We are told in the Bible that God will not be mocked. His Will will be accomplished despite what mankind and Satan do to try to change it. But for the Christian this is not a threat, it is a reality (which is totally awesome.) But the greatest part about it is the inherent promises:

1. God is in control
2. His word will not return void:
   • the Bible – as we read and meditate on the Bible our time and efforts are never in vain. God is working through the words to bring us in closer relationship with Him
   • Jesus (1 John 1) – Jesus is alive and well, reigning in the Kingdom and waiting for the day when He will reign supreme in the new Heaven and Earth

Our hope is sure because God’s word will not return void and it shall prosper in the thing for which it was sent!

Amen

Nathan

No related posts.

I hear a lot of people calling things in our lives idols. I am not too sure that is the right word to use for money or hobbies, or, as they say, anything you put before God, but today let’s assume that anything can be an idol and look at what David said about people who keep them.

“I have hated those who regard useless idols…”

Though David had a different perspective on people than we do, he didn’t have a different perspective on God. He sought to eliminate idol worshipping; if we maintain an idol in our lives he would hate us. Should we not also hate idols in our lives? David had such passion for removing idols that he had no problem killing people who worshipped them!

We need the same perspective about the idols in our lives. If money, or alcohol, or your job, or anything else means more to you than God and distracts you from your relationship with Him, then hate it and get rid of it! Instead, do as David did: “…But I trust in the Lord”

Oh, and please stay away from American Idol

Have a great day!

Nathan

No related posts.

The other day I was listening to a discussion about the book of Ruth on Discover the Word and they brought up the situation of Naomi’s daughters-in-law having to decide if they would leave Naomi and remain in Moab. The story can be found in Ruth chapter 1 if you don’t remember the details.

Basically, Naomi decides she is going to return to Judea after she hears about the end of the famine. But while in Moab she loses her husband and both her married sons. As she and her daughters-in-law are on their way to Judea she tells her daughters-in-law to return to Moab. They, too, had lost so much and had little opportunity to remarry in Judea because, apparently, Naomi’s family line was slim.

As far as I understand in scripture, both girls should have obeyed their mother-in-law. That was the right decisions – honor your mother (in-law). And that is what Orpah did, against her will. But that is not what Ruth did – she made a great case and then, basically, became too stubborn for Naomi to make her go back. In fact, the New King James version says Naomi stopped talking to her. That could simply mean there was nothing more to say, but it could also mean she was angry and refused to talk to her. Either way, given the events immediately following, Ruth also made the right decision.

So here we see a principle that I have a hard time grasping: two totally opposite decisions can both be right. Now, which is best is another question but from what we know of the story, there was only one man capable, and willing, man to marry Naomi’s daughters-in-law. Had Orpah gone to Judea also things might not have turned out so well.

Isn’t it awesome that God is in control of History? Isn’t also comforting to know that He is working in all our decisions? How else could two different answer both be right?

Nathan

No related posts.

Lately I have been feeling like I have not been spending enough time with God. I have not sat down to read my Bible very much and I only sporadically take time to sit and pray. I have spent no time on my knees. But I have regularly “prayed in passing”, have listened to many podcasts by other people talking about God, have read and discussed the Bible with my kids at night, and am constantly thinking about the Church, God’s Kingdom, and my own life. So why is it that when I spend so much time with Him I still feel like I am not dedicated enough? That if I would dedicate more time that I would get even closer to Him?

I don’t know, but it seems as though the problem is in my definition of “quality time” with God. If He really wants to be a part of my life then He would want to be part of all the things I do and not just specific set-aside times. So though I am not disciplined enough to read and pray for any specific period of time I still believe I am close to Him. I know I still have room to grow, but relationships take time to build; thankfully He is in no hurry!

So, how is your relationship with God? Let me know, leave a comment!

Nathan

No related posts.

It is interesting, though, how God times things. June was a long time ago, but the timing is interesting because I was just involved in a meeting with the congregation we have been attending regarding a refresh of their vision, mission, and general status. I appreciate the fact that they are taking the time to ensure they are 1) still on the path they set out on, 2) that the path is the right path, and 3) getting the results they are looking for. Now, I have my concerns about the reasons they are doing certain things, but I am sure God is quite capable of leading them at the right pace.

However, right after this meeting I heard this lesson about building the body. Woodrow made a good point in it that our spiritual bodies need to be built just like our physical bodies. And, put in perspective, our spiritual building is so much more important than our physical – after all, our physical bodies are guaranteed to fail and be cast off.

Though there are many lessons and conclusions to be drawn from this idea, the connection I drew was to the church as it plans its ministries and programs. My ultimate belief is that we should let God create (and destroy) the ministries and that programs should be loosely organized at best, but if a group of Christians is going to organize anything then the purpose of that activity should be along the lines of spiritual development.

