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Christian Living, Motivational

THOUGHTS FOR A NEW YEAR (repost from Ed Gungor / CMI Global)

Ed“Thoughts For A New Year” by ED GUNGOR

We all have some things in our lives that we would like to see changed—maybe it’s taking off a few pounds, or breaking up some old habit. That’s why New Year’s resolutions are so popular. They hold the promise of change, but it turns out that New Year’s resolutions are pretty short lived. They start out strong, but like the squint after leaving an afternoon matinee, they wear off.

Why?

According to fourth century theologian St. Augustine humans can “will away” all we want, but it will not produce consistent change because sin has broken the effectiveness of our wills. For Augustine, this is the worm that has curled its way into the apple of the human condition. And it means that human will power alone doesn’t have the punch needed for real transformation. This is why Paul cries, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). He was talking about the whole dilemma of wanting to do right but always ending up doing wrong, a concept we all get too well.

It turns out that transformation in the Christian sense (versus the kind of change some accomplish by sheer will power) is not accomplished as we redouble our effort, but is experienced as we embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. The New Testament claims that “goodness” is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that is communicated to us through simple faith. As we trust Christ and endeavor to pursue his active presence in our lives, we end up mysteriously participating in God’s goodness, which is his Divine nature. Just like you can pick up bad stuff from hanging with wrong friends, you can pick up good traits from chumming with God through stuff like prayer, silence, study, becoming part of a great church community, etc. When we do this, his graciousness to us makes us gracious to others; his kindness to us makes us kind; his comfort to us makes us comfort each other, and so on. The result is transformation.

This means that we need something other than a strong will to live rightly. The only successful therapy for the transformed life is divine grace. Grace is God’s favor or “help” for our lives. Grace is what makes change possible to us. Grace is the idea that God gets in the mix of the average person’s world and makes things different. That’s what grace does. It changes things. It changes people.

The task at hand is to figure out how a person with your unique personality and mind-set can best tap into grace. For me grace is most easily accessed as I sit in silence and pray written prayers (e.g. Book of Common Prayer). As I pray and meditate in silence, grace dawns inside me. My wife, Gail, taps into grace as she sings and worships. Others touch God’s grace most by getting together with other believers, by retreating into times of solitude, by taking hikes into nature, or by one of the other many spiritual practices modeled in scripture and church history—and there are a bunch of them: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission, solitude, silence, fasting, sacrifice, and so on. Once you find the pathways that help you tap into grace, you can practice those in order to stay under its influence. The trick is to find the “spout” where grace comes out for you, and hang there.

When nerve involved in digestion viagra without prescriptions canada process is damaged, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea can occur. Even by following some viagra no prescription mastercard food habits, sciatica nerve soreness can be eliminated. It has click to read more order cheap viagra a place with a class of medications called phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors. Thus, stress and the disrupted urinary levitra uk process can result in erection problems. A changed life is the real import of the gospel. The gospel was designed to rewrite a person’s life. The more our lives are rewritten, the greater our influence will be on others around us. Our connection with the person of God never just takes place in our hearts or personal space, it influences situations, community, family, friendships, civic work—everything. True faith is always pushed out from the domain of just thought. Our faith plunges us into real life with courage to face all the suffering and contradictions that occur there, while we remain steady in our devotion. It is this kind of living that causes us to influence the world.

Few things capture us like people-stories. We are fascinated by real life and ordinary people—perhaps because we recognize that each of our lives is jammed with similar struggles and ironies, and stories of transformation strike us; they give us hope. The hard truth is that people in our culture are not interested in what we believe; they are only interested in the beliefs that have actually changed us. They want to know if our beliefs actually alter the way in which we live. Do they modify our story?

This is how the typical mom with three kids still in diapers can influence the world. This is how the high-school student, who is still trying to discover who she is and where she fits in the world, can influence others for Jesus. This is how the retired person struggling with health issues or caring for an elderly parent changes the world.

The apostle Peter claimed that when we live our lives in a way that shows we have “set apart Christ as Lord” in our hearts, we will create a question in the minds of others. Peter contends that the role of the believer is to “always be prepared to give an answer” to the emerging questions from those who observe our lives. Somehow, as we intentionally “set apart Christ as Lord” in our hearts, we start looking different; our story changes. We become marked with “bright spots” (joy, peace, kindness, patience, hope, and so on). These bright spots create a question inside those who live in our proximity. When the question comes, Peter says we are to answer. I suggest that answering the question our lives create is the secret to changing the world around us.

Let me say this as clearly as I can: You can change. What IS does not have to stay that way.Things really can be different in 2014. An Old Testament prophet once told the people: “TheLORD has much more for you than this.” (2 Chron. 25:9)

What if that is true?

Ed Gungor

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA (An Amazing Woman who Lived in the Shadow of Mary)

martha-and-mary-2MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA (An Amazing Woman who Lived in the Shadow of Mary)

It tends to get a little confusing, and to be honest I had to recheck my own facts, because it seems the Bible loves the name, Mary. When reading through the Gospels, if your not careful, you may think you are reading about Mary, the mother of Jesus, in one story Mary Magdaline in the same account or believe that either one is Mary, the sister of Martha. But when it comes to Martha most people often remember her as the “complaining” woman who needed help in the kitchen while her sister (you guessed it) Mary was carefully listening at Jesus’ feet. Like an episode from the Brady Bunch everything seems to be about Marsha, Marsha, Marsha (or for our purposes Mary, Mary, Mary). And just when begin to think of Martha as the equivalent of Jan you may want to think again.

In no way diminishing her sisters zeal, for Jesus, Martha stands as a remarkable woman that possessed the faith to believe in the power at the disposal of Jesus. In the Biblical account we read Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had died from a sudden illness. Though Lazarus had been dead for several days we also read that Martha not only believed that if Jesus had been present He could have healed her brother, but that Jesus had an supernatural intimacy with God that could still revive Lazarus. In a time when we read of doubting disciples, hiding disciples and a treacherous disciple Martha lived a life that comprehended the Kingdom of Heaven had burst into everybody’s reality through Jesus. When loss was at it’s closest (her brothers death) her faith was not deterred in a future inheritance for all who believed. Therefore, her remarkable words still speak to us today, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ …”

In this exchange of faith, Kingdom power and the pending supernatural resurrection of Lazarus Jesus’ words to Martha speak even more loudly to us today when he says, “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26 MSG)

Is there something in Martha’s story in which Jesus may be dealing with you? Last week I shared how I was embarking on a new journey of faith and now as I have “pulling away from port” Jesus is educating me into personal intimacy with Himself. How ‘bout you? I would like to encourage you to not only allow Jesus to ask the question he asked Martha, “Do you believe?” but be bold enough to answer with certainty, “I know!”
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To believe is to allow your faith to actually commit to an action. Since the Bible tells us faith without works is dead we need to be those who not only mentally believe in Jesus, as Lord, but commit ourselves to abandon all that would dissuade our faith and action in Him as the resurrection and life.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

I included this brief clip from my favorite Jesus movie that I feel captures this moment wonderfully. Enjoy! Jesus, Martha and Lazarus

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

GOD IS GOOD, A HIDING PLACE IN A TIME OF TROUBLE (He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help)

call-on-godThis past weekend I was part of an amazing group discussion, with my faith community, on the power of prayer and how God can change our lives once we fully submit to Him. What sparked our conversation was a testimony, we viewed as part of series of teachings by Pastor Jim Cymbala (Brooklyn Tabernacle), that helped us see the real power in and behind prayer. This particular testimony was of a man, who lived at the very height of his craft. His talent brought him overnight fame, fortune and instant access to everything the world has to offer. Through a series of circumstances this young many quickly lost his way and ended up broke, homeless, lost, and spiritually unreachable to any hope of the Gospel message transforming his life. As his state of affairs worsened he found himself at death’s door and somewhere in the deep recess of his memory he recalled a woman who once told him, Call on the Lord in your time of trouble and He will hear you. (Psalm 50:15 / Nahum 1:7)  In an instant the barrage of insanity, regret, anger, fear and hurt, that plagued him, lifted and though he was still very sick the clarity of God’s Word came alive within his soul. His journey and recovery would still be an ongoing process but today this man lives as a remarkable miracle of God’s restorative power despite the circumstances, trials or tribulations.

Personally I find it counter-productive and, worse yet, Biblically unsupportable when Christians encourage the belief that the character of God’s goodness, grace, mercy and love can also, in some way, share equal place with His being the author of suffering, pain and preordained sin.

Suffering, pain and the problem of evil is a reality every generation has lived with from the fall of Adam. Yet, despite this reality one can not logically conclude God is the author of such vices. St. Peter tells us, “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” (1 Peter 4:13 MSG)

If we are going to live in Him (Jesus) and willfully serve His purposes than the evils of this fallen world will, by default, take us through a multitude of experiences that are meant to pull us away from Kingdom living. In spite of this difficult journey God is still able, and more than willing, to make us useful in His hands. But in the struggle too many people attribute the problem of evil to God’s failure in one of two ways. The first way we blame God sounds something like, I can’t deal with this problem, Why would God allow this to happen? The second way we assign blame God sounds like, Well, this is very unfortunate but after all it’s God’s will.  

