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:

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.

"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).

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.

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?

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.

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 affected 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!

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.”"

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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

Real Preachers of Genius

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.

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.

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.

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)

There are other aspects that we will talk about later, but these are the major ones. Let me add this as well. From my study of the Bible and how God has been carrying out his plan here on earth one could say that in the Old Testament you see the plan of God the Father unfold and begin to take shape. Now you also see the Son and the Spirit as well, but the Father is the focus. In the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) you see the focus shift to the gift of Jesus and is work, ministry and mission on planet earth. Again, the God the Father is very evident, and the role of God the Spirit is clear as well but the story is about Jesus and his redemptive work and resurrection. Then in the book of Acts and the letters that follow you see a third shift. God the Fathers' plan continues to unfold. The gospel of Jesus continues to be the message to the world. However, all of this comes under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts, leads, teaches, empower, and organizes the church and the Christians that make up the church to accomplish the mission of the Kingdom of God. So to answer the question, we are living in that age. The Holy Spirit is incredibly active and engaged not only in the world but in your life. What each Christian needs to do is tune into what the Holy Spirit is doing in their lives. Good questions. Hopefully they were adequately answered. If not let me know. Make sure and check back here next week and I will probably be answering a few more questions.

Is The Bible Reliable?

I launched a new message series on Sunday called, Doctrine: What the Bible Say Christians Should Believe. The focus of the message has to deal with the fact that as Christians our doctrine (beliefs/teachings) come from one place, the Bible. During the service, people have an opportunity to text a question to me that I answer at the end of the message. One of the questions was:

"How do we know the Bible is true if men chose what books went into it?"

I answered the question but I promised to make resources available to further study. So here are some links to a website put together by a professor I had at Nebraska Christian College by the name of Chuck McCoy. He describes in depth how the Bible was put together and how it has been preserved over the years.

Cannon (How the books in the Bible were determined)

Preservation

Translation

"Blood Is Thicker Than Water"

I'm sure that you have heard this saying, "Blood is thicker than water." Maybe you have said or someone in your family has said it to you. It's usually used to make someone feel guilty if they have made a choice that goes against the family (insert your Godfather voice here).

Well, I was doing some research for my Adult Bible Fellowship Class and I came across the meaning of this popular saying. Here is what I found:

"The old adage that 'blood is thicker than water' (originally intended to advocate that family ties are stronger than the ties of baptism into the spiritual family of God) is wrong!" ~ Paul T. Butler, The Gospel of John

According to Jesus (Luke 8:21) we are to align ourselves most closely with those who hear God's word and put it into practice. So for what it's worth, now you know what that saying is all about.

New Computer Game, "Spore" Inspired By Intelligent Design

I came across this article in USAToday about a new computer game that has launched called, Spore. The creator of the game, Will Wright is probably best known for his very popular role playing game, Sims. Here is a description of the new Spore game:

"But Wright is far from finished. His long-awaited game Spore (for Windows and Macintosh PCs) engages players with a variety of gameplay features from first-person shooters, strategy games and, of course, simulations."

The writer from USAToday goes on to interview Wright about the game which allows players to create their own creatures which is turning out to be a very popular aspect of the game. This particular question and response intrigued me:

Q: There has been some discussion online about whether the game promotes evolution or intelligent design. What would you tell people interested in either side of that discussion?

A: I think the game is really trying to give an overview of evolution in a way that is very toy-like and caricature-like. We put the player in the role of an intelligent designer. When we first started the prototypes (of Spore) that wasn't the case. We had the game carefully mutating things and it just was not emotionally engaging. When we put the players in the role of intelligent designer then people were much more emotionally attached to what they made.

We live in a culture that has removed the possibility of an intelligent designer resulting in people acting toy-like and caricature-like. Truth be told there is an intelligent designer who is engaged in his creation. So much engaged that he will do whatever it takes to bring them back to him.

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." ~ Genesis 1:31

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16

You can read the whole story here.

Milestone Day At IC Church of Christ

Suzi and I have been ministering here in Iowa City for 3 years and 8 months. It has been a ministry of ups and downs(as any ministry is), but God has been patient, faithful and very good to us. Yesterday we were able to rededicate the church building which was built in 1991. We rededicated it because we recently completed a $300,000 remodel project which began the day after Easter. In my very humble opinion the building looks marvelous, it is really an extreme makeover!