Now, people might say that churches do some of the things they do – like up their entertainment factor, establish clubs, build basketball courts, organize community meals, and the like – in order to draw people in so the Christians can witness to them. While that is a noble goal, it is not supported by scripture and it all tends to focus on the physical bodies. The bible does say to clothe and feed people and leads us to relieve physical suffering. I do not want to diminish that or say that the church should never do such things. On the contrary, the church’s love is shown through such actions. The problem comes when those activities become the activities for the Christians and when those activities become the only interface of the Church on the non-believers.

As we read through the new testament we see people relating to people and lives being changed. We never see a program being established and people flocking to believe. The only “programs” we can find (and I can only think of the serving of widows and the collection of money for a natural disaster) were to provide for the people already in the church.

So, my suggestion? Do more spiritual building than physical building and build more relationships than programs.

And that is my $0.02!

Nathan

Related posts:

1. Is It Time To Act?
2. What God Requires From Us
3. Work Out Your Salvation

But that is not how God sees it. Our lists and rituals do nothing for Him unless our entire being is aligned with Him. Reading through Micah is proof of this. Micah was given a message regarding God’s displeasure with His people, their pending punishment and the hope for their restoration. At one point in chapter 6 God’s heart is revealed and it shows just how far the Israelites were from it:

With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, then thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Micah 6:6-7

The Old Testament lays out the sacrifices necessary for forgiveness, but would God be pleased with even a sinner’s firstborn? Isn’t that enough to make Him happy? If not, then our list of acts, our regular Sunday attendance and daily Bible reading are no where near enough. Not in the ballpark, the city, the country or the planet!

So what is it that God wants from us? What will please Him? What will He accept as a sacrifice?

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

No action, dedicated to God or not, is enough without our hearts being right. We must obey the commandments given to us by Jesus Himself: love the Lord and your neighbor. True love is shown by justice and mercy. True love is obtained by walking humbly with your God.

Micah ends with a hope-filled promise:

Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. he will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from days of old. Micah 7:18-20

Amen and hallelujah!!

Related posts:

1. Thoughts on Romans 14
2. Human Beings, Not Human Doings

We know that salvation comes via the grace of God, and that He can, and does, give it to any who ask. But is that it? Or perhaps a better question is: can a person be saved without being a disciple? Hmm… Can a person go to heaven without seeking God and His will in their life?

What is the difference between salvation and discipleship anyway?

Salvation

The gift of God that saves us from the penalty of our sin. The opposite of the penalty is eternity with God in what we call Heaven.

Discipleship

The act of following a person (in this case, Jesus) in order to learn all about what and how they do what they do. For instance, a disciple of a master jeweler would spend as much time as possible with the master and learn all he can with the goal of becoming a master as well.

So it seems to me that they could be different.

Now that we have established what discipleship is, what does it take to be a disciple of Jesus, from Luke 14:25-33?

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?

Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (NKLV)

Notice the very end of this passage… “…whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

Let’s look at that section in a few other translations

Some other versions limited “everything” to possessions, but I don’t believe that is the intent Jesus had. It reads to me that He requires 100% commitment. Does that mean you will have to give up everything? Do you have to leave your family and your job and your house? I don’t know. That is what it says. But it might also be the willingness to give it all up. If anything comes between you and Jesus it must go.

Thankfully God is powerful enough to work all things for the good of those who follow him. As for me, I will be prepared to give up anything God wants me to or that comes between He and I. How about you?

Related posts:

1. Thoughts on Romans 14
2. Work Out Your Salvation
3. The Rich Young Ruler – Was He In or Out?

The other day I was thinking about why Jesus’ ministry was only three years long. Even though His life here was short (at least by our standards) the amount of time we say was His formal ministry was even smaller – only a tenth of His life. Why is that?

I wonder: could it be that it takes lots of prep to do a job, even if the job only lasts a short time? Moses prepped for 80 years before he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Joseph spent many years being prepared. Even King David spent the first 40 years of his life NOT being king. It seems as though a pattern arises.

This is important to me because sometimes I feel as though I should be doing more. I feel like I am not doing something. But could it be that I am getting prepared for the job God has planned for me? I hope so!

Something to think about…

Nathan

Related posts:

1. Joseph: Fair or Real?
2. Technology and Humanity
3. Bridging the Gap Between Church and Home

• Am I reading my bible enough?
• Am I praying enough?
• Have I helped enough people?
• Am I worshiping correctly?

But even Jesus didn’t illustrate the importance of doing things correctly. For example:

• He “worked” on the sabbath
• He did not honor the religious leaders
• He hung out with “sinners”
• He spoke with outcast-ed women

He obviously placed more emphasis on relationships and states of being than He ever did on actions. That is why He equated healing and sin – to Him there was no difference between healing and forgiving sin. Now, don’t get me wrong, He didn’t condone sin – He instructed everyone to sin no more. But He didn’t base His interaction with people on what they were doing.

