Well, I got through the first semester of seminary. It has been a great experience so far, but I'll be glad for a few weeks off. My brain needs a reset. It hasn't been that taxing yet, really, but I just could not get my head out of neutral for my Greek final.
On that subject, Professor Hansen, if you happen to be reading this, it was a dirty trick to include "αφη" on the take-home exam. The lexicon lists its definition as "fastening" and does not point out that its also a form of "αφιετε." Do you have any idea how long I sat, scratching my head, trying to figure out why the verse was telling me that if I forgive someone else, God would attach my sins to me? Dirty trick. I hope you can sleep at night.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
World Revolution
Before my readers proceed, I would like to state that this entry is actually for school, as well as about the ideas we've been discussion there. You are always invited to comment and discuss the content here, but on this occasion I would truly appreciate some discussion. (At least one of my professors is likely to read this, after all.)
That being said, lets dig in, shall we?
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Transforming into Christ-likeness: Boot Camp
Setting the Stage / Justifying the Logic
Christ's Birth: Less a Silent Night, more a spiritual equivalent of D-Day
Matt 2:1-12 – Herod's hostility towards a baby
Ephesians 6 – Armor of God. Verse 12: struggle is with powers and principalities
The word struggle here is παλη meaning “wrestle, struggle, or contest” (Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament – Mounce). I used to wrestle. Its not a game of cards. It is an issue of straining, really struggling, a real strenuous commitment.
Matthew 11:12 - From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.
Conclusion: God is at war. Christ faced hostility from the moment of his birth until his murder.
Great Commission
Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
We call that a commission for a reason. Like a military commssion, we have been given, by our commanding officer, the authority and the responsibility to carry out a task on his behalf.
“make disciples” = μαθητευσατε which is the imperative form. This is an order, a command.
Conclusion: We are at war as well. We have been given a commission into the spiritual war God is participating in.
Our Role In This War
Matthew 28:19-20 is not a call to a passive existence. Neither is it merely “evangelism” as we have come to think of it. It is nothing short of a declaration of world-wide revolution. Christ's Kingdom has already been established and it is our responsibility to expand its borders into the hearts of all the world (all the nations).
None of us have a bit role, a marginalized place in this commitment. Commissions are given to officers. We are all Christian leaders in our own lives. Each of us is significant. But how are we to be effective?
Training
Leadership must be cultivated and trained. In the case of Christians, this comes in through our on-going transformation into Christ-likeness.
Dying to Self
Mark 8:34-35 (NIV) Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Luke 9:23-24 (NIV) Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Now, this sounds horrible. We should be mindful, however, of our own current conditions. Do you really like how you are living right now? Truthfully and honestly? Through sincere self-analysis we become aware of the fact that we are slaves to the “freedom” of this world and to our own selfish desires. There is no real fulfillment in lives like those.
John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
This commission, this life that Christ is calling us to is only a deprived life that “misses out” on freedom by the standards you have now. But how well is living by your own standards working out for you so far?
Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
The truth is that we knew that already, we've just been refusing to admit it to ourselves. If we honestly appraise the fulfillment we have in our lives, as they currently exist, we know that we are already “missing out.”
The truth is that the transformation into Christ-likeness liberates us from the slavery we live in now, the slavery to our own selfish desires, and frees us to live the lives we truly desire: lives of purpose and meaning.
Its Actually Possible
This process has to be one of the greatest mysteries and miracles of our faith and of the human condition. We can actually change. We can want different things than we want now. We can desire to do what God desires. The truth is, we will fail miserably at the revolution Christ has charged us with if we do not. We will be trying to remove a speck from our brother's eye with the plank still remaining in our own.
If we do change, however, into men and women resembling Christ, that revolution cannot fail. Real Christians, living as Christ, will transform the world without even trying. Like some great divine cancer, our lives will effect everyone around us. The good news is, it can happen. We don't have to wait until we die to be changed into the person God wants us to be.
Challenge
That is where we must begin. It is foolish, doomed to failure, and the height of arrogance to try to save the world before we have even addressed our own natures. As leaders in Christ's world revolution, we have a responsibility to actually know ourselves and, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to cultivate ourselves towards His image. Our churches should be concentrating more on equipping the Christians we already have to face the spiritual realities of the world and less on just “getting more butts in the seats.”
If we start concentrating on quality, the quantity will take care of itself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The above would ideally be used as the first sermon or Bible study in a series concentrating on the cultivation of Christ-likeness in our lives and churches. If any of you are interested in immediately and further exploring the subject, I strongly recommend Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard. It is an excellent book, though one should be prepared for a mental workout going through it.
