You will find that people in the pew have many different opinions but on one thing almost all agree. Folks are tired of the lack of civility, the inability of people to express their differences without disrespect and in many cases these days, out-right displays of hate in words spoken and actions taken. Seriously, we all need to take a step back and see what we are doing to each other and our nation. Of note there is the fact that this type of behavior is not confined to those not in the Christian community.

 John 13:34-35  

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 As shown by these verses There are certain characteristics that make Christians different from others, traits that point to the fact we are his disciples. Here in these verses from 1 Peter are more of those behavior traits that mark a Christian life. Today’s blog looks at  1 Peter 3:8-15a. It would be helpful to read these verses and then return to the blog. 

The Christian community is not immune to the current lack of Civility when addressing different opinions, beliefs or new directions. It seems this type of behavior has found a foothold within our community. Peter gives some great qualities for living a Christian life. He starts with the need for Unity. There are many great passages in the New Testament that encourage unity. We are divided as a community of faith by denominational beliefs, inner-denominational conflicts and in some cases a move to reinterpret scripture to meet the changing societal needs and trends. Even the Apostle Paul pleads for a unity of mind in the church. Throughout the NT there is this plea for unity. To some commentators and bible scholars it is more of a realization that people cannot live a Christian life unless in their personal relationships there is unity and the Church cannot meet its’ Christian call when there are divisions within it. The next being Sympathy. Again we are urged in NT writings to see this as a duty. 

Romans 12:15

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  

Just as evil cannot exist in the presence of our God, neither can selfishness exist where sympathy prevails. With Christ in our hearts sympathy will reign there. From here we move to Love. Peter sets out with what can be literally translated as brotherly love. The love we have for one another and Christian charity for others, all of God’s creation. Here again we see the indisputable fact that love of God requires love of others and also applies to the Church. Neither an individual or the Church can meet the reality of Christianity if they cannot love one another and their neighbors. Peter continues with  a much-needed attribute in this world. Compassion……something we  see less of in this day. In our books, movies, theater, social media and all this world of digital expression allows, we see a disturbing trend of insensitivity to adverse events in our daily lives. There can be no Christianity without compassion. The next attribute. Humility ……… We might measure up well against others but the real test for Christians is…..how well do we measure up to Christ? We know we can never obtain his sinless perfection. We must constantly remind ourselves of our utter dependence on our God. We must strive to be humble in his presence and in the presence of others. The last to share with you would be Forgiveness. We seek God’s forgiveness and it is our calling to extend forgiveness to others.

Ephesians 4:32 

32 and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

 We now go to verse 13 and the remaining verses in today’s scripture. To have written this passage (13-15a) we can tell by his words that although he does not quote directly the OT, it is obvious that his knowledge of it is firmly on his mind. From the very first of these verses Peter insists that you must have a passionate love for Goodness. It is when we seek the goodness of things in this life that the wrong things lose their pull on us. There are some things here that are a part of all people’s lives. Seeking to walk the walk, taking the good way does not exempt us from the human suffering that from time to time comes our way due to circumstances in our lives. Our humanity leaves us open to the trails of life. We can become absorbed with the importance of stuff, money and position. We depend on these things for our comfort and pleasure in this life. This places us in a very vulnerable position, scripture tells us that the things of this life are only temporary. There is then the fact that there can be hardships brought into our lives simply because Jesus Christ holds a unique place in our lives. None of us can escape the sufferings of this life but we as Christians know that suffering for Christ and the faith, it will never touch the things which matter most. 

Thank you for coming by the Pew this week. Next week join me as we lay out an argument for the faith. 

Life is Good

Jk

Good to be back in the pew and sharing with you. Ah, cotton candy, a familiar sight and part of fairs, circuses, carnivals and Japanese festivals.  Cotton candy (also known as fairy floss in Australia and candy floss in South Africa, the UK, New Zealand and Ireland) is a form of spun sugar. Faith and cotton candy, is not the easiest choice for a blog but interesting and plausible. The process that takes the sugar and small amounts of food coloring to that big mass of joyful fun that disappears in a poof, when placed in your mouth, is simple. The final cotton candy product contains mostly air, with a typical serving weighing around 1 ounce or 30 grams. To me the thing that I noticed first when reading about the process was the use of hot air, turning the sugar to a liquid and then spinning it through small holes where the mixture then solidifies and becomes that magical substance that melts in you mouth. Poof, it is gone! 

