Pastor's Challenge Shocks Congregation

I read this story and was inspired on many levels. Take some time and read this story and see the power of the Gospel at work in powerful, practical and creative ways.

By HELEN O'NEILL,

AP

Posted: 2007-12-22 07:00:06

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (Dec. 20) - The Rev. Hamilton Coe Throckmorton shivered with anticipation as he gazed at the loot - wads of $50 bills piled high beside boxes of crayons in a Sunday school classroom.

Cautiously, he locked the door. Then he started counting.

It was a balmy Friday evening in September. From several floors below faint melodies drifted up - the choir practicing for Sunday service.

Throckmorton was oblivious. For hours, perched awkwardly on child-sized wooden stools surrounded by biblical murals and children's drawings, the pastor and a handful of coconspirators concentrated on the count.

Forty-thousand dollars. Throckmorton smiled in satisfaction as he stashed the money in a safe.

That Sunday, the 52-year-old minister donned his creamy white robes, swept to the pulpit and delivered one of the most extraordinary sermons of his life.

First he read from the Gospel of Matthew.

"And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his ability."

Then he explained the parable of the talents, which tells of the rich master who entrusts three servants with a sum of money - "talents" - and instructs them to go forth and do good. The master lavishes praise on the two servants who double their money. But he casts into the wilderness the one so afraid to take a risk that he buries his share.

Throckmorton spends up to 20 hours working on his weekly homily, and his clear diction, contemplative message and ringing voice command the church. Gazing down from the pulpit that Sunday, Throckmorton dropped his bombshell.

Like the master, he would entrust each adult with a sum of money - in this case, $50. Church members had seven weeks to find ways to double their money, the proceeds to go toward church missions.

"Live the parable of the talents!" Throckmorton exhorted, as assistants handed out hundreds of red envelops stuffed with crisp $50 bills and stunned church members did quick mental calculations, wondering where all the money had come from. There are about 1,700 in the congregation, though not everyone attends each week.

The cash, Throckmorton explained, was loaned by several anonymous donors.

In her regular pew at the back of the church, where she has listened to sermons for 40 years, 73-year-old Barbara Gates gasped. What kind of kooky nonsense is this, she thought.

"Sheer madness," sniffed retired accountant Wayne Albers, 85, to his wife, Marnie, who hushed him as he whispered loudly. "Why can't the church just collect money the old-fashioned way?"

In a center pew, Ann Nagy's eyes moistened as she considered her ailing, beloved father, his suffering, and the song she had written to comfort him near death. She nudged her husband Scott. "Give me your $50," she whispered. Nagy knew exactly what she would do.

Throckmorton wrapped up his two morning services by saying that children would get $10. And he assured the congregation that anyone who didn't feel comfortable could simply return the money. No consignment to outer darkness for those who didn't participate.

Throckmorton is warm and engaging and approachable, as comfortable talking about the Cleveland Indians baseball team as he is discussing scripture. At the Federated Church, he is known simply as Hamilton.

But as church members spilled into the late summer sunshine that morning to ponder their skills and their souls, there were many who thought: Hamilton is really pushing us this time.

"There was definitely this tension, this pressure to live up to something," said Hal Maskiell, a 62-year-old retired Navy pilot who spent days trying to figure out how to meet the challenge.

Maskiell's passion is flying a four-seater Cessna 172 Skyhawk over the Cuyahoga County hills. He decided to use his $50 to rent air time from Portage County airport and charge $30 for half-hour rides. Church members eagerly signed up. Maskiell was thrilled to get hours of flying time, and he raised $700.

His girlfriend, Kathy Marous, 55, was far less confident. What talents do I have, she thought dejectedly. She was tempted to give the money back.

And then Marous found an old family recipe for tomato soup, one she hadn't made in 19 years. She remembered how much she had enjoyed the chopping and the cooking and the canning and the smells. With Hal's encouragement Marous dug out her pots. She bought three pecks of tomatoes. Suddenly she was chopping and cooking and canning again. At $5 a jar, she made $180.

"I just never imagined people would pay money for the things I made," Marous exclaimed.

Others felt the same way. Barbara Gates raised $450 crafting pendants from beads and sea glass - pieces she had casually made for her grandchildren over the years. Kathie Biggin created fanciful little red-nosed Rudolph pins and sold them for $2.50. Twelve-year-old Amanda Horner pooled her money with friends, stocked up at JoAnn's fabric store, and made dozens of colorful fleece baby blankets, which were purchased by church members and then donated to a local hospital.

And 87-year-old Bob Burrows rediscovered old carpentry skills and began selling wooden bird-feeders.

Read the rest of the story here.

Experts: World Population Will Explode by 2025 with Influx of 'Megacities' of 10 Million People or More

When most people see headlines like this, they usually think of global warming or the exhausting of natural resources. Personally, being a follower of Christ it reminds me of his command to "make disciples of all nations". This massive global urbanization is going to provide and incredible opportunity for the Gospel to be preached and the Kingdom to grow. However, it also provides an opportunity for the Enemy and the Kingdom of Darkness to wreck havoc on humanity. We live in unstable yet exciting times! Read the article and tell me what you think.