We ARE to be human beings, we are not to be human doings. The Old Testament was about doing. That didn’t work. The question for us now is: WHO and WHAT are we? Are we a child of the ever-loving God? Are we in love with other souls? Or are we doers of religious acts? So many times doing religion excludes the being of love.

There is good in doing good, there is great in being loved (and acting like it!)

Related posts:

1. What God Requires From Us
2. Body Building

• Satan has us so consumed with ourselves we don’t need the Church
• We are so inundated with “church” that we are immune to it
• There are so many varieties of “church” that we don’t know the true Church from others who gather with the claim
• We know so many people that claim to be Christian, but act just like the world. Either there is no difference or all Christians are hypocrites. Either way, people do not want to be a part of it.

But, whatever the reason, it is sad. Jesus died to give us the Church. The Church is His bride. It is more than worth dying to get into.

Of course, if things continue to progress as they are in America the day will come when membership in the Church is a life or death decision. Personally I am mixed between wanting that situation and fearing it. God’s will be done in all – I pray we are ready when it happens!

Related posts:

1. “Church” Is Not A Religious Word… Only
2. Bridging the Gap Between Church and Home
3. Thoughts on Romans 14

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (NKJV)

Have you ever received a model or puzzle as a gift? I have. I used to love building plastic models and regularly received them for birthdays. However, I received them in an incomplete state. But the giver did not intend for me to proudly display the cardboard box – the intent was to display the airplane inside. With the airplane in tiny little pieces it was left to me to work out the completion of the plane.

Perhaps our salvation is much the same. We are saved, but we are given salvation to have life (Jn 10:10.) Working out our salvation is the process of bringing that life from bits of plastic in a cardboard box to an awesome model of an airplane.

Let’s enjoy the building process!

Related posts:

1. What it Takes to Be a Disciple
2. Thoughts on Romans 14
3. Body Building

From The Benton County Daily Record the caption for the diagram in the Community Center Plan Moves Forward article:

“This artist’s conception provided by Bentonville shows plans for the community center. Officials say the plan is not yet final and will likely change as planning begins for the facility.”

How can plans be made if planning hasn’t begun?

Pondering…

Nathan

No related posts.

The other day I was reading Romans 14 to my kids and it really hit me how Paul lays out the way we are to treat one another. So many times in my life have I judged other people by what they did (or, usually, didn’t) do as they walked with God. I tend to believe that the way I do things is the best – if not the only – way it needs to be done. After all, if I wasn’t convinced about what I was doing I wouldn’t do it, right? Well, I don’t think Romans 14 supports that so well!

The Law of Liberty

1Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

Though these verses are talking about food, it is clear that Paul is only using food as an example. His point is that each person does what they do because they believe it is what God wants from them. Each person is accountable to God personally. What God instructs one person to do may not be what He instructs another to do. Think of it like this: the master of a house has many servants. One servant cooks, another cleans and another drives the car. If the master gave all the same order, well, only one of the jobs would get done. All three would cook and no one would drive. Obviously a house like this would not work very well at all! The Church is much like this, we each have a specific function but if we all performed the same work so much would not get done.

As I said, we are all responsible to the Master for whether we perform or not. Much like in our scenario, it is not the cook’s place to correct the driver about the state of the car. The cook is responsible for the kitchen. Now, that is not to say that the cook should not tell the driver that stealing gas is wrong, there are rules that apply to everyone. But about specific tasks, the Master assigns them and monitors their completion.

Finally, though we know we all fail, we all have confidence in the grace and forgiveness of our master. He is capable, and willing, to ensure we stand!

5One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

What does it mean to not live or die to yourself? What does it mean to live or die to the Lord? From this passage I think it means that what we do we do for, and because of, the Lord. We don’t do for any personal gain or motive. Keeping with our analogy, the maid cleans for the benefit of the master. If does her little good: it isn’t her house, it isn’t a mess she made, she receives little to no praise (except from the master) it is simply what she does, and she was given the job by the master. That is why she does it.
Our lives are to be the same – we should do what we do because it is what the Lord has tasked us with. We should not seek personal gain (shall I even say comfort?) and we should definitely not pursue personal gain at the expense of others!

10But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written: “ As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”12So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

And Paul summarizes with a couple of rhetorical questions. Given the fact that we are to live and die to God how could we possibly judge what someone else is doing? God is the judge – capable and righteous – we are nothing more than fellow sinners. Give an account of yourself to God and know that others will do the same. Seek to not cause the stumbling of others!

The Law of Love

14I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
“Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died”

Doesn’t that just sum it up? Do not destroy what Christ valued so much. He died for each and every person. He knew how wretched we each are, how flawed we are, how much we frustrate each other. But He still CHOSE to die for each of us. If we truly believe and understand that how could we possibly destroy one another over something as trivial as food or holidays? We are called, nay, commanded to love! Act like it!