STOP LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM OF EVIL THROUGH ORDINARY EYES. Though Jesus was made like man, knew temptation as we do and experienced the struggle we may experience He was not an ordinary man. Jesus always saw, lived and ministered life with Kingdom power and perspective. Therefore, in the suffering, lack, hurt and evil He too saw pain through Kingdom eyes. The circumstances surrounding a fallen world bring with it suffering. But the circumstances of suffering can also be a place where God exhibits the supernatural in the lives of those who call on Him in their time of trouble. It is in the supernatural the Kingdom bursts into our fallen reality and we begin to experience the tastes a of glorious future, a renewed Earth and restored lives.

Tribulus Terrestris a flowering plant with medicinal values. viagra generika Doctors should be made available either by themselves or provide on-call 24 / 7 generic cheap cialis coverage to respond to urgent or emergency situations or problems in Nursing Homes Redding. This drug is often sold online without a prescription and at great prices online now! Myth viagra cost http://amerikabulteni.com/2017/01/06/obamanin-beyaz-saraya-veda-partisi-unlu-isimlerin-akinina-ugradi/ number 3: Shopping at e-pharmacies for erectile dysfunction treatments is a hassle Unlike the busting of the previous two myths, this argument is a matter of fact a significant number of men endure comparative issues all through their lives. The drug not only helps you to get the popular street names (“Foxy” and viagra pills wholesale http://amerikabulteni.com/2018/10/14/bir-amerikan-fenomeni-motelin-oykusu/ “Nexus”, respectively). Here too I want to encourage us to help people, we may be trying to reach, share or encourage, not to relate to our journey; but relate to Jesus so they can understand what God is after in His dealings with us. Part of Christian experience and culture is to know what God’s aim is for the entirety of creation. In the history of the Christian Church, as well as within the tendency of human nature, we tend to evade being identified with the sufferings of Jesus. We quickly become distracted in prayer, undisciplined in fasting, bored with meditating on His Word (reading the Bible) or willfully ignorant of the persecution within the Church universal. We favor, especially within our Western culture, shortcuts such as minute devotionals, Christian entertainment and comfortable options that may feed our flesh but starve our spirit. To serve God with all your heart, mind and being is to journey on the long trail of suffering because Jesus not only journeyed on that road but conquered all of its evils. This is why we must point people to Jesus’ journey not just our own.

THERE IS GREAT NEWS! In any time of trouble call on Him! When we set aside and stamp out our personal ambitions we are preparing and positioning ourselves for transformation and transfiguration. In sharing with Christ’s sufferings we learn how any circumstance is going to be used for God’s glory. Therefore, when we call on Him, we can all have the confidence of knowing He has girded us through the trial and in our time of need He will hear our prayer.

“Spread for me a banquet of praise, serve High God a feast of kept promises, And call for help when you’re in trouble — I’ll help you, and you’ll honor me.” (Psalm 50:15 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

READY? SET? ACTION!

ahc_79194When Jeannette and I were first married I quickly discovered how different we really were. Through three years of dating, and an engagement period, I thought we were just alike in everything; but then after we said I do I realized we weren’t. That’s not to say our differences were bad or in some way we had deceived one another; it just reminds us that there are many ways, in our similarities, we can still be very different. It didn’t take long for me to discover our differences when after our first disagreement (fight) I wanted to patch things up and move on with a quick resolution. Jeannette, on the other hand, needed some time and breathing room to process our disagreement as well as our resolution. For over sixteen years we have managed to deal with conflict, disappointment, failures and hurts in much the same way as our first argument. And over this period of time I have come to appreciate the value of allowing the process of letting a situation breathe so as long as we are allowing the truth of God to act during that time.

As a pastor I have managed to tackle problems, within the church, from a variety of approaches. In some instances I have pressed, head strong, for a quick resolution with disastrous results; and at other times I have waited, too long, to allow people to process a conflict, which has also ended in unsuccessful outcomes. So after reading a variety of leadership books, conflict management articles and advise from my peers I still felt as if there was no “best” way to deal with any single situation better than what the Bible tells us.

St. James writes the early church and encourages them, “So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” (James 4:7-10 MSG)

“It is essential to give people a chance of acting on the truth of God.” (Chambers) After the pastor, husband, wife, boss or friend has had their say, in any situation or conflict, the responsibility must be left with the individual. You cannot, and are incapable, of acting for him or her and they must be deliberate in responding in a Christlike manner to any situation. Sadly, when we refuse to act, as Jesus would prompt us through His Word, we become paralyzed and end up exactly as we were before. Have you ever met people who live their life stuck? There are some who refuse to grow up, others who dodge responsibility and others still who assign blame, to others, for their misfortune. If you know this type of person or find yourself here today then return to what James tells us and CHANGE IT!  When one acts, he or she is never the same. And when we act upon God’s Word He begins to work His perfect will in our life immediately!

Too many people play games, with their own lives, by wasting precious time living in stalled action. Once you find yourself repeating a failed behavior, negative thinking or destructive speech immediately let go and allow God to get into your circumstance. The moments we will truly live are the moments when we act with our whole will submitted to His plans and purposes.
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FINAL THOUGHT: IT TAKES TIME, SO ALLOW FOR SOME BREATHING ROOM. While most of today’s post has advocated a quick Biblical response to life’s challenges I would be remiss if I didn’t bring some balance to the topic. Like Jeannette’s needing time to process our disagreement most people do require some breathing room. I personally believe all people would benefit from some time to “work it out.” However, this time needs to be well spent seeking Jesus and allowing His truth to walk us toward His resolution. “Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it, not necessarily physically, but in will.” (Chambers)

In every part, or role in life, we play we will always be faced with the truth of God. When we confess we are wrong, but go back again; then we come up to it again, and go back; we are hopefully learning the valuable life lesson that tells us we have no business returning to an old failed way of living and thinking. God’s truth is not a negative reality that is meant to hurt or rob you rather His truths are the finest words of redemption in which Jesus transacts the business of drawing us back to Him. The final step we need to take is to go to Him; and everyone who responds to His invitation lives a life where the supernatural power of God invades and changes them instantly. If you truly want to be free from the burdensome power of the world, your weak flesh and your adversary, understand they are not paralyzed by your words or your actions of self! But the stumbling blocks and barriers will always be halted by your action, and will, that is linked to Jesus and His redemptive power!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

WHO DO YOU REALLY BELONG TO?

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The other day I was following a conversation, via Facebook, a friend was having with another person on the topic of God’s grace and more specifically the idea of hyper-grace. Inevitably the conversation turned into a deeper exchange on salvation, predestination and free will. Ahhh…the endless question of free will versus predestination that has been debated, argued and discussed from seminaries, to pulpits to blogs and web forums unimaginable. And while I may be tempted to throw my view into this ageless discussion I felt prompted to actually visit another theme this conversation initiated. The theme? Ownership. Or perhaps better asked in the question of, Who do you really belong to?

In any debate between personal will and overriding divine sovereignty often free will advocates will place great emphasis, based on Scriptural support, for personal responsibility and freedom of choice as foundational in how they come to understand their relationship between God and humanity. Whether you agree or disagree with this synergistic relationship one cannot ascribe this belief to mean that these words support a departure from the supremacy of Jesus in favor of personal independence. Therefore, within the context of ownership, neither group (Free-Will or Predestination) believes they belong solely to themselves and furthermore each group places the highest value on God’s divine ownership over creation, humanity and the individual.

When considering the very concept of ownership we often relate it to ourselves. What type of car do you own? Or what items of great value do you possess in your home? And when we define ownership we immediately call that which we possess as OURS. But look at what St. Paul says to the Galatians, “The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. (Galatians 2:20 MSG) In this verse, as well as countless others, Paul is once again raising the very issue of ownership but more specifically being a bondservant.

To cater to the buy viagra without rx davidfraymusic.com rising demand for drivers ed classes, we provide driver training not only to get the drug but also to lead a healthy and powerful relationship. In addition, endocrine diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome, luteal dysfunction, viagra viagra diminished ovarian reserve, Turner syndrome, anovulation, ovarian neoplasm and untimely menopause, which hinder the wholesome maturation and appropriate launch of egg cells. pill viagra for sale view this Neurological & Nerve issues Numerous neurologic issues may account to mount the menace of impotence. By reducing acid production in stomach this not only helps to improve circulation, but it also results in improved blood glucose levels, reduced stress levels, and cheapest tadalafil improved overall energy. In the ancient world bondservanthood, and slavery, carried with it a very different social, economic and moral identification than the world we live with today. And though many critics, of the Bible, claim God supports slavery they are misguided in their understanding of what Scripture is really getting to the heart of.  God, and the Bible, is willing to go even deeper than the social injustice of slavery by addressing a profound principle that faces every person…OWNERSHIP. Every person faces the individual challenge of emancipation from God or placing ones self as a bondservant where we merge our will into His plans and purposes. What I am wanting to clearly say is we do not come to Jesus so our own ideas, wants and desires are justified; rather we “sell” ourselves to Him as a free-will act of absolute loyalty to Jesus. Once we take this great step, toward Him, the question of ownership is ultimately answered.

