1st John, chapter 4 verse 7, says “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” We are called to love one another because God has loved us. 1 John 4:19 reads “We love because he first loved us.” God’s love for us was demonstrated by Christ coming and dying for us. Paul writes in Romans 5:8 “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Humans have individually and collectively turned their backs on God. Since the time of Adam and Eve, we have distanced ourselves from God by our actions. Yet God, though he had no reason to, has chosen to redeem us by the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ. That by believing in Christ for our salvation, we can join in a relationship with God, which is what we were designed for. Now since God has loved us and redeemed us because of His love, we are to respond in kind. Let’s look at what it means to love one another.
In 1 John 4:7, the author uses the term agape for love. Agape, as we saw last time, means more than just an emotional feeling. It is love for all people. God shows agape by dying for all people, “For God so [agape] the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes shall not parish but have eternal life.” This is given freely to all. God does not give his love with strings attached. He does not require that we give anything back to him in order to receive this love. He gave us a way to be united with him. Because of our sins, there is no reason for God to love us. There is no reason for God to offer us salvation. But because of his love, he has chosen to give.
Paul defines love in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians. He writes “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
God is our example of how to love. We are to love others unconditionally. We are to help others no matter what we will receive in return. We are to help others no matter who they are. Matthew 25 gives us a good example of how to love. This is the story of the separation of the goats and the sheep. The sheep are entering heaven while the goats are entering hell. The reason the sheep go to heaven is because they welcomed the stranger, fed the hungry, visited the imprisoned, clothed the naked. Jesus says that they did these things for him. When asked when he was hungry or thirsty, naked or in prison, Jesus says “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” We love by serving. By serving others we love God. By serving others we share God’s love.
Love is the highest attribute of God. Without God’s love, it would not be possible for us to be with him. It is the only attribute that is said to be God. 1 John 4:8 says “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Paul says for us that love is the greatest thing we can do. 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” Love will always last. When our faith becomes sight, love will endure. When our hope is fulfilled, love will endure. Love never ends. In verse 1 of the same chapter, Paul says that without love, he is “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Without love, our faith is without worth.
We must always remember that we love not to receive, but to give. We love because God loves us. In the story of the goats and sheep, the righteous are surprised that they are being rewarded for their love. They did it without selfish ambitions. If we give for selfish reasons, we will receive our selfish reward and not an eternal reward. Jesus tells us that when in the temple observing the priests giving. We love in response to God’s love. His love is so great that we must respond with love. If we do not love, how can we call ourselves Christians?
So love one another! Love your neighbor as yourself! Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might! Love without conditions! Love not to receive, but to give! Love!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Love One Another
Love is a common theme in the Bible. In the Ancient Greek, there are four words for love, Storge, Eros, Phileo, and Agape. In our English language, there is one word, Love. This certainly creates a little confusion when we read. The source of this confusion is our use of the word love. I have noticed that love is typically only used in two ways in relationship with people, love of someone like a family member and love of someone like a significant other. We rarely use love in terms of friendship, so when we read that we are to love our brothers, it may seem slightly confusing.
Let's first look at the three Greek terms. Storge means affection. It is not found in the Bible. Eros means a passionate love. This would be the love between a husband and wife. It is not found in the Bible. Phileo means the love between friends. It is similar to loyalty. Agape is a sacrificial love for all. It would seem that phileo is an emotion while agape is an action.
Phileo and agape are both used in the Bible. Phileo is used in Matthew 10 to tell us that we are to phileo God more than anyone else. There is no specific command to phileo God in the NT, it instead uses the word agape.
Agape is used to describe God's love for mankind in John 3:16, "For God so loved [agape] the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." It is also used to describe what we should do. In John 14:15, Jesus says "If you love [agape] me, you will obey my commands."
In looking online, I found the following chart that contrasted these two types of love.
This will be just the start of a look at what it means to love one another.
Let's first look at the three Greek terms. Storge means affection. It is not found in the Bible. Eros means a passionate love. This would be the love between a husband and wife. It is not found in the Bible. Phileo means the love between friends. It is similar to loyalty. Agape is a sacrificial love for all. It would seem that phileo is an emotion while agape is an action.
Phileo and agape are both used in the Bible. Phileo is used in Matthew 10 to tell us that we are to phileo God more than anyone else. There is no specific command to phileo God in the NT, it instead uses the word agape.
