Paul and the Trinity

Somehow, Paul—the first century missionary and apostle of Jesus—appeared on a university campus in the 21st century. Paul has stayed with Don, a university professor of Hebrew literature, who invited him to lecture and answer student’s questions.

Joe: (A student of theology at the university) Alright, let me get straight to the point.

Paul: That is fine.

Joe: Is Jesus God?

Paul: Yes, he is.

Joe: (A smug smile appears on his face and he response with a sarcastic tone.) Fine, Paul. Since you affirm Jesus to be the second person of the Trinity, equal to God in every way, then let me ask you, why does your writings have no indications whatsoever of the trinity or even of Jesus’ deity?

Paul: You are jumping ahead of yourself, son. I said nothing of the Trinity.

Joe: No? Didn’t you declare that Jesus is God?

Paul: Yes. But this is not the same as most statements made of the Trinity, in its traditional form.

Joe: Explain the difference to me.

Paul: The classic form of the Trinity is an expansion of the statement made at the council of Nicene?. That statement is that Jesus is of the essence of the Father. The Father, as Jesus stated, is God. Jesus is the son of God. However, we have no clear evidence that Jesus is of the same essence of the Father. The same power, yes. The same authority on earth, yes. But not the same essence.

Joe: Excuse me, but how would Paul the apostle know of the council of Nicene?

Paul: The same as you: I read. Frankly, I probably know it better for I read it in Greek and then discussed the implications and history of it with my friend, Professor Don.

Joe: (Smirking) Oh, right. Of course. So what is the difference between the Nicene statement of “essence” with statements made in the New Testament?

Paul: To claim that Jesus is “God” is a very general statement, which could mean a number of things. In my experience, I saw Jesus as the powerful Lord, having all the glory of God.

Joe: How can your vision really rate as evidence?

Paul: How can you rate that you are seeing me as evidence? You can say to your friends, “I saw Paul today” and they might say, “Prove it, we don’t think you really did.” And you would stammer, because you expected to have your word taken as truth. Even so, my word represents my experience and so how can you call it a lie?
Joe: But if you had a dream, you wouldn’t necessarily try to pass that off as reality.

Paul: I saw Jesus face-to-face, just as you are seeing me. It wasn’t a vision, it was a real-life event. I wasn’t asleep, nor was it a dream…

Joe: But couldn’t it have been? After all, you fell off your horse…

Paul: (Irritated) What horse? Who was there, you or I? You think I was some general, that I could afford a horse? I was walking with my servants and Jesus just appeared in front of me, all light as a glowing presence—no question, he was divine. This was no dream.

Joe: (Putting up his hands) Sorry, I suppose I have no right to question your experience…

Paul: Quite right.

Joe: But you saw Jesus appear and glow in front of you, is there some other explanation than that he was divine?

Paul: Like what?

Joe: Ummm… couldn’t he have been sent from God? Given the glowing and the appearing?

Paul: (Confused) Of course he was sent.

Joe: But… to say Jesus is divine… is to say he is the only God.

Paul: The problem, I think, is many people’s limited understanding of the English language. To say someone is “divine” certainly does not mean that someone is of the same being or essence as God the Father. Yes, that is one explanation, although a complicated one…

Joe: Complicated? Isn’t it just saying that God is one and three?

Paul: Yes, and the math is certainly confusing. I am not saying that the theologians are wrong. But I am saying that it isn’t the only option of what the apostles were saying.

Joe: What other explanations are there?

Paul: Well, the language we used is that after his resurrection, Jesus sat at the right hand of the Father. We did not think so much in the concepts of being as of authority. An emperor might have one “sitting on his right hand.” Like your namesake of old.

Joe: Namesake?

Paul: Joseph. He was made a prime minister at the right hand of pharaoh. He did not sit in pharaoh’s throne, but in whatever he did, he spoke and acted as the pharaoh. Both pharaoh and Joseph were called, properly, “king”, but, ultimately Joseph was under the authority of the emperor. Even so, the Father and Jesus are both “God”, meaning that they both have the authority of ruling the universe, but Jesus is in full submission to the Father. In this understanding, the question of essence never comes up.

Joe: So you are saying that the Nicene Creed is wrong.

Paul: No, no, NO! I am saying no such thing. I am saying that the apostles never asked the question of essence. It is an interesting question that we never thought of and so never addressed. The trinity is a possible truth. Or Arius’ idea is possible—that Jesus was a powerful angel who came to earth. Other ideas are also possible. And it is all speculation.

Joe: So the essence of modern orthodoxy is speculation?

Paul: If you are saying that the essence of modern orthodoxy is the trinity, then yes. I would say, however, that the essence of all Christian orthodoxy is that Jesus is the risen Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father.

Joe: But every Christian believes in the trinity, which you claim to be speculation!

Paul: (Laughing) You have a rather myopic gaze at Christianity, don’t you? Many believe in Arius’ speculation. And I would say that most Christians who belong to a Trinitarian church leave the question of the trinity out of their theology.

Joe: So why did the Nicene council determine that essence is the foundation of Jesus’ divinity?

Paul: Don, do you wish to express an opinion here?

Don: Well, Christian theology isn’t my expertise. However, in my reading, I understand that the whole argument came out of a theological debate between Arius and his bishop. But it seems to me that the real issue wasn’t so much about Jesus essence as much as whether a priest could disagree theologically with his bishop when his bishop—Alexander of Alexandria— commanded him to teach and believe something other than his opinion. Arius rebelled against his bishop, and so it seems that the council was basically rebuking Arius for his unethical behavior.
Joe: So the exiles and wars fought over this issue was all about…

Don: A teaching priest’s rebellion. That’s my opinion. Others would have different opinions.

Joe: So, Paul, since you are the apostle, what should we do about the trinity? Ignore it?

Paul: If some believe in the trinity, that is all for the good. Jesus is honored. And others who glorify Jesus but hold to a different speculation as to the being of Jesus, that is all for the good as well—Jesus is still honored. However, Jesus is not honored by his people, whatever their opinion on this matter, if they destroy each other or accuse each other on this subject. The only problem is if someone says or acts like Jesus is not Lord over themselves. Jesus is your God? Then act like it and love all those who glorify Jesus and live in Him. If you do not live in Jesus, it doesn’t matter how much honor you give him on your lips. You are condemned—not for your theology, but for your lack of Jesus in your life.

Joe: It seems so sad, Paul, that although you make so much sense, that you are willing to land in the midst of heresy, being a reject of the church.

Paul: It wouldn’t be the first time. The sad thing is that the church thinks so much of themselves that if someone decides to remain to just the teaching of the apostles that they are called a heretic. You ever read “The Inquisitor” by the Russian author, Dostoyevsky? Read it sometime. The basic accusation there is if Jesus came to earth today, the church would have to kill him again in order to maintain its authority and “ministry”. This is happening again and again.

Our Daily Bread-- The Lord's Prayer #5

God is the provider of all food
To pray the Lord’s prayer may, at times, seem pointless. After all, why should we pray for God to give us our bread today? What does God have to do with it? Food comes from the farm, is processed in factories, arrives in the store and we buy it. God seems far removed from the process. But without God we would have no food. God is the heart of all the food we eat. All food comes from the earth, and is allowed to grow through water. And God provides the earth, he provides the water (Ps 24:1). If God took away the water or the land, we would have no food to eat. So it makes sense to be grateful to God. Everyone depends on God for their food—that’s the way it is. (Ps 145:15)

God promises food to the obedient
But God is not just a distant provider of food, he also is concerned about some people’s food. Those people who have made an agreement with God to follow Him and to live according to His ways, God specifically makes sure that they have food. He has made many promises that those who are faithful to their agreement to Him, He will provide their food. They need not worry about it—ever. (Lev. 26:3-6 ; Ps. 37:25; Isaiah 33:15-16) God’s people will never lack food, He is always providing for them.

Hunger is the opposite of salvation
But, of course, not everyone has food. Many people go hungry. In fact, approximately one fifth of the people in the world today are starving to death—some slowly, some quickly (that’s much more than a billion). And another fifth of the world do not have the ability to get enough food to meet their nutritional needs. That isn’t choice on their part, they just can’t get it. And yet this is in a world in which the wealthy, industrialized nations need to pay farmers not to overproduce their land and so drive the prices down. In other words, farmers in the West must grow less, while those in the South are in greater and greater need.

