Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-33.
In light of this passage, what is the purpose of the Lord's Supper?
How does community play into the author's understanding of the Lords Supper?
In what ways does the verse say there should be equality in the meal?
Read verse 33 again. What does this mean to you?
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
ANOTHER LOOK AT STANDING FIRM - ROSA PARKS
Almost everyone knows who Rosa Parks is. She has become famous for her act of defiance in refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. But I think it's hard for some of us today to really understand how courageous her actions were.
Even though Rosa Parks was living in a fairly modern society, that society was segregated. Segregation is when there are laws that say people of different races do not all have the same privileges. The segregation laws in some parts of the United States during the 1950s kept races separate from each other in many public places. The very idea of segregation is, to me, almost impossible to fathom. I just don't get how in a civilized world something like that could have been going on. With that in mind, let's get back to Rosa Parks' story.
December 1, 1955, started out like any normal day for Rosa Parks. She woke up, got ready for work, and left her house for the bus stop. Each day, she was forced to pay at the front of the bus, then exit and walk up the stairs in the back. I can just imagine her frustration in having to experience that humiliation day after day. Then after a long day of work (she was a secretary for the NAACP), she again would pay at the front, and have to go up the back stairs like a second-class citizen.
Well, on this particular day, she got on the bus after work and sat down. At the next stop, several white people got on. The bus driver glanced back, and told Rosa and the people around her to move. The other African Americans around her stood up and shuffled to the back of the bus. But Rosa stayed seated. The bus driver told her if she didn't get up, he'd have to have her arrested, to which she replied, "Then you may do that."
Rosa refused to give in to this injustice. Some people have suggested she was so weary she couldn't stand up, but that was not the case. It wasn't that she was tired physically; she was just tired of surrendering. When she sat down, she was really standing up for an oppressed people. Her people. She could have just stood up and moved so a white person could have her seat, but she didn't.
Rosa's refusal to give up her seat was one of the turning points in the history of civil rights in the United States. Her one act of quiet, peaceful defiance triggered a series of protests and boycotts, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which almost all of the black people (and some whites) in Rosa's hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride city buses for more than a year. They were tired of segregation, and they refused to put up with it any longer.
I'm afraid there aren't enough people like that today; people willing to stand up for their own rights and the rights of others. Rosa Parks remains an inspiration to those who have the same dream. The dream that one day all of us will not only be able to live together and tolerate one another, but that we will love and stand up for one another as Jesus loved us on the cross.
In her autobiography, Rosa talks about how she hated being the center of attention. But that didn't stop her from continuing to fight for equality by any means. She participated in the famous march Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery. At one point during this march, she was actually put out of the march by someone who didn't know her. You see, the marchers had to wear a special color of jacket in order to participate in the final leg of the march. Rosa was not informed about this, and was kicked out several times, only to be pulled back in by someone who knew her.
I once read that when Rosa Parks was a child, her grandfather used to sit awake at night with a gun on his lap, in order to protect his family from the Ku Klux Klan. Surely her life was marked by oppression and discrimination. Yet rather than being overcome by bitterness and hatred, she chose to act for justice for herself and others.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? LIVING OUT STANDING FIRM TODAY
A lot of us are willing to stand up for ourselves, for our own rights and concerns. But are we willing to stand firm on behalf of others?
When Adolf Hitler was rising to power in Germany, a German pastor named Martin Niemöller became aware that Jews and other racial and political groups were being persecuted, arrested, and even killed because of Hitler's racist policies. Niemöller became one of the leaders of the Confessing Church, a group of Christians within Germany who vocally opposed Hitler. Because of his outspoken criticism, Niemöller himself was locked away in a concentration camp from 1937 to 1945, and narrowly escaped execution. After he was released, he wrote the following poem about the need to stand against evil:
First they came for the Communists,and I didn't speak up,because I wasn't a Communist.Then they came for the Jews,and I didn't speak up,because I wasn't a Jew.Then they came for the Catholics,and I didn't speak up,because I was a Protestant.Then they came for me,and by that timethere was no one left to speak up for me.
Many students these days stand up for things. They stand up for their favorite bands, brands, and their own personal "rights." But are these things really worth your time, energy, and commitment? Is that the kind of "hill you want to die on"? I didn't think so. Is it better to stand up for someone or something that is right or to stand up for yourself? What if we put more energy toward the things that really matter instead of spending so much energy on petty things?
I can tell you what would happen. There would be a lot fewer hungry people, a lot fewer dying children, and a lot fewer slaves in the world. If we spent more time putting our heads together and less time butting them, think of what we could accomplish! We could do so much with the time we often spend on petty things.
Is there anything you're willing to stand for (or sit for, as was the case with Rosa Parks)? I hope it has something to do with contributing to the greater good and not just expanding your own territory.
This doesn't just apply to big issues like slavery; it can apply to many other day-to-day situations. If you see someone picking on the smallest guy in the grade, you stand up for him, right? If someone makes a racist comment, you speak up, right? And if someone makes fun of Jesus Christ, you don't tolerate it.
We're under an immense pressure to conform to this world's way of doing things. If we don't go along, we might get mocked. (Oh no! Not that! Anything but that!) Plain and simple: We should stand firm for what is right, just because it is right.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
**
Taken from "Be the Change" by Zach Hunter, copyright 2007 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
Even though Rosa Parks was living in a fairly modern society, that society was segregated. Segregation is when there are laws that say people of different races do not all have the same privileges. The segregation laws in some parts of the United States during the 1950s kept races separate from each other in many public places. The very idea of segregation is, to me, almost impossible to fathom. I just don't get how in a civilized world something like that could have been going on. With that in mind, let's get back to Rosa Parks' story.
