Acts 4: Educating the Educated

Scripture Reading: Acts 4

Synopsis: After healing a man known to be lame in Acts 3, Peter and John are arrested by the Jewish leaders of the time.  After spending a night in jail, Peter and John are bought before the Sanhedrin.  The Jewish council questioned the men, "By what power have you done this?"  When Peter and John answered that it was in the name of Jesus who they had murdered, the Sanhedrin became agitated and threatened the Christians to never speak of Jesus again.  When met with this threat the apostles asked the Sanhedrin if it was better to listen to them or to listen to God.  The Sanhedrin was powerless to punish Peter and John at this time because the people were moved by the healing of the lame man.  Peter and John were released and joined the rest of the apostles.  After discussing what the Sanhedrin decreed the apostles prayed for boldness to spread God's word.  Acts 4 ends with a description of how the Christians shared all things and gave to each other in need.

Teaching Points:

Understanding trumps education

The Sanhedrin was a Jewish ruling council.  It was made up of Jewish leaders well educated and well versed in Jewish law.  Not only were these men the most educated men that the Jews had to offer; they were esteemed as the most holy.  These men wielded enormous power and influence in Jewish circles.  The influence of the Sanhedrin extended far past religious matters.  They had political influence, cultural influence, and as evidenced by the betrayal and murder of Jesus, they had the power to exterminate anyone they perceived to be a threat.

By comparison, Peter and John were mere fisherman.  They were unremarkable in every way before becoming followers of Jesus.  Peter in particular was so unremarkable that he was accused of being a follower of Jesus, but was able to successfully deny it.  His face and presence amounted to nothing more than a strong sense of deja vu.  Together, Peter and John created a team that was so unmemorable that the Sanhedrin needed to be reminded of who they were and whom it was they served.

For the Jewish ruling council, facing these two Jewish fishermen should not have provided any challenge.  These men could not match their influence, their education or even their numbers.  It was on the Sanhedrin's orders that Peter and John were arrested and detained overnight.  When Peter and John and the newly healed man came face to face with the Sanhedrin, the outcome was not what was expected.

When asked under whose authority they were healing under Peter began to speak being filled with the Holy Ghost according to Acts 4:8.  With the filling of the Holy Spirit, Peter and John were no longer the underdogs in this conflict.  Peter, being filled with the Spirit, told the Sanhedrin that he and John were healing in the name of Jesus who they had rejected.  In Acts 4:13 the bible says that the Sanhedrin marveled at Peter, John, and the healed man.

Even after being marveled by Peter and John, the Sanhedrin continued to threaten the apostles.  They ordered them not to even speak the name Jesus.  Despite the miracles performed by Jesus and the miracles performed by the followers of Jesus after His death the Sanhedrin did not understand the work of the Spirit.  For all of their formal learning about God, the Sanhedrin were not in tune with God.  Simply put, the Sanhedrin had spent their lives educating themselves about God, but did not know Him.  Even with their formal education on God and His laws, they were not able to recognize God in the flesh.

I'm not trying to disparage anyone from attending seminary or any other formal institution of education.  What is important to understand is that knowing about God is not as important as getting to know God.  Paul instructs Timothy to  study to show himself approved.  While we can devote ourselves to study it is important to know that understanding comes from God (Proverbs 2:6).  It is also important that we understand that with all of our formal study, we only know in part and our knowledge is destined to pass away (1 Corinthians 13:8-9).

In the current times some Christians who have attained a certain amount of formal knowledge or have attained a standing or title believe that they are above reproach by "layman".  Jesus selected as his apostles men who had no formal religious titles or training.  In this instance God used unlearned men to confound the learned.  The bible is full of instances where seemingly regular men have been raised up to unseat powerful men; most notably King Saul and David.

In addition to not holding those with formal knowledge in reverence it is important to understand that the Christian walk is more than an academic quest.  Some Christians spend more time arguing Calvinism vs. Arminiansm that they forget to take part in winning souls.  These academic debates are often fruitless, valueless, and amount to nothing more than hollow arguments about topics for which we have not been given full understanding.  

