A Pilgrim's Thoughts on Faith and Life

Mujaddarah Recipe

2011-01-27T19:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a recipe for Mujaddarah. This is a Syrian lentil and rice dish that also very popular in Palestine. It's a vegetarian dish and is good with a little plain yogurt. You can serve it with a tomato and cucumber salad.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried lentils, rinsed, picked over
3/4 cup basmati rice
1 large onions, sliced

Preparation:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in rice; return to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Add water to mixture if the rice is not cooked and the mixture gets too dry.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions; sauté until soft and beginning to blacken, about 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates, top with blackened onions and yogurt.

The Contemporary and Relevant Church Battle

2010-06-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

It's hard to watch this without having a pretty strong reaction. You'll either see it and cringe or become defensive. Check it out.

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer

This is actually the worship team at this mega-church satirically looking at themselves. But the problem is that many think this has become the standard by which church is measured, and they don't think it's funny at all...even when done satirically. What was seen just a few years ago seen as edgy and cutting edge is now seen by many to be a form of church that is great at developing crowds of spectators waiting to be entertained each week, but is lousy at creating participants in the worship of Christ.

These people say the central mission of the church is to make disciples and the "contemporary/relevant" church might be good at making converts and gathering crowds, but not making disciples. Central in this criticism is that the contemporary/relevant form of church develops a very shallow, experience driven spirituality that requires another dose the next week to sustain it. People are left more and more dependent upon the pastor and the service instead of living a life that is characterized by discipleship and the development of spiritually mature Christian character.

On the other side, the practitioners of the contemporary/relevant church model defend themselves by saying it's the church's job to meet people where they are at spiritually. This requires the church to carefully plan a marketing strategy to best meet the felt-needs of the community and demonstrating to non-believers that Christians are not religious nuts and the church is relevant to daily life. These churches have a contemporary feel to them usually meaning the music played during church is the same stuff you'd hear on any contemporary Christian music station. They also seek to be contemporary in removing what they call "barriers" (traditional Christian church items such as crosses, pulpits, organs, etc) from the church building. The resulting new construction has typically been nice, but utilitarian, with an emphasis on creating as many seat as possible for the lowest cost per seat.

There are many issues involved in this debate and this is what I'll be writing on for the next few weeks. I would love to get your feedback on the video. The blogs responses have been really polarized with many being incredibly defensive of the contemporary/relevant movement. The basic response is how dare anyone criticize what is obviously a movement of God. On the other side, there are many that believe the problems of this movement are so dire, they just can't believe this mega-church would sarcastically poke fun at themselves. They feel deeply and passionately that this isn't funny at all and the fact this video was made as a sarcastic parody proves how far off the mark these churches have become.

I would love to get your feedback. What do you all think? Please give me your reactions to the video.
Thanks

Happy Father's Day...Reflections about my Dad

2010-06-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! Here's to all the things you do to be a good father. Here's an example gone all wrong. I love this commercial! You have to give this guy credit...at least he tried. Some of these poor kids probably developed Coulrophobia! (fear of clowns)

Reflections about my dad: The more I experience in life, the more I appreciate my dad. He loved us through good-times and times of heartache. It's a rare person who truly selflessly loves others. I see a lot of dad's who seem to use their kids to make up for something they lack. They experience the life they wished they had through their kids lives, whether or not it's best for their kids. Sometimes dads are so proud of their kids that it becomes really becomes pride in themselves about what a great parent they are. I know that sometimes I worried more with what others thought of me than I did making sure I was using these moments to teach my kids things about life. I struggled when these moments weren't convenient for me or if they were too public. My dad seemed to be able to really do things for me. This is a good lesson for me and I really appreciate it.

This ability he had was very costly. Their oldest son died at 19 years of age. Anyone who's lost a child knows how terribly difficult it is. But through the heartache, I think what emerged was a father who gained the wisdom of what is really important in life. The wisdom to know the difference between things that really matter, and things we seem to care so much but are really just trivial. A mentor of mine told me this, "typically wisdom comes from experience, and experience is usually painful."

The clown video made me think back and smile about the story of the time when my dad was going to show the neighborhood kids how to do a standing back flip. He used to tell me how he could do all kinds of things in his youth! He got about half way over and then landed on his head! He injured his neck and had trouble with that for years! It happened when I was so young I can't remember it. But my family remembered it and repeated it to him often! :-) While it happened before I have memories, I did see the results of it often. He had this crazy contraption that would pull on his head while he was laying flat on his back. Sometimes he'd even sleep with this thing on!!! All I remember is how crazy it looked and how much I liked to play with the metal weight that created the tension. I pretended it was a shot put! Of course, later I pretended I was Bruce Jenner.

My dad tried lots of different things for me. He never dressed up like a clown, but he spent countless hours with me doing my stuff and he helped me learn and develop as a man of God. He's been gone about two years now.

I miss being with my dad. I miss talking to him. I wish he could see my family now. I treasure all the lessons he shared with me about life and love.

Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you. See you again someday...

A Prayer to Start the Day, by Mel Lawrenz

2010-06-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Lord, I’m going to work now.

It seems like it was just an hour ago I was waking up and getting ready to do my work. One day seems to run into the next. So I pray that today you would show me something new, teach me something new, and let me do something new that will be constructive, will help someone else, and will glorify you.

Lord, I’m going to sweat now.

It isn’t like living in the Garden of Eden. But I know that in “the field” of this world I can honor you in my work. I know that today I will face challenges and probably some frustrations. Help me know how to respond to any bad attitudes or influences I may encounter. Let me see how I can be a positive influence where I work. Sanctify my own attitude, raise me above my own fallen nature, empower me to uphold righteous values, and help me to persevere, especially when the work is hard.

Lord, I’m going to serve now.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else today in the work I do. You have created this world and everybody and everything in it. Help me see how I can bring your light and life to someone else today. Grant me wisdom to make good choices throughout the day. Prompt me to be compassionate toward the unemployed and the underemployed. I want to conduct myself according to the character of Jesus. And whatever I do, I want to do it in his name and for his sake.

Amen.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:17, 23 NIV)

God of Second Chances

2010-06-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

We all have hopes and dreams for ourselves and our families. Sometimes, we get so caught up in all the accomplishing and striving to make these dreams a reality, we forget to enjoy what's going on all around us. We don't live in the present because the present isn't much more than accomplishing the things for the future. We forget that many times the journey is more important than the destination.

Carlos Whittaker was going out with a video production crew to shoot some video for his song "God of Second Chances." And then Danny came along. Check it out...

At the end of the song, Carlos says he told Danny to "keep trying to make it man." Carlos says that Danny was looking kind of confused, and then looked him straight in the eyes and said "trying to make it? I'm not trying to make it, I am making it. [God] puts his soldiers everywhere. [God] says 'Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,' and so he puts some of us there, in that valley."

I needed to hear this today. And without getting into the intricacies of Rastafarian theology I can learn from Danny, a homeless man who tearfully sat down and enjoyed the worship of God together with a stranger. Sure, there are things that Danny should do. But while he's where he is, his outlook says that God put me here and I am in the valley of the shadow of death for a reason. Sometimes I need God to save me from myself, and He usually does with good friends...

View the trials in life as valuable opportunities to become more Christlike...

Do not trust in yourself, but trust in God because He is good...

We must see our financial wealth as a trial and be responsible stewards of it for God...

Learn the truth and integrate it into your experiences...

Live a life of wisdom...Live a life of worship...Live a life of courage...

Thanks Danny

"The Shack" A Review

2008-12-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

I thought this book was very good and it touched me very deeply which is seldom accomplished by a book. I know the book is considered controversial and I've been checking out blog after blog of these critics...very harsh and unkind. I really have a hard time understanding why they are so ruthless in their criticism. This book is a fictional account of one Christian man's journey out of legalism and the lengths that God goes to rescue him. Some have called it a parable, others an allegory, but most importantly this is not a theology textbook. This is not to be read like a theology textbook. When people write in this genre you must give them some slack...when you read in this genre everything is not going to correspond perfectly one to one. I could comment more but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who hasn't read it.

What makes me particularly sad about these harsh critics is that this book has been in the top 10 for some time now and many, many people in the broader (non-Christian or nominal) culture have already read it and want to talk about it. Here is a book that has reached many on an emotional level, they look online at some of the biggest Christian spokespeople and what do they hear? "Pure heresy, don't waste your time, not worth the paper it's printed on." They read a story of a man's journey out of legalism and this is what the reader hears when they want to engage in conversation...so sad!!!

Spaghetti Sauce with Chopped Pork

2008-12-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this recipe for about a year now and really like it. I enjoy a lighter sauce and I always include meat, in this case chopped pork. The good thing about a lighter sauce is you don't have to simmer it all day!

Here's the ingredients:

Two pork chops (or boneless loin chops if you want to save some time)
One large yellow onion-Chopped
5 cloves of garlic-minced
2 to 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1to 2 tablespoons of salt (personal taste)
1 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds (you'll have to play with this amount for your own personal taste)
One 28 ounce can of Tomato Puree
One 28 ounce can of Diced Tomatoes
Once 8 ounce can of Tomato Paste
14 ounces of water

Here's how to make it:

Using a large stockpot, brown the pork chops on both sides in about two tablespoons of olive oil. Remove the pork.
Saute the chopped onion making sure to loosen and blend in any bits of pork stuck to the bottom of the pot (make sure you still have enough olive oil).
Once you've sauteed the onions for a few minutes, add the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds and continue sauteing for another two minutes.
Now add all the tomato ingredients, the water, and mix thoroughly.
Add the browned pork,cover it, and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally so it does not burn to the bottom of the pot. Remove the pork, trim the meat and chop into very small pieces but do not mince and add back into the mixture.
Cut the fat from the bones and add the bones back into the sauce, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.