"It's the frightening stuff of science fiction.

You'll walk out of your cramped city apartment every day into a sea of people, and you'll be sandwiched among them as you go to work or buy food at the market.

You'll see scores of homeless people sprawled on the same jam-packed city streets. The ones who are lucky enough to have roofs over their heads will be living in shacks and shantytowns.

In the world's largest urban areas, that scenario is less than 20 years away, according to population experts. By 2025, they say, the number of so-called "megacities" — those with more than 10 million people — will balloon from the current 20 to as many as 40.

In 1980, there were only 10.

"The explosive nature of urbanization on the one hand has some hopefulness, but largely it contributes to a significant increase in suffering, extreme poverty, social disease and social disintegration," said Dr. Werner Fornos, president of the Global Population Education think tank and the former head of the Population Institute in Washington, D.C.

The world population, Fornos predicted, will swell from the current 6.5 billion to 9 billion by 2050.

"If we continue to grow at this rate, what this will do to our natural resources ... Population is still the most significant issue, and because of politics and religion, we're not able to come to grips with it," Fornos said.

The consequences of such a rapid rise in city inhabitants are dire, since so many megacities will be in the two poorest continents, Africa and Asia. Researchers predict mass homelessness, poverty and unemployment; a dwindling fresh water supply; a sharp increase in air pollution; the spread of disease; and a spike in crime. Most of the cities' governments won't have even close to the resources needed to handle all the people." You can read the rest of the article here. (Thursday, December 20, 2007 -By Catherine Donaldson-Evans- Fox News)

Here are a few observations in no particular order:

• India and Africa standout dramatically.
• Isn't it interesting that in Genesis 11, when mankind unifies and desires to build one big megacity, that God confuses their language and thus scatters people all around the world. Now that the Christ has come, the New Covenant has been offered, the Holy Spirit has been given, the Word of God is available to the world, and the church is established the world is beginning to come back together. Interesting.
• The sharing of the Good News about Jesus is going to require more then just a Bible and a laptop. It is going to require: doctors, farmers, engineers, well diggers, business men, teachers, and generous givers.
  

Six World Views Christians Compete With

In an article at ChristianToday.com, Rick Warren shares six worldviews that you will have to compete with as you lead your church. Rick says that every week as you stand before your people to share God’s Word, they’re bringing different worldviews into the room. Here they are:

1. The one with the most toys wins.
This is the worldview of materialism – and it can be summed up with one world, more. Materialism says that the only thing that really matters in life is acquiring things. Those who subscribe to this worldview live mostly to collect things.

The Bible’s answer: Jesus said this in Luke 12, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (NIV). He tells us not to judge our lives by how much we’ve got. The greatest things in life aren’t things.

2. I’ve got to think of me first.
We live in a “me first,” serve-yourself world that says it’s all about you. Commercial slogans cater to this viewpoint. Slogans like, “have it your way,” “we do it all for you,” “obey your thirst,” “you’ve got to think of what’s best for yourself,” and “You deserve it.”

For the last 40 years, the Baby Boomer generation has been called the “Me Generation.” This “me first” idea has infected entire communities. It has torn up marriages (“I don’t care how divorce impacts my spouse or children; it’s all about me”), destroyed workplaces (“I don’t care how my laziness impacts my co-workers; it’s all about me”) and even ruined churches (“Serve my needs first, forget about the lost”).

It’s a self-centered, individualistic way of life that says we should ignore the community and other people.

The Bible’s answer: Jesus says, “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matt. 16:25 NLT). Jesus says you only begin to live when you give your life away. Significance in life does not come from serving yourself; it comes from serving God and others.

3. Do what feels good.
This is hedonism – the belief that the most important thing in life is how we feel. The number one goal of a hedonist is to feel good, be comfortable, and have fun.

It’s the worldview that Hugh Hefner founded Playboy magazine on. He willingly acknowledges he is a hedonist.

It’s not just playboys who are hedonists, though. In fact, someone who lives for the goal of retirement is a hedonist. If the whole goal of a person’s life is to simply do nothing, live a self centered life, and make no contribution to the world, that’s hedonism.

The Bible’s answer: “Are you addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied” (Prov 21:17 Msg). Mick Jagger’s been singing: “I can’t get no satisfaction” for 40 years. Why? The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.

4. Whatever works for you.
This worldview says it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. It doesn’t matter if it hurts anybody or not. If it works for you, fine. As that great theologian Sly Stone says, “Different strokes for different folks.”

In our multi-cultural, pluralistic world, this is a very popular worldview. Nobody wants to tell someone else that what they are doing is wrong. In fact that’s the only way you can be wrong in our society today – if you tell someone else they’re wrong.

The Bible’s answer: The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12 NIV). Our ideas may seem right, but in the end our ideas lead to death. “Whatever works for you” leads to death. You don’t break God’s universal laws; they break you.

5. God doesn’t exist.
This worldview is naturalism or atheism. Naturalists believe that everything in life is a result of random chance. We’re all accidents of nature. There is no grand creator or grand design. God either doesn’t exist or he doesn’t matter.

