Our culture worships the athlete and the sports star. This worship is demonstrated each week as thousands gather in their shrines, temples and churches of sport to heap praise upon their chosen deity. Couple this with the outlandish salaries and out-of-sight tickets prices and it is clear to see that we have created an obvious lack of priorities in our land. A place where a teacher makes a few thousands dollars a year to educate the minds of children and a football player earns multi-millions for catching a football and doing a funky dance.
However, I still love sports. I love the conflict, the skill, the mental toughness, and the stories that come out of it when people embrace what sport and competition is all about. Case in point is a story written by Rick Reilly over at ESPN.com called, "Outpouring of Faith." Take a moment and read it...maybe even with a tissue nearby . You will be glad that you did.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Many beliefs, many paths to heaven?
This recent article from USAToday reveals that our culture is becoming a "whatever" culture. Believe, do, or think "whatever" you want just as long as it doesn't affect me. Here is an excerpt from the article.
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY
Most American religious believers, including most Christians, say eternal life is not exclusively for those who accept Christ as their savior, a new survey finds.
Of the 65% of people who held this open view of heaven's gates, 80% named at least one non-Christian group — Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists or people with no religion at all — who may also be saved, according to a new survey released today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
FAITH & REASON: A 'crisis' for evangelicals?
This means 52% of Christians do not agree with the doctrines many religions teach, particularly conservative denominations.
Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, calls the findings "a theological crisis for American evangelicals. They represent at best a misunderstanding of the Gospel and at worst a repudiation of the Gospel." (You can read the entire article here.)
I guess Jesus didn't know what he was talking about when he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~ John 14:6. As long as I breathe I am going to tell people that there is one way to God and that is through Jesus. I don't say that because I'm mean. I don't say that because I hate. I don't say that because I'm not gracious or forgiving. I say that because it's the truth.
Friday, December 05, 2008
What I Learned From My Recent Doctrine Series
I wanted to share a few thoughts with you regarding what I learned during this recent message series on doctrine. I know, I know. I’m the preacher and I’m supposed to have it all together and know everything about God, the Bible, and all the Christianity stuff. The truth is, I’m just like you. I’m still building a foundation for my faith. You might be shocked at how long I wrestled with what to say on some of the topics. I can tell you honestly, working on this series strengthened my Christian faith. On the flip side, I was surprised at some of the questions you asked via text messages. Not because the questions were bad, but because I had assumed everyone already understood. All in all, I learned a lot about myself, and I learned a lot about you. So with that in mind, I wanted to share with you some of the things I learned from the doctrine message series. Also, I would love to hear what you learned as well (or even didn’t learn). If you get a chance, jot them done and e-mail them to me or drop them off sometime.
So here’s my list, in no particular order.
· The more I study about God the more he blows my mind. It was so difficult trying to describe God and the more I tried the more frustrating it became, and quite frankly I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I will tell you this, my worship of God increased the more I studied who He is.
· Life is all about Jesus. A question I kept coming back to the forefront as I went through each message week by week. It was this: What do you believe about Jesus? Everything about life hangs on how you answer that question.
· I still don’t totally get the Holy Spirit and maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
· I need to spend more time in the Bible.
· I was surprised at how many Christians struggle with forgiving themselves.
· I better understand the justice of God. God’s holiness, grace, and love are huge but His justice/ranks right up there too.
· My understanding of salvation was reaffirmed as I studied what the Bible says. There is only one way to be saved and that is through God’s gracious gift of Jesus. However, people are not always in agreement on how one receives the free gift of Jesus. The relatively easy exercise of looking at what the New Testament says about the words, “salvation,” “save,” and “saved” was extremely profitable in reaffirming what I believe. If you haven’t had a chance yet, you need to go to www.Biblegateway.com and do a “key word” search on each of those words and compile the verses for yourself. Believe me, you will be glad that you did.
· What you believe about Jesus affects how you live. For example, if you really believe that Jesus is Lord then you would want to serve him in anyway possible.
· I was reminded about my own mortality. I don’t stop and think about it enough. I know that sounds weird, but when I used the coffin for the message on Heaven and Hell it was a powerful reminder about how short life is and it helped me to prioritize my life better.
· The church is literally the body of Christ. We are to carry on his ministry.
· A lot of people are really close to making decisions for Jesus. Whether it’s a first time decision to accept him as Savior and Lord or a decision to be obedient to what he wants them to do.
Monday, December 01, 2008
I Love Our Worship Team
For many...many months my wife Suzi has carried the load of leading our praise and worship at church, along with being the only instrumentalist (piano), and has done a magnificent job! Well this fall we have added a number of very talented musicians and Suzi is like a kid in a candy store. Not only does she not have to worry about leading week in and week out (Adam Thomas from CCF has been helping out a ton and doing a fabulous job) but now she has many different options when it comes to putting together a worship service. God has been so good to us and it has been fun to see the worship team set the pace for our weekly worship service. God is good...all the time!
Anyway, Adam has lead a song the last two weeks that I had never heard before and it has stuck with me all day today as I've been doing my thing. So, I thought I would share it with you. It's called "Song of Hope." Enjoy!
Anyway, Adam has lead a song the last two weeks that I had never heard before and it has stuck with me all day today as I've been doing my thing. So, I thought I would share it with you. It's called "Song of Hope." Enjoy!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A Great Story On What It Means To Give
Here is an article from our local paper, the IC Press-Citizen. It's about a friend of ours, Ed Grattan, and his gift to a man he doesn't even know. I highly recommend giving it a read.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Questions - Doctrine: Salvation
There were a number of questions from the recent message I preached on the Doctrine of Salvation. Here are the questions and the answers.