Information on the Book
Ordering
If you would prefer something more in the way of an overview of that book (and far less mentally taxing) I have uploaded a report I wrote on it here.
That being said, lets dig in, shall we?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transforming into Christ-likeness: Boot Camp
Setting the Stage / Justifying the Logic
Christ's Birth: Less a Silent Night, more a spiritual equivalent of D-Day
Matt 2:1-12 – Herod's hostility towards a baby
Ephesians 6 – Armor of God. Verse 12: struggle is with powers and principalities
The word struggle here is παλη meaning “wrestle, struggle, or contest” (Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament – Mounce). I used to wrestle. Its not a game of cards. It is an issue of straining, really struggling, a real strenuous commitment.
Matthew 11:12 - From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.
Conclusion: God is at war. Christ faced hostility from the moment of his birth until his murder.
Great Commission
Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
We call that a commission for a reason. Like a military commssion, we have been given, by our commanding officer, the authority and the responsibility to carry out a task on his behalf.
“make disciples” = μαθητευσατε which is the imperative form. This is an order, a command.
Conclusion: We are at war as well. We have been given a commission into the spiritual war God is participating in.
Our Role In This War
Matthew 28:19-20 is not a call to a passive existence. Neither is it merely “evangelism” as we have come to think of it. It is nothing short of a declaration of world-wide revolution. Christ's Kingdom has already been established and it is our responsibility to expand its borders into the hearts of all the world (all the nations).
None of us have a bit role, a marginalized place in this commitment. Commissions are given to officers. We are all Christian leaders in our own lives. Each of us is significant. But how are we to be effective?
Training
Leadership must be cultivated and trained. In the case of Christians, this comes in through our on-going transformation into Christ-likeness.
Dying to Self
Mark 8:34-35 (NIV) Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Luke 9:23-24 (NIV) Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
Now, this sounds horrible. We should be mindful, however, of our own current conditions. Do you really like how you are living right now? Truthfully and honestly? Through sincere self-analysis we become aware of the fact that we are slaves to the “freedom” of this world and to our own selfish desires. There is no real fulfillment in lives like those.
John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
This commission, this life that Christ is calling us to is only a deprived life that “misses out” on freedom by the standards you have now. But how well is living by your own standards working out for you so far?
Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
The truth is that we knew that already, we've just been refusing to admit it to ourselves. If we honestly appraise the fulfillment we have in our lives, as they currently exist, we know that we are already “missing out.”
The truth is that the transformation into Christ-likeness liberates us from the slavery we live in now, the slavery to our own selfish desires, and frees us to live the lives we truly desire: lives of purpose and meaning.
Its Actually Possible
This process has to be one of the greatest mysteries and miracles of our faith and of the human condition. We can actually change. We can want different things than we want now. We can desire to do what God desires. The truth is, we will fail miserably at the revolution Christ has charged us with if we do not. We will be trying to remove a speck from our brother's eye with the plank still remaining in our own.
If we do change, however, into men and women resembling Christ, that revolution cannot fail. Real Christians, living as Christ, will transform the world without even trying. Like some great divine cancer, our lives will effect everyone around us. The good news is, it can happen. We don't have to wait until we die to be changed into the person God wants us to be.
Challenge
That is where we must begin. It is foolish, doomed to failure, and the height of arrogance to try to save the world before we have even addressed our own natures. As leaders in Christ's world revolution, we have a responsibility to actually know ourselves and, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to cultivate ourselves towards His image. Our churches should be concentrating more on equipping the Christians we already have to face the spiritual realities of the world and less on just “getting more butts in the seats.”
If we start concentrating on quality, the quantity will take care of itself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The above would ideally be used as the first sermon or Bible study in a series concentrating on the cultivation of Christ-likeness in our lives and churches. If any of you are interested in immediately and further exploring the subject, I strongly recommend Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard. It is an excellent book, though one should be prepared for a mental workout going through it.
Information on the Book
Ordering
If you would prefer something more in the way of an overview of that book (and far less mentally taxing) I have uploaded a report I wrote on it here.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
National Bullying Prevention Month
Bullying. Its been around forever. I think its a pretty immature word, though. I prefer to call it what it really is: persecution.