If there is no God, there’s no plan or purpose for life. If there is no purpose, than your life doesn’t really matter. Your only value comes from the fact that God loves you, created you, and thought you up. For naturalists, life has no value, meaning, or purpose.

It takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to believe in God. When you look at creation and how the world is set on an axis, it proves the existence of God to me. If it were one degree one way, we’d freeze up. If it were one degree the other way, we’d burn up.

The Bible’s answer: Paul says in Romans 1:25 (NIV), “From the beginning of creation, God has shown what he is like by all he has made. That’s why those people don’t have any excuse. They know about God, but they don’t honor him or even thank him...They claim to be wise, but they are fools.” In other words, we can look at nature and see a lot about God. We know God is creative, powerful, organized, and likes diversity. There are lots of things we know about God just by looking at nature.

6. You are your own God.
This worldview, otherwise known as humanism, is very popular in the Western world. It says we are the mastermind of our own fate, the determiner of our destiny. You’ll hear this in the new age movement as well: “You’re divine. You’re a god.”

It’s ironic. God wired us to worship something. And if we don’t worship God, we end up worshipping ourselves. The self-made man usually worships his maker.

Hawks snap losing streak against Illinois

It's been too long since I have been able to post Hawkeye highlights. If your a Hawk fan enjoy! Highlights here.

Faith-based prisons multiply

I found this story and I wanted to share it with you. I was able to tour the facility in Newton, Iowa that is a part of Chuck Colson's ministry and I was greatly impressed by how God was working there. I find it interesting how the church in the U.S. is focused so intently on "young families" especially in the middle to upper middle class. That is fine and all, but what about the marginalized? What about those in prison?

A friend of mine who is closely associated with mission work in Laos told me that the true church in Laos in in the prisons. The state run churches that exist on the outside stand for nothing. After reading this article I wonder if the true church isn't in the nice churches on the street corners, but in some cases in the many prisons which dot our country. Just something to think about.

By David Crary, Associated Press

RICHMOND, Texas — Killer-turned-artist Manny Hernandez on the prison where he's finishing an eight-year term: "It's a blessing to be here."

Fellow murderer and inmate Raymond Hall likens it to heaven.

"I love this place," says their warden, Cynthia Tilley. "It's so calm."

They're praising the Carol Vance Unit, founded in 1997 on the outskirts of Houston. It's the oldest of a rapidly growing number of faith-based prison facilities across the nation.

Even as they proliferate, fueled by the fervor of devout volunteers, these programs are often criticized. Evidence that they reduce recidivism is inconclusive, and skeptics question whether the prevailing evangelical tone of the units discriminates against inmates who don't share their conservative Christian outlook.

However, evidence is strong that violence and trouble-making drop sharply in these programs, and they often are the only vibrant rehabilitation option at a time when taxpayer-funded alternatives have been cut back.

Inmates at Vance offer another compelling argument. Unlike many of America's 2 million prisoners, they feel they are treated with respect. They have hope.

"A bunch of cats in prison, they never had anyone show them love — even their mother and father," said Anzetta Smith, who served 18 years for attempted murder before graduating from Vance this year. "You get in the program, and everybody shows you love."

Read the rest of the story.

Texas Opens Recently Formed Canyon

So how old is the earth...really?

Check out this story.

CANYON LAKE, Texas — The formation of canyons, done with the flow of water over rock and time, is generally a practice in patience. But not here.

A torrent of water from a bloated Canyon Lake sliced open the earth, exposing rock formations, fossils and even dinosaur footprints in just three days. To protect Canyon Lake Gorge from vandals, it's been open only to researchers since the 2002 flood, but on Saturday, it opens to its first public tour.

"It exposed these rocks so quickly and it dug so deeply, there wasn't a blade of grass or a layer of algae," said Bill Ward, a retired geology professor from the University of New Orleans who started cataloguing the gorge almost immediately after the flood.

The gorge, which emerged where a nondescript valley covered in mesquite and oak trees once was, sits behind a spillway built as a safety valve for Canyon Lake, a popular recreation spot in the Texas Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin.

The reservoir was built in the 1960s to prevent flash flooding along the Guadalupe River and to assure the water supply for central Texas. The spillway, which protects the dam by giving the water an outlet if it gets too high, had never been overrun until July 4, 2002, when 70,000-cubic feet of water flowed through the 1,000-foot gap for three days. It gushed downhill toward the Guadalupe River and scraped the vegetation and topsoil off, leaving only limestone walls.

Read the rest of the story here.

One Sunday. Two Churches. Over 900 Baptisms

God is doing some amazing things. For example, just this past Sunday, over 900 people were baptized at just two different churches. Granger Community Church held a baptism for over 350 people; and NewSpring Church baptized 562 people. Isn't that incredible? Below are two separate newspaper articles written about these baptism services. It seems that even the secular media takes note when this many people accept Christ! Read the story!

Denver vs Buffalo Highlights

The Broncos sneak one past the Bills!

Iowa vs Syracuse Highlights

Hell No!

