I have come to the realization lately that I am not worshiping the same God I was 5 years ago. 5 years ago, I was worshiping the God of "Small Miracles Through Coincidence", the God of "He Can Heal, But Will He?", the God of "He Doesn't Need Me to Do Anything (But Maybe Just a Little Bit)". With God's grace, I now worship:
The God of Abraham, who made him a father while it was deemed humanly impossible, made him the father of many nations, who provided a ram
The God of Isaac, who made covenant through his line, who remains faithful to his descendants, who gave him his heart's desire
The God of David, who slaughtered the giant (because, stealing from Max Frazier, David's God was at LEAST 9'10"), who crowned a shepherd boy king, who called David a man after His own heart even though this same man had committed adultery and murder
The God of Peter, who chose him, who was patient with the impetuous temperment, who forgave a traitor, who gifted the ordinary, who fellowshipped in suffering
The God of Paul, who loved a murderer, transformed a sinner, strengthened him in need, blessed him with His Spirit
I could go on, but I would rather that you would leave comments to add to the list. Please, "COMMENT" away! (please.)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
An Inconvenient Truth
Truth must be objective or it is not truth. Call it anything else you want, but not truth. Truth is reserved for objective reality, no matter our feelings or opinions on the matter. That is how we have perverted the gospel message-- by changing the objective truth of the gospel into a subjective reality, defined by our inner being, added to by our experiences and feelings. Truth can either rejected or accepted: perhaps you find that inconvenient.
The inconvenient truth is not that global warming is... warming the globe. The real inconvenient truth is that we-- you, I and everyone else-- are sinners and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. The inconvenient truth is that we are desitned to and for hell. Yes, hell is an objective truth because the Bible tells us so. It is not a subjective imagining nor analogy nor metaphor. The worst of the inconvenient truth is that God is ready to pour out His wrath upon sinners, those who are not absolutely perfect. (Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 and Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:28).
Even more inconvenient is what God declares in Isaiah 64.6: All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Even Mother Theresa's countless good deeds were presented to God as "filthy rags", literally, "used menstrual cloths".
Replace "All" with "I" in the following familiar passage (since "I" is a part of "all"): I have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Paul goes on to explain that "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 3:23 and 6:23)
DEATH. Can you imagine death's pronouncement to Adam in the garden: From dust you were made, to dust you shall return.? Death, hell, eternal damnation and separation from God-- this is what we are born into: now that is inconvenient.
For the wages of sin is death but...
For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And that, friends, is the greatest truth. Since there is nothing we can do to make ourselves perfect before Perfection Himself, no way to satisfy His righteous wrath, God sent His son as a gift to us who are perishing.
Christ's completed work on the cross is an objective truth that you can accept or reject.
Since Jesus was perfect and sacrificed Himself, the full atonement means that He covers us. Therefore, when God judges us, He will not see our depraved state of sin and works that are imperfect. He will see Christ, our once for all atonement. Salvation is a gift only God can and did give. The awesome message of the cross will either offend and turn away people or, for those who accept it, turn people into disciples-- followers-- of Christ. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:14).
We do not decide on our salvation: Christ already provided it. Based upon how we act upon that truth, our decision will be whether to be a disciple of Christ or not. So, on the last day, when you approach the judgment throne before God Almighty, will you present to Him the inconvenient truth of sin, depravity, wretchedness and works or will you present to Him Christ, the greatest truth?
The inconvenient truth is not that global warming is... warming the globe. The real inconvenient truth is that we-- you, I and everyone else-- are sinners and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. The inconvenient truth is that we are desitned to and for hell. Yes, hell is an objective truth because the Bible tells us so. It is not a subjective imagining nor analogy nor metaphor. The worst of the inconvenient truth is that God is ready to pour out His wrath upon sinners, those who are not absolutely perfect. (Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 and Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:28).
Even more inconvenient is what God declares in Isaiah 64.6: All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Even Mother Theresa's countless good deeds were presented to God as "filthy rags", literally, "used menstrual cloths".
Replace "All" with "I" in the following familiar passage (since "I" is a part of "all"): I have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Paul goes on to explain that "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 3:23 and 6:23)
DEATH. Can you imagine death's pronouncement to Adam in the garden: From dust you were made, to dust you shall return.? Death, hell, eternal damnation and separation from God-- this is what we are born into: now that is inconvenient.
For the wages of sin is death but...
For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And that, friends, is the greatest truth. Since there is nothing we can do to make ourselves perfect before Perfection Himself, no way to satisfy His righteous wrath, God sent His son as a gift to us who are perishing.
Christ's completed work on the cross is an objective truth that you can accept or reject.
