I know a woman who had an abortion when she was young. The infant wasn’t the product of rape, it just wasn’t the right time for the couple to have the baby. Abortion, in this case, was being used for birth control. Since it had just been legalized, why shouldn’t she take advantage of it? Years later, however, that decision haunted her and she considered that she had killed her only daughter.
A number of years ago I met a professional drunk who was homeless. He was interested in whatever help we would be willing to offer. However, he had clearly already lied to my wife and I and he, frankly, had an obnoxious personality and smelled of wine processed through his pores.
A woman who had stayed in our house for years has been struggling with drug addiction for years, but she is losing the fight. She won’t work in the house or pay rent and gets angry when I approach her about it.
This is the kind of stuff that ethics are made of. Difficult situations. Some small and some large. Libraries have been created on the ethics of abortion, homeless, drug addiction, homosexuality, war, adultery, marriage and much more. When we think about these issues philosophically, we make one ethical choice, but when we face them in real life, we might very well make another.
In philosophy, there are two names that come to the forefront of ethical thought: Mills and Kant. John Stuart Mills taught that the basis of correct moral decision is happiness. Decide what makes the most people happy over the longest period of time, and that is the correct decision. Kant thought that the basis of ethics is duty. If we know what we should do, the right thing, then to do anything else is unethical. However, neither can be completely true. If a friend of mine experienced a death in the family, my empathy doesn’t make either of us happier, but isn’t it more right to feel for him than to not? If my duty is to not lie and obey government, does that make it right for me to tell the Nazis at my door that the Jews are hidden under the panel in the dining room floor?
The heart of right action is in the heart of human existence and experience. And human experience is found in the midst of others. Most of these others are human—we come out of our mother’s womb, live in a community, learn with children, connect with neighbors, buy from retailers, read the words of authors, work with co-workers, care for pets, have sex with lovers and hopefully, die with family. Since our whole life is spent with others, then the heart of the most basic decisions—that of right and wrong—also has to do with others.
But what is the nature of our relation with others, of life in general? The basic experience of all life is need. We are all a gaping hole needing to be filled. Three meals a day. Six cups of water. Sleep. Health when we are sick. A kind word. A good talk. Support when depressed. A good story. The needs perpetuate without end—the basic truth of life. And we spend our time filling these needs. We get a job so we can get money to meet our needs. We remain in long term relationships to meet our needs. We purchase things—a comfortable bed, a good book—to meet the needs of rest and pleasure.
To see ourselves as full of need, constantly being fulfilled, is to see us as life. And if this is what life is, this is what every living being is on the planet. Around every single one of us is another gaping hole, another sponge in constant need of filling. Yea, not just one, but many, perhaps hundreds, perhaps millions, even billions. Some of us pretty much meet our own needs. But for every one that is self-sufficient, there are a thousand or a million that are not. Every child is in need of raising until they are grown. Every spouse is in need of the love of their partner. Every ill person is in need of the care of another. Every destitute person is in need of assistance. And every person is in need of another to talk to, to obtain respect from, to love and to be loved.
This is the true foundation of ethics. Not the partnership of command and submit. Not the limits of pleasure. Rather the recognition that everyone’s need is the equivalent of our own. And that even as we are in need of others to meet our need, we must live our lives to meet other’s needs. Not as a duty, although it can be considered a responsibility. Not as a part of our own pleasure, although we can find joy in it. Rather, we meet needs because it is a part of life, part of the community we live in.
To see the other’s need and to recognize it as a part of one’s own; to not only observe the need, but to feel it; to meet the need of the other and so be completed oneself—this is love. It may sound like co-dependency. But codependency is acting toward the other’s hurt, and so establishing one’s own hurt as well. Love recognizes true need, not just felt need, and fills the gaping hole. Love never turns away. Love does something.
And this is the good life. The life of love.
The woman on drugs on our house? We confronted her, but didn’t force her to leave until she had another place to be. On her own, she still struggles with addiction, but is on the road to recovery. Without basic structure, she would never succeed.
The homeless drunk? He stayed in our house one night and we found that his screaming in the middle of the night was not good for the rest of us to be able to sleep. But we had him come to dinner. And the next night he came again. The night after, he brought another homeless friend. And now we feed a hundred and fifty people a week, friends with them all, bringing love and hope to street folks and the mentally ill, meeting all the needs we can.
And, finally, the woman struggling with her decision to have an abortion? That was my mother. It was my potential sister she decided to not have. It was certainly not my place to forgive her. She needed the forgiveness of God and of the baby. But in receiving welcome, support and hope from those around her, she experienced the forgiveness of God and her fourth child.
Love truly does conquers all evil, which makes it the most powerful substance in the universe.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Relating To The Spirit
The Trinity As A Story
Many people focus on the Trinity as a theological doctrine, full of the nature of God and the relationship of the three persons within a unity. The problem with this is that though the NT speaks of God as one and names Him as three, the relationship between them is not clearly marked. All too often, theologians, pastors and lay leaders have focused on what the Bible does NOT say about the Trinity, rather than what it does. The Trinity is not a theology of nature, but a story of love.
God the Father desires intimacy with people. He always has, from the very beginning, but the very ones He created, chose and sought relationship with have rejected Him. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to live out God’s love and deliverance. Jesus was God in human flesh, beginning a nation where people are both chosen to come in and choose themselves to participate. These learn about what God desires from God who was also human and they choose to live their lives as a divine path, as Jesus himself.
Jesus said that it was better for us that He leaves us. This seemed so wrong to his disciples at the time, but Jesus further explained that the Spirit could only come upon us if He leaves—we must have an absence before the Father fills us.
Although Jesus does not live among us anymore, He leaves His Spirit to all those who choose to be in Jesus. The Spirit then is God inside us, God with us, God continually dwelling. The Spirit is the promised blessing of God (Ezekiel 36; Jeremiah 31; Joel 2), who creates a people that is listening to God and is faithful to God. The Spirit is the final link for the chosen to be those who are intimate with God.
If the Spirit is the means of God’s ultimate blessing—intimacy with Him—then how do we achieve it? How do we live out this intimacy?
1. Listen to the Spirit
Jesus’ words are the foundation of what we know about God and how we live in God’s presence. But they are still only words from a distance. When we have a drunk come to our house in the middle of the night, how do we live out “do unto others as you would have them do to you”? Should we invite them in? Should we give them food and send them on their way? Should we decide that we need to protect our family? When someone steals from us, how do we practically live out “love your enemies”? Should we call the police? Should we give them more? Should we give them the gospel and let them go on their way? Jesus’ words don’t always give us the practical counsel we need in order to fully and precisely live out the way of God.
This is where the Spirit comes in. The Spirit gives us the wisdom we need when we need it. The Spirit talks to us and gives us the truth and the practical application to live the life of Jesus in the particular circumstances we are in. The Spirit is Jesus walking beside us, living with us, giving us continual counsel and direction to live in God’s ways.
Most importantly about listening to the Spirit is that in order to obtain a word from the Spirit we must ask. If we do not ask, then we will receive nothing. Even so, if we want the Spirit or any wisdom, we must ask God for that wisdom. This means that while God initiates the conversation with Him by offering the Spirit, we must ask for the Spirit in order to receive it. Then, once the Lord has given us the Spirit, we must ask for the wisdom we desire and God will answer us. Thus is the conversation with God continuous. (I Corinthians 2:11; Romans 8:5; John 14:26; Colossians 1:9; Luke 11:11-13; James 1:5-8; James 4:2-3; Acts 16:9-10; Acts 4:29-32)
2. Pray in the Spirit
One of the most common commands about the Spirit in the Scriptures is to pray in the Spirit. Many people directly relate this to speaking in tongues. But speaking in tongues is only one form of praying in the Spirit. Prophecy is also praying in the Spirit, as is listening in the Spirit, as is praying the Lord’s prayer.
When we pray in the Spirit, first of all, we are recognizing that we are not praying in the place where we seem to be, but we are in reality praying before God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16). When the prophets were “in the spirit” they were in the spiritual realm, in the presence of God, being led by the spirits directed by God. Even so, when we pray “in the spirit” we are not reciting dead words, nor are we praying by rote. Rather, we are before God himself, in intimate conversation with Him, and our prayers have power, not just hope.
To pray in the Spirit is to pray in God’s presence. We can say “papa” to God, because He is before us and asks us to call him by that intimate name. In the Spirit, we know our prayers and heard and God can answer us immediately. In the Spirit, we go before God with a situation that we don’t know how to pray for and the Spirit will lead us to pray rightly before the Father. In the Spirit, we can cry out to God to change His mind. In the Spirit, prayer is not just an activity, it is a conversation with the King of the Universe. (John 4:23; Jude 1:20; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:17, 26).
3. Rely on the Spirit
Our final intimacy with God is reliance. The Scripture has many different ways of saying this, “walk in the Spirit”, “live in the Spirit” “be raised in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25; Romans 8:4, 11). God tells us what to do through the Spirit, and we seek God’s power in the Spirit through prayer. God delivers the power to do His work through the Spirit and so we are able to do as He pleases.