To make our rededication complete we invited Merv Moberly back to preach the sermon. Honestly, I don't know Merv like I wish I did. But from what I have picked up, he is quite church planter, leader, and preacher. He was instrumental in planting churches in Ames, Fort Madison, and here in Iowa City. There maybe be more, those are just the ones I have picked up on. Merv was with the Iowa City from about 1988 to 2001. During that time the church was able to grow enough to step out on faith to purchase land on the east side of Iowa City and build a church. If you would like to hear the story yourself you can listen to Merv tell it here, it's really quite a story. It's really so humbling to hear the sacrifices that so many people gave just to get the church from infancy to establishment. God works, but he works through the faithfulness of people. For example Merv and his wife moved out of their house and into the church apartment and paid rent just to help the church make their mortgage payments!

Anyway, it was a wonderful service. The worship team was awesome! They opened with my favorite bluegrass medley...loved it! We packed the place out, 188 by far the largest crowd for a worship service since I have been in Iowa City. To think that we were averging in the 80's when I first came back in '05...wow we have come a long ways. Then to wrap up the service we had two people come forward to join our growing church family. God is good!

To top off the day we had a feast outside under a big tent. The only problem was the tent wasn't big enough, but surprisingly we had plenty of food and the weather was perfect. So what have I learned from all this? God is good! If you keep doing the right things, remain faithful, and keep doing whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus, God will empower you and bless you more then you can ever imagine!

Here are a few pictures from the day.

A Loving Husband Defined

glumbert - A Warthog Emergency

What's Hot On My iPod: In The Name Of Love

A lot of you know that I'm a huge U2 fan. I love their sound and the message of a lot of their songs. Anyway, so Suzi is listening to this Christian radio station that recently came to our attention here in IC. While listening see comes into the kitchen (where I am) and turns on the radio and says,

"You have to listen to this!"

Turns out it is the song, Beautiful Day by U2, but it's not U2. I did a quick Google search (love The Google) and discovered that it's this group called Sanctus Real. After a little more looking around it turns out that a few years ago a group of Christian bands (Jar of Clay, Audio A, Toby Mac) covered about 10 U2 songs for a project called, In The Name of Love: Artists United for Africa.

So of course I went to the iTunes store and within minutes had it on both our iPods. If you are a U2 purist, I'm sure that this album is not for you. Me, I just love good music and these bands give a fresh sound to these familiar songs. A few of my favorites are: Sunday Bloody Sunday (Pillar), Beautiful Day (Sanctus Real), Mysterious Ways (tobyMac), Pride (Delirious?), One (Tait), When Love Comes To Town (Todd Agnew), and Where The Streets Have No Name (Chris Tomlin). And that is what's hot on my iPod!

The Forgotten Christian Discipline: Studying

You know, it has really been a good summer…minus the flooding of course. Summer did what summer was supposed to do. It gave us relaxation, adventure, some surprises, and a time to get out of our regular routine. With the start of school, in many ways it feels like a fresh start (new classes, new grade, new school) and a return to routine. So with that in mind, I want to throw a thought your way. Here goes: Every Christian should be in a routine of studying God’s Word.
We talk a lot about the faithful Christian, the praying Christian, and the giving Christian, but what about the studying Christian? During the summer I was doing some reflecting on the message series I was planning for the fall and it occurred to me that I probably haven’t talked enough nor pushed enough on the importance of studying the Bible. So since I have your attention for a moment let me give you a few reasons why it would be beneficial to add into your regular routine the discipline of Bible study.

• Jesus said, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (~ Mt. 22:37) So what you do with your mind is important when it comes to loving God.
  

• “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (~ 2 Timothy 2:15) To be the most effective workman you need to be able to handle the Bible correctly.
  

• “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (~ Romans 10:17) If your faith is wavering or weak the best thing that you can do is listen to a sermon, or listen to teaching in an Adult Bible Fellowship class or a small group.
  

• “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (~ Revelation 1:3) John writes that those who read the words of Revelation will be blessed. Not so much that everything will go right in their life, but they will better understand what God is doing and what their purpose is.
  

• “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (~ Acts 17:11) Human nature is notorious for trusting what the talking head says (yes I know I fall into the “talking head” category). What sets our church apart is the fact that you can study, read and hold me accountable because you have the text right in front of you.
  

