The more dialogue that is had with folks over the issue of whether or not Muslims and Christians are praying to / worshiping the same God, the more I realized that Jesus messes up people's belief structure that want to integrate these two very contradictory truth claims.
Frankly, it makes my blood boil. My friend and compadre, Brad Hankins, is in a class in which this is the current discussion, and he with perhaps one or two others, hold the line of what the biblical text actually says.
I have been in discussions and forums about this issue and no one wants to talk about what Jesus says. Why? Because he messes everything up. He got murdered for (many other sovereign and salvific purposes as well) some of the things he said, like "before Abraham was, I AM". That one kind of stirred the pot a bit.
There are presuppositions in play here. One is that, although it would be denied, the Scriptures are not the foundation of authority, experience, emotion and opinion are the foundations of authority, and any quotation of Scripture is an angry and harsh response. Remember, Jesus got murdered for saying this stuff and told us they would hate us too.
That does not mean we have to be jerks. We should and must be gentle and winsome, but we dare not avoid the text of Scripture. It will offend and I am learning this more and more.
1 John 5:6-12 is enough without even quoting Jesus! Bring Jesus in and these folks arguments and emotions are blown up!
I'll close with this from 2 Timothy 4:1-5
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
SDG
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I hate Valentines Day
Dude, the fact of the matter is that Valentine's Day as it stands is awful. After many years of wallowing around in my thoughts I propose a revolution to take the day back.
1. Saint Valentine was probably not a wuss, so let's go manly with the revolution.
2. Pink? What the heck? Can we get any more sugar in the tank? Really! Let's go with camo.
3. I hated giving Valentines cards to chicks as a kid that I feared would read too much into the goofy card and believe I was really asking them to be MY Valentine. How embarrassing. I propose we burn valentines cards for fuel for point number 5.
4. Chocolate... well, that's not so bad. We can keep the chocolate.
5. How about adding "feats of strength" events all day long. One such even could be with a bow and arrow, in order to redeem the combination from the sweet cupid, in which we shoot a moving target, preferrably something edible, and upon slaughter, field dressing the beast and cooking it on the spot on Larry's grill.
6. Beer. Enough said. If this one offends your conscience, then I meant root beer, seriously. Just have some fun with me and don't be a pink valentine.
That is enough from me for now. How about you post some of your thought on revolting against the current Valentine's debacle. Post them as comments. Come on people, let's get it done!
1. Saint Valentine was probably not a wuss, so let's go manly with the revolution.
2. Pink? What the heck? Can we get any more sugar in the tank? Really! Let's go with camo.
3. I hated giving Valentines cards to chicks as a kid that I feared would read too much into the goofy card and believe I was really asking them to be MY Valentine. How embarrassing. I propose we burn valentines cards for fuel for point number 5.
4. Chocolate... well, that's not so bad. We can keep the chocolate.
5. How about adding "feats of strength" events all day long. One such even could be with a bow and arrow, in order to redeem the combination from the sweet cupid, in which we shoot a moving target, preferrably something edible, and upon slaughter, field dressing the beast and cooking it on the spot on Larry's grill.
6. Beer. Enough said. If this one offends your conscience, then I meant root beer, seriously. Just have some fun with me and don't be a pink valentine.
That is enough from me for now. How about you post some of your thought on revolting against the current Valentine's debacle. Post them as comments. Come on people, let's get it done!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
threeriverscc.org/c_sermons.php?c_id=48
The Sabbath is such a pointer to the person and work of Christ that it's hard to see how it is missed. I have spoken on this issue in greater detail. The link above is a link to that talk, but I read Exodus 31:12-18 this morning as part of my Old Testament reading for the day and a single line spoken from the LORD stood out that really did the job of my entire talk. Speaking of keeping the Sabbath the LORD says, "...that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you." WOW!
See, on the Sabbath they did no work as the LORD did no work after the sixth day of creation. The LORD did not need to catch his breath after creation. If he did, we are in some trouble. Did the Sabbath provide a physical rest for the people? Sure. Was that the point? NO!
The writer of Hebrews makes that clear, but so does this text. The point was that they see it is the LORD who cleans them up without any of their assistance!
God does not ask us to be effective at cleaning ourselves up. We seek to be righteous because we love Jesus, but he makes us righteous because he, as God, is the only one who can do that.
So, when you enjoy the Sabbath, remember, it is the LORD, Jesus, who makes you and I acceptable to God, not our actions, attitudes, behaviors, resting....
