I am in a state of confusion. Not about my faith, but rather how hard it is for me to understand some of the finer points. In the pew things of religious and faith importance are often lost on us Lay people who sit there. I doubt if there is a large percent of us in the pew that progress beyond the study books and Sunday school books we receive at church and of course reading our bibles.We know the stories and there are certain verses that hold a special place in our faith walk but once past that we sometimes struggle to understand. If we, the layperson in the pew, decide we would like to learn more, we take the first step into the confusing world of theology. Now Merriam Webster’s short definition of theology reads as follows:

“the study of religious faith, practice, and experience; especially : the study of God and of God’s relation to the world (Merriam Webster)”

We make a decision to learn more about what the Bible tells us, to go beyond the words there and seek a closer relationship with our God. We do that by reading the Bible more, praying and seeking his will in our lives and then we take the next step. The books! Oh my the number of books that have and are being written about faith, how to live a Christian life, God’s plan for our lives, the list is endless. Then it happens, we suddenly discover the enormous amount of writings by biblical scholars and to make a point here, these are men who have spent their lives studying the Bible and seeking to understand what is written and it is a blessing that writings such as these are for the most part, thanks to this digital age, available to most of us. So we step out of the pew and enter the warehouse of this knowledge seeking to better understand God and our relationship with him.

For those of us in the pew, stepping into this warehouse of knowledge is like searching the shelves with a five foot ladder but the knowledge we need starts at seven or better. You see we have just been introduced to Theology, mans take on what God said, what it means, and what our relationship to it is. This week in our Wednesday evening study we got to the discussion of the Trinity and I was totally lost. Oh I know what the theology of the Trinity is, or I thought I did and after getting home I decided to go to that warehouse of knowledge. The next day I was still carrying that ladder to many different sources in my quest to better understand the Trinity. I have a nice collection of different commentaries by well-educated and spirit led men. Usually when I am writing a blog, or a study lesson, I will examine many commentaries, read the scripture, and yes, pray for the Spirit to guide me. Found this while working through that warehouse the source listed below:

“The doctrine of the Trinity has been a divisive issue throughout the entire history of the Christian church. While the core aspects of the Trinity are clearly presented in God’s Word, some of the side issues are not as explicitly clear. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God—but there is only one God. That is the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Beyond that, the issues are, to a certain extent, debatable and non-essential. Rather than attempting to fully define the Trinity with our finite human minds, we would be better served by focusing on the fact of God’s greatness and His infinitely higher nature. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34).”

I suggest you go to their website for the entire article. Here is their URL for this item. https://www.gotquestions.org/Trinity-Bible.html

The Book of Revelation, often called the Revelation to John, the Apocalypse of John, The Revelation, or simply Revelation or Apocalypse (and often misquoted as Revelations), is a book of the New Testament that occupies a central place in Christian eschatology. (Wikipedia)

Now sometimes, ok, most of the time I am doing research I find words that require more research. Happens a lot in the warehouse. Christian eschatology, meaning what? Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology dealing with the “last things.” This book can be frustrating because of its amazing cast of characters, symbolic imagery and how is something written over 2000 years ago to be viewed in our day.

These are just two examples of things that confront us on our journey of faith.

For us in the pew there are sometimes more questions than answers. The wonderful thing is that in this as in all things God will make a way. I came into this blog confused about some things and I leave it still confused but having discovered a little gem. I am going to alter this quote from gotquestions.com just a bit.

“Rather than attempting to fully define the written Scripture with our finite human minds, we would be better served by focusing on the fact of God’s greatness and His infinitely higher nature.”

Scripture says:

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34).”  Amen and Amen!!

I will leave you with this thought….next time you find yourself stumped or confused, in any situation you have my permission to use the following. “The difference between the difference is relative to the unlikeness thereof.” While they are trying to figure out what in the world you are talking about, you will have time to get to the warehouse.

I greatly appreciate those who read this blog and want you to know that I have no problem being corrected. I spend time trying to be sure that there is reasonable accuracy in what I write. I always make it a point to credit others whose writings I reference. It is important that we christians continue to learn, know what we believe and share it with others. Thank you for joining me in the pew this week. To make it a bit easier here is my email if you have comments or other thoughts as to the accuracy of some material. kcarp4211@gmail.com

Life is Good
Jk

There is a fine old hymn many of us have sung and many of us may have tripped over that stone in verse two, not knowing where it came from or what it meant.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
  Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
  Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
  Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
  Safely to arrive at home.

