A Servants Heart and the Inconvenience of God

Luke 22:27(NKJV)

27For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

Just a short thought for today.  In the scripture above Christ sets an example for us to follow, that of having a heart for service to others.  It's one of the most direct ways that we show others the love of Jesus.

So here is a question for you.  Do you find serving God to be an inconvenience sometimes?  Here is what I mean by that:  Is God getting in the way of other stuff you'd really rather be doing?

If your answer is yes, Good For You!  It shows you are putting God first.  If God isn't getting in the way of some of the stuff you'd like to do, maybe you aren't making Him a high enough priority.  Just a thought.

Where Was His Great Faith?

That he felt the need to lie instead of just letting God protect him?  What am I talking about?  The story of Abram and Sarai going to Egypt.  It is a story of many things.  Faith, failure, righteousness, and hope.  Abram was a faithful and righteous man in God's eyes.  So much so that in Genesis 12 God said:

Genesis 12:1-3(NKJV)

1Now the Lord had said to Abram:      “Get out of your country,     From your family     And from your father’s house,     To a land that I will show you.

2    I will make you a great nation;     I will bless you     And make your name great;     And you shall be a blessing.

3    I will bless those who bless you,     And I will curse him who curses you;      And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Because Abram listened and followed God's instruction God went on to say:

Genesis 12:7(NKJV)

7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 

That's why I find the next piece so interesting.

Genesis 12:10-13(NKJV)

10Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. 

11And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 

12Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 

13Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that £I may live because of you.”

Where was Abrams faith in this situation that he felt the needed to ask his wife to lie to protect them instead of just depending on God?  I don’t have an answer, just the question.    Now let me share with you another section from my readings of Genesis today and then I'll tie the two of them together.

Genesis 15:1-8(NKJV)

1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 

3Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 

5Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

7Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”

8And he said, “Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”

 

In this section we have Abram who God counted faithful and righteous, questioning God.  "Are you sure God?  This doesn't make sense to me.  You keep telling me about how all of my descendants are going to have this land but how come you haven't given me descendants? "

Now let's tie this together.  Failure and questioning God do not disqualify us from being counted faithful, righteous and useful to God.  I see Abrams getting his wife to lie to Pharaoh in Egypt as a failure of his faith.  And yet in the long run Abram was still counted as faithful.  

A lot of people think that if you are a Christian it just isn't cool to question God and is somehow a bit unChristian.  I disagree.  God gave us an intellect and I think He expects us to use it.  Questioning God didn't disqualify Abram from being counted faithful and righteous before God.   

My point is that no mater how many times we fail, no matter how much we question, as long as we continue to seek God with all our hearts and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are still counted as faithful and righteous and that is a great message of Hope!

Can't we all just get along?

I ran across this post online this weekend and thought it asked some pretty good questions. 

"Is it really important for politics to play a role in a church??? How can the church pastor use the bible to advocate the deaths of the followers of Abraham, when the church serves a peaceful, loving God? Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't our Lord have a covenant with Abraham before the covenant with Moses? Aren't the followers of both working toward the same goal? Can't we all trace our families back to Adam and Eve? Are we not all brothers and sisters in the eye's of the Lord???? Wow…"

Let's leave the political question for another time and go to the heart of the matter.  I've highlighted what I believe is the heart of the matter.  As we get started let me explain my interpretation of this post and I will tell you up front that I don't know for certain that this is what the person meant.  I am just inferring the meaning from what I have read. 

To me it seems that the poster is referring to the conflict between Christians and Muslims.   I come to this conclusion based on his reference to "pastors advocating the deaths of the followers of Abraham." 

Here is what I believe.  First off, no we aren't all working for the same goal.  This goes right along with "Don't we all really serve the same God?"  No we don't all serve the same God.  Just because we are descended from Abraham doesn't mean that we all serve the same God.  God made a covenant with Abraham that as long as the people served Him, they were covered by the covenant.  Once they rejected God by serving other gods, they were no longer covered by the covenant.

As an example, Muslims don't serve the same God that we do.  How can I say that?  Because the Bible is God's word and it very clearly tells us that Jesus is God's Son and that "no one comes to the Father except through the Son."  Islam believes that Jesus was a great prophet but they don't believe He was crucified and they don't believe He is God's Son and the Savior of the world.  So either God is a liar or Islam is wrong. 