• “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (~ Psalm 119:11) Although it is never popular, memorizing Scripture can be a powerful encouragement and defense in a variety of difficult and trying situations.

Now, remember that I share this information with you NOT to guilt you into Bible study but to simply remind you that it is a powerful tool in growing, defending and sharing your faith. So many of the questions you have or the situations you face on a day-to-day basis are answered or dealt with in the Bible. And while it may be easy to just talk to the pastor, there are a lot of things you could answer yourself if you study the Bible.

Book Review: Walking With God

John Eldredge talks an elusive topic in a way that only he can do. If you are remotely familiar with Eldredge he presents Christian teachings in ways they are rarely communicated. For example he is big on communicating the Gospel as "The Story," and he does a fantastic job of doing so in his book Epic. So what Eldredge does in his book, Walking With God is communicate what it looks like to live in relationship with God through story. More specifically, his story. What you get when you pick up the book and begin to read are John's journal entries from one year of his life. The idea it to paint this picture about what his relationship looks like in real and practical terms. This is not a, "How to do it" book or "Three steps to following Jesus" instead it is one Christ follower revealing how he walks with God.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It pushed me in some areas I had never ventured, in particular listening to God...especially in the insignificant details of my life. I have always been the type who figured I could handle the little things in life and I would let God take care of the rest. I have never thought that God wants to lead every part.

Another area was the idea of listening to God. Now, I don't want to freak anyone out but after reading the book and doing some journaling of my own I'm fairly convinced that God does have a word for each of us. Let me clarify by saying that first and foremost God speaks to us through the Bible and everything that is communicated to us must be filtered through the truth of God's Word. With that being said, when we are quite and ask God and if we listen I, really think that he has something to say to us. Maybe in the future I will share a couple of recent personal examples.

Not really any negatives except it drags in spots, but if you think about it what do you expect when you are reading another person's journal. There are spots that are very intriguing and spots where you kind of skim. Aside from that I would recommend finding some time to read Walking with God. If you would like to know more about it you can listen to a podcast of the book if you are a subscriber to iTunes. Just go to the iTunes store and search John Eldredge or Walking with God. The book also has a website that serves as a great resource as you read the book. You can check it out here.

Who Do You Design Your Worship Service For?

Tony Morgan writes a blog that I read on a regular basis. Tony is one of the pastors at New Spring Church in Greenville, South Carolina. In this particular blog entry he makes an interesting observation. Let me drop in the interesting part:

"Last Sunday at our Greenville campus, we had an older couple, probably in their sixties, accept Christ. That’s worth celebrating. I love to watch life change happen.

Here’s what’s amazing about stories like that. Our services in Greenville aren’t designed for people in their sixties. Our services are designed for a much younger audience. It’s an audience that loves loud music. They are comfortable with video teaching, because video is already a huge part of their lives. They love the coffeehouse atmosphere.

Here’s what we’ve learned. If we design our service experiences for a younger audience, we’re more likely to reach that younger person and we’ll also reach older folks. The reverse is not true. If we designed our service experience for an older audience, the younger crowd would not show up.

Now, here’s the reality. Most churches in America are designed for an older audience. In fact, the more-seasoned folks in those churches are sitting on committees telling the students and young adults how they can and can’t do ministry. The result? Younger people are leaving churches in droves." ~ Tony Morgan (you can read his blog here)

Morgan's observation is true. From my own experience here at IC Church of Christ, that is essentially what we have done. We set a target age of who we are going after, then we created a venue that connected with that group. However, the means to the end is not the coolness of your venue, or the presentation of video, or even the style of the music. The means to the end is still the power of God, the teaching of biblical truth, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the focus on Jesus.

The growth and change in our church over the last year has come more from a focus on prayer (the church elders and I pray every Tuesday night over the church & the community) and basic biblical teaching and preaching. I think when I first arrived here in Iowa City I worked too hard on being cute, clever, and practical. So while the messages were all right, they never really connected people to the true life change that comes through Jesus Christ. In looking back at some of the messages they almost came off as being nice, "self-help" type of stuff that didn't even require the power of God in people's life. Now, it probably wasn't that bad, it just seems that way looking back. I've always preached Jesus and always will. It's just that I can tell a change in my preaching and how people have responded since I've changed my focus. Anyway, just a few observations I had that I wanted to pass on to you.