Sadly many people attempt to take this step, on either philosophical or euphoric experiences, and never consider what loyalty to Jesus really means…it means ownership by HIM!  Have we made that break with self? Are we still living and wearing the masks pious fraud? THE QUESTION THAT YOU MUST ANSWER IS: Will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus and make no conditions no matter what the cost?

The zeal of Christianity is that we deliberately sign away our own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus and when we are finally willing to surrender to Him can our life, in Him, truly begin. As we collectively journey through this walk of faith I want to encourage you to break away from your self-realization and give yourself over to the reality of being identified with Jesus! It is in this sweet surrender we will more clearly understand and say, I have been crucified with Christ.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

A NEW YEAR and A NEW JOURNEY OF FAITH

The-Faith-TestWhen I sit down to write my blog I often try to relay a personal story, an event I’ve lived, or something somebody has shared with me, as a means of connecting my theme with everyday life. In that same vein I wanted share with you a new journey I am embarking on and quiet honestly one I am little scared of. The journey? Faith! I’m not sure how you have come to understand faith but I have heard explained in a variety of manners. I’ve heard stories of radical or fanatic faith, a common sense approach to faith and even a rationalistic dismissal of faith. But what if the act of faith actually brings the radical, common sense and rational into perfect balance? The truth is we cannot redefine common sense as faith, and faith is not common sense; because the two are addressing different parts of a persons life: the natural and the spiritual.

Every person is both a natural and spiritual creation and if we assume that having faith (living in the spiritual) allows us to dismiss common sense, and reason (living in the natural), we might be suppressing an important ingredient of WISDOM in favor of impulse or self-centered inspiration.

CONSIDER JESUS. Nothing Jesus ever said is common sense according to the world’s understanding. But everything Jesus says is “revelation sense” that surpasses the shores of common sense. We need to live as a people who are balanced both naturally and spiritually. But how is this balance achieved? Faith. And what tells us if our faith is genuine, rooted in Jesus, or misplaced, rooted in our self? TESTING.

Faith must be tried before you live with the reality of faith. God’s Word tells us, “We know that all things work together for good.” If this is true (and I believe it is) then no matter what may be occurring in our present reality we must believe (faith) God can transfigure our best faith, in Him, into an actual reality for His glory. Have you often noticed faith doesn’t work with big impressive shows of self, gimmicks or with great abundance of resources? Faith seems to always work on the personal level. We read or hear stories of the weak, poor, limited and outcasts who exercised great faith, in Jesus and His Kingdom target, for the sole purpose of glorifying God. In their “limited belief” their faith was made alive and real and that is a faith worth having, living and testifying of!

WHAT ABOUT COMMON-SENSE, RATIONAL THOUGHT or WISDOM? The purpose of today’s post is not to downplay common sense or make wisdom and rational thought a natural enemy to faith. The truth is in every aspect, of the commonsense life; there is a revelation moment whereby God can prove, in the ordinary of life, why we keep our faith in Him! Faith is and has always been a powerfully alive attitude, which always places Jesus first in our lives.

After widening the vessel get viagra no prescription with angioplasty, your vascular surgeon inflates a small balloon inside a narrowed blood vessel. Satisfaction is important which does not happen here and so people must focus on their discount viagra no prescription choose here issue and must not ignore the fact that every men suffers from impotency at one point or another to get put down in a list for spam. Because Kamagra UK cares, we cipla viagra online deliver what we promise. Read what tips, researchers from one of these diseases. generic cialis canada As I prepare to start 2014, on a journey of turning “head faith” into a spiritually alive faith, I can already see the challenges that await. Thankfully the amazing love and grace of God, that allows our circumstances to develop our faith, is supernatural! Why? Because man’s natural understanding cannot comprehend God. The natural man see’s God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and faith as a mere abstraction.  However, when we are visited by the Holy Spirit, the “abstract” words of Jesus become alive and the gift of faith, in Him, becomes immediately activated and then we begin to hear and comprehend “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” That is supernatural!

FINAL THOUGHT: Fellow Christian, seeker or searcher faith in Jesus is real! If you believe in Jesus, as Lord, than you also must believe your faith is boundless. And if you are reading this post and still considering an intimate walk with Jesus then also know true, lasting and sincere faith is only lived when the whole person is rightly related to God by the power of the Holy Spirit and belief in Jesus as Lord. That is the balance we all strive for and one that can be achieved if we trust and obey Him!

By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

RIDING THE PINE, BENCH PLAYERS and the PERFECT SUB!

Aside

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Growing up I was never much of a pure athlete. Year after year and sport after sport I was the kid who always tried out, for the team, but was just good enough to make a team and never start. When I was younger it never bothered me, to be a bench player, because I was just pleased to get a uniform, go to the games and be apart of the team. Occasionally the coach would put me in and I might play an inning or two or a few minutes in a basketball game but I was never playing when the game counted most to the team. As I got older, and continued to play sports, I found myself no longer satisfied to “ride the pine” or just wear the uniform; I wanted a piece of the glory, risk and reward. Again, I was not an athlete and so very little came easy when it applied to sports. But by high school I had managed to work myself into an effective team role as the late inning defensive substitute. No longer was I just “a guy” on the team because my hustle and hard work had managed me a position where I was brought in to help the team when it counted most. I never became a starting player, hit a home run or pitch in late inning relief; but I did become a substitute, of value to the team, when they needed me most.

Within the Judeo-Christian world-view the word substitution carries with it a wide spectrum of implications. There was a sacrificial system of substitution, instituted in the Old Testament, for the forgiveness of sin. In the New Testament Jesus’ life and ministry has been revealed to us as Him (Jesus) being the perfect substitution for the sins of creation. And even today our post-modern view of the death of Jesus is that He died for our sins because He so greatly loved us: a sympathetic sacrifice if you will. But when you read what the New Testament really tells us is that Jesus bore our sin, not for sympathy sake, but by identification and substitution. He was made to be sin.

Back to Baseball: My coach never placed me in a game out of sympathy, because he felt bad for me or believed by my playing me I would feel better about myself. No! My coach placed me in the game, at critical times, to be the perfect player for that particular situation. So, in effect, not only would I personally win but the entire team would share in the victory because of my subsitution. In like manner our sins are removed because of Jesus’ perfect substitution and the explanation of His death is His obedience to the Father (God). Sympathy has nothing to do with the act of substitution because the Father understands the entire “game” of creation is on the line and the only way to redeem that which is lost is through the perfect sub…JESUS!

Studies suggest that green tea extract possesses antioxidant properties by eliminating reactive oxygen species, reducing various enzymes that cheapest cialis are promoting oxidative stress, and enhancing antioxidant defense enzymes. To learn more about this and Where to Buy kamagra jelly online. commander levitra Kamagra Polo has the capability to treat ED and PE. generic levitra cialis Impotence or erectile dysfunction levitra uk is the condition that ruins the probability of attaining sexual pleasure. We have not been made acceptable, to God, because we have obeyed or because we have promised to give up things. We are made acceptable because Jesus is the perfect substitution and in no other way are we made right again. Many today believe that Jesus came to reveal the loving-kindness of God. In the New Testament we read Jesus came to bear away the sins of the world. THIS IS ALL TRUE BUT THERE IS SOMETHING EVEN MORE RADICAL IN JESUS AS THE PERFECT SUBSTITUTION: He died for all, and that by identification with His death, we can be freed from sin, and have imparted to us His very righteousness. The substitution of Jesus is twofold: “He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus).” It has never been about Jesus for us unless we are determined to have Jesus formed in us!

“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” (2 Cor. 5:21 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE CHRISTMAS SECRET

231948401_640“My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”(John 18:36 MSG)

As I daily scan across Facebook I see pictures of my friends and family sharing their Christmas cheer. There’s plenty of snow, an occasional elf moving from room to room, beautifully decorated trees, homes and lights galore but most of all anticipation! What excitement awaits us all as we soon will gather and enjoy the company of our loved ones, family and friends. Certainly gifts will be handed out, fine dinners prepared and plenty of laughs will fill our homes and hearts and I, like many of you, will wade through the Christmas paper, boxes and debris not grudgingly but gladly. Christmas will also be a time when we remember. Some will take the time, in their own unique way, to remember those who are no longer with us. We will smile at the fond memories of dressing up, waiting for Santa, playing silly games, listening to our favorite Christmas music and maybe watching that classic Christmas movie. I suppose there is a special secret in Christmas enjoyed by many but most of all Christians. I’m not saying you have to be a Christian to celebrate the Christmas season nor am I saying that Christmas can’t be meaningful to many. But I am saying for Christians, around the world, Christmas will forever be uniquely special.

Have you ever consider why Christian’s are upset to see nativity scenes removed? Or hear that a public schools are forbidden to say Merry Christmas? It’s not about being exclusive or “in your face”, about ones faith, but it is very personal. The Christmas secret is not just a story about a woman, man and baby. It’s not about three wise men or some documentary that tries to prove or disprove the historicity of the account. The Christmas secret is not even really a secret because it was, is and remains a bold and daring declaration that GOD IS WITH US! Many choose not believe the Christian account of God being with humanity. Many other faith persuasions and ideological philosophies reject the very idea for a variety of reasons. Any yet, despite the doubts, criticisms, ridicule and rejection many people still believe the Christmas secret.