December 1, 1955, started out like any normal day for Rosa Parks. She woke up, got ready for work, and left her house for the bus stop. Each day, she was forced to pay at the front of the bus, then exit and walk up the stairs in the back. I can just imagine her frustration in having to experience that humiliation day after day. Then after a long day of work (she was a secretary for the NAACP), she again would pay at the front, and have to go up the back stairs like a second-class citizen.
Well, on this particular day, she got on the bus after work and sat down. At the next stop, several white people got on. The bus driver glanced back, and told Rosa and the people around her to move. The other African Americans around her stood up and shuffled to the back of the bus. But Rosa stayed seated. The bus driver told her if she didn't get up, he'd have to have her arrested, to which she replied, "Then you may do that."
Rosa refused to give in to this injustice. Some people have suggested she was so weary she couldn't stand up, but that was not the case. It wasn't that she was tired physically; she was just tired of surrendering. When she sat down, she was really standing up for an oppressed people. Her people. She could have just stood up and moved so a white person could have her seat, but she didn't.
Rosa's refusal to give up her seat was one of the turning points in the history of civil rights in the United States. Her one act of quiet, peaceful defiance triggered a series of protests and boycotts, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which almost all of the black people (and some whites) in Rosa's hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride city buses for more than a year. They were tired of segregation, and they refused to put up with it any longer.
I'm afraid there aren't enough people like that today; people willing to stand up for their own rights and the rights of others. Rosa Parks remains an inspiration to those who have the same dream. The dream that one day all of us will not only be able to live together and tolerate one another, but that we will love and stand up for one another as Jesus loved us on the cross.
In her autobiography, Rosa talks about how she hated being the center of attention. But that didn't stop her from continuing to fight for equality by any means. She participated in the famous march Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery. At one point during this march, she was actually put out of the march by someone who didn't know her. You see, the marchers had to wear a special color of jacket in order to participate in the final leg of the march. Rosa was not informed about this, and was kicked out several times, only to be pulled back in by someone who knew her.
I once read that when Rosa Parks was a child, her grandfather used to sit awake at night with a gun on his lap, in order to protect his family from the Ku Klux Klan. Surely her life was marked by oppression and discrimination. Yet rather than being overcome by bitterness and hatred, she chose to act for justice for herself and others.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? LIVING OUT STANDING FIRM TODAY
A lot of us are willing to stand up for ourselves, for our own rights and concerns. But are we willing to stand firm on behalf of others?
When Adolf Hitler was rising to power in Germany, a German pastor named Martin Niemöller became aware that Jews and other racial and political groups were being persecuted, arrested, and even killed because of Hitler's racist policies. Niemöller became one of the leaders of the Confessing Church, a group of Christians within Germany who vocally opposed Hitler. Because of his outspoken criticism, Niemöller himself was locked away in a concentration camp from 1937 to 1945, and narrowly escaped execution. After he was released, he wrote the following poem about the need to stand against evil:
First they came for the Communists,and I didn't speak up,because I wasn't a Communist.Then they came for the Jews,and I didn't speak up,because I wasn't a Jew.Then they came for the Catholics,and I didn't speak up,because I was a Protestant.Then they came for me,and by that timethere was no one left to speak up for me.
Many students these days stand up for things. They stand up for their favorite bands, brands, and their own personal "rights." But are these things really worth your time, energy, and commitment? Is that the kind of "hill you want to die on"? I didn't think so. Is it better to stand up for someone or something that is right or to stand up for yourself? What if we put more energy toward the things that really matter instead of spending so much energy on petty things?
I can tell you what would happen. There would be a lot fewer hungry people, a lot fewer dying children, and a lot fewer slaves in the world. If we spent more time putting our heads together and less time butting them, think of what we could accomplish! We could do so much with the time we often spend on petty things.
Is there anything you're willing to stand for (or sit for, as was the case with Rosa Parks)? I hope it has something to do with contributing to the greater good and not just expanding your own territory.
This doesn't just apply to big issues like slavery; it can apply to many other day-to-day situations. If you see someone picking on the smallest guy in the grade, you stand up for him, right? If someone makes a racist comment, you speak up, right? And if someone makes fun of Jesus Christ, you don't tolerate it.
We're under an immense pressure to conform to this world's way of doing things. If we don't go along, we might get mocked. (Oh no! Not that! Anything but that!) Plain and simple: We should stand firm for what is right, just because it is right.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
**
Taken from "Be the Change" by Zach Hunter, copyright 2007 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Props to Angel Bob
Our speaker at Winterfest this past weekend was excellent. One of his illustrations really stuck out to me. He was talking about the difference between knowing about God and having a relationship with Him. He made the point that his favorite basketball player used to be Michael Jordan. He knew everything about Michael Jordan's career and could tell all sorts of statistics. This is how we treat God sometimes. We know all about Him, we can list lots of trivia and even tell great stories about things He has done; however that doesn't mean we are friends with Him. Just as knowing all about out favorite athlete or celebrity doesn't mean we can call them friend. The difference is celebrities and athletes, even the one with the most character don't want to be your friend. God does. Would you say you know God as a friend or that you know him based on his statistics?