Since Jesus was perfect and sacrificed Himself, the full atonement means that He covers us. Therefore, when God judges us, He will not see our depraved state of sin and works that are imperfect. He will see Christ, our once for all atonement. Salvation is a gift only God can and did give. The awesome message of the cross will either offend and turn away people or, for those who accept it, turn people into disciples-- followers-- of Christ. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:14).
We do not decide on our salvation: Christ already provided it. Based upon how we act upon that truth, our decision will be whether to be a disciple of Christ or not. So, on the last day, when you approach the judgment throne before God Almighty, will you present to Him the inconvenient truth of sin, depravity, wretchedness and works or will you present to Him Christ, the greatest truth?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Miracle of Suffering
Hebrews 2:9-10
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Most of the time I have hurried past the cross to run to the empty tomb. I have seen the resurrection as the greatest miracle of all. I no longer believe it is; perhaps it is the second greatest. That the Great I Am, the Author of Life, raised Jesus (Himself) from the dead is a miracle, but it is no trick for God to put life into lifelessness. He spoke creation into being.
Jesus' absolute humility on the cross is the miracle that can never be topped. Miraculous enough was His agreement to become man. He made Himself a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7). But He was made perfect in suffering. He atoned for our sin once for all by becoming sin: He is the Passover Lamb, our scapegoat. And it was His choice. The greatest miracle.
Jesus' suffering conquered evil.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery (Hebrews 2: 14-15).
Jesus' suffering set us free from fear, from death, from sin, from ourselves, from God's wrath.
It has been in my own suffering that I have drawn close to God. ...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Romans 5:3-4).
God gives the strength to rejoice in our sufferings as He draws us closer to Himself. The apostles knew fellowship with Jesus through their suffering:
They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 5:40-42
Notice to what means was their suffering, however: "for the Name." When by sin or circumstance we suffer, we are not promised to draw nearer to God through fellowship in suffering with Jesus. Jesus' suffering had a point. He was the founder of salvation made perfect by death. The founder of salvation, "...through death...destroy[ed] the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver[ed] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery (see my earlier Hebrews references).
Like their Master, the apostles suffering was not in vain or for self-gain. They were excited--ecstatic, if you will--to "suffer disgrace for the Name", namely Jesus. This can only be possible through the transformative work and filling of the Holy Spirit, for I believe God, in Triune, is the only one who could provide rejoicing in suffering.
God is the only one who could provide His greatest miracle by nailing Himself to a cross. Is the Jesus that hung on a cross and miraculously resurrected after His death worthy of our suffering? By the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit, let us pray that is it so.
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Most of the time I have hurried past the cross to run to the empty tomb. I have seen the resurrection as the greatest miracle of all. I no longer believe it is; perhaps it is the second greatest. That the Great I Am, the Author of Life, raised Jesus (Himself) from the dead is a miracle, but it is no trick for God to put life into lifelessness. He spoke creation into being.
Jesus' absolute humility on the cross is the miracle that can never be topped. Miraculous enough was His agreement to become man. He made Himself a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7). But He was made perfect in suffering. He atoned for our sin once for all by becoming sin: He is the Passover Lamb, our scapegoat. And it was His choice. The greatest miracle.
Jesus' suffering conquered evil.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery (Hebrews 2: 14-15).
Jesus' suffering set us free from fear, from death, from sin, from ourselves, from God's wrath.
It has been in my own suffering that I have drawn close to God. ...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Romans 5:3-4).
God gives the strength to rejoice in our sufferings as He draws us closer to Himself. The apostles knew fellowship with Jesus through their suffering:
They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 5:40-42
Notice to what means was their suffering, however: "for the Name." When by sin or circumstance we suffer, we are not promised to draw nearer to God through fellowship in suffering with Jesus. Jesus' suffering had a point. He was the founder of salvation made perfect by death. The founder of salvation, "...through death...destroy[ed] the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver[ed] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery (see my earlier Hebrews references).
Like their Master, the apostles suffering was not in vain or for self-gain. They were excited--ecstatic, if you will--to "suffer disgrace for the Name", namely Jesus. This can only be possible through the transformative work and filling of the Holy Spirit, for I believe God, in Triune, is the only one who could provide rejoicing in suffering.
God is the only one who could provide His greatest miracle by nailing Himself to a cross. Is the Jesus that hung on a cross and miraculously resurrected after His death worthy of our suffering? By the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit, let us pray that is it so.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Indictment of the Sadducees
Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?" Mark 12:24
Is this not the same indictment that could be leveled at the church today? At me? At you?