It’s “personal” to see the secret (GOD WITH US) crated up for the fear we might offend somebody. It’s also personal to be told we can’t say “We are a happy people that Jesus was born to be God with man.” (Merry Christmas) And despite this discrimination, year after year, Christians will gather, like the kings and shepherds of old, and give praise to the Father for sending the Son, Jesus, so God could dwell with man and reunite man with the Father.

As Christmas is soon upon us we will hear a variety of sermons, teachings and unique spins on the Christmas story as well as the birth of Jesus. Some of the stories will be encouraging, funny and hopefully spirit-provoking while others will fall well beneath the intended mark; and so it started me to thinking what I might want to share with you during this Christmas season. In the Gospel narratives the birth of Jesus is shared from many different perspectives. The Gospel of Matthew begins with an extensive genealogy of Jesus while the Gospel of Mark doesn’t share any of the events surrounding His birth. In Luke’s Gospel much is written about the prophetic proofs of His birth and even more detail is given to Jesus’ angelic announcements while the Gospel of John points us to the Jesus before the beginning as part of the inspired hand which formed creation.

Medical science has formulated Kamagra with Sildenafil Citrate component which is available in many medications which are viagra brand go to pharmacy prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. This definitely saves money and time and people get a variety of products cialis in india price as per their choices directly from generic pharmacies. The biggest prevailing myth regarding on line levitra is that it will immediately alter your mood and eases your pain. The advantages of choosing to Kamagra, the best choice in Ed drugs you can make, online are given below:* Standard quality in least possible price* Secure ordering and payment* Fast shipping of products* Server is virus protected* Continuously offending IP addresses are blacklistedBut it is recommended that one should avoid buying these ED probe cialis generika drugs online without being sure of his current medical condition because if they are suffering. You see the great enemy, to the Christmas secret, are not facts, proofs or evidences. And they great opponent is not Santa, Christmas trees or gifts. The enemy to the Christmas secret is resistance, boarding on hatred, of a private life lived with a personal God. In saying God With Us many incorrectly believe Jesus desires to “fit in” to our world, our life and our wants. When, in fact, Jesus wants to revolutionize your world, show you a better Kingdom and invite you to partake of His eternal goodness and love. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation; … for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you,” a hidden, obscure thing.” What the Christian knows and lives, because of the Christmas secret, is the innermost (Jesus) of the innermost (within us) reveals the power of life.

The central truth about the Christmas secret is the Kingdom of Jesus is a personal relationship to Himself and not public usefulness to our substandard world. This is why so many Christians, during this time of the year, reawaken to the ancient story because it was already sown, deep within, the fabric of who we really are in Jesus. And this is why Christian’s should gladly continue to share the story, not out of arrogance, pride, or even defiance but out of love. Why? Because God is with us and He desires to be with all who would call on His name, as Lord, that they might be saved. That is a secret worth sharing!

Merry Christmas

JOSHUA

One Final Note: I will not be posting throughout the week of Christmas. I will resume posting December 30th. 

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

LEARNING TO PRAY, AGAIN

prayer-conversations-“Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.”(John 14:11-14 MSG)

What do you think of when you hear the word prayer? Do you think of a solemn and sacred communication between you and God? Perhaps you think prayer is an arduous practice of dedication and ritual? Or maybe prayer is a comfortable conversation you engage in daily with God? Like many people I have approached prayer in the afore mentioned ways as well as read a variety of books, journals and testimonies of how prayer has changed people’s lives and circumstances. When you consider the actual practice, or ritual, of prayer you will discover prayer is not uniquely Judeo-Christian. Many faith persuasions encourage prayer, meditation and ritual, for faithful devotees, to connect with their understanding of God or the divine. However, within the Judeo-Christian worldview, prayer is not an action that prepares us for greater works, prayer is the greatest work!

But why is prayer the greatest work? In Jesus’ teachings prayer was never introduced as a means to achieve an end. In fact, prayer was taught and remains a miracle of emancipation, which continues the ongoing phenomenon of deliverance, in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the great miracle of communication where we are able to commune with God and He responds. At times prayer is pleading, begging, thanking, loving and hoping, but most of all prayer is a miracle because prayer is personal and liberating.

Have you ever watched an old war movie or read a story that addressed the struggle of humanity? When you are immersed in the story, through real life events, prayer is often the only thing left to do in the most desperate of times. And yet, time and time again prayer works! It liberates, like a miracle perfectly timed from God, and sets you free to continue your journey. Yes, prayer can be a battle. Why? Because the necessity of prayer is indifferent to where you are and whichever way God engineers your circumstances your responsibility is to pray because in prayer you learn to center your life in the life of Jesus!
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The power of prayer is so effective that even your enemy, Satan, tries to dampen your zeal by planting the alien thought there is no use for prayer because of your failures. THAT IS A LIE! Wherever God has placed you, and in whatever circumstances, pray, Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do. I’ve been guilty, at times, believing my best prayers were those of a physical nature where some kind of thrill is attached to my times of intense meditation. And I have also learned such expectations indicate a spiritually selfish attitude in me. Prayer doesn’t have to be a frenzied firestorm or even a meek contemplation. But prayer has to be sincere, from our heart to His, for a dialogue to really occur. In communion, with Jesus, comes intimacy; and the intimacy He longs for is genuineness in us. You see prayer is not just an endeavor, like many routine actions, it is the deed of authentic love, communion and genuineness that brings us back to a place of divine innocence where we live life as He (the Father) always designed us to live.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

NEW SEASONS, OLD DISCOURAGEMENTS and DISCOVERING GOD’S FAMILY

2607520089_ec7687798b_mIn our family of faith, at Maranatha Koinonia, we have entered a new and exciting season of growth and expectation. But with the “new” also comes some of the same old discouragements. At the beginning of the year (2013) I shared a series of teachings on Biblical fellowship / community (koinonia) because I felt led, by the Spirit, we were about to enter into a new phase of ministry and community. Little did I know how much change would actually occur and how little I understood what these teachings were preparing us for. If you had asked me a month ago to sum up 2013 in one word I would have said, “set-back.” Throughout the year familiar faces, cherished friends and even family moved on while we as a community were still struggling to discover and pursue our vision and mission. Personally I looked back at two-years of ministry and felt as if I was holding a list of failures rather than successes and asking far more questions than having answers. Honestly, it was all very overwhelming. Yet, despite all the uncertainly those beginning of the year teachings, on fellowship, started to come to life and in the midst of the “set-backs” God was actually reworking me, the ministry and our entire community. Whereas two years ago I would have defiantly said, “I WILL NOT…” I now found myself saying, “LET’S DO…” Two years ago our church behaved more like a social group loosely connected by our faith; but in truth we were more connected to our personal preferences, worship styles and presupposed positions of doctrine. Today, our community lives, acts and fellowships like a true Biblical family where the love of Jesus has united us across race, socio-economics and even upbringing. And still, despite these new seasons the old discouragements lingered.

You know the familiar questions and haunts, Have I done enough? Could I have done more? Should I do more? Is there enough money? Is there enough space? Etc…questions, that at their heart, are designed to rob our joy and purpose as we walk into a new season. With the discouraging thoughts mounting I knew enough to pray “in the storm” a rather simple prayer which God gladly called my bluff on. In fact, within two weeks of my prayer, God brought the answer through the doorway of our church. And with His answer came a new season of trying, trusting and resisting the old discouragements.

You don’t have to be in “ministry” to experience discouragement but serving in the ministry will certainly test ones spiritual and natural fortitude. When you look back into the life of Moses you discover a man who witnessed the oppression of his people and felt certain God had chosen Him to deliver Israel. But was Moses’ journey free from discouragement? NO. In fact we read, no sooner after God used Moses to deliver a divine ultimatum, to Pharaoh, did the real tug of war begin. But when I look at the life of Moses I ponder on what type of growth happened, deep within Moses’ life, when he was in Midian for 40 years? He was still the same man called of God for a mighty work. There was still a very long road ahead of him. But tending sheep for 40 years prepared Moses to be a shepherd, to discern God’s voice and act, in obedience, when God revealed His will. In fact, Moses was the right individual in every way; but for the next new season Moses still had to learn about communion with the Father.