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Genesis 37:2-11
Something was special about Joseph. His father loved him a little more than he loved his other sons, and he didn't even try to hide it. Did you notice the special gift Jacob gave to his son Joseph?
But something else was special about Joseph: God had his hand on him in a unique way. Joseph's dreams were real. God really did plan to lift Joseph up later in life, and his brothers really would bow down to him. Joseph knew he was special--and he let his brothers know it, too.
You're probably really good at something. You may even be good at lots of things. Do you talk with others about your abilities? Do you let them know how good you are? Or do you discount your own gifts as if they're not that big a deal? God doesn't gift us so we can brag about it, nor does he expect us to downplay the gifts he's given us. Rather, he leads us to give all the glory to him for his gifts.
Do you know what spiritual gifts and natural abilities you have? What are they?
How do you talk about your abilities with others?
Do you acknowledge God as the One who made you special?
Pray that God would help you to give him the glory for the gifts he's given to you.
**
Taken from "Character" by Student Life, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission
But something else was special about Joseph: God had his hand on him in a unique way. Joseph's dreams were real. God really did plan to lift Joseph up later in life, and his brothers really would bow down to him. Joseph knew he was special--and he let his brothers know it, too.
You're probably really good at something. You may even be good at lots of things. Do you talk with others about your abilities? Do you let them know how good you are? Or do you discount your own gifts as if they're not that big a deal? God doesn't gift us so we can brag about it, nor does he expect us to downplay the gifts he's given us. Rather, he leads us to give all the glory to him for his gifts.
Do you know what spiritual gifts and natural abilities you have? What are they?
How do you talk about your abilities with others?
Do you acknowledge God as the One who made you special?
Pray that God would help you to give him the glory for the gifts he's given to you.
**
Taken from "Character" by Student Life, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Psalm 139:13-16
Read Psalm 139:13-16
Mary was an ordinary teenager, yet God chose her to accomplish great things. Today, God still looks for ordinary people who are willing to trust him with their lives to accomplish great things. Psalm 139:13-16 reminds us that God created, designed, and crafted each of us especially for what he wants us to do. In fact, you were wired to know God and make him known. Nothing else will really satisfy you.
Reread today's passage and meditate on what it's saying to you. The real Christmas question is, "What will you do with this Jesus?"
How does it make you feel to know that God created you to know him and make him known?
Choose a personal way to express praise to God. Take some time to praise him.
**
Taken from "Christ" by Student Life Bible Study, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
Mary was an ordinary teenager, yet God chose her to accomplish great things. Today, God still looks for ordinary people who are willing to trust him with their lives to accomplish great things. Psalm 139:13-16 reminds us that God created, designed, and crafted each of us especially for what he wants us to do. In fact, you were wired to know God and make him known. Nothing else will really satisfy you.
Reread today's passage and meditate on what it's saying to you. The real Christmas question is, "What will you do with this Jesus?"
How does it make you feel to know that God created you to know him and make him known?
Choose a personal way to express praise to God. Take some time to praise him.
**
Taken from "Christ" by Student Life Bible Study, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Luke 1:39-45
What goes through your mind when you think about Christmas? Luke 1:39-45 records the very first response (other than Mary's) to Christmas. A baby who was still inside his mother's womb leaped for joy. Then his mother, Elizabeth, encouraged Mary that she was indeed carrying the Messiah. Shouldn't we all respond this way--leaping for joy at the birth of Jesus, the Savior, who allows us to have a personal relationship with God?
So far in your life, what's been the hardest thing that God has asked you to do?
Or what's the hardest truth in the Bible for you to obey? What did you learn from that experience?
What would help you trust God more in the tough areas of life?
Spend a few moments with God and tell him how you feel about your relationship with him. Then ask God to develop in you a joy about who he is that will last even when tough times come. (And they will come; that's how we grow.)
**
Taken from "Christ" by Student Life Bible Study, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
So far in your life, what's been the hardest thing that God has asked you to do?
Or what's the hardest truth in the Bible for you to obey? What did you learn from that experience?
What would help you trust God more in the tough areas of life?
Spend a few moments with God and tell him how you feel about your relationship with him. Then ask God to develop in you a joy about who he is that will last even when tough times come. (And they will come; that's how we grow.)
**
Taken from "Christ" by Student Life Bible Study, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
LUKE 1:26-38
This could be one of the most awesome sections in the entire Bible.
Read it again and write down anything that amazes you.
HOW ABOUT THESE?
An angel came down to Mary and said something like, “Hey, you are highly favored, and God is with you!” (v. 28)
Since God favored Mary, he chose her to give birth to the Messiah—as a virgin. She obviously had some questions as to how exactly this would happen! (vv. 30-34)
The angel told her not to be afraid—the Holy Spirit would conceive a child inside of her. He also reminded her that nothing is impossible with God (vv. 35-37). That statement alone is worth remembering and repeating.
Mary, who probably was a teenager, knew the heartache she’d face one day, and she responded with trust. She said she was the Lord’s servant and he was free to do with her life whatever he desired.
Learning from a fellow teenager, what’s your response as God calls you to trust and obey him in all areas of your life? Ask God to do whatever he needs to do to build your faith.
**
Taken from “Christ” by Student Life Bible Study, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
This could be one of the most awesome sections in the entire Bible.