You are finished and it's ready to eat! But if you can wait, the ultimate is to put it in the refrigerator and warm it up slowly the next day to eat. This really allows all the flavors to infuse the sauce thoroughly...it is fantastic!!!

Homicide by Materialism

2008-11-29T08:58:00.000-08:00

In one of the most disturbing and twisted stories of the Christmas season, a man was killed on Black Friday at a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, New York.

There was a crowd of about 2,000 waiting to get in at 5 a.m. As the worker, Jdimytai Damour, was unlocking the door the crowd pushed its way in literally ripping the doors off the hinges. He was knocked to the ground and then trampled to death. One witness had the following to say, "shoppers were acting like 'savages' and when they (Wal-Mart management) were saying they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling `I've been on line since yesterday morning,'...they kept shopping."

A very sad commentary on the rampant materialism in our culture when a man's life is less important than things like a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, and a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69.

I guess we can call it Homicide by materialism...unbelievable and very sad.

Hawaiian Cooking! Kalua Pork

2008-11-28T18:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in some time but thought I'd talk a little about another passion in my life...cooking. I like things like cutting the lawn, splitting wood, etc. because there is a start, a finish, and you can take satisfaction in a job well done. With cooking you get the same satisfaction with the added benefit of eating it! I guess the bottom line is for me that I love to eat and cook and making meals is a great way for me to express that love and passion to others.

Today I decided to try a new Hawaiian dish and it was fantastic! Another awesome thing about this is you can cook it in a crockpot. Here's the recipe:

3 to 4 pound pork butt roast (you can use pork loin for a lower fat version)
2 Tablespoons of Hawaiian salt (you can substitue Kosher salt instead)
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Liquid Smoke (I like Wright's and the mesquite gives it a nice flavor, they say Hickory gives a more intense taste if you like the taste)
One small head of Napa Cabbage

Rub the salt into the pork. Place the pork in your crock pot and add about one inch of water. Add the liquid smoke and cook for at least eight hours. Shred the pork. Cut the cabbage into 1/2 inch slices. Cut the slices to the top of the stalk and discard the upper part of the leaves. Stir fry the cabbage slices for about two minutes with oil and a little teriyaki sauce and a tiny amount of liquid smoke. Combine with the pork and serve with rice.

It's fantastic! For a slightly different taste substitue the salt for 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce. It gives a slightly sweeter taste and is even easier to cook. Enjoy!!!

Is Genesis 11:1-9 (about the Tower of Babel) a parable or folklore?

2008-06-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is a question of genre or we might ask what kind of literature is Genesis 11:1-9? As we read through the book of Genesis, we see that this book is made up of many stories or narratives. Interestingly, about 40% of the biblical material is comprised of narrative and so it is good for us to take some time to understand this topic.

First, it is important to understand that a narrative can be a made-up story or a real (historical) story. Basically, a parable is a made-up story that draws upon ordinary experiences of life in order to illustrate a moral or spiritual truth. Parables generally illustrate a main point and are not intended to be read as an historical narrative.

Likewise, folklore is also comprised of made-up stories but these traditional stories are ones that are passed down from one generation to another. Folklore stories can be religious in nature but they are not necessarily so and are not to be read as an historical narrative.

A biblical narrative, on the other hand, is a true story that none-the-less retains some of the characteristics of all good stories: setting, plot, and characters. These elements are taken from history and formed into a narrative (a true story) in order to let the reader be drawn into the action so as to experience it more fully. Thus, narratives are not to be read as a history textbook would be read. They are meant to be experienced and to elicit a response from the reader.

Something else to consider is that in Scripture, narratives never exist as isolated stories but are always a part of a larger whole. In Genesis 11, for example, we have a historical narrative (a true story) of the Tower of Babel tucked into a larger story of humankind and God’s relationship to them.

As I look at Genesis 11 and look at the surrounding chapters and verses, I see in Genesis 5 a tell-tale sign of a true story: the genealogy from Adam to Noah. In chapter 10 we see another sign of an historical narrative—the Table of Nations. Directly thereafter, we have the story of the Tower of Babel—a true story of the consequence of an arrogant act of humankind.

-Jody Robinson

Why do Catholics believe in Purgatory?

2008-06-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

Catholics believe in both heaven and hell. But they also believe that if your soul is not so bad as to enter into hell, but not purified enough to enter into heaven, you soul goes to purgatory to be purified until it is pure enough to enter into heaven. This cleansing is a painful and fiery process designed to cleanse the soul from sin.

I think it’s important to understand why this belief is necessary to Catholics and why Protestants disagree with them.

A Protestant believes that a when a person is made right with God, they are fully justified at that moment. Justification can be thought of in a legal sense in which a person is guilty and then is declared not-guilty—they have been justified. The process that a believer goes through once they have been justified is called sanctification. That is the process by which a believer, with the help and power of the Holy Spirit, slowly changes their beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, and actions to reflect the character of Jesus in their life.

