tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87594157346306825682024-03-21T19:14:01.096-05:00On the WayThoughts on life...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-75721105269565537862017-06-03T22:11:00.000-05:002017-06-03T22:11:24.389-05:00Simple Paths and Stumbling Stones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5uJKLsCsw9ERj4BHXlFs_BnEHGdFLJ3xpSn4MATqXGcnaLFS04YK4TsMegVL8Dde2ijCTU6LkXvBUFcuMWijXuJ9F5_UGb7OQNNQvD1myWpBgVcPC0JV5xZv7Xh7TNEHCpXUEAx0rg/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" width="300" /></div>
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Walking along the Rhine this morning, I was struck by the beauty of it all. There is nothing fancy about the walk, but rows of trees allowed to grow, makes quite the difference. They provide shade and a sense of peace, both needed in a large city with a lot going on. Today, we were leaving Frankfurt and heading North to Bonn. We had decided to ride the train part of the way, get off and board a boat on the Rhine, and then once again hop on the train for the remainder of the trip. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUSqL8w_TYBKb6S25ID02UMOpzx_KQqIX7f_ZZLCiW9Z7dBx87_O4WgSp7BEZ5IXwqPCS5q5W2dLlxNlg41pFziE1UZQUrS1RcIRrzGVZGSjU8DVqH1y-mpAsMIxuLvBGNkLbzvaQsw/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUSqL8w_TYBKb6S25ID02UMOpzx_KQqIX7f_ZZLCiW9Z7dBx87_O4WgSp7BEZ5IXwqPCS5q5W2dLlxNlg41pFziE1UZQUrS1RcIRrzGVZGSjU8DVqH1y-mpAsMIxuLvBGNkLbzvaQsw/s320/IMG_0163.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I had to walk quite a distance to get the tickets, so to reward myself, I sat down for a quick cup of coffee. My time was spent allowing the cool breeze to dry my sweaty shirt, so it could get sweaty for the return trip...time well spent. After a couple quick minutes and two bottles of water later, I was on my way back to checkout.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CAh35LFyPc9eBqZ1T0Tqv2YrL_j6SisPKFJqTuQbaPXMKeYVbWRAfGvy0Mwh2JjbDrap8hzuSoqQE4vFUJh2bfTLfB7J8NOZQHFwuOzJYObxyfgizZ6pwzgT2E0BHqdOfDzI1WCJdw/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CAh35LFyPc9eBqZ1T0Tqv2YrL_j6SisPKFJqTuQbaPXMKeYVbWRAfGvy0Mwh2JjbDrap8hzuSoqQE4vFUJh2bfTLfB7J8NOZQHFwuOzJYObxyfgizZ6pwzgT2E0BHqdOfDzI1WCJdw/s320/IMG_0177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_ngROoCeh_Ql6zS3_zUeaxIljA46q3ErLj5Y3DZIYDOB0rZuTqmnQmAkkWp6rz9NwCebnMzPGFOsqskd1agFXrHySKOvHeB2UQQx79JY8o9Memm9vqSrldd0c5FInYPFg8I8Y9GWzw/s1600/IMG_0183+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_ngROoCeh_Ql6zS3_zUeaxIljA46q3ErLj5Y3DZIYDOB0rZuTqmnQmAkkWp6rz9NwCebnMzPGFOsqskd1agFXrHySKOvHeB2UQQx79JY8o9Memm9vqSrldd0c5FInYPFg8I8Y9GWzw/s320/IMG_0183+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We left the hotel and headed across the street to the train station, headed for Bacharach. About an hour later we arrived at our destination, and began our boat tour. Small quaint villages and mid-sized towns are scattered along it's shores, allowing for scenic pictures of churches and castles, or both if you get the right angle. After an hours ride, we exchanged the boat for the train once again, talked to some Minnesotans from Forest Lake, and continued our journey North. We arrived in Bonn and after a short walk (short walks here are about 1 mile) we found our residence. <br />
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The Stumbling Stones... <br />
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When you venture around cities in Germany, you will find these gold stones along the way in various places. They may seem random, but they are not. These stones represent Jews who lived there (they are placed in the stone sidewalk along the street). They are a reminder of what happened, including names, year they were deported and their place of death, in this case, Minsk. <br />
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Reflections: My walk this morning was so very much different than my walk this evening. This morning, though rushed, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the Rhine, the trees along the walking path and a simple cup of coffee. It was peaceful and relaxing. Everywhere we are surrounded by history, lots of it, castles going back hundreds of years for example. Yet, when I came here, I knew we would eventually see signs of WW I and WW II. I am not sure we fully grasp the magnitude of those two wars. Over 500,000 American men and women lost their lives fighting on this continent. Today, the stark reminder of it all hit home. This morning an easy stroll along the Rhine, this evening, 'Stumbling Stones.' These stones are meant to catch your attention, to remind the Germans and anyone else to comes not only of what happened - the deportation and extermination of 6,000,000 Jews - but also a reminder that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That is what they don't want. Nazi Germany is not a proud part of their history, but they are honest about it, they are open about it, and they are determined to learn from it. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-14350492848172379242015-07-22T16:43:00.000-05:002015-07-25T10:58:10.531-05:00The Life of Little Ones and Millstones: Thoughts on Planned ParenthoodWe all know how loving and compassionate Jesus was. His whole life was one of faithful service and loving sacrifice displayed in full grandeur on the cross as he died for his enemies, us sinners. Yet, Jesus said some things that should make us stop and pay attention, even shutter when we think of them. In Matthew 18:2-7 (and Luke 17) Jesus calls a child to sit with him and then addresses the crowd. "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If <i>anyone</i> causes one of these little ones - those who believe in me - to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea."<br />
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Those last words don't sound as loving or compassionate as we may be used to from Jesus. But he is making a very important point. Children are important, how they are treated matters, and those who would harm have entered into dangerous territory. Jesus has a deep passion for children and great justice will be carried out upon those who would harm them. It is no small thing to fall into the hands of an angry God, Planned Parenthood.<br />
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In recent weeks two horrendous videos have surfaced showing that not only are abortions being performed by Planned Parenthood (ironic title for this organization), but the organs of the unborn children are being harvested and sold. Harvested and sold. There is a lot to say about our cultures bondage to money...but I'll let you think that through on your own. The language used to describe the process is inhumane, harsh, violent, and grotesque. Care was taken not to 'crush' the heart and liver...here is the quote from Planned Parenthood's senior director of medical research, Deborah Nucatola: "I'd say a lot of people want liver," and "a lot of people want intact hearts these days."..."We've been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I'm not gonna crush that part, I'm gonna basically crush below, I'm going to crush above, and I'm going to see if I can get it all intact." (Read more from Kirsten Powers article <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/07/21/planned-parenthood-abortion-fetus-parts-kirsten-powers/30426475/">here</a>.) <br />
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Unborn babies being harvested for their organs, carefully crushed so the profits from their organs aren't damaged. It is sickening that we are at that kind of place in our country, where our greatest virtue is unbridled passion, and our greatest vice is self-control and responsibility. Don't want your baby, then we will carefully crush it and sell it's parts...that's sick. But here we are. Enter the millstone. Forget stumbling, these children have never had a chance to walk. Jesus words are full of vivid violence. Tie one end of a millstone to a rope and the other to the neck of an offender. Drag them to deep water and throw them overboard. Watch them sink, thrashing against gravity, desperately holding on the life and breath...sink out of sight, dead. Justice. That is Jesus too. I do not know when or in what form the millstone will come to Planned Parenthood. I only know that Jesus has no pity of those who show no repentance. <br />
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In spite of recent videos, Planned Parenthood has only apologized for the 'tone' used when discussing organ harvesting of aborted babies, apparently talking in the wrong tone is the issue.<br />
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I'll be honest, part of me would love to take Planned Parenthood for a boat ride, with a rope and large rock, but God has not given me that role. Instead, in light of this, I am commanded to love and pray for them. "Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you..." Those are Jesus words, take issue with him if you don't like them. Do you feel anger? Good, your should. Jesus was angry with a lot of people, but he died for them too, lovingly and willingly.<br />
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The question might be how to pray? I pray that Planned Parenthood is shut down and not funded ever again. I pray that Deborah Nucatola, and others like her at Planned Parenthood finds the love and grace of God that leads to repentance. I pray that God shows me how to love a young, pregnant, unwed mother who is thinking of an abortion and not just tell her not to get one, but help her raise her child. Because being Pro-Life is not the same as being against abortions. Pro-Life is not telling a young pregnant woman to raise her child, shake her hand, and walk into the sunset. Pro-Life means I must be willing to sacrifice time, energy, and money to help a woman or family raise a child that they once had considered aborting. I think that is what Jesus would do. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-82026564640838499212015-02-13T12:41:00.000-06:002015-02-13T12:45:45.223-06:0050 Shades of Black and White<style>
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So, Fifty Shades of Grey is in the Theater today…so what
does the Word of God say about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, perhaps it is not a ‘grey’ area, perhaps God’s Word shows us a
better way to live out our sexuality in a world that is worshipping sex over
the One who gave us sex as a gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you are wondering whether you should go see this or not, here is a
helpful way to think with God’s Word in mind. And perhaps you're not going...what then? I give a few helpful thoughts to redeeming conversations about 50 Shades of Grey at the end.</div>
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Ask yourself this simple question:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does whatever I am going to do violate any principle or
command in the Word of God? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
more specifically, “Does seeing the movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey” (or reading
the book) violate any principle or command in the Word of God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are 4, there are more.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Violation of those born in the image of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The image of God, that he
gave to men and women, is the grounds for why killing someone is wrong…we
violate the image of God in another being when we do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Genesis 9:6 says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in
the image of God has God made mankind.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question then is, can we violate the image of God in a