Agape is used to describe God's love for mankind in John 3:16, "For God so loved [agape] the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." It is also used to describe what we should do. In John 14:15, Jesus says "If you love [agape] me, you will obey my commands."
In looking online, I found the following chart that contrasted these two types of love.
| Philia | Agape |
| Natural | Learned |
| Emotional | Volitional |
| Discriminatory | Non-discriminatory |
| Conditional | Unconditional |
| Pleasure | Preciousness |
| Delight | Esteem |
| Liking | Prizing |
| Because of | In spite of |
| Fails | Never fails |
This will be just the start of a look at what it means to love one another.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
What do you believe?
I believe in
God the Father, creator of all
• Creator of all things (Genesis 1)
• Father of Jesus (John 1:14)
God the son, Jesus Christ. Who was born of the Spirit and virgin Mary. Who was, is, and will always be. Fully God and fully man. Who died on the cross for the sins of all and rose from the grave three days later, conquering death. He is the only way to salvation.
• Born of the virgin Mary and the Spirit (Matthew 1:18)
• Fully God (John 10: 22-39)
• Fully Man
• Died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3)
• Physically rose three days later, conquering death (Luke 23:54 – 24:7) (Luke 24: 36-39)
• Has always been, and always will be (John 1:1,2)
God the Spirit. Who was promised by Jesus and sent from the Father to all believers to teach and remind us. He convicts the world of sin.
• Sent from the Father (John 14:15-17)
• Given to believers (John 14:15)
• Teaches and reminds us (John 14:26)
• Convicts the world of sin (John 16:8-11)
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28,29) (Acts 2) (Acts 19:4,5)
I believe
Salvation comes from God, by his grace, through faith.
Salvation can be obtained by all people.
Faith is more than just believing God exists, but is trusting in God and God only for salvation.
True faith will lead to good works and repentance.
Good works are part of our response to God’s love.
We can be assured of our salvation
• Salvation is a gift, not earned (Romans 6:23)
• All who receive Christ are saved (John 1:12,13)
• God has given life. You will know if you have eternal life. If you have Jesus, you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)
• Our salvation is guaranteed (Romans 4:16)
• True faith will lead to works (John 14:23,24) (James 2: 14-26)
• When Abraham was accredited by faith, it wasn’t because he knew God existed. It was because he trusted. He already knew God existed. But he was found to be righteous because he trusted. (Genesis 15:16) (Hebrews 11:8-19)
• We all sin, Christ is our sacrifice (Romans 3:21-31)
• If we are saved by works, then faith is for nothing (Romans 4:14)
• All can be saved (John 3:16) (1 Timothy 2:3,4)
I believe
Communion is ordained by Christ. In it, followers of Christ proclaim his death until his return. This is done by sharing in the same meal of Christ, bread and wine. The elements are not physically body and blood, Christ is symbolically in the elements
• Not symbolic, but spiritual (1 Corinthians 10:16) (1 Corinthians 11:27-29, How can one profane the body if it is only bread and wine?)
• Not physical (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) (Luke 22: 14-19)
• Proclaims Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 11:26)
Water baptism is a symbolic sign of a person’s desire to repent and live a new life in Christ. The action is not required for salvation.
• For repentance (Matthew 3:11) (Acts 2:38)
• Not required for salvation (no record of disciples being baptized) (Luke 23:39-43)
This is still a work in progress.
What do you believe?
God the Father, creator of all
• Creator of all things (Genesis 1)
• Father of Jesus (John 1:14)
God the son, Jesus Christ. Who was born of the Spirit and virgin Mary. Who was, is, and will always be. Fully God and fully man. Who died on the cross for the sins of all and rose from the grave three days later, conquering death. He is the only way to salvation.
• Born of the virgin Mary and the Spirit (Matthew 1:18)
• Fully God (John 10: 22-39)
• Fully Man
• Died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3)
• Physically rose three days later, conquering death (Luke 23:54 – 24:7) (Luke 24: 36-39)
• Has always been, and always will be (John 1:1,2)
God the Spirit. Who was promised by Jesus and sent from the Father to all believers to teach and remind us. He convicts the world of sin.
• Sent from the Father (John 14:15-17)
• Given to believers (John 14:15)
• Teaches and reminds us (John 14:26)
• Convicts the world of sin (John 16:8-11)
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28,29) (Acts 2) (Acts 19:4,5)
I believe
Salvation comes from God, by his grace, through faith.