Here are a couple of bits from Wikipedia:

In Islam, Jesus is named as Isa (Arabic: عيسى‎ ʿĪsā) is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih (Messiah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.[1] The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Quran mentions Jesus twenty-five times, more often, by name, than Muhammad.[2][3] It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Arabic: Allah). To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles (such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, etc.), all by the permission of God rather than of his own power. According to the popular opinion and Muslim traditions, Jesus was not crucified but instead, he was raised up by God unto the heavens. This "raising" is understood to mean through bodily ascension.Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God. Islam rejects the Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Quran says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him.[6] The Quran emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God (shirk), emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism (tawhīd).

Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_Islam>

So based on that, it would be illogical to believe that we are all working for the same goal.  We believe different things.  We are working for all to know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.  They are working to get all to believe in Muhammad and his way of pleasing God which specifically rejects God's claim in the bible that Jesus was God's son.  What's the saying?  A house divided cannot stand?  Again it would be illogical to say that we are working for the same goal.

As to the question, aren't we all brothers and sisters in the eye's of the Lord?  Again the answer is no.  Those of us that believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior are brothers and sisters in the Lord.  Those that reject Christ are not.   God tells us very clearly that we are either for Him or against Him.  We have to chose.  I wrote quite a bit about that here  http://randomobservationsofacommonchristian.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-being-switzerland-here.html .

Once you have rejected Jesus, you are an enemy of God.  Is that permanent?  Of course not.  Provided you don't blaspheme the Holy Spirit (the one unforgivable sin. http://randomobservationsofacommonchristian.blogspot.com/2012/02/is-there-time-when-it-is-too-late.html )   God will always take you back, if you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life.  As some one else on the internet said "God is a jealous God".  After rejecting Jesus, if you don't ever accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior you remain an enemy of God.  And we know how that ultimately ends up.  But remember, it was the persons individual choice to reject God and chose to be His enemy. 

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10.

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 

35For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 

36and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ £ 

Not everybody gets to go to heaven.  Only those that believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior do.  So no we aren't all brothers and sisters in the eyes of the Lord, otherwise there would be no need to choose which would again make God a liar because in the Bible He said that we have to choose. 

So where do you stand?  Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?  If not yet, what are you waiting for?  If you want to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding then give Jesus your heart today!

Christ Told the Disciples to Arm Themselves and That's Good Enough For Me

Today I want to discuss a topic that is near and dear to my heart.  The morality of self defense.  For many of us the morality of self defense  is so obvious that we are incredulous that there is even a debate on the issue.  We shouldn't be however because this is an issue that goes back to the great philosophers of Greece and Rome.  Back then the debate was whether an individual had the right to the sidearm of the day, the sword, but the base issue was the same as today.  Does a free man have a moral right to defend him/herself from harm and do they have the right to the tools to defend themselves with?

Now Plato and Aristotle were on the yes side of the moral right to self defense while Cicero believed in the supremacy of the state over the individual and that the individual should look to the state for all of his/her protection.  Now let's take a look and see what the Bible says.  As I've mentioned in the past, the Bible is a book of balance and that is the case here also.

One of the first arguments against the moral right to self defense from the Bible that I hear is that Jesus said "turn the other cheek."  Based on that scripture a lot of people come to the conclusion that Christ was a pacifist.  But let's look at what else he said.

Luke 22:35-36(NKJV)

35And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.”

36Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 

This conversation took place at the last supper.  In the first part you have Jesus reminding the disciples that the first time He sent them out he told them not to take anything else with them.  In essence it seems, depend on God.  But then look what He says.  “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 

Here we have Jesus telling them that this time they are going to have to take care of and protect themselves.  Jesus even goes so far as to tell them that if they don't have a sword they should sell their garment (coat in other translations) and get a sword.  To me that is like Jesus saying  "look if you have to make a choice between staying warm and staying alive, chose staying alive by getting the means to protect yourself."

Now there is only one purpose as far as I can see for Jesus telling his disciples to arm themselves.  He wanted them to be prepared and able to defend themselves from harm if they should need to do so.  That doesn't sound like turn the other cheek to me.