"What if people don't have the opportunity to know Jesus? There are other countries that have not heard the gospel."
This is a widely debated question. It is often times used as a response by people who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord, citing that God would never condemn those who had never heard about Jesus (Universalism). So because it is such a widely debated question there are many theories and ideas. But here is the bottom line; we don't know exactly what is going to happen to them...and quite frankly it's not our job to know. Our job is to carry out the Great Commission and tell as many people as possible about Jesus. So with that in mind, here is what the Bible reveals.
First off we know that God is omniscient. He knows everything that you are going to do and He knows who is ultimately going to choose Jesus. My guess is that God's foreknowledge plays a role in answering the question. To what extent only God knows...but He does know.
Second, God is a just God. He is going to handle the situation perfectly, justly, and rightly. No one is going to be able and say that God was unfair. Acts 17:31 says,
"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed."
If there is anyone in the universe prepared to handle this situation it's God. He doesn't need a blindfold (Lady Justice) to hand out impartial justice. He, by his very nature will be fair.
Third, the apostle Paul makes it clear that regardless of the situation, "men are without excuse." Here read it for yourself:
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." ~ Romans 1:18-20
Lastly, 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is patient, waiting for people to repent. Do you think that God is out to entrap as many people as possible and send them to hell? Think again. God loves the world and He wants everyone to have an opportunity to return to Him. So what that means is if God loves the world and wants them to know Jesus and if our job is to tell people about Jesus...well we had better get after it! In fact, one could make the argument that God is waiting patiently until everyone has had an opportunity to hear about the Good News concerning Jesus.
"Repentance meaning 2 turn away from. What about a sin we continue 2 do over and over knowing its wrong but unable 2 beat it?"
For starters, we forget that life here on earth is war. There is a battle raging every second of every moment of the day. What is the battle? The battle is for our hearts...for our very souls. The Enemy? Satan and his angels seek to tempt and lure humanity to reject the Living God and His Son Jesus. The Enemy is also the sinful world that we live in. The sin of this world can be very appealing. Just like the fruit in the Garden had appeal to Eve, so the sin of this world can grab our attention. Throw in the fact that our bodies are very susceptible to the sinful desires of this world and you see the issue at play here: We are at war!
Paul's lament in Romans 7:14-25 powerfully describes his own personal situation. I really like how the New Living Translation translates it. Here are verse 21-25:
"According to the Bible, what is the difference between justification and salvation?"
Think of salvation as "the big picture" or "the main idea." Salvation is God engaging a plan to save mankind from sin and man then receiving or responding to that gift offered to them in Jesus Christ. So "the big picture" is salvation. Within "the big picture" there are different facets. God's grace, his mercy, man's faith, repentance, baptism, etc. Justification is one of those facets within salvation.
The word justify is a forensic term meaning "to acquit," "to declare righteous," the opposite of condemn. Thus justifying is the judge's act. So in the salvation process, one is justified when they put their faith in Jesus Christ and enter into a covenant relationship with him. The apostle Paul does a magnificent job of describing this in Romans 3:23-26. Here is verse 26 -
"...he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." So according to Paul, in the process of salvation, justification (or acquittal) takes place when one puts their faith in Jesus.
"If Jesus died for us, why does he take innocent peoples lives away? Why does he also give people diseases that hurt peoples families and themselves?"
For starters let me point out that no where in the Bible dose it suggest that Jesus takes away the lives of innocent people, nor does he give diseases. If you are looking for someone to blame start with Satan who according to Jesus "only comes to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10) You can also blame the sinful people who inhabit planet earth. The apostle Paul states,
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) The nasty, ugly, painful realities of this earth are not of God's doing. Instead they are the results of the influence of a deadly enemy and the rebellious choices of sinful people. God allows these realities to exist because He is patiently waiting for people to turn to him and receive the forgiveness of their sins (2 Peter 3:9).
"What if people don't have the opportunity to know Jesus? There are other countries that have not heard the gospel."
This is a widely debated question. It is often times used as a response by people who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord, citing that God would never condemn those who had never heard about Jesus (Universalism). So because it is such a widely debated question there are many theories and ideas. But here is the bottom line; we don't know exactly what is going to happen to them...and quite frankly it's not our job to know. Our job is to carry out the Great Commission and tell as many people as possible about Jesus. So with that in mind, here is what the Bible reveals.
First off we know that God is omniscient. He knows everything that you are going to do and He knows who is ultimately going to choose Jesus. My guess is that God's foreknowledge plays a role in answering the question. To what extent only God knows...but He does know.
Second, God is a just God. He is going to handle the situation perfectly, justly, and rightly. No one is going to be able and say that God was unfair. Acts 17:31 says,
"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed."
If there is anyone in the universe prepared to handle this situation it's God. He doesn't need a blindfold (Lady Justice) to hand out impartial justice. He, by his very nature will be fair.
Third, the apostle Paul makes it clear that regardless of the situation, "men are without excuse." Here read it for yourself:
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." ~ Romans 1:18-20
Lastly, 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is patient, waiting for people to repent. Do you think that God is out to entrap as many people as possible and send them to hell? Think again. God loves the world and He wants everyone to have an opportunity to return to Him. So what that means is if God loves the world and wants them to know Jesus and if our job is to tell people about Jesus...well we had better get after it! In fact, one could make the argument that God is waiting patiently until everyone has had an opportunity to hear about the Good News concerning Jesus.