I figured the title would get your attention. If you have a high speed internet connection, you have to watch this worship service from a church called New Spring (you can listen to it as well, but the visual stuff is nuts). The service is on "Hell" and it is insanely creative and most importantly convicting. So give it a watch and let me know what you think.

'MyOfficeSecrets.com' a New Tool for Granger Community Church

Brave billboards can be seen all over the South Bend Area. One says “I look at naughty web sites at work ... myofficesecrets.com.” Surprisingly, (or not surprisingly) it one belongs to Granger Community Church. “We wanted just to do something fun, get people’s attention, put a Web site on there that they might remember, so when they go home they could interact with it and find out more about what we are offering,” explained Executive Pastor Tim Stevens. The billboards and blogs are part of a five week series on how to make the most of life at work. Some say this technology is raising the bar for other churches. “It pushes the rest of us, and we may not have the resources to match what they’re doing but there are other things you can do that are creative and innovative,” said College Pastor Brent Wood. Read the story.

Five Questions I Ask Myself

In one of my desk drawers, I have a sheet of paper listing five questions I regularly ask myself. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking: “You have a desk?” Indeed I do…and I know how to use it.

In all seriousness, it is extremely important that we take moments during our week to step back and look in the mirror. Open, honest evaluation is so important in every area of our lives, but especially in our spiritual lives. I wanted to share with you five questions I ask myself when I “pop the hood” and take a peek at how things are doing. So here goes.

1. Am I remembering that God is God and I’m not? (Matthew 6:10) Okay, take just a moment to say that out loud to yourself. Go ahead. Do you feel peace settling over you? There is something about acknowledging, we are not in control that is settling to our lives. No wonder in Jesus’ model prayer he said we should start out by saying, “Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done…”

2. Am I listening to what God is saying? (Ezekiel 2:1,2) God has something that he wants to tell all of us…especially if we are believers in Christ. He has plans to use us in his Kingdom—to make a difference. What we need to do is tune him in. That means walking away from the iPod, TV, radio, computer, and book for a while so we can connect to the one who actually has something good to say.

3. Am I guarding my heart? (Proverbs 4:23) I know that God is working on my heart…changing me. My job is to guard it, not allowing sinful tendencies, influences, or the enemy himself to find a foothold in my heart. This means I need to guard what goes into my heart (What I watch, listen to, and think about) as well as what I allow to hang around my heart. (Things like guilt, jealousy, greed, and anger).

4. Am I doing my best? (Number 18:29) Everything I have comes from God—everything! I am responsible for taking my talents, gifts, money, possessions and using them in the best possible way to advance Christ’s Kingdom. So I have to constantly ask myself, “Am I doing my best for the Kingdom?”

5. Am I taking risks? (1 Samuel 14:6,7) Throughout the Bible there are numerous examples of men and women who did the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and the downright crazy. Why? They engaged in risky behavior because they had faith that God was going to do something big when they walked into the unknown. So David kills the giant, Jonathan defeats the Philistine army single-handedly, and a handful of Christ followers influence the world with the Good News of Jesus. What if the most spiritual thing I do is take a risk?

“Without faith it’s impossible to please God..." ~ Hebrews 11:6

The Role of The Church In America

"The Constitution's First Amendment states that the government will make no law respecting the establishment of religion. That is, the Constitution prohibits the recognition of any religious group as the nation's official religion. Most of the nation's forefathers understood this to mean that no Christian denomination would be named the state church. Thomas Jefferson, however, looked forward to the day when those holding any belief system could freely practice their faith.

Much has been made of the supposed "separation of church and state" called for in the Constitution. The Constitution says nothing of the sort. Jefferson referred to a "wall of separation" in his writings to the Danbury Baptist Association. He told the Baptists there was a "wall of separation between the church and state." In the context of the document, Jefferson was reassuring the Baptists the government was not to involve itself in church affairs. " ~ Mike Hines, The Discipler Blog

Read the rest of the article here.

Astronomers Find Huge Hole in Universe

(Aug. 24) - Astronomers have stumbled upon a tremendous hole in the universe. That's got them scratching their heads about what's just not there. The cosmic blank spot has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter. It is 1 billion light years across of nothing. That's a giant expanse of nearly 6 billion trillion miles of emptiness, a University of Minnesota team announced Thursday. Read the rest of the story.

Do You Like Big Bibles?

What kind of Bible do you like?

Is "New" Really Better?

We live in a culture where new is better. Or maybe it's just me. Or maybe it's just because I'm a man. Yes I know I have issues!

But doesn't it always seem that if you don't have the newest car, clothes, house, or technology that maybe you are missing out. Worse yet you feel "less then" because you are behind the times? Our culture worships at the church of "What's Happening Right Now".

Quite frankly, Christians are no better in this regard. Newer church buildings are better right? Churches that use video projectors are better right? Churches that play the newest worship music is better right? People that have read the "Purpose Driven Life" are better right?

Settle into this verse for a moment and see where God takes you.

"This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’" ~ Jeremiah 6:16 (NLT)

Jeremiah was simply trying to impress upon Israel that newer and different wasn't better or even right. He was reminding them that the ancient ways of the Living God were the only way to live life.