Praise be to God!
The Sabbath is such a pointer to the person and work of Christ that it's hard to see how it is missed. I have spoken on this issue in greater detail. The link above is a link to that talk, but I read Exodus 31:12-18 this morning as part of my Old Testament reading for the day and a single line spoken from the LORD stood out that really did the job of my entire talk. Speaking of keeping the Sabbath the LORD says, "...that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you." WOW!
See, on the Sabbath they did no work as the LORD did no work after the sixth day of creation. The LORD did not need to catch his breath after creation. If he did, we are in some trouble. Did the Sabbath provide a physical rest for the people? Sure. Was that the point? NO!
The writer of Hebrews makes that clear, but so does this text. The point was that they see it is the LORD who cleans them up without any of their assistance!
God does not ask us to be effective at cleaning ourselves up. We seek to be righteous because we love Jesus, but he makes us righteous because he, as God, is the only one who can do that.
So, when you enjoy the Sabbath, remember, it is the LORD, Jesus, who makes you and I acceptable to God, not our actions, attitudes, behaviors, resting....
Praise be to God!
Friday, February 12, 2010
CH Spurgeon, Nehemiah 4:15-23 and The Sword and the Trowel
I love Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He is an apt hero for us Calvinist Baptists. I was digging today, this glorious gift of God's grace to me in a snow day in the south, while preparing for Sunday's talk on Nehemiah 4:15-23 and found a site that has some old articles from Spurgeon's magazine called "The Sword and the Trowel". I discovered that he took the title from the passage I'm preaching from Sunday, Nehemiah 4:15-23. It's the perfect title for a magazine that did the work his did. Here is a link to the site I found. Take a look at the cover art work on the left hand side of the page. Download the image and look at it closely. It is a great depiction of the work on the wall require "sword" and "trowel".
www.spurgeon.org/sw&tr.htm
Click this link and enjoy!
www.spurgeon.org/sw&tr.htm
Click this link and enjoy!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
On the eve of something really cool
You know, tomorrow could either be a huge success for a huge failure, at least in these eyes. Father never fails, I know that. Just being honest with my thoughts.
When I first learned of the need for Christian parents to do James 1:27 for real I was confronted with a personal responsibility to do something. Enter my 4 year old son Daniel.
When I saw him for the first time he was sick, in shoes too small and with a lady he did not know and biological mother he did not know. Jennifer, being the always prepared one, asked the mother some questions and she answered. The mother did not even hold Daniel (that is his new name). He sat in the lap of the other lady who drove the mother to where we were. He was with no one he knew. Nothing familiar, sick and in clothes that did not fit.
He slid down off of the lady's lap when it was time to part ways and toddled over to me and put those arms up for me to pick him up. He had my heart. I still can't recall that moment without tears. Partly because he became my son at that moment and partly because I can't fathom walking away from my kid like the biological mother did.
That was just part of the journey that led to January 31, 2010. We will meet together with 5 other partner churches and a mix of people from other churches in the launch of Project 127 Rome. This is a licensed foster placement and adoption agency that is focused on mobilizing the church to be THE answer to the foster care problems in NW Georgia. At 6 PM tomorrow night we go. This is a chance for the church to become relevant to the culture, actually indispensable.
I'm not nervous, just fully of anticipation of what Father is going to do with such unity among brothers and desire to do the work.
Soli Deo Gloria!
When I first learned of the need for Christian parents to do James 1:27 for real I was confronted with a personal responsibility to do something. Enter my 4 year old son Daniel.
When I saw him for the first time he was sick, in shoes too small and with a lady he did not know and biological mother he did not know. Jennifer, being the always prepared one, asked the mother some questions and she answered. The mother did not even hold Daniel (that is his new name). He sat in the lap of the other lady who drove the mother to where we were. He was with no one he knew. Nothing familiar, sick and in clothes that did not fit.
He slid down off of the lady's lap when it was time to part ways and toddled over to me and put those arms up for me to pick him up. He had my heart. I still can't recall that moment without tears. Partly because he became my son at that moment and partly because I can't fathom walking away from my kid like the biological mother did.
That was just part of the journey that led to January 31, 2010. We will meet together with 5 other partner churches and a mix of people from other churches in the launch of Project 127 Rome. This is a licensed foster placement and adoption agency that is focused on mobilizing the church to be THE answer to the foster care problems in NW Georgia. At 6 PM tomorrow night we go. This is a chance for the church to become relevant to the culture, actually indispensable.