So where is the balance?  I think that the "turn the other cheek" part is an admonition to be slow to anger, slow to take offense, slow to fight.  But did Jesus mean for us to turn the other cheek back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until someone beat us to death?  I don't believe my God would require me to be a human sacrifice to evil.  After reading the Luke passage I think the only logical conclusion is that even Jesus felt that at a certain point you need to defend yourselves and to do that you need the proper tools.

So in conclusion not only do I believe that we have a moral right to defend ourselves and our families from harm but I think it is a sign of an immoral government that tries to deny our right to do so!

Just because you are a Christian...

Don't think that sometimes life won't suck!  Why?  Because that is part of the human condition.  Let's face it, there are certain lessons in life that we will only learn the hard way.  Our parents can warn us, our friends can warn us, the Bible can warn us but we still have to learn them on our own.  It's kind of like touching a cactus, you know it is sharp but you have to touch it anyway.

But there is another reason sometimes it will suck.  Sometimes God needs us to go through crappy times to further His plan in our lives.  We've all heard the sayings.  "Iron Sharpens Iron"  "No Pain, No Gain"  "Sweat is just pain leaving the body" and "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

Why do those sayings exist?  Because there is a certain amount of truth to the sayings.  Jesus himself told us that we would have to suffer for Him.   What I'd like to touch on today is the spirit in which we suffer for Him. 

Let's take a look at a couple of verses.

Luke 22:31-32(NKJV)

31£And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 

32But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Romans 5:1-5(NKJV) (One of my favorite scriptures in the whole Bible)

1Therefore, having been justified by faith, £we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

First off let's take a look at what I highlighted in Luke.

Jesus tells us that Satan has asked for Simon Peter.  Jesus says that He prayed that Simon Peter's faith wouldn't fail.  And when he (Simon Peter) comes back his experience will be part of what helps strengthen his brethren.   Notice anything missing there? 

How about "Hey I'm a child of God.  Isn't God supposed to step in and protect me from Satan?"  Apparently not always.  There are time we are going to have to face Satan.  Now here's the good news.  God has equipped us for and Jesus will be praying us through the experience!  What more do you need than that?

Now let's look at Romans.  Here is where I want to focus on the spirit with which we endure these challenges.  We are told to Glory in our tribulations.  That's right, glory in the tough times.  Why?  Because we have faith that God is in control and that there will be great growth out of our suffering.  Look at what tribulation produces: perseverance, character, hope, and hope does not disappoint because of God! 

God has a plan for each and everyone one of our lives.  Only He knows what skills and knowledge we will need to fulfill His plan for our lives.  So if you are ever going through a tough time, do it with a smile on your face in the belief that God is just using this time to help you grow.  Do it with a sense of expectation, with a sense of hope because what has God promised us?  Hope Does Not Disappoint!

Dead Religion Demonizes Others

"Dead religion demonizes others" - Eric Metaxas 2/2/2012

I had a friend email me a link to this video on YouTube.  Mr.  Metaxas was one of the speakers at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast held on February 2, 2012 in Washington DC. 

The message that he delivered that day was outstanding.  I'm not going to try and describe it or explain it.  All I can do is suggest that you listen to it.  It's 34 minutes long.  I honestly didn't plan on listening to the whole thing.  I figured I'd listen to the first few minutes and then turn it off.  Once I started listening I was hooked, and bear in mind it was 5 AM when I listened to it.

So if you want to hear a great message click here, I think you'll be glad you did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahys8AhN-ho

"God is faithful, that's all I know"

What a profound statement.  Do we really need to know any more than that?  No matter what is going on in our lives if we just keep that one thought in our minds, I believe we can deal with most anything that life can throw at us.  It boils down to faith and faith is a key element of the Christian walk. 

What I want to explore today is how deep is our faith and where does that faith come from? 

Let's start in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 3:16-18(NKJV)

16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 

17If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 

18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Now most of us will never be called on to depend on our faith to that degree, but what if?  It's hard for us to imagine here in the U.S but everyday around the world there are Christians that do face life and death choices like this.  Please remember those people in your daily prayers.  I honestly wonder if I would have the faith in a life or death situation like that.  We all like to think we would but I don't think you can ever know until you face it.

