Hebrews 12:28-29

Hebrews 12:28-29

by Jason Retherford

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

I love the first part of this verse, “a kingdom that cannot be shaken…” The kingdom of God has a firm foundation. Its architect is a master builder, and our place in that unshakable kingdom then is secure. We ourselves are unshakable. We may get knocked down, beat up, spit on, mistreated, abused, neglected, hated, but our place in the kingdom doesn’t change and the unshakable kingdom doesn’t waver because of outside pressure or hostility. What a verse! Hebrews was written to a group of Christians facing hostilities and persecution, and some of the believers had given up on Jesus, the author of this sermon encourages them to keep on keeping on. The author tells them to quit focusing on the world, and focus solely on Jesus.

A question I have from the second half of this verse is about what is acceptable worship? Acceptable worship seems to be that which is reverent and that which is approached with awe. What a challenge to all of us to approach our corporate worship times a lot more aware of why we are gathered and just who we are gathering for. Our worship times isn’t about my likes or dislikes, it is all about God, and for him.

Commentaries for Philippians Chapter 2

Commentaries for Philippians Chapter 2

The Appeal Renewed: Unity Through Humility

Having acknowledged his friends' suffering by offering a christological reason for it, Paul now returns to the urgent matter at hand: the appeal in verse 27 that in the face of the opposition that is causing suffering, they stand firm in the one Spirit, contending for the gospel as a united body...
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The Example of Christ

You probably know people who, like the present author, when all else fails finally read the manual! That's what Paul is now up to, showing the Philippians "the manual...
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Application and Final Appeal

From heaven back to earth; from the worship of the Son and glory of the Father back to Philippi with its suffering and threats of disunity...
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What's Next Regarding Paul's and Their Affairs

After the heights of the preceding section, it is easy to skim past these "everyday" matters to get on to the next "good stuff" (usually 3:3-21)...
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Timothy and Paul to Come Later

True friendship, especially between Christians, can have a fragile side...
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Epaphroditus to Come Now

From his plans to hear about their affairs (now in response to this letter) and to come himself as soon as possible, Paul turns to the more immediate matter at hand--the return of Epaphroditus, who is also the bearer of the letter...
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Philippians 2

Imitating Christ's Humility

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out^[c] the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

He Is Waiting

At any time of the day or night we can call on Jesus.
He is always waiting, listening for our call.
What a wonderful blessing.
No phone needed, no e-mails, just a whisper.

Commentaries for Ephesians Chapter 2

The riches of God's grace towards men, shown from their deplorable state by nature, and the happy change Divine grace makes in them.
Sin is the death of the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a corpse, it gives an awful feeling. A never-dying spirit is now fled, and has left nothing but the ruins of a man. But if we viewed things aright, we should be far more affected by the thought of a dead soul, a lost, fallen spirit. A state of sin is a state of conformity to this world. Wicked men are slaves to Satan. Satan is the author of that proud, carnal
disposition which there is in ungodly men; he rules in the hearts of men. From Scripture it is clear, that whether men have been most prone to sensual or to spiritual wickedness, all men, being naturally children of disobedience, are also by nature children of wrath. What reason have sinners, then, to seek earnestly for that grace which will make them, of children of wrath, children of God and heirs of glory! God's eternal love or good-will toward his creatures, is the fountain whence all his
mercies flow to us; and that love of God is great love, and that mercy is rich mercy. And every converted sinner is a saved sinner; delivered from sin and wrath. The grace that saves is the free, undeserved goodness and favour of God; and he saves, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Grace in the soul is a new life in the soul. A regenerated sinner becomes a living soul; he lives a life of holiness, being born of God: he lives, being delivered from the guilt of sin,
by pardoning and justifying grace. Sinners roll themselves in the dust; sanctified souls sit in heavenly places, are raised above this world, by Christ's grace. The goodness of God in converting and saving sinners heretofore, encourages others in after-time, to hope in his grace and mercy. Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not of works, lest any man should boast. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, therefore all boasting is shut out. All is the
free gift of God, and the effect of being quickened by his power. It was his purpose, to which he prepared us, by blessing us with the knowledge of his will, and his Holy Spirit producing such a change in us, that we should glorify God by our good conversation, and perseverance in holiness. None can from Scripture abuse this doctrine, or accuse it of any tendency to evil. All who do so, are without excuse. (Eph 2:11-13)

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

One in Christ

11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Commentaries for Philippians Chapter 1 - The Greeting