man or a woman without killing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, the answer is yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The image of God gives value and worth to each person, we devalue and
degrade men and women when we seek sexual pleasure from them apart from a
marital relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeking
sexual fulfillment outside of marriage, seeks our pleasure over their good and
God’s purity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To desire them for
sexual fulfillment only, objectifies them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are treated like a consumer product that is used,
consumed, and disposed of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men and
women are not objects that are to be used to gratify our sexual desires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Violation
of technique over purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
purpose of sex is to glorify God, it is meant to be a symbol of our
relationship to God…therefore it is quite honestly more than an orgasm…it is
spiritual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This aspect is often
forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But today, most of the
pressure is on sexual technique, separated from God’s good purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To understand this, we must ask
ourselves this question, “What is truly important to a sexual relationship?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s cut to the chase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If good looks, all the right curves, in
all the right places, a nice tan and varied positions is what we consider
important…then why do so many Hollywood marriages fail?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They “have it all” and yet, there is a
lot of cheating going on in that scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If that is what you think is important, there will always be someone
who’s “grass is greener.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s
good design for a sexual relationship is more than physical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being “one flesh” means that a
measurable spiritual aspect happens in a physical act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex is spiritual too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people, if they are really honest,
would say that a loving, loyal, honest, trustworthy, open, sexual relationship
that glorifies God is more important than what plays out in the bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your unsure, ask someone who has
been cheated on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Violation
of conscience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we focus too
much on technique, we will “think” our husband or wife is “not good
enough.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching 50 Shades will
inflame your desire for something that your partner may never desire in his or
her sexual relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
causes needless and unhealthy sexual expectations. But God shows us a better
way, one that is good for both a husband and a wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1 Cor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7,
Paul gives instruction on the cooperative aspect of the marital relationship
concerning sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a quick
list of what he states ( ) signifies the verses; First, husbands and wives
should engage in sexual intercourse (2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Second, the husband should have sex with his wife when she asks and the
wife should have sex with her husband when he asks (3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third, the reason they should be
mutually giving to one another is that each one is subject to the other
because, the wives body is the husbands, the husband’s body is the wife’s
(4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fourth, don’t use sex as a
weapon…don’t deprive one another (5). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is much to say here, but let me just add, that
begrudgingly giving into a sexual advance by your husband or wife is not what
Paul is talking about, he means, give yourself to your husband or wife with
love, passion, and desire, not simply out of obligation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is God’s Word and His instruction
to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God knows that if we
subject ourselves to idols of the flesh, we will reap what we sow, creating
unhealthy and unrealistic sexual expectations that can never be met.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Violation
of worship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the root of
all evil, all sin, all turning from God…the idea that we would worship anything
outside of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To give you an
idea of how this works, you can read Romans 1:18-32.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul says that people, “exchanged the glory of God” for
selfish sexual satisfaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
put their desires ahead of God, they made sex their god and did not put God in
his rightful place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going to a
movie like 50 Shades of Grey or reading erotica or looking at pornography all
do the same thing: they inflate our God-given passions in sinful ways, they
turn our hearts from God to the good things God has given us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They denigrate men and women, cause us
to do deplorable acts, objectify the beauty of the image of God in one another,
and inflame our desires away from our spouses…namely, they cause us to loose
our love of and for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, the fact that the movie is showing in Roseau, and
the fact that some of our friends will go, is not a reason to run to the hills
or bury our head in the sand, instead, we must find a way to redeem this
situation for the Glory of God!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are a couple of ideas:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
First, when someone says they went
to the movie, don’t snarl at them, fake a heart-attack from shock, or run to
the bathroom to throw-up…what I mean is instead of reacting like you can’t
believe other people sin,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“speak
the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take today to think through the pitfalls of human sexuality that is
separated from it’s; God-given, God-glorifying, husband-wife intended, pleasure
and purpose filled goodness that God intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Second, it is helpful to remember
that sexual expression is a good gift from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have discussed this in an earlier post you can read
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking the truth in love
is more than just telling them they are doing something wrong, it is showing
them God’s love in giving us boundaries and also discussing God’s goodness in
the rightful expression of sexual pleasure that is honoring of our spouse and
God’s design.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Third, sexual relations is not
necessary to fulfill God’s purpose for your life or to be fully human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was, after-all, single and so was
Paul and I don’t think any of us would say it made them less of a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God loves, adores, calls, and
strengthens those called to live as a single person for their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spend too much time thinking of sex,
we are commanded to “set our minds on the things above” think more of God and
enjoy your sexual relationship in it’ proper place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-72458064959276573852014-08-21T14:06:00.001-05:002014-08-21T14:06:26.449-05:00Shifting Sheep and Swapping Spit<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Shifting Sheep and Swapping Spit – What they have in common
and what they don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is meant
to be a companion guide to last weeks “The Numbers Game” so if you haven’t read
that yet, please read that first, then read this one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
First, it is going to be helpful to
define the two terms in the title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By ‘shifting sheep’ I am speaking about people who move from one church
to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not
differentiating between those who move for good reasons (violation of
conscience, departure from orthodox doctrine, those called to start new
churches, etc.) and those who move for perhaps lesser reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, ‘swapping spit’ is the
playground verbiage for kissing several different people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the initial definitions set, we
can move along.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Last week I quoted this statistic, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The vast majority of most churches’ growth
comes from people switching churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only a small percentage (1-3 percent) of the growth comes from
conversions</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
interesting in a weird way and more than slightly disheartening in many other
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, let’s pose a series of
questions to work through a few dynamics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Why are people switching
churches?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a multitude of
reasons, let’s address a couple.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Doctrinal departure – When a church has departed
from orthodox Christian truth, changing to appease the winds of cultural
change, then leaving the church is a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps they say the Bible is one of many inspired books, or
Jesus is one of many ways to heaven, or you can become god by learning
more…then it is in fact not you that is leaving, they have already left, you
are going elsewhere to return to the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I will address the proper way in which to “leave” as well.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Church planting – There is something called
fissiparous strategy for church planting, namely, churches multiply by
dividing, much like cells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
dividing of a church does is not negative in this situation, in fact, it is
organized, strategized, blessed, and celebrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a church has a vision to grow beyond it’s walls, they
ask people to begin to pray for their part in reaching the world for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New leaders are grown, trained, and
then the mother church births a new one and in order to ensure the success of
the new church, they send part of their congregation with to help,
permanently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
The previous two examples explain why
people leave one church for another and are both important and Godly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, sadly, those examples make up only
a small percentage of “shifting sheep.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The main contributor to sheep going from church to church is