"Repentance meaning 2 turn away from. What about a sin we continue 2 do over and over knowing its wrong but unable 2 beat it?"
For starters, we forget that life here on earth is war. There is a battle raging every second of every moment of the day. What is the battle? The battle is for our hearts...for our very souls. The Enemy? Satan and his angels seek to tempt and lure humanity to reject the Living God and His Son Jesus. The Enemy is also the sinful world that we live in. The sin of this world can be very appealing. Just like the fruit in the Garden had appeal to Eve, so the sin of this world can grab our attention. Throw in the fact that our bodies are very susceptible to the sinful desires of this world and you see the issue at play here: We are at war!
Paul's lament in Romans 7:14-25 powerfully describes his own personal situation. I really like how the New Living Translation translates it. Here are verse 21-25:
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."
So even the apostle Paul understood the battle faced by humanity...even those who had been redeemed. I'll say it one more time: We are at war!
Now, in your question you mentioned repentance. Repentance is greatly misunderstood, so let me emphasis that repentance isn't a one time deal. Every day you wake up and every night you go to sleep you make a choice to repent. That is why Jesus told his disciples that if anyone wanted to follow him they had to take up their cross daily. In other words, Christ's followers die to themselves each day. So I say all of that simply to remind each of us that because we are at war in this world we need to daily repent and realign our lives with our King...Jesus.
If you want to "beat" a continued pattern of sin, here are a two biblical suggestions.
1) The apostle Paul in Romans 8 (which BTW would be a good chapter to read) makes a strong case for the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians leading them away from sin and closer to God. Never forget that it's a "holy" Spirit that is present in your life to help you become holy. My guess is that the Holy Spirit has been working to lead you away from this particular sin. For example, if this is a sexual sin, I'm sure that the Holy Spirit has prompted/convicted you to break off this relationship and stay away from this person. After the sin there is usually that moment when you experience guilt or shame. "Why did I do that again?" "I need to quite doing that." The Holy Spirit is never going to drag you away kicking and screaming from a sinful situation. But he is going to put up red flags and convict you of your wrong doing. So pay attention to the ques of the Holy Spirit in your life.
2) Since you are recognizing this is a sin that is out of control you need to confess your sin to another Christian. The Bible has numerous examples of the importance of confession in dealing with sin.
"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." ~ Proverbs 28:13
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." ~ James 5:16
So I would suggest seeking out someone who is more mature in their Christian faith and of the same sex as you. Confess your sin to them, ask for their prayers, counsel and accountability.
So even the apostle Paul understood the battle faced by humanity...even those who had been redeemed. I'll say it one more time: We are at war!
Now, in your question you mentioned repentance. Repentance is greatly misunderstood, so let me emphasis that repentance isn't a one time deal. Every day you wake up and every night you go to sleep you make a choice to repent. That is why Jesus told his disciples that if anyone wanted to follow him they had to take up their cross daily. In other words, Christ's followers die to themselves each day. So I say all of that simply to remind each of us that because we are at war in this world we need to daily repent and realign our lives with our King...Jesus.
If you want to "beat" a continued pattern of sin, here are a two biblical suggestions.
1) The apostle Paul in Romans 8 (which BTW would be a good chapter to read) makes a strong case for the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians leading them away from sin and closer to God. Never forget that it's a "holy" Spirit that is present in your life to help you become holy. My guess is that the Holy Spirit has been working to lead you away from this particular sin. For example, if this is a sexual sin, I'm sure that the Holy Spirit has prompted/convicted you to break off this relationship and stay away from this person. After the sin there is usually that moment when you experience guilt or shame. "Why did I do that again?" "I need to quite doing that." The Holy Spirit is never going to drag you away kicking and screaming from a sinful situation. But he is going to put up red flags and convict you of your wrong doing. So pay attention to the ques of the Holy Spirit in your life.
2) Since you are recognizing this is a sin that is out of control you need to confess your sin to another Christian. The Bible has numerous examples of the importance of confession in dealing with sin.
"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." ~ Proverbs 28:13
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." ~ James 5:16
So I would suggest seeking out someone who is more mature in their Christian faith and of the same sex as you. Confess your sin to them, ask for their prayers, counsel and accountability.
"According to the Bible, what is the difference between justification and salvation?"
Think of salvation as "the big picture" or "the main idea." Salvation is God engaging a plan to save mankind from sin and man then receiving or responding to that gift offered to them in Jesus Christ. So "the big picture" is salvation. Within "the big picture" there are different facets. God's grace, his mercy, man's faith, repentance, baptism, etc. Justification is one of those facets within salvation.
The word justify is a forensic term meaning "to acquit," "to declare righteous," the opposite of condemn. Thus justifying is the judge's act. So in the salvation process, one is justified when they put their faith in Jesus Christ and enter into a covenant relationship with him. The apostle Paul does a magnificent job of describing this in Romans 3:23-26. Here is verse 26 -
"...he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." So according to Paul, in the process of salvation, justification (or acquittal) takes place when one puts their faith in Jesus.
"If Jesus died for us, why does he take innocent peoples lives away? Why does he also give people diseases that hurt peoples families and themselves?"