The Greeting
In comparison with Paul's other letters, several elements of this greeting stand out: its comparative brevity, the fixed nature of the greeting proper (v. 2), and the inclusion of overseers and deacons. Several items call for comment.The Writer(s) (1:1a) This is one of six letters where Timothy, who was well known in Philippi (see 2:20-22), is included in the greeting. Since the rest of the letter clearly originates from Paul alone (e.g., 1:12-26, 30), Timothy probably served as Paul's secretary. In the other letters where it appears in the greeting, Timothy's name is separated from Paul's, since Paul begins by identifying himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus," and Timothy is not an apostle. But Timothy is a fellow servant (or slave), so here their names are linked: Paul and Timothy, servants [slaves] of Christ Jesus. Paul's reason for not identifying himself as an apostle in this case is most likely related to the matter of friendship (between "equals") noted in the introduction, which has no place in it for reminders of status.
The word translated servants is actually the Greek word for "slaves" and probably carries a double connotation. Gentile hearers would have instinctively understood the word to refer to those owned by, and subservient to, the master of a household. Although the institution of slavery in antiquity was a far cry from the racial slavery that blighted American society--and the English society that made it possible by the slave trade--the slave in the Roman Empire was still not a free person but "belonged to" another. At the same time, however, in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the LXX), which would have been well known to the Philippians, this word was also used to translate the term "servant of Yahweh [the LORD]." "The slave of the Lord" thus carried a sense of distance from and dependence on God, while at the same time being a kind of honorific title for those in special service to God (e.g., Moses, 2 Kings 18:12; Joshua, Josh 24:29).
This double connotation is probably at work in Paul's present usage. He and Timothy are "slaves" of Christ Jesus, bound to him as slaves to a master, and also servants of the Lord (now Christ Jesus!) whose bond is expressed in loving service on behalf of Christ for the Philippians--and others. This designation anticipates a significant moment later in this letter, where Christ himself is said to have taken the very nature of a servant (2:7). Elsewhere Paul uses this terminology to designate any and all who serve God as free bond-slaves--that is, as those who are free in Christ Jesus but have used that freedom to perform the duties of a slave (Gal 5:13) in the service of God and of his people. This is the closest thing to status one finds in our letter. And this is also the first of at least sixty-one mentions of Christ in the letter. Whatever else is said, everything has Christ as its cause and focus.The Addressees (1:1b) Saints is one of several Old Testament terms used to designate Israel that was appropriated by New Testament writers for the people of God newly constituted by Christ and the Spirit. Its origins can be traced to the covenantal setting of Exodus 19:6, where God addresses Israel as his people, "a holy nation"--a people consecrated and subject to Yahweh and his service. Its New Testament usage most likely derives from Daniel 7:18, where God's end-time people, who receive the kingdom as an eternal inheritance, are called "the saints of the Most High." A preferable translation might be "God's holy people," which keeps both dimensions of the term intact--believers in Christ as constituting God's people, who are by that very fact also called to be his holy people, set apart by the Holy Spirit for God's purposes and distinguished as those who manifest his character in the world. Concern that the believers be God's holy people in Philippi will be picked up throughout Paul's letter (Phil 1:10-11; 2:14-15; 3:17-19; 4:8).
Their becoming "God's holy people" is the direct result of their relationship to Christ Jesus; they are the saints in Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is responsible for their becoming the people of God. As the crucified and risen One, he also constitutes the present sphere of their new existence. They live as those who belong to Christ Jesus, as those whose lives are forever identified with Christ. This theme is thoroughgoing in Philippians, both in Paul's reflections on his own life (1:20-23; 3:7-11) and in his affirmations of and exhortations to the Philippians (1:27; 2:1, 5-11; 3:3; 4:7).
The most striking feature of this salutation is the addition of the phrase with the overseers and deacons. Surprisingly, this is the first designation of its kind in Paul's letters; even more surprisingly, after being thus singled out in the address, they are not hereafter mentioned or spoken to. As with the salutation itself, the letter in its entirety is always addressed to the whole community. Our difficulty from this distance is to determine who these people are and how they functioned in the community of faith. Nonetheless, some things seem clear enough.
First, exactly as one finds in the earliest (1 Thessalonians) and later (1 Timothy) letters, both references are plural. No evidence exists for a single leader as the head of the local assembly in the Pauline churches. The most probable reason for this relates to the role Paul himself played in his churches. Although he was not regularly present with them, they were his churches and owed their existence and obedience to him (cf. Phil 2:12).
Second, the language used for this addition, together with or "along with," is a sure giveaway as to the role of leaders in the Pauline churches. The community as a whole is addressed, and in most cases therefore the overseers and deacons are simply reckoned as being within the community. When they are singled out, as here, the leaders are not "over" the church but are addressed along with the rest, as a distinguishable part but clearly as part of the whole, not above or outside it.
Third, like all Paul's designations of church leaders, these terms first of all refer to people who function in these ways rather than hold an office. The noun overseer derives from a verb whose primary meaning is to "visit" in the sense of "looking after" or "caring for" someone. The people who bore this designation probably held the primary leadership roles in the local church and were responsible for caring for the people.
The word deacon, which means "servant," is most commonly used by Paul to designate those who serve others (Christ, Rom 15:8; government officials, Rom 13:4; Paul himself, 1 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6; his coworkers, Col 1:7; 1 Thess 3:2). From our distance it is nearly impossible to know either what their function was or how they differed from the overseers. If the latter most likely gave general oversight to the congregation, deacons probably were distinguished by their actual deeds of service.
Why only in this letter are the overseers and deacons singled out in the salutation? The most likely clue is to be found in 4:2-3, where Euodia and Syntyche, who are probably among these leaders, apparently are not in full accord with each other. Thus both the all with which the address begins and the addition of with the overseers and deacons at the end anticipate the problem of friction that has arisen within this community, perhaps within the leadership itself.The Greeting/Blessing (1:2) The greeting proper is a marvelous example of Paul's "turning into gospel" everything he sets his hand to. The traditional greeting in the Hellenistic world was chairein--the infinitive of the verb "to rejoice," but in salutations meaning simply "Greetings!" (see Acts 15:23; Jas 1:1). In Paul's hands this now becomes charis (grace), to which he adds the traditional Jewish greeting shalom (peace, in the sense of "wholeness" or "well-being"). Thus instead of offering the familiar "greetings," Paul salutes his sisters and brothers in Christ with "grace to you--and peace," reminiscent of the form of an ancient Jewish blessing.
In a profound sense this greeting nicely represents Paul's larger theological perspective. The sum total of God's activity toward his human creatures is found in the word grace; God has given himself to his people bountifully and mercifully in Christ. Nothing is deserved, nothing can be achieved. The sum total of those benefits as they are experienced by the recipients of God's grace is peace, God's shalom, both now and to come. The latter flows out of the former, and both together flow from God our Father and were made effective in our human history through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The collocation of the Father and Son in such texts as these must not be overlooked. In the theology of Paul, whose central concern is salvation in Christ, God the Father is understood to initiate such salvation, and his glory is its ultimate reason for being. Christ is the One through whom God's salvation has been effected in history. But texts such as this one, where Father and Son are simply joined by the conjunction and as equally the source of grace and peace, and many others as well, make it clear that in Paul's mind the Son is truly God and works in cooperation with the Father and the Spirit for the redemption of the people of God.
Although one hesitates to make too much of such relatively formal matters, the contemporary church fits into this salutation at several key points. Those in roles of primary leadership too easily slip into a self-understanding which pays lip service to their being slaves/servants of Christ Jesus but prefer the more honorable sense of this term found in the Old Testament to the paradigm either of Christ (in 2:6-8) or of Paul (2:17). Not only so, but the emphasis on all of God's holy people, together with the leaders, could use some regular dusting off so as to minimize the distance between clergy and people that too frequently exists in the church. All of us are in Christ Jesus; and all are in Christ Jesus in whatever "Philippi" God has placed us, since contemporary Western and westernized cultures are no more friends to grace than theirs was to these early believers. And finally, as for them, the key to life in Christ in our Philippi lies first of all in our common experience of grace and peace . . . from God our Father provided by Christ our Lord.