Of course, this is terrible. The Bible has much to say about hunger, and it places the source of hunger—whether someone is starving, or just doesn’t have enough food—to one of four causes:

a. Famine—a widespread hunger due to bad crops. This is pretty common, especially in Genesis (Genesis 41, etc), and it is just a fact of life. But, at the same time, it seems that God provides other regions of the world with abundance so a famine might not be too severe.

b. Man’s oppression—withholding what one needs from the needy. Hunger occurs simply because of people’s stinginess. Some people have abundance, while others have need, but if the ones who have abundance refuse to share, then there is hunger. God always provides enough food in the world, but not everyone decides to share as God commands. (Proverbs 13:23)

c. Laziness—not wanting to work for food. Some people are hungry in the midst of abundance because they refuse to work. If a farmer doesn’t plant, no matter how much land they have, they will never have crops. Even so, everyone who wants to eat will have to do some kind of work. This doesn’t necessarily mean a “job” per se, but some kind of work. (Proverbs 12:11;20:13; 28:19)

d. God’s judgment—Some people who have made a covenant with God will go hungry. But this is only because they have ignored God’s covenant and been disobedient to God. (Lev. 26:26; Isaiah 3:1) This might be with individuals, or a whole nation—if a people have an agreement with God through Jesus or someone else and they disobey God—by worshipping a false god, by ignoring the poor in their midst, by being impure—then God may give them a judgment of hunger.

Food is God’s blessing
Hunger, then, is just the opposite of God’s salvation. It is almost the worst thing that can happen to a person—the very thing that sustains life, you cannot have. But God’s salvation is tied to food again and again—
• God blesses a nation that follows Him with abundant crops;
• When there is abundant food for everyone, it means that the needy are provided for by the people who are generous and loving.
• When there is abundant food, it means that our sins are forgiven by God, for He is providing us with the food we need.

A Prayer for the Contented Poor
Again, then, why should we ask God for our basic food? It seems like a self-sufficient system. But it isn’t that easy.

The Lord’s prayer is a prayer for the poor—those who aren’t sure where their bread is coming from on a worldly level. How many people, when their refrigerator is full of food and they have a pantry stocked with food and they have plenty of money in the bank—would they honestly pray “give us this day our bread”? They already know where their food is coming from! They know that they have food this day and the next and the next. They don’t have to be concerned for food, so why would they sincerely pray that prayer? They wouldn’t. So this prayer is not for those who know where their next meal comes from. It is for those who aren’t sure, on a worldly level. It is for the poor.

And this prayer isn’t for the greedy. After all, most of us, when we pray, we want our needs all taken care of—“Lord help me to not be poor anymore!” “Father, give me permanent housing!” “Father, give me a pantry full of food and money in the bank.” But that’s not what this prayer is about. It is praying only for the food one needs this day—not tomorrow or next month. It is recognizing that when God gives food, he gives it to people one day at a time—just like the Israelites in the wilderness. If they collected more than a day’s worth—knowing that the next day they would get more—the food would spoil and get worm in it. God was training them to trust in Him every day to provide the food they needed that day. This isn’t normal for an agricultural society—they usually think of food in a year-by-year basis. But Jesus was training his disciples to focus on trusting God for their food every day.

So the Lord’s prayer isn’t for the greedy, nor for those that have more than they need. It is for the poor who are contented to trust in God daily.

A New Standard of Living
But this isn’t how we are trained to think in our society. Our ideal is to have the big, permanent house, with the big, full pantry, and the huge yard and entertainment center and complete medical insurance and more and more. It is the American dream to have everything you need at your disposal all the time. But this isn’t Jesus’ ideal, it’s not the Christian dream. The Christian dream is to have God constantly providing for your every need every day. It may not mean having huge storage and a lot of possessions—but it does mean living without worry about basic needs, because we have experienced God’s provision on a daily basis. Even as Paul said, “With food and covering we shall be content.” (I Timothy 6:8)Any more than that is greed.

Does this mean that God is opposed to us having lots of stuff? Not necessarily. God often provides some people with lots of stuff and a huge house and a huge pantry full of food. But he provides it to people so they can provide to others. He gives excess so those who have excess can share with those who have less. The American way of life is having more than we need so our needs are all provided for. The Christian way of life is trusting in God for our needs, and being generous to those who do not have enough when we have more than we need.

Never Be Hungry Again
So how, according to Jesus, can we never be hungry again? Simple:
Pray to God for food—(Matthew 7:9-11) God promises to provide food for us, but we need to ask Him. God will provide if we ask. Thus, we need to learn to ask. This is why Jesus commanded us to pray for our daily bread—that way we are daily asking God for our food.

Seek God’s kingdom and righteousness— (Matthew 6:25-33) If we are focused on righteousness, then God will provide our food—that has always been his promise. If we will do what is right in the Lord, be faithful to him in all of our ways, he will never allow us to go hungry. All we need to do is to trust in Him.
Provide for others out of our excess—(Proverbs 11:25; Luke 12:33) If we are generous with what God has given us, especially to those who are poor and needy, then God will provide us even more. We will not be limited to just our daily bread, but God will provide us with much more to share with others. Our pantries will be full—but it will be for the many whom we provide for on a daily basis.

Will Be Dont-- Lord's Prayer #4

What is God’s Will?
God’s will is not just what happens. It is not God’s will for someone to die in their sin. It is not God’s will for anyone to act in evil (Ezekiel 18:32; Psalm 5:4). What God wills is what he takes pleasure in, what he delights in, what he desires. Unfortunately, there is much on the earth that is not according to God’s will. People are acting in evil and terrible things are done and experienced every day. This is not God’s will.

Whatever God desires, then he will decree. God is a king and he declares and commands his desires to be done. When God communicates his desire, then it is known to all the universe. Ultimately, what God decrees is God’s will.

How can anyone know God’s will?
But for us humans on earth, there are many wills expressed. Everyone makes their own desires known, and some make commands out of these desires. Others take their desires and say, “This is what God wills.” How are we to know? It seems so confusing.

God has made his will known to people on earth in five main ways:

a. Creation
Through God’s creation He has made Himself known—his power, his majesty and his ownership of the earth. Through this creation, we all know that we are to worship God and honor Him as creator (Romans 1; Psalm 19)

b. Messengers
God has appointed certain people to be messengers of His will. They are people who have heard directly from God his will and then communicates it to whomever God wishes. These messengers can be spiritual—angels—or human—prophets. (Hebrews 1:1)

c. God’s Spirit
God has sent His spirit to speak to the hearts of men to communicate his will. Sometimes the spirit speaks to people’s hearts, sometimes people can hear words, sometimes a vision or a dream. God will communicate to rulers how he wants them to rule, to the unrepentant of His judgment and to his people about what He wants them to do. Sometimes God’s Spirit speaks to us through other people who can hear God’s Spirit clearly. (John 14:26)

d. God’s word
God has had some of his messengers take his most important messages and write them down. These words were written so that everyone who desires to be a part of God’s people can clearly understand God’s will. In God’s word God’s will is clearly seen. (Psalm 19, 119; II Timothy 3:16)

e. Jesus
Jesus is God’s living Word. We not only have words from Jesus to clarify God’s will, but we also have his life to illustrate God’s will. Through Jesus—the only perfect Son of God— we can see and hear God’s will perfectly with perfect clarity. All the other four ways can only be understood through Jesus. (Hebrews 1:2; II John 1:3)

If we want to know what God’s will is, all we must do is ask God to reveal His will and then seek out these five sources of God’s will. But we must remember that whatever God’s will is, it must be in agreement with Jesus.

How should we respond to God’s will?
There are many good ways to respond to God’s will. We can read many of them in Psalm 119. We can hear or read God’s will and that is good, but we don’t always understand it. We can understand God’s will, but we don’t always desire it. We can desire God’s will, but we don’t always have it clarified. We can clarify God’s will, but we don’t always honor it. We can honor God’s will, but we don’t always speak it.

All of these things are good to do with God’s will. But none of them get us God’s salvation. God’s salvation is his true will for our lives. It is God’s blessing, God’s peace, God’s delighting in us, God’s security, God’s love in us. And we can spend all day with God’s will, teaching it and reading it and loving it all day long—but we will never gain what God wants us to have, we will never truly achieve God’s will until we do it.

The ultimate result of God’s will is to have it done. If we do God’s will we have all of God’s good gifts to us (Deuteronomy 29). If we do God’s will we have life (Deuteronomy 30). If we do God’s will, we are the family of Jesus (Matthew 12:50). If we do God’s will we will enter into God’s kingdom (Matthew 7). God’s will is the key to the best there is in life.

How is God’s will done in heaven?
Heaven is God’s home, God’s headquarters. It is the center of the spirit world. All of God’s messengers and workers go to heaven to get their orders. And when they receive their orders, the orders are done, immediately. Even Satan listens to God’s commands and will and does just what He says. And if God tells Satan not to do something, he doesn’t do it (Job 1).

There is no one in heaven who says, “But I don’t wanna!” There is no one in heaven who says, “I think I’d rather do something else.” There is no one in heaven who puts their hands over their ears and screams until the command stops. There is no one in heaven who ignores what God says.

What does it mean for God’s will to be done on earth?
Of course, this isn’t the case on earth. Humans are in open rebellion against God. People devise evil in opposition to God’s will every minute. Even the ones who claim to obey God often ignore what God said or avoid a certain command of Jesus. The people of God aren’t often interested in hearing what God has to say about their lives or churches or homes.

When we pray “May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” we are praying the opposite of that. We are praying, first of all, that we ourselves desire God’s will and will do whatever He wills. We are praying that God’s people would listen to Jesus and obey him, whatever the cost. We are praying that the whole world would change to be like heaven—obedient to all of God’s commands.

But we aren’t just praying that. We are also praying for God’s power to come down on earth so that we CAN obey His will. We are so caught up in rebellion and disobedience that often we don’t even know when we are being rebellious. We need His Spirit to come and show us the truth. We need His power to work in us, to transform our minds so that we can know and do God’s will. And the prayer we pray isn’t just a resolution to do God’s will or to change the world so it will do God’s will. Rather, it is a request for God to enable all of us to do what we cannot seem to do now—to do what pleases Him.

“I delight to do your desire, O Lord”—Psalm 40:8

Kingdom Come-- Lord's Prayer #3

In the Lord’s Prayer, the second request is to ask for God’s kingdom to come. We may think we know what it means, but on closer examination it requires more effort—what is a kingdom? Does God really have one? If so, where is it? And how can a kingdom move? If it can’t move, how can it “come”? Let’s explore some of these questions:

Doesn’t God rule everywhere?
Jesus commands us to ask God for God’s kingdom to come. Fundamentally, this is asking God to rule. But for those of you already familiar with the Bible, you probably know that it says that God already rules over all the earth—over the whole universe! This is true. (Psalm 97:9) But does God actually get to do all he wants to do with the earth? No. That’s because he handed the rule of the earth off to someone else—humanity.

Right from the beginning of creation God promised humanity the rule of the earth (Psalm 8). But humanity hasn’t done with the earth what God wanted—they made the rules themselves instead of listening to God. So we chose our own rulers—and we chose Death and Satan (Genesis 3; Hebrews 2:14). And so God’s rule was thwarted on earth, and the whole planet is ruled by rebels to God. Which would be okay, I guess, if they had humanity’s and the earth’s best interest at heart. But they don’t.

What is God’s kingdom?
So that’s our situation. We are on a planet stuck with bad rulers. And these bad rulers created the mess that we live in everyday (Romans 5:14). So what else is new, you might say. Well, the new thing is that God hasn’t given up on us. He is interested in changing this situation. God will get rid of the lousy rulers and put his perfect ruler in charge who is interested in helping everyone, not just himself—Jesus Christ (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 5:9-12). God will deal with all the bad people and the mess that we live in and just get rid of it (Psalm 37:11-12). God will give benefits to the humble who trust in Him in the midst of this perpetual crisis (Matthew 5:3-10). And He will make everything new—turn it all upside down and inside out (Isaiah 65:17-24). God is going to establish a new reality out of this chaotic, evil jungle. And that change, that utopia is called the Kingdom of God.

That’s right. So when we are praying for Kingdom Come, we are praying for this mess humanity has created to be re-made new—something good in God’s imagining. But we need to recognize that Jesus is telling us to pray for this. He isn’t telling us to create democracies to make this kingdom come. He isn’t telling us to enact tough love to make the kingdom come. He isn’t telling us to build a lot of churches to make the kingdom come. He is telling us to pray. Why? Because the kingdom won’t come by our effort, but only when God is ready for it to happen. God’s kingdom is God’s work, and our main participation in that work is through prayer. (Psalm 146:3-10)

God’s kingdom—Today
So if we were looking for God’s kingdom, how would we recognize it? Does God have an embassy that we can visit or a website? Well, yes and no. First of all, we recognize God’s kingdom because it looks like what Jesus talked about. Jesus said that God’s kingdom would be helping the poor (Luke 12:33). That it would be forgiving people who don’t deserve it simply because they repent (Luke 17:3-4). That it would be filled with people who live according to God’s righteous standard (Matthew 12:50). That it would be characterized by healings and words directly from God (Mark 16:16-17). That it would be loving and merciful (John 13:34-35). It is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

“Hey,” some people say, “that sounds like the church.” Well, I would offer a corrective to that. It sounds like how the church is supposed to be, but it is in only a few places. That is why we are asking for God’s kingdom to come. It isn’t here yet. It has started, and it’s growing but it is still pretty small compared to the amount of people who claim to be a part of God’s kingdom.

So how can we participate in God’s kingdom? Two ways—first of all, we willingly submit to Jesus, the leader of God’s kingdom. If we commit ourselves to Him, then he will help us to be a part of the solution, not the problem (Acts 2:35). Secondly, we need to receive the Spirit of God from Jesus (John 14:26). The Spirit is the only one who can help us live out the ideal. Thus, when we pray “Your kingdom come” we are really praying, “God put your Spirit in my life so I am a part of that kingdom now.”

God’s kingdom—Coming
As great as this community of God’s Spirit is, it is still not complete. God’s kingdom will not be completed until God is completely in charge of the whole earth. Sure, ruling over a bunch of outcasts is great, but it’s not what God really is looking for. He wants all that is owed to him—the whole thing.

And God has that in his plans. His plan is to have every single human being—both living and dead—recognize that Jesus’ is the only true ruler over the earth under the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). And this can only take place with a cataclysmic event—the destruction of the current world order. God will set aside all the rulers of the world and establish his own ruler (Revelation 19:1-16). Then the dead will have to be raised, and every human being will bow to Jesus as the Lord over the earth (Matthew 25:31-32). Then Jesus will choose those who were most merciful and humble and righteous before God and will establish them as rulers with him (I Peter 5:6).

This great event hasn’t happened yet, but every time we pray “Your kingdom come” we are asking for God to make it happen. So if you like the governments and system of the world the way they are, you need to stop praying the Lord’s prayer. Heck, you need to stop following Jesus, if that’s the case, because he’s looking to take over. But if you forsake Jesus, you won’t be ready when the change does come. So be ready by following Jesus. (Matthew 24:42-25:13)

What is God waiting for?
So why hasn’t this event happened yet? Well, God is waiting for a few thing to happen: First, he needs to allow the governments of the world to become corrupt enough that they are ready to be brushed aside. When they all oppress God’s people, then they will be ready (Revelation 6:10-11). Second, he needs to have his people purified from sin and dependant on Him for obedience so they will be ready to rule. And third, he is waiting on those whom he loves and has chosen to repent so his people will be complete with them (II Peter 3:3-9). Yes, God has waited two thousand years—but if he had come twenty years ago, would you have been ready for him?

The real question is: are you ready now? To pray “your kingdom come” is to claim readiness for God. For God to come into your life and change it to His liking. For God to come into the world and change it forever. Are you ready for that? If you are, then we can pray the Lord’s prayer together.

Kingdom Come is God’s Spirit ruling in our lives.
Kingdom Come is God’s Son ruling over the earth.
Are we ready?

Hallowed Be Your Name-- The Lord's Prayer #2

What does “hallowed” mean?
Millions of people have prayed the Lord’s prayer, but not really understood what it meant. One of the most confused phrase is the text translated in almost all English Bibles: “Hallowed by thy name.” The difficulty with this translation is that many people are confused. The worst is the word “hallowed”. Is it talking about praise, or honor? Not exactly. It comes from the English word “holy”, and it means “to make pure, to separate out”. So the phrase actually means, “Father, please make your name holy” or “Sanctify your name.”

Isn’t God’s name already holy?
God himself is holy. He is the Most High above all powers and gods and no one can compare with Him. He cannot sin and is pure in all he does. God’s angelic servants are constantly repeating “Holy, holy holy” of God to speak of his unending holiness. But in this prayer we are not speaking of God himself, who cannot ever be unholy. Rather, we are talking about his reputation.

If we tear down someone’s “name” we are not talking about the word by which they are called. Rather, we are speaking of their reputation, or the honor with which they are held by others. So if someone’s name is dirtied, we mean that people are talking trash about that person, that his reputation is dishonored. This is what Jesus is talking about here. He is borrowing a phrase from Ezekiel 36, where God said that his people had made his name “unholy”, or, torn down his reputation, because of their sin.

So, to paraphrase our prayer, we would better be saying, “God, give your reputation honor again.” This is very similar to another prayer Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify your name.” (John 12:28). Again, it is a request for God’s reputation to be world-wide and positive.

How did God’s name become unholy?“Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name.'” Ezekiel 36:17-20

In Ezekiel 36 and in Jesus’ teaching it is clear that God’s reputation was dishonored because of the actions of his own people. The actions of God’s people were in opposition to God’s commands. And so they became hypocrites. When God’s people are sinful and hateful, then those who are looking from the outside think that there must be something wrong with God. And when God has to punish his people, then others think that God wasn’t strong enough to save them from His own punishment.

When some who claim to be God’s people do things that destroy God’s reputation, they are actually breaking the third command of ten—“Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7). Those who do not have the lifestyle of God’s people—that of a holy people (Leviticus 11:44; I Peter 1:15-16)—, but they take the name of God, they are using God’s name in a way that destroys God’s holiness. And God will not accept a people that tears down his holy reputation.

So God’s reputation is torn down because those who don’t know about God look at the inadequacies of those who claim to be God’s people and so decide that God is less than he really is. We see this today when we hear statements like “The church is full of hypocrites” and “Christianity is evil, look at all the violence it caused,” and “God can’t even take care of his own, why should I trust Him?”

What are we specifically praying for?
We want this situation to reverse. Rather than having God’s reputation be torn down, we want God to be honored by all peoples, whether they worship him or not. We are praying that everyone on the whole earth would honor God for who He is—the holy, merciful, all powerful, loving God of Jesus Christ. This will be done by the gospel being spread throughout the earth (Matthew 24:14).

But it also relates to God’s people, just as the dishonoring of God’s reputation related to his people. First of all, we are asking that God’s people who are acting as hypocrites would be judged. There will be a separating between the obedient and the hypocrite in God’s people—God is giving us the opportunity to do it ourselves, or else He will come and do it for us (Matthew 13:37-43; I Corinthians 5:12-13). Secondly, we are praying that God would give his people the ability to live for Him through his Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Third, we are asking that God would forgive His people their sins and give them a second chance to be pure and holy (Ezekiel 36:25). And lastly, we are asking that God would restore good fortune to his purged, purified, forgiven people.

In the end, in praying “Hallowed be your name” we are asking for Jesus’ ministry to be completed among his people. Jesus himself separated the hypocrite from the pure in heart. Jesus himself gave his people the Holy Spirit to purify and empower his people. Jesus himself forgave the sins of the lost. And Jesus himself healed the sick and desolate who were once rejected and punished because of their sin. Jesus was in the business of sanctifying God’s name.

However, Jesus’ people seem to have forgotten Jesus’ task, despite praying the prayer daily. They are no longer concerned with making God’s name holy among the peoples. They welcome the hypocrites and turn away repentant sinners. They ignore the Spirit’s power to be holy and loving, preferring to see the Spirit as a super-power pill, or to just avoid Him altogether. They want to restore people’s fortunes through the world, rather than the power of God. They are ignoring that God’s reputation is being torn down, and they are avoiding the self judgment that they are the ones causing the destruction of God’s name to happen.

When we pray “Hallowed by thy name”, let us be asking God to act like God’s people—holy and righteous.

Our Father-- Lord's Prayer #1

Foundations for Prayer
Jesus, in giving us the Lord’s prayer, isn’t just telling us what words to pray, but he is telling us the way God wants us to pray. Right at the beginning, Jesus makes a radical statement—that we are to begin our prayers with “our Father.” But what does this mean, what is he implying? There are two basic questions that need to be answered in understanding what Jesus means in teaching us to address God as “our Father”: What does “father” mean, and who are God’s children?

Which Father?
In the first century, when Jesus taught the Lord’s prayer, there were many people called “father.” Of course, there was one’s male parent, but also his grandparent or anyone else who was an ancestor. Also, the ruler of one’s nation or one’s ultimate authority was called “father”. What did Jesus mean?

First of all, of course, Jesus stated clearly that we are not praying to any earthly father, but to our Father in heaven. This is the Most High God, the king of the universe. (Matthew 23:9) But when we are praying to God as Father, what does that mean, apart from praying to Him as Lord or as God?

Concern—A father is concerned about his children, and so wants to meet their needs. He isn’t distant or have apathy, but he is always there, always ready to help if the need arises. This is different from a distant Lord or an uncaring God. Luke 11:11-13

Protection—A father cares about his children and so he protects them from harm. If anyone is attacking his children, he is always there to deliver them from that attack.

Provision—A father wants his children to have everything they need, so he provides them with food, clothing, warmth—everything they need. Luke 12:22-30

Teaching—A father not only is concerned about his children’s physical needs, but also their social and moral ones. He wants to make sure they know the right way to live and will provide them with what they need to live that life. Ephesians 6:4

Leadership—A father guides his children, sometimes with wisdom and sometimes with commands.

Discipline—A father allows his children to go through hardship at times, not to punish them, but to help them live the life that he wants them to live. Hebrews 12:5-7

Care—But ultimately, even if he disciplines or is training them and the situation the father places his children in seems difficult, he is constantly displaying his care to them, giving them his great love and compassion toward them. I Peter 5:7

Thus, when we call God “Father”, we are not praying to a distant god or an uncaring Lord—God is with us and in tune with what situations we are in and what we really need and is ready to give that to us (Matthew 6:8, 31-33)

Which Children?
Everyone wants to recognize themselves as God’s children. And, in a sense, every human on earth is a child of God. We have all been created by God, and God provides food for all of us. God loves us all and has given us all his Son to die for us. However, does this really mean anything to us, really? After all, God loves every human, even Adolf Hitler and the man who spits on the ground at every mention of God’s name. Are we really equal children of God with these?

Jesus distinguishes those whom God loves generally from those whom God desires to grant great blessings upon. The kingdom of God and all the blessings that come with it are not for everyone, but only for some whom Jesus called “sons of God.” Who are these children, who will receive all that God has to give them?

Relationship with God—These children are those who seek God to have a relationship with Him. They do not just passively accept God’s blessings, but thank God, praise Him and act out of their love for God. Mark 10:28-30

Dependence—These children are openly dependant on God and will sometimes refuse the easy way in order to have a better relationship with God. When they refuse the easy way, they are dependant on God for his provision—taking the chance that if God does not provide, they are in trouble. Luke 18:1-8

Trust—These children trust God for his provision, asking him for what they need and relying on him to provide it to them. They know that God rewards those who love him and wait on his reward in His time. Matthew 6:31-33; Hebrews 11:6

Obedience—These children listen to God and do what he says because they know their Father cares for them and will not command them to do something that is harmful to them. Matthew 7:21; 12:50

Likeness—These children not only do what God says, but they even act like God in some ways. They love everyone as God does and they refuse to have anything to do with evil as God does. John 8:39-44; Matthew 5:9

Thus the children that cry “our Father” are not just the run of the mill children of God—they are God’s chosen, God’s people and kingdom in Jesus.

OUR Father
One last thing needs to be pointed out. When Jesus told us to call God “Father”, he told us to recognize that the Father is not just “mine”—as if a relationship with God is just between two people. Rather, Jesus told us to pray “OUR Father”—we are a part of a community of children, not just an only child trying to figure out our relationship with our parent on a solitary basis. We are not independent individuals—we are a part of a community. This means that we need to act like it. We need to be with people who are our Father’s children, pray with them and depend on them, even as we are all dependant on our Father.

Top Ten Things To Know About Hell

1. Hell has different names
It is called Gehenna, which is the place outside of Jerusalem where trash is burned. The idea is that instead of a respectful burial, one would be burned with the trash. It is sometimes called Hades, which is the Greek word for Sheol, the abode of the dead. In Revelation it is called The Lake of Fire. It is also called “eternal punishment” or the “eternal fire” in Matthew 25.

2. Hell isn’t mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures
In the Old Testament, everyone who dies goes to Sheol, which is a place for spirits, but it isn’t much of a life. No one can really do much of anything, not even praise God! (Psalm 6:5). In Sheol, everyone is silent (Psalm 31:17). But this idea of death is really no different from the pagan world around them—for the most part, all the peoples in the world considered death to be the same for everyone: silent, lifeless, bodiless and empty. Jesus, in Luke 16, indicates that Sheol is not altogether silent and that there is a division between the followers of God and the hypocrites.

3. Hell is based on the idea of resurrection
The Old Testament doesn’t speak much on resurrection, but the idea is possibly discussed in some of the Psalms (22:29-31) in Isaiah and is certainly mentioned in Daniel (12:2-3). The main idea of resurrection is giving those who are righteous but suffering on earth a second chance. But it is also about punishing those who lived well on earth, but caused suffering to others. But the original idea of hell only has a few people entering it.

4. Hell was made primarily for Satan
Hell was originally created to punish Satan, who rebelled against God’s mercy and God’s chosen rulers of the earth, humanity. However, hell was also made to punish Satan’s servants, and those who caused suffering to humanity or who were opposed to God’s mercy are Satan’s servants. (Matthew 25:41)

5. Jesus spoke about the reality of hell
While some Christians today are doubtful about the reality of hell, wanting to call it a symbol, Jesus was not hesitant to talk about its reality. Jesus did use symbols, but when he explained the symbols, he spoke of eternal punishment as a reality (Matt 13:41-42). Jesus also spoke of eternal punishment as being as real as eternal life (Matthew 25:46).

6. We don’t exactly know what hell is like
There are a number of descriptions of hell. It is a place of fire (Matthew 13:42, 25:41; Revelation 20:14-15; Isaiah 66:24). But the spirits suffering in Sheol also are suffering in fire (Luke 16:24), and this is unlikely to be fire as we understand it, as it is a spiritual realm. The main issue is that hell is a place of great suffering and contempt for those who are there. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” is the most common phrase Jesus used about hell, and it indicates the suffering there. What that suffering is—whether it be physical, mental, spiritual or what have you is unknown.

7. Entrance into hell is based on one’s deeds
Entrance into hell is based on the judgment and justice of God. God judges all and makes a determination as to one’s placement for eternity. What many don’t understand is that this placement is based on what one does, not one what one believes. All of Scripture confirms this (Jeremiah 17:10; Ezekiel 18:24; Hosea 12:2; Matt 12:36-37; Romans 2:6, 9-11; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:12-13; Matthew 16:27; II Corinthians 5:10; Rev. 2:23). Thus, one goes to hell not because of one’s ideas, but because of evil one has done.

8. Hell is for hypocrites, the lawless, the causers of sin
Jesus was very specific about the evil people do to get into hell. First of all, it is for those who claim to be right with God when they have unrepentant sin in their lives (Luke 13:1-5; Matthew 23:23-33; Hebrews 10:26-27). These are people who claim to be believers but don’t act like it. Those who are “lawless” and those who “cause others to stumble” also are intended for hell. These are people who know what God wants and ignores it as well as people who cause followers of God to sin or to disbelieve in His word (Matthew 13:41-42). Thus, hell is more for those who claim to be followers of God than those who don’t.

9. Jesus didn’t say all unbelievers were going to hell
This is the complicated issue. Hell seems to be specifically for those who do crimes against God’s people. But those who didn’t cause others to suffer, even if they didn’t believe in God, don’t seem to be punished simply because of their disbelief. The only ones punished for their disbelief are those who have God’s evidence placed right in front of them and they reject what is obvious.

10. In Revelation, everyone is raised and judged to go to God’s kingdom or hell
In Revelation 20, all the dead are raised and judged by God, not just some. Here and John 5:28 are the only places that indicate that judgment is for everyone. All other passages seem to indicate that if justice is not given on earth, then resurrection would happen to give justice. However, in these two passages, everyone is raised from the dead and given justice. Once the dead are put in the lake of fire, however, we do not know whether they still live or whether they become annihilated after their judgment.

Hell: A Scriptural Guide

Isaiah 66:24
"Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind."

Daniel 12:2
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

Luke 16:19-25
"Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.’”

Mark 9:42-48
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Matthew 13:40-42
So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Why Read The Psalms?

What are the Psalms?
The Psalms is a book, right in the middle of our English Bible. In fact, if you open the Bible to the middle, you will open it in the middle of the book of Psalms. Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the whole English Bible, containing New and Old Testaments. It is actually a collection of songs that were used to express one’s relationship and emotions to God. Many of the Psalms were used in worship in ancient times, while others were often too personal for that. Today, however, the whole book is used for worship and for personal expression of one’s emotions, whether it be joy, despair, thanks to God or complaining.

Who Wrote the Psalms?
The popular idea is that David, the most important king of Israel wrote the Psalms. This idea comes from the introduction statement in almost half (73, to be exact) of the Psalms which says “of David”. We are further encouraged to think this way when, in the famous story about David of the books of Samuel, we learn that David was a musician, and we are quoted a couple of his songs, there. However, this statement, nor the stories, do not necessarily mean that all of the Psalms listed this way is from the mouth of David. Some of them, such as Psalm 3 and Psalm 51, where a part of David’s life story is mentioned, might be more likely to be written by David himself. However, the phrase could mean that it is of a type of Davidic psalm that was written after David had passed on.
Some were almost certainly written by David, but others were certainly not. Some are titled to be of “Asaph” or “The Sons of Korah”. Some are to be “For the chief musician”. These are all people who are known to be musicians in the text of Scripture—but it does not mean that it was written by them. For instance, Asaph was a chief singer in the courts of David (I Chron. 16:1-5), yet one of the Psalms attributed to him was written about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, centuries after David (Psalm 74). Thus, this Psalm was not written by Asaph himself, but probably by a school of singers and musicians named after him. This could also have been the case of the name Korah, and even David. While many of the songs “Of David” could easily have been written by the king himself—Psalm 3, for instance—others probably were not, being of a later style or a content that would indicate a later writing (Psalms 2 and 37, for example). These were possibly written in a style that would be considered Davidic, or perhaps there was a school of music that was in David’s name and every song from that school was named “of David”, which would mean “of David’s school of music.”
Certainly the book was collected after the Jewish return from Babylon. So the traditional editor of the Psalms, the scribe Ezra, is a possible pick.

When Were the Psalms Written?
Just as the authors of the Psalms are widely varied, so the timeframe of the writings are also. The earliest claimed author or school is that of Moses (Psalm 90), which could be as early as 1300 BC. But the majority of the psalms were written from 1000 BC (the time of David) to 400 BC (After the rebuilding of the second Temple). That is quite a range of time, and this is reflected in the range of writing styles and the range of content.

Why study the Psalms?

1. Because they speak specifically about the plight of the poor and outcast
All of the Bible was written from the perspective of the outcast, the persecuted and the poor. But the book of Psalms speaks about that plight and our various responses to it more than any other book in the Bible. It isn’t as melancholic as Ecclesiastes, nor focused on lost “glory days” as the histories, nor as literary as Job. It just talks about desperate circumstances and how we deal with it, with God at our side, or even God at a distance. It is probably as realistic about life as any book out there.

2. Because they get us into the minds of the ancient people of God more than any other book
Other books talk about the ideas of certain people, or the events that surround people. This book is the only one that really gives us a diary of ancient peoples of God—their sorrows, their cries of anguish, their triumphs, their moralities, their hopes, their understanding of God and their daily expressions.

3. Because it comes from many different perspectives
Like many books, the Psalms were written by many people, and edited together later. But unlike other books in the Bible, it was not heavily edited, so a lot of the original understanding of the songs come through. Also, it probably has the broadest range of times it was written in—possibly over a thousand years. There is a mythic understanding in some, a later orthodoxy in others, a philosophy of hope in despair in some, and a cynical understanding of life in others. The theologies come from different perspectives as well. So in the Psalms there is the broadest range of perspectives of the people of God.

4. Because the people of God have always gained understanding of their lives from them
Ancient Jews, modern Jews and Christians of all ages have understood themselves and others better for having read the Psalms. Modern Jews, in their daily prayer, quote the entire book of Psalms every month. Christian monks, in the Benedictine model recite the whole book of Psalms every week! Part of the strength of the Bible as a whole is seeing how other people, who have a strong relationship with God, deal with their lives. This is found in the psalms more than any other book—it is not an ideal, but a realistic perspective from people who sin like us, who love like us, have joys like us, and even hate like us—but all before God and with God. We can certainly learn how we can live in God by understanding how these lived in God.

5. Because they speak about Jesus more than any other book
Some call Isaiah the “fifth gospel” because of the prophecies it contains about Jesus—but the Psalms have many more specific prophecies and realizations of Jesus. His sonship is described in Psalm 2, his priesthood in Psalm 110, his being rejected in Psalm 118, his crucifixion (in great detail) in Psalm 22, and his resurrection in Psalm 16. Even as the Psalms are the expression of the heart of the people of God, so they are the expression of the heart of Jesus.

6. Because the NT quotes them more than any other book of the OT
Because of all of these reasons, and perhaps especially the one immediately previous, the New Testament quotes the Psalms extensively—more than any other book. When they wanted to express their troubles, they turned to the Psalms (Acts 4). When they wanted to hear Jesus’ words, they quoted the Psalms (Hebrews 2). When they wanted to know what God thought of Jesus, they turned to the Psalms (Hebrews 2, Acts 2). Why is this? Because Jesus quoted the Psalms to express God’s will as presented in the Scriptures (Luke 24).