Boldness to go Around Through

After being threatened by the Sanhedrin the apostles gathered for prayer.  After facing the same council that had sentenced Jesus to death, the apostles were understandably concerned about the threat the Sanhedrin posed.  In their prayers however the apostles did not ask for any harm to to come to the Sanhedrin.  Instead they simply asked God to continue in what he saw fit and grant them the boldness to speak.  In other words, they did not ask God to remove their obstacles, instead they asked for the strength to fulfill their role in His plan.

Sometimes we feel as though life is out of control.  We feel that way because we often believe the illusion that we are in control.  Consequently, when we face a set of circumstances where we acknowledge our lack of control, we feel like the situation itself is out of control.  The truth is that things are never in our control and are always in God's control.

When we find ourselves in out of control situations, our prayers are often for God to restore to us our illusion of control.  We ask for obstructions to be moved, things to change, concessions to be made.  The apostles provided a good example for how we should pray in times of trouble.  Earnestly praying for God's will, and the strength to fulfill our part in His plan is how we should strive to be.

Sharing in all things

Acts 4:32-37 is a passage of scripture that is often misconstrued from pulpits.  Like any passage of scripture that speaks of people giving money, there is ample motive to misconstrue what is being said.  Some churches use this passage to get parishioners  to bring more into the church in the Spirit of brotherhood.  What is often left out is the second part of verse 35 where the bible says that distribution was made to every man as he had need.  Some churches use this passage to beef up collections without giving to those in need.

Next Level Question:  Does "healthy" debate have a role in Christian understanding?

Acts 3: Beautifully Healed

Scripture Reading: Acts 3

Synopsis:  There was a man, known to be lame, begging for money outside of the gates of the temple.  Peter and John, on their way inside the temple to pray, look upon this man and heal him in Jesus' name.  This public healing provided Peter and John with an opportunity to bear witness to the power of Jesus Christ; the same man they executed without cause.  Peter continues to inform the people of their need to repent.

Teaching Points

No excuses 

There is an old adage that says time heals all wounds.  Despite popular belief, time is neither a healer nor an ally of wounds.  Time serves only to dull pain and allow for infection.  Without proper care, time is the worst enemy of a wound.  

When Peter and John spoke to the crippled man at the gate, verse 7 says that his feet and bones received strength immediately.  When we look at the instances when Jesus healed we see see a similar timetable.  In John 4 we read that a noble man realized that his son was healed at the exact hour that Jesus said he would live.  When Jesus healed Peter's mother in law Luke 4 says that  she immediately rose.  In Luke 5 Jesus heals a man lowered through a hole in the roof and he immediately.  As Jesus heals others including Lazarus and the woman with the issue of blood you will notice that their recovery was immediate.

Jesus does not need time to heal us.  Not only that, but his immediate haling comes with a beckoning to repent and come to God.  When we receive Jesus' healing we are no longer restricted by our ailments.  When Jesus calls us from a life of sin, we do not need time to repent and turn to God.  Our repentance needs to be immediate; matching the healing Jesus has provided.  

When God delivers us from sin we need to turn to God with a sense of urgency and immediacy.  God's healing is immediate and we can't be comfortable returning to what God has  delivered us from.  Often we want to use time to indulge our carnal nature and reason with phrases like, "God knows my heart", or "He's not through with me yet."  God calls us to live our lives with a sense of purpose; a purpose centered around His will.  We're not called to meander through life dabbling between the flesh and the Spirit.  The first step to living a Spirit purposed life is to purpose yourself in the Spirit.

Most of us, if delivered from our most severe physical ailment would not dream of returning to our physical limitations.  The same should be true of our spiritual deliverance.  

Moving in Christ with Confidence

In Acts 3 the Jews of the time are celebrating Pentecost, the first major feast after Passover.  It was during that Passover that the Apostles had seen Jesus crucified.  In less than 2 months after seeing the Jewish leaders crucify the Lord Peter looks at this lame beggar and in full confidence instructs him to get up and walk.  The bible makes no mention of Peter wondering what would happen if the man was not healed.  What would that have done to his ministry.  Moreover, what would healing the man do for his life?

All Glory to God  

After the man gained strength in his ankles Peter addressed the crowd as asked them, "Why do you look so earnestly on us?  Before there was a chance to heap glory upon him and John, Peter immediately directs an amazed crowd back to Jesus who they had crucified.