cultural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live in a consumer
driven world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone wants the
best possible bang for their buck, they want the best product or experience for
the lowest price or cost to themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If there are two theatres in town, will equal facilities and technology,
the one that offers the best price is going to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that is not what Jesus called us to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles Spurgeon has pointed out that
“There are no crown wearers in heaven that are not cross bearers on
earth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s he saying?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giving your life to Jesus comes with a
cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christ died to redeem you
for His service, not simply to keep you out of hell and there is a
difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
Many times people leave because
another church has something better to offer, instead, we should be thinking
about what we have to offer our fellow believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps someone said something or did something and so
people leave because they were offended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being offended is not a reason to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we should seek reconciliation before we even give
our offer our gift at the alter (Matthew 5:23-24).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But these things are not easily done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing what the Bible instructs us to do
is hard, but that is no reason not to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
Committing to a body of believers
is a selfless act that Jesus called us to and that He modeled by giving of
himself fully, even death on a cross that we may be reconciled to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is our example, that is how much
we must be willing to forgive one another and continue in the mission of making
much of Jesus to all people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is no small thing that these things happen, Jesus said that the love we as the body of Christ have for one another would be a testimony to the world. Unreconciled, dissatisfied, or consumer driven sheep are not glorifying to God. The
idea of “shifting sheep” should taste to us like swapping spit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should not be comfortable with
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should not desire it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should be saddened that it occurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we should be diligent in
identifying and ending it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-8657889407540036582014-08-14T13:45:00.002-05:002014-08-14T13:45:54.994-05:00The Numbers Game<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The Number Games – Church attendance is up; Church
attendance is down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the
numbers really tell us, why it’s important, and what we can do about it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
are a culture obsessed with numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Large budgets, strong stock, quarterly ratings, all these things drive
companies and measure that company’s success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the numbers are up, they are a good company, but, when
the numbers are down, they are a poor company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But do large numbers always mean health and success?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 6, Jesus had a large following, until his teaching
was “too hard” then nearly everyone abandoned him…but do we measure Jesus’
success by numbers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But numbers do tell us
something…so what can we learn about numbers?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
do attendance numbers tell us about the health of the church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a church is full, does that mean
it is a God-honoring, Christ-exalting, white-hot group of worshipers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a church has many empty seats,
does that mean they have neglected God, are lukewarm in their worship, and care
little for outsiders? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before
we dive into those questions, let’s have an honest look at church attendance
numbers around the country and then relate that to our church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The information sited here comes from
the ACTS 29 church-planting network…they have studied church dynamics for years
to assist them in their church planting efforts here in the US.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some important numbers:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>59% of the churches in the US have
between 7- 99 weekly worshipers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>35% have between 100 - 499 people in their Sunday worship
services…translation: 94% of churches in the US are churches much like
ours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the years 2000-2007 MN
churches declined 12.7%...that trend continues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The total life span of a church in the US is 96 years (I
spoke with an elder this week and she has seen 3 Roseau churches close, 2 of
those have closed in my life-time).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps the most sobering fact of church attendance is: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
vast majority of most churches’ growth comes from people switching
churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a small percentage
(1-3 percent) of the growth comes from conversions</i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read those two sentences again and
again until it sinks in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why
do most churches only make it 96 years?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There may be numerous factors, but let’s look at the major
contributors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a church
begins, there are a few people and families that are involved in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their friends and the people they meet
begin to come (the church is young, they’re excited, and they invite
people).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The planting generation
and those just younger than them (and perhaps their kids) attend the church…they
are heavy on evangelism which brings in new families and when the planting
generation reaches their 80’s and 90’s, the church will be at it’s height
(highest attendance), with those they reached being 50-70 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a change has taken place…a growing
church will eventually have to shift into discipleship (how do we teach our new
people about God?) (Sunday School, kids programs, youth programs, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a necessary and important part
of being a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, when that
happens, if a church does not continue to focus on evangelism, it will begin
the slow process of decline...though it isn’t obvious by numbers yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But over the course of the next several
decades that problem will begin to get clearer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 50-90 year-olds and their families, who began the church
and were there to see it grow, are slowly transitioning out of their
roles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few new converts are
coming in, but others are coming from churches who have hit the 96 year average
and closed or have switched churches, but no one sees a problem because a
church is still “full”…the reality is that there has been very little <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actual</i> growth or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">conversion </i>growth in the last few years of that churches life
because they have focused on discipleship and excluded evangelism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church has sustained numbers by
reproduction within families and people switching churches, but they have not
actually ‘grown’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that is the
progression to churches that die at age 96.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let’s
be honest, we at RCC are not all converts and that’s not all bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of us are here because our parents
brought us here as kids and now we come as adults (this is not growth), some of
us are here because we came here from a closed church or we left a previous
church (this is not growth)…but look around and ask yourself how many of us are
really “new Christians?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many
of us never went to any kind of a church before or had no desire for God and
now attend RCC to worship God together with others? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>More
honesty with ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
seen people go from our congregation in the last couple years…this has not been
easy, in fact, for many of us this has been a really tough aspect of church to
deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand that it
can feel like broken relationships and maybe is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand that friends have gone and we miss them…and we
should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what do we do about it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First,
look around and ask yourself if we as a church have grown in the past 20 years
more from conversions or from people switching churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t been here that long, that is
simply a question for you to analyze and answer for yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Second, realize that if 20 people
come to our church from other churches and 20 people leave our church to go to
another church…the body of Christ has neither gained nor lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Switching people is not gain or loss –
unless we believe we are in competition with other churches…which we are
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Third, as one person said, there
are two dangers to playing “The Numbers Game.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, we can sin against the full seat by desiring an empty
seat filled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we care about the
person who isn’t there more than the person that is?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, we can sin against the empty seat by caring only for
the filled seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we care about
the person that is here so much we don’t care if an empty seat is left empty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loving our neighbor means finding the
right balance of loving those here and loving the lost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The central command for the church
is to make disciples of all nations…this is a crazy and impossible task if we
are left on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully we
are not left on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
sandwiched the great commission with these words, “All authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me…” absolute complete authority over all things
