray, and if I can't do that, then what kind of a Christian am I? I wondered how it would go, as I parked Old Blue and walked up the steps. I had a vision of being in prayer for what seemed like hours, sweat running down my face at the strain, and then sneaking a glance at my watch only to find out it was 6:35- I'd only been at it for 5 minutes!

I opened the door and walked in the sanctuary. There, at the front, on his knees, was Larry. I was struck. "Oh Lord" I thought, "You are so good." Larry got up, we embraced. Then I was alone.

I got down on my knees and looked at the platform. Prayer requests, hymnbook, selected scriptures, and a list of the church family were laid out on the platform. I added a pew bible, and got down to business.

I started by confessing my sins and asking God for help. Then I moved to praying for my immediate family. Then on to giving Glory to God for how good He is. A quick glance at my watch and it was 6:45- wow! I then asked God to continue to bless and build up the Panton fellowship. Then I prayed through the church family list, which was an incredible experience.

Suddenly, it was 7:00AM. Where did the time go?

As I drove down Panton Road on my way to work, I was amazingly refreshed and encouraged. I was so thankful to God. During the rest of the day, I visualized the church and another person on their knees at the front platform. It felt so good to think of that.

Later, I talked to Rich about it at work. He told me of a church he went to that had continual prayer. They blocked off a hallway which had a separate entrance to make a sort of "prayer closet". People would sign up for their time, but it wasn't just for a Day, it was a commitment for a certain time that they would be there every week. Rich said there was even a telephone in the prayer closet and people with urgent needs could call in and ask for prayer. He said that it was very comforting and encouraging to know that someone was there all the time, praying. And Rich, thank you for organizing the Day.

That night, I talked to my wife about the experience. She told of coming in at her allotted time, and there was a family praying together. Actually, as she entered, they were singing a hymn together to close out their allotted time. She was equally struck with the beauty of the scene, and how pleasing it is to God. She also told me that during the Day, she liked to visualize someone at the church, praying. It was very encouraging to her. A common theme perhaps.

Often, in Sunday School, we talk about building up the church, about edifying the congregation. Sometimes we wonder how to do that personally. We think of the teaching, or the sermon, or the worship leader and wonder "how can I do something like that to build people up?" Let me tell you, the Day was a very practical way that each of us can provide encouragement to others. Certainly the prayers that are offered are powerful. But I'm thinking of just us being there, each taking our turn on our knees. It unifies the body of believers in a very special way.

Thoughts? Please leave a comment describing your experience on the Day...

Eric

I Corinthians 4- Judging

2008-04-29T19:52:00.000-04:00

29 April 2008

Okay. What am I doing with this? I'm not exactly sure. First, it seems our Sunday School classes seem to end too soon and there's lots more to say. And after, people share the most amazing comments with me that I promise to talk about next week...and it just doesn't work out. The moment is lost and so is the comment. Second, I feel like I want to share more of my rambling thoughts on what's going on in the world from a Christian perspective. Maybe talk about some events in the media, in the news, or maybe a book I've read or a movie I've seen.

So maybe I'll try out this blog thing and see where it goes. So let me know what you think!

This week, I'll focus on our last class.

This past Sunday we spent another week discussing "judging" in I Corinthians chapter 4. I have to tell you, that I was very nervous about this chapter because of the topic.

Many many Christians get quite emotional about judging. This is often the case because one of the main criticisms that we hear from the world is that we Christians are "judgemental". In fact, one of the most quoted verses that non-Christians quote is "Do not judge". As was pointed out this past week, when the entire section is read in context (Matt 7: 1-5), we find that Jesus was criticising people for the way they were judging. He encourages applying judgement to ourselves first, and then we are able to judge properly to "remove the speck from your brother's eye." Jesus starts this passage with a warning about how we judge- whatever method we employ will be used on us!