Good words for my heart. Contentment is the ways of God is where life is best...and that is what my heart needs.

So maybe I won't get that extra gig of RAM for my computer...at least for now.

Are You Addicted To Coffee?

Does 58% make mean I have a problem? Because I don't think I have a problem...or maybe that is just denial.

I am 58% Addicted to Coffee

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Do you need a good laugh? Watch this!

Remember: Christians Are Suffering Around The World

I picked up these two stories from my brother's blog and I thought that I would link to them here at WGC. As believers here in the Western Hemisphere we become isolated in regards to what is happening around the world with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be engaged in praying for them on a daily basis.

• Myanmar's Repressive Regime

• Kazakhstan Baptists Fear More Persecution

It Came From Within

This is the introduction from the message I preached on 8.05.07 entitled, "It Came From Within" I wanted to post this because the truths from God's Word are so powerful and life changing. If you were able to hear this message, these scriptures will be a good review and are worth memorizing...especially Proverbs 4:23. If you were not able to take in the message, take the time to dive into what Jesus says about your heart, and how he came to change it.

"All of us here have these filters that we put on our lives. We understand that to function in this world (to get job, get a date, get married, to stay married, to have friends) there is a certain way to act or behave. So we modify our behaviors. Most of us learn how to modify our behaviors when we are kids and we just keep adding on to the filter as we grow up.

What happens is that every once in a while something will slip through the filter. In a moment of anger we will say something very hurtful. In a moment of stress we will look at something on the web that we shouldn’t. In a moment of hurt we will hurt someone back. Then we will say, “Where did that come from?”

What we discover is that Jesus knows where those nasty little things came from, he would say that they came from your heart. Not the muscle that beats in your chest, but your true self, your true identity, the place behind your mask, the place where your conscience lives. Listen to what he told his disciples about where unclean things come from.

Mathew 15:16-20

“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ ”

So what are we supposed to do? Naturally our inclination is to work harder on our filter. But that just doesn’t fix the problem. The only way to fix the problem in your heart is to enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus.

Listen to how the apostle Paul describes what happens when we connect with Christ.

"He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith." ~ Acts 15:9

So when we enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus, he sends his Holy Spirit into our hearts to begin a restoration project.

Now, some of you maybe asking,

“Well, I’m a believer and things still keep popping up in my life!”

My response is, “Join the club!”

There is a battle going on for your heart. The sinful world we live in is constantly trying to influence your heart. Satan wants to destroy your heart. Quite frankly there are some parts of your heart that you haven’t given completely over to Jesus and he can’t do his work in your life until you do.

That is why we are doing this series because way too many Christians are missing out on the abundant life in Christ because of what lies within. So the theme verse for this series comes from the wisest man who walked the earth.

Solomon wrote:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

We can’t fix our hearts, that is God’s job, but we can guard our hearts. That is what we will be doing for the next four weeks; learning how we can guard our hearts from four pesky little gremlin monsters that lurk within."

Security of Salvation--Can You Lose It?

What The Bible Says About Your Tough Questions:

• Security of salvation—can you lose it, if so how?
• Explain Hebrews 10:26,27. If we “deliberately” sin after being saved, will we lose salvation?

The best way to answer these questions is to do a quick review regarding salvation and what it means to be in a covenant relationship with Jesus.

Salvation is best understood when we realize that God is a maker of covenants.

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep you r covenant of love with your servants who continue whole-heartedly in your way.” –2 Chronicles 6:14

A covenant is best defined as a treaty, agreement, will, or testament. It also includes the following parts:

Parties – in this case the parties would be God and man

Terms – what man agrees to do for God in entering the agreement

Promises – what God promises to do in entering the agreement

The Bible records the covenants that God planned and offered to man.

· A Covenant between God and Noah – Genesis 6:18; 9:9,11

· A Covenant between God and Abraham – Genesis 15:18

· A Covenant between God and Israel – Exodus 19:5

God has always been faithful in his covenants. (Titus 1:2; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 10:23; 1 Corinthians 1:9)

WHY THE NEED FOR A COVENANT?

We need a covenant with God simply because we are lawbreakers, sinners (Romans 3:10,23; 6:23; Galatians 3:10). A holy, righteous God cannot be in relationship with lawbreakers. It goes against his character. However, he has made a way for us to come back to him, through his son Jesus (Romans 5:6; 8:1,3; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:19,20; Ephesians 1:7; 2:4,5,13; 1 John 5:12).

Through Jesus we are offered a new covenant, a new and living way to come to God.

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” –Matthew 26:28

“But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” –Hebrews 8:6

The parties of the new covenant include God and those who want to live in Christ (Romans 8:1). The promises of the new covenant include:

· Life to the full, John 10:10.

· To have the fruit of the Spirit grow in our lives, Galatians 5:22,23.

· Forgiveness of your sins, Acts 2:38.

· Eternal life, John 3:16.

· The Holy Spirit, Act 2:38.

· The ministry of God, Ephesians 4:11,12.