It is impossible for most of us to assimilate the events of these days, they happen so fast, encompassing every aspect of our lives. The issues that are driven by an ever-changing culture and the pressures they put on our work, home and family financially and the things we value are at times overwhelming. Life today is kinda like a midway. There are so many things to do, some of value and worth and some are just distractions we escape to for time away from the demands of life itself. There was a time when the church was a constant in an ever-changing world but even the church today is being distracted by the ever-growing glow of the Midway of societal change in values and practices. It could be that I am a bit over zealous here but it seems to me we are turning God’s Word into cotton candy. The word as shared by the church today is much like cotton candy, containing mostly air and when ingested…..Poof, it is gone! 

2 Timothy 3:16-17   (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

To teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, must be added the necessity of preparation for serving God. Unfortunately for many Christians today, It has become a matter of convenience. I wish to be on record that I’m at fault sometimes in regard to that convenience thing and finding fault with others does not help our calling. What might we do instead? Let’s turn to our pew bible and the Book of James, chapter 1, verse 1.

James 1:1 GREETINGS 

James, the slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes who are scattered throughout the world. 

Following James as an example might be one of  “The Good Ways”  to go. There is a lot of the good way in this first verse. Right off in this verse James makes it plain that the only description of who he is or was, would be to know him as the slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Quite a tall order in these days. How will people describe us, you and I and the church in conversations around the water cooler. Paul, who holds a place of great respect in the church also referred to himself as a slave but always added and his apostle when writing or introducing himself. 

It is as if James put a period after slave, no need to go any farther. James implies absolute obedience. What does it mean to be a slave? You have no rights of your own; you are the absolute property of your master and unquestioning obedience is required. That definition alone takes us off the midway and sets us down squarely in the reality of service to God, Christ and the Church. James doesn’t stop there. He implies that absolute humility is necessary. In what way? You become a person who thinks of duties not privileges, of obligations not rights. You become someone who places self  last and service to God first. The verse continues on to suggest absolute loyalty. Personal gain or preference should not influence decisions. 

James found his freedom and peace and  glory in perfect submission to the will of God. All of us in this world of cotton candy need to avoid the sugar, hot air and spin that ends in  a Poof……the best we can seek is to be a slave of God,Christ and the Church. 

Life is Good

jk

 Reference Materials     Wikipedia / DBS William Barclay

The ever-growing influence of cultural and societal trends, aided by the rapid growth of this digital age often makes life for the church difficult. A new word in the pew at least for me but interestingly informative, Syncretism.  When paired with “Religious” becomes a whole new blog. 

“Religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. Instances of religious syncretism—as, for example, Gnosticism (a religious dualistic system that incorporated elements from the Oriental mystery religions), Judaism, Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical concepts—were particularly prevalent during the Hellenistic period (c. 300 BC–c. AD 300). The fusion of cultures that was effected by the conquest of Alexander the Great (4th century BC), his successors, and the Roman Empire tended to bring together a variety of religious and philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements.” 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/religious-syncretism

The church has been subjected for years to a host of new buzz words that often can change direction of thought in a most subtle way. No need to list them but many denominations are affected by their insertion into the conversation. Within the next couple of years there could be a dramatic change in the denominational structure of one of the largest mainline churches. Once again the church has been hijacked by “social warriors” in their quest to achieve their agenda. I must in all fairness disclose that about three years ago I left the Methodist Church because of the reprehensible behavior and disdain for church doctrine and scripture exhibited by the Council of Bishops. Please do not judge me as one of those people who didn’t get their way and “took their ball and went home”. I very much miss the Methodist Church and the Wesleyan way, the church and the people are very much in my heart. It is also necessary to point out that this particular denomination is not the only one struggling with this problem. Truth is that this is not the only problem the “church” universal faces. 

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Truth and power are in the “Word” which is under attack and to be blunt, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ also. They are trying once again to put Him on the cross, the cross of cultural and societal trends and change. They have failed to learn the “Truth”.