Without the Spirit, we are weak, for we are only human. But in the Spirit, we are strong, able to do all the things that God asks us to do, without hesitation, because it is He who empowers us, He who strengthens us.
But this empowerment is not the end of the process. When God gives us the power to live for Him, we then need to live, relying on that power.
There are two ways we could fail in this. First of all, we could decide that we don’t really have the power of God, and so refuse to do as He asks. We can say “it’s too hard” or, “no one can do that”—and we would be right, except that God already gave us the ability to do it. If we deny God’s power to do His will, then we will think that we are unable to do His will, and so refuse to do it. But this is our stubborn rebelliousness getting in the way. God HAS given us the power, if we ask for it, and all we need to do is to rely on it and so do God’s will.
The other thing we often do is to ask for God’s will and then do it on our own power, which is inadequate. We think that since God told us to love our enemies, to be gentle, to heal the sick and to raise the dead and to resist the devil that we can do all of this according to the strength of our will. But we can’t. We are as weak and helpless in the spirit world as a baby. We can’t obey God, nor do miracles. We have to rely on the Spirit. This means we need to ask for the Spirit and rely on God for that Spirit, rather than relying on ourselves. We are merely human, and to be human is to be weak. But if we pray, we can have the Spirit, and He is all-powerful and ready to help us in our times of weakness.
To live in the Spirit is to affirm our own weakness, because all good things happen through the Spirit. And it gives glory to God because His strength is revealed through our weakness. (I Corinthians 2:4-5; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 14:38)
Many people focus on the Trinity as a theological doctrine, full of the nature of God and the relationship of the three persons within a unity. The problem with this is that though the NT speaks of God as one and names Him as three, the relationship between them is not clearly marked. All too often, theologians, pastors and lay leaders have focused on what the Bible does NOT say about the Trinity, rather than what it does. The Trinity is not a theology of nature, but a story of love.
God the Father desires intimacy with people. He always has, from the very beginning, but the very ones He created, chose and sought relationship with have rejected Him. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to live out God’s love and deliverance. Jesus was God in human flesh, beginning a nation where people are both chosen to come in and choose themselves to participate. These learn about what God desires from God who was also human and they choose to live their lives as a divine path, as Jesus himself.
Jesus said that it was better for us that He leaves us. This seemed so wrong to his disciples at the time, but Jesus further explained that the Spirit could only come upon us if He leaves—we must have an absence before the Father fills us.
Although Jesus does not live among us anymore, He leaves His Spirit to all those who choose to be in Jesus. The Spirit then is God inside us, God with us, God continually dwelling. The Spirit is the promised blessing of God (Ezekiel 36; Jeremiah 31; Joel 2), who creates a people that is listening to God and is faithful to God. The Spirit is the final link for the chosen to be those who are intimate with God.
If the Spirit is the means of God’s ultimate blessing—intimacy with Him—then how do we achieve it? How do we live out this intimacy?
1. Listen to the Spirit
Jesus’ words are the foundation of what we know about God and how we live in God’s presence. But they are still only words from a distance. When we have a drunk come to our house in the middle of the night, how do we live out “do unto others as you would have them do to you”? Should we invite them in? Should we give them food and send them on their way? Should we decide that we need to protect our family? When someone steals from us, how do we practically live out “love your enemies”? Should we call the police? Should we give them more? Should we give them the gospel and let them go on their way? Jesus’ words don’t always give us the practical counsel we need in order to fully and precisely live out the way of God.
This is where the Spirit comes in. The Spirit gives us the wisdom we need when we need it. The Spirit talks to us and gives us the truth and the practical application to live the life of Jesus in the particular circumstances we are in. The Spirit is Jesus walking beside us, living with us, giving us continual counsel and direction to live in God’s ways.
Most importantly about listening to the Spirit is that in order to obtain a word from the Spirit we must ask. If we do not ask, then we will receive nothing. Even so, if we want the Spirit or any wisdom, we must ask God for that wisdom. This means that while God initiates the conversation with Him by offering the Spirit, we must ask for the Spirit in order to receive it. Then, once the Lord has given us the Spirit, we must ask for the wisdom we desire and God will answer us. Thus is the conversation with God continuous. (I Corinthians 2:11; Romans 8:5; John 14:26; Colossians 1:9; Luke 11:11-13; James 1:5-8; James 4:2-3; Acts 16:9-10; Acts 4:29-32)
2. Pray in the Spirit
One of the most common commands about the Spirit in the Scriptures is to pray in the Spirit. Many people directly relate this to speaking in tongues. But speaking in tongues is only one form of praying in the Spirit. Prophecy is also praying in the Spirit, as is listening in the Spirit, as is praying the Lord’s prayer.
When we pray in the Spirit, first of all, we are recognizing that we are not praying in the place where we seem to be, but we are in reality praying before God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16). When the prophets were “in the spirit” they were in the spiritual realm, in the presence of God, being led by the spirits directed by God. Even so, when we pray “in the spirit” we are not reciting dead words, nor are we praying by rote. Rather, we are before God himself, in intimate conversation with Him, and our prayers have power, not just hope.
To pray in the Spirit is to pray in God’s presence. We can say “papa” to God, because He is before us and asks us to call him by that intimate name. In the Spirit, we know our prayers and heard and God can answer us immediately. In the Spirit, we go before God with a situation that we don’t know how to pray for and the Spirit will lead us to pray rightly before the Father. In the Spirit, we can cry out to God to change His mind. In the Spirit, prayer is not just an activity, it is a conversation with the King of the Universe. (John 4:23; Jude 1:20; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:17, 26).
3. Rely on the Spirit
Our final intimacy with God is reliance. The Scripture has many different ways of saying this, “walk in the Spirit”, “live in the Spirit” “be raised in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25; Romans 8:4, 11). God tells us what to do through the Spirit, and we seek God’s power in the Spirit through prayer. God delivers the power to do His work through the Spirit and so we are able to do as He pleases.
Without the Spirit, we are weak, for we are only human. But in the Spirit, we are strong, able to do all the things that God asks us to do, without hesitation, because it is He who empowers us, He who strengthens us.
But this empowerment is not the end of the process. When God gives us the power to live for Him, we then need to live, relying on that power.
There are two ways we could fail in this. First of all, we could decide that we don’t really have the power of God, and so refuse to do as He asks. We can say “it’s too hard” or, “no one can do that”—and we would be right, except that God already gave us the ability to do it. If we deny God’s power to do His will, then we will think that we are unable to do His will, and so refuse to do it. But this is our stubborn rebelliousness getting in the way. God HAS given us the power, if we ask for it, and all we need to do is to rely on it and so do God’s will.
The other thing we often do is to ask for God’s will and then do it on our own power, which is inadequate. We think that since God told us to love our enemies, to be gentle, to heal the sick and to raise the dead and to resist the devil that we can do all of this according to the strength of our will. But we can’t. We are as weak and helpless in the spirit world as a baby. We can’t obey God, nor do miracles. We have to rely on the Spirit. This means we need to ask for the Spirit and rely on God for that Spirit, rather than relying on ourselves. We are merely human, and to be human is to be weak. But if we pray, we can have the Spirit, and He is all-powerful and ready to help us in our times of weakness.
To live in the Spirit is to affirm our own weakness, because all good things happen through the Spirit. And it gives glory to God because His strength is revealed through our weakness. (I Corinthians 2:4-5; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 14:38)
Dealing With The Middleman: Relating To God the Son
Close To You
God wants to relate to humanity, to be intimate with humans, as He once was with Adam. But humanity has again and again rejected His calls to relationship. Finally, God has placed himself at a distance from humanity, simply because of humanity’s rejection of Him. God, just like all of us, can only deal with so much rejection before He realizes that the relationship is just meant to be distant.
But God realized that it was the whole of humanity that wanted to keep God at arms’ length. Even though it was the majority, it was not everyone. Some humans longed to be in intimate relationship with God, to connect with Him, to love Him, to daily commune with Him. Not everyone was asking God to be quiet, allowing other humans to speak for Him. So God made a plan—He would send His Son, His perfect representative, God himself, to live with us and to commune with us. (John 1:14)
Jesus died to end the old, distant means of relating to God and to initiate the new kingdom of God, which one communes with God in spirit and truth, not in a physical place and a physical presence (John 4:20-24). We decide ourselves to enter God’s kingdom, and if we do, then we can boldly approach God’s throne, being purified by Jesus, given a new chance to make up with God as a new nation of people who want to love God intimately as no people ever had before. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Going Through The Middleman
But if we are going to relate to God through Jesus, how is this done? How is our relationship with God through Jesus better than if we just relate to God directly? The key to our intimacy with God through Jesus has to do with the power of the incarnation. Jesus being God, became a human. This means that he is the perfect bridge, the perfect mediator between God and humanity, for he understands both sides of the dark veil that blocks true intimacy.