Read it again and write down anything that amazes you.
HOW ABOUT THESE?
An angel came down to Mary and said something like, “Hey, you are highly favored, and God is with you!” (v. 28)
Since God favored Mary, he chose her to give birth to the Messiah—as a virgin. She obviously had some questions as to how exactly this would happen! (vv. 30-34)
The angel told her not to be afraid—the Holy Spirit would conceive a child inside of her. He also reminded her that nothing is impossible with God (vv. 35-37). That statement alone is worth remembering and repeating.
Mary, who probably was a teenager, knew the heartache she’d face one day, and she responded with trust. She said she was the Lord’s servant and he was free to do with her life whatever he desired.
Learning from a fellow teenager, what’s your response as God calls you to trust and obey him in all areas of your life? Ask God to do whatever he needs to do to build your faith.
**
Taken from “Christ” by Student Life Bible Study, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Little things
"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" -Matthew 25:21
Read the same parable told slightly differently in Luke Chapter 19. What things has God placed you in charge of?1 What small things have you not noticed or just discarded? Look for the little things which God is doing and has given to you, be faithful in those things. God has a desire that is far bigger for you.
1. Uprising Experience: Erwin McManus, pg 169.
Read the same parable told slightly differently in Luke Chapter 19. What things has God placed you in charge of?1 What small things have you not noticed or just discarded? Look for the little things which God is doing and has given to you, be faithful in those things. God has a desire that is far bigger for you.
1. Uprising Experience: Erwin McManus, pg 169.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Faithfulness
What does it mean to have grace on someone?
Have you ever had someone you love hurt you so bad, you don't know what to do with the feelings. I recently watched a good friend of mine go through a difficult situation with an incredible amount of faithfulness. It reminded me that while things don't always work out the way we plan, God calls us to be faithful anyway. Take some time to reflect on ways in which God is calling you to be faithful. Write down some things that are difficult on your life in a journal. Its amazing how going back and reading past experiences gives you a new perspective on life.
Have you ever had someone you love hurt you so bad, you don't know what to do with the feelings. I recently watched a good friend of mine go through a difficult situation with an incredible amount of faithfulness. It reminded me that while things don't always work out the way we plan, God calls us to be faithful anyway. Take some time to reflect on ways in which God is calling you to be faithful. Write down some things that are difficult on your life in a journal. Its amazing how going back and reading past experiences gives you a new perspective on life.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Not always what it seems
I was talking with a friend this morning about a tough situation occurring in their life. I found myself being struck by how sad the situation is, while at the same time excited that this person recognized just how bad it really was. I rejoiced that God had blessed me with this conversation. There were questions of why God would allow certain things to happen and if God was really even there. In that same breath I was told by this friend that they see God in me. The statement really hit me because while it is my goal to reflect Christ, I am all too aware of how much I fail at it. I reminded me that the life I live is being noticed. The life you live is also being noticed. What are the messages, pictures and stories that people see or hear from you? The beauty of it all is that I have no idea at what moment or in what ways this person saw God reflected in my life. I saw that is beautiful because i cannot boast in my self. Whatever work was done happened because God is Love. Perfect Love casts out all fear, always be willing to trust that God is using you, even if you don't know how.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Meditate on this passage....
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called that you may inherit a blessing.
For,
'Whoever would love life and see good days,
must keep their tongue for evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.'
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
1 peter 3:8-12, 15
For,
'Whoever would love life and see good days,
must keep their tongue for evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.'
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
1 peter 3:8-12, 15
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Lord's Equal
Read this passage from Isaiah. What is God's response to the people? What were they asking for?
"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look at those heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, o Jacob, and complain O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'?
Do you now know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. he will not grow weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:25-31
"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look at those heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, o Jacob, and complain O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'?
Do you now know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. he will not grow weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:25-31
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Integrity
in·teg·ri·ty
/ɪnˈtɛgrɪti/ - [in-teg-ri-tee] –noun
1.
adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2.
the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
Its easy to say you are a person of integrity, but how does your life fit within this definition? If adherence to those things you believe in is a qualification for being a person of integrity, how much do you have?
The gap between what we believe and what we do must be closed. If we are to be "whole, entire, or undiminished" then the person that people see must be the person you are.
What are some ways you display integrity?
What are some ways you don't?
/ɪnˈtɛgrɪti/ - [in-teg-ri-tee] –noun
1.
adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2.
the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
Its easy to say you are a person of integrity, but how does your life fit within this definition? If adherence to those things you believe in is a qualification for being a person of integrity, how much do you have?
The gap between what we believe and what we do must be closed. If we are to be "whole, entire, or undiminished" then the person that people see must be the person you are.
What are some ways you display integrity?
What are some ways you don't?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Habakkuk
Read Habakkuk (near the end of the Old Testament) chapters 1 and 2
verses 2-4 are complaints from Habakkuk to God.
verses 5-11 are God's answer.
How does God answer? Try to put yourself in Habakkuk's shoes, what would you be feeling?
After God replies to him, Habakkuk shouts out another bit of grumbling (v 1:12 - 2:1)
Again God replies to him.
What are some things you complain about? Have you taken the time to listen for an answer?
verses 2-4 are complaints from Habakkuk to God.
verses 5-11 are God's answer.
How does God answer? Try to put yourself in Habakkuk's shoes, what would you be feeling?
