Your Christianity is boring

When God exposes himself to us, we become, at that very moment, responsible.. When God reveals himself to us, we are obliged to respond to what has been revealed. Be careful when you pray; “Lord show me your glory!” What if He does? Do you really think you want the responsibility? The Christian life that is devoid of spiritual revelation is also conveniently devoid of spiritual responsibility isn’t it? What life do you want to live? One of ease, comfort and predictability?  Or one of danger, risk and revelation? The choice is yours pilgrim. You can be radically changed by the doctrines of the church, or you can become embalmed by them.

dl

Ministers standing in the way..

I was reading from a great little blue book latlely “Sermons by Rev. C.H. Spurgeon. This following passage was of particular interest:

“Methinks I see several ministers standing in the way. They are of such high doctrine that they dare not invite a sinner, and they therefore clog the gospel with so many conditions. They will have it that the sinner must feel a certain quantity of experience before he is invited to come, and so they put their sermons up and say, “You are not invited, you are a dead sinner, you must not come; you are not invited; you are a hardened rebel.”

“Stand back,” says Christ, “every one of you, though ye be my servants. Let him come, he is willing—stand not in his way.” It is a sad thing that Christ’s ministers should become the
devil’s aiders and abettors, and yet sometimes they are, for when they are telling a sinner how much he must feel, and how much he must know before he comes to Christ, they are virtually rolling big stones in the path, and saying to the willing sinner, “Thou mayest not come.”

In the name of Almighty God, stand back everything this morning that keeps the willing sinner from Christ. Away with you, away with you! Christ sprinkles his blood upon the way, and cries to you, “Vanish, begone! leave the road clear; let him come; stand not in his path; make straight before him his way, level the mountains and fill up the valleys; make straight through the wilderness a highway for him to come, to drink of this water of life freely. ‘Let him come.’”

Spurgeon;s message reminds me of a passage in the book of Acts that addresses the Messianic Jewish faction of the early church at the time f the Jerusalem Council. They are admonished to “not make it difficult for the gentiles who are coming to the faith.” I’ve posted the verse from two bibles here. Read pilgrims:

Acts 15:10-11 (The Message)

 ^10-11“So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don’t we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?”

Acts 15:10-11 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

 In what ways have you or your theology, stood in the way of the sinner to God?

Shalom 

 

Some interesting statements about the “preservation” of Israel

 

 

 

  

Right now I am enjoying the task of reading through the New testament in 30 days. To my embarassment, I can’t remember the last time I sat down and read a Gospel from beginning to end in one sitting! I am amazed by some of the things I have discovered..Some of these are:

-How Jesus was quite clearer about contraversial subjects than we give Him credit for..

-How much Jesus talked about hell, wrath and judgment. (hey grace people. Don’t freak out, He still loves you!)

-How little I know, compared to how much I think I know…

-How interesting Paul’s personality and way of thinking was..

-How unique, mysteious and special the land, nation, history, and future of the people of Israel is to God…

   

“Stranger still, the ancient religion of the Jews survives, when all the religions of every ancient race of the pre-Christian world have disappeared. Again it is strange that the living religions of the world all build on the religious ideas derived from the Jews” - The Ancient World, Professor T.R. Glover

“According to the materialistic and positivist criterion, this people ought to have perished long ago. It’s survival is a mysterious and wonderful phenomenon demonstrating that the life of this peopleis governed by a special predetermination…”
- The Meaning of History, Professor Nicholas Berdkilaev of the Moscow Academy of Spiritual Culture

“It was Judaism that brought the concept of a God-given universal moral law into the world…the Jew carries the burden of God in history and for this he has never been forgiven” - Distinguished Catholic Scholar Edward H. Flannery

 

What are your thoughts?

Shalom.. pastor darrell

 

 

 

December 31st | The feast of St. Sylvester

 

Today is Decemebr 31st. New year’s Eve. the beginning of a new year, and a chance to celebrate for many. Around the world, to many who acknowledge various liturgical calendars, today is the feast day of someone a little less popular than Father Time..

Sylvester was ordained bishop over the church in Rome in the year 314.  This Christian brother served the church at a time when the Arian heresy and the Donatist schism had provoked great discord. After the peace of Constantine, he contributed greatly to the expansion of the faith throughout the Roman world.. Below is a reading I borrowed from a Catholic Missal:

Collect:
Lord,
help and sustain Your people
as in the days of Bishop Sylvester.
Guide us always in this present life
and bring us to the joy that never ends.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I Myself will search for My sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out My sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I Myself will be the shepherd of My sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

T.S. Eliot: Murder in the Catherdral

I’ve just finished reading this short 1935 play by T.S. Eliot based on the murder and of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury. I just realized that today, December 29th, is the actual day that the murder happened in 1170.

This was a short , but good read that so elloquently displays Eliot’s genious for symbolism and sentiment. Here is a portion of script from the First and Third Priests after the murder of thier beloved archbishop takes place..