Salvation can be obtained by all people.
Faith is more than just believing God exists, but is trusting in God and God only for salvation.
True faith will lead to good works and repentance.
Good works are part of our response to God’s love.
We can be assured of our salvation
• Salvation is a gift, not earned (Romans 6:23)
• All who receive Christ are saved (John 1:12,13)
• God has given life. You will know if you have eternal life. If you have Jesus, you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)
• Our salvation is guaranteed (Romans 4:16)
• True faith will lead to works (John 14:23,24) (James 2: 14-26)
• When Abraham was accredited by faith, it wasn’t because he knew God existed. It was because he trusted. He already knew God existed. But he was found to be righteous because he trusted. (Genesis 15:16) (Hebrews 11:8-19)
• We all sin, Christ is our sacrifice (Romans 3:21-31)
• If we are saved by works, then faith is for nothing (Romans 4:14)
• All can be saved (John 3:16) (1 Timothy 2:3,4)
I believe
Communion is ordained by Christ. In it, followers of Christ proclaim his death until his return. This is done by sharing in the same meal of Christ, bread and wine. The elements are not physically body and blood, Christ is symbolically in the elements
• Not symbolic, but spiritual (1 Corinthians 10:16) (1 Corinthians 11:27-29, How can one profane the body if it is only bread and wine?)
• Not physical (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) (Luke 22: 14-19)
• Proclaims Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 11:26)
Water baptism is a symbolic sign of a person’s desire to repent and live a new life in Christ. The action is not required for salvation.
• For repentance (Matthew 3:11) (Acts 2:38)
• Not required for salvation (no record of disciples being baptized) (Luke 23:39-43)
This is still a work in progress.
What do you believe?
Why do we serve?
That was the topic for the sermon today. We had a guest speaker from Frazer UMC in Montgomery, AL. He spoke on the importance of volunteering within the church.
As his message, he started with scripture and gave three reasons. First, the scripture.
-1st Corinthians 12:14-20
Second, the speaker said that we are all gifted. We all have ways that we can serve in the church. This is shown in the scripture. Third, all forms of service are equally important. Each person serving in their own way is important. As he used as an example, the people who clean the sanctuary are equally as important as him giving the sermon. If God calls us to do something, let's do it. Let's not waste time in committees deciding which are the most important. It is meets the requirements for ministry, then do it. Fourth, serving creates excitement. When people are filled and excited in church, they invite others. In closing, volunteer to further your spiritual journey.
While I think his points are correct, it really misses what I feel are the most important reasons to serve.
Before we get further, as you may know I have been recently evaluating the effectiveness of the United Methodist church, particularly in teaching the Gospel. In one post, we looked at some quotes from John Wesley, including one that said in all sermons, the preacher must preach the gospel and invite people to respond to Jesus. I believe that the speaker made an assumption that the people in the pews were Christians. While one would think that this might be a fair assumption for a church, it is far from true. While I am certainly in no position to judge the salvation of another person, I believe that it is fair to say that not all in the church are saved. If they are not Christians, then serving in the church is of no value. Paul tells us in Ephesians that salvation comes from grace, not works. So in terms of salvation, works are of no value. Christ tells us in chapter 7 of Matthew that many will call upon the name of the Lord in the end and say they performed acts in His name. He also says many of those he will cast away as he never knew them. James tells us in chapter 2 that faith without works is dead, and likewise, works without faith is dead. We know that works will not affect your salvation, but it certainly is meant for Christians. It is our response to God's grace and mercy for us. As we see in James, true faith will lead to good works.
So if not all in the church are Christians and good works are for Christians, we have a problem telling all people to do works. I believe that first, we must do what we can to help them know Christ. How do they come to know Christ if it is not preached? Yes we have bible studies and small groups, but not all who attend church participate in these. Christ must be preached in our pulpits, sunday school classroom, and throughout the whole world. Blessed are those who preach the goodness of Christ! That from the beginning of time, God has desired to have a relationship with us. However, he is perfect and we are not. This prevents us from being in relationship with God, both today and in the afterlife. However, in his love for us, God sent Christ Jesus who came to earth. He lived a perfect life to teach us how to live, and died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Our belief in Christ's redeeming power is all that is required from God's grace to cleanse us of our sins by the blood of Christ. Once we are cleansed of our sins, we can enjoy fellowship with God both now and forever. This must be taught in our churches and by those of us who are Christians.
So first, before we can even talk about performing good works in God's name, we first must belong to God. This then brings us to the reason for doing it. The most important reason for doing it is because God tells us to. We saw in James how our faith leads to good works. James uses the example of a Christian seeing a person in need of food and clothing and instead of providing for the person, the Christian says to "Go and I wish you well." This clearly does not help the person. John in 1st John tells us that we love because God loves us first. We are to love each other as a response to God's love for us! By living in love for each other, we will know that God lives in us, and us in Him. Jesus tells us in the story of the goats and lambs that by serving others, we serve God. In the story, Jesus separates the goats from the sheep. The goats are cast into hell while the sheep are brought into heaven. In both, they ask Christ when they saw him hungry or thirsty, naked or in jail. Jesus responds that as you do unto the least of these, you do unto Him. By loving others, we show our love to God and share God's love to others.
Serve in the church! Not as a means of gaining salvation, but as a means of sharing God's love!
As his message, he started with scripture and gave three reasons. First, the scripture.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
-1st Corinthians 12:14-20
Second, the speaker said that we are all gifted. We all have ways that we can serve in the church. This is shown in the scripture. Third, all forms of service are equally important. Each person serving in their own way is important. As he used as an example, the people who clean the sanctuary are equally as important as him giving the sermon. If God calls us to do something, let's do it. Let's not waste time in committees deciding which are the most important. It is meets the requirements for ministry, then do it. Fourth, serving creates excitement. When people are filled and excited in church, they invite others. In closing, volunteer to further your spiritual journey.
While I think his points are correct, it really misses what I feel are the most important reasons to serve.
Before we get further, as you may know I have been recently evaluating the effectiveness of the United Methodist church, particularly in teaching the Gospel. In one post, we looked at some quotes from John Wesley, including one that said in all sermons, the preacher must preach the gospel and invite people to respond to Jesus. I believe that the speaker made an assumption that the people in the pews were Christians. While one would think that this might be a fair assumption for a church, it is far from true. While I am certainly in no position to judge the salvation of another person, I believe that it is fair to say that not all in the church are saved. If they are not Christians, then serving in the church is of no value. Paul tells us in Ephesians that salvation comes from grace, not works. So in terms of salvation, works are of no value. Christ tells us in chapter 7 of Matthew that many will call upon the name of the Lord in the end and say they performed acts in His name. He also says many of those he will cast away as he never knew them. James tells us in chapter 2 that faith without works is dead, and likewise, works without faith is dead. We know that works will not affect your salvation, but it certainly is meant for Christians. It is our response to God's grace and mercy for us. As we see in James, true faith will lead to good works.
So if not all in the church are Christians and good works are for Christians, we have a problem telling all people to do works. I believe that first, we must do what we can to help them know Christ. How do they come to know Christ if it is not preached? Yes we have bible studies and small groups, but not all who attend church participate in these. Christ must be preached in our pulpits, sunday school classroom, and throughout the whole world. Blessed are those who preach the goodness of Christ! That from the beginning of time, God has desired to have a relationship with us. However, he is perfect and we are not. This prevents us from being in relationship with God, both today and in the afterlife. However, in his love for us, God sent Christ Jesus who came to earth. He lived a perfect life to teach us how to live, and died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Our belief in Christ's redeeming power is all that is required from God's grace to cleanse us of our sins by the blood of Christ. Once we are cleansed of our sins, we can enjoy fellowship with God both now and forever. This must be taught in our churches and by those of us who are Christians.
So first, before we can even talk about performing good works in God's name, we first must belong to God. This then brings us to the reason for doing it. The most important reason for doing it is because God tells us to. We saw in James how our faith leads to good works. James uses the example of a Christian seeing a person in need of food and clothing and instead of providing for the person, the Christian says to "Go and I wish you well." This clearly does not help the person. John in 1st John tells us that we love because God loves us first. We are to love each other as a response to God's love for us! By living in love for each other, we will know that God lives in us, and us in Him. Jesus tells us in the story of the goats and lambs that by serving others, we serve God. In the story, Jesus separates the goats from the sheep. The goats are cast into hell while the sheep are brought into heaven. In both, they ask Christ when they saw him hungry or thirsty, naked or in jail. Jesus responds that as you do unto the least of these, you do unto Him. By loving others, we show our love to God and share God's love to others.
Serve in the church! Not as a means of gaining salvation, but as a means of sharing God's love!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Terrorists at the Tea Party
I recently read an article in National Geographic Adventure (August 2008) called Terrorists at the Tea Party. It was about how our body responds to emergency situations and how to improve our reaction.
School fire alarms are a common occurance in schools. These are done regularly as drills, occasionally on accident, sometimes as a prank, and, on the rare occurrence, in an emergency. As a small child, I feared the fire alarm. In preschool, I would often cry when the alarm went off. This same fear was in my body when I met police officers. However, as I grew older, I overcame this fear. When an alarm goes off, I immediately think of where the nearest exit is. When I see a police officer, I do not fear them, though my attention is drawn to them. These changes in my reaction came as a result of conditioning my body. As a child, I was not aware of how to condition my body, this came as a result of repeated interactions with the source of fear. I began to understand what the source of the emergency is in each situation and how to properly respond. This sort of reaction is extremely important in life and death situations.
There have been numerous studies on people in survival situations and what makes some people give up while others persevere. In these studies, the most important characteristic isn't strength but mental ability. When an emergency situation arises, it often times enters our brain and is immediately processed before we have time to think about it. Our brain switches into survival instinct, releasing hormones, changing the chemistry of our blood, restricting our blood vessels, and increase our blood pressure and pulse. These actions help to protect our body and give our muscles extra strength, but at the expense of our rational thinking. As the situation develops, some people often times experience tachpsychia, the changing of our mind's perception of speed. Often times people experience the heightening of some senses and the weakening or tunneling of others. As time progresses, our mind has time to analyze the signals it is receiving and the evaluate what the threat is and how to appropriately respond. The longer we have to respond to the situation, the better. Though in situations such as shootings and wrecks, we have little time to respond. We must find ways to cope with the situation to increase our ability to respond appropriately and to increase our changes of survival.
One way of improving our odds is by experience. The more times we encounter emergency situations and survive, the more self-confidence we have in ourselves, and the more knowledge we have in how to respond and how our bodies respond. By hear the fire alarm and evacuating the building, my body was conditioned in what to do when the alarm sounds. Just like Pavlov's dogs. One of the most powerful ways is by breathing. Soldiers and police officers are often taught breathing techniques to use in hostile situations to calm the body and maintain a level head. This breathing strategy works by bridging the gap between our somatic nervous system and autonoic system, the parts of our body we can consciously control and the parts we can not. By slowing our breathing, we are able to reduce the fear that comes from our primal survival instinct. A common recommended pattern for breathing is inhale four counts, hold four counts, exhale four counts, hold four counts, repeat. Laughter is another activity that reduces our stress and allows us to think clearly.
School fire alarms are a common occurance in schools. These are done regularly as drills, occasionally on accident, sometimes as a prank, and, on the rare occurrence, in an emergency. As a small child, I feared the fire alarm. In preschool, I would often cry when the alarm went off. This same fear was in my body when I met police officers. However, as I grew older, I overcame this fear. When an alarm goes off, I immediately think of where the nearest exit is. When I see a police officer, I do not fear them, though my attention is drawn to them. These changes in my reaction came as a result of conditioning my body. As a child, I was not aware of how to condition my body, this came as a result of repeated interactions with the source of fear. I began to understand what the source of the emergency is in each situation and how to properly respond. This sort of reaction is extremely important in life and death situations.
There have been numerous studies on people in survival situations and what makes some people give up while others persevere. In these studies, the most important characteristic isn't strength but mental ability. When an emergency situation arises, it often times enters our brain and is immediately processed before we have time to think about it. Our brain switches into survival instinct, releasing hormones, changing the chemistry of our blood, restricting our blood vessels, and increase our blood pressure and pulse. These actions help to protect our body and give our muscles extra strength, but at the expense of our rational thinking. As the situation develops, some people often times experience tachpsychia, the changing of our mind's perception of speed. Often times people experience the heightening of some senses and the weakening or tunneling of others. As time progresses, our mind has time to analyze the signals it is receiving and the evaluate what the threat is and how to appropriately respond. The longer we have to respond to the situation, the better. Though in situations such as shootings and wrecks, we have little time to respond. We must find ways to cope with the situation to increase our ability to respond appropriately and to increase our changes of survival.
One way of improving our odds is by experience. The more times we encounter emergency situations and survive, the more self-confidence we have in ourselves, and the more knowledge we have in how to respond and how our bodies respond. By hear the fire alarm and evacuating the building, my body was conditioned in what to do when the alarm sounds. Just like Pavlov's dogs. One of the most powerful ways is by breathing. Soldiers and police officers are often taught breathing techniques to use in hostile situations to calm the body and maintain a level head. This breathing strategy works by bridging the gap between our somatic nervous system and autonoic system, the parts of our body we can consciously control and the parts we can not. By slowing our breathing, we are able to reduce the fear that comes from our primal survival instinct. A common recommended pattern for breathing is inhale four counts, hold four counts, exhale four counts, hold four counts, repeat. Laughter is another activity that reduces our stress and allows us to think clearly.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
This may not be such a bad deal!
Defendant trades murder plea for KFC, pizza.
That doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. Life with possible parole in 30 years for a bucket of chicken!
A New York man who pleaded guilty to murder in Oregon in exchange for buckets of fried chicken will get calzones and pizza to go with his life sentence.
That doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. Life with possible parole in 30 years for a bucket of chicken!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Disturbing News about the UMC
These statistics came from a recent poll by the Pew Forum. The survey was the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. The snapshot below of the United Methodist Church is disturbing.
http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=3829
There are some good things. Some things that are good are that 96% are positive that God exists. A majority of United Methodists pray daily. A majority feel that taking care of God's creation will be worth the cost.
There are also some disturbing things. A majority of United Methodists do not believe that the Bible is the literal Word of God. A majority of United Methodists believe that abortion should be allowed in all cases. A majority believe that many religions can lead to God. A majority believe that there are multiple interpretations to the Bible.
These trends lead me to the conclusion that the United Methodist Church needs to lead a revival in small group Bible studies. When the Methodist Church was in its infancy, it focused very heavily on small group Bible studies and holy living. Now a days, in most churches, this does not happen. Most United Methodists are not active in small group Bible studies where they are challenged to read and study the Word of God. Where they would be challenged and strengthened in their holy living by others. Instead, they attend church on Sunday morning and call it a week.
By studying the Bible, some things would clearly be found out. One, while there are many applications, there is only one interpretation to the Bible, and that is given to us by the Holy Spirit.
John 14: 16-17a "16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. "
The Spirit is the spirit of truth. He does not lie to us.
John 14: 26 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
He teaches us and reminds us of things that God has taught us.
1 Corinthians 2: 9-12 "9However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. "
God has and continues to speak to us. One of the ways God talks to us is through the Bible. He does not contradict Himself and so will not contradict the Bible. He has spoken by the Spirit through man to write the Bible. His word, revealed by the Spirit. The same Spirit continues to illuminate our understanding of the Bible. We cannot understand it outside the Bible.
Ephesians 4:18 "18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts."
It is very dangerous that people believe that there can be many interpretations. By allowing the idea of multiple interpretations, we open the door for false teachers to take hold in our churches.
Another thing that a Bible study would show is that there are not multiple paths to God. Jesus is very clear on this.
John 14:6-7 "6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.""
John 14:11a "11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me"
John 11: 25-27 "25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
I believe that the United Methodist Church must ensure that solid, Biblical sound teaching from every pulpit and that all churches have small group Bible studies. John Wesley would agree.
Let's look at a few quotes from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement.
"I love plain dealing. Do not you? I will use it now. Bear with me. I hang out no false colors; but show you all I am, all I intend, all I do. I am a member of the Church of England; but I love good men of every Church. My ground is the Bible. Yea, I am a Bible bigot. I follow it in all things, both great and small."
How many United Methodist pastors follow John Wesley's advice for teaching? "1. To invite. 2. To convince. 3. To offer Christ. 4. To build up. And to do this in some measure in every sermon."
How many United Methodists would be able to tell you where the name Methodists comes from? Except for when I was in VBS, I do not ever remember hearing it. It comes from a derogatory term used at Oxford against Wesley's holy living club. He took hold of the name, later explaining it as "one that lives according to the method laid down in the Bible."
We must return to our roots in the United Methodist church of everyone being in small group Bible studies where they study the Bible and are strengthened and held accountable by their fellow group members.
http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=3829
There are some good things. Some things that are good are that 96% are positive that God exists. A majority of United Methodists pray daily. A majority feel that taking care of God's creation will be worth the cost.
There are also some disturbing things. A majority of United Methodists do not believe that the Bible is the literal Word of God. A majority of United Methodists believe that abortion should be allowed in all cases. A majority believe that many religions can lead to God. A majority believe that there are multiple interpretations to the Bible.
These trends lead me to the conclusion that the United Methodist Church needs to lead a revival in small group Bible studies. When the Methodist Church was in its infancy, it focused very heavily on small group Bible studies and holy living. Now a days, in most churches, this does not happen. Most United Methodists are not active in small group Bible studies where they are challenged to read and study the Word of God. Where they would be challenged and strengthened in their holy living by others. Instead, they attend church on Sunday morning and call it a week.
By studying the Bible, some things would clearly be found out. One, while there are many applications, there is only one interpretation to the Bible, and that is given to us by the Holy Spirit.
John 14: 16-17a "16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. "
The Spirit is the spirit of truth. He does not lie to us.
John 14: 26 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
He teaches us and reminds us of things that God has taught us.
1 Corinthians 2: 9-12 "9However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. "
God has and continues to speak to us. One of the ways God talks to us is through the Bible. He does not contradict Himself and so will not contradict the Bible. He has spoken by the Spirit through man to write the Bible. His word, revealed by the Spirit. The same Spirit continues to illuminate our understanding of the Bible. We cannot understand it outside the Bible.
Ephesians 4:18 "18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts."
It is very dangerous that people believe that there can be many interpretations. By allowing the idea of multiple interpretations, we open the door for false teachers to take hold in our churches.
Another thing that a Bible study would show is that there are not multiple paths to God. Jesus is very clear on this.
John 14:6-7 "6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.""
John 14:11a "11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me"
John 11: 25-27 "25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.""
I believe that the United Methodist Church must ensure that solid, Biblical sound teaching from every pulpit and that all churches have small group Bible studies. John Wesley would agree.
Let's look at a few quotes from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement.
"I love plain dealing. Do not you? I will use it now. Bear with me. I hang out no false colors; but show you all I am, all I intend, all I do. I am a member of the Church of England; but I love good men of every Church. My ground is the Bible. Yea, I am a Bible bigot. I follow it in all things, both great and small."
How many United Methodist pastors follow John Wesley's advice for teaching? "1. To invite. 2. To convince. 3. To offer Christ. 4. To build up. And to do this in some measure in every sermon."
How many United Methodists would be able to tell you where the name Methodists comes from? Except for when I was in VBS, I do not ever remember hearing it. It comes from a derogatory term used at Oxford against Wesley's holy living club. He took hold of the name, later explaining it as "one that lives according to the method laid down in the Bible."
We must return to our roots in the United Methodist church of everyone being in small group Bible studies where they study the Bible and are strengthened and held accountable by their fellow group members.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
And Subdue It
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.
6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day.
9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning--the third day.
14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning--the fourth day.
20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day.
24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
1 Praise the Lord. 2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and maidens, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Psalm 148
I love being outside. I love going hiking, backpacking, bike riding, walking, ..., just being outside. Being outside allows me to see and be in God's creation. I love being in the beauty of nature, seeing wildlife and plants, camping in wilderness, breathing in the clean air.
Being in nature, I often reflect on God. In reading the Genesis 1 account of creation, we see that God gives us the earth, telling us to subdue the earth and to rule over the animals. This declaration does not come without great responsibility! We see in Psalm 148, and indeed through the whole Bible, that God loves his creation, and his creation loves him. In Psalm 148, the earth shouts praises to the Lord right next to man! Together, we praise our creator. We have a great responsibility, given to us by God, to take care of his creation.
He gives us food and shelter by his creation. All that we need to live is given to us by our Creator in his creation! We lack for nothing. Jesus reminds us of this during his sermon on the mount.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6: 25-34
We need nothing else besides what God has given us. Because of that, it is our responsibility to not waste what he has given us or to abuse it. Just because we have an abundance of things does not mean we can waste it! God gave us his creation as our responsibility. Our responsibility to protect it, conserve it, preserve it, and to use it for our needs.
How often I think we take the term subdue to extreme. Subdue according to the dictionary means to bring under one's control. We have subdued the world. We have colonized all 7 continents, sent humans to the moon, grow enough food for almost 7 billion people, and have certainly left our mark on the earth.
But do our building shout praise to God? Do our streets sing his praises?
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