I'm not nervous, just fully of anticipation of what Father is going to do with such unity among brothers and desire to do the work.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Nehemiah is kicking my butt
You know what? Nehemiah is a journal of a man who took his passion for and knowledge of God and put it to work in a life long pursuit.
I hope that is what I have set my hands to.
Nehemiah records some of his internal musings, but he mostly records his work and what he said externally.
I, by no means, dwell fully in the world of internal musings and theory. I have my hands on too many things actually doing them as a result of what I say I believe. Too many. I actually must pare down some.
However, I often wrestle in communicating with my mouth the practice of what I am trying to do with my life to other people so that they can do the same things.
No doubt that doctrinal soundness and strong doctrinal moorings must be taught and adhered to, but they must be lived out. Nehemiah does this and he writes and tells you how he did it.
Communicating that how piece is my most difficult task.
My personality lends itself to self-starting and self-managing activity. I have no problem taking what I believe and going to do it from scratch and figuring out the best way along the way. Therefore, I default to wondering why all people just can't figure it out.
So, it's a challenge to get into the world of helping other people put the "how" to the "who and what". Nehemiah did that well, and it's kicking my butt.
Father is teaching me and I want to learn.
Help me Father speak the "how" better without forgetting the "who", "what" and "why".
I hope that is what I have set my hands to.
Nehemiah records some of his internal musings, but he mostly records his work and what he said externally.
I, by no means, dwell fully in the world of internal musings and theory. I have my hands on too many things actually doing them as a result of what I say I believe. Too many. I actually must pare down some.
However, I often wrestle in communicating with my mouth the practice of what I am trying to do with my life to other people so that they can do the same things.
No doubt that doctrinal soundness and strong doctrinal moorings must be taught and adhered to, but they must be lived out. Nehemiah does this and he writes and tells you how he did it.
Communicating that how piece is my most difficult task.
My personality lends itself to self-starting and self-managing activity. I have no problem taking what I believe and going to do it from scratch and figuring out the best way along the way. Therefore, I default to wondering why all people just can't figure it out.
So, it's a challenge to get into the world of helping other people put the "how" to the "who and what". Nehemiah did that well, and it's kicking my butt.
Father is teaching me and I want to learn.
Help me Father speak the "how" better without forgetting the "who", "what" and "why".
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A prayer for blessing that God will answer!
Psalm 67:1-2 says, "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, THAT your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations."
Here is the deal. I'm headed to Georgetown University for a series of meetings with Key leaders globally about the upcoming issues globally between competing truth claims. I'm being very vague on purpose in case you are wondering for very important reasons, and if you are a TRCC regular you know why. Anyway, I digress...
There is really only one way to be a church doing it's biblical mandate and that is by engaging the globe personally by taking the Gospel to the unreached people groups of the world so that people can be saved and a self-sustaining and multiplying church made up of that people group and looking like that people group in cultural distinction but having the distinct characteristics of Jesus' kingdom imprinted on their new lives as a redeemed people of God now taking that message to the unreached peoples of the globe themselves.
A church doing local ministry only and throwing a small percentage of it's budget to a missions agency is not doing it's job. Then they have the audacity to ask God to bless them (however that gets interpreted).
This Psalm is basing it's request for blessing upon the already understood and mandated Abrahamic Covenant that they would be blessed (with the knowledge of God) to bless the nations (Genesis 12:1-3 "families" is the Hebrew of the word nations that means something along the lines of distinct ethno-linguistic peoples) with the knowledge of this God, who is Jesus.
In other words blessing does not exist for the sole purpose of growing a local church ministry. Blessing is that the church would then, by it's very nature and mission take that blessing to the nations that have not heard! The Great Commission is the restating of the Abrahamic Covenant! Jesus knew this. He did not make up a new thing. He was re-instituting (if I may use those words) what he already spoke to Abraham back in Genesis (Remember Jesus said he was YHWH in John 8).
So, don't ask for blessing unless you intend to fulfill your mission as followers of Jesus Christ to make disciples of the nations in blessing them with the blessing you have received from the Lord i.e. knowledge of the Gospel and resources to bring it to them.
Don't be satisfied with a ministry to local communities. That is not the end game. Our hearts were made to go global, and they have been shrunk and withered by a local only mentality.