The Sadducees attempted to use the law-- the very law God established, to entrap Jesus, author of the law. How foolish! They proof-texted Scripture for their ruse: they tried to use the law to prove that the idea of the resurrection does not coincide.
We, in the church today, have become masters of proof-texting. That is to say that we have our opinions and, in order to pass these off as Biblical, we pick out Scriptures to "prove" our opinions are correct or true.
How about finding truth by studying the Word of God in its entirety and then forming-- not opinions-- but convictions according to the will and purpose of God? But many are not up to studying and seeking out the Bible to find out His purpose. In the course of our call to be Christ-followers, some are still in pre-school, not past the elementary principles of the faith.
Christianity 101 is supposed to be a fairly short course, but some Christians have made it into a lifelong event. The exasperation of the writer of Hebrews is evident, as he penned:
"....by this time you ought to be teachers, [yet] you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child....Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..." (5:11-13-6:1)
Biblical illiteracy leads to an immature understanding of who God is and the power of God. "You do not know the power of God." Often neglected by Christians, the Old Testament is a power-filled work on the power of God. If you contemplate the pages, it does not take long to sit, kneel, stand or fall down in awe of our mighty, powerful God. This obviously holds true into the New Testament, but you cannot understand the New without the study of the Old.
"...have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong" (Mark 12:26-27)
Don't stay wrong. Read, study, digest the Word of God and you will also learn of His power and how He wants to work through the Holy Spirit. It is time to move past Christianity 101, past infancy to solid food.
"...solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:14).
Is this not the same indictment that could be leveled at the church today? At me? At you?
The Sadducees attempted to use the law-- the very law God established, to entrap Jesus, author of the law. How foolish! They proof-texted Scripture for their ruse: they tried to use the law to prove that the idea of the resurrection does not coincide.
We, in the church today, have become masters of proof-texting. That is to say that we have our opinions and, in order to pass these off as Biblical, we pick out Scriptures to "prove" our opinions are correct or true.
How about finding truth by studying the Word of God in its entirety and then forming-- not opinions-- but convictions according to the will and purpose of God? But many are not up to studying and seeking out the Bible to find out His purpose. In the course of our call to be Christ-followers, some are still in pre-school, not past the elementary principles of the faith.
Christianity 101 is supposed to be a fairly short course, but some Christians have made it into a lifelong event. The exasperation of the writer of Hebrews is evident, as he penned:
"....by this time you ought to be teachers, [yet] you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child....Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..." (5:11-13-6:1)
Biblical illiteracy leads to an immature understanding of who God is and the power of God. "You do not know the power of God." Often neglected by Christians, the Old Testament is a power-filled work on the power of God. If you contemplate the pages, it does not take long to sit, kneel, stand or fall down in awe of our mighty, powerful God. This obviously holds true into the New Testament, but you cannot understand the New without the study of the Old.
"...have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong" (Mark 12:26-27)
Don't stay wrong. Read, study, digest the Word of God and you will also learn of His power and how He wants to work through the Holy Spirit. It is time to move past Christianity 101, past infancy to solid food.
"...solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:14).
Friday, May 21, 2010
Trusting God Without Buts
Trust: a big word with mighty implications. The most devastating punishment I ever received from my parents was the following line: "You have lost our trust. It is going to take time to rebuild it." Their trust in me was eventually restored. However, I do not put it past myself to fail again and lose trust, not because I want to, but I recognize that I am human and fail daily.
BUT God is eternal and has never failed. He is the One to be trusted above all, not only that, trusted completely and without hesitation. Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5) Every thought, word and utterance of God is true and never fails.
God is Creator and Sustainer. We should have no choice but to trust Him completely. What other real choice is there? Before we would question God, we should take seriously God's character as Creator and Sustainer, pondering the same rhetorical questions God asks Job in chapter 38:
BUT God is eternal and has never failed. He is the One to be trusted above all, not only that, trusted completely and without hesitation. Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5) Every thought, word and utterance of God is true and never fails.
God is Creator and Sustainer. We should have no choice but to trust Him completely. What other real choice is there? Before we would question God, we should take seriously God's character as Creator and Sustainer, pondering the same rhetorical questions God asks Job in chapter 38:
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
“Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?
when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?
and caused the dawn to know its place,
that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?
“Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?
What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
for the day of battle and war?
What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
“Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
and a way for the thunderbolt,
to bring rain on a land where no man is,
on the desert in which there is no man,
to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground sprout with grass?
and a way for the thunderbolt,
to bring rain on a land where no man is,
on the desert in which there is no man,
to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
and to make the ground sprout with grass?
“Has the rain a father,
or who has begotten the drops of dew?
From whose womb did the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is frozen.
or who has begotten the drops of dew?