For most of us, our tests of faith will come from crisis we face in our everyday lives.  When bad things happen are we able to draw closer to God through our faith when the rest of the world wouldn't blame us at all for being bitter?  Are we able to really believe, not just pay lip service, but believe that God is firmly in control and that things will work out for His good?

I'd like to share the story of a family that I know.  As you read what they have been through ask yourself if you would be able to continue to have the kind of faith that this family has.  This family has seen year after year of death.  Family and close friends.  Several kids at school committed suicide.  One of their children committed suicide.  An uncle committed suicide.  The surviving child was diagnosed with Leukemia.  While that child was in the hospital one of the parents had a cerebral hemorrhage of some sort and may now be disabled from their profession.  There's more but you get the idea.  Now what would your response be if you had to endure that?

"God is faithful, that's all I know!"  "He is going to turn around for good what the devil meant for evil. "  "God is in control"  "My God can't fail and He has a plan that will come to pass"   These are the responses of the family that I am referring to.  To me this family exhibits the "peace that surpasses all understanding".  Would you still be able to say those things and mean it?  Now I'm sure that this family would say what's the big deal and give all the glory to God that they have this type of faith, but I still think it is a faith worth noting. 

"God is faithful, that's all I know"  Think about what that sentence is saying.  When we think of faith we mostly think of it from the aspect of us having faith in God and Jesus.  This sentence shows that it isn't a one way street .  God is faithful back to us.  There is a reciprocity there.        

Where does that faith come from?  Let's look at that.  The Bible tells us we are made in the image of God.  God expects us to have faith so that should be one of the characteristics that we can identify in God.  While I'm sure there are many places in scripture that could serve this purpose I'd like to focus on just one.  The duality of faith between God and Jesus at the crucifixion.

Think about it.  Even though Jesus was as sure as He could be that everything was as He said, He still had to have faith that God would see it through.  So how did God exhibit faith here?  Because of the whole free will thing right up to the very end God had to have faith that Jesus would see it through, because Jesus had to option to just walk away. 

In that one story we can see why faith is so central to the Christian walk.  We can also see the characteristic of faith displayed by God and because of His faithfulness to us why, we can expect God to give us that same kind of faith!  

So folks if you'd like to experience that kind of faith, first accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then begin your Christian walk by getting into God's word.    The more you seek Him the more He will help you build your faith.  How can I be so sure?

"God is faithful, that's all I know!"

PS.  Please pray that the family that I mentioned will continue to feel the loving arms of Jesus as they continue their Christian walk.

A New Picture

This past weekend my wife and I had the opportunity to take some really interesting training.  It was FEMA CERT training.  CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. 

The class was taught by Fulton “Tripp” Sheen who I have known for over 20 years.  Good guy.  He had a view of God that I had not heard before and really liked.  Tripp has a couple of young grandchildren and that is where this view came from. 

One of the traditional views is of God the father.  Well Tripp said think of it just a bit different.  God the grandfather.  When you have a young grandchild enter the room and he/she is exploring, you as the grandparent keep doing whatever you were doing but now there is a piece of your attention that is focused on that grandchild.  You stand ready at a moment’s notice to drop everything and come to the child’s aid.  To keep it from harm, to teach it and help it grow, to just hug it and shower it with love, etc. 

In that way God is like a grandparent.  While God is busy running the known universe (and the unknown universe for that matter), there is that part of His awareness that is always focused on each of us.  He stands ready to come to our aid with love, guidance, discipline, and whatever else we may need, if we’ll just let Him. 

While I realize that God the father is Biblical and nowhere in the Bible does it mention God the Grandfather, I just found the word picture very comforting.  God is there to provide that comfort to all that want it.  If you'd like to experience that comfort then simply ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life.  It's that simple! 