Uh-oh. The whole topic falls into a different light the moment that word is applied, doesn't it? You see, the agendas of the secular world prefer 'bullying' because they can twist this whole idea of "Bullying Prevention" to suit their own pet causes specifically. If you call it "Persecution Prevention," though, it draws in connotations of religious persecution.
So, lets talk about persecution. How about Juan Williams getting fired for expressing his quite common fears about boarding an airplane with Muslims aboard? He was accused of bigotry and fired. Why? Can you imagine him being fired for saying he would be loathe to sit next to an obvious Christian or Catholic minister carrying a Bible? No, of course not.
The fact is that our rights are being violated every day in our country, but not in the way that the political left would have you believe.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
So why are people losing their jobs, suffering social ostracism, and enduring open hostility because of what they say?
I find it odd that the liberals of our country seem to have so little interest in actual liberty. It seems like every time my wife speaks up on political or social matters someone from the left tries to shout her down. Why? What about her Freedom of Speech? It seems to me that a patriot should approach political disagreements with conversation. "I don't agree with you. Let's talk about it. Let's exchange some ideas and see if we can arrive at something." But it seems like no one wants to do that anymore. Every time I see a Christian trying to have a conversation with a Liberal, invariably, the Liberal seems to advocate censoring "intolerant and hate-filled" messages.
I submit to you that it is not Christians who are intolerant and hate-filled, but rather the very same individuals who make the accusation. They are intolerant of our worldview. They hate the fact that we express that worldview.
But this is not new, is it? Judeo-Christian worldviews have been persecuted by the world for 8,000 years. Now, certainly, we have done our share of persecuting, as well, and I do not count us blameless in that regard. The Crusades are frequently cited as examples. But the fact remains, Jews and Christians are well acquainted with persecution.
What, then, shall we do? There is persecution going on in our schools today. Well, the first is obvious: Do not participate in it. Whether it be a homosexual or as elementary as a "four-eyes" with glasses, its nothing short of sinful to persecute another person. Do not dare to try to justify your bullying by couching it in religious language, either. Organized religion has enough trouble in our world today without mean-spirited thugs and tongue-lashers nominally in our own ranks making it worse.
Additionally, we should stand up for those being persecuted. Don't we know what its like? Are we to stand aside and allow that sort of suffering to be heaped upon someone else? Have some courage and be a witness to whoever is being trampled when you see it. If you succeed only in drawing their persecutor's ire to yourself, at least you know you have God to sustain you - their previous target may not be so fortunate. Men, what is the aggressive nature God has given many of us for if not to defend others?
Many people want to make light of this issue. They insist that hazing and bullying is just part of growing up and that it is unavoidable. To a certain extent, that is true. At some point, all of us have to deal with it. But for some, whether it be due to emotional fragility or due to extremes of persecution that most of us are not familiar with, it can be a terrible burden. It has already driven some to suicide. Clearly, this is a topic in need of attention.
I don't know how to stop bullying in our schools. I'm sure more legislation isn't the answer. But I don't have the answer. I don't know how to heal the diseases in our society overnight. The only answer I have is the same one I use for every social or political problem: More Christians acting in God's will.
Uh-oh. The whole topic falls into a different light the moment that word is applied, doesn't it? You see, the agendas of the secular world prefer 'bullying' because they can twist this whole idea of "Bullying Prevention" to suit their own pet causes specifically. If you call it "Persecution Prevention," though, it draws in connotations of religious persecution.
So, lets talk about persecution. How about Juan Williams getting fired for expressing his quite common fears about boarding an airplane with Muslims aboard? He was accused of bigotry and fired. Why? Can you imagine him being fired for saying he would be loathe to sit next to an obvious Christian or Catholic minister carrying a Bible? No, of course not.
The fact is that our rights are being violated every day in our country, but not in the way that the political left would have you believe.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
So why are people losing their jobs, suffering social ostracism, and enduring open hostility because of what they say?
I find it odd that the liberals of our country seem to have so little interest in actual liberty. It seems like every time my wife speaks up on political or social matters someone from the left tries to shout her down. Why? What about her Freedom of Speech? It seems to me that a patriot should approach political disagreements with conversation. "I don't agree with you. Let's talk about it. Let's exchange some ideas and see if we can arrive at something." But it seems like no one wants to do that anymore. Every time I see a Christian trying to have a conversation with a Liberal, invariably, the Liberal seems to advocate censoring "intolerant and hate-filled" messages.
I submit to you that it is not Christians who are intolerant and hate-filled, but rather the very same individuals who make the accusation. They are intolerant of our worldview. They hate the fact that we express that worldview.