The hymn was written in 1757 by Robert Robinson. Most of us associate Ebenezer with the character in “A Christmas Carol”. Ebenezer had a few problems but he did become a different man at the end of the story.

Today we look at a story from the Bible found in 1 Samuel 7 beginning in verse 7.

7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.

The people told Samuel to not stop asking the Lord to rescue them from the Philistines (v 8) and Samuel sacrificed a suckling lamb to the Lord (v 9). Verses 10 and 11 tell of Israel’s victory. In recognition of the victory because of the help of the Lord we are told of Samuel’s action in verse 12.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

One thing we do not want to pass by here is the very first few verses of this chapter. The importance of repentance, verses 2-4. The people come together and confessed their sins and Samuel offers a sacrifice on their behalf. (verses 5-9) Ebenezer means Stone of Help, and Samuel put it there as a reminder to all Israelites that saw it of the Lord’s power and protection. The Lord had kept his promise to bless his repentant people.  V 3–4: Samuel insists that a returning to the Lord must include the putting away of foreign gods and idolatry, and involve a wholehearted commitment to serve Him. The Israelites do this and ‘served the Lord only’.

The people had not been living a Holy life and verses 3-4 indicate the seriousness of their actions. They embrace the fact that they must turn from their sins and do so in mind, body and soul. Not only do they turn from their sin but they dedicate themselves to changing the way they live. Repentance always demands a certain amount of contrition but without change it is a meaningless gesture. Back to verse 12… 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” We know from a previous episode that the Israelites carried the ark into battle only to suffer a resounding defeat. The Israelites presumed they could not be defeated in battle with the ark among them. An interesting thought I acquired while doing research for this blog, from the Reformation Study Bible.

“Now God has given them a great victory over the same enemies. Samuel sets up a memorial stone with the name Ebenezer, “Stone of Help,” not only to commemorate the victory but also as reminder of the different results brought about by presumption on the one hand and by repentance on the other.”

When we seek to live a Christian life, the challenges of this life do not cease. We won’t always be successful but from these scriptures we see that God is receptive to prayers for forgiveness and herein lies another lesson. Showing contrition and seeking forgiveness without changing our ways is worthless. Maybe I am being to harsh here. This I do believe to be true. Contrition, forgiveness and change of how one lives is a process that in the Christian world succeeds only when we give ourselves over to God completely, remembering this from verse 12… “Thus far the Lord has helped us”. We might ask ourselves if “thus far, have we have served our Lord faithfully?”

Life is Good

jk

It is very difficult in this day to stand firm in the faith because the very nature of society as it is, places obstacles and challenges in our paths. The people of Malachi’s time had been restored to Jerusalem and the temple and walls were rebuilt. They sought instant gratification and had become neglectful of their duties to God and each other. They had been misled into believing that the Messianic kingdom was theirs immediately upon their return. They became discouraged because things had really not changed. The harshness of life, the unfairness and inequalities that they still saw and that the people endured led them to doubt the value of faith and God’s place in their lives. They, like us today allowed the pressures of life to allow a spirit of worldliness to reduce their commitment to God and their worship had become mere formality. Because of this attitude they had also allowed the sins and vices of their world to enter into the heart of their faith. I have written about Malachi in another post but was drawn back because of a devotional I read in the Our Daily Bread. It was written by Pho Fang Chia and the verses it centered on are the basis of this blog.

There are only fifty-five verses in only four chapters, Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament inspired prophets. When read in the context of a letter in one sitting and allowing the flow of his words to build on each other, it is remarkable he said so much in so few words. He certainly held nothing back. God through the prophet addresses his love for his people, and follows that with accusations against the Priests and the unfaithfulness of the people. He is a God of justice and then accuses them about the giving and use of the tithes. We are all at one time or another discouraged when we see all around us the injustices of life and that many times those responsible are left to prosper. Malachi 3: 13-15 says this better than I…..

13 “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’
14 “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
Malachi paints a picture of the righteous and the wicked, it is when we reach chapter 4 in verses 2 – 3 that we are given a reason to stand firm in the faith and in verse 4 a reminder of what God expects of his people.

Malachi 4
4 [a]“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

Poh Fang Chia in his devotional speaks to a fear that many Christians share but never really talk about. Being different, fearing we will lose out if we don’t blend in. He asks …. How can we stand firm for God in a culture that tells us we will lose out if we don’t blend in? Malachi answers that question in this way in 3: 16-18

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.
17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

The Lord heard his people (v-16), God notices and cares for all who fear and honor Him. We are not called to fit in but to draw closer to Him each day as we encourage each other. (Poh Fang Chia) Malachi is also unusual in that we read a conversation , if you will, between God and the people. The thing I take away from these verses is that God will recognize those who stand firm in the faith, we are never alone or forgotten.