“5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”  (John 1:5)

This new word “Syncretism” the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices, joins that list of buzz words that can change the truth through subtle deception. Religion is the organized way to share the word but it is faith that powers all our efforts through the Holy Spirit and the discernment of the “Truth” as to the will of our Lord. Change in the way we share the word is not a bad thing and in the digital age it is wise to use it to reach as many people as we can. One indisputable fact about the digital age is its ability to influence the thinking of many people without having to establish its validity. “I read that on the internet just the other day.”  So, along with the buzz words, slogans, seminars, leadership failure and the many distractions of the day, I add the word “Syncretism”. It fuses diverse religious beliefs and practices into the Church and they overtime seem as if they have been there forever. They become acceptable because “we have always done it that way.” Syncretism is the chameleon of truth, able to change opinions or behavior according to the situation. We would do well to recall when Pilate asked Jesus “What is truth?”  That was Pilates dubious reply to what Jesus had just said;“I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.” Here from gty.org is a statement that says it best.

 “Others believe truth is a collective judgment, the product of cultural consensus, and still others flatly deny the concept of truth altogether.”

Amen and a resounding  yes to that! The author of that article also offers this thought.

 Here’s a simple definition drawn from what the Bible teaches: “Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God.” 

If we change what is biblical truth to accommodate the consensus of cultural change, it will in time work its way into the church. It will become a Syncretism, one of those “always done it that way things.”

 Go to the link below to read the entire article.

https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A379/what-is-truth

Sin is sin and there are many of such that separate us from our God. It is important that we remember:

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

We must not be the generation that let the “light” be overcome. 

This will be the last blog this month due to medical issues which must be attended to. We will publish our next blog on July 1.

God Bless …… Life is Good

Jk

 

We can’t escape the fact that as a nation we seemed to have evolved into a society that has embraced “hate”as a means of disagreeing with others. Hate seems to lift us to new heights of deplorable behavior, in which reason or compassion is lacking for those who become the target of such behavior and society seems to enjoy minimizing the value and worth of others or  to put it another way, enjoying another’s misery  has become a national pastime.  In the last few months it seems we have sunk to a new low. Some characteristics of this type of behavior, would be to loathe, detest, despise, dislike, abhor, feel intense or passionate dislike for someone. I think we could agree that “hate” is a time-consuming behavior. Now let’s be honest. There are things that we all find more than just annoying. You might hate flying, eating alone, even hate having to engage in conversation with certain people, or even hate having to admit you are uncomfortable in certain situations, all normal feelings. What today’s blog is looking at would be the type of hate that drives people to deliberately seek ways to do and say things that demean and hurt others simply to cause hurt and advance their agenda, because of their consuming hatred for others. This type of behavior becomes a weapon for those who are unable to express their dislike through reasonable discourse. Jesus himself was subjected to ridicule by those who despised him, or in some cases hated him.  

 Mark 3: 20-22

Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”

 The Jewish elders and ruling class accused him of being a heretic, even though many of his answers to their questions were based on his knowledge of  the scripture and echoed their views. Truth or reason were not present, they were destroyed or put aside by hate.

Last week we took a look at the difference between secular and biblical justice and the cultural influence today in light of the heightened interest in “social justice”. Today we look at “hate”. Could there be a God-like hate?  God hates….  just writing that does not seem right.    1John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

 It is God’s nature to love, to do what is best for us, his people. It is only natural that He would hate that which is contrary to his nature. Just as we hate those things that destroy what we love, God hates those things that destroy what he loves and has created. We have been created with the ability to hate as well as love but for many of us today it seems as if hate has become a motivating factor. So let’s look at hate in the secular state versus God’s hatred. The bible teaches us that the object of God’s hate is sin and wickedness. Viewing the world we have today that must be a long list. I want to keep this simple and to the point. In doing so I may be misunderstood, but the answer to the question “does God hate?” The answer is yes.  

Psalm 5:4-6

 4  For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. 5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;you hate all evildoers. 6  You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Psalm 11:5

5  The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Proverbs 6:16-19

16  There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18  a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19  a false witness who breathes out lies,…

It is something we all have a problem with, we do overlook the fact that the God we serve can and is capable of such an emotion…. “hate” is just not an everyday thing we associate with our God. No need to drag this out. Secular hate is designed to hurt, destroy and degrade and it has no redeeming value. These two quotes from are from  “Got Questions”.

 “When the Bible does speak of God’s hatred, the object of His hatred is sin and wickedness.”  