Son of Hamas Leader Talks About Converting To Christianity

I came across this interview. Very interesting stuff.

5 Leadership Lessons - Dave Ferguson

Dave Ferguson is the lead pastor at Community Christian Church in the Chicagoland area (they are a multi-site church). He wrote an excellent book a couple years ago called, The Big Idea. It talked about how Community Christian Church focus on one thing each week--and I mean the whole church, from the little ones all the way to the grown ups. So the entire family walks away with the same principles to apply and live out. So to say they are creative and innovative in their ministry is an understatement.

Anyway, I came across this post on his blog and I thought is was very good and very true. Leadership in the church can be very difficult, confusing and maddening and his post points to some basic truths to keep in mind when working and leading Christ's church.

5 Leadership Lessons - Dave Ferguson

Flood Hero - Jerry Anthony

I wanted to introduce you to one of the heroes of the Iowa City flood. He is an outstanding husband, dad, professor at the U of I, elder of our church and a friend of mine. You can read his story here in the ICPC aritcle that featured him and many others.

Jerry is an outstanding part of our church leadership team and is a big reason why my family is ministering in Iowa City with the IC Church of Christ--at after reading the story you can see why!

Book Review: The Shack

I just got done reading, "The Shack" today so I thought I would pass along a few observations. If you haven't heard about the book, it is a fairly popular book written by Christian author, William Young. You can learn more about the book here.

Let me start by saying that this book is not for everyone. There was a part of the story that was really, really hard for me to get through. So if you are faint of heart or disturbing images bother you, this probably isn't the book for you.

Also, if you are new to believing in God or a new Christian this book will probably confuse or frustrate you. Without giving away the story line, the author dwells a lot on the relationship of the Trinity (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit). Biblically speaking, the William Young really stretches somethings, but I think he does that primarily to tell the story. I don't think he has an anti-biblical agenda...he's just telling a story and he uses his imagination to fill in some gaps. So if you have heard any negative about the book it has probably been from Christians bashing it because it's not biblical. I think if your well aware of what the Bible says about the Trinity and its relationship with each other, the book provides an opportunity to stretch your imagination into what the relationship looks like between The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. That's my take.

So, who should read the book?

• People who enjoy seeing God's Story written through the lives of people. I was constantly reminded throughout the book that God is doing something.
• People who are angry with God. If you are upset about things that have happened in your life and you blame God this book will challenge that thinking.
• People who have had to deal with horrible tragedies in their life.
• People who need to forgive someone. There were two moments that I cried while reading the book and one of those moments was a scene of reconciliation. It was very moving for me.
• People who think God is distant and uninvolved in our lives. This book was a great reminder how personal real God is in our lives.
  

If you have read the book or have observations or questions you are more then welcome to share!

What's Hot On My iPod?

Do you know how every once in a while you find an album or a song or two that just sticks with you? Well, that has happened with this album by David Crowder Band called "B Collision." Now, a couple of things before I go any farther.

First, David Crowder's stuff has never really connected with me. Suzi says it's because it has to grow on you. So maybe I don't have any patience. Second, Suzi picked this album up at the last minute as she was shopping at the local Christian bookstore. So in a strange kind of way it was like I was meant to hear this album. (I know, that was sappy!)

So here is why I like this album so much...it's bluegrass. I'm so down with bluegrass right now, what's my problem? Anyway, they wrap up the album with a great rendition of "I Saw The Light." I'm not kidding, without even thinking my right foot begins to tap. Bluegrass has that way of connecting with people. Let me throw this out there for some thought: What if bluegrass is the official music of heaven? I'm serious. Is there any other type of music that brings people together like bluegrass? And here is the cool thing, just about anyone can play it. Each song has three chords to it and the rhythm is always the same.

One last thing. If this bluegrass worship stuff really catches on, I have to give credit to my good friend Steve Allen. About 10 years ago he came up with a gospel bluegrass medley that Suzi and I have used in every church we have been in and it is always a big hit...with all ages. So for me bluegrass is king, at least for now.

"That's My Story" - Resource

I just wrapped the message series, "That's My Story" today (you can listen to it here) and a few folks have asked about some more resources to study and explore the whole concept of God's Story. I first came across the whole idea in a book written by John Eldredge entitled, "Epic - The Story God Is Telling and the Role That is Yours To Play." So I would start by picking up a copy of the book (which isn't very long and easy to read...if you were wondering). Or if you just wanted to take a look at something right now, you can go to the book's website, www.epicreality.com

Hopefully that helps some of you on your journey of joining God in the story that he is writing.