· To be with us to the end, Matthew 28:20.

· To work in all that happens in our lives to help us become like Jesus, Romans 8:28; Philippians 1:6.

· The power to live for him, Ephesians 1:19,20.

· Wisdom and truth, James 1:5; John 17:17.

· To meet all our “needs”, Philippians 4:19.

· To be a part of his church, Ephesians 1:22,23.

· Reward for faithfulness, Galatians 6:7-9.

· Renewal and refreshment, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

· Persecution, 2 Timothy 3:12.

The terms of the new covenant are to; 1) Worship him alone (Mark 12:30), 2) Grow to be like Jesus (Philippians 2:5), 3) Love one another (Romans 12:5), 4) Serve in ministry (1 Peter 4:10), Make disciples of Jesus (Colossians 4:5).

HOW TO ENTER THE COVENANT

Faith is the first step in entering a covenant relationship with God.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” –Hebrews 11:6

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” –Romans 3:22

This faith is more then just an intellectual belief (90% of Americans believe in God), but also a response. In the Bible, faith that is not illustrated in action is not acceptable faith to God. Faith literally means response. Faith is agreeing with what we hear and responding to what we have heard. You are not deemed faithful in your marriage to your spouse or your relationship to your friends by what you say. You are called faithful by what you do. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” –James 2:17

Repentance is the next step toward our covenant relationship with God. Repentance means to change one’s mind, to regret, feel remorse. In other words repentance means turning from having rejected Jesus as Lord and submitting to his authority and Lordship.

“In the past God over-looked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” –Acts 17:30,31

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” –Acts 3:19

Confession is the third step in entering into a covenant relationship with God.

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” –Matthew 10:32,33

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” –Romans 10:9,10

Baptism is the fourth step in entering into a covenant relationship with God. The word “baptize” means to dip, plunge, or immerse and was practiced this way in the early church. Baptism is a visible, God-chosen, and God-commanded response of my faith. Baptism:

· is my union with Christ. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” --Galatians 3:27

· represents my identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection; guaranteeing my own resurrection. “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” –Romans 6:3,4

· assures me of the cleansing forgiveness of my sins. “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” --Acts 22:16 (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)

· is also my union with His Spirit. In baptism, we give ourselves to Him, and He gives himself to us through His Spirit. “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” –Acts 2:38

· is my pledge of allegiance to God of my devotion and life. “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.” –1 Peter 3:21 The word “pledge” in the Greek is the same word that was used when two businessmen would enter into a deal. The seller made a proposition and the buyer considered it. If he accepted it, he stood and said, “I pledge that I am going to live according to the terms of this agreement.” This was done before witnesses, and that pledge finalized the agreement and made it binding.

Baptism is to symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When we are presented the Good News about Jesus, we can either accept it or reject it. There is no neutral ground. We answer yes or no. If we choose to say yes, we finalize the covenant by being baptized. The agreement is then binding on both parties. This pledge is like signing your name on the dotted line of the covenant.

So, can one lose their salvation? First, we have to acknowledge that no third party can remove a person from God’s family (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:31-39). Satan can’t. The Pope can’t. The government can’t.

Covenant relationships are to be lived and engaged in. When we look back at the covenant relationship that Israel possessed with God, it was possible for people to be “cut-off” from the covenant by certain acts of unfaithfulness. It is very evident that membership in the old covenant required the maintenance of an on-going relationship.

In the New Testament this same idea of covenant faithfulness is continued. Neither Jesus nor the apostle Paul said that salvation was so irrevocable that the person himself could not walk away from it. One chooses to live and abide to the covenant terms or to walk away. It is a choice.

Hebrews 10:26,27 points to this idea.

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

Probably a better translation of the verse would be, “For if we willfully go on sinning.” The author of Hebrews is not directing believers towards one particular sin, but instead toward an attitude that leads to repeated disobedience. This is really the main idea behind the letter of Hebrews—a concern that people would drift away (2:1) from the faith and would neglect their salvation (2:2,3). So again, one comes back to the concept of abiding or engaging in the terms of the covenant to receive the blessings of the covenant.

Lastly, when one studies the New Testament there are numerous warnings that only make sense if it were a real possibility that salvation could be lost. For example, why is endurance so important? Jesus taught that those who endure to the end would be saved (Matthew 24:13). That doesn’t jive with the idea that once you’re in; you’re in for good. The apostle Paul taught in four passages that believers in Christ who continued in sinful actions would not inherit the kingdom of God (Romans 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5).

So what does this all mean? It means that one’s standing with God is not based on a one-time moment when we said a prayer or were baptized. One’s standing with God is based on an ongoing relationship with Him. Paul says,

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” ~ Philippians 2:12,13

If one so chooses, he or she can walk away from the covenant relationship with God. In doing so they will forfeit the blessings and promises of being connected to God through Jesus Christ.

So to answer the questions, we can lose our salvation if we do not abide by the terms of the covenant we agreed to when we first believed. What this means is that we (those who believe in Jesus) need to take our faith very seriously. We need to be in constant evaluation of our growth and in our following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Praying Before Eating?