For starters let me point out that no where in the Bible dose it suggest that Jesus takes away the lives of innocent people, nor does he give diseases. If you are looking for someone to blame start with Satan who according to Jesus "only comes to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10) You can also blame the sinful people who inhabit planet earth. The apostle Paul states,
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) The nasty, ugly, painful realities of this earth are not of God's doing. Instead they are the results of the influence of a deadly enemy and the rebellious choices of sinful people. God allows these realities to exist because He is patiently waiting for people to turn to him and receive the forgiveness of their sins (2 Peter 3:9).
Saturday, November 15, 2008
10 Reasons Why You're Probably Going To Fail
This article was posted by Tony Morgan, one of the bloggers I read on a regular basis. I thought that it was very insightful and worth a read. Check it out here.
Iowa vs Penn State Highlight Video
Just a note on Daniel Murray the Iowa kicker. He's an Iowa City kid who graduated from Regina a couple of years ago. Anyway, after the game Daniel's parents took him out for a steak dinner. Then he got to bed because he had to usher at church the next day and study for a Monday test. Very cool.
While it's usually the troublemakers that get the press, there are a lot of good kids on every football team across the country who don't get the props they deserve. They work hard on the field and in the classroom and are just flat out good kids.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Aligning Your Faith?
I was going to use this in my sermon on Sunday, but as I was putting everything together I just didn't have enough room. So I thought that I would share it here.
The basis for this current message series on Doctrine is on building a foundation for our faith. Faith isn't a feeling, a Jesus fish on your car, or weekly church attendance. One's faith in God is based upon truth. Way too many Christians say they have a faith, yet they don't know what they believe. This causes problems when difficult times in life hit or when ones faith is brought into question. The result is Christians allow their faith to become fluid. It shifts and moves depending on what they feel, what they hear, or what Oprah says.
Here is an example. Last Sunday, a group of gay and lesbian folks protested the recent amendment to the California Constitution saying that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Because of the amendment, a number of churches have had protests, this one in particular was at Saddleback Church in Orange County. One of the women protesting, Laura McFerrin, made this statement; (you can read the whole story here)
“The hardest part of coming out as a lesbian is aligning your faith with who you are.”
The truth is you don't align your faith with who you are. You align who you are with your faith in God. This isn't just a gay or lesbian issue. This is an issue for every person in how they deal with their relationships, thought life, money, careers, sex...the list is endless.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 3:5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."
If there is going to be any fluidity in your faith it should be found in you moving and changing to fit God's truth. So let me close this out with a question: What is your faith built upon?
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
In God We Do Not Trust
There is a blog that I read on a regular basis written by Mark Driscoll. I came across this post this morning and I thought that it put the election in a good perspective...especially if you are a Christian. Understand also that this has nothing to do with Obama or McCain nor is it a Republican or Democrat issue--it's a Jesus issue.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Help A Preacher Out: I'm Going to Jail!
Now don't get too excited. I'm actually going to jail for a good cause. I'm helping out the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) of Johnson County to raise money for research. What they are going to do is lock me up until I raise my bail money...so that is where you come in. I need bail money. If you don't know much about MDA, MDA is a national voluntary health agency dedicated to fighting 40 muscle diseases that impact millions of people in our country. In fact probably everyone of you knows at least one person who is affect
ed by some type of muscle disease. If you would be willing to donate some money towards MDA research you would be making a difference in the lives of a lot of people as well as getting the preacher out of jail. And believe me it never looks good to have your preacher in jail for any extended amount of time. If you would like to help me out, you can go to this personal web site and donate money there or you can give me a check made out to MDA. I would greatly appreciate it!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Even More Questions: Satan, Demons and Angels
"What about people that teach from the Bible and believe what they are teaching is from God, but their message seems twisted. Are these people demon possessed?"
Probably not. Here's why. The people described in the Bible as being demon possessed are not people that you would want to be around, with the one exception maybe being the slave girl who could tell the future (Acts 16:16). The rest of the demon possessed people were freakish. They were afflicted with some type of physical ailment. They were violent, suicidal, homicidal, possessing some type of mental illness, sometimes running around naked, and possessing incredible strength.
People who preach or teach a false message may be charismatic but for the most part don't portray characteristics of being possessed by a demon. Read what Paul writes to young pastor Timothy.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." ~ 1 Timothy 4:1,2
What Paul is teaching here is that the teachers are not necessarily possessed, they have instead allowed their "consciences" to be seared. What that means is they have chosen to reject truth and instead have allowed their consciences to be influenced by false teaching. Let me give you an example. For example a demon might tempt a teacher or preacher in regard to that person's pride or ego. That individual might want people to listen to him or her and so they might say things that are not necessarily true simply to draw a crowd or get strokes from people. Are they possessed? No, they are sinnful people being influenced by demonic activity.
"Why does God have angels if He doesn't really need them? Why doesn't He just do things Himself if He's omnipresent?"
That is a really good question and one that I had as I was putting the message together. Biblically, I can't find an answer to that question. Here is something I read as I was putting the message together:
"Of course, God would not have to use angels in carrying out the details of His plan, but He has chosen to do so. This does not mean that we worship angels any more than we would worship the circumstances or the friends God might use in carrying out His plan. But since He has chosen to use them, we should give due consideration and thanks to God for angels. In an old church in Scotland are inscribed these words which put the matter in proper balance: “Though God’s Power Be Sufithink to Governe Us, Yet for Man’s Infirmitie He appointeth His Angels to Watch over Us.”"
