Un-righteous fear

Today in the men's group we discussed chapter 2 of Bulletproof.  We started out talking about how it seems that once or twice in each generation there is some event that everyone remembers so well that they can always tell you where they were when it happened.  For instance -

• September 11, 2001
• Explosion of Space Shuttle challenger in 1986
• Assasination of JFK
• Bombing of Pearl Harbor
• etc...

Things like this make such an impression on us that we never forget.  But there are far more things - daily tragedies that the media spin to get ratings.  From Holton's book...

• Economic downturn
• dust mites
• carbon monoxide
• SUV rollovers
• environmental disasters
• acid-reflux
• losing your job
• flesh-eating bacteria
• radon
• dying young
• living too long
• no retirement savings
• financial ruin
• cancer
• hair loss
• health
• your figure
• you worry for your children
• terrorism
• weapons of mass destruction
• mad cow disease
• stock market plunges
• impotence

Holton's Summary: We are living in a society being eaten alive by anxety.

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Holton's fix: Fear nothing but God!

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28; ESV)

Next week - Chapter 3 will, I think, demonstrate that un-righteous fear is the same thing as idolatry!  Stay tuned!

Starting the NCPC Tuesday AM men's group

We started our Tuesday morning men's group this morning.  It was something that many of the men of our congregation wanted to do but inertia and other equally important projects have kept us from it for the past year or so that we have been a congregation.  A few weeks ago I was motivated by the amazing progress that the Womens' groups have made in our congregation at getting organized and going and doing, so I volunteered to lead the Men's Tuesday morning group just to get it off the ground.

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We are studying Chuck Holton's amazing book, Bullet Proof.  This morning we did the preface and the first chapter and ended up talking the most about Jim Elliot's death in Amazonia and the amazing effect it had on evangelization in Equador.  Holton characterized it, "If Jim Elliot had lived to be one hundred, he would not have had the same effect..."  Our pastor mentioned Elliot's famous quote, "He is no fool that would give up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose."  And another of our brothers mentioned this morning that it seems that the real hero, the real warrior in this case, was Elliot's wife, who chose to stay with the Auca, demonstrating the forgiveness and the different lifestyle that the Indians could have, leading them to Christianity almost in their entirety.

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In any case, if you haven't read Chuck Holton's Bullet Proof or if you haven't watched the movie, End of the Spear, I highly recommend both.  Both are truly remarkable and excellent.

Satan shudders

A funny quote that one of my co-workers got from somewhere...

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake!"

Reminds me of this great quote from John Milton's Paradise Lost...

Abashed the Devil stood, And felt how awful goodness is, and saw Virtue in her own shape how lovely; saw And pined his loss.

...a kingdom that cannot be shaken

The following scriptures came together for me in my reading yesterday and today (all emphasis mine)...

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:15-18; ESV)

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According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.(1 Corinthians 3:10-11; ESV)

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Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing,and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." (Matthew 21:42-44; ESV)

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Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29; ESV)

Cessationism vs. continuationism

 

Photo courtesy of Prozaciswack

There is this whole controversy about whether or not God still speaks through miracles and prophets.  The debating sides are called cessationist (believing that miracles and prophecy ended with the apostolic age) and continuationist (believing that prophecy and miracles continue today).  Here are some interesting sources that I have been reading on this debate:

• Wikipedia - Cessationism
• Wikipedia - Continuationism
• Must Reformed Christians be cessationist?
• You're probably cessationist too

Peter vs. Andrew

In Matthew 18, Jesus is teaching his disciples:

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17; ESV)

Immediately following that...

Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.(Matthew 18:21-22; ESV)

One of the commentaries that I read says that Jewish law or tradition required forgiveness three times and that Peter probably figured he was being generous suggesting that Christians should forgive maybe as many as seven times - that he was likely shocked and awed at Jesus response.

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What is interesting to me about this, and I don't know if it is an artifact of the translation or my filters I'm reading it through or what, but this second passage (Mat 18:21-22) sounds to me like a specific dispute between biological brothers instead of a hypothetical dispute between metaphorical brothers.

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As if Andrew had been vexing Peter somehow and within hearing of Andrew, Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" Sort of a gentle gouge at Andrew and a way of suggesting that he (Peter) was the long-suffering and overly-forgiving brother. The way I read it makes Jesus' response even more personally convicting.

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Anyway, that's my non-canonical thought of the day.

...for he had great possessions

Photo courtesy of Martin Beek

Everybody has heard this story of the Camel and the Eye of the Needle...

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:16-26; ESV)

But what is remarkable to me is the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  It seems that it was evident to them that this was not a singular case of one rich guy that was going to hell.  They recognized that we are all like the rich man because we all have our earthly idols, money or whatever, that should keep us on this side of the eye of the needle.

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And Jesus' response: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

A consuming fire

Photo courtesy of Denis Collette

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29; NKJV)

Wheat and tares

Photo courtesy of Hz536n

It's planting time for the early spring veggies here in Magnolia.  Whenever I plant, it reminds me of Jesus' Parable of the Sower, but also and especially of this Parable of the Wheat and the Tares:

He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.  And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"  (Matthew 13:24-30; ESV)

Have no fear...

Photo courtesy of Kr.B.

...and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:18-20)

"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.(Matthew 10:26-28)

Judas had the authority and the opportunity

Judas Icariot is so interesting. This guy was given every opportunity. Judas was, apparently, even given the healing and exorcism powers that the other disciples demonstrated...

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Matthew 10:1-4)

So, did God harden Judas' heart like he did Phaorah, so that Judas could serve his intended role? Or did Judas successfully resist Jesus calling? Or did Judas begin true and then something turned him? In any case, there, but for the grace of God, go I.