This is an important point to understand as we attempt to do things for Christ.  When God uses us for His purpose, it sometimes leads to personal glory and accolades.  In James 4:10 God instructs us that when we humble ourselves He will lift us up.  Remaining humble on the way up can provide a challenge.  Many a testimony has been ruined by pride as a result of misplaced praise.  Everything we do for God should result in Glory to God.  Any glory paid to us should be directed to God.

Next Level Question

In what practical ways are we to move in Christ with confidence?      

Acts 2 : The Holy Spirit

Scripture Reading:  Acts 2

Synopsis:

In Chapter 1 we read how Jesus instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit.  Jerusalem at this time was full of Jewish holy men.  The disciples gathered in a house to pray and the Holy Spirit was delivered to them.  When the Holy Spirit came upon them they spoke in foreign languages allowing all of the Jewish sects to hear the works of Jesus in their native tongues.  Upon hearing the truth many believed and became Christians.

Teaching Points:

Of one accord

I wrote a blog entry about the apostles being both in the same place and of one accord.  Below is an excerpt of my "Missing Ingredient".

But before the Holy Spirit cam upon them there were a group of people described in the NIV version of Acts 2:1 as together in one place.  

Seems a little redundant; together in one place.  When you go to the KJV though you see that these men were not simply gathered in the same room, but they were described as being of one accord in one place.  Simply put, these men were not just meeting in one location.  There was a unity that existed BEFORE the Holy Spirit was poured out on them.  For emphasis I will repeat that statement.  THERE WAS A UNITY THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT ON THEM.

Saved individuals not a saved crowd

In Christianity individualism is not always valued.  It is a sad fact.  Speakers, singers, and others who speak into a microphone are seen as individuals, but all others are typically referred to as congregations, groups, multitudes, sheep and other titles that speak to the lack of individuality.  It's easy to read this passage and think that the apostles proclaimed the truth to one crowd and that a crowd got saved.  Nothing can be further from the truth.

A crowd gathered and was confounded (vs 6), but the truth was heard by every man (vs 6).  In verse 21 Peter says that whosoever shall call on the name shall be saved.  Whosoever speaks of individuals in a crowd.  On the day of Pentecost God did not save a crowd of three thousand; He saved three thousand individual souls (verse 41).

In John 6:44 Jesus said that no man can come to him unless the Father calls him first.  That calling is an individual calling.  God calls us individually, Jesus died for us individually, but modern day Christianity aims to classify, group and conform as quick as we bear witness.  As soon as a person is saved we push them to join an assembly.  Then we herd them into new member's classes.  We guide them through a cookie cutter Christian experience to create a Christian that conforms to what someone else believes that they should be.

I do not put aside Titus 2 where the bible tells us that the older are to instruct the younger.  There is a need for older Christians to teach the younger.  The bible holds this principle in many different passages, but there is a difference between teaching a person and attempting to conform a person.  To better explain what I mean I'll use a baseball analogy.

I taught my oldest son to hit a baseball.  I stressed technique, telling him to keep his weight back, his eyes on the ball.  I worked with him on keeping his elbow up, his swing level, and stepping into each pitch.  Despite being my son's main teacher our hitting styles are totally different.  I am a right handed power hitter while my son is a left handed slap hitter.  Neither style is better than the other.  In fact, for a team to be successful they would need a combination of both of our skills.

Such is also true regarding Christianity.  God has called a diverse set of individuals to be a part of His team.  We Christians often have problems embracing diversity.  We form and conform to denominations and sects  based on race, political affiliation, musical style, and many other differences.  I've been in church services where preachers have not been able to deal with different versions of the bible; stating that the King James version is the only true version of God's word.  While I admit that there are passages that I think lose their meaning in the NIV, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to use the NIV to bring people to Christ.  Moreover, I have seen some of these babes in Christ grow in maturity using the NIV.

God told Jeremiah that He knew him before He formed him in the womb. (Jeremiah 1:5)  In Psalms 139:13 David says that God formed his innermost being.  God has created us to be individuals equipped for the purpose for which He has purposed in us.  While the bible refers to us as sheep, it also lets us know that God calls us individually, and measures our faith to serve His purpose.  God is the designer of our individuality, He has called us to Himself individually, and He is not interested in constructed clones.        