"Does the possessed person know that they are possessed?"
The Bible doesn't say specifically, but what I can deduce is that the answer would be yes. In the account of Jesus healing the demon possessed man in the cemetary of Gerasenes (probably the worst case of demon possession in the Bible) after Jesus heals the man the man begs and pleads to go with Jesus. Why? Because he knew how bad his life had been. He knew that his life had been a wreck until Jesus healed him. But notice what Jesus wanted him to do. Jesus wanted this man to go back to town and tell his story. Quite frankly the man doesn't have much of a story unless he was aware of his demon possession.
"What do you do if your mom's in a spiritual battle?"
You know, personally this sermon really heightened my awarness of demonic activity in my life. One of our greatest oversights is to ignore the role of Satan and demons in our life. So in helping people with the spiritual battles they face the greatest thing we can do is pray for them. Paul wraps up his Ephesian letter by emphasizing the armor we should wear to withstand the attacks of the Enemy. The last item listed is prayer.
"Pray at all times on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Ephesians 6:18
Most of our prayers look more like a Christmas list. God fix this, give me this, and help me with this. However, if what Paul says is true (and I believe it is) we should be praying for ourselves and others in regards to protection from demonic attacks. We are always so quick to pray for physical healing but what about spiritual protection and healing. So I would suggest that the most important thing that you can do is pray for your mom's heart and spiritual protection.
Probably not. Here's why. The people described in the Bible as being demon possessed are not people that you would want to be around, with the one exception maybe being the slave girl who could tell the future (Acts 16:16). The rest of the demon possessed people were freakish. They were afflicted with some type of physical ailment. They were violent, suicidal, homicidal, possessing some type of mental illness, sometimes running around naked, and possessing incredible strength.
People who preach or teach a false message may be charismatic but for the most part don't portray characteristics of being possessed by a demon. Read what Paul writes to young pastor Timothy.
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." ~ 1 Timothy 4:1,2
What Paul is teaching here is that the teachers are not necessarily possessed, they have instead allowed their "consciences" to be seared. What that means is they have chosen to reject truth and instead have allowed their consciences to be influenced by false teaching. Let me give you an example. For example a demon might tempt a teacher or preacher in regard to that person's pride or ego. That individual might want people to listen to him or her and so they might say things that are not necessarily true simply to draw a crowd or get strokes from people. Are they possessed? No, they are sinnful people being influenced by demonic activity.
"Why does God have angels if He doesn't really need them? Why doesn't He just do things Himself if He's omnipresent?"
That is a really good question and one that I had as I was putting the message together. Biblically, I can't find an answer to that question. Here is something I read as I was putting the message together:
"Of course, God would not have to use angels in carrying out the details of His plan, but He has chosen to do so. This does not mean that we worship angels any more than we would worship the circumstances or the friends God might use in carrying out His plan. But since He has chosen to use them, we should give due consideration and thanks to God for angels. In an old church in Scotland are inscribed these words which put the matter in proper balance: “Though God’s Power Be Sufithink to Governe Us, Yet for Man’s Infirmitie He appointeth His Angels to Watch over Us.”"
Ryrie, Charles Caldwell: A Survey of Bible Doctrine. Chicago : Moody Press, 1995, c1972
So my opinion is that God uses angels as go betweens with humanity because it gives humans something a little more tangible. Since God is spirit, we don't always "see" His work and at times we question if something is from God. This was even more true before Scripture was readily available for all people. The angels that make there appearances in the Old and New Testaments clearly communicated God's message so that the listeners knew without a doubt what God wanted. A great example of this is the appearance of Gabriel to Mary and Joesph.
So my opinion is that God uses angels as go betweens with humanity because it gives humans something a little more tangible. Since God is spirit, we don't always "see" His work and at times we question if something is from God. This was even more true before Scripture was readily available for all people. The angels that make there appearances in the Old and New Testaments clearly communicated God's message so that the listeners knew without a doubt what God wanted. A great example of this is the appearance of Gabriel to Mary and Joesph.
"Does the possessed person know that they are possessed?"
The Bible doesn't say specifically, but what I can deduce is that the answer would be yes. In the account of Jesus healing the demon possessed man in the cemetary of Gerasenes (probably the worst case of demon possession in the Bible) after Jesus heals the man the man begs and pleads to go with Jesus. Why? Because he knew how bad his life had been. He knew that his life had been a wreck until Jesus healed him. But notice what Jesus wanted him to do. Jesus wanted this man to go back to town and tell his story. Quite frankly the man doesn't have much of a story unless he was aware of his demon possession.
"What do you do if your mom's in a spiritual battle?"
You know, personally this sermon really heightened my awarness of demonic activity in my life. One of our greatest oversights is to ignore the role of Satan and demons in our life. So in helping people with the spiritual battles they face the greatest thing we can do is pray for them. Paul wraps up his Ephesian letter by emphasizing the armor we should wear to withstand the attacks of the Enemy. The last item listed is prayer.
"Pray at all times on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Ephesians 6:18
Most of our prayers look more like a Christmas list. God fix this, give me this, and help me with this. However, if what Paul says is true (and I believe it is) we should be praying for ourselves and others in regards to protection from demonic attacks. We are always so quick to pray for physical healing but what about spiritual protection and healing. So I would suggest that the most important thing that you can do is pray for your mom's heart and spiritual protection.
More Questions: Satan, Demons, and Angels
Here are a couple more questions from Sunday.