After God replies to him, Habakkuk shouts out another bit of grumbling (v 1:12 - 2:1)
Again God replies to him.
What are some things you complain about? Have you taken the time to listen for an answer?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
WHAT DID JESUS DO AFTER EASTER?
In 1963 the body of 14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, one of four African-American girls tragically murdered in a church bombing by white racists, was buried in Birmingham, Alabama. For years family members kept returning to the grave to pray and leave flowers. In 1998 they decided to move the body to another cemetery. But when workers went to dig up the body, they returned with a shocking discovery: The grave was empty. Understandably, family members were terribly upset. Cemetery officials scrambled to figure out what had happened. Several possibilities were raised, the main one being that Addie Mae's tombstone had been erected in the wrong place. In all of the discussion, however, one explanation was never proposed: Nobody suggested that young Addie Mae had been resurrected to walk the earth again.
Why? Because by itself an empty grave does not prove a resurrection.
It's one thing to conclude that Jesus' grave really was empty on Easter Sunday (see chapter 8). While I knew that this was important and necessary evidence for Jesus' resurrection, I was also aware that a missing body is not conclusive proof by itself. If I were going to believe that a dead person came back to life, I'd want more evidence.
SEEING IS BELIEVING Even the persistent myth that Elvis is still alive wouldn't have gained any momentum without the occasional report of an Elvis sighting. What I needed to know was, were there any Jesus sightings after his death? And if so, were they any more believable than the Elvis sightings reported in those tabloids you find in the checkout lane at Target?
500 EYEWITNESSES The sighting witnessed by the greatest number of people at one time is reported by the apostle Paul, who wrote this in a letter to the church in Corinth: What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be. He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time. Most of them are still living. What catches my attention is that last sentence: "Most of them are still living." (You can read it for yourself in 1 Corinthians 15:3--6, NIrV.) Paul either knew some of these people or else he was told by someone who knew them that they were still walking around and willing to be interviewed. Now stop and think about it: Would you include a statement like that if you weren't absolutely certain that these guys would confirm that they really did see Jesus alive? I mean, Paul was basically inviting people to check it out for themselves. Would he have said this if he wasn't confident they'd back him up?
EXAMINING THE ALTERNATIVES All the evidence in the Gospels and Acts--incident after incident, witness after witness, detail after detail--was extremely impressive. But couldn't there be some plausible alternatives that could explain these apparent encounters with the risen Jesus? Possibility 1: The Sightings Are Legends If you've ever gone off on some adventure and come back with stories to tell, you know how those stories can grow bigger and better with each retelling--especially if there were a lot of people involved to add their own variations. The rapids you encountered on a whitewater rafting trip, for example, in memory seem more treacherous, the paddling more heroic, and your tumble out of the raft positively death-defying. Maybe that's how the reports of Jesus' resurrection appearances got going. Maybe the accounts are merely legends that grew up over time. One argument in favor of this possibility is the fact that the accounts become more numerous throughout the Gospels: Mark records no appearances; Matthew has some; Luke has more; and John has the most. Possibility 2: The Sightings Were Hallucinations Maybe the witnesses were sincere in believing they saw Jesus. Perhaps they accurately reported what they saw. But could they have been seeing a hallucination that convinced them they were encountering Jesus when they really weren't? The biggest argument in favor of the hallucination theory, as far as I'm concerned, is that hallucinations are more common than resurrections. It's generally easier to believe that someone is hallucinating than that someone came back to life. Possibility 3: Wishful Thinking You probably know people who almost always manage to see what they want to see, to spin a situation to suit what they already believe. Like the guy who's convinced he's God's gift to women: a girl can walk past him without so much as a glance in his direction, and he'll turn to you and say, "She wants me!" Or the group that thinks their band is on the verge of breaking into the big time, even though they've never gotten a gig outside their own garage. Maybe Jesus' followers were so set on seeing Jesus rise from the grave that they talked themselves--and one another--into believing it had happened. People who accept this possibility will tell you that stranger things have happened in the name of faith.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS If you're into logic, or history, or theology, you probably find all these lists of eyewitnesses and arguments for and against Christ's resurrection pretty gripping. But if you're not into any of those things, you may be wondering, "What difference does it really make whether Jesus showed up and proved he was alive to a bunch of people who are now dead themselves?" And that's a good question. Because if Jesus' resurrection doesn't have anything to do with life today, does it matter whether he rose from the dead or not? Encounters with Jesus 2,000 years ago may be the stuff of theology, but encounters with Jesus today--now that could make me sit up and take notice! And that's exactly what a professor named J.P. Moreland claims to have experienced. We were bantering about football and whether his team (the Kansas City Chiefs) or mine (the Chicago Bears) had any chance of making it to the Super Bowl (probably not) when Moreland casually mentioned, "You've forgotten a whole category of encounters with Christ, you know." After taking a second or two to shift gears from football to evidence for Christ's resurrection, I finally said, "I give up. What encounters do you mean?" "It's the ongoing encounter with the resurrected Christ that happens all over the world, in every culture, to people from all kinds of backgrounds and personalities," he said. "They all will tell you that more than any single thing in their lives, Jesus Christ has changed them." Moreland leaned forward for emphasis. "To me, this is the final evidence--not the only evidence, but the final confirming proof--that the message of Jesus can open the door to a direct encounter with the risen Christ." "I assume you've had an encounter like that," I said. "Tell me about it." "I was a cynical chemistry major at the University of Missouri when I was confronted with the fact that if I examined the claims of Jesus Christ critically but with an open mind, there was more than enough evidence for me to believe it. "So I took a step of faith in the same direction the evidence was pointing, by receiving Jesus as my forgiver and leader. And I began to relate to him--to the resurrected Christ--in a very real and ongoing way. "In three decades since then, I've had hundreds of specific answers to prayer, I've had things happen that simply cannot be explained by natural explanations, and I have experienced a changed life beyond anything I could have imagined." "Wait a minute," I protested. "Lots of people in other religions experience life change, too. Isn't it dangerous to base a decision on an experience you can't prove?" "Let me make two things clear," Moreland said. "First, I'm not saying, 'Just trust your experience.' I'm saying, 'Use your mind calmly and weigh the evidence, and then see whether your experience confirms that evidence.' Second, if what this evidence points to is true, the evidence itself begs for an experiential test." "An experiential test?" I repeated. "Define that." "The experiential test is, 'He's alive, and I can find out by relating to him.' If you were on a jury and heard enough evidence to convince you of someone's guilt, it wouldn't make sense to stop short of the final step of convicting him. And for people to accept the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus and not take the final step of testing it experientially would be to miss where the evidence is leading." Which, of course, leads to the obvious question: are you open to taking that step?