Submit to the authority of Jesus
Only a human could be king of the world—emperor of God’s people who want to be intimate with Him. God promised the rule of the earth to humanity (Psalm 8) and God is faithful to keep his promise, no matter what humanity has done (II Timothy 2:13). So Jesus became a human so he could be king over God’s people. And we have a ruler who understands our weaknesses and temptations, as well as understanding God’s holiness and power.
If we were to sum the whole of the Christian faith into three words it would be these: Jesus is Lord (I Corinthians 12:13). Jesus is the King of Heaven and Earth, sitting at the right hand of the Father, ruling over the nations of the earth (Hebrews 2:6-8). Jesus has not yet taken up the entire rule, for his enemies are still ruling huge portions of the earth. But Jesus is taking control over the world one person at a time.
So if we are to take advantage of the intimacy that God is offering us through Jesus, we have to submit to Jesus. To have faith in Jesus is not just to believe in Jesus, but to put our faith in Jesus’ lordship. Jesus isn’t our buddy, our friend or our comrade. Nor is Jesus just a philosopher, one of many teachers who has a number of good ideas that we should listen to besides others. Nor is Jesus just a Savior, a healer who wants to help our needs and pat us on the head and let us go.
Rather, Jesus is our Lord, our Sovereign, our Emperor, our King. We need to treat Jesus as our superior in every way, and give him every honor and praise. And most of all, we should put no other human—no matter how great—beside Jesus. Jesus is the great God, the great Lord and even though there are many other great women and men, Jesus is above them all (See Revelation 2-3).
Learn the teaching of Jesus
Through Moses, God gave Israel a number of very specific laws. God was very particular, giving 618 laws about how one ought to live one’s live. Unfortunately, it became impossible to continue to live according to those laws. Not only was the place of sacrifice—the Temple in Jerusalem—destroyed, but many of the laws about cattle and roofs didn’t really apply to those who lived in an urban, Gentile context. Having specific laws became problematic, for cultures change.
When Jesus came, he didn’t see life through a single culture, but he saw a variety of many cultures and ideals all working together. Despite this, He knew that God’s principles still applied to all people. But instead of just updating the laws, Jesus spoke of the general principles of God’s law so that it could be applied to anyone, anywhere.
Instead of talking about returning an enemy’s ox, Jesus said we are to love our enemy.
Instead of talking about just murder, Jesus spoke of hateful acts and speech.
Instead of talking about adultery, Jesus spoke of lustful looks
Instead of talking about not working on the Sabbath, Jesus spoke of doing works of mercy on the Sabbath.
Instead of talking about killing the sinful, Jesus spoke of not judging, but coaxing the sinner to return to God. (Matt. 5:15-17)
Instead of talking about just not slandering one’s neighbor, Jesus spoke of loving one’s neighbor.
Jesus changed the whole face of the law, so that it was something that applied to every human being, no matter where they lived or who they were.
Our manner of relating to the incarnate God, then, is to obey his commands. Jesus said that if we are to love him, then we are to keep his commands. If we ignore Jesus commands, then we are not really loving Him, nor the Father. (John 15)
To obey Jesus’ commands, we must first learn them. The early disciples memorized Jesus’ sayings so that they could know how to live. If we could memorize even a summary of Jesus’ teaching, we would have a step ahead in obedience.
Live the life of Jesus
Jesus is God in the flesh, but not just God. Jesus’ life is the life of God, God as a human being. Jesus was holy as God is holy, but tempted as a human is tempted. Jesus had great power as God is powerful, but he was dependent on the Father as a human is dependant. Jesus is merciful as God is merciful, yet he was also angry as a human is angry.
It is easy to look at Jesus and say that He was the epitome of God, and that He is so far above us that we can never attain His standard of life. If we say this, then we have again distanced ourselves from God. Jesus became human so that he could show us a human life that is divine. A human life that anyone could live, should they be dependent on God.
Some people say that we couldn’t be as ethically pure as Jesus because we are basically sinful. But Jesus was weak even as we are weak, but without sin. Why is that? Because He knew the truth that God wanted Him to live up to, and He had the power to live out that truth. If we are in Jesus, then we too could know the truth of God’s life through Jesus’ teaching. And if we are in Jesus, then the Holy Spirit empowers us to live the life we should live.
Others say that we do not have the power of Jesus because we are not God. But Jesus had no more power than we do. Jesus was fully human, and limited to human strength. Jesus instead relied on the authority of God. Jesus used the authority and the Father used His power. This is the same as us, if we command, in Jesus’ name, then we can use Jesus’ authority. We could walk on water, we could command demons, we could raise the dead, we could heal the sick. Not because we have power, but because we can use that power in Jesus’ name.
Jesus’ life is not just an option for us. It is a source of being intimate with God. To live God’s life is not to be God, but it is to live in God and for God in a way we could not otherwise.
Imitation of God is the sincerest form of worship.
God wants to relate to humanity, to be intimate with humans, as He once was with Adam. But humanity has again and again rejected His calls to relationship. Finally, God has placed himself at a distance from humanity, simply because of humanity’s rejection of Him. God, just like all of us, can only deal with so much rejection before He realizes that the relationship is just meant to be distant.
But God realized that it was the whole of humanity that wanted to keep God at arms’ length. Even though it was the majority, it was not everyone. Some humans longed to be in intimate relationship with God, to connect with Him, to love Him, to daily commune with Him. Not everyone was asking God to be quiet, allowing other humans to speak for Him. So God made a plan—He would send His Son, His perfect representative, God himself, to live with us and to commune with us. (John 1:14)
Jesus died to end the old, distant means of relating to God and to initiate the new kingdom of God, which one communes with God in spirit and truth, not in a physical place and a physical presence (John 4:20-24). We decide ourselves to enter God’s kingdom, and if we do, then we can boldly approach God’s throne, being purified by Jesus, given a new chance to make up with God as a new nation of people who want to love God intimately as no people ever had before. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Going Through The Middleman
But if we are going to relate to God through Jesus, how is this done? How is our relationship with God through Jesus better than if we just relate to God directly? The key to our intimacy with God through Jesus has to do with the power of the incarnation. Jesus being God, became a human. This means that he is the perfect bridge, the perfect mediator between God and humanity, for he understands both sides of the dark veil that blocks true intimacy.
Submit to the authority of Jesus
Only a human could be king of the world—emperor of God’s people who want to be intimate with Him. God promised the rule of the earth to humanity (Psalm 8) and God is faithful to keep his promise, no matter what humanity has done (II Timothy 2:13). So Jesus became a human so he could be king over God’s people. And we have a ruler who understands our weaknesses and temptations, as well as understanding God’s holiness and power.
If we were to sum the whole of the Christian faith into three words it would be these: Jesus is Lord (I Corinthians 12:13). Jesus is the King of Heaven and Earth, sitting at the right hand of the Father, ruling over the nations of the earth (Hebrews 2:6-8). Jesus has not yet taken up the entire rule, for his enemies are still ruling huge portions of the earth. But Jesus is taking control over the world one person at a time.
So if we are to take advantage of the intimacy that God is offering us through Jesus, we have to submit to Jesus. To have faith in Jesus is not just to believe in Jesus, but to put our faith in Jesus’ lordship. Jesus isn’t our buddy, our friend or our comrade. Nor is Jesus just a philosopher, one of many teachers who has a number of good ideas that we should listen to besides others. Nor is Jesus just a Savior, a healer who wants to help our needs and pat us on the head and let us go.
Rather, Jesus is our Lord, our Sovereign, our Emperor, our King. We need to treat Jesus as our superior in every way, and give him every honor and praise. And most of all, we should put no other human—no matter how great—beside Jesus. Jesus is the great God, the great Lord and even though there are many other great women and men, Jesus is above them all (See Revelation 2-3).
Learn the teaching of Jesus
Through Moses, God gave Israel a number of very specific laws. God was very particular, giving 618 laws about how one ought to live one’s live. Unfortunately, it became impossible to continue to live according to those laws. Not only was the place of sacrifice—the Temple in Jerusalem—destroyed, but many of the laws about cattle and roofs didn’t really apply to those who lived in an urban, Gentile context. Having specific laws became problematic, for cultures change.
When Jesus came, he didn’t see life through a single culture, but he saw a variety of many cultures and ideals all working together. Despite this, He knew that God’s principles still applied to all people. But instead of just updating the laws, Jesus spoke of the general principles of God’s law so that it could be applied to anyone, anywhere.
Instead of talking about returning an enemy’s ox, Jesus said we are to love our enemy.
Instead of talking about just murder, Jesus spoke of hateful acts and speech.
Instead of talking about adultery, Jesus spoke of lustful looks
Instead of talking about not working on the Sabbath, Jesus spoke of doing works of mercy on the Sabbath.
Instead of talking about killing the sinful, Jesus spoke of not judging, but coaxing the sinner to return to God. (Matt. 5:15-17)
Instead of talking about just not slandering one’s neighbor, Jesus spoke of loving one’s neighbor.
Jesus changed the whole face of the law, so that it was something that applied to every human being, no matter where they lived or who they were.