have been given to Jesus and though the task is great, “And surely I (Jesus
with supreme authority) am with you always, to the very end of the age.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s go make disciples, let’s grow as
God desires us to grow, let’s forget about playing “The Numbers Game” and ask
God to show us the way!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-17811159269999584662014-07-21T13:51:00.000-05:002014-07-21T13:51:41.869-05:00No More Christians in MosulFor the first time in 2,000 years there are no more Christians is Mosul, Iraq. Last Thursday ISIS released a statement demanding Christians to pay a tax, convert to Islam, leave, or be killed. The ultimatum’s deadline was Saturday at noon. Over those 3 days, approximately 60,000 Christians fled the city, seeking refuge from ISIS. In 2003, when the US invaded Iraq, there were approximately 1 million Christians in Iraq. Today there are less than 300,000 remaining. These are our brothers and sisters, they are in need, they are in distress, they are hurting, and we can help. They have walked away from family, from their homes, from their way of life, and have done so because their love for Jesus is second to nothing. I would encourage all of you to fast for a time (perhaps a meal or a day, what you feel is appropriate for you) and spend time praying for our fellow Christians. I would also encourage you to look into various organizations (I recommend World Relief or a similar Christian organization) and see how we can tangibly provide for them.<br />
“Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” Proverbs 24:11<span id="goog_990052404"></span><span id="goog_990052405"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-84706346241092740342014-07-02T23:25:00.001-05:002014-07-02T23:25:35.391-05:00Wednesday at CSMJust a little information for you parents...the kids are getting about 6 hours of sleep a night, working from 8-8 each day and are doing great! Today was another busy day, starting with some work at World Vision (if you are not familiar with World Vision...I will write a post on them soon). We began by sorting Denver Broncos Super Bowl t-shirts and sweatshirts...they started with 6 semi-loads of apparel and today (after a month and a half) we finished the last piece of clothing! FYI, Denver did NOT win the Super Bowl, so the clothing is donated. Another fun fact, they only ship small to XL t-shirts over seas, because no one in the countries they are sending them to is larger than an XL. So, they use the XXL or larger shirts for material that the people can use to sew their own clothing. Then we sorted shoes. <br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QIdAu9WpjptCwXjyj80SRPHsomWCuFq1ep0mjoyj1khOfN9GX61vqx-y1lNC-mSThZh_ZmwHV7fpenVKjSITtK6F84981tpTbTEGCFu6i2bhCBjN7Hq8q_SWobuiMmWeUp9WTq98VQ/s640/blogger-image-2133488466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QIdAu9WpjptCwXjyj80SRPHsomWCuFq1ep0mjoyj1khOfN9GX61vqx-y1lNC-mSThZh_ZmwHV7fpenVKjSITtK6F84981tpTbTEGCFu6i2bhCBjN7Hq8q_SWobuiMmWeUp9WTq98VQ/s640/blogger-image-2133488466.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After this, we did a little R and R at a park for lunch. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJzi2B74MAUYoslyEuOZx0VTgtqlud1Dmmvjdv15RZbMe7MKVj_VJs2TungeA3ytREV3q2_4lzoCWJ-TvusnOdyB1FN2Z2X_Mbp0s6GQ0XA8JM7ppXmzmy08SvGRW5vmj-aUL__VJcA/s640/blogger-image--322250038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJzi2B74MAUYoslyEuOZx0VTgtqlud1Dmmvjdv15RZbMe7MKVj_VJs2TungeA3ytREV3q2_4lzoCWJ-TvusnOdyB1FN2Z2X_Mbp0s6GQ0XA8JM7ppXmzmy08SvGRW5vmj-aUL__VJcA/s640/blogger-image--322250038.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The afternoon is a really fun social experiment. For 4 hours (3 seperate teams) we walk Denver and do what is called an "immersion." During the "immersion" we have certain things we need to learn, certain tasks we must accomplish, and get an idea of what homelessness feels like. Did you know that the average age of a homeless person is, 9?!!! Pretty amazing, but true.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfVq4pNiZL0MqZbX06lnXPA84xBvzHb7pa9sC16yweFTzJ3QGmAs_ETUx5bd2AkUevzS7Pmh3qC10-4u30IsJ-IJMR1_V6Lfskm8v5pRuKzc3PuI5jmUP32UKhdvQk2xeahrXxttMRA/s640/blogger-image--1340771304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfVq4pNiZL0MqZbX06lnXPA84xBvzHb7pa9sC16yweFTzJ3QGmAs_ETUx5bd2AkUevzS7Pmh3qC10-4u30IsJ-IJMR1_V6Lfskm8v5pRuKzc3PuI5jmUP32UKhdvQk2xeahrXxttMRA/s640/blogger-image--1340771304.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We did something similar yesterday, shorter and a little easier, but still had an opportunity to make a new friend, "Just J." Here he is, he has an amazing story, lives on the streets for 9 months a year, we'll share more when we get home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOyZ5KCqQUUMeYASEb0h_Q4qPRhdBIOMbhv27yly7MdHDR6DKdbzWt9R88K6ALKof2V38YsG9lMFoSiAi8D7FKtml6bpTYMp1uMpZg7LqMNlSapvpT4U09dptfeTC7epQKnWQc1dbGA/s640/blogger-image-749417680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOyZ5KCqQUUMeYASEb0h_Q4qPRhdBIOMbhv27yly7MdHDR6DKdbzWt9R88K6ALKof2V38YsG9lMFoSiAi8D7FKtml6bpTYMp1uMpZg7LqMNlSapvpT4U09dptfeTC7epQKnWQc1dbGA/s640/blogger-image-749417680.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-90556926899350666312014-06-30T23:21:00.001-05:002014-06-30T23:21:08.618-05:00CSM DenverJust a quick photo before we leave Roseau...it was quite the trip!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nn4nYDqARTSF1vUCQmoCu_bgliUKR5ZQDv-GbB_2QRCSOax-8lwi2YuRe6Yo5RoQb2XxboNtZKYcsACpH3YPGqY0t9YZsPgWmi1KTzROS8w4Lp9BRH6Z0dBiT0juEGu2Zi-TT28a9A/s640/blogger-image--1138855834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nn4nYDqARTSF1vUCQmoCu_bgliUKR5ZQDv-GbB_2QRCSOax-8lwi2YuRe6Yo5RoQb2XxboNtZKYcsACpH3YPGqY0t9YZsPgWmi1KTzROS8w4Lp9BRH6Z0dBiT0juEGu2Zi-TT28a9A/s640/blogger-image--1138855834.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here is a picture from just south of Sioux City, after a stop for dinner, God gave us an amazing storm to look at!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMbd7Si6a4B1AlbPa1WUMkYnhx_JpVzGPb0U4eX-uoVCNijsn5hlGLvyiUPqBscbdTUsDLhMYXkN_jqvT44pA4MYXRYpq7Vz0-S9fJJZ0DEv2JyLPyX_MKQ8y499RXV0bC7tYCHCwvg/s640/blogger-image-1675029979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMbd7Si6a4B1AlbPa1WUMkYnhx_JpVzGPb0U4eX-uoVCNijsn5hlGLvyiUPqBscbdTUsDLhMYXkN_jqvT44pA4MYXRYpq7Vz0-S9fJJZ0DEv2JyLPyX_MKQ8y499RXV0bC7tYCHCwvg/s640/blogger-image-1675029979.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We made it as far as Lexington, NE on Saturday...lots of rain to drive through, but it was still fun. Then on Sunday, before check-in, we went to Castlewood Canyon about 20 min. south of Denver.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDIsN00yGxhEJjDckUY_6VtRaoK9b3EbcGxjAgwxk33MJIGfjrol_HI6Esn3oF6Qlc_WGGtXjYL84GNu9vx7lcKPlnYACihwkcBVJB9fMwV_KUxFpS_56iARY5iXCZxufjD2jV3AqkA/s640/blogger-image--54524299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDIsN00yGxhEJjDckUY_6VtRaoK9b3EbcGxjAgwxk33MJIGfjrol_HI6Esn3oF6Qlc_WGGtXjYL84GNu9vx7lcKPlnYACihwkcBVJB9fMwV_KUxFpS_56iARY5iXCZxufjD2jV3AqkA/s640/blogger-image--54524299.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp-kII1QI6JLdYCgY-yQF_OxM9DW80n68jE1ETSfv58M7rlgkI2exPRZzz-t2LLBwNTVs-GCuAk-Dbyv_f60o5sOjc1KaRh5F29HJ7UCm07yXNOaYDLMs9YvEp7Hse16K4NlBS1tZMg/s640/blogger-image-744609267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp-kII1QI6JLdYCgY-yQF_OxM9DW80n68jE1ETSfv58M7rlgkI2exPRZzz-t2LLBwNTVs-GCuAk-Dbyv_f60o5sOjc1KaRh5F29HJ7UCm07yXNOaYDLMs9YvEp7Hse16K4NlBS1tZMg/s640/blogger-image-744609267.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now we have spent the day helping kids read, learn computers, and learn about Dinosaurs. Then we played soccer for a while with them. This evening we went to Senior Support Services and helped serve a meal and spend 1 1/2 hours talking with homeless or low income men. We are enjoying our trip!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUGSTRSUWOs7gKayXWgs6TcR8nXUf1DL-A34RHeXy-4IS4PAeCQwwqBYwqmS_JwiBiA9ZAwmBj5cHhHD7pkfM_2J7NmqpH1Bzw_3LOXhoMD2pEA7pqLkbIbC4V3uWRYtgKBI7XJKcCQ/s640/blogger-image-1083051271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUGSTRSUWOs7gKayXWgs6TcR8nXUf1DL-A34RHeXy-4IS4PAeCQwwqBYwqmS_JwiBiA9ZAwmBj5cHhHD7pkfM_2J7NmqpH1Bzw_3LOXhoMD2pEA7pqLkbIbC4V3uWRYtgKBI7XJKcCQ/s640/blogger-image-1083051271.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><br></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-9883452784694510822014-06-18T16:53:00.001-05:002014-06-26T09:22:47.334-05:00For Lesser GloryA while ago I read the following words, which I have been unable to shake from my thoughts. "To be satisfied by the beauty of God does not come naturally to sinful people. By nature we get more pleasure from God's gifts than from himself." The quote comes from Pastor John Piper and it is both challenging and true. C.S. Lewis said it differently and more graphically when he stated, "...if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slums because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."<br />
Perhaps what bothers me most is that when I read Lewis, I realize he is speaking of a world without intimate knowledge of either the sea or it's offerings of pleasure. The boy cannot imagine what he is in fact ignorant of. But, what Piper is speaking to is the church, the people of God, those (us) sinful people who have beheld the beauty of God and yet give way to the pleasures he has afforded us to have as a replacement for Him. We believe them to be sufficient, but what we gain is something fare lees, we get a lesser glory. To be overcome, to be enamored, to be passionate for the Glory of God, who is infinite...that is real satisfaction. A radically changed heart that pants for the living water of Christ, pants to drink deep and full of this soul-satisfying water, that is what it takes for the bride to woo the groom. We are the bride, Church! Let's live like a bride that is taken with her Groom! Let's lavish our God with love, let's pursue our God with passion, let's woo our God with worship! The world is not enough, it wasn't meant to be...but God is...and He is a far greater glory!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-74887139831475832972014-06-18T16:46:00.000-05:002014-06-18T16:46:13.543-05:00Living to Make God Our Supreme TreasureThis past Sunday I spoke on the idea of treasuring God above everything else in our lives. That is a huge and <i>almost</i> impossible task. I say almost, because it is possible that we in fact do treasure God more than anything else. The only way to truly make this possible is to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, through prayer and the reading of God's Word. But how do we do practically work it out? What am I able to do, in my everyday life, that can help me treasure God. I have thought through some areas of our lives, put them in categories and presented some simple ideas. I presented a couple ideas on Sunday (work and television). The ideas are simple, living them not quite as easy, but the reward is amazing!!<br />
<br />
You have been called by God, for his purpose. Our lives as Christians means more than being good, going to church, it means living for the Fame of God's Name for all people. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16ff shows us that we are saved, for our good, for God's glory, and for the sake of others. That means we, all of us, are to be disciple makers...that takes real time and real intention. <br />
<br />
Here is Susanna Wesley's definition of sin, (I have found this tremendously helpful).<br />
<br />
"<i>Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever
increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that
thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself</i>."