The Book of Psalms really is the heart of the Bible.

The Overthrow of the World Corporate Structure

This country is filled with injustice. Corporations and the rich receive all the benefits, while the poor are thrown in jail for small offenses. Laws are unfair and you can’t get fair treatment in the courts. And the people don’t care. As long as they have their television, they are subdued and will do nothing to change what has existed since before they were born. The few who actually try to change things either get caught up in the same system themselves or they are rendered impotent by the locked system.

Nothing can be done.

But a revolution is coming.

This revolution is introducing a new government who listens to the cries of the oppressed and looks to make a real change for them. Not just changing those in power, but offering a whole new structure of government. A structure where the poor and just will rule. Where laws are given because they encourage love and justice—not the agenda of the rich. Where there will be enough food and shelter and warmth for everyone, even the poorest and the lowest. No one will have their power cut off, no one will be without light, no one will be without heat, no one will be without food. Those with mental health problems will be listened to, not just dictated to, and they will be healed. The elderly will be cared for as honored citizens, not as outcasts. This government is concerned with everyone—especially the poor and oppressed— not just in keeping their own power and authority.

This new government has already begun in this country. This revolution is an underground movement that has ties to movements in other countries around the world. This movement already has some small facilities that feed the poor, care for the elderly and assist those with mental health problems. This movement is teaching its doctrine to millions. And its time has come.

The movement has many names. Some call it Ekklesia. Some call it The Anawim. Some call it the Way. Some call it the Truth. Some speak of the Martyrs. It is all of this—and more.

When the Anawim take over this country, the rich and powerful will be put down and the corrupt will never take up power again. When Ekklesia rises to power, both the Republicans and the Democrats will be rejected as the greedy, corrupt groups they are. When the Way takes power, every nation in the world will be reshaped and the economic structures will be destroyed. When the Truth is raised, every corruption and hatred will be exposed. When the Martyrs come, the poor themselves will rule—and rule better than the wealthy and powerful ever did.

How can this be? How can a small, poor, movement take over the governments of the world? How can there be a sudden change from the powerful to the oppressed ruling? Who will begin this revolution? Who leads this underground movement? Who started it all in the first place?

All this can be explained by one word: Jesus.

Jesus began this movement 2000 years ago. He announced the coming of a new government that would cause the structures of humanity to falter. And when that new government came, it would establish the poor and merciful as the rulers of the world, while the rich and powerful would be destroyed, receiving nothing. Jesus spoke about the corruption of religion, of rulers and of the church. And all the corrupt would be thrown out of the new nation, and the meek would take over.

Jesus’ movement is not what is commonly called “the Church.” From the early fourth century the establishment church has united themselves with the corrupt governments of the world and participated in partisan politics. Jesus rejected all earthly politics and instead established a community that assists the oppressed and needy and follows his new laws of non-reciprocity, care for those who hate you, equality for all in the community, and open sharing of all wealth. The establishment Church has never followed this ideal—some of them even promoting war, greed, national partisanship, hatred and revenge. There have been smaller movements throughout history that have held these ideals—the early Waldensians, the early Franciscans, the Anabaptists, the early Pentecostals and others. However, these movements have always been a minority, and most of them were corrupted by the establishment Church.

In the end, the establishment Church structures will be destroyed by Jesus himself. All of those who call Jesus “Lord” will be tested, and many of them will be cast out of Jesus’ new government. Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ but do not do what I say? When I come, there will be many who say, ‘Lord, didn’t we do this, didn’t we do that? Didn’t we heal people? Didn’t we cast out demons?’ I will tell them ‘Get out of here. I never knew you.’ ”

So forget about what the Church has done to you—Jesus will bring justice. Forget about what this or that “Christian” has done to you—Jesus will only allow those who truly followed his principles to rule. And those who want to see the world become just and loving will turn to Jesus.

Are you tired of your government? Trade it for a new one. Instead of having a corrupt leader guide you, make Jesus your leader. Make Jesus your president, your king, your Lord. Begin to follow his principles of enacting love to everyone—even those who hate you, of giving up your life of this age and begin living for the revolution.

Two Kinds of Obedience

Based on a teaching by Michael Sattler in the 16th century:

There are two kinds of obedience: that of the slave and that of the child.

The child focuses on obeying the continuing, inner witness of the Holy Spirit. The slave focuses on, and limits himself to, the command of his Lord that he is able to accomplish without the Father’s grace.

The child relies on the Power the Father gave him to obey. But because the slave is not filled by the Holy Spirit, he does not have the power to obey the Father.

The child listens only to the Father to determine what obedience really is.
Because he does not have the power to obey, the slave changes what obedience is to be what he is able to do.

The child’s obedience, because it is based on his love of the Father, is focused on loving his neighbor, simply because it is the desire of his Father. The slave’s obedience ignores the heart of the will of the Father—namely that of loving his neighbor. Should the slave determine to do good to his neighbor, it is not because he delights to do the will of the Father, but because it will gain him some benefit, or because he feels it is his obligation. The child’s obedience is the child’s satisfaction and joy.

The obedience of the slave is incomplete in that which is most important, and so his Lord and Master takes no pleasure in him.
However, the Father cannot reject the obedience of the child, for he strives after the Father and becomes complete.

The child’s obedience springs forth from the love of the Father, even if no other reward should follow. The slave’s obedience is sourced in one’s love of self, the hope of reward and the fear of punishment.

The child wishes to gain only that which his Father will give him, knowing that all good gifts come from the Father. The slave desires the benefits that others receive, whether the Father wishes to give that to him or not.

The loving child seeks out the will of the Father from the Father himself, his word and his Spirit. The slave seeks to know the will of the Father from his fellow slaves and so his knowledge is incomplete.

The loving child rejoices in the Father’s discipline, even if he has done no sin. The slave never wants the Master’s rebuke, even if he does nothing right.

The child has his sense of worth and greatness in the Father, doing as he asks for His sake. The slave looks to his work to obtain recompense for the incomplete obedience done.

The slave’s obedience is like that under Moses, and so it produces legalists. It is a beginning and preparation for blessings. It is temporal, and does not give the blessing of God.
The obedience of the child is like Christ’s and so it makes children of God. It is the blessing complete—the wholeness God has wished for humankind. It is eternal, although it is begun in this age.
The slave’s obedience is a shadow of the true, which is realized in the loving child’s obedience.

If a man is to escape the bondage of sin, he must first hate it. In order to hate it, he must know it for what it is. The obedience of the slave hates the wickedness of the sin that the slave thinks is most important. The more one clings to one’s own partial obedience as a treasure in and of itself, the more one’s hatred of God and neighbor grows. The more one desires the blessing of this age, the more one despises the Creator who strives with one for the next age. So while the obedience of the slave is good in and of itself, it ends up creating disobedience in the heart of the slave.
However, the obedience of the Son is given by God to set one free from the bondage of slave obedience. It opens the way to love God and one’s neighbor.
In this way, the one kind of obedience leads to death, while the other leads to life.

The obedience of the slave is like the Law, was initiated in order to reveal sin. While it has a semblance of righteousness, it does not have true understanding. It is a grudging slavery, a drudgery, a life of regret and obligation. While some of the works of sin are done away with, the life of righteousness can never be gained in this manner.

The obedience of the child is given by God to do away with sin. For the one who loves with his whole heart and sacrifices himself for that love, sin is not found in him. And the one who has sin done away with in his heart, such a one willingly does whatever his Deliverer and Savior desires of him. The faithful child goes to his Father and asks, “What would you have me do now? Please grant me service for you, for I long to do your will.” Should the Father have nothing for him to do, he begs until the Father gives him some little task for him to perform.

The obedience of the slave looks for swift vengeance. The child’s obedience looks to the Father to avenge, trying to be at peace with all.

Under the slave, the one who kills is punished, while all others who hate are free. For the children, the Father punishes the one who is wrathful to his brother.

For the slave, hatred and harm against one’s enemy is permitted. For the children, they are to love those who hate them, blessing those who curse them, praying for those who wish ill to them.

The slave focuses on the disciplines he can do and makes rules for all slaves about them—reading the Bible, praying and giving. The child does all these things for the glory of the Father, looking only for his approval.

The slave may divorce his spouse because he is no longer able to live with her. The child never initiates a breaking of a covenant he has made.