And notice verse 18: he who SERVES Christ in “these”. What are the these? They appear to be righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That is what God approves of, not being “holier than thou” as the saying goes.

19Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

So how are we supposed to act? With love! Do not cause a fellow believer to stumble, do not cause them to violate their conscience. In fact, if what you are doing bothers them, STOP! But, also, when the previous is not in effect, have faith and eat!

Related posts:

1. What it Takes to Be a Disciple
2. What God Requires From Us

Living With the End in Mind

In a nutshell, Dr. Richard Swenson points out the many dangers of our current culture’s need for “progress” – more and more, faster and faster, and emphasizes the need to focus on what is really important. He advocates making real efforts to modify your life to control such destructive changes. Take a few minutes to listen to both parts and let me know what you think!

Related posts:

1. Technology and Humanity
2. The Church

• “Let’s go to church[called out] this weekend.”.   – Hmmm, not so good
• “This is out church[called out] building.”.  – Makes sense
• “What church[called out] do you attend?”.   – What does that mean?
• “Christ died for the Church[Called Out].”.   – Amen to that!

You see, a simple substitution quickly illustrates exactly what Jesus did die for – not some organization, building, committee, or time of the week, but a group of people that have chosen to accept the free gift of love He offers to all people. They are the called out, they are the church, there is no other acceptable use of the term with a Christian subject.
Let’s determine to use this word properly so we can edifying one another and show the lost that God is love, not religion!

Related posts:

1. Is There a Biblical Basis for Church Membership?
2. What is Worship
3. The Church

Now I do not plan on running out and finding the first opportunity to act as that would probably not be from God. Instead, I have resolved to be as open as possible to opportunities God provides. I have no doubt He has been providing them, probably regularly, but I have not been aware of them. God, please open my eyes! Exactly what this will look like I do not know, but that unknown is rather exciting!

Stay tuned for more about this, and don’t hesitate to ask if you don’t hear soon. I need all the nudging I can get sometimes…

Related posts:

1. Safety Net

Related posts:

1. What is Worship
2. “Church” Is Not A Religious Word… Only
3. Is There a Biblical Basis for Church Membership?

No related posts.

He makes a good point in the distinction between God’s Church and the institutions made my man. Joining a church to hold property in common makes sense -- as long as you don’t starting thinking that the institution is the Church. Rather, it a group of believers who have organized themselves in such a way so as to ensure things get done in an orderly manner. Now, I still think there is an unnecessary drain on resources when an institution is formed, a building is built, and committee meetings begin. I still believe God is capable of organizing and orchestrating anything that needs to be done in the body. He doesn’t need our, or a committees’, help.

A final comment about the end -- persecution will definitely bring us together, but why must we wait?

Related posts:

1. “Church” Is Not A Religious Word… Only
2. The Church
3. Just Dying to Get In

If this isn’t the case for you… well, I would suggest having a heart-to-heart with God!

Nathan

Related posts:

1. The Church
2. “Church” Is Not A Religious Word… Only
3. The World Around Us

What He did establish was the family. And up until the Exodus the family was the primary form of government, with God being the ultimate authority. That ended when the people asked for a king. And it is important to note that God was very unhappy with that request.

And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” 1 Sam 8:7 NKJV

I really don’t think His feelings on this subject have changed. But His target group has changed. He is no longer focused on a pure blood relative type of entity. Instead the Church is related via Jesus’ blood. That is the focus-group now. So how does this new focus effect OUR focus?

God the Father

Well, who is the Father in this blood relationship? God. So who is the ultimate authority? God is. And how does this relate to our reality? I will attempt to explore this from God’s perspective and with all possible divisional lines removed. And I will do this by relating it back to earthly families.

The bounds of a family are defined by: blood relation, and occasionally, a legal acknowledgment of childhood (ie, adoption.) No other bound is applicable, be it national, geographic, cultural, or any other. I am my father’s son no matter where I live or what I believe. I am starting with this because a large dividing factor of Christians today is that of geography and denominations. But as a father, God looks at all of His children as peers – loved just the same. Think of it this way: you are in space and looking down at the Earth. Every person emits a light of differing colors based upon the membership in the Family of God and you can see the light through any solid object, be it a roof or a mountain. What would you see? At times you would see groupings of red lights (let’s say red lights are members of the Family) but even during those times you would see red lights all over the map. In fact, given your zoom level you may only see a bunch of red lights congregated in a city and only a few outside of any town. Where in the city the subgroups are would not be visible. If you zoomed out even further you could only see the relative amount of members in each country. So what zoom level does God use? I would say all of them, and in this case, for this purpose, I bet His zoom would be pretty far out because what care would He have which building His children are in? He would care how many red lights are showing love to the non-red lights. In fact, from reading the New Testament I think He would be more happy with one red light serving a green one than with a whole slew of red lights congregating themselves from all other lights. And I guess, given this situation is at all true, that the color of lights that the red one’s associate with has no bearing on the color of its light. If it is red, it is red even in a sea of blues.