Our manner of relating to the incarnate God, then, is to obey his commands. Jesus said that if we are to love him, then we are to keep his commands. If we ignore Jesus commands, then we are not really loving Him, nor the Father. (John 15)
To obey Jesus’ commands, we must first learn them. The early disciples memorized Jesus’ sayings so that they could know how to live. If we could memorize even a summary of Jesus’ teaching, we would have a step ahead in obedience.
Live the life of Jesus
Jesus is God in the flesh, but not just God. Jesus’ life is the life of God, God as a human being. Jesus was holy as God is holy, but tempted as a human is tempted. Jesus had great power as God is powerful, but he was dependent on the Father as a human is dependant. Jesus is merciful as God is merciful, yet he was also angry as a human is angry.
It is easy to look at Jesus and say that He was the epitome of God, and that He is so far above us that we can never attain His standard of life. If we say this, then we have again distanced ourselves from God. Jesus became human so that he could show us a human life that is divine. A human life that anyone could live, should they be dependent on God.
Some people say that we couldn’t be as ethically pure as Jesus because we are basically sinful. But Jesus was weak even as we are weak, but without sin. Why is that? Because He knew the truth that God wanted Him to live up to, and He had the power to live out that truth. If we are in Jesus, then we too could know the truth of God’s life through Jesus’ teaching. And if we are in Jesus, then the Holy Spirit empowers us to live the life we should live.
Others say that we do not have the power of Jesus because we are not God. But Jesus had no more power than we do. Jesus was fully human, and limited to human strength. Jesus instead relied on the authority of God. Jesus used the authority and the Father used His power. This is the same as us, if we command, in Jesus’ name, then we can use Jesus’ authority. We could walk on water, we could command demons, we could raise the dead, we could heal the sick. Not because we have power, but because we can use that power in Jesus’ name.
Jesus’ life is not just an option for us. It is a source of being intimate with God. To live God’s life is not to be God, but it is to live in God and for God in a way we could not otherwise.
Imitation of God is the sincerest form of worship.
Relating To God the Father
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
And all that is within me, bless His holy name
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
And forget none of His benefits
He who forgives your iniquities
Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from the pit
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion
Who satisfies your years with good things
So your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Yahweh does righteous acts
And judgments supporting the oppressed.
He has made his ways known to Moses
His deeds to the sons of Israel
Yahweh is compassionate and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
He will not always fight with us
Nor will He keep his anger forever. (Psalm 103)
Hooking Up With God
God is the King of the Universe. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth and all that is between. Jesus called Him Father, but He has many other names beside that. His name is Yahweh. He is also called El, Adonai, Lord, Savior, King, the most Holy, the all powerful and more.
At times God seems so distant, so remote from out lives. But God, all throughout history has tried to be intimate with humanity. In the beginning, He would walk with Adam (“the human”) in the garden (Genesis 2-3). He spoke directly to the children of Israel and showed himself to them (Exodus 20, 24). He tried to rule over Israel as their only king (I Samuel 8:6). He offered himself to Israel as her Husband (Hosea 3:10).
But every time God tried to be intimate with a people, they rejected His intimacy. Adam rebelled against God and refused His daily counsel (Genesis 3). Israel begged that God no longer speak to them directly (Exodus 20:19-21). Israel rejected God as their king, but wanted a human king (I Samuel 8). And Israel sought other gods instead of seeking Yahweh alone.
God remained separated from humanity, when what He really wanted was intimacy.
Making Up Is Hard To Do
Through Jesus, we have a new opportunity to be intimate with God in a way that Israel never did. We can individually relate to God through the kingdom of God that Jesus established. We ourselves have an opportunity to connect with God in a way that Israel never did. But how do we do this? How can we relate to God who is the all powerful king of the universe, when we are a part of a race that had rejected Him? How can we do this when we ourselves had rejected God in our actions so many ways, so much of our lives?
God himself gives us the pattern to relate to Him, even though we may be distant from Him, we are still to connect with Him directly in some ways:
1. Remember
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Almost all of us remember that passage right at the beginning of the Bible. The majority of the Bible is about just that—remembering what it is that God has done. And this is one of the best beginning ways to relate to God—to remember His great deeds. We need to remember the creation, we need to remember his deliverance of Israel, we need to remember his judgments, but most of all we need to remember his great mercy. (Psalm 103:1-6; Exodus 13:13; Exodus 32:13; Deuteronomy 8:2)
Sometimes it is easy to remember all the things we had without God and how “wonderful” they were, and so we complain to God that we wish our lives would be like before (Numbers 11:5). But instead we need to remember that we were once slaves to our own passions and drives and oppressed by all those around us and that God delivered us from all that (Deuteronomy 5:15). What we remember determines what we desire and what we will hope in.
If we remember the Lord and His great works, we will live our lives in Him and for Him, away from the tyranny we lived in before. And God at times establishes memorials with us to remember what He has done in the past and what He has done for us. Sometimes the memory could be held in a ceremony, a piece of clothing, a song, a tradition of some sort. But the memory has to be real to us, to reflect a reality, not just an empty piece of symbolism. This means that filling our lives with memorials should be significant, but it often isn’t something that we can pass on to others.
2. Have Faith
God is the almighty, the merciful, the great, the holy. And we can remember this, but sometimes it is hard to see it as being significant for our lives. “Sure, God is all-powerful, He created the world, but what does that have to do with me?” Perhaps nothing. We can believe intellectually about God all the right things—the Apostle’s Creed or whatever—but if we just keep it in our head, then it is meaningless. As James said, even demons have right believe, but it doesn’t do anything for their ethical conduct, and so it is meaningless (James 2:17-24)
Abraham was one who had true faith in God. He didn’t just believe the right things about God, but he acted on that faith. He left his father and inheritance, which should have been his security for his future. He trusted that God would give him a son when he was an elderly man. He knew that God had the power to destroy a city and so prayed to Him to deliver it. He knew that God had the power to raise a person from the dead, so he was prepared to kill his son (Genesis 12:1-10; 15:1-8; Genesis 18; Hebrews 11:8-19). It wasn’t that Abraham had received the promises yet and then believed. No, he acted on the promises before they happened.
Even so, if we believe that God is all powerful and that He listens to prayer, how often do we really act on it? Do we trust that God will answer our prayers for deliverance for us and others, or do we neglect our prayers? Do we trust that God will create justice or do we wallow in self-pity? Do we trust that God can overcome our enemies, or do we feel the need to kill in order to be safe?
God doesn’t help those who help themselves. He helps those who depend on Him.
3. Cry Out
When God looked at Israel, slaves to Egypt, he did not see a nation that was a moral nation. Nor a powerful one. Nor particularly impressive in any way. Rather, he saw a nation in need. He had sympathy for them, and wanted to help them. But he waited to help until they were ready to cry out. Once they called out to God, then He was immediately ready to act for them. (Exodus 2:23-25; Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
God is the God of the oppressed and needy. He looks upon peoples who are starving and wants to give them food. He has sympathy on people in prison and wants to free them. He has compassion on those who have no justice and wants to grant them shalom (Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Isaiah 61:1-5). But He holds back, waiting for just one thing—their request.
If God’s people would just cry out to Him for the oppressed, he would act, and quickly. If God’s people would identify with the needy and seek Him about them, He would do something dramatic. If God’s people would look to God instead of armies and missiles and diplomacy and sanctions and human rights and civil disobedience—if only we would see the power in God instead of humanity! Then God’s power would flow out of the heavens and change the earth in such a way that we have never seen it before! (Psalm 107; Luke 11:1-13; Luke 18:1-8;
But we need to ask. We can’t just expect it to happen. We can’t just hope for it. We can’t just discuss it. We have to cry out, and God will stand with the needy once again.
God is ready to relate to us, right now. All we have to do is put ourselves in a position to receive it. We need to admit our poverty, our loss, our shame, our need and then cry out to God for it. We need to allow God to be our Father, and He will provide for us. But if we separate ourselves from God through our lack of belief, through our self-dependence, through our laziness in not wanting to pray—then we are like the people of old.
God is reaching out to us right now, seeking out our love and connection. But it is up to us as to whether we will receive God’s fatherhood.
And all that is within me, bless His holy name
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
And forget none of His benefits
He who forgives your iniquities
Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from the pit
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion
Who satisfies your years with good things
So your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Yahweh does righteous acts
And judgments supporting the oppressed.
He has made his ways known to Moses
His deeds to the sons of Israel
Yahweh is compassionate and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
He will not always fight with us
Nor will He keep his anger forever. (Psalm 103)
Hooking Up With God
God is the King of the Universe. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth and all that is between. Jesus called Him Father, but He has many other names beside that. His name is Yahweh. He is also called El, Adonai, Lord, Savior, King, the most Holy, the all powerful and more.
At times God seems so distant, so remote from out lives. But God, all throughout history has tried to be intimate with humanity. In the beginning, He would walk with Adam (“the human”) in the garden (Genesis 2-3). He spoke directly to the children of Israel and showed himself to them (Exodus 20, 24). He tried to rule over Israel as their only king (I Samuel 8:6). He offered himself to Israel as her Husband (Hosea 3:10).