Standing Firm in the faith means we will be different, we may not fit in with the norms of the day but He has promised that we will be His special possession in the great day of the Lord.

Thanks for joining us in the pew this week

Life is Good

jk

I have written often how I am always looking for interesting items to bring into the Pew and this week trolling through Facebook I found one. A pastor I greatly admire shared a blog that I found to be interesting and timely. I introduce to you Carey Nieuwhof. He is the founding and teaching pastor of Connexus Church north of Toronto Canada. His web address is ( https://careynieuwhof.com ) and I encourage you to take the time to go there. He has for the past three years started the New Year off with a series on Disruptive Church Trends to look for in the coming year. Starting with 2016 and following up with ’17 and ’18 he has listed a total of eighteen of these trends for these three years. In my blog October 17 of this year I wrote about “The Culture Trap” that the church seems to have fallen victim to. Mr Nieuwhof does not despair at the church of today and certainly does not play the gloom and doom card. Again, it’s worth taking the time to read his blog. “From The Pew……” is just that, a layman writing about things people in the pew talk about or I perceive to be a point of interest. With that in mind join me as I share a layman’s view of the church today.

The digital world we live in today allows us information on most anything we wish to examine or learn and you can bury yourself in polls, numbers and opinions, which you find to support your position. These thoughts are mine sitting here in the pew. First of all there is no doubt in my mind that what drives the church today, is the culture it inhabits. Why do you suppose that is? I find Mr. Nieuwhof comment from his 2016 Blog to be reasonable.

“Irrelevance happens when change inside the church is slower than the change outside the church.”

All churches today are struggling to remain relevant in a world that is consumed with the acquisition of “stuff”and being a part of “what’s happening”. Church has become a matter of convenience. Gone are the days of the simple church play, choir presentations and the special services we are accustomed to at the holidays and other religious observances. The larger the church is the larger the presentation. They take on the presence of a professional production. My next statement is an observation of mine not necessarily the norm, you be the judge. People today want to be entertained, the norm is not what they are looking for. This attitude carries over into their expectations toward worship. “Mega Churches” are pointed out as an example of the power of good programs that draw the people in and a great Pastor with an amazing vision of the future of how to “do church”. It is rare when you hear the question “is it a Gospel preaching church?” Most often the questions are about the services offered. Do you have nursery, is there pre-school, what about a family life center? These are just a few of the questions and seldom do I hear concerns or questions about the biblical beliefs or positions of doctrinal beliefs. Truth is, one of the trends of recent years has been less of a denominational relationship and more of a “what do you offer” in services that work for my family. Here is an interesting point offered by Mr. Nieuwhof. “Consumer Christianity Will Die Faster Than Ever, if your church is still defined by what you ‘offer’ members, the clock is ticking faster than ever.” That is from his blog at the first of 2017.

He also mentions several distractions that compete with church. I mention youth sports programs because I have personally seen that up close and personal. Many Sunday mornings as we drove to church we would pass by the local high school’s sports complex. In the season many a time there would be a game being played and to be fair, these were make-up games that were scheduled to cover weather related cancellations. Mid-week services or special classes were low in attendance because of school related activities or team practices or even special social or organization meetings. Before we move on please take note that I am not judging any of these things but I do acknowledge that they have an effect on “doing church” so to speak. Here’s another little nugget from the “Trend shelf” and is in my opinion a big one. Engagement:
“Only The Most Engaged And The Curious Will Attend, church leaders, if you want to raise attendance, raise engagement”.

I might offer a different way of saying that. Get into the teaching of the gospel , seek engagement of people to the power of the Holy Spirit and living a Holy life.

I am from the old school and admittedly set in my ways but I have come to the opinion that the church has to find a way to engage the culture of connivence that marginalizes today’s church. We must create an environment that gives people a reason “to do church”. We need to remove the convenience factor and replace it with a desire to be part of the mission to bring the gospel to all people.  I don’t agree with all of what Mr. Nieuwhof writes but I think his thoughts are worthy of serious consideration. If we don’t change inside, to go outside with a purpose and a plan that fits today’s needs, we will fail to fulfill The Great Commission.

Here is a thought I hope you will consider. Change is necessary in the way we “do church” but it should never change the intent of God’s word to fit the culture of the day.

Life is Good
jk