I recently came in contact with a pastor of a small church in Saint Claire Shores while trying to sell some stuff on Craigslist. We stood around talking for a while and he told me about the church that he pastors and we started feeling each other out regarding beliefs and such. I'm not sure why initial meetings like this always seem to start with quizzing each other on doctrinal stance, but this instance didn't deviate from the norm. Long story short, I told him that I'd be getting back in touch with him soon and that I'd be inviting him to one of our services that didn't interfere with his own. This was near the end of May.
Well, a few weeks ago, I called Bro. John up and invited him to service, and he came to our Sunday night service the first Sunday this June. It was a good service, and Bro. John spoke briefly, and I'm sure felt welcome. I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention the way this man can play the piano. It was wonderful. Several people mentioned to me that he seemed to fit in very well, and I agree, just like dealing with home people.
I went out for some coffee with Bro. John after the service and we sat down and had a good discussion for a couple hours. We talked about the futures of each of our churches and how we could positively effect our churches. He also told me his own testimony, which I hope he tells at my own church one day, so I won't repeat it here. It was an excellent night, and I gave him my promise that I would visit his church as soon as I had a chance.
This last Sunday I had an opening in my schedule and I visited his church right after our own morning service. I find it more than a little bit ironic just how simple it is to get from my own church to his. Turn left out of the church parking lot, head east about 10 miles, it's on the right. I arrived only ten minutes before the beginning of the service and as I arrived, Bro. John met me at the door and welcomed me in. I sat down and several of the folks in the church came over and introduced themselves and they all made me feel very welcome. I was very much impressed by the people there and their outgoing friendliness. The only person who was late I found out later was late because he was witnessing to people, trying to bring them along to church with him.
The service was very good. The people there were all involved with their worship and the Spirit of the Lord was evident in their midst. I have to admit, I've only heard maybe half of their songs before, but I sang along and so did everyone else. I was asked to say a few words and I spoke on Psalms 34:1-3 for maybe five minutes, partially because it is a passage that I have been trying to implement in my own life more, but because this church exemplified Psalms 34:3 so well.
Bro. John preached an excellent message out of the book of Ruth and drew some interesting points out of it that I'm not sure I've ever really thought about before. He also spoke about Jesus healing the daughter of the woman from Caanan, and his thoughts here were very good also. I particularly liked the references that he made to bread in both passages and overall the message was very encouraging.
After service, I stayed around just a bit and spoke with several people. They all invited me to come back soon and told me they were glad I had visited. Also, I spoke with Bro. John and his parents and it turns out that they had attended a wedding at one time at our old 8 mile church, and that Bro. John's sister is a graduate of TCA, which both myself and my wife are as well.
I don't know exactly what will come of the seeds that Bro. John and I have sown, but my hope is that a mutually beneficial relationship between our two churches is forthcoming. I'm looking forward to visiting his church again soon, and having him visit ours as well. As I said when I spoke at his church the other day, it's always a blessing to meet new brothers and sisters in the Lord, especially when they are practically in your back yard.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
It Shall Quicken Your Mortal Bodies
I have to admit that in this post I'm speculating, but I think that there might just be something to this speculation. I'd be interested in your opinions and experiences as well and I encourage any of you who would like to share to do so in the comments.
The question that I'd like to address is "What kind of physiological effect does the Holy Spirit have on our energy level?" I want to take a closer look at Romans 8:11 and get a better understanding of what Paul was saying here. Does the Holy Spirit effect us physically?
I've always considered the effect that the Holy Spirit has on us more psychological and not physiological, but now I question that. Sure, our psychology can have an effect on our physiology, I don't deny that. When we are depressed, that is often accompanied by lethargy and the opposite is also true, but I there isn't more of a direct effect and less of a psychosomatic effect.
I notice that Paul often speaks of the physical effects of the Spirit. He referrs to our mortal bodies in Romans, and when he is speaking to the Philippians, he says that he can do all things through Christ and to me that denotes action, not just how we feel or what we say (Phil 4:13). He told the Corinthians that the kingdom of God is more than just words and he Paul told the Ephesians that God has set his power working in us (1 Cor 4:20, Eph 3:20).