First Priest:

O father, father
Gone from us, lost to us,
The church lies bereft,
Alone,
Desecrated, desolated.
And the heathen shall build
On the ruins
Their world without God.
I see it.
I see it.

Third Priest:

No. For the Church is stronger for this action,
Triumphant in adversity. It is fortified
By persecution: supreme, so long as men will die for it.
Go, weak sad men, lost erring souls, homeless in earth or heaven.
Go where the sunset reddens the last grey rock
Of Brittany, or the Gates of Hercules.
Go venture shipwreck on sullen coasts
Where blackamoors make captive Christian men;
Go to the northern seas confined with ice
Where the dead breath makes numb the hand, makes dull the brain;
Find an oasis in the desert sun,
Go seek alliance with the heathen Saracen,
To share his filthy rites, and try to snatch
Forgetfulness in his libidinous courts,
Oblivion in the fountain by the date-tree;
Or sit and bite your nails in Aquitaine.
In the small circle of pain within the skull
You still shall tramp and tread one endless round
Of thought, to justify your action to yourselves,
Weaving a fiction which unravels as you weave,
Pacing forever in the hell of make believe
Which never is belief: this is your fate on earth
And we must think no further of you.

Interpreting Scripture For Dummies

 

Okay Pilgrim. You’ve got the Bible. It is imparative that you learn how to use it. Paul the Apostle strongly encouraged Timothy, his young appretice and pastor, to:    

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).”

I want to give you a few tips on how to interpret, and properly comprehend scripture. Some of you may be very familiar with this discipline. Some of you may not be..Anyway, here is what Wikipedia has to say:

Hermeneutics (English pronunciation: /hɜrməˈnjuːtɨks/) is the study of interpretation theory, and can be either the art of interpretation, or the theory and practice of interpretation. Traditional hermeneutics — which includes Biblical hermeneutics — refers to the study of the interpretation of written texts, especially texts in the areas of literature, religion and law. Contemporary, or modern, hermeneutics encompasses not only issues involving the written text, but everything in the interpretative process.

Here are five simple rules of thumb any pilgrim can use to get started with proper hermenuetics:

1. LITERAL

When you read the scripture, sometimes the most appropriate meaning, is the most obvious one. What exactly, does the text say? At face value, does it simply just mean what it says? Quite often, Jesus meant exactly what He said in the gospels. Exapmle: “Do not commit adultery, means…do not commit adultery”

2. HISTORICAL

What is the setting of the text? What is the context of culture, and time frame, and audience? Who is being addressed and why? These questions are very important in putting together the message of the scripture. A good, simple Bible Dicionary is helpful for this.

3. GRAMMATICAL

Obviously the Bible wasn’t originally recorded in English. So, it is very important to discover what the actual linguistic meaning of the text is by looking at the best available translation of the ancient greek, Hebrew or Aramaic. Often, concepts to one language and culture, can change meaning when translated to fit into another language and culture.

4. COMPATABILITY

God’s character, heart, and nature does not change. God is God. The Bible reminds us that Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today, and forever”. Whenever you isolate one peice of scripture in order to interpret it, you have to put it in context of the whole council of God’s Word.  Does this verse line up with what God has revealed elswhere in the Bible? Are ther any apparent contradictions? Or are there other revealed biblical principles that have to be situationally applied while keeping it in context?

5. PRACTICALITY

This last one is really where the rubber meets the road. God’s Word is meant to be obeyed, and to be enriching to the life of the believer. Can this verse be acted upon? Is it a command, an encouragement? A suggestion or a warning? Ask yourself, how can I practically apply this text to my life right now?

There ya go pilgrim..let me know if this helps. If it does, leave a comment, and pass it along to some fellow pilgrims..

Shalom | pastor Darrell

The Church Of The Future…..

Dr. Ted Roberts is an american pastor, and also the founder of Pure Desire Ministries. I have been reading his book and came across this great, straight forward statement on the church…If you are a Pilgrim, well, c’mon and check it out…

“Therefore, the Church of the future, if it is to be effective, must become a place of practical grace. It must be a place where hope is the dominant theme, and denial, especially religious pretending, is nowhere in sight. That’s a challenge for those in leadership, because personal vulnerability is the key issue. Leadership must be characterized by personal honesty that is open and forthright about their own struggles, yet at the same time able to speak from personal experience of the overwhelming victory available in Christ. In other words, servant-leadership will need to be New Testament to the core.”

What do you think the Church of the future should look be like? Leave a comment.

Words from St.Augustine

 Okay, that’s not a picture of Augustine..it’s actually me at St.Patrick’s Basillica preparing my sermon in my head..Hey, is that a halo? Or a dart board?

Anyway, I’ve been reading Confessions lately, and I thought I’d dip my foot back into the blogosphere and share this blurb with ya’ll..