My friend Fulton "Tripp" Sheen is doing some really interesting things in ministry.  If you would like to learn more please check out these two websites.

http://mergingstreamscommonwealth.com/msc/

Merging Streams Commonwealth

Merging Streams Commonwealth is both a doorway and a map that will enable us to apply the principles of restoration and transformation like never before.  The world is experiencing more turmoil today than ever before, and people are in need of real solutions. The magnitude and frequency of natural disasters occurring on the Earth has increased significantly over the past several years.  Manmade disasters, war, famine, and political, economic and social instability are also increasing.  Winston Churchill said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” As the world falls deeper into debt, dysfunction and disarray, Merging Streams wants to take advantage of those opportunities and build revolutionary new systems and networks for provision and sustainment.

http://www.isaiah5812.org/

About Isaiah 58:12

In previous disasters and during Hurricane Katrina & Ike, many faith-based organizations, large and small, were given the responsibility to care for parts of cites and various geographies, and they did a very effective job.  It is for this reason, as well as others, that Isaiah 58:12 was birthed.  It came about as a number of those who had attended some of the first trips to Mississippi began to sense in their hearts and spirits to formalize or logistically recognize in the physical, what God seemed to be doing in the Spirit. Initially, none of us had any intention or plan to keep going down to Mississippi, but these mission trips seem to be divinely orchestrated and took on a life of their own. Isaiah 58:12 is a faith-based relief group that will help organize and co-ordinate current and future relief efforts by churches or individuals who want to help disaster victims, wherever and whenever they arise. The reason for the formation of this group is as follows:

Fulton served 3 terms as a State Representative from Allegan County.  You can learn more about him here.

http://www.isaiah5812.org/index%20files/Home/Fultons%20Biography.htm

No Being Switzerland here

As I study and write I am struck by the themes that keep recurring.  A couple of those themes being

-the Bible is a book of balance

-Peaceful and loving God and Jesus who want to see the whole world saved vs.   strong and mighty God and Jesus who can kick a little tail. 

Take a look at these verses and then I'll share my thoughts.

Luke 18:1-8(NKJV)

1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 

2saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 

3Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 

4And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 

5yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

6Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 

7And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 

8I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

To begin with the first part cracks me up because it shows how far back some stereotypes can go.  I mean what are we talking about here? A nagging woman.  Wow.  So that is where the myth of the nagging woman came from?

But this is also where I again see the tension of balance.  My major inclination is to bring something up to God once and move on.  God's not some doddering old fool with a failing memory.  I mean come on He runs the universe.  I'm sure I don't have to keep reminding Him. 

On the other hand here is another example in the Bible where God seems to be saying "come on, keep knocking, keep asking, bug me a little."  Maybe in these instances He just wants us to show Him we really want it.  I don't know.  It's just sometimes hard to find that balance.

Now as to the God the strong and mighty.  Check this out.   What I want to illustrate here is a difference in the word picture.  There is a difference of attitude.  Look at this definition.

A·venge

verb (used with object), a·venged, a·veng·ing.

1. to take vengeance  or exact satisfaction for: to avenge a grave insult.

2. to take vengeance  on behalf of: He avenged his brother.

Synonyms

vindicate. Avenge, revenge  both imply to inflict pain or harm in return for pain or harm inflicted on oneself or those persons or causes to which one feels loyalty. The two words were formerly interchangeable, but have been differentiated until they now convey widely diverse ideas. Avenge  is now restricted to inflicting punishment as an act of retributive justice or as a vindication of propriety: to avenge a murder by bringing the criminal to trial. Revenge  implies inflicting pain or harm to retaliate for real or fancied wrongs; a reflexive pronoun is often used with this verb: Iago wished to revenge himself upon Othello.

Pasted from <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/avenge>

When you are presented with the Gospel you have to make a choice.  There is no being Switzerland here and staying neutral.  Jesus himself told us that we are either for Him or against Him.  If you don't chose Him you are therefore rejecting Him.  You think that might offend and insult God?

So here is the difference.  It would be one thing to let them just quietly slink off to eternal damnation, but based on what I read above that doesn't seem likely to happen.  Instead by rejecting Jesus they have offended and insulted God.  He is going to avenge that act by causing them pain and torment on the way to eternal damnation.  Ouch!

So remember folks, there's no not making a decision and waiting til later.  To not choose is to choose.   

Sons of God

Now that I've finished Song of Solomon I've gone back and started "In the beginning…..".  I've always loved the history of the OT.  I have often wondered about the following verses.

Genesis 6:1-4(NKJV)

1Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 

2that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

3And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive£ with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 

4There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

I've always found that wording curious and so I decided to do a little research.  Wow did I stumble on to a lot of reading.  It appears to be a bit of a controversial subject.  Let's start with a bit from Wikipedia.  By starting there we get not only the Biblical view but some secular background as well.