The Ties That Divide

So then how, if at all, are groups of family members segregated? Because we are human some type of segregation is almost necessary. After all, there is no practical place to gather hundreds of thousands of people. In the New Testament cities were a dividing line. From how life here on Earth works this seems practical since cities only grow as large as practical for the residents. Of course, one could argue that for several cities in this world you would need to subdivide at least a little further and I can totally see that. I mean how many acres does LA cover? 469 square miles! But, at any rate, this type of division makes sense. But it doesn’t make sense for a town of 50,000 residents and even less. How can we explain multiple “churches” for such a small population? We can’t from a geographical perspective. – One more note on geography: when churches are named and referred to in the New Testament it is, primarily, based on geographical divisions.

But we often divide based upon belief and/or preference. How does this line up with our family discussion? Well, I know in my own, small family get-togethers among family units look different. One set of cousins grew up in a heavily Hispanic influence as their dad, my uncle is Hispanic. My family unit is definitely not. When we gathered together the two cultures blended, but when we were separate the differences were more pronounced. This created a division – a healthy division, but a division none-the-less. So does this/should this occur in God’s Family? I don’t know, but it would seem that, under the right circumstances, it could be good and even positive. But never did the culture differences cause us to question our membership in the family. Never did it cause us to fight over what was “right.” This is especially true in God’s Family – such divisions cannot be divisive! After all, my Grandfather does not see a difference in his two girls simply because they chose to marry into two different cultures. To him they are both his daughters. And that is how God sees us also, we are all His children.

The Local Congregation

Okay, so all that being said we have divided ourselves up in logical manners and now we are in a manageably-sized group. Now what? How do we organize this thing? Well, back to the family. How is your family organized? How do you manage holiday get-togethers? I bet you really don’t. Perhaps there is a person or two who are natural leaders, perhaps the man of the home in whom you have gathered, will set the tone and identify specific activities (think dinner bell) but over all it is probably basically chaos. Though a love-filled chaos. Now there might be families that are more structured, but even that structure is very dynamic based upon the person(s) who are in charge.

In the case of the Church that ultimate authority is God (see above.) Locally what that branch of the family is like seems to me to be like my family versus my cousins’ family – a slightly different culture within the framework of the greater family. They honored different aspects of life than we did, but the basics were the same. The differences arose because of the different needs of the individual members. For instance, by uncle wanted to incorporate aspects of his Hispanic upbringing into his family whereas my aunt wanted to maintain certain aspects of her upbringing. And that even bled over to my family (though I never really got into the whole super-hot pepper bit…) These organic combination ensure both groups are richer. Can this be true for local congregations? If so, what are the basic components required for being a member of God’s Family?

A Member of What?

Am I not a member of my aunt and uncles family because I don’t share every aspect of their family? Of course not, we understand that my connection with them resides with my grandparents. And this connection continues up the tree to who-knows-where. In fact I am probably related to you somehow!

When it comes to the Family of God we are related via blood – Jesus’ blood. And how do we contact that? Acts 2 tells us that God adds to the Church. Other passages relate the need to believe (though the demons belief – and tremble), repent, be baptized, obey, follow, love, take up our cross, etc. Paul said that people who reject the fact that Jesus is the son of God are false teachers, but that is the only standard he provided. Other passages illustrate the fact that our love for others identifies us as Christians. I am not qualified to identify a true Christian from a pretend Christian. I can only vouch for myself.

What I know I am not is a member of a local congregation exclusively. How can I be if I am a child of God and so are all the other people who have organized themselves? How can one branch of the family isolate themselves from the rest and declare they are the only (and whole) true family? Going back to our lights illustration – God’s perspective – it is God’s vision that is the truth and what would He see? Just a little group of red lights next to a bunch of other red lights.

Wow! Can we even remove ourselves from the family? (I believe we can, but only by not believing anymore.) It is not up to us, it is up to God, after all, He is the head of the household.

How About the Preacher, Elders, and Other Leaders

Okay, this is where I am still struggling! From what we have discussed above I am really questioning the whole preacher thing – the one man in charge setup. I know we have examples in the New Testament and many commentators believe Paul, Timothy and Silas were preachers, but I tend to disagree. I see those three as missionaries, but not preachers as we see them. They went to a city, taught and got the group started and then moved on. I don’t get the impression they went to seminary, submitted a bunch of resumes and then went on interviews to be selected by the congregations to which they were sent. Hmmm… could just be me… I also go back to God’s feelings in 1 Sam 8:7 – He is “The Man” and that is the way it should be.