From whose womb did the ice come forth,
and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
The waters become hard like stone,
and the face of the deep is frozen.
“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?...
or loose the cords of Orion?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth?...
So, when my mind utters-- or someone else utters-- "I trust God but...", I want to scream. Literally, sometimes. BUT what? What could you possibly fill in behind that BUT that compares to Yahweh? It's as if "but" is the fulcrum on the balancing scale of trusting God and trusting ourselves, except there is no scale. The scale does not exist because there is NO one or NO thing that compares to God.
I trust God. This is the most complete sentence you can utter in this context. Any added words turn that sentence into a dirty run-on.
When we do not trust God to deliver on His promises and Word, we are then relying on the wisdom of the world and our own pride. Therefore, consider Psalm 40.4: Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!
Those of the world trust in things of the world (chariots and horses, cars and houses and money), "...but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7). We choose to trust God without buts. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you (Psalm 9:10).
Let's stop ourselves from saying "but" after "I trust God" and, as it comes up in our thought life, remember to "destroy that argument by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5 paraphrase). Let us remember of whom we speak. Let us trust God without buts.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Our Hope
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
ALL other ground is sinking sand and seemingly sinking quickly these days. Woe to those whose hope is in money: sinking sand. Woe to those whose hope is in a democratic form of government: sinking sand. Woe to those whose hope is in President Obama, or former President Bush, or anyone less than Christ: sinking sand.
My hope is Jesus Christ. Therefore, I still have hope. I still have hope that this nation can be brought to its knees. By all standards, worldly and Biblical, it seems that the end of American prosperity and dominance is near. The falling of America could fit very well into Christian eschatology and we seem to be marching ever nearer to the point of no return (or, more correctly, of THE return). And, though I personally believe that the Tribulation is near (and therefore the Rapture), only God knows and determines when He gathers His Bride. I need to live in the urgency of Christ's return but in the longevity and perseverence of fulfilling Christ's Great Commission to us. I will not give up on revival. Perhaps, by God's grace, the end of American prosperity and dominance will be the very thing to trigger revival (it seems the only likely scenario at this time).
My hope is Jesus Christ. I still have hope--and pray diligently for-- the humbling of President Obama before Almighty God. If the likes of Nebuchanezzar and Manasseh can be humbled, I have no doubt that Obama can do the same under the mighty hand of God. I pray that we can be in heaven together recalling the silliness of his power grab this past week. Though it very well could be that Obama's heart has already been hardened by God that He may fulfill HIS purposes through him, my job is to pray for Obama's salvation. It is not my job to declare him "unsaved". God does as He pleases: we are called to follow His will by loving "the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, soul and mind....and love our neighbor as [ourselves]" (Matthew 22: 37-39). By the way, I still pray for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: " Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
May we all be a people of Hope-- the true hope of Jesus to the world. Spirit, manifest yourself through us that the world may call on the name of the Lord and be saved.
When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my Hope and Stay
When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne
Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
ALL other ground is sinking sand and seemingly sinking quickly these days. Woe to those whose hope is in money: sinking sand. Woe to those whose hope is in a democratic form of government: sinking sand. Woe to those whose hope is in President Obama, or former President Bush, or anyone less than Christ: sinking sand.
My hope is Jesus Christ. Therefore, I still have hope. I still have hope that this nation can be brought to its knees. By all standards, worldly and Biblical, it seems that the end of American prosperity and dominance is near. The falling of America could fit very well into Christian eschatology and we seem to be marching ever nearer to the point of no return (or, more correctly, of THE return). And, though I personally believe that the Tribulation is near (and therefore the Rapture), only God knows and determines when He gathers His Bride. I need to live in the urgency of Christ's return but in the longevity and perseverence of fulfilling Christ's Great Commission to us. I will not give up on revival. Perhaps, by God's grace, the end of American prosperity and dominance will be the very thing to trigger revival (it seems the only likely scenario at this time).
My hope is Jesus Christ. I still have hope--and pray diligently for-- the humbling of President Obama before Almighty God. If the likes of Nebuchanezzar and Manasseh can be humbled, I have no doubt that Obama can do the same under the mighty hand of God. I pray that we can be in heaven together recalling the silliness of his power grab this past week. Though it very well could be that Obama's heart has already been hardened by God that He may fulfill HIS purposes through him, my job is to pray for Obama's salvation. It is not my job to declare him "unsaved". God does as He pleases: we are called to follow His will by loving "the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, soul and mind....and love our neighbor as [ourselves]" (Matthew 22: 37-39). By the way, I still pray for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: " Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
May we all be a people of Hope-- the true hope of Jesus to the world. Spirit, manifest yourself through us that the world may call on the name of the Lord and be saved.