Catholics do not believe in a justification whereby one moment you are guilty and the next moment you are not guilty. They say the fact remains while you may now be on a new tract with God, all the things that you are guilty for need to be properly recognized, confessed, and repented for—but this happens over time, not immediately as a Protestant believes. In Catholic thinking, justification and sanctification are somewhat tied together. In a sense, a Catholic believes you are justified more and more as you are sanctified. If this does not fully take place in this life, it must in the next before you enter into heaven.

The reason there is such a disagreement here is because Protestants believe that salvation is through faith in Christ alone with absolutely no merit given to our own works…there is no way to “work yourself into heaven.” Protestants would argue that Catholics only have purgatory in their beliefs because Jesus’ death on the cross was not enough for salvation…that it is Jesus’ death, and our “work” in purgatory.

Joseph—How would Joseph handle the pressure today,...

2008-06-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

...if Mary came to him and said “I’m pregnant and you’re not the father?” And how was life for Joseph after Jesus became a well known celebrity?

This is an interesting question, but it is one that we must say we don’t know.

One thing we can talk a little about is the concept of shame and honor in the New Testament. This is something that most of us really have no concept of. In this context, shame makes you less of a person with no standing within society and honor brings you greater standing within society. You can still see this in many war torn African nations today where systematic rape has become a weapon where whole communities of women become almost sub-human because they have lost their honor when they were raped—no one will marry them because there is no chance for a woman to become married who has been raped (been shamed this way). In other countries, there are many stories of families that have killed their own daughters and wives because they were sexually unchaste and this was a way for the families to atone for this breech in honor. The closest I can see this in a North American context is the Scarlet Letter and that was written in 1850—much has changed since then.

Shame and honor actually play a huge role in understand many New Testament passages. For instance, when Paul says I am not ashamed of the gospel, he is not saying I am not embarrassed by it, he is saying that the gospel is so trustworthy that I am staking my whole identity, my honor, on the truthfulness and trustworthiness of the gospel message—basically, I will not ever be shamed because of my belief in the message of the gospel.

In one sense, I think it would have been much more difficult to live in this shame/honor society with a wife that got pregnant the way Mary did. To live with all the gossip and the looks I’m sure he got. But God helped him to endure this by sending an angel that gave him direct revelation of what was happening and how he should respond. But I am sure it was very hard for him.

Please address women’s role in the church and God’s kingdom...

2008-06-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

...You could look at major female players in the Bible to bring encouragement to the women of High Pointe.

This is a subject in which individuals and denominations disagree vehemently...often to the point of showing great disdain and disrespect for each other. There are two basic groups. The first is known by the term complementarian. These people see a hierarchical order of man being the leader, and woman being his helper or follower. Complementarians believe that while women have a different and subservient functional role, they are created as God’s image bearers just as men are and they are not ontologically inferior to men. Although some would argue that this hierarchy applies in all of life, most would say this hierarchy applies mainly to the marital relationship and leadership roles in church.

The second group is known by the term egalitarian. This group sees men and women as God’s image bearers and as equal in both function and essence. This group would say that function should be dictated by talent, gifting, and passion, not by a hierarchy of man, then woman.

Both of these views appeal to scripture and make very compelling arguments.

This is not an essential issue—meaning that we can allow for disagreement within the church. If you think of this issue as a continuum with complementarians on the left and egalitarians on the right, each of the directors on staff at High Pointe fall along a place fairly close to the center. People that fall along the continuum very closely aligned with complementarians would not believe you can have any women on staff at a local church. Going the other way, we don’t have anyone of staff that would align themselves with secular feminists.

I have my own personal beliefs that I could share with anyone who would like to talk about it.

The second question you ask makes me feel sad. I wish our culture was one in which we could learn from both men and women, from people of different races, different cultures, and different socio-economic status without regard to what they look like and our preconceived ideas. I wish we could learn both biblical truth and from their experiences and grow to be richer both spiritually and culturally. I wish that all people, especially those that are Christ followers, would treat each other with the dignity and respect that is due for all made as God’s image bearers. I wish the people of God could learn and benefit from the “major players” in the Bible regardless of gender—that we could each learn and be encouraged by the great men, and women of scripture. Until we get to that point, I think your idea is a good one.

Are Catholics Christians? Why not?

2008-06-26T02:26:00.000-07:00

Let’s first talk about the major difference between Catholics and Protestants. There is some common ground, both would agree that we are saved by grace and this grace is free. But there is a difference on how that grace is gained. A protestant believes that grace is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Catholics say that while grace is free, and it is only available because of Christ’s death, it is only received through the sacraments. The sacraments are baptism, Eucharist (communion), confirmation, confession, holy orders, matrimony, and last rites. These sacraments are said to be salvific or meritorious. This means to a Catholic that the sacraments actually convey grace, or act as a conduit transferring grace from God to the person participating in the sacrament.

So at the very core of your question, “are Catholics Christian?”, the answer is anyone who believes in the completed work of Christ on the cross for salvation is a Christian. If anyone thinks that the way to God is through their own effort, either through good works or the Sacraments, then I believe they have missed the whole point our need for a savior and the gospel itself. As to whether individual Catholics or Protestants are truly Christians, only the Holy Spirit knows.