The righteous and the wicked make different choices and have different destinies—one will see the ultimate expression of God’s love, and the other will know the ultimate expression of God’s hatred.

What is your choice this day? Will you join the chorus of those driven by hate, using cruel, hurting words to inflict pain and discredit others simply because you don’t agree with their views. Secular hate is directed toward the individual, while God’s hate is on sin and wickedness, which when reputed and repentance sought, leads to salvation.

Life is Good

jk

Reference  https://www.gotquestions.org/does-God-hate.html

 

Starbucks has become over the years a trendsetter in the ever evolving world of social justice, often challenging the socially accepted norms of behavior.  Social justice and understanding it’s meaning in today’s world is necessary to navigate successfully through its ever-changing expectations. What exactly is social justice? Social justice is a concept of fair and just relations between the individual and society. This is measured by the explicit and tacit terms for the distribution of wealth, opportunities for personal activity and social privileges. (Wikipedia) The Definition of social justice is  a state or doctrine of egalitarianism, which is the doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. I find the stark differences between the Bible and the secular view of social justice interesting. The simple way to look at this is that social justice in the secular world has become a “ME” thing, while from a Bible perspective  it is about God’s people. The people whom society has pushed to the fringe, unable to speak, defend or care for themselves. I admit this to be a fine line but to me social justice is not about privileges or supposed rights. I take the Christian view….it is about respect, love, and caring for God’s people, as we are commanded. This brings me to an excellent article by Jack Wellman. He shares a series of scripture verses which provide, in my opinion a biblical basis of social justice. I recommend that you go to the link provided at the end of the blog.

I would like to share a few of them from the article with you.

-Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

Perhaps as we let the “ME” thing define our social justice thing we overlook the obvious. James also gives us reason to examine our actions. James 1:27  Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

–Zechariah 7:9-10 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

Mr. Wellman writes that there are lots of areas of neglect in our nation, there is no excuse for the church to be part of it.

-Proverb 31:8-9 “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Please take a moment at the end of this blog to read Mr. Wellman’s comment on the above verse.

-Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

We have been told what is good. Why do we not do it?

-Psalm 82:3 “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.”

-Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

To use a term from another writer the “Social Warriors” have taken over and most often their motivation is a “ME” thing. The above scriptures plainly point to who, what, how we should respond. Allow me to repeat.. “The simple way to look at this is that social justice in the secular world has become a ME thing, while from a Bible perspective it is about God’s people.” This cuts a fine line for there are many opinions. Who are God’s people? 

I believe that we are all created by God and God loves all people, thus he is concerned about them, all of them. The term God’s People usually indicates a clear relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ. I will leave the definition of relationship to you. I see here another hijacking of the gospel being interwoven with a social issue and becoming the property of a mob of “social justice warriors.” The biblical view of social justice is not about privileges or supposed rights, it is about respect, love, and caring for God’s people, as we are commanded to do.The “ME’s” of this world won’t get it done. You cannot legislate compassion, you will not right an injustice through the pressure of  a “mob” with an agenda. There is a biblical justice that comes from our God, lives in our hearts and needs no agenda to dictate its actions. It is very simple.

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1st John 3:17-18).

Thanks for coming by this week. Thanks to Jack Wellman for the sharing through his article the other side of “social justice”. Be sure to follow his link listed below.

Life is Good

jk

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2016/09/30/7-bible-verses-about-social-justice/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2016/09/30/7-bible-verses-about-social-justice/

 

After a spiritual experience at a German prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London on May 24, 1738, John Wesley was not welcomed to preach in most of the churches in London. The message that we are saved by faith, not good works was not welcomed or accepted by the other pastors in London. A friend, Whitefield was preaching in the fields at Bristol but Wesley was reluctant to preach outdoors. He thought it was tacky! He accepted Whitefield’s invitation to “come and see” and went to that field in Bristol, and was so impressed he agreed to preach there the next Sunday. Wesley was moved by what he saw God doing in the lives of these poor, simple people who were not welcome in the local churches. 3000 people, on a hillside with an old pulpit set in the grass and dirt, suddenly, Tacky didn’t apply. Wesley, a High-Church minister, was about to receive a revelation!  3,000 poor and ordinary people on a hillside, not church goers, who listened to the word of God’s love and transforming power. We always remember the sermon on the mount and Jesus speaking to a multitude of people who continued to gather even as he spoke. Throughout the Bible God’s word was preached and the good news shared with all people in all places, the venue was never the determining factor. There was a time as the good news went out that people would meet in caves or a home due to the persecution of those who had become known as “people of the way”.  Where there were no established meeting places people would gather outside the cities in small groups. “Where one or more are gathered in my name….” The people wanted to hear the word, location and comfort were not considered.

Recently the church board decided that it might be time to look at our sanctuary and consider a renovation. Of course leading up to the final vote of approval have been discussions about, cost, physical changes, time will start and of course time it will be completed. Here in these discussions lie the heart of the matter. More and more churches are replacing pews with chairs, this can become an issue along with colors, carpet, church furniture, placement of pulpit, lectern, altar, music and of course tradition:

 “a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time”

I have really had no firm position on Chairs or Pews but like many church folks I have a vision of what a sanctuary looks like from years of repetitive Sunday worship services. Now I am being asked to select one or the other. After some research
I decided it did not matter that much. I came to the conclusion that standing in a field, sitting on a hillside or benches on a dirt floor does not hinder the word being heard or praise being lifted up. In all these places we can find our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I would not call that Tacky. Either way, come and see. You will find me about nine pews or row of chairs from the front. If I still can’t make my mind up, I’ll be sitting in the floor in the back. Thanks for coming by today.

Life is Good

jk

It has been a long time coming but time always bears fruit, good or bad. One of the largest hold-outs in regard to the same-gender movement and demands, has at last come to the table of decision. 

The Methodist Church world-wide has over 80 million members. Here in the US there are 12 million members as of 2012. I use these numbers to make the point that even in today’s world of lessening respect for God and Church, this denomination is a healthy, vibrant church full of Godly, Christ loving people who strive to take the good news to all people. After years of debate, kicking the can down the road again will be almost impossible to do. The issue of course is the Methodist stand, or I should say doctrine within church law regarding their stance on same gender practices. The Methodist Book of Discipline states clearly “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” This has been the proverbial  thorn in the denominations side for years. After years of discord, mostly between leadership and those seeking change and inclusion, I left the Church. Now within the next two years this decision will be decided. After decades of turmoil the possibility of a split is possible, nine words, all over nine words. I will come back to that later.***

As a layman I certainly am not an expert on Church law. I do try to research the topics I write from the Pew, my goal being to be as accurate as possible. If you find things that in your mind are incorrect please let me know. To me there are two things at play here, Church Law or God’s Law. One you can discuss, debate and even change if the support is there for it. The other while subject to discussion as to it’s meaning and intent is not changeable, it is…

Taking a moment let’s look at the past and find our way forward.   

The Oral Law is a legal commentary on the Torah, explaining how its commandments are to be carried out. 613 Laws, yes 613 were still not enough to provide a sufficient guide to Jewish life. The oral law, a commentary on the Torah, seeks to explain what it means and a how to do it guide. A commentary that had become very important because there were events that devastated the communities of rabbinical scholars and students and putting the passing on of the Oral Law at risk.There was a very real chance the oral law would be forgotten if it were not written down.

 “This decline in the number of knowledgeable Jews seems to have been a decisive factor in Rabbi Judah the Prince’s decision around the year 200 C.E. to record in writing the Oral Law.” (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-oral-law-talmud-and-mishna)

This writing down of the oral law became the Mishna, the name for the sixty-three tractates in which Rabbi Judah set down the Oral Law. The oral laws way forward is not over yet. These writings were studied exhaustively by generation after generation of rabbis. Soon some of these rabbis wrote down their discussions and commentaries on the Mishna’s laws in a series of books known as the Talmud. I am in deep water here and may need to be corrected. My view from the pew tells me this was a long and tedious path because man decided to interpret and explain what God was saying. Their intent was not to just protect God’s word, but to tighten, bring the word and its dissemination under their control and fit it to their goals. I still feel that I haven’t got this right yet. I still am looking for at what point did God’s law become Man’s law? 