"I had always felt life first as a story--and if there is a story there is a story teller." ~ G.K. Chesterton

Friday Fun: Animator vs Animation

How about a little fun for Friday? Check out this link and enjoy. Someone had a lot of extra time on their hands.

Animator vs Animation

The Oldest Copy of the New Testament Online

Here is a link to the story if you would like to read it.

The following is an excerpt which sums up the main idea of the story:

"The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament, a 4th century version that had its Gospels and epistles spread across the world, is being made whole again — online.

The British Library says the full text of the Codex Sinaiticus will be available to Web users by next July, digitally reconnecting parts that are held in Britain, Russia, Germany and a monastery in Egypt's Sinai Desert.

A preview of the Codex, which also has some parts of the Old Testament, will hit the Web on Thursday — the Book of Psalms and the Gospel of Mark."

My guess is that most of you won't be rushing to the website when it launches to read these ancient words, nor would I expect you too. I wanted to share this information with you as an encouragement that the Bible is God's Word, and it is accurate, and has withstood the test of time. Not to mention the fact that as time goes by more elements continue to appear which only improve the Bible's credibility. So not only do we have this almost complete 4th century copy of the NT, we literally have thousands of other copies which agree on all the same major events and details. There is no other book of antiquity that even comes close.

One last thing. With the power of the internet, any one with internet access can read any version of the Bible online for free. And now, if they now koinia Greek they can read the NT in it's earliest written form. Do you think that God is doing something in this world?

Just a thought, why not take a break right now and settle into your favorite reading chair (with a cup/glass of your favorite beverage) and crack open your Bible and read through the Gospel of Mark. It won't take you very long and I promise that you will be glad that you did.

California Vacation

I have been a horrible blogger for the last two months! It is time to do some catching up. Here are a few pictures from our summer vacation. My parents were able to get my family together with my sister and her family in Ceres, California along with my brother. We had a marvelous time and made many great memories. Here is a small smattering of pictures highlighting some of my favorite moments. Enjoy!

My sister and brother-in-law have a pool at their house and we used it a lot. Here Alex, Samantha and I jump in together...with Suzi taking the picture of course.


One of the days we went to Yosemite and did some hiking. Here was my favorite moment of the day. We had hiked up to Mirror Lake only to find that the lake was mostly gone. So I took my kids and my niece Faith and nephew Deacon and went wading in the ice cold water. The view was spectacular!


On our last day in California, my family took the day and went to San Francisco. Here is my wind blown and cold family posing with the Golden Gate bridge in the background.



Here is my favorite picture of the trip...for obvious reasons. I kissed my beautiful and wonderful wife Suzi while overlooking the sun setting on the Pacific Ocean. My son Alex took the picture (and did a nice job) and I think that he was just a little embarrassed.



The same day we were in San Francisco we were able to make it to the beach and of course we had to touch the Pacific Ocean. Alex and Samantha turned it into a game of trying to out run the incoming waves--obviously they lost.



We wrapped up our vacation at my parent's house, the old homestead. We took this picture on one of the rocks that made up the foundation for the old barn.

All in all it was a great vacation! A special thanks to my parents for getting us all together, without them it wouldn't have happened (in many ways). Also, many thanks to my sister Rebecca and her husband Kirk who put up with a full house for seven days.

What The World Eats

My friend Jon first posted this over at his blog mythic reality and I was so intrigued by the whole notion. TIME magazine pulled these series of pictures from a book called, Hungry Planet depicting what different families around the globe eat in a week. I'm putting a link here to the pictures so you can go through and see each family unit for yourself.

Here are a few observations that I made and I would love to hear what you thought about the pictures too.

• This planet is able to produce so much food! How is it possible that anyone could go hungry...yet so many do. Does there need to be any more proof that we live in a sinful, selfish world?
• Westerners don't eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables.
  
• For obvious reasons, modern cultures has a lot of packaged meals.
• The Germans sure do drink a lot of beer!
• Americans drink a lot of pop!
• The families with the least seemed to have the biggest smiles. The family from Ecuador seemed to really be enjoying themselves.
• These pictures make the world smaller and more real to me.