I grow tired of having supposed pastors ask why we do what we do among the nations. I grow tired of pastors volunteering their words of defense that not everyone (i.e. pastors and churches) are called to do what we do. What bible are they reading? What part of it does not apply to them?
If one does not want to complete the Great Commission, then don't come after Jesus! Jesus said not to begin a work one is not willing to count the cost and assess if they are willing to finish the work. Don't come after Jesus in repentance unless you are willing to die among the nations for Jesus' fame having spent all of your resources to make it happen. That IS our mission.
If you pray for blessing to do that, you are guaranteed to get it because Jesus said if we ask for things in his name (things that represent his mission and reputation) he was pleased to do it! When we ask for blessing to be showered on us that we might turn and shower it on the UPG's of the planet, then we will get all we need to do the task! If we just want more crap, then we might get it, but know that what you get and attain and sit on is not from God, but a work of your hands and the desire of your heart and thus your object of worship.
Oh that we would be prayer warriors asking for blessing to be showered upon us that we might turn it to the praise of the nations to make much of Jesus, the King.
If you want to know about unreached people groups and the one's yet to be engaged go to http://joshuaproject.net/
Pick one and get started asking! We were made for this. We will either send by praying and resourcing or we will go short or long term or we will be disobedient.
Soli Deo Gloria among the nations!
Here is the deal. I'm headed to Georgetown University for a series of meetings with Key leaders globally about the upcoming issues globally between competing truth claims. I'm being very vague on purpose in case you are wondering for very important reasons, and if you are a TRCC regular you know why. Anyway, I digress...
There is really only one way to be a church doing it's biblical mandate and that is by engaging the globe personally by taking the Gospel to the unreached people groups of the world so that people can be saved and a self-sustaining and multiplying church made up of that people group and looking like that people group in cultural distinction but having the distinct characteristics of Jesus' kingdom imprinted on their new lives as a redeemed people of God now taking that message to the unreached peoples of the globe themselves.
A church doing local ministry only and throwing a small percentage of it's budget to a missions agency is not doing it's job. Then they have the audacity to ask God to bless them (however that gets interpreted).
This Psalm is basing it's request for blessing upon the already understood and mandated Abrahamic Covenant that they would be blessed (with the knowledge of God) to bless the nations (Genesis 12:1-3 "families" is the Hebrew of the word nations that means something along the lines of distinct ethno-linguistic peoples) with the knowledge of this God, who is Jesus.
In other words blessing does not exist for the sole purpose of growing a local church ministry. Blessing is that the church would then, by it's very nature and mission take that blessing to the nations that have not heard! The Great Commission is the restating of the Abrahamic Covenant! Jesus knew this. He did not make up a new thing. He was re-instituting (if I may use those words) what he already spoke to Abraham back in Genesis (Remember Jesus said he was YHWH in John 8).
So, don't ask for blessing unless you intend to fulfill your mission as followers of Jesus Christ to make disciples of the nations in blessing them with the blessing you have received from the Lord i.e. knowledge of the Gospel and resources to bring it to them.
Don't be satisfied with a ministry to local communities. That is not the end game. Our hearts were made to go global, and they have been shrunk and withered by a local only mentality.
I grow tired of having supposed pastors ask why we do what we do among the nations. I grow tired of pastors volunteering their words of defense that not everyone (i.e. pastors and churches) are called to do what we do. What bible are they reading? What part of it does not apply to them?
If one does not want to complete the Great Commission, then don't come after Jesus! Jesus said not to begin a work one is not willing to count the cost and assess if they are willing to finish the work. Don't come after Jesus in repentance unless you are willing to die among the nations for Jesus' fame having spent all of your resources to make it happen. That IS our mission.
If you pray for blessing to do that, you are guaranteed to get it because Jesus said if we ask for things in his name (things that represent his mission and reputation) he was pleased to do it! When we ask for blessing to be showered on us that we might turn and shower it on the UPG's of the planet, then we will get all we need to do the task! If we just want more crap, then we might get it, but know that what you get and attain and sit on is not from God, but a work of your hands and the desire of your heart and thus your object of worship.
Oh that we would be prayer warriors asking for blessing to be showered upon us that we might turn it to the praise of the nations to make much of Jesus, the King.
If you want to know about unreached people groups and the one's yet to be engaged go to http://joshuaproject.net/
Pick one and get started asking! We were made for this. We will either send by praying and resourcing or we will go short or long term or we will be disobedient.
Soli Deo Gloria among the nations!
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