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">-- Susanna Wesley (Letter, June 8, 1725)</span> <br />
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Here is one grand operative question to help you think through everything in your life:<br />
Is (fill in anything here) causing me to loose my passion for God and His mission?<br />
<br />
<b>Recreation:</b> (Sports, hunting, fishing, ATV, etc.) I like to hunt. Maybe you like to ride ATV's or fish or play sports or go camping or many other things. These things can be wonderful, they can also be terrible. So ask yourself these questions (and be honest with yourself). Does my involvement in (_hunting_) take away my passion for God? Does my involvement in ... make me a better person, or are there temptations or habits that I give into when I am involved (does it cause me to swear or get angry or gossip)? Do I spend so much time doing it, that I don't have time for devotions and reflection upon the Word of God and prayer? Do I spend a disproportional amount of money doing this? <br />
Ok, so these things can be good and we can use them for ministry, which makes it even better! Find creative ways to use these things for God's glory. However, just because something can be used for ministry, doesn't mean that it is being used for ministry...make sure you know the difference.<br />
<br />
<b>Sabbath: </b>We make much of God by resting. Find time to rest and reflect upon God. Our world is a busy one, taking a Sabbath is a lost art, but it is a command, no different than, Do Not Murder...they are in the same list, so it must be important. <br />
<br />
<b>Family:</b> This one may seem strange or unfair, but Jesus acted on this principle (Luke 2:49) and taught on it (Luke 14:20, 14:26). (See especially 14:26) Jesus is not asking us not to love our families, he does however expect that we will love him first, above them. People often neglect their calling as a disciple by "loving" their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, more than him. How? Families who spend an extraordinary amount of time running kids from one place to another, spending thousands of dollars in year around activities and do this to the neglect of their church family...place their kids above God. So too, families can not be busy, but cultivate an idol out of recreation, TV, etc. and just stay home. Ministry takes time, commitment, and a most of all, a love for God. If you believe that right now you are too busy for ministry and that later on in life you will get involved, I am willing to bet that you will never get involved, there is never enough time unless we find a way to "make time" and that means sacrifice.<br />
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<br /><b>Media:</b> Many of us have TV's, movies, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Blogs, and game consoles. There is a great way to treasure God in these things. First, limit your time. You should not be spending hours on these things every day. Second, for Twitter, follow people or groups that are clean, pure, and help you think on God more. There is a lot to choose from, but I have found Twitter to be my favorite place to glean good information that helps me think great thoughts of God and grow in my love for Him. If you have innappropriate friends that post, don't follow them, and don't follow those that draw you to think on unclean things. Third, fast from these things...give them up for lent...or for a set period of time...it won't kill you I promise, but it will reorient you to put them properly in their place in your life. Fourth, don't use them when your with others. Be with the people you are with, show them they matter and that you don't wish you were somewhere else with someone else, be present. Use you mouth and your ears to communicate.<br />
<br />
Those are a few quick thoughts. I hope this helps!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-55635993825575119282014-04-28T11:12:00.000-05:002014-04-28T11:12:51.509-05:00Movie Review: God’s Not Dead
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
apologize that I am a little behind in getting this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But here are my thoughts on the movie,
“God’s Not Dead.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
premise of the movie centers on a freshman college student (Josh) who shows up
to enroll in classes for his first semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He registers for a philosophy class that fits his schedule,
but is warned by the student helping him register (who noticed the young man
was wearing a necklace with a cross on it) that if he was a Christian, this was
definitely not the class to enroll in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, Josh considers his advice but is unwilling to change his whole
schedule just to find a different philosophy class…and so the stage is set;
freshman Christian college student vs. a college philosophy professor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Good
points:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s begin with the good
things about the movie, and there are plenty, so I will just put the
highlights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I was impressed
that unlike other Christian movie, this movie shows the reality that standing
up for one’s faith does not always mean that life will go smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus said, “In this life there will be
trials and tribulations, but fear not, for I have overcome the world.” (John
16:33)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie reflects
that reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few
subplots of other Christians throughout the movie who’s faith causes much
discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One young woman is
slapped by her father for being a Christian and thrown out of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josh looses his girlfriend because he
feels convicted to thoughtfully defend the Christian faith in his philosophy
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is real life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following Christ will mean that some
relationships will be severed or bruised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not only relationships, but in the case of the young woman, she is not
only shunned by her family, but she looses the stability of having a supportive
family.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Second,
I thought the argumentation that was provided for the debate between the
professor and the student were well researched and well presented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not simply intellectually
presented, there was real world grit involved and personal application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make no mistake, it takes some thinking
to follow the premises to their logical conclusion, but those scenes were well
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Third,
the tragedy toward the end of the movie (I won’t say what it is or who it
involves) was extremely well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The grace of God overshadows the reality of life and hardship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grace of God is extended to those
in all times of their lives, even the most difficult.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Not so Good Points:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This movie is good through and
through…if I have any critical remark, there is only one, but not a major one,
not worth changing…so I will say what it is, but it’s relatively small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The debate between the professor and
the student was to be judged by the philosophy class as to the winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the student, Josh, won…I think
the evidence for God is greater than the evidence against God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that idea is not the majority, nor
is it popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I do think that
with everything that happened in the movie, the majority of the class would
have stood in favor of Josh, but not all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turns out in the movie, every student stood, that
probably would not happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I
said, this is minor, not a big deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Conclusion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recommend everyone to see this movie,
even buy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch it for more
than entertainment, there are some great apologetic arguments and material that
can be useful when talking to non-believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be winsome, be loving, and let God change the heart!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-66027081168503116232014-04-08T14:41:00.001-05:002014-04-08T14:41:10.188-05:00Noah Review: Part II (Spoiler Alert!)<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
story of Noah is one of the first stories that kids learn in churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are numerous books and flannel
graphs depicting happy people and happy animals enjoying their cruise on the
Ark. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as Buechner points out in
one of his books, this is not a children’s story, it is a dark story and
perhaps the darkest story of the bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
let’s begin with what Aronofsky gets right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what he gets right is the darkness of evil that pervaded
the earth at this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humanity
has lost all sense of compassion and good for others, and evolutionary morality
rules the day, the strongest will most certainly survive and it will be at the
expense of the weak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Humans are earth
destroying hedonists bent on consuming anything and everything for
self-pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no care or
compassion for other humans, people have become ‘savage beasts.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This follows the Biblical theme that “every
inclination of their heart was evil”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Second,
Aronofsky rightly captured the catastrophic nature of the flood itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flood is furious and destroys everything
in epic proportions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tree topples
like twigs, people swept up like dust, the overall depiction of the panic,
horror, screams, and destruction of the human population was as terrible as one
might imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the water rose,
so did the screams of people hoping to survive the deluge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s give credit where credit is due,
Aronofsky gets the horror of the story better than the average church goer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet within this horror, the Ark
survives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Ark itself was
an ancient marvel and that was made apparent in the initial violence of the
flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waves poured down upon the
Ark and this great ship held fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Third,
when it was time for the animals to board the Ark, the migration sections of
the movie were awe-inspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you ever wondered how all the birds, bugs, snakes, and animals got on the Ark,
its hard to believe that a better rendering of this miraculous work could have
been produced (other than by God in the original setting).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Now,
the negatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll start small
and work our way up so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, though the Bible is very clear on human depravity, it is also
clear that all creation has fallen because of sin, not just humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our society, when a human does
something horrific, they are at times referred to as ‘animals’ meaning they
lack a strong sense of compassion and moral rightness that we do not attribute
to animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Noah, the opposite
is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Animals are referred to
as being “pure” and “innocent.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to the movie, all the evil in the world is the fault of
humans, everything from the environment to the beasts are affected by humans
negatively so God’s remedy is to (as understood by Noah) wipe out humanity and
thus wipe out sin and destruction from the earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Second,
because Noah believes this, he is bent on making sure humanity cannot continue
beyond the flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and his wife
have had their children and apparently are not thinking of having any
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noah forbids two of this
sons to marry, and only allows Ila (who becomes the wife of one of his sons) is
allowed on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully she
is barren and therefore the human race will end when they all die (the
progression of which Noah discusses with all the kids).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, before Ila boards the Ark,
Methuselah touches her and heals her barrenness (Noah has no idea).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She becomes pregnant from Noah’s son
and this results in the birth of twins, a boy and a girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Noah believes that it is God’s
will that humanity die with his family, he becomes diabolically insane and is
bent on euthanizing the twins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Those accustomed to Genesis will see a glimpse of Abraham/Isaac in this
scene.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before slamming the
knife through one of them, Noah stops, but not because God told him to, but
because he chooses to disobey God and allow them to live.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Third,
Noah is not the figure one might garnish from Genesis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is drug induced into a trance that
shows him what will happen…and he attributes this vision to God and not the
peyote he just swallowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
might think that his unwavering commitment to God (following what God tells
him) would be a good thing, except Noah develops a God-complex and believes
that he is on the only one that knows what is right, even when it goes against
what God would want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is sin
and grace in his life, so that is good, but he is definitively no the Noah of
Genesis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">Last,
(and I’m being a little generous with only listing four) let’s not forget or
miss the portrayal of God in this movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I were to form my view of God based on Aronofsky’s plot, I would
conclude that God is an absentee landlord at best (I would certainly not
conclude He is any kind of benevolent, gracious, loving Being).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creation depiction (which I could
include as a positive, very well done) shows a wonderfully amazing creative Being,