(I have simplified the concept of sacramentalism using Catholics as the example of sacramentalists and Protestants as non-sacramentalists. Please understand I have simplified this for this question

Are all of Paul’s teachings related to the Gospels,...

2008-06-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

or does the Holy Spirit work through Paul and the other Apostles to add new teachings not covered in the Gospels?

This is a good question and to really give an answer, you have to know a little more about the makeup of the Bible. The first question has to be “what is the Bible in the first place?” This is a fundamental question that is critical to understand—the Bible is God’s self-disclosure (also called “revelation”) to humankind. Without this self-disclosure from God it would be impossible for humans to know enough about God to come into a relationship with Him. Through the wonder of creation, it is possible to come to a realization that there is a higher power but the book of Romans makes it clear that this knowledge is not enough to bring a human into relationship with the Creator.

The second question to answer has to do with is “what, if anything, is the central theme of the Bible?” The central thrust of the Bible is the story of God. I believe this central theme is misunderstood by many to be the salvation of humankind—while this is clearly of prime importance, it is just one facet of the story of God. The story is revealed through the different genres of the Bible such as history, narration, letters, law, wisdom, gospel, poems and hymns, and prophecy.

Gospel literally means “good news.” When people say “the gospels”, they are referring to the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The central character in each of these gospel accounts is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The “good news” that these books tell us of is Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross that allows us to come into a relationship with God.

Regarding your question, the account of the death of Christ for the salvation of humankind is a monumental piece of God’s story—but it is a piece of the story, not the whole story. Each book of the Bible gives us an understanding of God and his plan. This goes all the way back to creation recounted in the book of Genesis and goes to the end of God’s story, or the book of Revelation. Not trying not to oversimplify things, but you can say the other books of the New Testament teach us how we are to live in the light of the good news of Jesus and our salvation. Each book in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is a piece of this story and without them all we have is an incomplete picture of God.

Matthew 25:31-46—Does this mean I’m supposed to stop and help every pan-handler I see?

2008-06-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

This is actually a two part question. The first question is “what does Matthew 25:31-46 actually mean”, and the second question is “Am I supposed to stop and help every pan-handler I see?” Let me address them both.

Part I: This section of scripture is prophetic and is very specifically a vision of the coming future judgment of all humankind. Here is the text:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Look at both verses 40 and 45. Verse 40 says the “least of these brothers of mine” and verse 45 mentions “the least of these”. This suggests that it is not just anyone who the righteous have helped while the others go ignored; it is other believers in need. So this verse is not a missions verse saying we should help every “pan-handler” as you say, but it is a statement that a Christian will be characterized as a person who seeks to meet the needs of other Christians. This teaching of love towards other believers is taught throughout scripture: John 13:34, 15:12, 20:17, Romans 12:10, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, 8:1-13, Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, Hebrews 13:1, 1 Peter 1:22, 2:17, 3:8, 1 John 2:9-11, 3:17, and this is just a small portion of these types of verses! This type of love is very evident in other parts of the world where believers are persecuted. They truly love and care for each other in a way that is hard for us, as Americans, to understand.

Part II: While the passage of scripture in the question does not deal with the world at large, I think it’s important to address what the Bible has to say about this. The trajectory presented to us throughout scripture is one of kindness, hospitality, and respect. This is not just towards other believers but also toward strangers. There is a parable that Jesus taught that addresses this well but I want to give you multiple places to examine for yourself because this is so important.

Old Testament traditions went to great length to insure hospitality toward strangers. If a stranger were to show up in town, the custom was to invite them to dinner and to your home to spend the night. In John chapter four we are presented with a story about Jesus, a Rabbi, doing the unthinkable in his culture by speaking with a Samaritan woman. This person was both a Samaritan (an ethnic makeup that the Jews hated), and was a woman (at this time men, especially Rabbi’s, never had conversations with women—much less an adulterous one). The book of Acts is rich with encounters with strangers. Jesus said to treat others as we would want to be treated and in Matthew chapter 5 he says to put others before ourselves, to be salt and light and let the whole world see our good deeds. The great commission tells us to make disciples—this means we must engage with those in our life in such a way that moves them closer to (1) salvation and (2) and then towards Christian maturity. So we must engage those unbelievers around us to make this happen.

We must also look to those missionaries who have given their lives to reaching out to others with God’s love. Most I’ve talked with say they have to become recognized as good and honorable people in the community’s they serve before anyone would listen to them about matters of religion and faith. Look at what Paul says in Colossians chapter 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

I think that the best case in the New Testament regarding your question is a parable that Jesus told in Luke 10:25-37. Here is the text:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Growing up in church, I often heard people use this parable to say that Believers should care for others. I think that is quite obvious here. But the main thrust of the parable is a stinging rebuke of the two religious elite Jews that passed by this man in great need. The man in need was a Samaritan, and as I said above the Jews despised the Samaritans. So with this rebuke, Jesus was making a point that we must reach out in kindness and love to those who are in need!!!