I have always considered this gender issue to be in my view one of social, civil and legal consideration in the arena of cultural and societal norms, having no standing between God and his people. I have no intention of getting in a food fight with words. However you write it, say it, or interpret it, God made it plain that his creation intent was man / woman, to procreate and care for this His creation. No where does it say anything else that might even suggest something different. I could continue on as the Jews of old did trying to get it right but somewhere in all those words and many books there is the irrefutable fact of God’s word. The Methodist Church like many others have made the mistake of allowing their faith, energy, resources and unity to be hijacked by a social issue that God spoke to a long time ago. I chose to look back at the evolution of the word through God’s people and how in time they became encumbered with opinion and law. We as Christians have done well in assigning sin and blame and doing  it in a way that is as far from God’s wishes for us, in the ministry to other people. My arguments may be weak and without the eloquence of those of theological letters but I am sadden at the place this great denomination and its people find themselves****Because of just nine words….

“The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”     

To those of you who do not agree I do not condemn you. We Christians are good at pointing fingers….When we should be extending hands of love. I believe the above statement to be God’s word and I will never accept it to be otherwise. I welcome you to the table and accept you as my equal, as in God’s eyes we are all equal and loved by Him. I will leave the judgement to God and strive to love and respect that which he has created. To my friends of the Methodist Church. May the Holy Spirt lead you to the higher calling of loving one another as He loves us. We know that salvation does not lie in the law………

Life is Good

Jk

 

I have always believed that God values all life and all life has a purpose. To me Psalm 139: 13-16 is an affirmation of God’s intent, “that God creates all life purposefully and that life begins in the womb” (Shannon Dingle)  This week I would like to share a part of my life, that changed me, taught me that God values all life and all life has a purpose. 

Psalm 139:13-16 

 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,  intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,when as yet there was none of them.

The students of Trousdale School changed my life and taught me that all life, created of God, has a value and purpose. The school serves high functioning adults with intellectual disabilities, providing academics and life skills for the purpose of learning independence. Their vision is “Learning for Life.”  Trousdale School’s way is a welcome and new approach to an area of our population that has to often been just cared for, accepting their limitations and allowing those limitations to identify their place in society.That won’t fly at Trousdale School. Faith is a fragile thing that requires a closeness to Christ that is more than a two-day a week investment. I must state up-front that my views may not be yours, but that for me is not a problem. Faith never lets you accept things as they are, because there is always God’s way and will and that’s the catch here. Do you have a close enough relationship with God and the Holy Spirit to discern His will. Now back to school. The students at Trousdale School and the teachers, staff and volunteers have faith that believes there is always more that you can do. I will be realistic and tell you of course thy have limitations but they do not allow them to define who they are.

So who are these people? Were they chosen by God to bear such afflictions in this life? Of course not, God has given them some attributes that are worth noting.  They were not chosen to be less than anyone. They were chosen to be stronger, braver, and, most likely, a little more compassionate than most of the world.  (http://www.patheos.com/) I might add that happy is a state of being in this place. 

 What is Down Syndrome?   Down syndrome (DS or DNS), also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is typically associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability.

 What is Autism?   Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by troubles with social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Parents usually notice signs in the first two or three years of their child’s life.

These are rather short and cryptic definitions and do not present a full picture of the scope of these conditions.

John 9:1-3 makes it very plain that disability is not a punishment for sin.  

John 9:1-3  As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” 

“Disability is never a result of falling from God’s favor, or a lack of love on His part. Any word to the contrary is against all that the Lord stands for. But God does have a plan for us all that will ultimately result in his Glory. It is our job to decipher how our lives, our bodies, and our minds, can bear witness to His grace. Whatever it is that we have been given, it has been given to show light in some way.” http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/06/25/top-7-bible-verses-about-disabilities/

Job 29:15  I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 

As believers, we are called to be the hands and feet to those who need us, all in the name of Jesus.

Galatians 4:13-14  As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

Paul was thankful that he was not treated like a burden but welcomed and loved. This time of healing allowed him to go on and take the gospel to so many. These special people go on to attain remarkable skills and abilities and in time become a valued part of the lives they touch.

We all have areas of our hearts, bodies, and minds that just don’t work the way we want them too. To often we turn away from these very special people but consider that is not what a loving God would have us do. In His eyes, there are no disabilities, only these wonderful special people whom have been chosen to fulfill a wonderful thing in others lives. What is it they have been called to do? They teach us to love unconditionally and trust that tomorrow will always be a better day. Trousdale School is a special place for special people. They make us a better person, through love and trust. All God asks is that we help one another to do so.

Reference for this blog- http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/06/25/top-7-bible-verses-about-disabilities/

This link will take you to the Trousdale School web site.     http//www.trousdaleschool.org

Thanks for stopping by the pew this week……Life is good

jk

Sometimes as christians we find ourselves at odds with the world around us. There is a natural dislike of the christian faith but one area of this behavior puzzles me; why do we often see those in authority state their opposition to telling the story of Jesus Christ? If ever a story needed to be told this is one for sure. There was a time that we christians had the world for our stage. Sadly that is not the case in the world today. While preparing a Sunday school lesson I encountered these verses and with the attitude toward the teaching and sharing the word of God in our day, I found them to be instructive. I refer you to Acts 4: 1-12. Peter and John have just healed a lame man in Jesus Christ’s name. (chapter 3) The Sunday school lesson concerned miracles. I read on into Chapter 4 and found that Peter and John were now being called on to explain their behavior. Now I found in these verses a great lesson to be applied to “Christian Self-Defense” Considering some of the ways that the secular side use to lessen the influence of christian values, we are finding the faith constantly on defense. If we are to go outside the walls and to the lost, hurting and those in need of hope, this attacking the message and those who bring it, must be dealt with. It must also be noted, that sadly here lately these attacks are coming from within the faith as well.

The priests and Sadducees are incensed at the apostles’ teaching, and put them in prison. There was the number of those who believed. This type of influence could be threatening to the Sadducees, whose whole system was now in danger by the preaching of the resurrection of Christ; for they believed not in the immortality of the soul, nor in any future world. These made a common cause with the priests, etc., to suppress the evidence of Christ’s resurrection, and silence the apostles. (Adam Clarke Commentary)

They are arrested and held overnight in jail.The next day they are called before the council of all the elders and rulers and asked to explain their actions. They were most concerned by what authority did these men teach and by what power and in whose name did they do this? They are confused by Peter’s answer and it serves only to harden their hearts. Still an even bigger problem for them was that so many saw the healing as it happened, the man was known well to those people and was frequently at that gate begging. They had standing among the people an irrefutable proof that a miracle had occurred for which they had no answer. All they could do was to command them not to preach in the name of Jesus.

Here we see very vividly both the enemy’s attack and the Christian defense. In the enemy’s attack, there are two characteristics.

First, there is contempt.

They consider Peter and John ignorant and uneducated in the application of the Law and having no real ability to understand its meanings and as such, they have no ability….. to deal with such matters. While not all people of learning are given to such behavior it is a common tactic among some to resort to academic and professional snobbery. They fail to see that this is not a matter of academic or professional standing but rather a matter of the heart. Peter and John have the love of Christ in their hearts, a strength that does not require academic attainment or professional status.

Second, there are threats

We as Christians know that such things are of this world, they will not survive, but the things of God last forever.

Just as Peter and John had certain defenses, today we of the Christian faith do also. They had the defense of an unanswerable fact. That the man had been cured, it was impossible to deny. The most unanswerable defense of Christianity is the individual Christian. Make no mistake that the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Christian commitment to live a Holy Life in service to Him and all people is also an unanswerable fact to the power of our faith. They had the defense of an utter loyalty to God. If it was a question of choosing between obeying other people and obeying God, Peter and John were in no doubt as to what course to take. Would Our faith today sustain such a decision? Lastly they had the defense of a personal experience of Jesus Christ. Their message was not something that they had simply heard from others. These men had been with him and had heard his voice, seen the miracles and knew the resurrection to be true. Consider this…we sometimes overlook the fact that through the Holy Spirit we too have had a personal experience with Christ. We know with unshakable fact, that salvation through Jesus Christ is real and we are willing to stake our lives on it.

Words are not enough. Peter and John refused to be silenced as they continued to take the word to the people. God’s word is a map to where we need to go. Take the GOOD Way…..we are not there yet.