The term "sons of God"

In the pantheon of 2nd millennium Ugarit the El, the father-god and head of the pantheon, and the 70 "sons of El", make up a "Divine Council" which deliberates over major decisions. In the 1st millennium the El had been demoted and each of the "sons of El" was held to have been given a "nation" as his charge: Chemosh, for example, was the god of Moab. Yahweh, not originally included in the Ugaritic pantheon, was the God of Judah and of Israel. In the Book of Genesis, Yahweh is seen as the single deity, with "sons of elohim" as his assistants.

By the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC further hypotheses were developed to explain this passage in Genesis. One hypothesis was that the sons of God were the descendants of Seth, the pure line of Adam, and the "daughters of men" as the descendants of Cain.[citation needed]

In the Hebrew Bible the phrase "sons of God" occurs:

• Gen 6:2 b'ney ha-Elohim (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים) sons of the God.
• Job 1:6 b'ney ha-Elohim (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) sons of the God.
• Job 38:7 b'ney elohiym (בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִֽים) without the definite article - sons of gods.[1]
• Psalm 29:1 b'ney elim (בְּנֵי אֵלִים ) without the definite article - sons of elim.

Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_God>

History of interpretation of Genesis 6

Main article: Nephilim

[edit] Second Temple Judaism

See also: Second Temple Judaism

In 1 Enoch and Book of Jubilees the Genesis 6 text was developed into a complicated mythology of fallen angels. The 3rd century BC Book of Enoch turns the "sons of God" into fallen angels, referred to as Watchers, who came to earth and had children with human women, resulting in a race of half-angel, half-human beings known as the "Giants" (Nephilim).[citation needed] The view is found in Philo[14] and in Josephus Antiquities 1:73 (or 1:3.1).[15]

In the 1st century, CE Rabbi Shimeon ben Yochai pronounced a curse on any Jew teaching the Enochite interpretation[citation needed], and, later Trypho the Jew[16] rejected the interpretation. This was followed by Rashi and Nachmanides. Some commentators[17] on Luke 20:34-36 believe that Jesus was also familiar with the Enochic interpretation, and can be counted with Shimeon ben Yochai, since Jesus rejected that angels could marry and in the same passage equated the "sons of God" with humans.

Early Christianity

See also: Early Christianity

The pseudepigraphic Epistle of Barnabas 4:3 appears to accept the Enochic version.[18] As do Justin Martyr, Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Commodianus.[19]

Against this first Julius Africanus, then Augustine in City of God argued that the sons of God were the descendants of Seth, the pure line of Adam, and the "daughters of men" as the descendants of Cain.[20]

Some manuscripts of the Septuagint have emendations to read "sons of God" as "angels" in Genesis 6. Codex Vaticanus contains "angels" originally. In Codex Alexandrinus "sons of God" has been erased and replaced by "angels".[21] The Peshitta reads "sons of God".[22] The 5th century Christian work Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan follows this view.

Contemporary Christianity

Among the churches which teach that the "sons of God" were fallen angels today are Jehovah's Witnesses.[23] Among the churches which teach that the "sons of God" were men are the Catholic Church and many Churches of Christ.

Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_God>

OK, there is the foundation.  Now as I started to look into this deeper I found what was referred to as Manifest Sons of God Doctrine and that is where the controversy comes in.  In this article http://charismaticcentral.com/forums/content/509-manifest-sons-god-controversy.html the author has a list of things that the MSOG believe.  As I read down the list I saw things that seemed reasonable, some things that I disagreed with but nothing really wild, take a look:

belief in the restoration of the Church and of five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors)

belief in authority

The authority to speak blessings... and even curses

Denial of the rapture "in the classic sense" (that one made me ROFL)

that Jesus will not come bodily, but that the "body of Christ" will rise up as the visible return of Christ.

belief that the Church must be mature before Christ's return

spiritual warfare

signs and wonders (including healings, seeing angels and demons, seeing visible glory, manifestations, prophecy, etc.)

revival

prayer and fasting

taking dominion over the power of satan and reclaiming lost territory

anti-denominationalism

unity in the church

end-time harvest of souls

turning the world right-side up (a quote from Rick Joyner, saying we will do so)

Pasted from <http://charismaticcentral.com/forums/content/509-manifest-sons-god-controversy.html>

Then I came to this:

belief that we are, in fact, little gods and/or are equal to Christ.