So I think it’s safe to say that while we are not commanded to help every panhandler we see, the Bible is crystal clear on our responsibility to reach out to others in love…God’s love. There are many different ways to do this and God has wired us all differently so we can help in the many facets of reaching out to others. In 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul uses a metaphor of planting, watering, and harvesting. He says all are important and different people fulfill these tasks…everyone must do their part and it happens one act of kindness and love at a time.

There are multiple questions that basically deal with the coexistence of God and the reality of evil in this world

2008-06-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

Why do bad things happen to good people?

This is a very complex area that is very difficult to make broad statements about. Let me make some comments.

Here is the most simplistic way to explain this question:

By God giving Adam the ability (ie free will) to obey Him or not, God created the possibility of evil.
By his disobedient choice, Adam actualized evil.
All suffering in this world is a result of the sin that entered into creation through Adam’s sin.
The possibility of evil has to exist to create the ability of humans to have the freedom to make choices.
Without this freedom, there is no love

This explanation provides a beginning point but does not really do the question justice. Here are a few books to give you further insight:

A Ready Defense, by Josh McDowell
The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel
Evil and the Justice of God, by N.T. Wright

There are many different facets to this issue and it can become a very tangled issue. Here are some other facets that you might consider when doing an in depth study of the coexistence of God and evil:

How is the future known by God?
Did God plan the future?
How did evil get into creation in the first place if God knows the future?
Sometimes, people bear the immediate consequences of their own evil.
Often, others bear the consequences of evil that they did not initiate. This can happen directly—like being killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11 or indirectly—in warfare terminology, you can think of these consequences as “collateral damage”.
Evil is an ever present reality in this world and we can not rid this world of it. This will only happen when God brings this world to an end and brings us into the New Heavens and the New Earth.
The Bible just assumes that evil exists and does not go to any great length to explain why. We are asking a question that is not answered explicitly by scripture.

Where is the community in church if you are not in a small group?

2008-06-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the question. The answer depends on how you define community. If community means simply friendliness, then hopefully you’ll find that all kinds of places at High Pointe. But, if community means getting to know one another closely, caring for one another, doing life together, then a small group is the best place for that to happen at High Pointe. Though you may find some measure of community on a service team, you will most likely find deep fellowship in a small group. Because Sunday morning services are so big and there are so many people, we believe that it is not possible to experience the kind of closeness with each other that we all want and need until we get with people who have the time to sit and learn and share with one another.

Doesn’t that force cliques of people?

The definition of clique is: “A small exclusive group of people”
The definition of exclusive is: “Not admitting someone”

Doesn’t that sound bad?!

Of course, when people get together there is always the chance of cliques forming but at High Pointe we have an “Open Group” policy which means that our regular Core Groups (small groups) accept new people at any time. Hopefully, as Christians, we are always accepting of people and refraining from making exclusive groups or cliques. We work hard at having loving, caring groups without letting them become exclusive or clique-ish.

-Jody Robinson

Why is it difficult for some people to worship?

2008-06-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

It depends.

If the person is not a Christ follower the first act of worship toward God would be to confess their sin to Him, accept Christ’s work on the cross as a replacement for the penalty of their sin, repent, and begin following Christ. Before they do that they won’t understand why anyone would worship Him. They may sing and look like they are worshipping Him but it likely is just an emotional response or they’re just trying to fit in.

If the question is speaking specifically to corporate worship and the time we spend in song, scripture, and prayer there are several possible reasons one might struggle. It may be difficult for some people to worship because they are struggling with sin in their life. The sin has dampened their relationship with God. As with someone who hasn’t begun a relationship with God, they need to confess and repent of their sin. God says in Isaiah 29:13, “These people come near to me with there mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Our heart needs to be right before our outward stance of worship will be genuine or come easily.

Another reason people have a difficult time worshipping is because they get things flipped around. They come with the mindset that the worship time is for them. If the music isn’t what they would prefer or anything else isn’t to their liking they won’t respond. We have to understand that worship is for God. It’s what we bring to Him. It should be a sacrifice for us. Our physical, mental, and emotional selves should be spent at the end of a corporate worship time. That is not to say that we won’t benefit greatly as we respond with selfless worship.

Another thing to remember is that you can’t always judge if someone is worshipping by how they look. In some church traditions a stance of reverence has been modeled. In others outward expressions of passion and emotion are the norm. In both extremes and everything in between there will be some responding in genuine worship and others just going through the motions. Again, God looks past our outward expressions and into our hearts as He seeks true worshippers.

One final thing to remember is that corporate worship is not the easiest path of connection to God for all of us. There are many ways in which people have a sense of connection to God. We call them spiritual pathways. For example some people experience and respond to God easier as they enjoy His creation, or study His word. For others it’s in serving those in need or speaking out against injustice. If you find this is true for you, you need to cultivate those pathways. But you also need to grow in the pathways that you struggle with.