But would a congregation survive without a central (human) leader? I have to believe it would since I believe that if God can create everything from nothing He can easily handle a group of humans! What would it look like? Probably nothing like we are used to.

And then there are Elders and Deacons – two titles called out in the New Testament. How do they fit in? Using our family illustration leaves little room for a formal Elder or Deacon. But what if they are titles given for specific jobs within the family? Like the designated barbecue-r or the maker of Mama’s famous chicken pot pie? Every family puts together get-togethers and every get-together needs specific tasks that need to be done. For God’s Family, Elders serve as spiritual watchdogs making sure souls are fed and safe, and Deacons serve to take care of specific needs. Their qualifications are really no different than the qualifications we should all aspire to. But choosing men with these qualifications is as much a protection for them as it is for protection of the work. A weak man is easily (more easily?) destroyed by pride. And, besides, God said so it must be good – ’nuff said.

Committees, Ministries, and the Faithful Who Champion Them

And what would a congregation be without business meetings and the gatherings of the faithful members how create and head the various ministries supported by the members? No where in the New Testament can I find a record of such items – excepting in the lives of the individual Christians. We each are responsible to God for the use (or abuse) of the gifts, talents, and resources He has provided. Why do we even need a committee to ensure the children are taught and the singles are ministered to? If a service is not being provided could it be because God does not need that congregation to provide it? Or could it be that the members He has chosen are not stepping up to the plate? If it the former then the activity must stop! If it is the latter, well, a committee won’t solve the problem – hearts need to change. But this is fast becoming a sensitive area for me so I will leave it at this for now.

Conclusion

Well, I am over 2000 words now and if you have stuck with me this long I owe you something! What is the conclusion of this matter?

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Ecc 12:13-14

May God bless your journey and please let me know your thoughts!

Related posts:

1. “Church” Is Not A Religious Word… Only
2. Is There a Biblical Basis for Church Membership?
3. Great Thoughts About Simplicity and Priorities @ Focus on the Family

There is a Whole World Around Us

A world that we can’t see, but is just as real (if not more so) than the one we can see. Belief in God implies belief in angels and demons, heaven, even Jacob’s ladder – well, whatever it is that the ladder shadows. The angels are looking down at us with wonder and anticipation. We are soldiers in God’s Army, we are on the front lines, confronted by the enemy all the time.

And the enemy never stops to sleep, eat, or take a bath. The demons, and their leader are constantly seeking what damage they can do, what deception they can create.

To go through life as if they don’t exist is

1. Tragic – to miss out on seeing the whole of life… I can only imagine what being blind is like, but to ignore this piece of life is much like it I am sure.
2. Dangerous – just as you act differently when you are within a few feet of the Grand Canyon, to ignore the dangers of the invisible world is to walk on the precipice of a deep abyss. And we are to fear more that who can destroy the body AND the soul, that who can only destroy the body. The Grand Canyon is nothing compared to Hell!

But if we realize the extraordinary world around us we can act accordingly. After all, would you act differently if you knew there was someone else who could always see you? I am sure you would as would I. Well, there IS someone(s) who can see everything you do.  I am thinking the angels don’t care whether or not you pick your nose, but I do think all the hosts of heaven grieve when we sin. I imagine that to them, every moment is critically important as they see the whole of time play out per God’s plan. Each success and failure is seen on one of those screens the military is supposed to have to watch battles from that mountain in the Rockies. Each ebb and flow of the battle lines are carefully monitored.

Okay, enough of the war comparisons… the point is that

HEAVEN AND ALL ITS’ HOSTS EXIST.

We need to remember and act accordingly!

Related posts:

1. Bridging the Gap Between Church and Home
2. Technology and Humanity
3. Safety Net

“Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (v. 16) And Jesus answered, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (v. 17) When the ruler asked for clarification, Jesus pointed out the Ten Commandments. And in verse 20 the man responds to the affirmative that he has kept all the commandments.

Now the man’s next question is, “What do I still lack?”, but Jesus didn’t say, “You lack ______ to have eternal life.” Rather, Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect…” go and sell your possessions and give to the poor. What I am seeing here is that Jesus’ requirements for eternal life for this man was to keep the commandments (remember, still under the old law) which the man was doing. Only to be perfect would the man have to sell his stuff and follow Jesus.

So the next question is whether one must be perfect to go to heaven. Thankfully, I believe the rest of the Bible says that no man is perfect apart from Jesus’ blood (which hadn’t been spilled during this conversation.) My take away is this: Jesus said to the man that he is good to go for entrance into heaven, but to be better would have required selling, giving and following Jesus. Hopefully we all would like to be perfect, but perfect isn’t a requirement.