who creates amazingly wonderful things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, man sins and guess what, God becomes a slumlord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He abandons man to his vices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter the ‘watchers.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Genesis calls them Nephilim; I Enoch calls them ‘watchers’)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would guess, by the movie, that
watchers are angels (as I am sure most others did, since few have read I Enoch
I am unconcerned with what they really were, but what they are perceived to
be).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The watchers come to earth to
help humanity to has been abandoned by God…but God curses them for attempting
to help humanity and when they land (like meteors) they become covered in
molten rock, which hardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
watchers now become something similar to a deformed rock monster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The watchers help humans form tools and
give them fire, and eventually humans turn on them and kill most of the watchers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though they cry out to God, He has
abandoned them as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there
is the obvious suggestion that God is mad at humans (remember, humans have
ruined everything, creation and animals are innocent) and is going to rid the
world of them, thereby restoring to earth to the original Garden of Eden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noah, as mentioned, follows these
orders until he can’t carry them out any longer, gives into his compassionate
side, and allows the babies to live…which God did not desire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(One must wonder about this powerful
God that brings disaster to the whole world but is in the end tricked by Noah.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;">So that is the review of Noah, coming next week, a review of "God's Not Dead." </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-80593639460216073802014-04-07T14:56:00.003-05:002014-04-07T14:59:56.581-05:00Noah Movie Review: Part I - Engaging the Controversy<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
So I went to the most controversial movie thus far in 2014,
Noah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I went I had the
benefit of reading a lot of reviews from all kinds of different sorts, I will
link a couple of my favorites at the end of the second post (this is part I).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I get into the specifics of the
movie (Part II) and what was or wasn’t “good,” I think it is most beneficial to
address the ‘why’ of the controversy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I mean by this is simply, why all the controversy about a
movie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the idea for the movie
comes from the Bible, but why do so many evangelicals get so worked up about a
film like this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking back over
the entertainment landscape I am reminded of movies like Jesus Christ Superstar
or The Last Temptation of Christ that received equal distain and attention for
their depictions of Jesus and the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So,
a couple things I am <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>saying:
First, I am not saying that responding wisely and critically to Biblical
misrepresentations in movies, is wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Second, I am not saying that when movies misrepresent either the Bible
or Jesus it is not hurtful or even damaging to people’s perspectives of
God…sometimes it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with
those two things in mind, on to the controversy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
controversy sprouts because there are people on both sides debating whether a
‘Christian’ should or should not go to such a movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who think a Christian should go, promote cultural
engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wonder how we, as
Christians, can wisely and winsomely dialogue with non-believers about a movie
we have not seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, let’s
be honest, it is one thing to use the idea of cultural engagement, it’s quite
another to actually talk to someone about the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my experience, the majority of Christians have no desire
to engage in meaningful conversation with non-believers regarding movies like
this, and so cultural engagement becomes an excuse, not a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Conversely, others, who think
Christians should not go, promote “being in the world, but not of it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They question the wisdom in seeing
something that wrongly represents God and His Word especially to impressionable
teens, who may pick the movie’s view of God over the Biblical one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There are real merits to both
views, I am not saying one is better than the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally think this falls into a matter of conscience
(Romans 14), but there is one place I think both views go wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In both of these views, I think there
is an underlying false expectation of Hollywood’s entertainment industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it is best to frame the idea
through a couple of questions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1. Do
I believe movies like Noah are supposed to portray the Bible accurately?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Especially from a self-proclaimed
atheist director, which Darren Aronofsky is.):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2. How much weight do I give to movies in the general shaping
of religious beliefs?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Depending on how we answer these
questions will inevitably shape our response to the movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I look to the Bible to help me
shape my answers to these questions and therefore my practical response to
movies like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Apostle Paul
asks this question regarding the world (philosophy and life of non-believers)
and our expectations of it, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside
the church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you not to judge
those inside?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God will judge those
outside.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I Cor. 5:12-13)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, we cannot put Godly
expectations upon a world that denies that God or His expectations exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we do, we will have the tendency
to become upset when they violate those expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what Paul is dealing with regarding the Corinthians
and this is what we apply to the first question from above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned Aronofsky is an atheist,
meaning he denies the existence of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whatever motive he may have behind the motion picture we can reasonably
conclude, it is not to persuade anyone to believe in Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when this picture fails to rightly
represent God or His Word, should we be surprised?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As to the second question,
regarding any movies general shaping of religious beliefs, it may be more
difficult to thoroughly assess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How much a movie influences someone will be determined by individual
impressionability, strength of reasoning, worldview, age, preconceptions, and
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I think if we
borrow some conclusion from the world of debates, we may find some helpful
guideposts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone like John
Lennox, a Christian professor at Oxford University, (PhD in Mathematics,
Philosophy, and Bioethics) and Christopher Hitchens (renowned antitheist,
journalist, and philosopher) engage in a debate, we know that people on both
sides of the issue of God attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other thing that we know is that only a few actually change their
beliefs, even in the presence of great thinkers and well-formulated arguments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if something so logical and
consistence and well formulated and presented as a debate fails on a large
scale to change beliefs, then it seems more reasonable that a movie would have
even lesser influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
However, as I mentioned previously,
that does not mean that there is a zero influence impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, my conclusion in answering the
question of whether a Christian should see the movie or not is…depends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have a non-Christian friend that
has seen it and has questions, then sure, maybe you should watch it with them
and talk about it after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you,
like me, have had several people with various beliefs ask you for your
thoughts, then perhaps it is beneficial for you to go and offer your
thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, if you like to take
in an action movie without of vivid sex and prevalent profanity (which is quite
rare), and if it doesn’t violate your conscience, then by all means Noah is
your movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, if you think that
there is no benefit to taking in a movie like this, then don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Tomorrow I will post my review of
the movie itself.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-75023760270137350232013-11-25T11:44:00.000-06:002013-11-25T11:44:49.682-06:00A Few Thoughts on Redemptive SufferingSuffering is a part of life. And I think we can all agree suffering comes in different degrees and measures. I, as a middle class American, suffer much less than other peoples in the world in regard to physical well being. I have health insurance, I have a warm house, I have a car to drive, I have a loving family. I don't have anyone trying to kill me because I believe in Jesus, or because they don't like who I am or what I do. Yet, I have suffered a few things like the loss of family members. <br />
But how do we understand suffering? Is it meaningless or is there meaning? If there is meaning, what could it be? I am convinced that there is meaning and that the meaning is beyond our suffering, but revealed in it. My dad came to faith in Jesus mainly because of my mother's testimony. She endured years of drunken rages, yelling, throwing things, and even occasional physical abuse, besides the years of emotional abuse. Yet she loved my dad, remained faithful to him, and I believe that reacting in love to those things brought him to face a reality he couldn't deny...something or someone stronger than her enabled that kind of love. Most women wouldn't stay. <br />
Let me be clear...I am NOT saying that women should stay in those situations, but I am not saying they should not either. I believe that their decision should be based on what the Lord leads them to do. Hagar left the home of Abraham and Sarah because of Sarah's mistreatment...yet God encouraged her to return. If a woman, like my mother, decides to stay, that is her decision. If a woman, in the same situation, decides to leave, that is her decision. <br />
Here is the ground floor of redemptive suffering. If my mother could go back in time...would she encourage her younger self to marry this man...to live this way for nearly 40 years, to die of cancer, and perhaps the only encouragement is that one day that same man would turn to the Lord...would she repeat that life? I believe she would. I think her eyes see beyond our world of suffering to something so much greater we can hardly understand how wonderful it is. Like Paul, we should say in the midst of great suffering, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of
all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ..." Phil. 3:8<span class="p"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-63877533147539974132013-08-06T14:43:00.001-05:002013-08-06T14:43:24.989-05:00Eden after the Fall: Sex and Reproduction
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After
speaking on the effects of sin after "The Fall" on Sunday, one of the
congregants mentioned that, "If it weren't for the fall, we wouldn't be
here." My initial reaction was agreement, as I thought he was
referencing gathering together to worship our Lord...and I agree, we would
gather <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with</i> the Lord if there was no
fall. However, what he meant was that we would not be here because Adam
and Eve would not have known to engage in sexual relations with one another and
therefore procreate. Here are a few cursory reasons why I believe this to
be a false assumption:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
1.
They were expected to reproduce as part of the original creation and the gift
of reproduction was to be a blessing. Genesis 1:28 says, "And God <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">blessed</i> them. And God said to
them, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Be fruitful and multiply and
fill the earth and subdue it</i>, and have dominion over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the
earth." (italics mine) God's intent was for them to reproduce,
as was His intent for all creatures he created.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
2.
If reproduction was not a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i> design
in original creation, why create them "male and female." Giving
them the ability to reproduce, which God did for the entire creation, was
totally unnecessary if they didn't know they were to reproduce.
Furthermore, it was foolish on God's part to create them with that ability if
it could only be used after they would fall into sin. Consider this: God
could create two humans to live in perfect harmony with Him, and if they chose
to sin, and could not reproduce, the world would not be the mess it is today,
they would die and sin would die with them...at least as far as humans were
concerned. Why give them the ability (and sin the opportunity) to
continue through all of creation, generation after generation, if you didn't
have to? Think of the carnage that sin has brought our world, billions of
people over thousands of years, totally unnecessary. </div>
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3.
The term, "one flesh," is understood in terms of sexual unity, not
just the marriage ceremony and was prescribed as part of creation before the
introduction into sin. Gen. 2:24 says, "Therefore a man shall leave
his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they shall become one flesh." </i>(italics mine) The clearest
biblical passage of "one flesh" meaning sexual intercourse, is found
in 1 Cor. 6:16, "Or do you not know that he who is joint to a prostitute
becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The two will become one flesh."</i>"
Paul is obviously not speaking about a marriage ceremony between a man (or
woman) and a prostitute (we can't presuppose all prostitutes are female...they
are not). He is speaking about sexual intercourse between them, thus they
become "one flesh." </div>
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<br /></div>
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4.
They knew they were naked before the fall, there was just no shame associated
with being naked. </div>
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Gen.