Why is it necessary for us to divorce the spiritual from the physical anyway? This strikes me as resembling Platonism and not proper Christian teaching. To go to far with separating the spiritual from the physical can lead to a poor understanding of doctrine. God created us as an amalgamated being and not separate parts.
One final thought, we very often seek for physical healing but hardly ever for spiritual healing. Is healing the exception, the only area where God physically effects us or is there something to physical blessings in other areas too? What do you think? Is there something else that I need to consider?
The question that I'd like to address is "What kind of physiological effect does the Holy Spirit have on our energy level?" I want to take a closer look at Romans 8:11 and get a better understanding of what Paul was saying here. Does the Holy Spirit effect us physically?
I've always considered the effect that the Holy Spirit has on us more psychological and not physiological, but now I question that. Sure, our psychology can have an effect on our physiology, I don't deny that. When we are depressed, that is often accompanied by lethargy and the opposite is also true, but I there isn't more of a direct effect and less of a psychosomatic effect.
I notice that Paul often speaks of the physical effects of the Spirit. He referrs to our mortal bodies in Romans, and when he is speaking to the Philippians, he says that he can do all things through Christ and to me that denotes action, not just how we feel or what we say (Phil 4:13). He told the Corinthians that the kingdom of God is more than just words and he Paul told the Ephesians that God has set his power working in us (1 Cor 4:20, Eph 3:20).
Why is it necessary for us to divorce the spiritual from the physical anyway? This strikes me as resembling Platonism and not proper Christian teaching. To go to far with separating the spiritual from the physical can lead to a poor understanding of doctrine. God created us as an amalgamated being and not separate parts.
One final thought, we very often seek for physical healing but hardly ever for spiritual healing. Is healing the exception, the only area where God physically effects us or is there something to physical blessings in other areas too? What do you think? Is there something else that I need to consider?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Five Phases of Forgiveness
Seeking forgiveness is an integral part of our lives. It is important not only to the person who was hurt, but also to the person who did the hurting. Obtaining forgiveness can be hard though, and yet it is the path that we need to take to undo the hurt that we have caused.
1. Recognition. In order to be forgiven, the first thing that we must do is recognize that we have sinned (Rom 3:23). It all begins with the ability to be completely honest with ourselves. Sure, we realize that we all have issues, things that we need to correct, however it must be more than just a platitude when we take introspection seriously and identify the sin that lies within us. Nosce te ipsum! Know thyself! The path to being forgiven begins with the recognition that we need to be forgiven (John 3:17). Only this way can we begin to mend what is broken within ourselves.
2. Confession. It is said that confession is good for the soul. In our first step we have in essence confessed our sins to ourselves, however there is more to be done. We need to approach the person whom we have injured and apologize to them. In this step we reveal the sin that we have committed, making it apparent. This tears down the edifices that we have built upon that sin such as excuses, justification and deceit. Only when the underlying sin is laid bare can it be addressed.
3. Excision. When we stand in need of forgiveness, it is because we have sinned against someone. We will never deserve to be forgiven if we do not correct our error. We have to address the root of our offense and correct it, or we have not stopped offending yet. Confession can play a part in excision too as confessing your sin to an authority figure or perhaps a good friend who will hold you accountable will help you stay away from the sin that you have committed. Sometimes this can simply mean avoiding the sin in the future (I Thess 5:22).
4. Consequences. Paul said "Whatever a man sows he shall also reap" (Gal 6:7). There will always be consequences for the sin we commit even after we have recognized, confessed and excised that sin. Yes the wage of sin has been paid for us, but this does not obviate the repercussions of the sin that we have committed. It is a hard thing, but we have to accept this burden. The only way to not garner these consequences is to not commit the sin in the first place.
5. Restoration. You can never go back, but you can move forward. Things can never be the way they were, but they can can be better than they are. It's hard to mend broken hearts and trusts, but what is the alternative? Only shattered hearts and broken promises. It takes much more time to rebuild trust than it does to build it in the first place. This is the part of the process where you make things right. Only here is there any redemption and peace.