Life is Good

jk

 

I always get a bit nervous when I step out of the Pew. What do you believe is the mission of the church? I believe that it is to share the word, tell everyone about Jesus Christ, minister to the lost, the hurting and the needy. To worship in a way that raises a joyful noise unto the Lord and welcomes all to the table. I am sure there are many of you who could say it better. The Church has always been the moral compass of our society. Christian beliefs can be found throughout our founding, Constitution, laws and daily dealings among our people. The church and christianity always had a place at the table. Sadly that is not the case here in 2018. Nuff about that at this time, there is another whole blog in that statement. Over the years the church has become involved in caring for the needs of God’s people in many different ways. From community to state, to nation, christians by way of the church have fed the hungry, provided clothing and other needs for the homeless even in some cases shelter from the elements. In all situations the church has reached out to God’s people when no one else would. It is inevitable because we are mortals subject to failure that there would be a fervency, a real emotional driven vigor that at some point we might overstep the need, or even redefine or expand the scope of the need; and that brings me to today’s question.

Borrowing from last weeks blog, we are also hearing a lot about another hot button issue of the day. Sanctuary or Refuge, is there a difference or is the end result the same? What is the meaning of, motive for and responsibility of, “Sanctuary Cities” in the world of today? For clarity Merriam Webster writes…

Sanctuary, a consecrated place: such as the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or it’s holy of holies. It could also mean the most sacred part of a religious building (such as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed) or the room in which general worship services are held a place such as a church or a temple  for worship. Or it could be  a place of refuge and protection, a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal or the immunity from law attached to a sanctuary. 

Refuge, by definition the word can mean, shelter or protection from danger or distress, a place that provides shelter or protection or something to which one has recourse in difficulty.

From here on that which was simple becomes a proliferation of meanings according to the situation in which the words are used. Would you be surprised to know that sanctuary cities  in the Bible were for different purposes than these today, in fact, they were not referred to as such. Sometimes mistaken meaning or clever use of terminology can become the tool of those whose goal is not to help but instead to aid in pushing an agenda or political ambitions and platforms. I have spent a great deal of time trying to honestly inform myself about the issue of illegal immigrants and during that time I have discovered that the word illegal is not PC when discussing this issue. Words are powerful and can unite or pull apart, in this case I have to say illegal is a proper and factual description of  the status of the people involved in this issue. The sanctuary cities, same-gender issues are hot button issues that distract from the mission of the church by appealing to emotions and hijacking the faith to use as a platform. 

Sanctuary or Refuge?

I believe it fair to say that the “cities of refuge” that we read of in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19, do not in any way represent the characteristics of our present day sanctuary cities. According to Pastor Stephen Russ the claims made by the many churches involved is that they do function similar to the “cities of refuge”  found in the Old Testament. I agree in full with his assessment, they do not. I feel it is the classic hijacking of the scripture and  misunderstanding of the written word, in an attempt to add creditability to their agenda. Here from his article:

What are cities of refuge?

In both Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 19, we find God instructing Moses to establish six cities as “cities of refuge.” If a man committed involuntary manslaughter, meaning he accidentally killed someone, he could immediately flee to one of these six cities. These cities were necessary because of a common practice where the offended family would appoint someone, often a brother of the deceased, to be the “avenger of blood.” (https://www.theologywithoutapology.org/single-post/2017/05/19/Sanctuary-Cities-vs-City-of-Refuge)

To better understand this issue I encourage you to read his entire post at the above link. Like all hot-button issues in the world today, they thrive on emotions, misinformation in the way they are presented and our, you and I, being uniformed. While I believe that enforcement of the law is important, we as Christians are commanded to love one another. The use of this situation, which by the way, is the fault of our government to deal with it and always kicking the can down the road while looking for an acceptable political solution, continues to divide us as a nation, and is troubling.

So we have learned that the word sanctuary can be used to describe different situations. The word refuge in OT writings, in no way resembles the sanctuary cities we are now dealing with. I can’t speak for you but as for myself, I have learned that Law, Politicians, and agendas alone will not answer this issue. So again I leave you to work it out. Will close with this thought….. Do not mistaken the scriptural meaning of sanctuary or refuge  as a way to disregard the laws of this land. We must separate secular inadequacies, turn to God and seek His wisdom. 

Thanks for coming by.

Life is Good

jk

Below is the contact information for Pastor Russ.

Pastor Stephen holds a Bachelor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Theology, from Golden State Baptist College (2006-2012). He was ordained to preach on March 25, 2012, at the North Valley Baptist Church in Santa Clara, CA.You can find him on Twitter – @StephenRuss, or email him at sruss@boekeroadbaptist.org.