(quoting from LUR) The Central theme to Manifest Sons of God doctrine is the belief that sonship to God comes through higher revelation via apostles and prophets. The Christian life, has levels to go through, to reach maturity. The first level is that of servant of God, the next is that of friend of God, following this is to become a son of God and the realization of gods ourselves. much like the new age potential in man)

Pasted from <http://charismaticcentral.com/forums/content/509-manifest-sons-god-controversy.html>

Now to me that sounds foreign to what I have been taught and what I've read myself in the Bible.  It sounds more like a reincarnation type thing where you earn your way up the spiritual ladder so to speak.  Here is where discernment comes in.  Now to be fair I don't know whether the author of the article took stuff out of context or something but based on what I see here, my inner warning bell is going off.

Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm just getting a 30,000 foot view here and quite frankly, probably won't look much further into it unless someone were to convince me that this was a really important issue.  At this point I find this more of a curiosity than anything else, but it's still fun to learn a little about the issue.  If you find this sort of thing interesting feel free to click on some of the links and explore this further.

We gain knowledge in many ways including reading and analyzing what appears to be false doctrine.  As Aristotle said" It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it".

The Apple Experience

The Apple Experience

Friday, February 10, 2012

10:29 AM

The mission statement of our church is "We exist so people get it!".  How come some people "get it" and some don't, ever ponder that?  Take a look at these verses.

Luke 16:27-31(NKJV)

27“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 

28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 

29Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 

30And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 

31But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

In this passage Jesus himself tells us that it'll take more than some guy rising from the dead to convince some people.  So what makes the difference for most.  I think it comes down to the Apple Experience.  Not as in Adam and Eve but as in Apple the company.

Here's what I mean.  At the end of last year I switched form an iPhone to an Android based phone.  After two weeks I went back to and asked for a do over and went back to an Apple iPhone.  The Android phone just wasn't the same as the Apple experience.  It's not that the Android phone was bad or anything, it just wasn’t the Apple experience. 

What the scripture above says to me is that if we approach evangelism in a logical way by pointing to the scriptures etc.  It is easy for people to disbelieve it.  On the other hand if we can get them the "God experience" it's a piece of cake.  Why the difference?  Because the scriptural stuff is external and the "God experience" is internal.  Anyone who has "experienced God" vs. just knowing Him knows what I mean.

 So go out and share the "God experience" with others so that they will get it!  :)

Vineyard Keeper

Love the word picture these verses paint. 

Luke 13:6-9(NKJV)

6He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 

7Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 

8But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 

9£And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”

I can just picture God as the vineyard keeper.  You have Satan sniffing around, trying to stir up trouble, cast blame, etc.  And then you have God who loves us and has a plan for each and every one of us. 

Satan is always there trying to win us for his kingdom and you have God as the vineyard keeper intervening on our behalf.  "I know he/she's not living up to his/her potential yet, not fully enjoying the life and blessings I have planned for him/her but give it a while longer.  I just need to dig a little here, promote some growth there, trim a bit in this spot."

I love how as long as God sees something there, He is willing to keep investing His efforts in helping us grow.  But look at the last sentence again. 

9£And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”

God as the vineyard keeper recognizes dead wood for what it is, dead wood!  And what does a good vineyard keeper do with the dead wood?  Cleans it out and burns it.  Why?  Because He knows it is necessary for the health of the greater vineyard.  And how does God determine whether it is dead wood or not?  By whether it bears fruit.

So the question of the day is are we bearing fruit?  Not are we perfect, winning the whole world to Christ, and rescuing kittens out of trees all at the same time; but are we bearing fruit in our relationship with God.  As God watches us live day by day does He have a smile on His face as He trims a little here and waters a little there because He sees the growth that will lead to bearing fruit?   We better hope so because otherwise we are in danger of appearing to be dead wood. 

Well here is the good news.  We don't have to hope so, we can know so.  All you have to do is accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and then get into God's word daily.  If you'll do those two things I can guarantee you that you can't help but bear fruit and God will never mistake you for dead wood!