Hosea 12:6

Hosea 12:6
6 But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your God always.

Philippians 1

Philippians 1
1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer 3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Paul's Chains Advance the Gospel 12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[d] 20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
27Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Commentaries for Philippians Chapter 1

Introductory Matters
In grammar school I was taught some rudimentary rules about writing letters: that there are basically two types (personal/friendly and business); that one (business) has an inside address, while friendly letters do not; but that both begin and end the same way (with a greeting, such as "Dear Father," and a closing, "Your son, Gordon").
Letters in the Greco-Roman period had this pattern in reverse, with a threefold salutation at the beginning: "Gordon, to his father: Greetings." Very often the next item in the letter was a wish (sometimes a prayer) for the health or well-being of the recipient. Paul's letters, which follow this standard form, usually include a thanksgiving report and sometimes, as here, a prayer report (telling his recipients specifically how he prays for them). In contrast to most first-century letters, where (as in ours) these formal items were stereotyped, Paul tends to elaborate them; and in his hands they become distinctively Christian.

Psalm 27:14

Psalm 27:14

14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Wandering In the Dark - John Alan Turner

Wandering In the Dark
Most people I know — probably most of you reading this blog — own a Bible. But do they know what it is? Do they know how many people literally gave their lives to secure the availability of Bibles to common people? More importantly, do they even bother to open them up and read what they say?

In the Bible, God has provided a gigantic feast of blessings, promises, warnings, hopes, assurances, encouragements, guidelines, principles — pretty much everything we need to know in order to navigate the rough waters of life. But most people I know are all too willing to just make life up as they go along. We get into a jam and, rather than consulting the wisdom God provides for us, we just “wing it”.

Maybe we trust our gut and don’t realize the wisdom and clarity of God’s Word. Or maybe we have a pretty good idea what we’d find if we cracked open the Bible, and we’d rather just do what we feel like doing. If we don’t read it to find out for sure, we can always claim ignorance and ease our guilty conscience.

The Bible is called a lamp (see Psalm 119:105), but — like any other lamp — it has to be turned on to be of any use. If we want to allow God’s Lamp to illuminate our darkened path, we have to open it up and shine it in the direction of our problems.

So many lamps; so many wandering around in the dark. Do you suppose they prefer the dark? Or do you think they don’t realize what exactly the Bible is and how it could be useful for them? What do you suppose the problem really is?

Ephesians 1:9-10

“And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 1:9-10) (Read by Max McLean. Provided by The Listener's Audio Bible.)Powered by BibleGateway.com

God's Healing Love

Psalm 107:19-21

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.

Proverbs 4:20-22

Proverbs 4:20-22

My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

God the Master Physician

Exodus 15:26
He said, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you."

Proverbs 4:20-22 Healing & Life

Proverbs 4:20-22
My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

A Bigger and Broader Salvation - John Alan Turner

A Bigger and Broader Salvation

The Kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God. It broke into this world in a new way through the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus. It confronts, combats and overcomes evil, holistically spreading personal and communal well-being. It takes hold of God’s people, blessing them completely and demanding allegiance from them.
A local church is supposed to be a community of people who live as citizens of God’s kingdom, a model of what a group of people look like when they come together under the reign and rule of God, being rightly related to their Creator and rightly relating to one another for the good of the whole world. It should be a startling alternative to any other community available.
For now we eagerly await a time when this kingdom will be completely fulfilled even while we celebrate those places where it has come and is advancing. At that time in the future when the kingdom is fully consummated, our bodies, our society and our universe will all be renewed. Sin, pain, frustration, anxiety, disease and death will all be forever eradicated. Life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control will be our experience for the rest of eternity.
Salvation is a bigger and broader concept than we often communicate.
Why in the world do you think we so often reduce it to being let off the hook for our sins?

Tom Norvell: You See...

You See...


"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ
died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6, NIV)
You see, at just the right time when it appeared that life could not
get any worse, when you felt hopeless and when you wanted to give up,
God stepped in and did something amazing and unexpected.
A friend showed up.
An envelope appeared in your mailbox with the exact amount of money
you needed for that bill. No name. Just money.
Someone you had not heard from in years called because for some
strange reason you were on her mind.
The job offer came.
Your husband realized he and had made a terrible mistake and asked for
another chance.
The contract was accepted.
The call came from your son ... he wants to come home.
The church you had visited started a ministry that reached out to you.
The urge to drink lessened.
The professor asked you to come by for a chat because he was concerned
about you.
The doctor discovered a treatment he thought would work.
Did these things just happen? Was it a coincidence? Or, was God
working to help you see that He cares and that He is working for good
in your life...even when you do not realize it. He wants you to see
that He loves you. He wants you to know that He cares about you and is
genuinely concerned about the day-to-day events in your life...big and
small. Not only is He concerned about you but, you see, He responds at
just the right time. His timing is always right.
The guilt from your sins was so heavy that you wondered if you could
be saved.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ
died for the ungodly."

William Willimon’s comments on Acts 20

From William Willimon’s comments on Acts 20:

This is one of the New Testament’s earliest definite references to weekly Sunday worship. The Christians have continued to gather in the synagogue — unless they have been expelled. But they also apparently gather on Sunday, the first day of the Jewish work week, the day which is for Christians a day of resurrection. The church Luke describes is thus moving toward a distinct day of worship of its own, a day symbolizing clearly that while there is much uniting the church with Judaism there is also much dividing it from Judaism. The day of worship, as well as the stories and actions which occur around the table, constitutes the church as a distinct entity, gives it an identity, keeps reminding the church of who it is. Sunday is the Lord’s Day when Christians gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Around the table in the gathering for worship, in the breaking of bread, Christians sustain one another through the presence of God as experienced at the table. As the Reformers agreed, word and sacrament belong together. Here is where the Body of Christ is made visible (1 Cor. 11:17-32). Here is where the Body re-forms, receives nourishment and encouragement in this weekly rhythm of renewal and reiteration of our identity as God’s family.

Salvation and The Kingdom of God - John Alan Turner

Salvation and The Kingdom of God

I don’t have a completely definitive definition, but these days I like John Stott’s statement:
“Salvation is a radical transformation in three phases, beginning at our conversion, continuing throughout our earthly life and brought to perfection when Christ comes.”

This fits well with the New Testament’s teaching that — in some mysterious way — we already are saved, we are currently being saved and one day we will eventually be saved.

One of the ways Christians have minimized and trivialized salvation is by separating it from the Kingdom of God. We’ve made it sound sometimes as if the two are different things entirely, but in the Bible it’s not so. In the Bible, Isaiah 52:7 for example, we read that those who declare the good news (i.e., gospel) of peace are also those “who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

In other words, wherever God reigns (kingdom), God also saves (salvation).

That this was the common understanding during Jesus’ teaching ministry is made obvious when Jesus told his friends, “How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God” and they responded by asking, “Who then can be saved?” (Mark 10:24-26).

They equated entering the kingdom with being saved.

But if salvation means entering into God’s Kingdom, well, that’s a much bigger and broader concept than we tend to discuss during the altar call on Easter Sunday.
So, if salvation means entering into the Kingdom of God, maybe we should talk about exactly what that is. Anyone want to take a shot at that?

What is the Kingdom of God?

Walking With God - Keith Brenton

Walking With God
by Keith Brenton

It is said of Enoch (Genesis 5:22-24) and Noah (6:9) that they walked with God. Then a time came when men like Abraham and Isaac were said to walk before God (17:1; 48:15). Then a time came when He gave law to Israel's children, and He instructed them to walk in His ways (Deuteronomy 5:33; 8:6; 10:12, et al).

The prophet Micah pleaded with Israel's remnant to return to the days when people walked with God, and humbly (6:8).

When Jesus came to this world, God kept the promise He had made to walk among His people (Leviticus 26:12) as He had in the garden east of Eden (Genesis 3:8). It is no wonder He saw to it that the lame could walk and praise God (Matthew 15:31, Mark 2:12, et al) - and that He shared that ability with His followers (Acts 3:8-11).

It isn't really said of people that they did or should sit with God or rest in God - but, rather, walk with God. They should journey at His side, following where He leads, doing as He does, speaking as He speaks, helping and healing others in partnership with Him. Many did so, literally, when He walked our world in the person of His Son.

Do we seek to walk with Him today?

Tom Norvell: First Of All, Relax

He is a young man in search of God's plan for his life. Presently he is living in Australia involved in a ministry that brings him into contact with a wide variety of people. He touches lives that many of us would ignore or avoid. He genuinely loves people and does his best live like Jesus in their presence. In a recent letter he shared a few stories, described some of the people he has met, shared some of what he is learning about himself and the Lord, and asked for specific prayers.
In one paragraph he talked about the continuing search for his place in the world. He spent a couple of days in meditation and prayer and asked a man of wisdom and experience "...for any advice in terms of spiritual discernment, direction, vocation; he said something really interesting: he said 'First of all, relax. Enjoy your life and try not to worry, that God will place you where you need to be, and to trust that.'" He admits he is trying to do that.
I admit that I am trying to do that. "First of all, relax." We get in such a hurry to see God's plan for our life to be revealed. We wonder what is He waiting for? Why doesn't He show us what He wants us to do? Has he forgotten how desperate we are to know what we are supposed to do? What are we supposed to do? "First of all, relax." Just relax. In spiritual terms that means we acknowledge that God is in control, God is aware, God is concerned, and God is working. If you find that you are feeling a bit panicky about where you are headed, or when it seems you are not headed anywhere, "First of all, relax."
"Enjoy your life." It is difficult to enjoy life when we hurry through it at neck-break speed. It is almost impossible to enjoy life when we are constantly reaching for more, living with the regret of what could have been, and seldom allow ourselves to be content. "Enjoy your life."
"Try not to worry, that God will place you where you need to be." God knows what we need to be doing and where we need to be to accomplish His purposes. He is working His plan for us and through us. He knows us. He understands our gifts and talents. He did create us. So, "Try not to worry, that God will place you where you need to be."
"Trust that." If the other things were not difficult enough, the wise man concludes his advice with "trust that." Simply "trust" that God knows what He is doing and will do what He needs to do when He is ready to do it. There is no need to rush it, there is no need to panic, and there is no need to spend sleepless nights worrying about whether or not we are doing what God wants us to do. "Just trust that God will place you where you need to be."
I am grateful for the letter I received from this young man of God, and I am grateful for the wisdom he was given and has shared. Like him, I am trying to do that. I am trying to "Relax." I am trying to "Enjoy my life." And I am trying "not to worry, that God will place me where I need to be." I am trying to simply "trust that."
Jesus said something very similar,
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."(Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)

"Relax. Enjoy your life and try not to worry, that God will place you where you need to be, and to trust that."

A Life Given - James McCabe

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised thingsand the things that are notto nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him.

I want each of us to spend a few moments in personal reflection. Think of where you were before you were called to Christ, by that I mean where were you mentally, in the natural vs. the spiritual.

How are you now? Are you where you want to be? Are you growing in your spiritual journey?How did you previously deal with persistent sins...the daily sins, the every day sin... anger, negativity, desire, deceit?

How are you dealing with persistent or daily sins now?

Today, I want to challenge you to take up your calling.Today, I want to challenge you to step out and make a difference to those who are lost. I want you to go out and make a difference that others may see He is the way, He is the way to our peace, and He is the way to our happiness.

With some practice, we can make a difference. We can make a difference with just a smile.We can make a difference with a word of encouragement. We can make a difference with prayer.

Today, I challenge you to accept this cost of Christ, Give of yourself, that others may see Him in you. Give of yourself that you may see Him in you.

Do something extra at home or work, before your asked. Try to give a little bit more than you expect to receive.

Do something for an elderly neighbor. Give of yourself, that others may see Him in you.

Today, I challenge you to find the value of Christ. Give of yourself that you may see the value of following Christ.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect ... -- 1 Peter 3:15 My prayer today is that you take another step closer to God.My prayer today is that you take another moment in your day to Glorify God, to worship our gracious Lord.

My prayer today is that you spend another moment in prayer, giving thanks to your Heavenly Father for all that you have.Where are you at in your spiritual growth? Do we realize the blessings that we have? That you woke up... how many thousands of people did not? That you have a roof over your head... as opposed to how many millions that do not? That you will eat today... when millions will not. That you have a place to worship God... when millions do not. That is what we are talking about today, accepting this cost of Christ, give of yourself...then find and understand the value of Christ. You, yes you, can make a difference in the lives of those around you. Make yourself a blessing to others, and thus grow spiritually.

Where are you at in your spiritual growth? Do you think an hour or two of church a week, with little else attention paid to God is going to get it? I am here to tell you the more time you spend with God, the more time he spends with you. The more you serve, or help others, the closer you become to God. The more you give of yourself, the more you will grow spiritually.If you truly want inner peace, inner strength, true joy, you have to work for it. It is just like anything else, musicianship does not just happen, athleticism does not just happen, good grades, or promotions at work do not just happen; you have to work for them. The same goes for your relationship with Christ. Will you be sinless? Of course not. Will you be perfect? Of course not. Nevertheless, are you working towards that end? Are you in fact striving to sin less, to pray more, to devout yourself more, to serve more, to help more? Are you trying to move closer to God? Come on now, can I get an Amen?

It is not about a life without any problems, it is not about a life without challenges. It is about humbling yourself before our God. It is about a life of giving, it is about a life of service, it is about a life of humility; it is about a life given for a life received. It is about this old life given for a new life received in Christ.

Do we realize what it means to be on this mission? That this mission, our mission, is important to God. We are a part of His plan. We are important to God, because He uses us to reach others. Grinding out what was a tough day for you, may have been great encouragement to someone else to keep on keeping on.

In fact, if we are having problems and struggles right now, that means we are needed even more. Because how we handle those problems and struggles gives hope to others. How we persevere, how we overcome shows others they too can make it.

Our perseverance will give others hope. Somewhere along the way we have gotten the wrong idea that the best, most powerful Christians are the ones who seemingly have no problems. But in reality, everybody has problems...all the problems they can handle.

I have problems, and you have problems. I don't want yours and you darn sure don't want mine. So those people with their seemingly "perfect" lives only perpetuate a myth that, in the long run, isn't as helpful as the "survivor," the folks who just won't quit no matter what happens to them.

You see we are all on this mission, His mission and everybody gets to play. Deeper struggle makes deeper reward. Deeper struggle only makes surviving that much more crucial and rewarding. This is not about you, it's about His mission. We are not only talking about you making it. We are talking about the mission that you will have, making that journey, showing others the path. Showing others the pathway to peace goes through the valley of struggle.

Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort others. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. (2 Corinthians 1:6)Do you remember where you were at when you were called? Where are you right now? Jesus Christ is the rock, He is the foundation from which to take your stand, He is the base from which you fight and overcome your struggles. Others see you fighting the good fight, and your perseverance blesses them, as it blesses you. Hang in there, don't quit, with Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have already won the war, and the reward for following Christ is the reward, and it just doesn't get any better than that. Where are you at in your spiritual growth? My prayer is that on your spiritual journey you are growing everyday!

What Do You Treasure? by Russ Lawson

What Do You Treasure?