2:25 says, "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not
ashamed." Obviously being naked was not a sin, that was how God
created them. Shame in their nakedness, however, was not a product of
perfect creation, but a consequence of their rebellion from God. Before
sin, they could see each others nakedness and not have sinful desires toward
one another or anyone else. By sinful desires, I mean that they would not
yearn for someone outside their covenant marriage, they would not look at
another lustfully, with self-gratification in mind, and they would not be more
interested in what sexual intercourse did for them, namely, give them physical
pleasure, as much as what God's intent for sexual intercourse to be. (I
believe God gave us sexual intercourse as a gift and that physical pleasure is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a part</i> of that gift. What I am
trying to make clear is that physical pleasure is not the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chief</i> purpose of sexual relations, thought it is a part of
it.) (For the chief purpose of sexual intercourse, see point 8.)</div>
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5.
As part of the curse brought on by sin, giving birth would be more
painful. Gen. 3:16, "I will surely multiply your pain in
childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children." Two things
worth mentioning here. First, notice that the language is a
multiplication of pain...not an introduction of it. What I mean by this
is that giving birth in pain (though obviously way less) must have been part of
original creation or "multiplying pain" would make no sense.
Second, there is still the implication of giving birth, even before they
sinned, as a part of original good creation since God does <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i></b> say, "I will
surely give you the capacity for childbearing and in great pain you shall bring
forth children." He simply affirms that now, after sin, childbearing
will be more painful than if sin had not been introduced into creation.</div>
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<br /></div>
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6.
It gives a "sinful" sense to sex and reproduction that God never
intended. If sexual intercourse is a product of the fall, why does God
insist that it is to be preserved and protected for the marital union? Furthermore,
why would Paul advocate people who “burn with desire” (here in the context of
burning for the desire for sexual expression) to get married? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not just let their sinful desire be
fulfilled outside of marriage instead of letting a sinful desire be subject
only to marriage?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sexual
expression within marriage must be a good thing or Scripture promotes sinning.</div>
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<br /></div>
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7.
God commands an "undefiled" marriage bed. Hebrews 13:4
"Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be
undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
The term "marriage bed" refers to sexual relations between the man
and the woman. The word rendered "undefiled" in Greek is the
word, “amiavtos” which means, “undefiled, untainted, pure.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James 1:27 uses the same word when he
says, “Religion that is pure and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">undefiled...</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here pure is used to describe something
in the positive sense to describe what is good, undefiled used from the
negative sense to say what is good as well, by saying it is “un-bad.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, sexual intercourse,
within marriage can in fact be pure and undefiled…and that wouldn’t be the case
if sexual intercourse was a product of the fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Equally important to note is that sexual intercourse within
marriage can be impure and defiled…which points again to it’s primary purpose.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the sole purpose of God creating us
is to enjoy and glorify Him, then sexual expression must fit into that
category.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God reserves sexual
expression for a marital union between a male and a female and He gives to us this
good gift as a reflection of our relationship with God himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we see sexual expression as
primarily physical, we’re missing something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sexuality is an expression of intimacy, relationship,
humility, self-giving, safety, protection, preservation, and a host of other
things that are all good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sexual
expression is like baptism and communion in that is serves both a physical and
a spiritual purpose, and none of them are understood well when the physical
purpose is separated from the spiritual purpose.</div>
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<br /></div>
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9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sexual intercourse in not necessary for
deeper spirituality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of the
product of the fall is an “unnatural desire” for sexual expression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex becomes more about physical than
spiritual expression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is more
self-focused that other-focused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is ruined by lust and perversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus never engaged in any sort of impure sexual expression
and we can certainly admit he was not “less” spiritual because he wasn’t
married and sexually active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet
he had the perfect relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That however does not make sexual
expression bad, it just does not make it necessary.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-24716915349808182922013-07-01T10:30:00.002-05:002013-07-01T10:30:45.223-05:00Charting a New Course, With the Same StarToday is my first day as the Sr. Pastor of Roseau Community Church. It is exciting, fulfilling, humbling, challenging, and surreal, all at once. In fact, there is very little about today that is different than yesterday...and that's a good thing. For centuries ships have left the safety and sanctuary of their harbors and set sail for new lands and new adventure and I feel like today my ship is leaving. We will be charting a new course, with the same tried and true crew, the heart of all churches, the congregation. There is some hesitancy about heading out into a vast ocean, it isn't safe or at least doesn't feel very safe. However, our church, like all churches, is prepared. We are prepared because though our course is new, we are guided by the same star, Jesus Christ. To the extent we keep our eye and focus on Him will determine our ability to find where we are going. Loose sight of the star and we will surely be steered off course. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-74049847868038983932013-06-21T11:38:00.002-05:002013-06-21T11:38:42.498-05:00Old Books, Timeless TruthsIn my last post I quoted C.S. Lewis in regard to the value of old books. If every aspiring young pastor and every saint of the local congregation would read some of these works, what a life-changing road would be paved for the Gospel! Consider these words by Richard Baxter, wrote in 1656, based upon scripture...<br />
<br />
<i>"The first and greatest work of ministers of Christ is acquainting men with the God who made them; He is the source of their blessing. We should open up the treasures of His goodness for them and tell them of the glory that is in His presence, a glory that His chosen people shall enjoy. By showing men the certainty and excellence of the promised joy, and by making them aware of the perfect blessedness in the life to come in comparison with vanities of the present life, we may direct their understanding and affections toward heaven. We shall bring them to the point of due contempt of this world and fasten their hearts on a more durable treasure. This is the work we should be busy with both night and day. For when we have affixed their hearts unfeignedly on God and heaven, the major part of the ministry is accomplished. All the rest will follow naturally.</i><br />
<br />
In reading this I am jealous for the zeal of the Lord among His Peoples, of which I am one.<i> </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-74692222260477686832013-06-21T11:25:00.001-05:002013-06-21T11:25:50.202-05:00An "under-shepherd" of the flock of God: Pastoral LeadershipI recently read a post by Douglas Wilson (<a href="http://dougwils.com/">A Moon Crater</a>) where he states, <i> </i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>"A couple not so obvious things. This was an organization clearly
dependent, in an unhealthy way, on one guy. It was a parachurch
organization, and its governmental structure was plainly not built for
the ages. Like so many evangelical parachurch operations, it appears to
have been the kind of thing that revolved around its personali . . . its
president in a way that ceded way too much authority to him. The
mainline denominations are all going through this very same apostasy,
but notice for them how agonizingly slowly it has gone. This is because
there is still some measure of accountability there, and thus the
possibility of effective opposition." </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His central complaint is the establishment, either intentional or not, of pastors and leaders to a position in authority well beyond their appropriate position in relation to their constituents and congregations. In my experience this is a common feature of modern churches, one that was established by an earlier era of dynamic leadership perspectives, modeled for businesses and too quickly borrowed by the church. The obvious issues as a result are apparent from Wall Street to the little church on the corner. C.S. Lewis made this famous quip of old books and their enduring value: <em>Every age has its own outlook. It is especially good at seeing certain
truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore,
need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own
period. And that means the old books…. Not, of course, that there is
any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are
now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same
mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already
committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not
endanger us. Two heads are better than one, not because either is
infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same
direction. To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good a
corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately we cannot get at
them.</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On that note then we take these great words from 1656, by Richard Baxter. "The first and greatest work of ministers of Christ is acquainting men with the God who made them<em>; </em>He is the source of their blessing." That is what we are about as pastors, but how do we view this duty? Well, by being an "under-shepherd" of the flock of God. We as pastors are not the head shepherd, for that is Christ. Every word and gesture of our being should point to Christ. Go about this humbly in the strength of the World of God, moved forward by the Holy Spirit.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-32671052258871949652012-12-04T12:44:00.001-06:002012-12-04T12:44:17.081-06:00The Wonder of God's WillDo you ever wonder how God's will is determined? I have mentioned that our church we have recently held a vote, and it is the belief of our leadership and of most everyone in our church that a 2/3rds majority vote is in fact what determines the will of God. Interesting isn't it? Is God's will really worked out through the democratic process? I think we would have to say yes. But is that the only way to determine God's will? I would say no. Consider the choosing of the 12th Apostle after Judas had hung himself. "So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, "You, Lord, know the hearts of all; show which of these two You have chosen to take the place in this apostolic service that Judas left to go to his own place." Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was numbered with the 11 apostles." (Acts. 1:23-26 HCSB) So, we voted, the early church cast lots, something akin to rolling dice, and both them and us consider this to be the will of God. But is 'casting lots' more chance than voting? Could we not argue that if the 120 that were there had their say, after praying, perhaps that would be a better measuring stick of who was "in the will of God"? Well, perhaps, but it isn't always this easy. Read this link and then return to here to finish with my thoughts... <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/a-coptic-committee-a-blindfolded-boy-and-the-hand-of-god">http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/a-coptic-committee-a-blindfolded-boy-and-the-hand-of-god</a><br />