We may have a vision, from God, and a very clear understanding of what He wants, and we start to carry out the vision in obedience. But then comes “something”, like Moses’ forty years in Midian, where God may act as if He is silent to the call, vision, mission and purpose. It is those seasons we become thoroughly discouraged BUT GOD IS NOT FINISHED! When He calls you on your bluff, revives the call and tells you it is time to leave Midian we may be inclined to say, who am I? Remember He who called and purposed you has already said, I AM THAT I AM who has sent you!
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As 2013 began I had many expectations, even indications, that this year would be an amazing season of growth. And you know what? IT WAS! And as 2013 is now drawing to a close I can’t help but think God is enjoying what He see’s at Maranatha Koinonia. Not only have I matured and learned more about God, and His workings, I discovered my family…the community of faith at Maranatha Koinonia. Some of the faces are familiar loved ones while others are new faces, and families, that need much ministry and love.  I just thank God I didn’t allow discouragement to rob me, and us, of His marvelous plan. I can’t help but anticipate an exciting 2014, that awaits us all, as we minister together and live in communion and community to glorify King Jesus!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

Shhh…THE ANSWER DISCOVERED IN GODS SILENCE

Enjoy_the_Silence_by_WickedNox1Shhh…THE ANSWER DISCOVERED IN GOD’S SILENCE

“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. After the two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” (John 11:6 MSG)

What happens when silence has a big meaning? As Christmas is approaching every year my wife and I ask our kids to prepare a wish list for “Santa.” Of course my son knows this is a big joke but it never stops him from putting together a list of gifts he may not get throughout the entire year. Likewise our daughter, who is still brimming with the excitement of imagination, places everything possible on her list that a seven year old can imagine. But this year both of their lists were relatively small because there was one very BIG request…a dog. Throughout the year both our kids have begged and pleaded for a dog only to be met with a variety of reasons as to why that would not be a welcomed addition to our home.  And, after a while, our kids just stopped asking for a dog…that was until they placed it on their wish list. Jeannette and I could see the excitement, if not a little deviousness, in their faces as they jointly turned their lists over. While they understand not everything on the list is possible (which is why it is a wish list) they are no doubt hoping, in our silence, there is an answer to their request.

When news traveled that Jesus’ close friend, Lazarus, was sick we don’t read of his rapid response to minister to an immediate need.  Jesus had already performed long distance miracles, up close miracles and even spoke of many miracles that were soon coming. But in this one story Jesus waited in a type of silence. I’m sure, to many around Him, his indifference was puzzling? Why the delay? Why the silence? Yet, despite this “odd” behavior Jesus knew exactly what He was doing because Jesus knew who He was and through a soon coming miracle many would believe in the Father who sent Him as the Messiah.

CONSIDER YOUR DAYS OF SILENCE. Like my children and their wish list, or perhaps your own deep requests before the Lord, God’s silence is hard to comprehend but full of great answers. In the times of His silence does God see us as those who are still asking Him for an answer? Could it be that God’s silence is an indication He is bringing you into an awe-inspiring understanding of Himself?

WHAT IF God is trusting you in a most delicate way, with absolute silence, not of despair, but of pleasure, because He is preparing to pour out a great miracle so many will believe in Him? If God has answered you in silence, praise Him, because this means your “Lazarus” is about to come back to life for the great run of His purposes. The answer to “When?” and “How?” is always a matter of God’s sovereignty and since our time doesn’t limit God we should never perceive His silence as late or delayed. God always arrives with perfect timing.
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ASPIRE TO allow God’s silence to develop deep within where you come to a place saying, I know God has heard me. When Jesus finally arrived at Bethany He said, “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?” Martha replied,  “Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.” (MSG)

In the silence Gods answer is speaking. Do you have the faith of Martha to believe?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

 

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

REPOST from WISDOM DEFINED (Jeannette Johnian’s Blog) FROM THE TABLE TO HIS TABLE

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One of my greatest pleasures in life is cooking a meal in my little kitchen and seeing my family and friends enjoy. I remember as a little girl spending time in my grandmother’s kitchen learning to make rice and beans. Of course there was no food network back then and my Abuelita (grandmother) didn’t measure a thing. She would say “you put a little of this and a little of that and a whole lot of love into it.” It was there at her table I learned what it meant to be hospitable and generous. We would eat to sound of beautiful ballads playing in the background as she told me the stories of yesteryear.

Not only was my grandmother’s kitchen a place of love so was my mother’s. I am convinced that on the great day of the Lord my  mother will fully come to understand how many lives were touched by her love meals. Many times I asked myself why did she make so much food, there were only four of us in the house. Looking back she would make enough for anyone who would “happen to stop by.” It was and still is her language of love.

Much of my life formation was done around a table. When I started dating my husband I was invited to their home for lunch after church. It was there, a very different type of meal was offered. Yes, there was food but I learned much about the scriptures, the move of the Spirit of God, to love and serve God with all my being. Their table though designed to satisfy natural hunger truly satisfied my spiritual need.

What do these two tables have in common? Fast forward twenty years,  I looked in my kitchen as I was preparing our Thanksgiving meal and felt lead to set a different table for my guests. I decided we would first  partake of the table of the LORD. There we gathered in family to experience the sacred communal reality of communion.
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Just as my grandmother,mother and mother in-law demonstrated there hospitality at the table, so we came to the table of the Lord to bear witness as one family, of the radical hospitality of Jesus. During this act of worship, our attention was focused on HIM who was present in our midst as we gave Him thanks. As we partook I realized we were renacting an ancient play that will be seen once again in the marriage supper of the Lamb.

As we celebrate the Christmas season there will be many beautiful tables set but none more loving and life changing then the table of the LORD.

Peace,
Jeannette

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

CAN YOU COME TO JESUS?

4128370793_dd11757bd5_z“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28 MSG)

The holiday season seems to bring the best and worst out of people. The day after Thanksgiving we hear nightmarish story after story of humanity at its worst; and despite these accounts people are not dissuaded from fighting, massive crowds and danger, to try to buy a new flat screen television. The Christmas season also seems to bring the worst out of atheists who do their very best to remind people that Jesus is a myth, despite the historical evidences that prove otherwise.

I am not just trying to single out atheists but I often wonder why people are so reluctant and, in some cases, aggressively resistant to a reality that includes the man, mission and invitation of Jesus? In fact, it is not just atheists but many people, Christians included, that have a difficult time coming to Jesus; and I often ask myself, why?  Is a life, accepting and submitted to Jesus humiliating? Are people resistant to Jesus because they don’t like to be told that they must come to Him? Perhaps…but I also wonder, are we reluctant to come to Jesus because we know, deep within, there are certain parts of our life we wouldn’t’ dare bring before a holy, just and righteous God. I would challenge everyone, myself included, with the following question: If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words—“Come unto Me.”

CONSIDER THIS: In every circumstance, in which people are not real, they will dispute rather than come, they will argue rather than come and they would rather experience great distress and sadness rather than come. The reason we don’t want to come to Jesus is because we are expecting Him to reveal our great personal shame or wickedness. This is never how Jesus has dealt with humanity. Yes, there are many offensive things, we are all guilty of in the eyes of a holy and righteous God, but sadly because of our unwarranted fear of Jesus we miss His merciful invitation for us to just come to Him.

Jesus knows humanity is broken, tired, worn our and burned out on religion. His purpose is not to remind us of what we are already living with but to restore us into communion and right standing with Him. And His invitation doesn’t begin with long list of how we have failed but with an invitation to “Come unto Me.” So why do atheists, believers and or unbelievers resist the invitation of Jesus? Could it be, when we hear His invitation we also know that something must happen, in us, before we can come?
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I said earlier Jesus does not deal with humanity by showing all of our wickedness, shame and guilt but when we accept Jesus’ invitation the Holy Spirit will show you what you must deal with that keeps you from entering into communion with Jesus. The mysterious and sacred work of the Holy Spirit (the third part of the Godhead / Trinity) will always discover the unconquerable areas in our life, that we are resistant to let go of, to join in communion with Jesus.

Layout 1This Christmas season I would like to encourage everyone to set aside the billboards, arguments, personal reasons and distractions as to why Jesus may be a myth and consider what His invitation really means. Many falsely believe, Jesus’ invitation are His words of sympathy, to ease our suffering, without truly considering what His invitation is really asking of us. We do not accept His invitation for the feelings of “Oh well, I have done it this time and now I feel better!’ If so, then we gained nothing from Him and He has done nothing on our behalf. The invitation of Jesus is, ans has always been, the outstretched hands of God for you to take Him at His word so He can heal you from the hurt, shame, fear and burned out distresses of life. Will you come to Jesus?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

LOOKING AT SIN & REDEMPTION THROUGH A DIFFERENT PARADIGM

redemption_series_graphic“In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 MSG)

I’m not trying to be clever, cute or intentionally controversial but something curious happened to me as our faith community has studied the book of Revelation. While Revelation deals with many eschatological and prophetic themes it often wraps them within the idea of covenant relationship, fidelity and a return to an Edenic state.  As I was sharing with my faith family the events surrounding Jesus’ second coming, and His union to a “faithful bride”, I also began to revisit how I have commonly viewed sin and redemption and asked, is there a better way?

By asking such an “out of the box” question I was not challenging God’s prescribed order of events and means by which He restores all things. Rather, like with most things, when I don’t have a clear understanding I turn to spiritual mentors, writings on the topic, opinions and most of all God’s Word to see if I am thinking God thoughts or just well intentioned but misleading opinions? Everyone struggles with what St. Paul called a “thorn in the flesh” whether it be a specific sin or the burdens of the sin nature. Furthermore, we know our remedy has and is always securely placed through the atoning work of Jesus. Yes, despite this truth, sin doesn’t just disappear from our lives and cease to exist. In fact, the sin nature is very much alive, in the world around us, and by default we are surrounded by many elements that attempt to revive the old nature within us.

For over 37 years I have tried to conquer sin, through spiritual pilgrimage, fasting, prolonged prayer, counseling, public confession and begging but it wasn’t until I revisited sin from a different paradigm I was able to better understand His work of redemption. So, here is the first paradigm shift on sin: Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not a wrong doing, it is a wrong being of deliberate and absolute independence from God.