by Russ Lawson

Years ago, when I was a child, my grandparents owned Overman's Shoe Repair and Sales shop in Springfield, Ohio. I have many fond memories of that shoe shop as a child. Being the oldest grandchild, I probably got to spend more time with my grandparents than some of the younger grandchildren — at least I got to spend my time there before I started school. I can remember spending many a day in the back of the shop. Grandpa would give me a piece of old leather and I'd work on whatever my child's mind thought of making that day.
I remember being fascinated with all of the containers and boxes of small nails, toe and heel taps, glue, heels, replacement shoe soles, brushes, polish, and of course the powerful grinders and polishers. One of the most fascinating pieces of equipment was the large sewing machine that so amazingly hooked those two pieces of waxed string together repairing thousands of shoes and other leather articles. I remember the smell of the new leather, the smell of rubber cement, and smell of shoe polish as I relive those times. I still have the pair of sandals my grandfather hand made for me as a toddler. My brother Lynn, who owns a leather shop in Florida, now has the old sewing machine.
In the front of my grandparents store were shelves full of men's and women's shoes and boots. To one side they had an old roll top desk and a big safe. The desk was always stacked with all sorts of things, and I loved to look through all of the papers, drawers and various items that ended up on and in that old desk.
On the counter, they had an old manual (not electric) cash register, and at special times, I would be allowed to push some of the big keys and watch the numbers pop up on top.
Those times are long past and the shoe shop has been closed for many years. My grandparents have departed this earth, yet the memories remain of those special things and special times.
What do I really treasure?One thing especially stands out in these memories. Many people often paid my grandparents with silver dollars. You don't see that any more, it's too inconvenient to carry those big pieces of metal now. Of course you didn't need to carry near as many of them in those days. Silver dollars are a special memory to me for another reason: they were grandma and grandpa's savings. They put aside the silver dollars that came into the shop to purchase special things. They also used these silver dollars to give to their grandchildren on their birthdays. I still have a couple of those old silver dollars they gave me. No, they are not collector's pieces, they are not worth a whole lot more than a dollar to anyone else, but to me they hold memories and are priceless.
I can't help remembering once again Jesus' words about realizing what is really important in life. Jesus said:
Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT).
As I remember these times from my past, I have to stop and consider what it is that I truly value most in my life? My relationship with God is first, of course, and then my family and friends. But the "things" I have really don't mean very much to me; it's relationships that are really most valuable. "Things" sometimes represent the memories of relationships — that is what makes them precious, not their monetary value. That's why many people treasure a simple Cross in their home, because of the memories it provokes in them. That's also why Jesus instituted the "Lord's Supper" or "Communion," to keep the memories of his sacrifice fresh in our minds.
The question perhaps each of us needs to ask ourselves is, just what is it we really treasure? What is it in our lives we would most hate to loose and why? We remember that, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." We know that what we choose to treasure will be the path we have chosen not just for this life, but also eternally!

Praising God Through Unity - Keith Brenton

Praising God through Unity

posted by Keith Brenton

How we relate to each other as followers of Christ is worship to the Father. - Or not.Having hearts for unity with - and accepting - other believers imitates Christ, Paul writes to Rome:"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." ~ Romans 15:5-7

It isn't always going to be easy. God made each of us unique. We have different points of view. So He gives "endurance and encouragement" because we need it in order to live together peacefully (Ephesians 4:3) - but it is up to us to keep what He has given us.

If we do not have a spirit of unity, Paul implies, we do not have the Holy Spirit by whom we worship God (Philippians 3:31).

Do They Know They Are Free? Tom Norvell

Do They Know They Are Free?


On a rainy day while during our vacation at the beach we decided to tour the area and visit some of the shops on the island. While the ladies were checking out the dresses and the tee shirts I sat outside watching three very colorful birds perched on swings and limbs of a tree in a courtyard outside the shops. These were no ordinary birds. They were intelligent. When children waved they spoke. When people said “Hello” they said “Hello.” They spoke any number of conversational words and could recite on cue ... or when they were in the mood.
It was quite interesting! Children were astonished and amazed.
Grownups where humored and entertained.
However, as I sat there watching the birds , the thought occurred to me, “Why don’t these beautiful birds fly away?” “What keeps them sitting here on the perch?” “Is it the audience they attract?” “Is it the seeds that are readily available to them?” “Have they been trained in such a way that they do not want to fly away?” “Have they forgotten how to fly?” “Or, have they accepted fact that although they were created to fly, they cannot or should not fly?”
The birds reminded me of people who have learned, been trained, or been brainwashed to accept life at a level that is much lower than they were created to enjoy.
Paul addressed when he wrote: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. “(Galatians 5:1, NIV)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free but so often we choose to live in bondage, or we settle for a life in prison. Are we afraid to fly? Are we convinced that staying on the perch is safer, more comfortable, or where we belong? Have we been frightened into thinking that if we get off our perch something bad will happen: we will get hurt, we will get lost, or we will not find the nourishment we need? Why? Why do we settle for the superficial entertainment of strangers when we could be experiencing the freedom that Christ planned for us?
I know very little about birds, so there is probably a very logical explanation for why these birds choose to sit on a perch and entertain strangers instead of soaring through the air. But, I cannot understand why as God’s creations we choose to settle for life on perch. Surely He had something more planned for us.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. “

Doing the Best I Can by Mike Barres

Doing the Best I Can

by Mike Barres

Sometimes, I'm just doing the best I can: I might be at the end of my rope, but I just try to tie a knot and hold on! Many of us are familiar with a couple of the old sayings about this kind of commitment:
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" "Quitters never win, and winners never quit."
We talk about this attitude and commitment in terms of perseverance. Webster's Dictionary defines perseverance this way:
continued, patient effort. (It) implies a continuing to do something in spite of difficulties, obstacles etc.

Our church was on a fast, and I noticed something. There were some things that I had been trying to "pressing on through." Then the Lord took care of this situation, and I believe it is because I had prayed about them during our fast. You see I had been persevering, but not praying.

Perseverance is good, but we must not forget to pray about our burdens and struggles. James said to us many years ago: "[Y]ou do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2 NKJV). God can handle things that we are powerless to change. The disciples had been trying to cast out a demon and were not successful. When they asked Jesus why they couldn't do it and He could, the Lord told them: "This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:21).

Don't despair and don't quit!When we talk about someone doing things in terms of "his own strength," we are usually referring to a person who is proud and self sufficient. However, this can also apply to those of us who "keep pressing on," but don't ask the Lord to help us with our trial or burden.

If we aren't careful and keep trying to walk in our own strength, we can get in to a defeated, victim mentality when things don't work out. We might think, "Why is all of this happening to me? There's nothing I can do about it! I'm struggling, but I'm just going to keep doing the best I can."

Let's remember that there is something else we can do in our times of struggle and defeat. We can pray and believe that God can and will do what we can't.

If you are in the middle of a tough season and facing a trying time, don't despair and don't quit. You need to persevere, but don't forget to fast and pray, trusting that God can do those things that you can't do. Just watch and see!