Following this little episode (starting in v. 23) Jesus stresses how hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven. Usually I have thought this talks directly to the fate of the rich young ruler, but look how the disciples answer: “Who then can be saved?” (v. 25) Why would they ask that if the teaching did not apply to them as well? See, this is what struck me – they knew they were not poor. Lazarus at the rich man’s gate in Luke 16:19-31 was poor! They each (or at least a majority) had more than they needed for today and were, therefore, worried about what Jesus said.

But the summary of it all? Verse 26 – “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.“

Related posts:

1. What it Takes to Be a Disciple
2. Human Beings, Not Human Doings
3. What God Requires From Us

This process was prompted by the realization that:

1. We want to give God all of our lives – including our entertainment.
2. What we put into our bodies is all that we have to work with. Garbage in, garbage out!
3. What we feed the kids today is what they will build into their lives.

We have cleared out nearly 90% of our movies this past year – mostly in stages – trying to align our stock with our criteria. It feels good, though sometimes annoying. But the hardest thing is objectively applying our criteria. As I said, a lot of our favorite movies have been affected!

Our Criteria

So how did we establish our criteria? The first step was by subject: was the movie about a topic we have no business participating in? Drug addiction, extreme sexual content, gruesome murder, witchcraft, etc

From what remained from the first step (which was significantly less than we started with) we removed all the movies with gruesome graphic content. Do we need to see heads flying and blood pouring? For the most part, no.

Then we looked at what the movie was teaching us. This one is a little tougher as it is very subjective. But, primarily, is the moral of the story a Godly moral? Is it teaching us that sin is truth?

Associated with the above we looked at the interaction between good and evil. Is evil portrayed as good? Is the hero a bad guy or a good guy?

We also factored in the outcome. If the bad guy turns good, and the bad didn’t violate the above, then it is okay, else, not.

Finally, the overarching question was asked. Does watching this movie or playing this game bring value to my life as I walk with God? God doesn’t condemn entertainment, but He does condemn evil – even in entertainment.

Obviously good and evil are only identifiable in their comparison. And every story about good includes some sort of triumph over evil. But how much evil is present, the light it is presented in, and whether the good portrayed is evil in reality all effect our selection of entertainment.

Would you like some examples?

Oceans 11,12,13,14,15 (or whenever they stopped) have a simple premise: Revenge. A couple of thieves get ripped off and return the favor. Who are the good guys? The thieves. Okay, who are the bad guys? The thieves. Okay, not a situation I should focus on!

How about a good children’s movie by the king of children’s movies – The Little Mermaid. My daughter used to love that movie. But a closer look reveals: A 16 year old girl who totally disobeys her father, runs away from home and marries a guy she has only known for three days. I’m sorry, but I do not want my daughter to grow up believing that is okay.

And then there is Harry Potter. I really like that story line, I know why JK is rolling. But the Bible says witchcraft is evil. In HP our hero wields witchcraft to save the world. Is that okay or not? Even evil that does good is still evil. For us, we’ll just stay away.

Not Everyone Will Agree

I do realize some people believe it is just entertainment and that they know right from wrong. They say watching a movie won’t effect their attitudes or actions. And that may be true if bad entertainment is consumed only occationally. But nearly every movie, song, tv show, advertisement, cartoon, and any other type of media in our culture today does not pass our criteria. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians:

This sounds like great advise! And we have decided to do our best to take it, though I find myself failing all the time! There is plenty of bad in this world – I don’t need to willing accept more of it. But I am curious as to your thoughts on this subject, please share!

Related posts:

1. Technology and Humanity
2. The Window
3. Safety Net

Today, as I was singing in services, I had the thought that there is a window in my life that lets the light of God in. Without it my life gets very dark. But for some reason I fail to open that window regularly. And sometimes, even when I don’t think I closed it, I look up to find it is very dirty. What I don’t understand is how long it takes me to notice. I guess the frog principle applies – as long as you turn the heat up slow you can boil a frog alive. In my case, as long as it gets dark slowly I don’t notice. At least until I bust my toe.

So the take away is to pay more attention so that I can let the light in all the time and not kick things so often!

Related posts:

1. Technology and Humanity
2. Lots of Prep, Little Action
3. What it Takes to Be a Disciple

Perhaps Joseph simply saw his situation as how things were and he made the best of it. Perhaps he wanted nothing more than to obey God wherever God placed him. Is this unreasonable? Is this not how we are to feel? Can we not choose to feel this way? Do we have to create, work towards, and maintain a vision of the future for ourselves? Must we always have a “way it should be/way I want it to be” that we compare today with to see if we are okay or not?

I think this train of thought is worth more discussion. What do you think?