Tongues; Tradition vs. Reality

The last teaching point I'd like to hit on is the use of tongues in Acts 2.  In various denominations and sects of Christianity Pentecost has been misunderstood and the gift of tongues misused and abused.  Because of that I'd like to point out the truths of this gift of tongues.

The apostles spoke an earthly language.  The words they spoke were understood by other humans.  The apostles testified to the unsaved about the works of God.  According to 1 Corinthians 14:22 tongues are a sign for unbelievers.  The bible does not teach us that tongues are a sign for believers.  In addition, the bible gives us rules for tongues; rules that most assemblies practicing tongues violate openly:

27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three,each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28

Tongues are not a sign for the saved and they are not a sign of being saved.  Nowhere does the bible teach that all who are saved must utter tongues.  Paul specifically says that tongues are not a gift for us all.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is major tenant of Christianity.  God sent His Spirit to be a help, and a guide to us who have believed.  The Holy Spirit is our link to God; expressing to Him the things we cannot verbalize.  He was promised to us by Jesus himself.  His arrival in our lives is more than funny sounds and convulsions on the floor.  Like all other things; we diminish God's gift when we don't understand what has been given to us.

Next Level Question

How can we distinguish between things that are dogmatic and things that a matter of preference?

Acts 1: In the beginning

Note:  Since this is the first blog post in the new format I will include a brief description of each section.  The descriptions are in italics.  

Scripture Reading: Acts 1
This is the main scripture we are reading from.  I encourage you to read it yourself before continuing with the blog post.  I have linked the King James Version, but I am not married to it.  If you find the King James Version hard to understand I recommend starting with the NIV or the ESV.  You can come back to the KJV if you so choose.


Synopsis:
This is just a quick recap of the main text.  

This is the beginning of Christianity as we now know it to be.  Jesus has come and through his death, burial, and resurrection has fulfilled The Law.  Because of this, God's believers are no longer waiting on the coming of the Messiah, but the return of the Messiah.  Jesus instructed his followers to stay in Jerusalem as they waited to receive the Holy Spirit.  Jesus then ascended into heaven and two men, dressed in white, again promised that Jesus would return the same way he left.

During a time of Prayer Peter stood and instructed the followers that they should choose a successor to Judas based on Psalm 69:25 being fulfilled in order to fulfill Psalm 109:8.  Peter speaks about the qualifications of an apostle the disciples gave lots (a game of chance) and chose Mattias over Joseph.

Teaching Points:

These are the points that I choose to highlight.  Please DO NOT restrict your understanding of this passage to my teaching points.  I encourage you to develop and share you own.  I assure you that I read every comment.  Not only do I welcome discussion; I hope to encourage it.

Choosing of an Apostle

In the bible there were two types of apostles.  There were Jesus' 12 disciples who later became the major apostles, and there were a host of minor apostles; most notably Paul and Barnabas.  What is interesting is that the bible gives us specific qualifications for elders and deacons in I Timothy 3.  In Acts 1:2 the bible tells us that apostles are chosen while I Timothy 3:1 the first step to becoming an elder is a desire.  Specifically put, the steps to becoming an apostle originates as a choice from God while eldership originates as a desire from man.  Even the title apostle is purposely vague as it is literally translated "one who is sent."

So in today's church hierarchy, I'm left wondering how people are granted the title of apostle.  I've been told that it is based on the study of the works of Paul, and the inference to what his roles were in the church body.  In Acts 1:22 Peter qualifies that Judas' replacement had to have been witness of Jesus' ministry from baptism through death, but the group prayed and casted lots in an effort to leave the decision up to God.  Even Paul, who doesn't specifically fit the criteria for a major apostle, was called on his road to Damascus in Acts 9.  Being that the bible is specific on the criteria of elders and deacons, but vague on everything dealing with apostles, I question the process by which men ordain other men as apostles.  I don't believe God gave us the work of the apostles so that we can infer and ordain more apostles.  We can make the point that through the written New Testament, we have the work of the apostles even though we don't have the people themselves.