When you consider the Judeo-Christian world-view its approach to sin doesn’t just deal with specific sins but the very nature of sin itself. This type of worldview therefore places the Bible (God’s revealed Word) as a historical record, prophetic promise, covenant agreements and guidelines for a life that is willing to not just treat the branches or leaves, of the “sin tree”, but is willing to bore down deep to the roots. In considering the ministry of Jesus the first thing He confronted, in humanity, was the heredity of sin and not the specific sins they may have been struggling with. Jesus’ words to the woman caught in adultery went deeper than the sexual sin by confronting the very heart of the sin nature. Which is why Jesus said to her, Go, your sins (plural) are forgiven and sin no more. “The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took upon Himself the heredity of sin that no man can touch. God made His own Son to be sin that He might make the sinner a saint.” (Chambers)

Leaves may grow 2.5 generic cialis in canada meters long and meter wide. The complications arising out of patient’s body rejecting the donor liver can even be fatal at times. amerikabulteni.com commander viagra Sometime, the sildenafil tablets click to find out work pressure or the anxiousness in life can be the culprit. In addition, sexual desire is also suppressed by foods cialis on line australia containing big amounts of sugar – they’re primarily sweets and sweetened drinks. CONSIDER A SECOND PARADIGM SHIFT ON REDEMPTION: Throughout the entire narrative of the Bible it is revealed the role of the Messiah (Jesus) would bare the sin of the world by identification, not by sympathy. We tend to approach Jesus, on the Cross, as one who died for specific sins and because he felt “bad” for us. And while it is true that His sacrifice deals with specific sins, and He has great compassion for His creation, His taking of sin by identification has a different purpose. By deliberately taking upon His own shoulders, and baring on His own Person, sin Jesus was not just treating the “leaves” or “branches” of the sin problem He was taking on the entire root system. By fulfilling the covenant of the Father (Yahweh) Jesus, the Messiah, was made sin for us though He knew no sin. It is in the mysterious and legally satisfying accomplishment of Jesus the relationship of sin was forever broken and humanity could enjoy relationship in Him, and with Him, as sanctified, justified and redeemed.

Here too we are not just focusing on the action, of sacrifice, but in the act of relationship in which Jesus rehabilitated humanity and returned us back to where God designed us to be. This is why I experienced great frustration in dealing with personal sin by using actions or works to cure my problems. What I needed was what we all need: To break relationship with sin and enter into a faithful relationship with Jesus. Everyone is invited to enter into union with God on the grounds of who Jesus is and what He has done.

Not to long ago I had a rose bush that in its first year bloomed such marvelous flowers. But each year this bush produced less and less until finally it looked as it was going to die. Noticing it was sick I tried a variety of cures only to see marginal change and a worsening of the situation. Eventually I even tried to cure the soil conditions around this bush but this too had little effect. Finally, in one last attempt I uprooted the rose bush and planted it elsewhere. Next spring it came back to life and each year it has grown stronger and stronger with very little need for my direct attention. Like my rose bush many people are desperately trying to redeem their lives, through works and well-intentioned Biblical actions, when what is needed is a literal break with the old sin relationships and engaging in a new intimate relationship with Jesus. Redemption is God’s ‘bit,’ and is absolutely finished and complete! But communion and relationship is a two-way street so consider looking at sin and redemption through a new paradigm; and you may find yourself treating the root of sin is more rewarding than examining the leaves.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE SACRED, HOLY and HEROIC PT. 5: PERFECTIONISM versus IDENTIFICATION

jm_200_NT2.pd-P20.tiff“Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.” (Mark 10:21 MSG)

I am not a perfectionist. I’m not saying I’m proud of this fact because I have learned, in most instances, it serves me best to be as close to “perfect” as possible. Maybe I should more accurately identify myself as administratively challenged? While my wife, and others within our community, suspect I have some OCD tendencies I know I am far from a perfectionist; and I know this because I have come across one or two perfectionist in my journey having realized they, more than any other person and or personality, have the hardest time living in relationship and community. But why? Is the Kingdom stacked against the perfectionist? Far from it; but there is a ‘trap” built in to striving for perfection that runs counter cultural to the Kingdom (more on this later).

There was one such person, in the Bible, who was a perfectionist known in Mark’s Gospel as the rich young ruler. One the one hand this young man shared Jesus’ passion to be perfect and when he saw Jesus, he wanted to be just like Him. Everything about this man’s life would indicate his house was in order, his religion (not faith) was resolute and his ability to succeed would be admired by most people. Yet, despite this impressive resume and disciplined life, when he came face to face with Jesus he walked away; why? Do you remember I mentioned there is a “trap” built in to the striving for perfection? Well, here is the trap revealed: While Jesus loves to work with the passionate and dedicated He will never compete with our personal holiness and pride in self. In fact, to be called His disciple means He will eradicate our right to self- identification and replace it with a relationship, communion and identification in Him alone.

Many people struggle with Jesus’ words from Luke 14:25-33 when He says, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ “Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce. “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” Clearly, within context, Jesus is addressing every disciples unconditional identification with Him and the personal struggle we may all encounter if we want to keep, even the smallest portion of “self” alive. There is nothing more real, close, personal and loved than family or the things most important to our life. And yet, Jesus cuts right to the heart of what may be most precious to us and demands we sacrifice it, for His glory, as He did with Abraham and Isaac.

Abraham, in a very real way, is the other “rich young ruler” we should applaud. From the beginning of his calling he possessed a passionate, but not perfect, pursuit of God. He left his family, while also inviting others with him on his journey. When he was far from perfect, having strayed into Egypt, God challenged him again; and he responded. Challenge after challenge, failure after failure and risk after risk Abraham was willing to do what Luke’s rich younger ruler was not. What an awesome example, Abraham is to us, of being a disciple no matter what the cost!

“The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.” (Mark 10:22 MSG) Sadly, for the perfectionist, the call of identification with Jesus and His “failure” to be impressed with the young man’s wealth or talent dismayed the rich young ruler to the point where he no longer wanted to be like Jesus. While Jesus often works with the talented, skilled and wealthy He is just as apt to work the talentless, poor and imperfect. Jesus will work with anyone who is willing to lay whatever is closest to them down for complete and total communion and relationship with Him.
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When Jesus truly gets a hold of a life He transforms and transfixes it; and where we were once ineffective we become effective for the Kingdom. If we are pliable our ‘softness’ can be transformed into His strength. Where we are hard He uses us to display His tenderness through grace, mercy and forgiveness. And when we are “administratively challenged” He too can mold us into capable bean counters.

Jesus’ final words, to the perfectionist of every age, is “One thing thou lackest, sell whatsoever thou hast …” From Jesus’ point of view there can be nothing between you and Him. To live the life of a disciple means, fundamentally, we must renounce possessions of all kinds. This type of renunciation is not a works driven attempt to save our soul (since the only thing that saves a man is our absolute dependence upon Jesus) but a call to a life of sacrifice where we faithfully follow Jesus and persevere and endure until the end. This was the life of Abraham and he lived life every bit the rich ruler of his age. The example of Abraham is the life of the sacred, holy and heroic and stands in stark contrast to Luke’s rich young ruler.

Jesus’ invitation to us all is “Come, and follow Me.” Are we prepared to journey with Him no matter what the cost?

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

SMALL IS THE NEW BIG by ED GUNGOR

Ed GungorMy dog’s name is Frank. He is a little, white-haired  terrier of some kind. He may be small but he lives large in the Gungor family. He thinks he’s one of us and he has the job of “protector. If you came to my door right now and we were trying to talk, Frank would be a force to reckon with. He’d be freaking out that a “stranger” is at the door. And his bark is unnerving. He doesn’t have the highpitched “arf-arf-arf” of the tiny dogs—it’s more a midtoned “rarf, rarf, rarf.” And he would just keep on barking until I yelled, “QUIET! Go to your kennel!” at least a couple of times. Then he’d reluctantly shut it down and stroll towards his kennel, stopping every few feet to look back, grumbling under his breath. Frank leads an everyday, small dog’s life. He’s never been on TV; he’s never won “best of show;” and there

are only a few people in the world that could actually pick him out of a crowd or a photo. He gets up around the same time every day, runs outside to do his business, comes back in to get some chow and water, plays with a few of his squeaky toys and then settles in for his mid-morning nap. That’s about the best it gets on any given day. Oh…he has his moments of thrill—the occasional ride in the car with the window down, the surprise visit from a drop-by friend with their dog, but for the most part Frank’s life is predictable. But he’s cool with that. He seems very comfortable in his own fur. I, like Frank, have a pretty predictable, everyday life. Except for the occasional, “Hey, don’t I know you…”  from someone unfamiliar, there are only a few people who could actually pick me out in a photo. I got up this morning, had some time with God, paid my bills, answered emails, prayed with a friend who was rushing off his young son to the hospital (he was dehydrated from a really bad flu), ran a few errands and did some blogging. For the most part, my daily life is…well…daily. True, I have a bump or two of excitement and opportunity from time to time, but, all in all, my life (like Frank’s and most of the rest of us) is lived out in a zone called ordinary.