So far I've addressed forgiveness solely from the side of the one who needs to forgive, but there is also a promise given for those who forgive. Jesus said that God's willingness to forgive you correlates to your willingness to forgive others (Matt 6:14,15). Forgive proactively, don't hold things against people and don't wait for them to come to you before you forgive them. Whenever you are praying, forgiving others needs to be a part of your prayer or you are missing out one aspect of touching God. (Mark 11:25).
Be a generous forgiver and quick to seek forgiveness.
By the way, I apologize for the alliterative title. I hope you can forgive me.
1. Recognition. In order to be forgiven, the first thing that we must do is recognize that we have sinned (Rom 3:23). It all begins with the ability to be completely honest with ourselves. Sure, we realize that we all have issues, things that we need to correct, however it must be more than just a platitude when we take introspection seriously and identify the sin that lies within us. Nosce te ipsum! Know thyself! The path to being forgiven begins with the recognition that we need to be forgiven (John 3:17). Only this way can we begin to mend what is broken within ourselves.
2. Confession. It is said that confession is good for the soul. In our first step we have in essence confessed our sins to ourselves, however there is more to be done. We need to approach the person whom we have injured and apologize to them. In this step we reveal the sin that we have committed, making it apparent. This tears down the edifices that we have built upon that sin such as excuses, justification and deceit. Only when the underlying sin is laid bare can it be addressed.
3. Excision. When we stand in need of forgiveness, it is because we have sinned against someone. We will never deserve to be forgiven if we do not correct our error. We have to address the root of our offense and correct it, or we have not stopped offending yet. Confession can play a part in excision too as confessing your sin to an authority figure or perhaps a good friend who will hold you accountable will help you stay away from the sin that you have committed. Sometimes this can simply mean avoiding the sin in the future (I Thess 5:22).
4. Consequences. Paul said "Whatever a man sows he shall also reap" (Gal 6:7). There will always be consequences for the sin we commit even after we have recognized, confessed and excised that sin. Yes the wage of sin has been paid for us, but this does not obviate the repercussions of the sin that we have committed. It is a hard thing, but we have to accept this burden. The only way to not garner these consequences is to not commit the sin in the first place.
5. Restoration. You can never go back, but you can move forward. Things can never be the way they were, but they can can be better than they are. It's hard to mend broken hearts and trusts, but what is the alternative? Only shattered hearts and broken promises. It takes much more time to rebuild trust than it does to build it in the first place. This is the part of the process where you make things right. Only here is there any redemption and peace.
So far I've addressed forgiveness solely from the side of the one who needs to forgive, but there is also a promise given for those who forgive. Jesus said that God's willingness to forgive you correlates to your willingness to forgive others (Matt 6:14,15). Forgive proactively, don't hold things against people and don't wait for them to come to you before you forgive them. Whenever you are praying, forgiving others needs to be a part of your prayer or you are missing out one aspect of touching God. (Mark 11:25).
Be a generous forgiver and quick to seek forgiveness.
By the way, I apologize for the alliterative title. I hope you can forgive me.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Flip A Coin
It seems to me that we've embraced a very narrow view of how things are supposed to be. If we maintain too selective a focus, we can miss out on truth. Enter a coin.
Flip a coin, heads or tails; it's a two sided decision maker, or is it? Is a coin as simple as yes or no, right or wrong, good or evil, or any other example of a dichotomy that exists? Often we complicate things for ourselves, however just as bad is when we oversimplify. Often the truth lies between extremes and is not just as simple as yes or no.
A coin does not have two sides, it has three. The technical names for these three sides are obverse, reverse and edge. Yes the edge of a coin is one of it's three sides. What is significant about that you might ask? Well the edge, much like the truth, is often overlooked, quietly escaping our notice.
For example, in our group there is a very conservative element. If I were to speak out about conservatism, I would be quickly identified as a liberal, which actually I have [1]. If I were then to point out any inconsistencies that exist among the most liberal of us, I would be labeled as conservative, and then as inconsistent myself because I was neither conservative or liberal. Labels like conservative or liberal are just generalities that lend themselves misinterpretation, and are not an adequate method to determine the truth.