The child does not fear men or love the things of men. Rather, his loyalty is to the Father alone. The child asks the Father and receives from him; the child seeks the Father and finds him; the child knocks at the Father’s door and the door is opened to him. The child enters the Father’s kingdom only through the narrow way provided for by the Father. The child avoids the false teachers who did not come from the Father. The child does what is good because the Father has made him good. The child hears what he should do from the Father, and does it.

The slave is busy with ceremonies and the traditions of men. The child is so busy with the love of God and of neighbor that he has little time for anything else. At times the child will go through the ceremonies for the sake of the slaves in order to bring them to sonship.

Slave’s obedience makes self-willed and vengeful people. The child’s obedience makes one tolerant and mild.

The slave is weary, wanting quickly to come to the end of the day’s work. The child is content and takes no account of the length of time.

The slave is angry, he wishes good to no one but himself. The child is so blessed in his obedience that he wishes everyone could be as he is.

The child does not despise the slave, although some might think so. But the child’s obedience is the fulfillment of the slave’s. The child’s obedience is the completion of the life of the slave. Therefore, whoever is a slave, let him seek a better obedience—that of the child’s, who does not need the slave’s obedience at all.

The child, in his joyful obedience, gains the hatred of the slave, who wishes all to be like himself. The slave hates the child for his love of those who disobey the slave, but love the Father. The slave hates the child for his easy obedience. The slave hates the child for his disinterest in the details of men’s traditions. The slave hates the child for his unending confidence in the Father, even in light of tragedy. The slave wants nothing to do with the child, but if the child is in his way, then the slave will persecute the child.

The slave claims the child has been disobedient. The slave claims the child is presumptuous. The slave claims the child is proud and self-willed. Then the slave will attempt to punish the child in the name of the Father. The Father will look at the child with love and punish the slave, casting him out of the kingdom. And in this way, the child of humility will overcome the false obedience.

The way of the child is the way of Christ. All this comes to those who have faith in the way of Christ, in the way of the cross. All this comes to those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of love who opposes the service for the self. Everyone who follows the love of the Father is in Christ and receives the blessings of Christ: the adoption as sons, the approval of the Father, the resurrection from the dead, the reward of the kingdom and life everlasting.

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Transforming Culture #3-- Slow and Steady

God's utopia is like a small pinch of yeast which a woman carefully places into four gallons of dough. Then she mixes it all together so that the yeast cannot be seen anymore, yet it has permeated the whole of the flour, so that it has all been transformed.

The church is within the broader society, yet being distinct from it. In that way, the church changes society as a whole. Just in being steadfast to Jesus’ way, to Jesus’ life, we will, step by step, person by person, change the world. We will never—until Jesus’ return—control the world politically. It may look as if the church ran the world in the Middle Ages, but that was not the true church, the church of humility, the church of love, the church of mercy, the church without judgment. That was the façade church. The real church will transform society, not by force, but by lifestyle.

The church speaks to the world in two ways—by gently communicating the truth of Jesus and by living out the life of Jesus. This is the prophetic model of transformation. We are the light, we are to show them the love of Jesus, not just send out tracts. The true church never forces the world to accept the ethics of Jesus. They never manipulate them politically to accept the morality of the Bible. Rather, the church gently tries to change people’s hearts, and sees the world transformed that way.

This is how the Amish influenced society to forgive those who murdered their children. This is how William Wilberforce convinced the British Parliament to abolish slavery. Not by political force or by armies—rather by persistent influence. Yes, this is the long path, but this is the only way we can remain gentle and humble but still influential.

In this way, we can influence despite persecution. If those with clear eyes see that we are not manipulators, not the political strongman, not the philosophy behind the armies, then when we are attacked, we will be seen as those of a pure, loving heart, welcome to all, even our enemies. In this manner did the Anabaptists change the world for freedom of religion—by allowing themselves to be attacked and killed without attacking back.

Is God Concerned About Global Warming?

Okay, we know about “global warming” that should really be called “climate change” (If not, then watch “An Inconvenient Truth” already!). Scientists tell us we should we worried about these couple degrees increase. But is God really worried about it? Is this any real concern at all? Does the Bible have anything to say about this?

God rules over the whole world
“The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.” Psalm 24:1-2
God is the Emperor of the world and there is nothing that is not under his command. Of course He cares, after all He’s in charge of the world. Shouldn’t He be concerned with what someone else does with His world?

Men are commanded to care for the world as a good ruler
“What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands.” Psalm 8:4-6
Even though God is ultimately in charge of the world, He put the world into the hands of humanity, for them to rule as they see fit. Some think that this means that humanity can use up the world in whatever way they want to. However, when God gives someone to be a ruler of something, He doesn’t just say, “Sure, go ahead and use this resource up as selfishly as you want to!” God establishes humanity to be a ruler like Him—a ruler who cares about His sovereignty so much that He is willing to set aside his own needs and desires for the good of those under Him. If humanity treated the earth the same way that God treats His people, then the world will be in good shape, for humanity would be willing to sacrifice their own needs for the sake of creation.

Climate change isn’t about the earth so much as about people
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Matthew 6:26
If the climate change happens that scientists have been predicting, the earth will be just fine. Sure, there will be some weather changes, and some edges of land masses will be covered with water, but overall, it’s like the earth will have a rash. It’s uncomfortable, but doable. Heck, the world went through worse in the ice ages!
No, the ones that will be greatly effected is people. Large populations of people who live on coastlines and deltas and in hurricane areas will be effected. We are talking about hundreds of millions of people whose homes will be covered in water.
And does not God care about His people? Oh, yes He does. He cares about people dying. And he cares about it especially if it can be avoided by people just taking better care.

Humanity will be judged for not caring for the world when they knew what they were doing
“If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12
We are not responsible for what we don’t know. But we are responsible for what we do. If we know that there is an evil to people and we refuse to do anything about it, we will be judged for it. If our society doesn’t do something about the pollution and the problems on the earth that we know we are doing, then we will judged for it. God will not only judge our motives, but He will judge whether we acted on our knowledge.

God will fix whatever crap men did to the world
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. II Peter 3:13
When the Bible says that God will make a “new earth” it doesn’t mean that He will wipe out the atoms that make up the current planet and then replace it with another one. Rather, it means that He will re-form the planet and the rulers that currently exist. All the evil that humanity has done to the earth will be made up for. Perhaps it will happen immediately, or perhaps it will take a long time. But in the end, God will right the wrongs. But we should do what is right not because there will be harm from doing wrong. We should do what is right because it is right.

We should never be willfully ignorant of the love that God has commanded us to live.

Welcoming: Transforming Culture Part 2

Jesus told the disciples another story: "God's utopia is like a mustard seed, a tiny seed compared to most other seeds. But a man took that insignificant thing and planted it in his land and he let it grow. And when it grew up fully, it became a sturdy tree so strong that the birds rested in the branches. Even so, you, my disciples, are insignificant and the least. But when the Father and the Spirit are done with you, you shall be strong enough that the nations of heaven will rest comfortably within you."

This alternative society of Jesus is not to be a separatist society, but an evangelistic one. In other words, the church doesn’t protect its purity, but opens up its purity to all the world. All are to be welcome to be a part of the church, no matter how corrupt, no matter what they have done in the past, no matter how far from the ideal they are. The great task of the church is welcoming all who desire to be transformed into God’s people, and then to help them to become part of that.
We accept people as they are, but we are not content with who they are. All of us, should we be a part of Jesus, must be transformed into the image of Jesus. This is not something that happens overnight, nor does it happen before conversion. Rather, this is the process we go through that conversion begins. We assist each other, allowing the Spirit to create diamonds out of coal.
Thus, the church does not remain completely separate from the church. Jesus places parts of the church within the world, commanding them to welcome the world into the church. Within the world, the church holds onto its unique purity, a purity based on love of God and neighbor, and opens itself up to be understood by the world. More and more people become a part of this community, embracing Jesus’ ideals.
In this way, the world becomes the church. Individual by individual, family by family, soon tribes and even nations become a part of the community of Jesus’ love. People flock to be a part of the alternative community because it works better than other communities, and it is led by Jesus, our example of patience, faithfulness and endurance.

Transforming Culture, Part 1

In his book, Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr wrote about how the church influences the world. He was right, that Jesus asks us—even demands—that we transform the world. However, he set up a false dichotomy between passivism and activism. As if those who do not act in the political manner in which he was used to, then they were not acting at all.

Jesus, on the other hand, presented a kind of transformationalism that is not necessarily politically active, but is powerfully active, nevertheless. He established the following principles:
a. Creating alternative communities
b. Being welcoming to all who desire transformation
c. Gently, patiently influencing without force
d. Attacking the forces behind the evil

1. The church as salt
You are salt—essential for the world. But if you lose the basic qualities that make you important, you cannot regain them. You will be useless, cast out of God’s kingdom and trampled.
You are light—God’s glory and truth in the world. You are the kingdom of God to come, and you cannot be hidden. Nor should you be hidden—God’s glory should be displayed, not hidden. So display the true righteousness of God before everyone, so that people will see your acts of God and so glorify the Father. Matthew 5:13-15

The church is not a building, an organization or a political force. Rather, the church is, according to Jesus, an alternative society, a unique people, a separate nation which lives by God’s law of love. The church, in the form Jesus established it, is a group of people who are living according to Jesus’ principles of love. The church is made up of the outcast of society, engaged in community not to just improve ourselves, but to love all of those in need. And we strive to live out the principles of love found in Jesus’ law—we do not insult, we do good to those who persecute us, we do not look with lust, we keep our promises, we do our religious deeds before God, not for people’s being impressed, we do not judge others, but we are constantly repenting of our sin and forgiving those who repent. And we will strive not to be put in a situation—like the military or addiction to drugs—that will cause us to act in opposition to this way of life.

We will look and act different for all this. The world will see us as strange, as ignorant, as naïve or even as hateful because we will stand with Jesus, no matter what anyone else says or does to try to promote us or to try to oppose us. At times, we will act different from that which the world calls “the church” or “Christianity.” “And this is because a majority of the church is caught up in the ways of the world, and has become a part of the world—focusing on education, on politics, on judging, on intellectualism, on power and the manipulation of it. And so they, the façade church, looks at the church of Jesus, and thinks that they’ve missed the point.

The church of Jesus is a community, not a political party. It doesn’t seek to compromise its ideals so it can fit better into the world. It doesn’t seek to give a message less than the love of Jesus, ever. If it changes it’s ideal of love and mercy and hope in God’s future, then it is no longer the community of Jesus, but a part of the very empire it seeks so hopelessly to transform. The compromised church is in a place to be transformed, not to create transformation.

Confession and Openness-- Scriptures

 

Psalm 32:3-5
When I was silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord;" and you forgive the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 51:1-12
Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loving kindness; According to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge. Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear greatness and gladness, let the bones which you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.


Matthew 5:23-26
Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and he to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

1 John 1:5-10
This is the message that we have heard from him and have announced to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light, as He himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.


Ephesians 5:11-14
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; For it is disgraceful to even speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, and Christ will shine His light on you."

James 4:9-10
Be miserable and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Does This Picture Offend You?

 

It sure offended some folks.

Update-- I don't know where the pic went. Perhaps it didn't pass some cenor? You can see it at this site: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://linkoping.expressen.se/polopoly_fs/1.1070989!slot100slotWide75ArticleFull/3447786819.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cominganarchy.com/2008/03/10/jesus-defecation-poster-request/&usg=__1wG8S2BbYgQpCbxgr2L_bFHDboY=&h=301&w=420&sz=33&hl=en&start=50&um=1&tbnid=djfR_76SS3ZTLM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djesus%2Bsatan%2Bpunk%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4TSHA_enUS309%26sa%3DN

I guess it was a pic in Europe (the Netherlands, Sweeden?) that advertised a punk concert. Some people got all up in arms about it being blasphemous, or some such thing, and a controversy erupted. As usual.

However, I find it interesting that the pic accurately describes the first theory of atonement, the Christus Victor point of view.

In that view, Satan arranged for Jesus to be dishonored and cast out of the congregation of Israel. Crucifixion, in the first century, is not as much a symbol of torture or death, but of the ultimate dishonor. Thus, Satan shitting on Jesus is an accurate description of the cross, from the Christus Victor position. Jesus is helpless and he has to take the dishonor, in the face of all those whom he loves and before his enemies who sneer before him.

So if this pic offends you, perhaps you better understand why the cross wasn't used as a Christian symbol until crucifixion was long gone. Because to depict Jesus on a cross is to depict this very scene. Hard to watch for anyone who really loves Jesus.

But this is what he put up with so we could be delivered from our sin.

Consequences of Disobedience

Evil is not reserved to people like Hitler or Stalin, criminals and child pornographers. Evil is simply disobedience to the basic things God has asked us to do. We desire what God has not given us yet and so we pursue to do that which God has commanded us not to do. This is rebellion against our rightful Lord, and the littlest disobedience, without repentance, will cause us to be trapped in a cycle of sin that will have at least some of the following consequences.

However, below are not the consequences of unintentional sin, or of intending to do good and it turning out bad. These are the consequences of knowing what God wants us to do, and doing the opposite simply because we don't want to do what He asked us to do.

Uncleanness—
The first consequence of sin is that we become defiled before God. God no longer desires to associate with us, even as we would not want to associate with someone who has not bathed in months. We are unable to approach God in prayer, except in repentance, and until we repent we are unable to be in God’s presence. (Mark 7:21-23; Zechariah 7:12-13; Isaiah 1:11-17; I John 1:5-7)

Evil desire—
Sin begins with an evil desire and it perpetuates evil desire as well. One desires what one can have or obtain, not what one can do for God or others. Eventually, one’s mind is obsessed with thoughts of doing evil. (James 1:14; Romans 1:28; I John 2:16)

Bad reputation—
People will see you as untrustworthy. They will feel they have a right to judge you and no longer want to be around you. They will also think badly of God and Jesus and their names will be blasphemed because of your actions. (Ezekiel 36:17-21)

Increased disobedience—
You will desire to have more of what you gained in your disobedience. Since the gains of disobedience are fleeting and temporary, you will head deeper and deeper into the disobedience and rebellion against the Lord. One also develops a community of disobedience, developing friends that encourage each other to sin, away from the Lord. (James 4:2-3; Romans 1:32)

Mental illness—
You will no longer be able to think correctly about yourself, your life, others around you, the world or God. What God says is true, you will call a lie; what God says is real, you will call a fantasy. Soon you will live in accordance with that false reality, instead of God’s truth. Not all mental illness is a result of sin or Satan, but living in sin absolutely leads to mental illness. (Romans 1:21-22)

Inability to love others—
The Lord will take away the love he gave you to serve others. You will want to do good to others, but you will not be able to. Even the good that you do is a double-edged sword, causing harm even when you do good. (I John 4:8, 20)

Broken relationships—
You will hurt those whom you love and who love you. Eventually they will turn away from you to seek safer relationships. Those who live with you will no longer listen to you or want to be around you. (Matthew 18:17; I Corinthians 5:9-11)

God will take away what little authority you have—
The Lord will take away any amount of rulership you have, because you have proved yourself unworthy. You will lose money; no one will listen to you; you will be hated by those who live with you or are under you—employees, children, spouse, roommates, church members, etc. (I Samuel 15:23; Psalm 37:9)

Earthly punishment—
The Lord will punish you for your sin. This will often happen in direct connection to you sin. For instance, someone involved in sexual immorality will get a sexually transmitted disease. Someone involved in stealing will be arrested. Other consequences may happen as well, though, including sickness, blindness, loss of food or shelter, and separation from one’s community. (However, not everyone who experiences sickness, homelessness or poverty is judged for sin—see Job) (Deuteronomy 28:58-61)

Bondage to Enemies—
Yahweh will hand you over to the gods whom you are serving and you will only gain what they have, which is misery, death and horror. He will also possibly hand you over to the police or other governmental authorities to punish you. (Judges 2:11-14; Romans 1:24-28)

Not receiving the promises of God—
The disobedient will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will not gain the resurrection. They will not receive God’s blessings. They will seek the Lord and not find him. They will listen to God’s word and not understand it. They will think they will receive all of what God has in store for the righteous and they will gain none of it. (I Corinthians 6:9-10)

Causing others not to receive God’s kingdom—
Because you are living in hypocrisy, others will think that they can follow God as you do. Then they will receive the same consequences as you—punishment, dishonor and death. (Matthew 23:15)

Rejection of God—
Eventually the one in sin will realize their hypocrisy and decide that they never really wanted to follow God in the first place. They reject any word of the Lord and become an open enemy of God. At this point, there is no turning back and the final consequence of sin is inevitable. (Romans 1:20-23; Hebrews 6:4-6)

Judgment according to deeds—
Whatever one does to another, that is what that one will receive on the final day before God. So if one grants judgment to others, they will receive judgement. If they never show mercy, they will not receive mercy. (Luke 6: 36-38)

Death—
The final consequence of disobedience is death. The Lord will hand you over to the power of death, under the control of Satan and he will destroy you. You will be in fire and torture and punishment for eternity. (Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:12-15)

However, the consequences of sin do not have to be our end. All of these consequences can be reversed through the cross of Jesus!

The Possible