<br />
So, we vote, the early church casts lots, and the Coptic Church in Egypt has a blindfolded boy determine the highest position in their denomination. What can we say about God's will? Let's just say this; in all those cases, God's will is greater than our ability to overcome it, either by chance or by vote. I believe that God uses all these different ways that a church "chooses" their leaders, and in doing so His will is accomplished. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-7130307373194208012012-12-04T12:25:00.000-06:002012-12-04T12:25:06.002-06:00A Time of ChangeIn Genesis chapter 34 we read this: "Then Moses climbed Mt. Nebo...[and]...then the Lord said to him, "this is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendents.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." And Moses died there in Moab, as the Lord had said...Joshua, son of Nun was filled with the Spirit of wisdom because Moses laid his hands on him and did what the Lord commanded Moses.<br />
Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt - to Pharaoh and to all his official and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.<br />
<br />
The church where I am currently the Associate Pastor is in the infancy of preparing for a very pivotal transition. For the past 46 years Pastor Bob Ludwig and his wife Pat have ministered here. They have seen many changes, both to the town of Roseau and to the church. He has been a faithful minister to the Truth of God's Word, and we are so very blessed to have someone like him here. It is Friday before the pending announcement on Sunday that this coming spring, Pastor Bob will retire. The next several months will be very busy, and there is certainly much to do in a relatively short time.<br />
It is an ever growing reality that we, like Israel, will loose an amazing leader. I cannot imagine what Joshua was feeling as Moses called him and passed to him the 'torch' of leadership. What a transition! And it would have been a failure, if we didn't have in it these words, "Joshua...was filled with the Spirit of wisdom". There it is. I cannot help but think that Solomon, hearing these words growing up, was reminded of the importance of two things in that phrase. First, that he was in need of wisdom and second, that it was the wisdom of God that he was in need of. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-67293702407226529582012-12-04T12:23:00.003-06:002012-12-04T12:23:46.700-06:00Beginning a New BeginningNovember 18th will be a day that I at least will not forget. First, it is my sister's Birthday, so I shouldn't think to forget it anyway. However, this year it is something much different. Over the past 4 years since becoming the Associate Pastor at Roseau Community Church, a course has been set that led us to a major congregational decision, vote, and change. After a couple emotionally exhausting months, (since Sept. 25th), RCC was prepared to vote on these two issues: (Perhaps a little information first, since Pastor Bob officially announced his retirement on Sept. 19th, the precipitous event to everything, we needed to decide on the new Senior Pastor.) First, since I was willing and was hired with the expectation of becoming the next Sr. Pastor, the first ballot consisted of a vote for that very thing. I am pleased to announce that 77% voted in favor of having me as Pastor. So it would seem that I would then be the next Pastor, but wait, the second vote was the actual deciding factor. The second vote was whether or not to 'disaffiliate' with the Assemblies of God. This vote needed to carry the two-thirds majority of 67%, if it did, not only would I be Pastor, but we would become a non-denominational independent church. IF it didn't, I would not be Pastor. The vote was in the affirmative, at a close 72%. <br />
So here I am, 15 years after I received my calling into ministry which included my return to Roseau. It is really hard to believe that this is why I am here, but I feel that it is. This whole incident has taught me what I already know, but easily forget, God is Good and He is in control. <br />
So now it is that we will be Beginning a New Beginning. I am excited to see what God has in store for us as a congregation! It is more than I feel prepared to be able to take on, and that is what is most comforting and frightening. God puts us in these positions, where we feel inadequate, to show us that it is not by human wisdom or ingenuity, not by our strength of body or mind, not by our finances, or anything we may feel we have to offer, God's Glory is at stake, and on by God and His Holy Spirit, will we be able to do anything that brings Glory to Him. "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name be the Glory!" Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-8023230587450600922012-09-06T13:26:00.001-05:002012-09-06T13:26:32.462-05:00"Reproductive Rights" When words mean life or death.Today I was struck once again at how carefully wrapped our words come when we are trying to defend a position we find acceptable. In recent years, "Reproductive Rights" has been the carefully packaged substitute for "abortion" and it's counter catch phrase the "Right to Life". Each word or phrase is used intentionally to defend the primary or core value that defines everything else that follows. So, Reproductive Rights is clear in presenting the primary value of the position that killing an unborn child is acceptable because the primary value is a person's "reproductive rights". Likewise, "right to life" is equally clear because the primary value that determines everything that follows is an unborn child's right to life, the right to be born and live. <br />
There is a subtle illegitimacy regarding reproductive rights, and a not so subtle conclusion. What is subtle is that reproductive rights are not being infringed upon (I am not including rape in this example, though I am not excluding it from the argument if you read further)! Women are getting pregnant, many, not all, but many out of their own free choice. They have the right, the full right, to engage in behavior, sexual intercourse, that has with it the possibility and potentiality for pregnancy. No one is taking their right to engage in sexual behavior away. It is not the idea of reproductive rights that is the issue, the issue is this: If they choose to engage is sexual behavior, that carries with it the potentiality of pregnancy, and if that choice leads to an actual pregnancy, then what is really at stake is their reproductive responsibility. Are they then responsible for the care of this child? Their answer is no. Their answer is that a woman, or couple, has the "right" to decide upon the life of the child, whether to bring the child to full term, birth the child, and have the responsibility of raising that child for the remainder of it's pre-adult years, or to abort the child. <br />
It is clear then that the reproductive right is still in tact, but not the reproductive responsibility. What begins as subtle ends much less subtle, the death of an unwanted, unborn child. I believe Jesus had a word or warning for this type of behavior: WOE! <br />
"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man to the man through whom they come!" Matthew 18:7<br />The Greek term used here is "ouai", which is often translated as "woe," which may have meant more to an earlier generation who didn't use 'woe' as an expression that displays amazement, like "woe man, did you see that!" A better meaning, or more original translation of "ouai" is; "how horrible it will be!" <br />
So, "How horrible it will be to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but how horrible it will be to the man through whom they come!" <br />
Two 'how horrible it will be" statements, the second more so than the first. We might read it like this, forgive me for taking a little liberty with the text. "It is terrible that there is sin in the world, how much more terrible for the person who introduces sin to others, and causes them to sin." I get this because that is the context of the verse. Look earlier in Matthew 18 and you'll see this. In particular, Jesus is talking about children just before he makes this statement! <br />
Jesus is not soft, God is not soft on anyone, individual or nation, that treats it's children with contempt, disdain, or apathy. "How horrible it will be for us if we think we can discard an unborn child and God will not care!" <br />
<br />
What about rape? Well, let's define rape first: rape is non-consensual, forcible sexual assault. That eliminates consensual 'statutory' rape. <br />
First, let's look into the numbers. How many rape pregnancies are there? Well, I heard last week on a news program that there are 32,000/year. Is this accurate? I would say no. Here is a great way to think about it and break it down, read this article: <a href="http://www.christianliferesources.com/article/rape-pregnancies-are-rare-461">http://www.christianliferesources.com/article/rape-pregnancies-are-rare-461</a><br />
Notice that there are 3 reputable scientific journals cited for these statistics, they're not made up. What is clear is that the number of rape-caused pregnancies are far less than often suggested. I am saddened by how many rapes occur in the US each year. If what we were dealing with was only rape-caused pregnancy, then I would be all for honest open discussion about "reproductive rights". However, the vast majority of abortions are not dealing with rape-caused pregnancies, but by people who are not willing to take responsibility for their actions. <br />
Please don't use 'reproductive rights' to justify your 'reproductive irresponsibility'. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-91070240720428617882012-04-24T19:04:00.002-05:002012-04-24T19:04:52.824-05:00Will the World End This Year?There is really no way to know. Over the last few decades one person after another has for some reason felt compelled to let the world know it is over. However, it seems like they forgot to consult either God or His Word which says quite clearly that "no man knows the day nor the hour". Some even put these thoughts into print (88 Reasons Christ Will Return in 1988) and no surprise a later correction to 1992 and then...oops. Last year was the same thing, different guy, one date, then a revision and then...oops. This year the Mayan calendar ends...could this be the year? Does the Bible have anything to say other than that "no one knows the day or the hour?" Sure, Matthew 24:14 says that when every nation hears, then the end will come. Considering there are over 16,000 people groups in the world and over 6,000 have never heard of Christ, it may not be this year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-55579033961235763332012-04-24T18:54:00.001-05:002012-04-24T18:54:19.239-05:00300 barrels of lamp oil... Some people have a particular eye for detail, Hananiah ben Hezekiah was just that kind of guy. In his search to find a reconciliation between Ezekiel's temple regulations and those prescribed by Moses, Hananiah was said to have locked himself away in an attic and burnt up 300 barrels of oil...that's dedication. And if that story seems crazy to you, one thing you should know, much because of Hananiah's incredible effort, the book of Ezekiel made it into the canon. So, thank you to those who are detail oriented, you make a difference!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759415734630682568.post-39813127056319797122011-11-09T16:04:00.002-06:002011-11-09T16:09:50.903-06:00Community GroupOver the past few months, among other things, I have been working on developing small groups known within our church as "Community Groups". Last night we had our first meeting and I was able to not only see, but experience first hand why I believe this to be so important. We had such a great time getting to know one another, sharing stories, laughing, and even just the warm cup of coffee shared with friends. What a blessing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441430507106986951noreply@blogger.com0