** Taken from "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel and Jane Vogel, copyright 2001, Youth Specialties/Zondervan.
Why? Because by itself an empty grave does not prove a resurrection.
It's one thing to conclude that Jesus' grave really was empty on Easter Sunday (see chapter 8). While I knew that this was important and necessary evidence for Jesus' resurrection, I was also aware that a missing body is not conclusive proof by itself. If I were going to believe that a dead person came back to life, I'd want more evidence.
SEEING IS BELIEVING Even the persistent myth that Elvis is still alive wouldn't have gained any momentum without the occasional report of an Elvis sighting. What I needed to know was, were there any Jesus sightings after his death? And if so, were they any more believable than the Elvis sightings reported in those tabloids you find in the checkout lane at Target?
500 EYEWITNESSES The sighting witnessed by the greatest number of people at one time is reported by the apostle Paul, who wrote this in a letter to the church in Corinth: What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be. He appeared to Peter. Then he appeared to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than 500 believers at the same time. Most of them are still living. What catches my attention is that last sentence: "Most of them are still living." (You can read it for yourself in 1 Corinthians 15:3--6, NIrV.) Paul either knew some of these people or else he was told by someone who knew them that they were still walking around and willing to be interviewed. Now stop and think about it: Would you include a statement like that if you weren't absolutely certain that these guys would confirm that they really did see Jesus alive? I mean, Paul was basically inviting people to check it out for themselves. Would he have said this if he wasn't confident they'd back him up?
EXAMINING THE ALTERNATIVES All the evidence in the Gospels and Acts--incident after incident, witness after witness, detail after detail--was extremely impressive. But couldn't there be some plausible alternatives that could explain these apparent encounters with the risen Jesus? Possibility 1: The Sightings Are Legends If you've ever gone off on some adventure and come back with stories to tell, you know how those stories can grow bigger and better with each retelling--especially if there were a lot of people involved to add their own variations. The rapids you encountered on a whitewater rafting trip, for example, in memory seem more treacherous, the paddling more heroic, and your tumble out of the raft positively death-defying. Maybe that's how the reports of Jesus' resurrection appearances got going. Maybe the accounts are merely legends that grew up over time. One argument in favor of this possibility is the fact that the accounts become more numerous throughout the Gospels: Mark records no appearances; Matthew has some; Luke has more; and John has the most. Possibility 2: The Sightings Were Hallucinations Maybe the witnesses were sincere in believing they saw Jesus. Perhaps they accurately reported what they saw. But could they have been seeing a hallucination that convinced them they were encountering Jesus when they really weren't? The biggest argument in favor of the hallucination theory, as far as I'm concerned, is that hallucinations are more common than resurrections. It's generally easier to believe that someone is hallucinating than that someone came back to life. Possibility 3: Wishful Thinking You probably know people who almost always manage to see what they want to see, to spin a situation to suit what they already believe. Like the guy who's convinced he's God's gift to women: a girl can walk past him without so much as a glance in his direction, and he'll turn to you and say, "She wants me!" Or the group that thinks their band is on the verge of breaking into the big time, even though they've never gotten a gig outside their own garage. Maybe Jesus' followers were so set on seeing Jesus rise from the grave that they talked themselves--and one another--into believing it had happened. People who accept this possibility will tell you that stranger things have happened in the name of faith.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS If you're into logic, or history, or theology, you probably find all these lists of eyewitnesses and arguments for and against Christ's resurrection pretty gripping. But if you're not into any of those things, you may be wondering, "What difference does it really make whether Jesus showed up and proved he was alive to a bunch of people who are now dead themselves?" And that's a good question. Because if Jesus' resurrection doesn't have anything to do with life today, does it matter whether he rose from the dead or not? Encounters with Jesus 2,000 years ago may be the stuff of theology, but encounters with Jesus today--now that could make me sit up and take notice! And that's exactly what a professor named J.P. Moreland claims to have experienced. We were bantering about football and whether his team (the Kansas City Chiefs) or mine (the Chicago Bears) had any chance of making it to the Super Bowl (probably not) when Moreland casually mentioned, "You've forgotten a whole category of encounters with Christ, you know." After taking a second or two to shift gears from football to evidence for Christ's resurrection, I finally said, "I give up. What encounters do you mean?" "It's the ongoing encounter with the resurrected Christ that happens all over the world, in every culture, to people from all kinds of backgrounds and personalities," he said. "They all will tell you that more than any single thing in their lives, Jesus Christ has changed them." Moreland leaned forward for emphasis. "To me, this is the final evidence--not the only evidence, but the final confirming proof--that the message of Jesus can open the door