But every time God tried to be intimate with a people, they rejected His intimacy. Adam rebelled against God and refused His daily counsel (Genesis 3). Israel begged that God no longer speak to them directly (Exodus 20:19-21). Israel rejected God as their king, but wanted a human king (I Samuel 8). And Israel sought other gods instead of seeking Yahweh alone.
God remained separated from humanity, when what He really wanted was intimacy.
Making Up Is Hard To Do
Through Jesus, we have a new opportunity to be intimate with God in a way that Israel never did. We can individually relate to God through the kingdom of God that Jesus established. We ourselves have an opportunity to connect with God in a way that Israel never did. But how do we do this? How can we relate to God who is the all powerful king of the universe, when we are a part of a race that had rejected Him? How can we do this when we ourselves had rejected God in our actions so many ways, so much of our lives?
God himself gives us the pattern to relate to Him, even though we may be distant from Him, we are still to connect with Him directly in some ways:
1. Remember
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Almost all of us remember that passage right at the beginning of the Bible. The majority of the Bible is about just that—remembering what it is that God has done. And this is one of the best beginning ways to relate to God—to remember His great deeds. We need to remember the creation, we need to remember his deliverance of Israel, we need to remember his judgments, but most of all we need to remember his great mercy. (Psalm 103:1-6; Exodus 13:13; Exodus 32:13; Deuteronomy 8:2)
Sometimes it is easy to remember all the things we had without God and how “wonderful” they were, and so we complain to God that we wish our lives would be like before (Numbers 11:5). But instead we need to remember that we were once slaves to our own passions and drives and oppressed by all those around us and that God delivered us from all that (Deuteronomy 5:15). What we remember determines what we desire and what we will hope in.
If we remember the Lord and His great works, we will live our lives in Him and for Him, away from the tyranny we lived in before. And God at times establishes memorials with us to remember what He has done in the past and what He has done for us. Sometimes the memory could be held in a ceremony, a piece of clothing, a song, a tradition of some sort. But the memory has to be real to us, to reflect a reality, not just an empty piece of symbolism. This means that filling our lives with memorials should be significant, but it often isn’t something that we can pass on to others.
2. Have Faith
God is the almighty, the merciful, the great, the holy. And we can remember this, but sometimes it is hard to see it as being significant for our lives. “Sure, God is all-powerful, He created the world, but what does that have to do with me?” Perhaps nothing. We can believe intellectually about God all the right things—the Apostle’s Creed or whatever—but if we just keep it in our head, then it is meaningless. As James said, even demons have right believe, but it doesn’t do anything for their ethical conduct, and so it is meaningless (James 2:17-24)
Abraham was one who had true faith in God. He didn’t just believe the right things about God, but he acted on that faith. He left his father and inheritance, which should have been his security for his future. He trusted that God would give him a son when he was an elderly man. He knew that God had the power to destroy a city and so prayed to Him to deliver it. He knew that God had the power to raise a person from the dead, so he was prepared to kill his son (Genesis 12:1-10; 15:1-8; Genesis 18; Hebrews 11:8-19). It wasn’t that Abraham had received the promises yet and then believed. No, he acted on the promises before they happened.
Even so, if we believe that God is all powerful and that He listens to prayer, how often do we really act on it? Do we trust that God will answer our prayers for deliverance for us and others, or do we neglect our prayers? Do we trust that God will create justice or do we wallow in self-pity? Do we trust that God can overcome our enemies, or do we feel the need to kill in order to be safe?
God doesn’t help those who help themselves. He helps those who depend on Him.
3. Cry Out
When God looked at Israel, slaves to Egypt, he did not see a nation that was a moral nation. Nor a powerful one. Nor particularly impressive in any way. Rather, he saw a nation in need. He had sympathy for them, and wanted to help them. But he waited to help until they were ready to cry out. Once they called out to God, then He was immediately ready to act for them. (Exodus 2:23-25; Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
God is the God of the oppressed and needy. He looks upon peoples who are starving and wants to give them food. He has sympathy on people in prison and wants to free them. He has compassion on those who have no justice and wants to grant them shalom (Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Isaiah 61:1-5). But He holds back, waiting for just one thing—their request.
If God’s people would just cry out to Him for the oppressed, he would act, and quickly. If God’s people would identify with the needy and seek Him about them, He would do something dramatic. If God’s people would look to God instead of armies and missiles and diplomacy and sanctions and human rights and civil disobedience—if only we would see the power in God instead of humanity! Then God’s power would flow out of the heavens and change the earth in such a way that we have never seen it before! (Psalm 107; Luke 11:1-13; Luke 18:1-8;
But we need to ask. We can’t just expect it to happen. We can’t just hope for it. We can’t just discuss it. We have to cry out, and God will stand with the needy once again.
God is ready to relate to us, right now. All we have to do is put ourselves in a position to receive it. We need to admit our poverty, our loss, our shame, our need and then cry out to God for it. We need to allow God to be our Father, and He will provide for us. But if we separate ourselves from God through our lack of belief, through our self-dependence, through our laziness in not wanting to pray—then we are like the people of old.
God is reaching out to us right now, seeking out our love and connection. But it is up to us as to whether we will receive God’s fatherhood.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Is Islam An Evil Empire?
Many Christian teachers are speaking much about Islam. Some say that Islam is a terrible evil that God must destroy. Some declare that Islam is a religion similar to the Bible or Jesus. Both sides are exaggerating the truth, and it is our responsibility as Christians to make a decision about truth in accordance with mercy, not exaggerations that try to make our personal opinion. Below is the truth about Islam in relation to the teachings of the Bible.
1. Intellectually, Allah is the same as Eloyah
The word “Allah” is not the name of some moon god, but is the Arabic translation of the Hebrew word for God, “Eloyah”, which comes from “Elohim,” translated in modern translations, “God”. There is less evidence that the word, “Allah” is blasphemous than the English word, “God”. Also, when the Qur’an—the holy book of Muslims—and when Muslims themselves speak of Allah, they use the same description Christians and Jews do about Elohim—God is one, all-powerful, sovereign, forgiving, and merciful.
However, most Muslims limit God’s ability
Most Muslims do not emphasize what Jesus and the prophets emphasize—that God works through his people’s suffering, and that he gives his Spirit of power to those who ask. Most of the time, when speaking about God, they limit God’s ability to providence, or the moving of events in this world. They are unable to hear God or to ask for miracles from their devotion.
Father, we pray that you would give our Muslim friends the ability to understand you in fullness, and to worship you in Spirit and in Truth.
2. The Qur’an speaks higher of Jesus than Muhammad
The Qur’an says amazing things about Jesus. The Qur’an uses the name “Isa” for Jesus and says that he is the Messiah, the Word of God, and the receiver of God’s spirit. The Qur’an says that he was born of the virgin Mary, performed miracles, did no sin, that he died and was resurrected and that he would judge on the last day. However, the Qur’an, in speaking of Muhammad, says that he is a sinner, that he had performed no miracle, and that he be able to speak for no one on the last day.
However, most Muslims do not understand Jesus
Even though the Qur’an teaches all this about Jesus, most Muslims do not know this teaching. They just recognize Jesus as one of many prophets. And the Qur’an does not teach that Jesus’ death cleanses us from sin or that to have faith in God through Jesus is the only way of gaining God’s salvation.
Father, show our Muslim friends that salvation is only found in Jesus.
3. Islam is firm against idolatry
The subject of the majority of the Qur’an is opposition to worshipping false gods and idols. The most terrible sin in Islam is “shirk” which means the sharing of God’s majesty with another. The Qur’an often reads like a text from the Old Testament that denounces idolatry. It is a bold statement for the worship of the Most High God.
However, Islam judges some not participating in idolatry as guilty of shirk
The Qur’an denounces anyone who calls the Son as one with God, for that would be the sin of shirk. Many Muslims also denounce any representation of any prophet or symbolic representation of God as shirk. They would declare that anyone doing these things are heretics or apostates.
Father, teach our Muslim friends how to judge according to your word, not their own ideas.
4. The Qur’an speaks well of Christians and Jews
The Qur’an calls Jews and Christians “the people of the Book” and declare that they should not be treated as unbelievers. Rather, the Qur’an says that the Muslim should go to Christians and Jews to learn what is written in the Injeel (the words of Jesus) and the Tora (the words of Moses), as well as other prophets.
However, the Qur’an also speaks of enacting violence against unbelievers
Some Muslims have declared many Christians and Jews to be their enemies and unbelievers, and so should be counted among those whom the Qur’an says should be slain. Many Muslims teach that the Injeel and the Tora have been corrupted over the years and so are unworthy of being read. And a few believe that war should be declared against those who have opposed the truths of Muhammad they express. Before we judge Muslims for this, we must remember how many Christians support the killing of enemies, when their Lord commanded that they love their enemies.
Father, help both Muslims and Christians do good to one another and learn of the way of Jesus.
5. Muslims devote themselves to God many times daily
Most devote Muslims declare their loyalty to God many times a day, declaring him to be forgiving and merciful. They are faithful in their prayers, and they wish to show themselves as God’s servants. The word “islam” means “submission to God” and the word “muslim” means “one who is submitted.” The whole purpose of being a Muslim is to devote ones whole life and community to God.