What The Bible Says About Your Tough Questions: Should Christians Pray Before They Eat?

The Bible doesn’t implicitly say Christians should pray before they eat. However, you will find many examples of Jesus giving thanks for food before it was eaten. (Matthew 14:19; John 6:11; Luke 22:17-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-24) You will also find in Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray, he instructs them to ask God to,

“give us this day our daily bread”. (Matthew 6:11)

So what does this all mean?

Well, it is not a sin for one not to pray before a meal. You will not reap eternal damnation for forgetting to pray before you dive into your pizza or sub sandwich. What praying before your meal reveals is how you view God.

In Jesus’ day, meals were literally earned on a daily basis. In other words, most people didn’t always know where the next meal was going to come from. Many cultures around the world today, are experiencing the same situation. So how we pray to God about food, and how they pray to God about food is totally different.

For you and I, the rich Americans who have many meals stored away in our freezers, our prayer before a meal acknowledges that we didn’t earn this meal with our own strength and work. Instead it is God who gave us the ability and the opportunity to even have a job as well as have an abundance of food to choose from. Our prayer before a meal moves us (people) from the center of life and puts the focus back on God—the true giver of all good things. So while it is not a "sin" to not pray before a meal, it is a good discipline in helping remind all of us that God is the center of everything in our lives.

Divorce & Remarriage?

What The Bible Says About My Tough Questions: Divorce and Remarriage?

God’s feelings on the subject of divorce are rather clear: God hates divorce. (Malachi 2:16) The truth that always must be remembered is that though God hates divorce, he always loves people and nothing can change that. As God’s people, we need to take the same approach in dealing with divorce. Do whatever it takes to keep divorce from happening, and if it does happen extend grace and love to those who have experienced it.

As complicated and confusing as divorce is for us today, it was even more so in the first century Jewish culture. John the Baptizer had lost his head over the subject, and Jesus was constantly being harassed with questions concerning what was right or wrong when it came to divorce.

There were basically two schools of thought in the Jewish community regarding divorce—both stemming from Deuteronomy 24:1-4. One set of Jewish scholars said that a man could divorce his wife is she committed adultery. The second set of scholars interpreted what Moses wrote and said that a man could divorce his wife for any reason at all…even burning his meal. So when Jesus is asked his take on divorce (Matthew 19:1-12) his is walking into a trap laid by those who oppose him. They know how divided the Jewish populace is regarding divorce and they understand that no matter what Jesus says he is going to make some happy and anger others. Of course when has that ever stopped Jesus?

Jesus’ response takes us back to Genesis and the original design of marriage (Genesis 1:27; 2:24). First off, Jesus points out that God designed a man and woman to be married to each other. They belong together physically, emotionally and spiritually. Second, marriage marks the transition from parent to spouse. In other words, one’s primary loyalty is no longer to Mom and Dad it lies with a husband or wife. This is where we get the picture of marriage being a covenant: a commitment to each other and a sense of oneness. The word Jesus uses for “joined together” means “yoked together” or “co-laborers”. This description makes it pretty clear that God’s design is one man with one woman for life.

The Pharisees response to Jesus reveals the cause and problem of most divorces. (Matthew 19:7-8) Divorce is not a “right” but instead a result of “hard hearts”. The reality of life in this world is the constant battle with sin and sinful people. Marriage is the joining together of two sinful people living in a sinful world. It is not an easy venture and most certainly not accomplished successfully without God’s assistance.

Jesus concludes his teaching on divorce by taking it up a notch and making everyone uncomfortable (Matthew 19:9-12). Jesus says that in cases of “unfaithfulness” divorce may be an option. “Unfaithfulness” is anything that breaks the covenant of marriage, the oneness and commitment. So situations like sexual affairs, physical abuse, or abandonment all fall into those categories.

Jesus’ response is really pointed at those who divorce for convenience. When he says, “And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery” what he is saying is that by marrying again, all hope of the original marriage being restored is gone. When we think of “adultery” we always think of sex. However, “adultery” is the breaking of a covenant whether through sexual unfaithfulness or physical abuse. The prophets of the OT often described Israel’s actions against God as adulterous. Not because they were necessarily sexual in nature (all though sometimes that was the case), but because they were breaking their covenant with God. So if a divorced person remarries, is that person committing "adultery" every time he or she has sex with their new spouse? The answer is "no". The adultery that Jesus is speaking about is not sexual in nature, he is referring to the previous marriage covenant that cannot be restored because a new covenant has begun.

Jesus is emphasizing that the marriage covenant is to be taken seriously, much like how God keeps his covenant with people. Flippant or convenient divorces is not how God operates nor is it how he wants people to operate. Both the entering into marriage and exiting of a marriage covenant need to be carefully considered before any action is taken.

What can we take away from Jesus’ teaching?

• Do whatever it takes to not divorce.

• If divorce happens reconciliation is always an option.

• If divorce happens, remaining single is probably the best option unless sexually speaking it would be too difficult. (1 Corinthians 7:10-11)

• Divorce is not the unforgivable sin. (It could be argued whether or not divorce itself is a sin.)