When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my Hope and Stay
When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne
Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hey! Baby baptism is Wrong
There, I wrote it. I am not tip-toeing around it. I don't condemn those who have been baptized as an infant nor do I condemn those who have baptized their infants. That is not my job-- I don't look down on you, I won't accuse you of heresy and I won't snub you the next time we meet. It's just that tolerating baby baptism is a dangerous road to travel.
I will dispense with the baby baptism equals salvation issue. It doesn't. Personal faith takes a personal relationship and a responsibility to come to God on His terms. Dropping tap water or "holy" water on a baby's head does not make up for the individual's death sentence and condemnation. Think about it: it is ludicrous. ONLY Jesus Christ by way of His loving sacrifice can atone for each person's sin. The "grace of baptism", as described in Luther's catechism is NOT the grace of Jesus Christ.
Is baby baptism some sort of insurance policy? Some people I have talked to think so, and believe their pastors think so. Therefore, I have always wanted to ask those pastors in certain churches that believe a baby MUST be baptized: "If an adult came into your church and asked, 'I don't believe in Jesus Christ, but will you baptize me, just in case?', would you baptize the unbelieving, unconfessing, unrepentant adult?" Truly, I would like to hear the answer.
So, my question was, what if an unbaptized baby dies? Will that baby go to heaven? "Well, I hope so. I hope that God, in His love and mercy, would take that child in." If you need to question God's love and mercy, we are not worshiping the same God.
But more discreet is how the belief in baby baptism could ultimately affect your faith in Jesus Christ. Baby baptism is works-based and religious: if we baptize this baby.... It's subtle, I know, but that's the point. If God is so little that He needs us to do something to ensure and secure our salvation or our trip to heaven, then He is not God, because He is not enough on His own. Jesus' sacrifice becomes muted and muddled as one of the ways we can get to the Father, not the only way, as Jesus proclaims. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith [in Christ], and this not of yourselves, so that no one can boast". The grace of God has been poured out since the beginning of time and the faithful are rewarded but it is always His work, not our own.
And these are the convictions I had before I read The Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism. Please read for yourself; the claims are presumptuous and contradictory. I am thankful for Luther and the stand he took, but He is not God and, like the rest of us, is fallible and did not get everything right.
I know writing such things may anger many, even many of my friends. That is not my intent. Please know that truth needs to come in love and because I love you, I want you to seek the truth for yourselves. Like Luther, I may be passionate, but I am not always right. God is. Ask Him to reveal His Word to you on this and every topic.
I will dispense with the baby baptism equals salvation issue. It doesn't. Personal faith takes a personal relationship and a responsibility to come to God on His terms. Dropping tap water or "holy" water on a baby's head does not make up for the individual's death sentence and condemnation. Think about it: it is ludicrous. ONLY Jesus Christ by way of His loving sacrifice can atone for each person's sin. The "grace of baptism", as described in Luther's catechism is NOT the grace of Jesus Christ.
Is baby baptism some sort of insurance policy? Some people I have talked to think so, and believe their pastors think so. Therefore, I have always wanted to ask those pastors in certain churches that believe a baby MUST be baptized: "If an adult came into your church and asked, 'I don't believe in Jesus Christ, but will you baptize me, just in case?', would you baptize the unbelieving, unconfessing, unrepentant adult?" Truly, I would like to hear the answer.
So, my question was, what if an unbaptized baby dies? Will that baby go to heaven? "Well, I hope so. I hope that God, in His love and mercy, would take that child in." If you need to question God's love and mercy, we are not worshiping the same God.
But more discreet is how the belief in baby baptism could ultimately affect your faith in Jesus Christ. Baby baptism is works-based and religious: if we baptize this baby.... It's subtle, I know, but that's the point. If God is so little that He needs us to do something to ensure and secure our salvation or our trip to heaven, then He is not God, because He is not enough on His own. Jesus' sacrifice becomes muted and muddled as one of the ways we can get to the Father, not the only way, as Jesus proclaims. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith [in Christ], and this not of yourselves, so that no one can boast". The grace of God has been poured out since the beginning of time and the faithful are rewarded but it is always His work, not our own.
And these are the convictions I had before I read The Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism. Please read for yourself; the claims are presumptuous and contradictory. I am thankful for Luther and the stand he took, but He is not God and, like the rest of us, is fallible and did not get everything right.
I know writing such things may anger many, even many of my friends. That is not my intent. Please know that truth needs to come in love and because I love you, I want you to seek the truth for yourselves. Like Luther, I may be passionate, but I am not always right. God is. Ask Him to reveal His Word to you on this and every topic.
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