to a direct encounter with the risen Christ." "I assume you've had an encounter like that," I said. "Tell me about it." "I was a cynical chemistry major at the University of Missouri when I was confronted with the fact that if I examined the claims of Jesus Christ critically but with an open mind, there was more than enough evidence for me to believe it. "So I took a step of faith in the same direction the evidence was pointing, by receiving Jesus as my forgiver and leader. And I began to relate to him--to the resurrected Christ--in a very real and ongoing way. "In three decades since then, I've had hundreds of specific answers to prayer, I've had things happen that simply cannot be explained by natural explanations, and I have experienced a changed life beyond anything I could have imagined." "Wait a minute," I protested. "Lots of people in other religions experience life change, too. Isn't it dangerous to base a decision on an experience you can't prove?" "Let me make two things clear," Moreland said. "First, I'm not saying, 'Just trust your experience.' I'm saying, 'Use your mind calmly and weigh the evidence, and then see whether your experience confirms that evidence.' Second, if what this evidence points to is true, the evidence itself begs for an experiential test." "An experiential test?" I repeated. "Define that." "The experiential test is, 'He's alive, and I can find out by relating to him.' If you were on a jury and heard enough evidence to convince you of someone's guilt, it wouldn't make sense to stop short of the final step of convicting him. And for people to accept the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus and not take the final step of testing it experientially would be to miss where the evidence is leading." Which, of course, leads to the obvious question: are you open to taking that step?
** Taken from "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel and Jane Vogel, copyright 2001, Youth Specialties/Zondervan.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Romans 8-9
Read Romans 8 - 9
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." (8:6)
Where is your mind?
Peace is something we are promised many times as something we get through Jesus. It is also the only thing God promises in prayer. If we set our minds on God, things won't always be perfect, it won't make all your problems go away, but it will give you peace. A peace that we are told passes all understanding. Have you ever experienced that peace? Ask God to show it to you.
verse 15 tells us that God has adopted us as children. In a very real way we are given the right to call the Father our father. Abba is a word which was so revered that it couldn't be uttered due to the level of intimacy it conveyed. To call yourself a child of God was heresy and is what got Jesus killed ultimately. Now we are told we can refer to God in that same way.
One of the main messages of the chapter is summed up in verse 31, God is for us. Nothing can change that. God has adopted us as children and we cannot get away from that fact.
Chapter 9 covers many ways in which Jesus fulfills prophecy.
What is your reaction to verses 15-16?
Read ch 9 again, knowing that this was written to gentiles, what does it says about the nature of the relationship between gentiles and Jews?
Ch's 10-11 tomorrow.
"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." (8:6)
Where is your mind?
Peace is something we are promised many times as something we get through Jesus. It is also the only thing God promises in prayer. If we set our minds on God, things won't always be perfect, it won't make all your problems go away, but it will give you peace. A peace that we are told passes all understanding. Have you ever experienced that peace? Ask God to show it to you.
verse 15 tells us that God has adopted us as children. In a very real way we are given the right to call the Father our father. Abba is a word which was so revered that it couldn't be uttered due to the level of intimacy it conveyed. To call yourself a child of God was heresy and is what got Jesus killed ultimately. Now we are told we can refer to God in that same way.
One of the main messages of the chapter is summed up in verse 31, God is for us. Nothing can change that. God has adopted us as children and we cannot get away from that fact.
Chapter 9 covers many ways in which Jesus fulfills prophecy.
What is your reaction to verses 15-16?
Read ch 9 again, knowing that this was written to gentiles, what does it says about the nature of the relationship between gentiles and Jews?
Ch's 10-11 tomorrow.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Romans 5 and 6
Our faith is one which must be firmly grounded in Jesus. It is through faith that we are justified (5:1). Through that same faith we achieve peace with God.
In verse 3 there is an interesting progression which ends in an unlikely spot...hope. Yet the things which lead to hope all begin with being strong in faith. Persevering through tough times is a great way to 'sharpen' your faith. It is no coincidence that the areas where the Church is strongest is wherever there is persecution. CS Lewis famously said that you never know what you truly believe until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death. While you may not be feeling intense physical threats at this point in your life, there are times when you have the chance to share your faith. Even if it means standing in the face of a social beating. Through even the toughest situations hope in Christ will get you through.
The rest of chapter 5 continues to establish that Jesus is the only way for our justification to occur. Over and over we are taught by Paul that through Jesus, who was fully God and fully human, we are reconciled to God. The ransom moment has occurred. It occurred ONCE for ALL. Jesus doesn't die again each time we sin. 5:18-21 are some of the most powerful words in scripture.
Chapter 6
The free gift of grace requires nothing on our part. Paul encourages baptism as a public way of affirming that you accepted the gift of grace. Through that acceptance you literally become bonded to Christ in his death and resurrection. There is no separating the two anymore. That is beauty of once for all, its cannot and does not need to be repeated.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Read it over again and let the words speak to you. If there are verses that you don't understand or concepts you're struggling with, I'd love to discuss them with you. Give me a call or email me.
In verse 3 there is an interesting progression which ends in an unlikely spot...hope. Yet the things which lead to hope all begin with being strong in faith. Persevering through tough times is a great way to 'sharpen' your faith. It is no coincidence that the areas where the Church is strongest is wherever there is persecution. CS Lewis famously said that you never know what you truly believe until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death. While you may not be feeling intense physical threats at this point in your life, there are times when you have the chance to share your faith. Even if it means standing in the face of a social beating. Through even the toughest situations hope in Christ will get you through.
The rest of chapter 5 continues to establish that Jesus is the only way for our justification to occur. Over and over we are taught by Paul that through Jesus, who was fully God and fully human, we are reconciled to God. The ransom moment has occurred. It occurred ONCE for ALL. Jesus doesn't die again each time we sin. 5:18-21 are some of the most powerful words in scripture.
Chapter 6
The free gift of grace requires nothing on our part. Paul encourages baptism as a public way of affirming that you accepted the gift of grace. Through that acceptance you literally become bonded to Christ in his death and resurrection. There is no separating the two anymore. That is beauty of once for all, its cannot and does not need to be repeated.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Read it over again and let the words speak to you. If there are verses that you don't understand or concepts you're struggling with, I'd love to discuss them with you. Give me a call or email me.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Style
"Fundamentally, the rituals of our worship teach us. In fact, all rituals have a primary teaching function. Whether our personal rituals involve brushing our teeth before bedtime or after every meal, whether we raise our hand during worship or kneel on little benches under a pew, every little ritual teaches and reinforces."1 Liturgy (or order of service) literally means 'the service of the people.' At times certain styles of service (notice I didn't say style of worship) can seem repetitive or boring. I have been frustrated at various times in my life with different aspects of a service; yet it is important to remember what worship is. Worship is your joining with the global church in adoration of God. That can happen anywhere. If you find yourself frustrated by a style issue, think about those who may connect deeply with God as a result of the thing you don't connect with. It is out of love for those people and love for our Savior that we must worship in spite of ourselves. Worship isn't about you or me, it's about God. Do you come to worship to be blessed, or to be a blessing?
"The glory of God is {people} fully alive"
-St Irenaeus
1. "Facing the Music: Where is Worship taking students?" by Brad Griffin and Kara Powell. The Journal of Student Ministries; January/February 2007. p42 - 46.
"The glory of God is {people} fully alive"
-St Irenaeus
1. "Facing the Music: Where is Worship taking students?" by Brad Griffin and Kara Powell. The Journal of Student Ministries; January/February 2007. p42 - 46.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Sign of the Times
Unbelievable, I know. This is an actual lawn decoration. Can't you just picture driving down the street and seeing this. I guess it does portray the real Good Friday message well, but its scary to me that the beating of anyone, let alone Jesus, is fodder for someone's lawn. What does the Passion week (the week leading up to Christ's death) mean to you? Can it really be reduced to flashing lights? I believe this question goes beyond the image. What do you believe was done for you on that cross? When you look at the cross in church what do you feel? I know that I see it so often i forget to really remember. Take the time to look at the cross. Take the time to let the weight of that event settle on you. Remember it was done for you.
Or you could just add a little Jesus to your "holiday" season with a treetopper Jesus...
Thursday, November 29, 2007
"And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of people, but on the power of God." -1 Corinthians 2:1-5
I was sitting in the backseat of a van on a trip to Colorado a few years back and heard a conversation that has stuck with me ever since. It was between the man who introduced me to Jesus (Tim) and another friend named Ryan. Ryan asked Tim if it ever worried him that students (like me) might place more faith in him than in God. I remember thinking it was kind of a silly question at the time, but it really was a great one. It the same question Paul is addressing in this letter to the Corinthian church. He wanted to make it very clear who the object of our faith should be. I don't remember much else about that conversation in the van; however, when I read this scripture I am reminded of the faith we share. I am reminded that while people come and go, Jesus stays the same. When I think of those people who impacted my faith deeply, I must admit I don't give Jesus near enough credit. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for those amazing sisters and brothers...yet Paul's reminder to the Corinthian church serves as a reminder for me that the Church, with all its many parts, must constantly be pointing to the Head. Jesus should be the most recognizable part of our lives.
I was sitting in the backseat of a van on a trip to Colorado a few years back and heard a conversation that has stuck with me ever since. It was between the man who introduced me to Jesus (Tim) and another friend named Ryan. Ryan asked Tim if it ever worried him that students (like me) might place more faith in him than in God. I remember thinking it was kind of a silly question at the time, but it really was a great one. It the same question Paul is addressing in this letter to the Corinthian church. He wanted to make it very clear who the object of our faith should be. I don't remember much else about that conversation in the van; however, when I read this scripture I am reminded of the faith we share. I am reminded that while people come and go, Jesus stays the same. When I think of those people who impacted my faith deeply, I must admit I don't give Jesus near enough credit. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for those amazing sisters and brothers...yet Paul's reminder to the Corinthian church serves as a reminder for me that the Church, with all its many parts, must constantly be pointing to the Head. Jesus should be the most recognizable part of our lives.
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