But this is not new, is it? Judeo-Christian worldviews have been persecuted by the world for 8,000 years. Now, certainly, we have done our share of persecuting, as well, and I do not count us blameless in that regard. The Crusades are frequently cited as examples. But the fact remains, Jews and Christians are well acquainted with persecution.
What, then, shall we do? There is persecution going on in our schools today. Well, the first is obvious: Do not participate in it. Whether it be a homosexual or as elementary as a "four-eyes" with glasses, its nothing short of sinful to persecute another person. Do not dare to try to justify your bullying by couching it in religious language, either. Organized religion has enough trouble in our world today without mean-spirited thugs and tongue-lashers nominally in our own ranks making it worse.
Additionally, we should stand up for those being persecuted. Don't we know what its like? Are we to stand aside and allow that sort of suffering to be heaped upon someone else? Have some courage and be a witness to whoever is being trampled when you see it. If you succeed only in drawing their persecutor's ire to yourself, at least you know you have God to sustain you - their previous target may not be so fortunate. Men, what is the aggressive nature God has given many of us for if not to defend others?
Many people want to make light of this issue. They insist that hazing and bullying is just part of growing up and that it is unavoidable. To a certain extent, that is true. At some point, all of us have to deal with it. But for some, whether it be due to emotional fragility or due to extremes of persecution that most of us are not familiar with, it can be a terrible burden. It has already driven some to suicide. Clearly, this is a topic in need of attention.
I don't know how to stop bullying in our schools. I'm sure more legislation isn't the answer. But I don't have the answer. I don't know how to heal the diseases in our society overnight. The only answer I have is the same one I use for every social or political problem: More Christians acting in God's will.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Truth is Immutable
In class today we were discussing Elijah's confrontation with the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel. The professor lecturing made a point that I felt should be shared. Its not something that should come as any surprise to Christians, but it is always good to hear familiar ideas presented in new ways.
There were 450 of the Baalic priests present. Elijah was the last prophet of God in Israel at the time. 450 to 1. Its a good thing truth is not subject to democracy, isn't it?
The point the professor made was this: the truth does not change. It doesn't matter if 450 people believe a lie or if 450 million people believe it. Its still a lie. It does not matter if 1 person believes the truth or if there is no one on Earth who believes the truth. It is still the truth.
The great lie that our culture believes today is that it can change the nature of truth. It believes that the world is changing so our values must change with it. Our culture claims that our notions of truth must evolve. Claims that abortion or homosexuality are sins are met we angry accusations of closed-mindedness. It is not closed-minded to reject lies and believe in truth.
Instead, though, there is an insidious implication that we can somehow alter the nature of truth through popular opinion. But God is not Congress. The Bible is not a bill up for consideration in the House of Representatives. It is the Truth and it does not require our consent to remain Truth.
It does not matter how many people believe that abortion and homosexuality are not sinful. It did not matter how many Baalic priests stood on Mt. Carmel against Elijah because God was with him. On that day, 450 priests of Baal died, but the Truth remained unchanged.
There were 450 of the Baalic priests present. Elijah was the last prophet of God in Israel at the time. 450 to 1. Its a good thing truth is not subject to democracy, isn't it?
The point the professor made was this: the truth does not change. It doesn't matter if 450 people believe a lie or if 450 million people believe it. Its still a lie. It does not matter if 1 person believes the truth or if there is no one on Earth who believes the truth. It is still the truth.
The great lie that our culture believes today is that it can change the nature of truth. It believes that the world is changing so our values must change with it. Our culture claims that our notions of truth must evolve. Claims that abortion or homosexuality are sins are met we angry accusations of closed-mindedness. It is not closed-minded to reject lies and believe in truth.
Instead, though, there is an insidious implication that we can somehow alter the nature of truth through popular opinion. But God is not Congress. The Bible is not a bill up for consideration in the House of Representatives. It is the Truth and it does not require our consent to remain Truth.
It does not matter how many people believe that abortion and homosexuality are not sinful. It did not matter how many Baalic priests stood on Mt. Carmel against Elijah because God was with him. On that day, 450 priests of Baal died, but the Truth remained unchanged.
In the Beginning...
So, I've decided to start this blog as sort of a holding tank for sermon ideas and a meduim for commentary on my seminary experiences. But, mostly, its a place for me to give voice to the issues that weigh on my mind until a more appropriate venue (reads as: ministry position) becomes available.
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