 

CHAPTER IV

4. What, therefore, is my God? What, I ask, but the Lord God? “For who is Lord but the Lord himself, or who is God besides our God?”[13] Most high, most excellent, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful and most just; most secret and most truly present; most beautiful and most strong; stable, yet not supported; unchangeable, yet changing all things; never new, never old; making all things new, yet bringing old age upon the proud, and they know it not; always working, ever at rest; gathering, yet needing nothing; sustaining, pervading, and protecting; creating, nourishing, and developing; seeking, and yet possessing all things. Thou dost love, but without passion; art jealous, yet free from care; dost repent without remorse; art angry, yet remainest serene. Thou changest thy ways, leaving thy plans unchanged; thou recoverest what thou hast never really lost. Thou art never in need but still thou dost rejoice at thy gains; art never greedy, yet demandest dividends. Men pay more than is required so that thou dost become a debtor; yet who can possess anything at all which is not already thine? Thou owest men nothing, yet payest out to them as if in debt to thy creature, and when thou dost cancel debts thou losest nothing thereby. Yet, O my God, my life, my holy Joy, what is this that I have said? What can any man say when he speaks of thee? But woe to them that keep silence — since even those who say most are dumb.

Let me know if the words of this Bishop provoke any thoughts.

Peace|Out

Happy John The Baptist Day!

Hey Pilgrims!

Here is a quick devotional I found. It makes for a great little read on John The Baptist Day. Enjoy.

Daily Reading & Meditation

Thursday (June 24): “For the hand of the Lord was with him”

Scripture: Luke 1:57-66,80  (alternate reading: Matthew 7:21-29)

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari’ah after his father, 60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. 80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Meditation: Birthdays are a special time to remember and give thanks for the blessings that have come our way. Are you grateful for the ways that God has worked in your life, even from your birth? In many churches of the East and West the birth of John the Baptist is remembered on this day. The friends of Zechariah and Elizabeth marveled at the wonderful way in which God blessed them with a child. This child was destined by God for an important mission. The last verses in the last book of the Old Testament, taken from the prophet Malachi, speak of the Lord’s messenger, the prophet Elijah who will return to “turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). We see the beginning of the fulfillment of this word when the Angel Gabriel announced to Zechariah the marvelous birth and mission of John the Baptist (Luke 1:17). When this newly born child was about to be named, as customary on the eighth day, his relatives quibbled over what name to give him. (Don’t relatives today often do the same when the time comes for naming a newborn?) This child, however has been named from above! And Elizabeth is firm in her faith and determined to see that God be glorified through this child. The name John means “the Lord is gracious”. In the birth of John and in the birth of Jesus the Messiah we see the grace of God breaking forth into a world broken by sin and without hope. John’s miraculous birth shows the mercy and favor of God in preparing his people for the coming of its Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist’s life was fueled by one burning passion – to point others to Jesus Christ and to the coming of God’s kingdom. Scripture tells us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15, 41) by Christ himself, whom Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, John lept in the womb of Elizabeth as they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41). The fire of the Spirit dwelt in John and made him the forerunner of the coming Messiah. John was led by the Spirit into the wilderness prior to his ministry where he was tested and grew in the word of God. John’s clothing was reminiscent of the prophet Elijah (see Kings 1:8). John broke the prophetic silence of the previous centuries when he began to speak the word of God to the people of Israel. His message was similar to the message of the Old Testament prophets who chided the people of God for their unfaithfulness and who tried to awaken true repentance in them. Among a people unconcerned with the things of God, it was his work to awaken their interest, unsettle them from their complacency, and arouse in them enough good will to recognize and receive Christ when he came.

What is the significance of John the Baptist and his message for our lives? When God acts to save us he graciously fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes our faith come “alive” to his promises. Each and every day the Lord is ready to renew us in faith, hope, and love. Like John the Baptist, the Lord invites each of us to make our life a free-will offering to God. God wants to fill us with his glory all the days of our lives, from birth through death. Renew the offering of your life to God and give him thanks for his mercy and favor towards you.

“Lord Jesus, you bring hope and salvation to a world lost in sin, despair, and suffering. Let your grace refresh and restore your people today in the hope and joy of your great victory over sin and death.”

Psalm 139:1-3,13-15

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me!
2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works!  Thou knowest me right well;
15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.

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Go to | Daily Reading & Meditation Index |
 (c) 2010 Don Schwager

Words from Irenaeus

Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons in the ancient Roman province of Gaul, is one of the early church fathers from the second century who’s writings still survive and hold relevance..

Here are some of his thoughts on “a life well spent”:

 ”The God, therefore, who does benevolently cause His sun to rise upon all, and sends rain upon the just and the unjust, shall judge those who, enjoying his equally distributed kindness, have led lives not corresponding to the dignity of His bounty, but who have spent their days in wantonness and luxury.”