"Can demons still come inside of people like they did in the Bible?"
"Do evil spirits still exist in today's society or can the claims of them be explained?"
My answer would be "yes." I have talked to missionaries and read articles and books by missionaries who have described cultures where the people believe in evil spirits and demons and where demon possession have been observed. So I think that demon possession is still a reality in this world.
Here is a link to a biblical study on Demons done by Mark Moore a professor at Ozark Bible College. The essay looks at how demons operate from a biblical perspective. I found it to be very helpful. Here is a quote from the essay.
So the question exists, "Why don't we see more demon possession here in the United States? Here is a quote from the essay by Moore.
"The dominant tools of Satan in America have been materialism, scientism and naturalism. As we become disillusioned with these and turn to spiritism, we can expect to see a rise in demonic activity, including possession." ~ Mark Moore
I'm fairly confident that Satan and his demons are very active and engaged in the western culture of the United States, it just looks different because as a whole we don't believe in "spiritual things." Now that doesn't me that you can't spot demonic activity. Anything that distorts truth, upholds sexual immorality, profanes God, seeks the destruction of human life, essentially anything that is evil is influenced at some level by demon or demons.
"Can demons still come inside of people like they did in the Bible?"
"Do evil spirits still exist in today's society or can the claims of them be explained?"
My answer would be "yes." I have talked to missionaries and read articles and books by missionaries who have described cultures where the people believe in evil spirits and demons and where demon possession have been observed. So I think that demon possession is still a reality in this world.
Here is a link to a biblical study on Demons done by Mark Moore a professor at Ozark Bible College. The essay looks at how demons operate from a biblical perspective. I found it to be very helpful. Here is a quote from the essay.
So the question exists, "Why don't we see more demon possession here in the United States? Here is a quote from the essay by Moore.
"The dominant tools of Satan in America have been materialism, scientism and naturalism. As we become disillusioned with these and turn to spiritism, we can expect to see a rise in demonic activity, including possession." ~ Mark Moore
I'm fairly confident that Satan and his demons are very active and engaged in the western culture of the United States, it just looks different because as a whole we don't believe in "spiritual things." Now that doesn't me that you can't spot demonic activity. Anything that distorts truth, upholds sexual immorality, profanes God, seeks the destruction of human life, essentially anything that is evil is influenced at some level by demon or demons.
Questions: Doctrine - Satan, Demons, Angels
I have a bunch of questions from the last message I preached on Satan, Demons, and Angels...imagine that. Here are the questions I was not able to get to on Sunday. I hope it helps.
"If Satan rules the earth, how can God's plan be fulfilled?"
It's not always easy to understand, but the truth is Satan only does what God allows him to do.
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." ~ Revelation 20:10
If you read through Revelation you see that while Satan is a very real threat that needs to be guarded against, ultimately it's God that holds his chain. So always remember that God is sovereign and His Kingdom will come and His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is my opinion but I think that Satan's freedom here on earth has more to do with us then it does God. Our faithfulness and dependence upon God can grow and be enhanced when we choose God even in the face of temptation and opposition. That is why the apostle Paul is so clear in Ephesians 6 regarding the defensive and offensive tools available for us to stand our ground (and even advance) against the kingdom of Satan.
"Does Satan have any capacity for good what with his being a former angel and having that part of himself manifested?"
Good question, and actually the first question my son Alex had for me when he found out that I was preaching on Satan. The truth that we have to remember about God is that part of his nature is that He is omniscient. He knows everything and is not limited by time or space. He knows how it is all going to end and He knows the decisions and choices of all of His creation--including Satan. So He knew from the beginning that Satan would not repent and come back to Him. Here is an interesting example of this.
Jesus in coming to his home country and preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God is rejected. Listen to his response to that rejection.
"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." ~ Matthew 11:21
So in other words, Jesus being God, knew what these communities would have chosen as well as what Korazin and Bethsaida would chose in the future. Remember, God knows.
That is all the time I have for now. I will answer more later.
"If Satan rules the earth, how can God's plan be fulfilled?"
It's not always easy to understand, but the truth is Satan only does what God allows him to do.
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." ~ Revelation 20:10
If you read through Revelation you see that while Satan is a very real threat that needs to be guarded against, ultimately it's God that holds his chain. So always remember that God is sovereign and His Kingdom will come and His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is my opinion but I think that Satan's freedom here on earth has more to do with us then it does God. Our faithfulness and dependence upon God can grow and be enhanced when we choose God even in the face of temptation and opposition. That is why the apostle Paul is so clear in Ephesians 6 regarding the defensive and offensive tools available for us to stand our ground (and even advance) against the kingdom of Satan.
"Does Satan have any capacity for good what with his being a former angel and having that part of himself manifested?"
Good question, and actually the first question my son Alex had for me when he found out that I was preaching on Satan. The truth that we have to remember about God is that part of his nature is that He is omniscient. He knows everything and is not limited by time or space. He knows how it is all going to end and He knows the decisions and choices of all of His creation--including Satan. So He knew from the beginning that Satan would not repent and come back to Him. Here is an interesting example of this.
Jesus in coming to his home country and preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God is rejected. Listen to his response to that rejection.
"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." ~ Matthew 11:21
So in other words, Jesus being God, knew what these communities would have chosen as well as what Korazin and Bethsaida would chose in the future. Remember, God knows.