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Stop Look & Listen

“Is it too much to say that Stop, Look, and Listen is also the most basic lesson that the Judeo-Christian tradition teaches us? Listen to history is the cry of the ancient prophets of Israel. Listen to social injustice, says Amos; to head-in-the-sand religiosity, says Jeremiah; to international treacheries and power-plays, says Isaiah; because it is precisely through them that God speaks his word of judgment and command.
“And when Jesus comes along saying that the greatest command of all is to love God and to love our neighbor, he too is asking us to pay attention. If we are to love God, we must first stop, look, and listen for him in what is happening around us and inside us. If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in.
“In a letter to a friend Emily Dickinson wrote that ‘Consider the lilies of the field’ was the only commandment she never broke. She could have done a lot worse. Consider the lilies. It is the sine qua non of art and religion both.”
- Frederick Buechner

Our Father Creates His Daily Masterpiece

No Needy Among Them - Keith Brenton

No Needy Among Them

by Keith Brenton

"Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. " ~ Acts 2:45"

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." ~ Acts 4:34-35

These followers in the aborning church took Jesus seriously when He said:"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." ~ Luke 12:33

The Artist Our Father Is

Dr. N.T. Wright: Spirit of Truth

Spirit of Truth
Acts 2.1–21; John 14.8–27

Dr N. T. Wright

Anoint and cheer our soilèd face

With the abundance of thy grace;

Keep far our foes, give peace at home;

Where thou art guide no ill can come.

I love to think of Bishop John Cosin writing, and praying, that translation of the ancient Veni Creator Spiritus, with all the turbulence of the mid-seventeenth century to give plenty of substance to the urgent petitions. Cosin is quite a presence in Auckland Castle, as he is about Palace Green if you know where to look, and stands as a salutary reminder of a rich, rugged but robust spirituality that somehow came through the middle of that terrible century and planted again the flag of emerging Anglicanism here in Durham. And we can read the confusion and danger, the sorrow and the turmoil, of those years, in those lines about comfort, life and fire of love, and especially in the clear recognition of the blinded sight, the soilèd face, the foes who are to be kept far off and the peace which we long for at home.
Cosin thus folds the troubles and dangers of his day, both civil and ecclesiastical, within the invocation of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who comes to inspire and lighten, to anoint and to bless with the sevenfold gift. And we his successors have need, three and a half centuries or so later, to pray in the same way, beset as we are in church and state once more with many and great dangers. Pentecost is regularly thought of as a time of great joy and excitement, and rightly so. But any reading of Acts or John, two of the main places in the New Testament where the Spirit plays a large part, will show that Pentecost must also be a time of clear-eyed recognition of the challenges which God’s people face both in the world and in their own internal life, and of the urgent need for the inspiration, strengthening and guiding of the Holy Spirit without whom we are simply a bunch of ignorant armies clashing by night.
Take Acts for a start. The great Pentecost scene, with the wind and fire and the sudden rush of multilingual speech, has confused many in the last generations because it has been set within the wrong story. It has been held up as the archetype of a particular form of Christian experience, a filling and empowering which transforms sleepy or backsliding Christians into lively and zealous ones. Thank God that happens in many different ways, because the church always needs waking up and shaking up, and the day we forget that or resist it we might as well crawl away under a stone. But that isn’t the story which Luke is telling at this point. There is nothing wrong with the disciples before Pentecost; they are praying, worshipping, joyful followers of the risen and ascended Jesus, simply awaiting further instructions and the power to carry them out. And the story which Luke is telling doesn’t focus on them and their spiritual experience, though it includes that. Luke’s story is about God and God’s kingdom and about the sovereign lordship of the risen and ascended Jesus.
Because Pentecost, you see, goes very closely with the story of the Ascension. Many western Christians have been embarrassed about the Ascension over the years, because they have thought of heaven and earth in the wrong way. We have supposed that the first-century Christians thought of ‘heaven’ as a place up in the sky, within our space-time universe, and that they imagined Jesus as a kind of primitive space-traveller heading upwards to sit beside God somewhere a few miles away up in the sky. And we have told ourselves this story about the early Christians within an implicit modernist framework in which God and the world are in any case a long way away from one another, so that if Jesus has gone to be with God – whatever that means – we understand that he has left us behind, that he is now far away in another dimension altogether. And we have then thought that the point of this story is that we, too, will one day go off to this same place called ‘heaven’, leaving earth behind for good. But this way of understanding the Ascension is, quite simply, wrong on all counts. The early Christians, like their Jewish contemporaries, saw heaven and earth as the overlapping and interlocking spheres of God’s good creation, with the point being that heaven is the control room from which earth is run. To say that Jesus is now in heaven is to say three things. First, that he is present with his people everywhere, no longer confined to one space-time location within earth, but certainly not absent. Second, that he is now the managing director of this strange show called ‘earth’, though like many incoming chief executives he has quite a lot to do to sort it out and turn it around. Third, that he will one day bring heaven and earth together as one, becoming therefore personally present to us once more within God’s new creation. The Bible doesn’t say much about our going to heaven. It says a lot about heaven, and particularly heaven’s chief inhabitant, coming back to earth.
That is the story of the opening of Acts; and Pentecost, in Acts 2, means what it means within that story, not some other. Pentecost is therefore to be seen as the moment when the personal presence of Jesus with the disciples is translated into the personal power of Jesus in the disciples; because Pentecost signals the mode and means by which the chief executive is putting his new authority into operation. Our generation has backed off from the idea of Jesus, let alone the church, as actually running things in this world, because it sounds to us like triumphalism, like fundamentalism, like the attempt to establish a direct theocracy which is of course an affront to our wonderful western democratic ideals. But Pentecost, and the story of the early church which follows from it, shows clearly that this isn’t so. The disciples, filled with the Spirit, begin the work of Jesus’ sovereign and saving rule over the world, whose Lord he now is, by their shared common life, their works of healing, their proclamation of him as Lord and King, and their bold witness against the authorities who try to stop them. And that just about sums up the whole book, all the way to when Paul arrives in Rome and announces God as King and Jesus as Lord right under Caesar’s nose, openly and unhindered. So Pentecost is about the powerful presence of Jesus with his people; about the implementation of Jesus’ healing, saving rule through his people; and thirdly about the anticipation, in and through that work, of the final day when heaven and earth shall be one. It isn’t just that the Spirit is the ‘down payment’ of what is to come for us as his people; the Spirit is the advance sign of what God is going to do for the whole earth, the entire created order.
Because, you see, at the heart of Pentecost, in Acts and actually in John as well, the coming of the Spirit is all about the launching of the new Temple. In Judaism, heaven and earth overlapped in the Temple; but now, says Luke, Jesus is the one who has taken earth, in his own person, his own human body, right into heaven; and the Spirit is the corollary of this, the life of heaven becoming manifest and powerful here on earth. Heaven and earth are thus locked together in a firm and unbreakable Trinitarian embrace, as God the Father welcomes the human Son, the first-fruits of the new creation, into his rightful seat as Lord of the World, and pours out his own Spirit upon Jesus’ followers so that they can both be and accomplish new creation in themselves and in the world. This is the sold rock on which Christian mission is built, and in consequence also the solid rock on which the church must live in its own life of worship and mutual love. And this is why, on the day of Pentecost, Peter’s sermon isn’t about how people can have a new spiritual experience. It’s about the fact that God’s new day has dawned at last, the great and glorious day of the Lord spoken of by the prophets, and about the fact that the crucified Jesus has been exalted as King and Lord over Israel and the whole world. And the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit are given not just to comfort, inspire and enlighten us for our own private benefit, but to send us out as heralds of this new dawn, as messengers of this new King.
And as we find ourselves thus commissioned and equipped, we discover that, again to our embarrassment, we have to speak about truth; indeed, that we have to speak truth, to a generation for whom that claim is instantly suspect, automatically put through the shredder of deconstruction and irony. And I suspect that the embarrassment of truth goes quite closely with the embarrassment of the Ascension: because we still live within that implicit split-level world where we know that we are upon earth, where we can’t be certain of anything, and that claims to absolute truth are claims to a heavenly perspective upon the world, a God’s-eye view which can quickly be exposed as laughable arrogance. (I am reminded that in E. P. Sanders’ famous book, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, the index has an entry which says ‘Truth, ultimate’, with three page references, pages 30, 32 and 430; but when you turn to those pages you find that each one is blank. Sanders is both ironically declaring his epistemological humility and also cocking a snook at those interpreters who believe that we can ever know the ultimate truth.) But, unfortunately for our over-ironic age, we are offered and indeed given the Spirit of Truth, and we have no choice but to follow where this Spirit leads and to speak the truth to which we are thus led.
And John leaves us in no doubt where that will be. ‘Sanctify them in the truth,’ prays Jesus in the upper room, ‘your word is truth.’ But this, again, is not a private experience, such as the gnostic might wish for. It leads directly, as in Acts, to confrontation with those who presume that they own the truth, and back up their claim with violence. ‘My kingdom is not from this world,’ says Jesus to Pilate in chapter 18. ‘So, you are a king, are you?’ asks Pilate, eagerly latching on to the words which might have Jesus condemn himself out of his own mouth. ‘That word is your way of putting it,’ replies Jesus. ‘My way is like this: I was born, I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ ‘Truth!’ answered Pilate. ‘What’s that?’ And John’s point, in the middle of the massive irony, and the direct clash of the non-violent kingdom of God with the violent and ignorant armies of Caesar, is crystal clear: truth is what happens when heaven and earth come together as they were always meant to. Truth is therefore what you find in Jesus, who is the point where that happens. And truth is therefore what happens when the Spirit comes to fill, to guide, to commission, to empower the followers of Jesus. ‘Teach us to know the Father, Son, and thee of both to be but one’; truth is what happens when we are caught up in the powerful, healing, transforming love of the Triune God, acted out on Calvary and at Easter, poured out at Pentecost, given so that we, the followers of Jesus, may be truth-tellers, truth-tasters here at the Eucharist, truth-livers as we confront the lies in our own hearts and lives and communities, truth-doers in our public and political life, in our ordering of our church at this turbulent time when like John Cosin we are faced with scepticism on the one hand and puritanism on the other.