An excellent example of this can be found in Joshua. When the Children of Israel were near Jericho, an armed man stood in the way, so Joshua asked him whose side he was on (Josh 5:13). The man didn't choose sides, but instead declared that he was come as the Captain of the Lord's army (Josh 5:14). Joshua could only see two possible positions for the man, either for him or against him. The Captain's stance represented neither of these two possibilities.
When we as a group are discussing something, whether it be standards or anything else, we tend to take sides and then begin defending our position. While this is normal human behavior, we make an enormous error when we do this. We assume that we are right and those who oppose us are wrong and we don't ever consider that we might be wrong ourselves. Furthermore, it never enters into our minds that both sides might be wrong. The logic behind the thought that if one side is wrong the other side must be right is not only flawed, but is responsible for so much misunderstanding between people that it is abhorrent.
I am going to show my point with an simple exposition of dress code. One "side" says that the way we dress it is our holiness and that a dress standard should be rigidly held to with no exception. Another "side" says that the way we dress is only external and that God is working on our hearts and that is all that really matters and a rigid dress standard is really unnecessary. The truth of the matter is is that BOTH of these sides have good things to say, but that BOTH are not the truth on dress.
Just so you understand me, I'm not suggesting compromise either. It is not my intention to declare the the truth of this group's dress standard issue lies somewhere between these extremes either. I will go on record that the truth lies outside of either of these views, and if we were to search for that truth, we would see much of the bickering and consternation that has been so prevalent of late disappear. We must learn to discard the "one of us have to be right" mentality and really search for the truth. You can't find the truth when you're defending your position.
Reference:
[1] http://paulbdyal.blogspot.com/2009/10/root-of-problem-is.html
Flip a coin, heads or tails; it's a two sided decision maker, or is it? Is a coin as simple as yes or no, right or wrong, good or evil, or any other example of a dichotomy that exists? Often we complicate things for ourselves, however just as bad is when we oversimplify. Often the truth lies between extremes and is not just as simple as yes or no.
A coin does not have two sides, it has three. The technical names for these three sides are obverse, reverse and edge. Yes the edge of a coin is one of it's three sides. What is significant about that you might ask? Well the edge, much like the truth, is often overlooked, quietly escaping our notice.
For example, in our group there is a very conservative element. If I were to speak out about conservatism, I would be quickly identified as a liberal, which actually I have [1]. If I were then to point out any inconsistencies that exist among the most liberal of us, I would be labeled as conservative, and then as inconsistent myself because I was neither conservative or liberal. Labels like conservative or liberal are just generalities that lend themselves misinterpretation, and are not an adequate method to determine the truth.
An excellent example of this can be found in Joshua. When the Children of Israel were near Jericho, an armed man stood in the way, so Joshua asked him whose side he was on (Josh 5:13). The man didn't choose sides, but instead declared that he was come as the Captain of the Lord's army (Josh 5:14). Joshua could only see two possible positions for the man, either for him or against him. The Captain's stance represented neither of these two possibilities.
When we as a group are discussing something, whether it be standards or anything else, we tend to take sides and then begin defending our position. While this is normal human behavior, we make an enormous error when we do this. We assume that we are right and those who oppose us are wrong and we don't ever consider that we might be wrong ourselves. Furthermore, it never enters into our minds that both sides might be wrong. The logic behind the thought that if one side is wrong the other side must be right is not only flawed, but is responsible for so much misunderstanding between people that it is abhorrent.
I am going to show my point with an simple exposition of dress code. One "side" says that the way we dress it is our holiness and that a dress standard should be rigidly held to with no exception. Another "side" says that the way we dress is only external and that God is working on our hearts and that is all that really matters and a rigid dress standard is really unnecessary. The truth of the matter is is that BOTH of these sides have good things to say, but that BOTH are not the truth on dress.
Just so you understand me, I'm not suggesting compromise either. It is not my intention to declare the the truth of this group's dress standard issue lies somewhere between these extremes either. I will go on record that the truth lies outside of either of these views, and if we were to search for that truth, we would see much of the bickering and consternation that has been so prevalent of late disappear. We must learn to discard the "one of us have to be right" mentality and really search for the truth. You can't find the truth when you're defending your position.
Reference:
[1] http://paulbdyal.blogspot.com/2009/10/root-of-problem-is.html
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