We shouldn’t measure our worship of God solely by the ease by which we worship Him on a Sunday morning. In truth, every action, thought, or motive we have can and should be one of worship. The frequency and consistency of our correct response to God, (i.e. worship) throughout the week will greatly impact our desire and ability to worship Him during our Sunday gatherings.

-David Heigel

How should we show reverence to God in church? Does wearing a hat or questionable clothes on stage give Him reverence?

2008-06-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I love most about Christianity is that it is never about (or should never be about) making appearances. In other words, God looks at the heart in all that we do and all the choices that we make. Accordingly, our clothing decisions are no different. For example, if I am a person with a long-standing Christian background who was taught from an early age that wearing a hat in church is wrong, and I truly feel uncomfortable wearing one in church, then I will probably make a choice not to wear a hat. This choice would honor God because He knows that my heart’s first priority is to honor Him. It really isn’t about my appearances—it is about my heart condition.

Conversely, if I grew up in a culture (Christian or non-Christian) that had no restrictions on hat-wearing and no negative messages about wearing a hat in church, I wouldn’t think anything of wearing one! I would have no idea that this could even offend anyone. I simply do not have those parameters on my radar screen. In this case, I may wear a hat to church without any thought of dishonoring God and I may in fact wear it with a heart condition that truly is honoring to God. Again, it is not about the appearance of the hat that matters, it is the condition of my heart. I always need to ask myself: “Is honoring God my first priority?” If you want to do a quick and interesting study on a somewhat related theme, read about how some of Paul’s companions, in order to spread the gospel, submitted to circumcision while others were did not. All of them honored God though their actions were completely opposite. (See Galatians 2:3 and compare it to Acts 16:3).

Concerning questionable clothing, we need to ask ourselves, “Who is calling what questionable?” “Is it questionable just to me? To everyone? To some?” Do we play a percentage game here?: “If 49% of the congregation considers what I’m wearing to be questionable, then it is OK if I wear it. But if 51% thinks it’s questionable, then I won’t wear it.” Even if this could be ascertained, doesn’t this seem more human-oriented rather than God-oriented? A God-oriented approach would be to give a person freedom unless we truly feel that the person is causing someone else to stumble i.e. in this case, causing someone to think unwholesome thoughts while worshipping. If I know or feel that a person on stage is causing another to stumble, then I believe my godly action would be as follows:

Do not talk about this to anyone else.
Do not grumble or complain about it.
Do not automatically assume that the person in question is ungodly and/or rebellious.
Pray
Go to the person in question with a caring manner remembering Jesus’ caution in John 8:7, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone.”
Be sure that this is a face-to-face talk…NOT an email (at the office we sometimes call this “coward’s communication”)…NOT a phone call…a face-to-face talk. If you are willing to take the time for a face-to-face talk and you are courageous enough to do so, you demonstrate that this is not just a pet peeve of yours but it is something you truly feel could hinder God’s message.
Affirm and thank him/her for the things they have done well in the past.
Explain to him/her how a person might see the clothing as questionable and how a person may be liable to stumble because of it.
Ask politely if he/she might be able to refrain wearing the clothing on stage.
Thank him/her for considering your request, affirm him/her again, pray together.

-Jody Robinson

If communion represents the greatest gift from God, why is it not a bigger part of our service? Occasionally this seems very odd to me.

2008-06-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

I would not agree with the premise. I don’t think communion is the greatest gift from God. I believe that greatest gift was the death of Jesus Christ which made reconciliation with God possible. The symbolism of communion is a special gift from God that we are able to participate in but it is not His greatest gift.

I would guess that you’ve probably heard this idea that communion is the greatest gift from God through some Catholic teachings because their belief is that grace is transmitted through the sacraments (of which communion or the Eucharist is one). So in strict Catholic teaching, “no sacraments” means “no grace and no salvation”. Communion represents Jesus’ broken body and his shed blood and so to a Catholic, it could very well represent the greatest gift from God.

When Jesus commanded us to remember his death, he left the frequency open. He said “as often as you do this”. I think it’s very important to realize that church traditions which practice communion every week or doing so out of tradition and not from a specific biblical command.

Timothy 2:9-10—Does this mean women shouldn't wear bikinis, tight shirts and tight jeans?

2008-06-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

These verses say, “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

The emphasis in these verses is that Christian women should focus on their internal world (thoughts, attitudes, and actions) as opposed to focusing on their external adornment (compare Samuel 16:7). Outward adornment is not necessarily wrong, but can show misplaced priorities and motives. He clearly says that women should concern themselves with doing good deeds. I think another way to look at it is to dress and act in such a way that would honor God and make Him proud of you. So, I guess the question is do your bikini’s, tight jeans, and tights shirts honor God?

Leviticus 19:28 Is it a sin to have a tattoo? If I have one should I get it removed? What about Christian tattoos?

2008-06-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

The text says, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.”