Another reason that we tend to be emotional about judging is that we have been on the receiving end of someone judging us in a very unscriptural way. It's not very pleasant or helpful or edifying to be under the eye of an overly judgemental or critical person. That's the prime reason that we are labeled as being judgemental as Christians- because in many cases, its true! Our attitude is one of being better than the other person and we condemn them. Condemnation at the hands of another Christian that lacks grace and love is terrible. Many can tell of years of discouragement, depression, and low self-esteem based on the condemnation of other Christians.

Thankfully, our discussions never reached the emotional levels that I had feared they would. The class this past Sunday, was a bit more "preachy" than usual, and I apologize for that- I much prefer our discussions. However, I really wanted to drive home something that I recently learned in my studies of the letter of I Corinthians. And that is the bigger picture of how many times Paul refers to judging in the letter, and how the term was used in each case. I know we went through the verses quite quickly, and I was not able to do them justice. Time didn't permit it. I hope you did see the bigger picture- that "judging" is the normal and healthy part of our Christian life. The one time it is condemned is in chapter 4, where the topic is stewardship- only the Master can evaluate and properly reward the steward's work- especially not the Corinthian church!

I did find an additional passage that talks about judging that I had somehow missed. Take a look at I Cor 14:23-25. Paul is discussing speaking in tongues in contrast to prophesying. He is making the case that prophesying is much preferred to tongues. He tells of someone coming into the church with everyone speaking in tongues- that person will say that you are out of your mind! On the other hand, if they are prophesying, then "he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare." I will let you think about what this judging is referring to. Remember, we'll get to chapter 14 by 2029...if we're lucky!

One additional and very important chapter that discusses judging is Romans 14. I had hoped to get to it, but time didn't permit. Please, if you have 15 minutes, read through that chapter and think about what it says. The topic is "passing judgement on disputable matters." This is something that is rampant in Christian churches, especially ones that are legal. Thankfully, its never raised its ugly head in PCBC. There are many things that we encounter as Christians that we must make a decision about (judge), that do not have corresponding clear scriptures to consult. With these issues, we must, before God, decide whether to avoid these things or practice them. The problem comes, when we decide to avoid something, and the person in the next pew practices it- what is our attitude towards them? Do we love them, embrace them and say to ourselves "that's not something I would do, but it's okay for them"? Or do we condemn them for the practice, look down our noses, and say "how can Christians do such things??" These practices, or disputable matters, can become tests that must be passed by Christians; they become a way to judge a person's spirituality. This is wrong.

Paul lays down a number of principles on how to deal with these disputable matters in Romans 14 . I'll list a couple of them and let you find the others.

1) We are not to judge others on disputable matters.
2) We are not to put a stumbling block before our brothers and sisters.
3) We have Christian liberty.
4) We should only do things that build up (edify) our brothers and sisters.

Finally, I'd like to mention a comment I had after Sunday's class. It was profound. Paul says in I Cor 4:3 "...indeed, I do not even judge myself." We talked about the steward- he or she answers ONLY to the Master. Only the Master can properly evaluate and reward our performance, as Paul says in V. 4 "...It is the Lord who judges me." So Paul says that with respect to his stewardship, the thing of value that he's been given from the Master, he himself is not competent or able to effectively evaluate or reward it.

So what does that really mean? Here's the profound comment....

So often, when we are involved in a ministry, we get discouraged. We think we are failures. We get depressed. We become ineffective. The ministry suffers and we may stop altogether. Why? Because in our estimation, in our evaluation, in our judgement, we are failures.

Wait a minute.

We have NO business making that judgement. That is not our job. That is not our responsibility. "It is the Lord who judges me." How many ministries stop because of our own self doubts, our own evaluations, our own estimates of failure?

Paul does say "My conscience is clear", meaning that he does evaluate whether he is working on the ministry, whether he is being faithful to it. But he makes it equally clear that it is the Lord who will judge...and most encouragingly, "at that time each will receive praise from God."

This coming week, we will look at the latter part of I Cor 4- some had become kings and some had not.

Eric