However, most Muslims act without regard to God’s ways
When it comes to everyday life, Muslims are as prone to follow their own desires as any other person. They will hate, gossip, lie and cheat in their everyday life—even as most Christians do.
Father, help us to live out your ways as well as speak your words. May we all have your Spirit to live your life.
6. Muslims give to the poor
Most devote Muslims separate 2.5% of what they earn specifically to the poor. This income is used to build orphanages and to help beggars in need. Although this sounds meager compared to a ten percent tithe, Muslims worldwide give a larger percentage of their income to the poor than Christians do worldwide.
However, most Muslims lack compassion in their giving
Muslims, however, lack the commands Christians do to give with compassion, love and without any self-interest. Many Muslims do give selflessly, especially through hospitality to strangers, but many more give out of their own self-interest and hopes of recognition. Jesus teaches that giving out of self-recognition would not be rewarded by God.
Father, through Jesus and the Spirit may your compassion rest upon our Muslim friends.
Conclusion:
Is Islam evil? Not really—it is more incomplete than anything else. It does a fine job to teach pagans to worship the one true God, but it does not teach the ethical standards of Jesus, or show his example. Most Muslims are not evil, but they are misled. If they knew more about their own holy book, as well as the words of Jesus and Moses that the Qur’an affirms, they might know who the real Prophet and Savior is—Jesus. Let us pray for Muslims in our communities and around the world so that they could know the whole truth and that the truth would free them from oppression.
1. Intellectually, Allah is the same as Eloyah
The word “Allah” is not the name of some moon god, but is the Arabic translation of the Hebrew word for God, “Eloyah”, which comes from “Elohim,” translated in modern translations, “God”. There is less evidence that the word, “Allah” is blasphemous than the English word, “God”. Also, when the Qur’an—the holy book of Muslims—and when Muslims themselves speak of Allah, they use the same description Christians and Jews do about Elohim—God is one, all-powerful, sovereign, forgiving, and merciful.
However, most Muslims limit God’s ability
Most Muslims do not emphasize what Jesus and the prophets emphasize—that God works through his people’s suffering, and that he gives his Spirit of power to those who ask. Most of the time, when speaking about God, they limit God’s ability to providence, or the moving of events in this world. They are unable to hear God or to ask for miracles from their devotion.
Father, we pray that you would give our Muslim friends the ability to understand you in fullness, and to worship you in Spirit and in Truth.
2. The Qur’an speaks higher of Jesus than Muhammad
The Qur’an says amazing things about Jesus. The Qur’an uses the name “Isa” for Jesus and says that he is the Messiah, the Word of God, and the receiver of God’s spirit. The Qur’an says that he was born of the virgin Mary, performed miracles, did no sin, that he died and was resurrected and that he would judge on the last day. However, the Qur’an, in speaking of Muhammad, says that he is a sinner, that he had performed no miracle, and that he be able to speak for no one on the last day.
However, most Muslims do not understand Jesus
Even though the Qur’an teaches all this about Jesus, most Muslims do not know this teaching. They just recognize Jesus as one of many prophets. And the Qur’an does not teach that Jesus’ death cleanses us from sin or that to have faith in God through Jesus is the only way of gaining God’s salvation.
Father, show our Muslim friends that salvation is only found in Jesus.
3. Islam is firm against idolatry
The subject of the majority of the Qur’an is opposition to worshipping false gods and idols. The most terrible sin in Islam is “shirk” which means the sharing of God’s majesty with another. The Qur’an often reads like a text from the Old Testament that denounces idolatry. It is a bold statement for the worship of the Most High God.
However, Islam judges some not participating in idolatry as guilty of shirk
The Qur’an denounces anyone who calls the Son as one with God, for that would be the sin of shirk. Many Muslims also denounce any representation of any prophet or symbolic representation of God as shirk. They would declare that anyone doing these things are heretics or apostates.
Father, teach our Muslim friends how to judge according to your word, not their own ideas.
4. The Qur’an speaks well of Christians and Jews
The Qur’an calls Jews and Christians “the people of the Book” and declare that they should not be treated as unbelievers. Rather, the Qur’an says that the Muslim should go to Christians and Jews to learn what is written in the Injeel (the words of Jesus) and the Tora (the words of Moses), as well as other prophets.
However, the Qur’an also speaks of enacting violence against unbelievers
Some Muslims have declared many Christians and Jews to be their enemies and unbelievers, and so should be counted among those whom the Qur’an says should be slain. Many Muslims teach that the Injeel and the Tora have been corrupted over the years and so are unworthy of being read. And a few believe that war should be declared against those who have opposed the truths of Muhammad they express. Before we judge Muslims for this, we must remember how many Christians support the killing of enemies, when their Lord commanded that they love their enemies.
Father, help both Muslims and Christians do good to one another and learn of the way of Jesus.
5. Muslims devote themselves to God many times daily
Most devote Muslims declare their loyalty to God many times a day, declaring him to be forgiving and merciful. They are faithful in their prayers, and they wish to show themselves as God’s servants. The word “islam” means “submission to God” and the word “muslim” means “one who is submitted.” The whole purpose of being a Muslim is to devote ones whole life and community to God.
However, most Muslims act without regard to God’s ways
When it comes to everyday life, Muslims are as prone to follow their own desires as any other person. They will hate, gossip, lie and cheat in their everyday life—even as most Christians do.
Father, help us to live out your ways as well as speak your words. May we all have your Spirit to live your life.
6. Muslims give to the poor
Most devote Muslims separate 2.5% of what they earn specifically to the poor. This income is used to build orphanages and to help beggars in need. Although this sounds meager compared to a ten percent tithe, Muslims worldwide give a larger percentage of their income to the poor than Christians do worldwide.
However, most Muslims lack compassion in their giving
Muslims, however, lack the commands Christians do to give with compassion, love and without any self-interest. Many Muslims do give selflessly, especially through hospitality to strangers, but many more give out of their own self-interest and hopes of recognition. Jesus teaches that giving out of self-recognition would not be rewarded by God.
Father, through Jesus and the Spirit may your compassion rest upon our Muslim friends.
Conclusion:
Is Islam evil? Not really—it is more incomplete than anything else. It does a fine job to teach pagans to worship the one true God, but it does not teach the ethical standards of Jesus, or show his example. Most Muslims are not evil, but they are misled. If they knew more about their own holy book, as well as the words of Jesus and Moses that the Qur’an affirms, they might know who the real Prophet and Savior is—Jesus. Let us pray for Muslims in our communities and around the world so that they could know the whole truth and that the truth would free them from oppression.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Relating To The Spirit
The Trinity As A Story
Many people focus on the Trinity as a theological doctrine, full of the nature of God and the relationship of the three persons within a unity. The problem with this is that though the NT speaks of God as one and names Him as three, the relationship between them is not clearly marked. All too often, theologians, pastors and lay leaders have focused on what the Bible does NOT say about the Trinity, rather than what it does. The Trinity is not a theology of nature, but a story of love.
God the Father desires intimacy with people. He always has, from the very beginning, but the very ones He created, chose and sought relationship with have rejected Him. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to live out God’s love and deliverance. Jesus was God in human flesh, beginning a nation where people are both chosen to come in and choose themselves to participate. These learn about what God desires from God who was also human and they choose to live their lives as a divine path, as Jesus himself.
Jesus said that it was better for us that He leaves us. This seemed so wrong to his disciples at the time, but Jesus further explained that the Spirit could only come upon us if He leaves—we must have an absence before the Father fills us.
Although Jesus does not live among us anymore, He leaves His Spirit to all those who choose to be in Jesus. The Spirit then is God inside us, God with us, God continually dwelling. The Spirit is the promised blessing of God (Ezekiel 36; Jeremiah 31; Joel 2), who creates a people that is listening to God and is faithful to God. The Spirit is the final link for the chosen to be those who are intimate with God.
If the Spirit is the means of God’s ultimate blessing—intimacy with Him—then how do we achieve it? How do we live out this intimacy?
1. Listen to the Spirit
Jesus’ words are the foundation of what we know about God and how we live in God’s presence. But they are still only words from a distance. When we have a drunk come to our house in the middle of the night, how do we live out “do unto others as you would have them do to you”? Should we invite them in? Should we give them food and send them on their way? Should we decide that we need to protect our family? When someone steals from us, how do we practically live out “love your enemies”? Should we call the police? Should we give them more? Should we give them the gospel and let them go on their way? Jesus’ words don’t always give us the practical counsel we need in order to fully and precisely live out the way of God.
This is where the Spirit comes in. The Spirit gives us the wisdom we need when we need it. The Spirit talks to us and gives us the truth and the practical application to live the life of Jesus in the particular circumstances we are in. The Spirit is Jesus walking beside us, living with us, giving us continual counsel and direction to live in God’s ways.
Most importantly about listening to the Spirit is that in order to obtain a word from the Spirit we must ask. If we do not ask, then we will receive nothing. Even so, if we want the Spirit or any wisdom, we must ask God for that wisdom. This means that while God initiates the conversation with Him by offering the Spirit, we must ask for the Spirit in order to receive it. Then, once the Lord has given us the Spirit, we must ask for the wisdom we desire and God will answer us. Thus is the conversation with God continuous. (I Corinthians 2:11; Romans 8:5; John 14:26; Colossians 1:9; Luke 11:11-13; James 1:5-8; James 4:2-3; Acts 16:9-10; Acts 4:29-32)
2. Pray in the Spirit
One of the most common commands about the Spirit in the Scriptures is to pray in the Spirit. Many people directly relate this to speaking in tongues. But speaking in tongues is only one form of praying in the Spirit. Prophecy is also praying in the Spirit, as is listening in the Spirit, as is praying the Lord’s prayer.
When we pray in the Spirit, first of all, we are recognizing that we are not praying in the place where we seem to be, but we are in reality praying before God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16). When the prophets were “in the spirit” they were in the spiritual realm, in the presence of God, being led by the spirits directed by God. Even so, when we pray “in the spirit” we are not reciting dead words, nor are we praying by rote. Rather, we are before God himself, in intimate conversation with Him, and our prayers have power, not just hope.
To pray in the Spirit is to pray in God’s presence. We can say “papa” to God, because He is before us and asks us to call him by that intimate name. In the Spirit, we know our prayers and heard and God can answer us immediately. In the Spirit, we go before God with a situation that we don’t know how to pray for and the Spirit will lead us to pray rightly before the Father. In the Spirit, we can cry out to God to change His mind. In the Spirit, prayer is not just an activity, it is a conversation with the King of the Universe. (John 4:23; Jude 1:20; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:17, 26).
3. Rely on the Spirit
Our final intimacy with God is reliance. The Scripture has many different ways of saying this, “walk in the Spirit”, “live in the Spirit” “be raised in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25; Romans 8:4, 11). God tells us what to do through the Spirit, and we seek God’s power in the Spirit through prayer. God delivers the power to do His work through the Spirit and so we are able to do as He pleases.
Without the Spirit, we are weak, for we are only human. But in the Spirit, we are strong, able to do all the things that God asks us to do, without hesitation, because it is He who empowers us, He who strengthens us.
But this empowerment is not the end of the process. When God gives us the power to live for Him, we then need to live, relying on that power.
There are two ways we could fail in this. First of all, we could decide that we don’t really have the power of God, and so refuse to do as He asks. We can say “it’s too hard” or, “no one can do that”—and we would be right, except that God already gave us the ability to do it. If we deny God’s power to do His will, then we will think that we are unable to do His will, and so refuse to do it. But this is our stubborn rebelliousness getting in the way. God HAS given us the power, if we ask for it, and all we need to do is to rely on it and so do God’s will.
The other thing we often do is to ask for God’s will and then do it on our own power, which is inadequate. We think that since God told us to love our enemies, to be gentle, to heal the sick and to raise the dead and to resist the devil that we can do all of this according to the strength of our will. But we can’t. We are as weak and helpless in the spirit world as a baby. We can’t obey God, nor do miracles. We have to rely on the Spirit. This means we need to ask for the Spirit and rely on God for that Spirit, rather than relying on ourselves. We are merely human, and to be human is to be weak. But if we pray, we can have the Spirit, and He is all-powerful and ready to help us in our times of weakness.
To live in the Spirit is to affirm our own weakness, because all good things happen through the Spirit. And it gives glory to God because His strength is revealed through our weakness. (I Corinthians 2:4-5; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 14:38)
Many people focus on the Trinity as a theological doctrine, full of the nature of God and the relationship of the three persons within a unity. The problem with this is that though the NT speaks of God as one and names Him as three, the relationship between them is not clearly marked. All too often, theologians, pastors and lay leaders have focused on what the Bible does NOT say about the Trinity, rather than what it does. The Trinity is not a theology of nature, but a story of love.
God the Father desires intimacy with people. He always has, from the very beginning, but the very ones He created, chose and sought relationship with have rejected Him. So He sent His Son, Jesus, to live out God’s love and deliverance. Jesus was God in human flesh, beginning a nation where people are both chosen to come in and choose themselves to participate. These learn about what God desires from God who was also human and they choose to live their lives as a divine path, as Jesus himself.
Jesus said that it was better for us that He leaves us. This seemed so wrong to his disciples at the time, but Jesus further explained that the Spirit could only come upon us if He leaves—we must have an absence before the Father fills us.
Although Jesus does not live among us anymore, He leaves His Spirit to all those who choose to be in Jesus. The Spirit then is God inside us, God with us, God continually dwelling. The Spirit is the promised blessing of God (Ezekiel 36; Jeremiah 31; Joel 2), who creates a people that is listening to God and is faithful to God. The Spirit is the final link for the chosen to be those who are intimate with God.
If the Spirit is the means of God’s ultimate blessing—intimacy with Him—then how do we achieve it? How do we live out this intimacy?
1. Listen to the Spirit
Jesus’ words are the foundation of what we know about God and how we live in God’s presence. But they are still only words from a distance. When we have a drunk come to our house in the middle of the night, how do we live out “do unto others as you would have them do to you”? Should we invite them in? Should we give them food and send them on their way? Should we decide that we need to protect our family? When someone steals from us, how do we practically live out “love your enemies”? Should we call the police? Should we give them more? Should we give them the gospel and let them go on their way? Jesus’ words don’t always give us the practical counsel we need in order to fully and precisely live out the way of God.
This is where the Spirit comes in. The Spirit gives us the wisdom we need when we need it. The Spirit talks to us and gives us the truth and the practical application to live the life of Jesus in the particular circumstances we are in. The Spirit is Jesus walking beside us, living with us, giving us continual counsel and direction to live in God’s ways.
Most importantly about listening to the Spirit is that in order to obtain a word from the Spirit we must ask. If we do not ask, then we will receive nothing. Even so, if we want the Spirit or any wisdom, we must ask God for that wisdom. This means that while God initiates the conversation with Him by offering the Spirit, we must ask for the Spirit in order to receive it. Then, once the Lord has given us the Spirit, we must ask for the wisdom we desire and God will answer us. Thus is the conversation with God continuous. (I Corinthians 2:11; Romans 8:5; John 14:26; Colossians 1:9; Luke 11:11-13; James 1:5-8; James 4:2-3; Acts 16:9-10; Acts 4:29-32)
2. Pray in the Spirit
One of the most common commands about the Spirit in the Scriptures is to pray in the Spirit. Many people directly relate this to speaking in tongues. But speaking in tongues is only one form of praying in the Spirit. Prophecy is also praying in the Spirit, as is listening in the Spirit, as is praying the Lord’s prayer.
When we pray in the Spirit, first of all, we are recognizing that we are not praying in the place where we seem to be, but we are in reality praying before God’s throne (Hebrews 4:16). When the prophets were “in the spirit” they were in the spiritual realm, in the presence of God, being led by the spirits directed by God. Even so, when we pray “in the spirit” we are not reciting dead words, nor are we praying by rote. Rather, we are before God himself, in intimate conversation with Him, and our prayers have power, not just hope.
To pray in the Spirit is to pray in God’s presence. We can say “papa” to God, because He is before us and asks us to call him by that intimate name. In the Spirit, we know our prayers and heard and God can answer us immediately. In the Spirit, we go before God with a situation that we don’t know how to pray for and the Spirit will lead us to pray rightly before the Father. In the Spirit, we can cry out to God to change His mind. In the Spirit, prayer is not just an activity, it is a conversation with the King of the Universe. (John 4:23; Jude 1:20; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:17, 26).
3. Rely on the Spirit
Our final intimacy with God is reliance. The Scripture has many different ways of saying this, “walk in the Spirit”, “live in the Spirit” “be raised in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25; Romans 8:4, 11). God tells us what to do through the Spirit, and we seek God’s power in the Spirit through prayer. God delivers the power to do His work through the Spirit and so we are able to do as He pleases.
Without the Spirit, we are weak, for we are only human. But in the Spirit, we are strong, able to do all the things that God asks us to do, without hesitation, because it is He who empowers us, He who strengthens us.
But this empowerment is not the end of the process. When God gives us the power to live for Him, we then need to live, relying on that power.
There are two ways we could fail in this. First of all, we could decide that we don’t really have the power of God, and so refuse to do as He asks. We can say “it’s too hard” or, “no one can do that”—and we would be right, except that God already gave us the ability to do it. If we deny God’s power to do His will, then we will think that we are unable to do His will, and so refuse to do it. But this is our stubborn rebelliousness getting in the way. God HAS given us the power, if we ask for it, and all we need to do is to rely on it and so do God’s will.
The other thing we often do is to ask for God’s will and then do it on our own power, which is inadequate. We think that since God told us to love our enemies, to be gentle, to heal the sick and to raise the dead and to resist the devil that we can do all of this according to the strength of our will. But we can’t. We are as weak and helpless in the spirit world as a baby. We can’t obey God, nor do miracles. We have to rely on the Spirit. This means we need to ask for the Spirit and rely on God for that Spirit, rather than relying on ourselves. We are merely human, and to be human is to be weak. But if we pray, we can have the Spirit, and He is all-powerful and ready to help us in our times of weakness.