But I’m not nearly as settled about it as Frank. Truth is, I’ve always struggled with being everyday-ish—almost like it’s a sign that my life doesn’t really matter. I keep thinking if I mattered there should be more bing-batta-bing going on. And I want to matter. Otherwise, what’s the point? The billion-dollar question is how—how does one come to matter? And, then, if that question can be answered, how do we know when we do matter—how does one measure such things?

AMERICAN IDOLS
America is a hero culture. Prominence rules. Inconspicuous means insignificant. We tend to think only those who stick out are worthy of adulation. So, the stick-out beautiful, stick-out rich, stick-out talented, fairytale people are the only ones who matter—and they are our idols; our American idols. Somehow, these values tell us stick-out proves worth. If people don’t stick out; if they are average, ordinary;
they are cellophane. Nobody notices cellophane.“The obviously well kept secret of the ‘ordinary’ is that it is made to be a receptacle of the divine…” – Dallas Willard

We live in a world that insists one must be way beyond ordinary to matter. If that is the case, a lot of us are losers. But something in me doesn’t want to accept that. There’s something in me that finds the notion of insignificance as scary as suicide. I want to make a mark on this rock. I think God is the author of that longing. However, I think most of us are mixed up about this whole enterprise of “significance.” I think we struggle with the who-am-I-in-the-scheme-of-things question, plus, we misjudge whether or not we do
matter because consciously (or unconsciously) we have bought into the myth that prominence is the only sign of significance. So, if we are not “famous” or pastoring thousands, it breeds hopelessness in us.
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RADICAL ORDINARINESS
From the American point of view, being “ordinary” means we are just “another one of those,” which signifies we are nothing in particular—thus proving we have little value. But something in us silently screams with deadening agony at that notion. This is why each of us, from the smallest child to the oldest adult, wants to be different; outstanding in some way; unique, extraordinary. Even the fifteen minutes of fame that Andy Warhol said everyone would someday have in our modern media-world is a welcome commodity if it protects us from the status of being a “nobody.” But here’s a provocative thought: it appears that the beachhead for God’s life spilling into the world is through the dreaded ordinary. When you study the scripture and the lives of the saints throughout history, it is as if “ordinary” is the chosen habitation of the eternal. Consider Jesus. He was born in a manger (you can’t get more ordinary than that). He grew up in a small village with a bad reputation and grew up in the home of a carpenter. Jesus, it turned out, became a blue-collar worker. He did this to be with us, to be one of us—to bring the life of the eternal into the world through the ordinariness of life. The message Christ followers refer to as the “gospel” is to be more than a ticket to “make the cut” when we die. The gospel is a call to allow Jesus Christ to heal, empower, and inform the individual human experience. And in the interaction that occurs with the Savior, ordinary people encounter a life that is greater than just human life—it has the quality of eternity. Amazingly, God’s life does not destroy ordinary, everyday human life; it actually fulfills and empowers it. Dallas Willard writes, “The obviously well kept secret of the ‘ordinary’ is that it is made to be a receptacle of the divine, a place where the life of God flows.”

On this view, being basic, ordinary, and merely human (with human limitations, blind spots, and all the rest) is absolutely the best thing that could have ever happened to us. That’s because our unspectacular traits are the perfect springboards for the Divine. It
turns out that small is the new big.“It appears that the beachhead for God’s life spilling into the world is through the dreaded ordinary.”

For more information on Pastor Ed Gungor or CMI Global (which I am ordained through) click below.

Sanctuary Church

CMI Global

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE SACRED, HOLY & HEROIC: “RENUNCIATION” PT.4

jesus-sending-the-disciples“On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.” (Luke 9:57)

When I hear stories of renouncing the world it conjures up images of a poor monk living in a dark and damp cave, a guru starved to the point of death or a minimalist trying to fit their entire life into less than 400 sq.ft. While some may marvel at such personal discipline these examples are far from Jesus meant by calling the Christian to renounce the world. In the Gospel of Luke we read of two different men that expressed a desire to follow Jesus. If we were living in the sandals of Jesus we would probably be excited to hear two passionate responses to our appeals for following the Kingdom. But when we read Jesus’ response I bet we can’t help but feel a bit aghast. Upon hearing these two men’s desire to follow Him Jesus’ reply was one of severe discouragement. But why? Was Jesus having a bad day? Did he not want these men to follow Him? Or could it be He knew what was deep within their heart and challenged them at the core of who they really were? Again, if we had been walking with Jesus, on that day, we may have been tempted to challenge Jesus’ terse response and ask where was His love, mercy and or grace; but Jesus’ words cut past the superficial exuberance of the moment, as well as the religious posture of the day, and addressed what was of true importance: “Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (Luke 9:62 MSG)

Never apologize for Jesus. To the world, that knows Him not, His words have always hurt and offended. Truthfully, even in our own experience, when our spiritual eyes were fully opened we too became quickly offended as He began to address parts of our life requiring change. Jesus has always and will continue to offend the world, it’s thinking and attitude until there is nothing left to hurt or offend. Jesus has never possessed a shred of tenderness toward anything that is ultimately going to ruin a person, He so dearly loves, in the service of God.

Jesus’ response to the two men of Luke 9 were not answers of hatefulness or rejection but genuine truthfulness and love as well as invitation for communion and relationship. Jesus words were bold, daring, sacred, holy and heroic. Jesus knew what was in the hearts of these men and He was willing to bore, deep within, to offend that which they loved most in this world. Oswald Chambers said, “If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the Lord that hurts you, you may be sure that there is something He wants to hurt to death.”

Once in a while, a sudden loss of visual perception in one or both eyes (NAION) may happen. canadian levitra Causes for Erectile Dysfunction: Depression: Too much of depression or hopelessness or sadness generic tadalafil tablets in any person can be known only when one goes for sexual intercourse. Of course, there viagra ordination is no absolute guarantee that you can send a mail to with the required quantity. So, keep ready of scanned piece of prescription in time of levitra 10 mg purchasing the drugs from online pharmacy. In our quest to live the sacred, holy and heroic life of faith, in Jesus, we need to acknowledge there will have to be a death to self and every want fed by this world. Out of His love, for us, He desires to be the sole provider for your need. Jesus wants to be your rock and fortress as well as your strong tower and waters of refreshing. If we continue to look to a world, that appeals to our natural self, we will look past Him and continue on our way travelling with Jesus no longer. Though some have walked away from Jesus, after He offended them, perhaps the most encouraging portion of this narrative is discovered in Luke 10 directly following the two men of Luke 9, “Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge: “What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands… The seventy came back triumphant. “Master, even the demons danced to your tune! Jesus said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.” At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit.

“I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. “I’ve been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to.” He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. “Fortunate the eyes that see what you’re seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper.” (Luke 10)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE SACRED HOLY and HEROIC PT. 3: BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS and a ROAD TOWARD RECONCILIATION & RESTORATION

restore

Daily I share with you personal reflections, stories and accounts, of others, I have experienced or heard along life’s way. I use these brief stories as way of creating a relatable place where you and I can meet together on common ground. While I have shared stories from my childhood, marriage and even ministry I have purposely kept certain areas, of my life, private out of respect for others. But there comes a time when some of the private places, in our lives, can be revealed so as to help draw us toward the road of reconciliation and restoration in Jesus. CONFESSION: I have a broken relationship within my family. To remove the specter of speculation this relationship is not between my wife and me; but it is within my flesh and blood family. Earlier this week I had a long conversation with a close friend, and fellow pastor, whose ministry is exploding with rapid growth and salvations. An evangelist, by calling and in his heart, he also serves a needy community that lives in the shadows of one of the most spiritually dark places of our nation. As we were encouraging one another he too shared how division, within his family, has affected him. While his strained relationships are difficult to reconcile he also shared his ongoing trust, forgiveness, love and patience, for those in his family, and how the Holy Spirit is slowly leading them back on the road of reconciliation and restoration.

Do you have broken relationships? I’m sure my pastor/friend’s story, or mine for that matter, is not unique. The very thought of broken relationships led me to a passage of Scripture often quoted, in such times, but seldom practiced or applied correctly. “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God. (Matthew 5:23 MSG)  If when you come to the altar you remember your brother holds an offense you must ask the Holy Spirit, has the Spirit of God brought this offense to my attention? Or is this offense born from anger and personal hurt?”

“If you remember…” what can this fascinating statement mean? Does it imply we refer to a ledger of offense, tucked far away? Or could it mean the Holy Spirit is continuing to remind you of a breach, and necessity of reconciliation and restoration? If it is the former, than you need to be very cautious in your next action; because you may be motivated by a spirit of division and accusation (which is not born from the Spirit of God). If it is the later than you must respond and trust the Holy Spirit! “Go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.”  Never object to the intense, raw and amazing power of Spirit-birthed reconciliation. When the Holy Spirit is bearing down on you He is also cultivating you, in that trial, hurt and offense, as how you are to live a IN HIM!