All we can do in such a time is pray the Pentecost prayer, not as triumphalists trying to trump everyone else with our spiritual superiority but as humble hearts seeking after holiness and hope, and ready to find our minds and our manners remade by the truth, by the Truth Incarnate, by the Spirit of Truth whom he sends from the Father.

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,And lighten with celestial fire.
That through the ages all along

This may be our endless song:

Praise to thine Eternal Merit

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Why Christians Help People

Why Christians Help People

By

John Alan Turner

Tragedy last week kept us from furthering our exploration of why Christians should help people.
See, we’d spent a few days talking about God and what he’s like. That was important because in our desire to imitate him we should find ourselves becoming more and more like him – especially in the way he relates to people.
But I also think it’s important for us to think about humans and what they’re like. Obviously, the main reason God has chosen to serve people (especially the way he did when he was on earth in the flesh) is because it is in his nature to be a servant.
Certainly, we are called to follow the example of Jesus and serve others. So, one reason we help others is from a sense of obedience.
Furthermore, serving others is actually beneficial to us. We become better people by serving and caring for the needs of others.
But is there something more? Is there anything resident within humans that makes them worthy of service?
I think there is.
Human beings are made in the image of God and possess certain inalienable qualities which set them apart from the rest of creation. Obviously, for those who believe the Bible (or pay attention to human nature, human history and current events), human beings are fallen, and the divine image has been defaced. But – this is important – while that divine imprint has been defaced it has not been destroyed (cf. Genesis 9:6; James 3:9).
This belief is why Christians have always considered human life sacred and why Christians engage in charitable work.
In other words, we don’t honor people simply because it is what Jesus would do. And we don’t honor people simply because it’s good for us.
We honor people because they are worthy of honor and respect and dignity.