To live in the Spirit is to affirm our own weakness, because all good things happen through the Spirit. And it gives glory to God because His strength is revealed through our weakness. (I Corinthians 2:4-5; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 14:38)
Practical Principles for Participating with the Paraclete
To be a Spiritual person is not just to act in a holy way, nor is it about clothes, good deeds or being mystical. Being Spiritual means that one listens to God’s Spirit. Here are some practical tips from the Bible about how to be Spiritual, that is, how to live in the Holy Spirit:
1. Know the word of Jesus and try to live by it
“When the Helper, the holy Spirit comes… He will remind you of all I taught you.” John 14:26
One of the Spirit’s main purposes is to remind us of the word of Jesus. But how can we be reminded of Jesus’ teaching, when we don’t know it? But even having head knowledge of Jesus’ teaching isn’t enough, we also need to live it out. On the surface, we may find that we are heading for a failure, for selling our possessions and loving our enemies are superhuman requirements. But if we depend on the Lord for strength to do His will, then we will have some success. And it is at this point—knowing Jesus’ word and having tried and failed, that the Spirit can begin working with us.
2. Do not quench the Spirit
“Do not despise prophetic utterances.” I Thessalonians 5:19-20
Before we can hear the Spirit, we must first be open to listening to the Spirit. Many of us doubt that the Spirit speaks to anyone, and if someone says “I heard from the Lord…” we tune them out simply because we don’t believe that God speaks directly to people. The Bible says that the Spirit does speak directly—not just through feelings, but with a voice. The Bible also says that the Spirit works through healings, through visions and through dreams. If we are to really be Spiritual, then we need to believe that the Spirit really works, is really powerful and can really speak to us.
3. Take time to listen to the Spirit
“Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.” Acts 10:9
Just as Peter took time alone with God to pray (and so had a vision), so we must also. It is not enough to ask the Lord to speak to us, we also have to meet with the Spirit. If we have someone we consider a good friend, how much of a friend could that person be if we never went out together to talk together? The same with the Spirit—we cannot be a Spiritual person unless we take time to listen to the Spirit and allow us to pay attention to Him. This means time without distractions, without other agenda, without media. Just you and the Spirit, nothing else.
4. Test the Spirits
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,” I John 4:1
Just because we know that we are being spoken to from a spirit-world being, that doesn’t mean it is from God or the Holy Spirit. We have to be careful because there are many voices, many spirits and many of them want to destroy us. In order to know if a Spirit or a voice in our heads is from God, they must first pass the test of saying that Jesus is their Lord—not just A lord, but that Jesus rules over them. Secondly, what they say must be in agreement with Jesus’ word. Once again, this requires that we know Jesus’ word to be able to know if a spirit is true or not.
5. Do not speak everything the Spirit gives you, at anytime you receive it
Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? I Corinthians 14:36
Paul says that the spirit is under the control of the one who speaks (I Cor. 14:32), and just because we feel we should speak what we have heard from the Spirit, that doesn’t mean that we should. There are times in which we are told by the Spirit to speak, but even then we need to understand to whom, and how and when. We can’t just assume that because a time is convenient for us that it is the right time. Often a message from the Spirit can be lost not because it wasn’t spoken, but because it was spoken in a way that others cannot hear it.
Also, we need to take into account that others have heard from the Spirit, and not just us. Just because we have a message, it doesn’t mean that everyone must obey our message. When the Spirit speaks to us, the first one whom the message is for is us, not others. Often, in fact, the Spirit isn’t speaking to others, but only to us. We need to be careful about how we apply the Spirit’s message, and not do so universally.
6. Walk by the Spirit
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
The point of us listening to the Spirit is not speaking the message, or having a connection with God, but obeying the message. If we only hear and do not act out the message of the Spirit, then the message has fallen upon deaf ears and it is fruitless. When the spirit speaks to us, then we should not seek first to speak the Spirit’s message, but to obey it. No, it is not always easy, but this is how we become a Spiritual person—that we both listen to the Spirit and obey Him.
7. Live by the fruits of the Spirit
“You who are Spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
Living and walking in the Spirit is not just about doing crazy things, either. Yes, the Spirit could lead one to have visions, to say strange words, to collapse on the floor or to act like a prophet of old. But these things are not the real indications of the Spirit. Rather, we know that we have God’s Spirit if, in obeying the Spirit, we do so in an attitude of gentleness, care for others and support of others. The natural outcome of the Spirit is not tongues, prophecies or dreams—rather it is love, joy in others, offering other’s peace, being faithful to others, having self-control so others are not harmed, and remaining humble.
The Spiritual person hears the Spirit of Jesus telling him to do the acts of Jesus with the attitude of Jesus.
1. Know the word of Jesus and try to live by it
“When the Helper, the holy Spirit comes… He will remind you of all I taught you.” John 14:26
One of the Spirit’s main purposes is to remind us of the word of Jesus. But how can we be reminded of Jesus’ teaching, when we don’t know it? But even having head knowledge of Jesus’ teaching isn’t enough, we also need to live it out. On the surface, we may find that we are heading for a failure, for selling our possessions and loving our enemies are superhuman requirements. But if we depend on the Lord for strength to do His will, then we will have some success. And it is at this point—knowing Jesus’ word and having tried and failed, that the Spirit can begin working with us.
2. Do not quench the Spirit
“Do not despise prophetic utterances.” I Thessalonians 5:19-20
Before we can hear the Spirit, we must first be open to listening to the Spirit. Many of us doubt that the Spirit speaks to anyone, and if someone says “I heard from the Lord…” we tune them out simply because we don’t believe that God speaks directly to people. The Bible says that the Spirit does speak directly—not just through feelings, but with a voice. The Bible also says that the Spirit works through healings, through visions and through dreams. If we are to really be Spiritual, then we need to believe that the Spirit really works, is really powerful and can really speak to us.
3. Take time to listen to the Spirit
“Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.” Acts 10:9
Just as Peter took time alone with God to pray (and so had a vision), so we must also. It is not enough to ask the Lord to speak to us, we also have to meet with the Spirit. If we have someone we consider a good friend, how much of a friend could that person be if we never went out together to talk together? The same with the Spirit—we cannot be a Spiritual person unless we take time to listen to the Spirit and allow us to pay attention to Him. This means time without distractions, without other agenda, without media. Just you and the Spirit, nothing else.
4. Test the Spirits
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,” I John 4:1
Just because we know that we are being spoken to from a spirit-world being, that doesn’t mean it is from God or the Holy Spirit. We have to be careful because there are many voices, many spirits and many of them want to destroy us. In order to know if a Spirit or a voice in our heads is from God, they must first pass the test of saying that Jesus is their Lord—not just A lord, but that Jesus rules over them. Secondly, what they say must be in agreement with Jesus’ word. Once again, this requires that we know Jesus’ word to be able to know if a spirit is true or not.
5. Do not speak everything the Spirit gives you, at anytime you receive it
Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? I Corinthians 14:36
Paul says that the spirit is under the control of the one who speaks (I Cor. 14:32), and just because we feel we should speak what we have heard from the Spirit, that doesn’t mean that we should. There are times in which we are told by the Spirit to speak, but even then we need to understand to whom, and how and when. We can’t just assume that because a time is convenient for us that it is the right time. Often a message from the Spirit can be lost not because it wasn’t spoken, but because it was spoken in a way that others cannot hear it.
Also, we need to take into account that others have heard from the Spirit, and not just us. Just because we have a message, it doesn’t mean that everyone must obey our message. When the Spirit speaks to us, the first one whom the message is for is us, not others. Often, in fact, the Spirit isn’t speaking to others, but only to us. We need to be careful about how we apply the Spirit’s message, and not do so universally.
6. Walk by the Spirit
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
The point of us listening to the Spirit is not speaking the message, or having a connection with God, but obeying the message. If we only hear and do not act out the message of the Spirit, then the message has fallen upon deaf ears and it is fruitless. When the spirit speaks to us, then we should not seek first to speak the Spirit’s message, but to obey it. No, it is not always easy, but this is how we become a Spiritual person—that we both listen to the Spirit and obey Him.
7. Live by the fruits of the Spirit
“You who are Spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
Living and walking in the Spirit is not just about doing crazy things, either. Yes, the Spirit could lead one to have visions, to say strange words, to collapse on the floor or to act like a prophet of old. But these things are not the real indications of the Spirit. Rather, we know that we have God’s Spirit if, in obeying the Spirit, we do so in an attitude of gentleness, care for others and support of others. The natural outcome of the Spirit is not tongues, prophecies or dreams—rather it is love, joy in others, offering other’s peace, being faithful to others, having self-control so others are not harmed, and remaining humble.
The Spiritual person hears the Spirit of Jesus telling him to do the acts of Jesus with the attitude of Jesus.
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