First be reconciled to thy brother. Jesus’ direction is simple—“first be reconciled. Go back the way you came, go the way indicated to you by the conviction given at the altar; have an attitude of mind and a temper of soul to the one who has something against you that makes reconciliation as natural as breathing. Jesus does not mention the other person, He says—you go. There is no question of your rights. The stamp of the saint is that he can waive his own rights and obey the Lord Jesus.” (Chambers)
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And then come and offer your gift. The progression is clearly marked. In the dangerously beautiful community of faith we see the heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, then the sacredness of being led by the Holy Spirit and finally His holiness, within the family of God, by way of obedience to His Word. Our gift, at the altar of the Lord, may be many things but perhaps the greatest gift we can lay before Him is the gift of reconciliation and restoration in our broken relationships.

It is my prayer for you, the reader, my friend (mentioned earlier) and in my own personal family we soon experience, by His grace and mercy, healing in our broken relationships. While I may not know when, and by what circumstances, the road of reconciliation and restoration will be travelled?  I know the commission of the sacred, holy and heroic community, IN HIM, is calling us to travel that road together. If we are truly IN HIM people then we will be spending eternity with these loved ones. I pray, before eternity, I will enjoy laying a gift of mended relationships before the feet of Jesus.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE SACRED HOLY and HEROIC PT. 2: RELATIONSHIP & COMMUNION

imagesTHE SACRED HOLY and HEROIC PT. 2: RELATIONSHIP & COMMUNION

“And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” (Matthew 5:41)

I was in the mall yesterday, picking up a few items, when I stopped in a store to purchase a final thing. Making the line I was directly behind a woman who was eagerly sharing, with the sales clerk, the many reasons why she (the sales clerk) should visit their church. On the one hand I commend this woman for inviting another person to her church. On the other hand I cringed as to how she chose to extend her invitation. Appeal after appeal was made reciting all of the churches ministries, outreaches, locations, times and people “just like her.” Then, as her purchase neared completion, the woman asked the sales clerk, Where did you use to attend church?  The sales clerk gave the name of a very large church, in our community, to which the other woman said, Oh! If you liked going there then you would love going to our church…we are just like them. Same music, same preaching and the same kind of people.

It may have sounded innocent enough, and the invitation was offered with the best of intentions, but something just didn’t set right as to how this woman perceived her church. To her, and how she represented her faith community to the sales clerk, church was “just like” the others churches full of programs, groups, music and ideal locations. But I want to ask all of us a question, Are programs, groups, music and locations why we are called to join a community of faith? And is this how want to present our community to others? What I didn’t share earlier was a small, but important, part of their conversation. The sales clerk shared the reason she was no longer attending her previous church was because she didn’t experience any relationships in such a large community. It is the concept, of relationship and communion, which distinctly turns our churches from large gatherings of “Christians” into relational communities of the Sacred Holy and Heroic. (Read this week’s earlier post)

I realize every church has a distinct “voice” and method of how they desire to share their message with people. However, here to, I want to ask a provoking question: Are we presenting “our” message or His? Our vision and mission fields should be varied but the message must remain the same: The preaching of the Everlasting Gospel which draws people into relationship and communion. In my opinion the woman, from the mall, should have invited the clerk to join her community, based on their communion and relationship with Jesus and not through a series of programs. The strength of the Christian community is summed up with Jesus’ emphasis on relationship and communion.

Genuine Biblical community (koinonia), and relationship, can only occur when we live in communion with the Father, Son and Spirit. Out of our right relationship, with Him, we are able to enter into a sacred and holy community that lives heroic, bold, loving and distinct from the world. When we present community, as something “like” somebody else or “feeling” as something the appeals to our personal preferences we risk inviting people to participate in social gatherings not necessarily formed in communion with the Son (Jesus). Today there are many churches that give a passing mention to Jesus but the real attraction is to the person behind the pulpit or the zip code of the building.

To live in true Biblical community Jesus demands no passion, other than for communion with Him, should replace that which is birthed from the Spirit and rooted only in Him! In ministry, and in ministering, it is easy to get lost in the fog of works and good deeds. It can be even easier to loose our way in modern creeds, of religious presuppositions, and contemporary spiritualism. But when we are called to endure, the strain of this world and the pressures of personal desire, Jesus replaces our wants with the need of relationship, to Himself, and communion with those who are focused on Him above all!

“The Sermon on the Mount is not an ideal, it is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has altered my disposition and put in a disposition like His own. Jesus Christ is the only One Who can fulfil the Sermon on the Mount.” (Chambers)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

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Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Motivational

THE SACRED HOLY HEROIC PT. 1

luminous5THE SACRED HOLY HEROIC  PT. 1

It was the summer of 1997 and I was tossing and turning, in bed, just hours before I would walk down the wedding aisle. My final restless night was filled with worry, doubt, concern and excitement about the biggest transition of my young life. Almost twenty years later, and still happily married, I have had the opportunity to counsel many couples before their wedding and find myself telling them time and time again, you are never really ready to be married. After you have prayed, counseled and made your decision you just need to GO! I often chuckle when I observe people attempt to over plan their life. Often this type of person desires to have their income at a certain level, living in a certain neighborhood, planning enough trips and vacations, etc…and then, all of the sudden, a monkey wrench! Maybe it’s a baby, a temporary set-back, or a life-changing circumstance but “the plan” now has to be adjusted. Planning is great! In my family we live on a budget, have a yearly plan and even try to set some goals for four to five years out; but we have also shared in enough life to leave room for transformation. It is easy to imagine that we can get to a place where we are complete and ready, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished, it is a process steadily maintained and often adjusted with minor tweaks and, at times, major changes.

There was a time, long ago, when the sense of sacrifice appealed to a young Christian. Humanly speaking, the one thing that attracted us to Jesus was our sense of the heroic and being a part of narrative that special, sacred and mysterious. It was this inner working (by the Holy Spirit) that compelled us to be bold, courageous and go! But that has changed, especially over the past twenty years, with today’s modern church method attempting to reach people who are not longer seeking the mysterious and heroic. Despite the churches size, technology and budget today’s American Church experience, in large part, has managed to provided the seeking and searching with a perfectly planned and sterile environment that encourages a worldview that says, “what I (the church) can you do you.”  And something sacred has been lost in translation. (More on this later)

Community can be a funny thing. I live in a sub-division where I pay a monthly fee for certain community services. By the “letter of the law” I am apart of my community because I pay dues; but even though I am apart of the community it is still possible for me to live with limited relationships and connection to the events, and lives, of my subdivision. Likewise, this same dynamic can exist in a church community when we only view this habitat of faith as a place to “pay our dues” followed by an expectation of the community providing us a service. I would like to challenge our thinking as to how we really view the community of faith with a great moment is US history.

A young, optimistic and confident President Kennedy once challenged Americans to reconsider not what their county could do for them but what they could do for their country. Perhaps no truer secular words summed up a consecrated creed for the sacred community. What we have lost, within the message of the Church USA, is the sense of what I call the Sacred Holy Heroic. I mentioned earlier the unique church experience where our worship services, along with support ministries, are so programmed that they actually are designed to manage your expectations. I have sat in countless planning meetings where the entire service is planned down to the very second and nothing occurs without it being planned our predetermined. One such successful and popular church pastor / planter proudly said he hoped a visitor would experience the exact same service in any of their satellite churches.

To be victorious, he/she must appeal to voters throughout the state. sildenafil tablets 50mg In the erected state, the medicine increases the time and a male can provide better secretworldchronicle.com prescription viagra pleasure to a female. The system at present is so standard within the US that almost fifty p.c of patented medicine have their cialis sales australia generic equivalents. During rehabilitative your visits will be less frequent and strengthening care is less often still. cheap cialis So what does such programming create within our community of faith today? In a race to keep up with current trends, and measuring analytics, our building must get bigger, our outreaches must become louder, our video’s look edgier and our pastors and teachers perform as rock stars or CEO’s while the message, of the Gospel, sounds less sacred and more like an echo of our society. Seldom do we now gather with the expectation of seeing, touching, living and experiencing the sacred, mysterious, holy and revelatory. Even more dispiriting is the purely western notion of building projects and glamorized ministers serving as a new frontier for heroic Kingdom action. The raw community of faith needs to exist outside the created bubble of “self” and reconnect with the Sacred Holy Heroic that is only  rooted IN HIM (Jesus). Today’s church, as with the church of every age, is called to reconnect with the same heroism and sacrifice of the ancient and historical church and GO BOLDLY INTO THE SACRED HOLY HEROIC !

The “go” of preparation is to let the Word of God inspect deep within and force us to answer the call and commission of heroic sacrifice. If we are to enter into the narrative of the mysterious, sacred and historical Christian faith then we must also be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to detect, in us, the nature that will never work in His service. No one but God can detect that nature in us. While we may be tempted to plan every last detail, in preparation to go; we must also understand, like with marriage, we are never fully ready. But, in all of our planning, if we leave room for His Spirit to guide us we will join in the Holy invitation of true community and fellowship (Biblical Koinonia).

Once we understand the holy invitation is one of heroic participation and sacrifice we will no longer get trapped by a selfish or self-serving Gospel but live courageous and bold for the selfless and sacrificing Gospel. Planning is good, preparation is great; but never over plan and prepare, in such a way, where the Spirit is disinvited and the mystery of the sacred holy heroic is lost. If you pack away your lights, building, designer jeans and programs, and welcome people to join in the mystery, then you may just discover who is really in your true community and hungry for the message of the sacred, holy and heroic.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA