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Tag Archives: Jesus
Is The “Brick and Mortar” Church
A Thing Of The Past?
How much money is needed to keep the programs of your church going? How much does your pastor make? There are ministers here in Omaha making upwards of $100K.
What did the first century Christians believe? How did they worship? How did they practice their Christianity?
Should Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday, or does it even make a difference? This gentleman has a point of view. I do not endorse what he is saying. What is he saying is something, I believe, Christians ought to at least consider. To what extent are you influenced by your culture? It is a difficult question to answer for all of us. And we will never question our closely held and unquestioned beliefs unless we are willing to listen to a “odd” viewpoint.
“Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Judge For Yourself
Joyful Update!
Meriam Ibrahim is in Italy. The family has met with the Pope.
Our God is an AWESOME God.
40th Anniversary: Jews for Jesus
David Brickner, a Messianic Jew, (Christian convert from Judaism), founded Jews for Jesus in 1974, during the “Jesus Movement.” Brickner’s ministry is mentioned often in Christianity Today magazine’s Book Of The Year by author Larry Eskridge:
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David Brickner writes in his June Jews for Jesus newsletter:
“I was is a bit young to participate in the Jesus Movement, but old enough to see the impact that the powerful work of the Holy Spirit had on our country in those times.
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“God moved uniquely and remarkably through some very unlikely people to bring about the salvation of literally tens of thousands of young people.
We are still enjoying the fruits of all that God accomplished in those few short years… But wouldn’t you love to see a similar movement in this decade? No doubt it would look very different today because so much is changed. But I would expect some similarities to the days of the Jesus People movement if we would be so blessed to experience another such visitation from God.”
Their newsletter is a quick read, filled with explanations of “Jewish stuff” for folks who don’t know why Jews do some of the things they do. I am especially fond of the holidays, what they mean and when they happen.
There’s a lot of teaching in evangelical Christian churches about the parallels between Christian and Jewish holidays. The messianic Jews are ” connecting the dots” in this area for Christians, and in so doing, are strengthening both faiths.
I also like to read the reports of their evangelism, especially in Russia. I just love those Russian names! And more than just a chat sheet, readers are asked to pray for new converts by name. That makes me feel I am making a difference in God’s kingdom.
I hope you will check out Jews for Jesus. It’s a neat web site. Let them know you stand with Israel and are in prayer for Jews and Christians worldwide.
Should Christians Fast and Pray?
At the risk of seeming impertinent or even disrespectful, I must ask the question: Should Christians fast and pray? From what I can gather from the Bible, my answer is “no”.
Yes, Jesus talked about fasting and prayer, but He was a Jew under Old Testament (Torah) law. I am not similarly situated. Plus, the New Testament is actually divided into two distinct time periods to my way of thinking. The first part is when Jesus was physically here on the planet, and the second is after He had ascended to the Father.
Scripture trumps tradition, so I went to the Bible for the answer. Post ascension, there are three references to fasting, all of them in the book of Acts. The last reference is in Chapter 27, verse 9. Paul is aboard an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy. The weather was not good, so a fast was observed, as I take it, to bring about good weather. That Paul participated in this fast, I cannot determine from the text. However, when the fast was over, Paul took the crew to task, warning that not only was the cargo in peril, but also the lives of all the passengers and crew. Apparently, the fasting thing had not worked.
From that point, Paul, depending on the Holy Spirit’s leading, advises the captain and all lives are saved.
So what are the other two post ascension references to fasting? One is in Acts, chapter 13 and the other in Acts, chapter 14. Interestingly, chapter 12 is the story of Peter’s release from prison. An amusing “take” on that story is told in the book featured on this blog, Pray Like A Seven Year Old
In the next chapter, the prophets and teachers were gathered to “minister to the Lord.” They were fasting. While I am not a Bible scholar, my take-away from this episode is that the church leaders were waiting for direction from God as to whom to send out on mission. The decisions the early church made would set the tone for Christ’s message on earth, so they took very seriously the people they sent out to coach young believers and new congregations. After the Holy Spirit told them whom to select, they continued to pray and fast before laying hands on those selected. They then sent them on mission. Since we hear no mention of anyone continuing to fast after they had been sent out, I take it that the prayer and fasting at the front end to get the right people involved was sufficient.
Prayer and fasting in Acts 14:23: “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” So, it is a similar situation, selecting leaders for the people.
The proper use of prayer and fasting, then, if we are going to follow the example set for us by the Holy Spirit, is to leave prayer and fasting to church leaders. And even for them, the practice is very specific. That is to say, consider well whom you choose. Then trust them, having been selected by the Holy Spirit, to do what is right for the flock.
So, is there anything wrong with prayer and fasting? I make no determination for anyone else’s faith walk. For myself, as I am not in the position of placing pastors in their posts, I see no reason to participate in the practice. To me, it is an Old Testament thing, and I am a Jesus girl, 100% under grace.
To my way of thinking, His grace is sufficient for me, and I let my “yes” be “yes” and my “no” be “no”, adding nothing as Christ’s work is wholly acceptable just as it is.
I offer the topic for discussion and hope that you will think about the practice of your faith deliberately. What do you think?
The Term “Benjamin Generation”
refers to the youngest of the 12 sons of Jacob, Benjamin .
Yesterday’s post was about Joseph Prince, the dynamic, tradition-shaking Singapore pastor whose message people around the globe are hungry to hear. He has coined the phrase “Benjamin Generation” to describe the changing dynamic in the years before the return of Jesus to the earth. While “Benjamin Generation” refers to youth, the term is not limited only to those that are chronologically young, but also to the young of heart and spirit, regardless of birth date. If his teaching doesn’t put new wrinkles in your brain or a song in your heart, you might want to call an undertaker.
Of course you know the story of Joseph, Jacob’s older son of his second wife, Rachel. The story of his multicolored coat, a gift from his dad, was made into a stage play. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous big brothers. That coat was a huge bone of contention! They told dad that lions had eaten him. YIKES! How do you do that to your Dad? Jealousy is a harsh mistress. However, I imagine the payback for this stunt must have cost those co-conspirators a load of guilt not easily born as they witnessed day after day, year after year the torment their father went through at the loss of a cherished child.
God works in mysterious ways, and after many years the family is reunited when they all come to Egypt to survive a worldwide famine. Of course, Joseph had interpreted a dream and Egypt had the “heads up” to stash a bunch of food. The nations came to Egypt to survive.
So what does this have to do with Benjamin? You would think we would be talking about the “Joseph Generation.”
Well, Benjamin was the youngest child of Jacob. Those two kids had been his favorites because they were the offspring of the love of his life, Rachel. The older ten had been from his union with Leah, Rachel’s older sister. Parents are not supposed to have favorites, but people just cannot help how they feel. And apparently, Jacob did a lousy job of hiding his feelings.
(And just a little side note here: If you feel as though your parent does not love you as much as (s)he does a sibling of yours, you might be right. Many people spend their lives in torment over being unloved by a parent. It can really screw a person up. But know this: God loves you more than any earthly parent ever could. Go to Him with your hurts. Eventually you will be able to forgive your mom or dad. That is when that booboo turns into joy. When you are able to see your mom or dad as a flawed human being, as worthy of God’s love as you are, the whole equation changes. That is when you can grow to love them more than they were able to love you. Through the grace of God, you may even receive insight into their childhood scars and have true compassion for them. Now listen carefully to this: and therefore, for yourself. Hang in there and take your broken heart to God.)
Benjamin was the lynchpin to bringing the family back together in Egypt. The symbolism of the passage is that Benjamin was given 5 times what the other brothers were. Five is the number of grace in the Bible. (Click here for a blog post that explains this further.)
Christians believe we are saved by grace (see yesterday’s post) so Benjamin is a picture of the saved world, and since he is youngest, the last generation before the return of Christ.
Now I find it interesting that Joseph Prince is talking about the “Benjamin Generation” because I see my kids’ generation as being very different from their parents and grandparents. Just the other day, a Facebook posting popped up, complaining about “this younger generation.” What is wrong with them, the elders wanted to know? My response was, “the same thing that was wrong with us!” The behavior and sensibilities of the young in the eyes of their progenitors have been a constant cause of vexation throughout the ages. Of course they are different; the world is in constant flux. In fact, scientists now believe that time is literally speeding up. Adapt or perish, nature warns.
I see something amazing in this younger generation, though. They have a cooperative rather than competitive nature. Yes, they are competitive in that they want to do well. Yet they compete in a way that is not combative. They give their fellow man a lot of “wiggle room.” They are more tolerant and laid back. Perhaps the parents can take a little credit because they also backed off in the corporal punishment department. Who knows?
But if Benjamin received an abundance of grace, and if this generation gives his fellow man a wide berth, is less likely to criticize and judge, to me that fits. We grown-ups, their parents, have a lot to learn from our kids.
The trick then, is to use this spirit for good. Instead of being typical acquiring Americans, let us look to the world to help others.
In fact this term, Benjamin Generation, has spawned at least one mission. Please visit their web site:
If you feel they are doing good work, be a good “Benjamin” and support them with your prayers and dollars.
This Man’s Teaching Has Changed My Life
Out of tiny Singapore, a city-state and island country off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula comes an extraordinary preacher, Joseph Prince.
Singapore is a thriving commercial center, but libertine it is not. The government is often described as “semi-authoritarian.” In this buttoned-down, strict law enforcement environment, the congregation has found true liberty, peace and joy in the teaching of Joseph Prince.
Joseph Prince is half Chinese and half Indian. His message is of Grace and Grace alone for salvation. Grace is also the recipe for the Christian walk. No admonitions to “live right”. No admonitions to tithe. No admonitions to confess sin to stay right with God. Joseph Prince is “all in” on the promise that Jesus’ work on the cross was complete and perfect. Nothing is required from us but belief in and acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice for our eternal souls.
It is “right believing”, Prince asserts, that causes “right living” not the other way around.
Sounds so easy. In fact, he is criticized for “easy belief-ism”. But he says that is exactly what the Christian life is.
One of my favorite illustrations of his is that of the good shepherd who went to find the lost sheep. The shepherd carries the lost sheep back to the fold on his shoulders. And what, Prince asks, did the sheep do in the process of being restored to the flock? Oh, yeah! He rode on the shepherd’s shoulders. Can you just see it? The sheep wasn’t even trying to find his way back home. There he is on the edge of some cliff, perhaps, happily chewing on whatever was nearby when here comes his savior.
We don’t even know if the sheep was happy to see him, but the shepherd left 99 behind to find the one. And that one is you. And me. You don’t have to pray or read your Bible. You don’t have to work in a soup kitchen or go on a mission trip.
So what is the catch? Well, as Fred Thompson says in the reverse mortgage commercials, there isn’t one.
This message flies in the face of everything you have ever been taught in church and Sunday School. How could this message possibly make the world a better place? It’s nutty!
Well, look at it this way:
Early in the morning the day of prom, your dad wakes you up to mow the lawn. He tells you if the lawn isn’t mowed, you are not going to prom. So, what do you do? You mow the lawn, of course. Otherwise, the weekend is ruined.
Contrarily,
Early in the morning the day of prom, your dad wakes you up to mow the lawn. He tells you that if you mow the lawn, you can take the Beemer on your date tonight. Of course, you are going to mow the lawn! In this case, you mow the lawn with great joy and excitement.
Your Dad did not say you would miss prom if you didn’t mow the lawn. Nothing was taken away from you. Instead, your Dad added to your pleasure by offering the car for your service. Of course, this and any such illustration is limited whereas God is not limited, but you get the point.
That is the difference between grace and compulsion. Under grace, you look forward to going to church on Sunday. It is your privilege to pray for yourself and others. You look for mission trips to attend or support with your money. The difference is like night and day!
Gone is the drudgery of church attendance or Bible reading. With so gracious and loving a Father, you just want in on as much of it as you can get! So, the Grace Revolution is here, and the guy leading it is from a tiny, unlikely place. But isn’t that just so “God.”?
Click here for the Joseph Prince web site.
Tomorrow I will tell you about “The Benjamin Generation”. Be sure to come back for that!
We Stand With Israel
Tom and I grew up as Presbyterians. While the doctrine of Presbyterianism is scripturally sound, it was clear that in the 1970’s that the General Assembly was taking the denomination in a decidedly political direction.
We put up with it through the 80’s but sometime in the 90’s it just became too much, so we left. After attending different churches over the next couple of decades, we found a denomination of Presbyterianism that still held the doctrine of the reformation churches.
Let’s be clear: Covenant Presbyterian Churches Stand With Israel. Period.
We have not and will not turn our backs on God’s people. We love and deeply appreciate the People of the Book. Their unflagging devotion to the preservation God’s Word is nothing short of amazing.
We are deeply indebted to the Jews, through whom came Jesus, our Savior and King. We lean on the Torah to inform our faith. The Old Testament hides the New Testament and the New Testament reveals the Old Testament. Our destinies are inextricably intertwined.
So please don’t think that every Presbyterian has the same confession of faith. There are different denominations with widely divergent confessions.
Here is the Huffington Post article on the subject of PCUSA’s divestiture from Motorola Solutions, Caterpillar, and Hewlett-Packard:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/presbyterian-church-israel_n_5517037.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
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