That is all the time I have for now. I will answer more later.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Video - Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
If you were not able to catch the movie Expelled:No Intelligence Allowed in theaters this last spring, it is now out on video. It might be hard to find in rental stores but it should be there, you might have to ask for it. I highly recommend watching this movie, which confronts the fact that the theory of intelligent design is being removed from discussion at institutions of higher education. Ben Stein does a fantastic job of getting to the bottom of what is behind this removal and how extensive it is. He is engaging, funny, and thorough in his approach. So if you get a chance watch this video, it will open your eyes and provide you with a great education regarding what is behind the theory the evolution.Why watch a movie like this? Because one of the battles we fight as Christians is the battle of truth and the battlefield is the mind. After working on the sermon for Sunday about Satan, Demons, and Angels it became very evident that the Enemy's primary weapon is deception. Demons work to deceive and distort the truth. So when the apostle Paul says that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6) this is a great example.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Doctrine: Satan, Demons, and Angels - Links
If you are looking for good biblical information regarding Satan, demons and angels here are a couple of good resources. The real key to studying this topic is to not get too caught up with the sensational side of the spiritual realm. A lot of beliefs and even teachings come from non-biblical theories or speculation. The best approach is to simply stick with what the Bible teaches and not get too carried away. The following links are to articles written by two Bible College professors who I trust regarding sound Bible study.
Demons - by Mark Moore
Errors in Demonology Theology - by Mark Moore
Holy & Unholy Spirits - by Chuck McCoy
Demons - by Mark Moore
Errors in Demonology Theology - by Mark Moore
Holy & Unholy Spirits - by Chuck McCoy
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit - Question
Here is the one question I didn't have time to answer Sunday after the message.
"How do u know its the HS & not just u when u r deciding to do something?"
You know, this is good question and actually a rather common question. Most Christians, myself included, want to know what God wants them to do and struggle with knowing the response.
So let me throw a couple of thoughts out there. The first and most important it to read the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible and so as long as your activities, thoughts, and desires are in tune with Scripture you can know that the Holy Spirit is leading.
My second thought is this: What if in most cases, we are splitting hairs? Here are the words of Jesus to his disciples before his arrest. Now remember, Jesus has been their "Counselor," in the flesh. He has been their rabbi and lead them over the past three years, now he is going and these are his words:
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” ~ John 14:16-1
This new "Counselor" is spirit in form and will take the place of Jesus--but not just by or with them, but in them; intermingled with their spirit...regenerating their hearts. So what if the decisions and choices we begin to make once we are Christians are already lead by the HS?
For example, you enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus and receive the gift of the HS. Then you decide to join a small group Bible study. Who lead you to make that decision? You hear a missionary speak at church about a huge need in a certain country and you decide to give money toward that ministry. Who lead you to make that decision? Well it was you and the HS. Remember, you have been transformed, changed and so there are a lot of decisions you are going to make that honor God because you have been renewed from the inside...out. You are possessed by the HS and you are going to begin to make decisions simply because of the work of the Spirit in your life. So that is why I say it's kind of like splitting hairs, your spirit and the HS have become one.
Actually the harder thing is saying "no" to the HS or simply not trusting his leading and doing your own thing. Those moments seem to be much more clear in my life. I can count way too many times in my life when the HS wanted me to say something and I chose to be silent. I can think of times when the HS wanted me to intercede and I remained inactive. There have been time when the HS wanted me to confess a sin to someone and I chose to play it safe. If you are like me, it's not so much knowing what the HS wants me to do, it's more of a matter of doing what he wants. I hope that helps.
"How do u know its the HS & not just u when u r deciding to do something?"
You know, this is good question and actually a rather common question. Most Christians, myself included, want to know what God wants them to do and struggle with knowing the response.
So let me throw a couple of thoughts out there. The first and most important it to read the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible and so as long as your activities, thoughts, and desires are in tune with Scripture you can know that the Holy Spirit is leading.
My second thought is this: What if in most cases, we are splitting hairs? Here are the words of Jesus to his disciples before his arrest. Now remember, Jesus has been their "Counselor," in the flesh. He has been their rabbi and lead them over the past three years, now he is going and these are his words:
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” ~ John 14:16-1
This new "Counselor" is spirit in form and will take the place of Jesus--but not just by or with them, but in them; intermingled with their spirit...regenerating their hearts. So what if the decisions and choices we begin to make once we are Christians are already lead by the HS?
For example, you enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus and receive the gift of the HS. Then you decide to join a small group Bible study. Who lead you to make that decision? You hear a missionary speak at church about a huge need in a certain country and you decide to give money toward that ministry. Who lead you to make that decision? Well it was you and the HS. Remember, you have been transformed, changed and so there are a lot of decisions you are going to make that honor God because you have been renewed from the inside...out. You are possessed by the HS and you are going to begin to make decisions simply because of the work of the Spirit in your life. So that is why I say it's kind of like splitting hairs, your spirit and the HS have become one.
Actually the harder thing is saying "no" to the HS or simply not trusting his leading and doing your own thing. Those moments seem to be much more clear in my life. I can count way too many times in my life when the HS wanted me to say something and I chose to be silent. I can think of times when the HS wanted me to intercede and I remained inactive. There have been time when the HS wanted me to confess a sin to someone and I chose to play it safe. If you are like me, it's not so much knowing what the HS wants me to do, it's more of a matter of doing what he wants. I hope that helps.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Doctrine: What the Bible Teaches about Jesus - Question
Today my message at church focused on what the Bible teaches about Jesus. As always I have four or five texted questions that I answer at the end of the service. Here is one question I didn't have time to get to. Check it out:
"How r we 2 know always what is of God n what is us? Just everyday decisions."