The New Bible Commentary says: The main focus of most of this section is to exclude rites and practices associated with pagan, Canaanite religion, particularly those which were physically or morally disfiguring. Abuse of the body in the name of religion is a widespread human aberration. The OT, with its high view of the view of the body as a part of God’s creation, disallowed it. The NT reinforces the principle with the assertion that the Christian’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

This prohibition was in a list that was intended to make Israel distinct as God’s people while being surrounded by pagan peoples. As it was written here, this specific prohibition does not apply today. That being said, if you are a minor and your parents do not want you to get a tattoo—then you can not get one. Wisdom also plays a big role. If your spouse does not want you to get a tattoo, then you should not. I would also add that we all need to be very careful about doing anything that will permanently change our bodies.

Our goal as followers of Jesus is to represent him well to the world. If you have a tattoo that is offensive and keeps you from representing Him well to others or is dishonoring to God, you need to have it removed or changed (e.g. character with the middle finger extended, swastika, any anti-God slogan, etc.)

Multiple questions regarding marital relations...

2008-06-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Question continued: 1 Corinthians 7:5—Is any sexual activity between a husband and wife permissible? Does this mean a spouse should have sex with their partner whenever their partner desires? Is it really a wife’s job to meet her husband’s needs to give him strength to fight temptation? What does this mean exactly for the wife? Does she have to fulfill her husband’s needs whenever he has them? Does it work the other way too?

1 Corinthians 7:5 provides us with a good example of how we should never take a single verse out of context without looking at how it relates to the surrounding sentences and paragraphs. In other words, this verse is a sentence within a thought that the author is presenting. The other thoughts and the argument the author is building have to factor into our interpretation and our application.

The first question you must ask is why Paul wrote this letter in the first place. As you read this letter it becomes quite apparent that Paul was writing to address very specific situations that were happening within this congregation. He explains that our daily lives need to be continually changed and transformed (sanctification) because of our commitment to Christ and he gives very practical and pointed information to these Christians on how this transformation should be evidenced within their lives.

The first six chapters of this book are an attempt to deal with contentions within the church at Corinth and urges unity in both perspective and practice. In the beginning of chapter seven, Paul begins to respond to a series of very specific questions that this church had asked (written) him about. They are introduced by the phrase “now concerning” and include marital issues, liberty and responsibility, spiritual gifts and church order, an offering for famine relief, and Apollos.

So the verse in question, 1st Corinthians 7:5, is a single verse within a larger section, and is located within the argument the author is making. The theme that immediately precedes the section of Scripture that we are looking at deals with the dangers of sexual immorality outside of marriage. The end of chapter six calls them to remember what a high price was paid by Jesus to redeem them and admonishes these people to flee from sexual immorality and to honor God with their bodies. With this in mind verses 7:1-7:40 deal with marital issues. Verse five is within a unit of thought (7:1-7:9) that deals with marriage and celibacy.

Part of the challenge with many biblical passages is they respond to letters we don’t have or circumstances we don’t know about. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says that Paul is most likely commenting about the “abandonment of marital duties on the part of some in Corinth” and that these practices “had contributed to the immorality he had just described.”

So with this in context, here is Paul’s basic argument:

Paul is celibate and wishes more could be that way as well—more time to devote to Christian work instead of a spouse and family.
It is much better to be married than to be in unmarried sexual sin.
Once married, Paul stresses the equality and reciprocity of the husband’s and wife’s sexual relationship by emphasizing the responsibilities of each to satisfy the needs of the other.
Celibacy within marriage can only happen for a short time and only if it was mutually agreed upon beforehand and is for the purpose of a concentrated time of prayer.

So now, to address the questions listed above. This Scripture does not address whether any sexual act is permissible between a husband and wife. In context, it’s safe to say that Paul was writing about sexual intercourse here—not other types of sexual practices. I can say that there are passionate arguments on both sides of this question but I must say that just because something might be permissible, it doesn’t follow that we should automatically use that freedom. Loving and honoring our spouse and taking their feelings and beliefs into account on matters that can be debated are paramount in loving them well.

The other questions are all inter-related. We have to remember that ultimately we are to honor God with our bodies (last verse in chapter six) and we are not to withhold sexual intimacy from each other. Paul has just made the case that withholding sexual intimacy can help to cause sexual immorality so why wouldn’t we want to help each other stay pure? But we must also remember that we are called to love and honor each. Can you think of an instance in which it would be either unloving or dishonorable to ask your spouse for sexual intimacy immediately? I think the answer is obviously yes. We also must take the writings of Paul in which he presented over and over that while we may have the right to do something, we should not necessarily assert our rights. But again, taking into account some possible exceptions, why would we ever not want to help our spouses maintain sexual purity? And yes, this applies equally to both men and women.

What is your take on writing notes in your Bible? Some say it is offensive and wrong.

2008-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

This feeling comes from a misplaced sense of honor and reverence for the Bible. I believe the sense of honor and reverence should be placed on the application of the biblical truths and therefore it is entirely appropriate to take notes in your Bible.