• Temporary separation is a good option to take time and repair the covenant.

Must Watch Video!

What's In A Name?

The reason why understanding culture is important in ministry is because people will respond to you based on their past personal history and their culture’s history. For instance, the color yellow is sacred to China’s culture but signifies “sadness” in Greece’s culture and “jealousy” in France’s culture.

To further reinforce this concept of interpreting the present based on the past, Science Daily reports that Miami University researchers discovered that people will even go as far as associating specific physical attributes with names.

From the two photos below, which do you perceive to be Bob and which is Tim?

An entire lecture hall of students chose the bearded man as Tim and the rounded-faced man as Bob. I did the same. I must admit that I was surprised because I always thought that one’s perceptions of who looks like a “Bob” were shaped by that individual’s own history of personal encounters. But this research would suggest that instead of someone looking like a “Bob” because they look like your Uncle Bob (your personal history), that there is something present in your cultural DNA causing you and many others in your cultural community to make the association (cultural history).

Just how deep does culture’s influence run? And how strong is it?

[Photo Credit: Psychonomic Bulletin & Review]

A Few Thoughts On Revelation

I recently preached a sermon on the Bible book of Revelation and have received a few questions regarding my thoughts. My view on the letter of Revelation is rarely talked about and quite frankly is not very popular, however I feel that it is the most accurate--simply because it fits the same formula used to interpret the rest of the New Testament letters. It's a matter of context.

Revelation was a letter written by the apostle John in the late first century. It was written to a specific group of churches in Asia Minor who were facing specific struggles and persecution. For 21st century Americans to take the writings of this letter and directly apply them to our time and culture is not fair and is in fact, intellectual dishonesty because we don't do that with the rest of the Bible. (It also shows how self absorbed we can be as Americans.)

When we, as 21st century dwellers, read the Revelation letter we are reading someone else's mail. So what lies within the letter, though it is truth, does not always apply directly to our time and place. For example, when we read Revelation why do we think Russian tanks, Iranian nuclear bombs and George W. Bush? Is that what the Christians in Ephesus were thinking when they read the letter? No! Yet they found the letter to be extremely helpful and encouraging.

Why do so many Christians today skip over Revelation or disregard it all together? I mean, it's the only book in the Bible that guarantees that the reader will be blessed if they read it. Most Christians I know steer way clear of Revelation...it just freaks them out. The closest they may ever get to Revelation (at least in their mind) is to read a "Left Behind" book. So let me make a suggestion: What if most of the letter of Revelation has already taken place or is taking place right now? What if only a small chunk of the letter is yet to unfold? What if we have been living in "the last days" for two thousand plus years? What if right now we are in the midst of "the Great Tribulation"? It is not so impossible to believe.

I want to you try out the following exercise. Read the following excerpt of Scripture...I'm not even going to tell you where it's from, at least not yet.

"Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused. Then at your command, O Lord at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare."


Now, does the writing in this section of Scripture sound similar to the letter of Revelation? You could easily drop these verses right into Revelation and not miss a beat. So where is this section of Scripture from and what is going on?

This text is taken from Psalm 18:7-15. It was written by David describing how God rescued him from Saul, when Saul was trying to hunt him down and kill him. Now, when you read the actual account as recorded in 1 Samuel, it doesn't sound like that at all--at least from our vantage point. Yet this is how David chooses to describe it.

So what is the point? In Revelation, when we read of the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from the sky, the water turning bitter, and crazy demon scorpions coming out of the ground, we need to understand that it is very probable that these events already happened and some may in fact still be happening today. Revelation was written with apocalyptic wordage and though it may not be common place to us, it was for the Christians living in Asia Minor in the first century.

So what should you do? Well, to get the most out of Revelation put aside the notion of trying to figure out who the Beast is and what micro chip may in fact be the number 666. Look to the over arching theme that runs throughout the letter: No matter what circumstances, struggles or persecutions you may be facing Jesus is still the King of kings and the Lord of lords and in the end he makes everything right!

On Loving God and Loving People

Tonight, my daughter Samantha and I walked up to the playground at Lemme School. On the way we walked by one of our neighbors who was outside working in his driveway. He is an older gentleman who needs oxygen on a regular basis, and has a hard time getting around. I stopped to talk to him for a while, just shootin the breeze. When I was done Samantha said to me, "You love that man don't you Dad?" I thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah I do Samantha, I love him." Quite honestly, I hardly know the guy. I have maybe, talked to him a total of three times in my life, but that doesn't change the fact that God loves him. So if God loves him and I love God, that means I show my love for God by loving that man. Think of it this way. Remember the incident recorded in Matthew 22 where Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is? Here is a quick refresher:

³⁴ "But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

³⁷ Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." ~ Matthew 22:34-40

So for a long time I just figured that Jesus couldn't count. I mean, the guy did ask for one commandment and Jesus gave him two. What does that mean except that to really, truly love God, you and I have to really, truly love people. God does...in fact today and everyday, you will lock eyes with people who Jesus died on the cross for. He loved them and we are to love them as well. Have a great day loving people and loving God! Love, Tom