Nathan

Related posts:

1. Lots of Prep, Little Action
2. Body Building
3. Bridging the Gap Between Church and Home

I totally understand that all the info is on that screen, but I wondered what would have been different before computers. Would he have constantly looked down at a piece of paper? I don’t rightly know since almost all of my adult life has been spent with computers. But I question what we are missing in life because of our technology. I even wonder about this at work when I spend a significant portion of my day making these gadgets function. Truly the businesses I serve could not survive with out computers, but how much real value does that bring to humans?

True it saves lots of time, but that time is simply filled up with more work. Technology as we know it has only been around for a hundred years of so – that tells me God didn’t build us to need it. Instead He built us to focus on people. The world revolves around relationships. Even the largest companies in the world find themselves at the mercy of relationships. But that isn’t a flaw in the world – no, it is the design of a loving God. Relationships are what bring life to this life.

Do you have any examples of this reality in your life? Leave a comment!

Related posts:

1. Entertainment: Our Take
2. Safety Net
3. The World Around Us

I regularly find myself making a decision (usually informed and thought out, but not always) and then asking God to help it work out as planned. I am comforted by this because I trust that He will save me from significant harm or at least shield me from the worst of the effects. I don’t believe I ask too much as I know He wants the best for me and I know I am regularly seeking His will as I make my decisions.

The thing that has been on my mind lately regarding this is just how much I rely on Him and how scary the world would be if I didn’t have the all-powerful creator of the universe behind me. Wow! I mean just this year I have trusted Him in buying and selling a house (with owner financing for the sale), starting and ending a new career, and finding a new job in this crazy economy. How would I have survived all this mentally and emotionally (much less financially) without Him?

I don’t think I would have. And He is interested in being your safety net too!

Related posts:

1. Is It Time To Act?
2. The Window
3. Entertainment: Our Take

I heard Chuck Swindoll describe worship this way (mostly verbatim, but license taken liberally):

Worship is the “human response to a divine revelation.” It is not exclusively connected to a service at a church or an event or a series of songs. Rather, it pervades the whole scene for a believer in Christ. All of these fall in this category including the giving of our gifts, the reading of scripture, prayer, and even silence and solitude. As all of these blend, our lives become wrapped in worship.

That is a beautiful definition – it completely covers what is commonly meant by a Christian when we say “worship.” This definition perfectly describes our Sunday morning activities – and justifies each as we come together to worship our worthy, holy God. But does the Bible agree with that definition? Do the scriptures we seek to honor describe worship as Chuck describes it?

According to Strong’s there are several words (in Hebrew and Greek according to the King James Version) that are translated “worship” in English. A quick summary of each:

The majority of these words require a person to prostrate themselves before something superior to themselves in order to worship. Using only the meanings of the words it appears that the Bible may not support our common belief of worship being our acts of service or activities of a Sunday morning. But there are a few words that relate to service and work. To get a better idea of the usage of each lets compile the referenced scriptures and organize them by their context in the text.

H7812,G4352

The New Testament examples show that when people realized the awesomeness of Christ they worshipped Him then and there: Mt 2:2;Mk 2:11, 5:6, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 28:9; Lk 24:52; Jn 9:38; I Cor 14:25, Heb 1:6. No one in these examples waited until a set time or artificially generated “mood” for worship – they saw Him and fell down in awe.

H5647, G3000

There are also two that denote service (H5647, G3000). Let’s look at their usage in the Bible. H5647 is only translated as worship in II Kings 10: 18-31 when it refers to the “worshippers” of Baal. Obviously this isn’t a good example for us! In the New Testament, 3000 is used 4 times: Acts 7:42; 24:14; Phil 3:3; Heb 10:2. In Acts 7 it is used when the people grew tired of waiting for Moses to come down from Mt. Sinai and wanted Aaron to create the golden calves – so God gave them over to worship the host of heaven. In Acts 24, and Phil 3 Paul is relating their understanding of worship to what he is talking about. In Heb 10 the word worship is used in connection to the animal sacrifices – a physical act.

In fact, in Col 2:32 Paul confirms the fact that man’s attempts to generate worship do nothing more than promote actions that look like worship but are not true worship. Note that the original languages describe worship as not just prostration, but prostration in honor of the recognition of superiority. Jesus’ parable in Mk 18:26 illustrates this very well. Here the servant is prostrating himself before the ruler because he knows he owes the ruler but cannot pay. He is pleading for mercy and not punishment. He knows the ruler has complete power over his life. We need to remember God has complete power over our life as well and we need to worship Him in that knowledge. And then we need to praise Him because He, like the ruler, has compassion on us!

We will explore each in more detail in future posts, but from this quick look what does worship look like? When you notice how great and mighty God is – stop, prostrate yourself, and show Him the honor He deserves! And call Sundays what Sundays are – a gathering of the saints.

But, perhaps, Sundays should be left for a different time…

Related posts:

1. Worship: One Powerful Word
2. “Church” Is Not A Religious Word… Only
3. The Church