First you have to start with the Bible. God's Word provides us with a filter for our lives. We know if something is of God if it matches up with what we read in the Bible. That is why it is so important to read the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16)
Second God provides us with the Holy Spirit to direct and lead us through life. Next Sunday I will be talking in detail about what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. From observing my own life and the lives of others, it is very difficult for a lot of Christians to tune into the leading of the Holy Spirit. Part of it is just simply ignoring what the Holy Spirit is leading people to do. But another part of it is the fact that we just don't know how to follow the the Holy Spirit's lead. (John 16:13)
One other resource I would point you to is a book I recently read called, Walking with God, written by John Eldredge. Eldredge gives a practical and real look into his own life of walking with God and how he follows what God's leading...in even the most minute of details. You can read my post about the book here.
"How r we 2 know always what is of God n what is us? Just everyday decisions."
First you have to start with the Bible. God's Word provides us with a filter for our lives. We know if something is of God if it matches up with what we read in the Bible. That is why it is so important to read the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16)
Second God provides us with the Holy Spirit to direct and lead us through life. Next Sunday I will be talking in detail about what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit. From observing my own life and the lives of others, it is very difficult for a lot of Christians to tune into the leading of the Holy Spirit. Part of it is just simply ignoring what the Holy Spirit is leading people to do. But another part of it is the fact that we just don't know how to follow the the Holy Spirit's lead. (John 16:13)
One other resource I would point you to is a book I recently read called, Walking with God, written by John Eldredge. Eldredge gives a practical and real look into his own life of walking with God and how he follows what God's leading...in even the most minute of details. You can read my post about the book here.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Perry Noble Interview: Why New Spring is growing.
I wanted to post this interview because Perry's philosophy for New Spring Church is pretty much the same as mine. The reason why we at IC Church of Christ are experiencing an exciting season of growth right now is because we are focusing on the same basics and working the same strategy. Churches that are laser beam focused on the gospel, streamlined with as few programs as possible, and fluid (most readily able/willing to change to follow God's leading) are churches that are having a big Kingdom impact in their communities.
So, for what it's worth here is an interview with Perry Noble, Lead Pastor at New Spring Church.
So, for what it's worth here is an interview with Perry Noble, Lead Pastor at New Spring Church.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Questions From The Message - Doctrine: God Part 1
We got off and rolling into this new message series called, Doctrine: What the Bible Says Christians Should Believe. One of the unique facets of the series is that each week during the message people are able to text a question to my cell phone and I answer the question (time permitting).I promised that I would answer every question, and so the questions I don't answer during the service I will be answering here. So here is the two questions that I didn't have time to answer after the message:
"So if we can worship all these objects (Side note - I mentioned how we all worship something in life besides God) then why do we have a problem when I comes to worshiping God?"
The short answer would be sin. But let me play that out a little bit more and give you three reasons why sin keeps us from worshiping God:
1) The power of sin. Our world is under the grips of a powerful sinful system the permeates every aspect of life here on earth. What sin does is work on our physical bodies which are incredibly weak to the power of sin. Listen to what the apostle Paul writes,
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." ~ Romans 6:12,13
Just like water naturally moves downward our bodies naturally gravitate to evil desires. Paul's emphasis is that since Christ died for our sins, new life is available to those who enter into a covenant relationship with him. With that new life we have to chose each day to live for Christ or live for evil desires. Thus it is a daily battle to choose to whom you have sworn your allegiance to.
2) It is Satan's desire for each human being to not worship God. Anyone who doesn't worship God is worshiping Satan, there is no third option. The best example of this is found in Luke 4:4-8 where Jesus is being tempted by Satan. Satan offers all the kingdoms of the world (which he could because he is the prince of the kingdom of this world) to Jesus if he (Jesus) will just kneel and worship Satan as Lord. So understand this: Satan and his forces are set on keeping mankind from worshiping the Creator.
3) We settle for the created. (Romans 1:18-32) A lot of this has to do with the fact that we don't know what true life or joy looks like. So what we do then is settle for things like our favorite TV show, the weekend, our girlfriend, our car, our hobby, pornography, or a cold beer. Why? Because they make us feel good and that is what we think life is all about...to feel good.
True worship of the Living God demands something of us, it demands sacrifice. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1,2
"...offer you bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
So worship of God is not something that is easily entered into. Paul says that you must daily choose to crawl onto the altar of sacrifice. So worship is a choice. Then he goes on to say that worship of God is doing to demand that you walk away from how the culture views worship. Do not conform to the worship of settling for the created. Instead offer yourself.
"How does the Holy Spirit impact us now? Why is that part of the trinity important today?"
In a few weeks I will be speaking in great detail specifically about the Holy Spirit. So hang in there and we will get to it. However, for the meantime let me give you these tidbits to think about.
- The HS convicts the world of its need for Jesus. (John 16:8-11)
- The HS restores and regenerates our hearts. (Titus 3:5) Technically you could say that Jesus' death on the cross paved the way for the Holy Spirit to save us.
- The HS lives within everyone that has entered into a covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Prior to Christ's ascension to heaven this was not available, but know it is available to all those who believe.
- The HS seals/marks us as God's children. (Ephesians 4:30)
- The HS gives us gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)
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