Remember Jesus

As this passage wraps up Jesus' time on earth it reiterates three major tenants of Christianity.  Acts 1:2-3 reiterates first that Jesus was performing the work of the Holy Spirit.  During his life on earth Jesus left no grey area as to who he was.  The bible does not paint Jesus as simply a good man, or a human prophet.  In the Gospels Jesus was touted as God's son (John 3:16).  Not simply a child of God like Christians, but God's ONLY BEGOTTEN son.  Jesus declared himself that he and the Father are one (John 10:30), and that he is the only way to the father (John 14:6).

The second thing confirmed in Acts 1:2-3 was that Jesus did die, and did return after dying.  In the KJV it says that he showed himself alive after his passion.  That means that he died but returned to give proof after his death that he was no longer dead.  In John 3:14-16 we see that Jesus is lifted up as the Son of Man which refers to his public crucifixion, but in verse 16 he is salvation to those that believe as the Son of God.  This passage of scripture once again confirms that Jesus died, rose again, and walked the earth for 40 days to offer proof that he had conquered death.    

The last tenant of Christianity reiterated in this passage is that Jesus will again return.  In verse 8 he tells them that the Holy Ghost will come upon them, a reminder that he had promised them a comforter in John 14:6.  Then Jesus ascended into heaven as the disciples watched.  After he had ascended, two men dressed in white reminded them that Jesus was to return in the same manner they just saw him leave.

One thing worth noting when the Bible talks of Jesus' return is it always speaks of it as though it is soon to come.  Everyone who heard the words of Jesus first hand, who heard his promise to return is dead.  So the message of Christ's return was spoken to them, but intended for us as subsequent generations.  Roughly 2,000 years have passed since Jesus ascended in heaven.  Even though Jesus admitted that he did not know when he would return (Mark 13:32), his return was never spoken of as something to eventually come to pass.  While I don't believe that the bible has given us clues to figure out the date and the time of Christ's return I do believe it is portrayed as imminent in order that we as Christians stay on guard; knowing that there is always a possibility that today is that day.  I believe the message to non-believers is that tomorrow may be too late to repent.

Next Level Question
This is an open ended discussion question based on the text.  It is designed to promote critical thought and discussion; NOT DISSENSION AND ARGUMENT.

In Acts 1:15-26 Peter initiates the choosing of Judas' replacement.  That initiation ends in Matthias becoming a new apostle.  After Acts 1 we never again hear from Matthias.  At the same time, most of the New Testament is penned by Paul in an effort to be a witness as Jesus described in Acts 1:8.  Despite that and the fact that Paul was both chosen by Jesus on his way to Damascus and bought up to Heaven (2 Corinthians 12), he was never seen as a major apostle the way Judas would have been.  The question is; who was the replacement David referred to in Psalms 109:8?  Was it Paul and Peter jumped the gun?  Or was it Matthias and Paul's ministry was unrelated to David's prophesy?  

God's words vs. My Words

I'm not a big fan of topical preaching.  I do feel like there are times when topical preaching is appropriate.  Sometimes a guest preacher doesn't have the time to expound on an entire passage of scripture and needs to pick a topic and speak on it.  Other times a preacher needs to address a specific event or happening and a topical message is the best way to approach it.  So while I do think there are times where topical preaching is more than appropriate, I think topical preaching can also be dangerous and ineffective.

The most obvious danger is a preacher being married to the topic as opposed to the scriptures.  Contrary to what many believe, not every word spoken by a clergy member is gospel and not every message presented from a pulpit is of God.  Many current day scriptural misinterpretations are rooted in topical preaching, strengthened through tradition, and justified with bible verses taken out of context.  This often happens because a preacher, tied to a topic, bends the Word of God to conform to his topic as opposed to transforming his thinking to fall in line with the scriptures.

I say that topical preaching can also be ineffective because it can hinder the work of The Spirit.  The Word of God is eternal (Psalms 119:89) but our lives are fleeting (1 Peter 1:24-25).  So when we try to support our temporary ideas and ideals with God's everlasting truth we disadvantageously constrict God's truth's to our experience.  What I mean by that is that the word of God has the ability to separate us from our most carnal misconceptions (Hebrews 4:12).  When preached, read, or studied, a passage of scripture can affect a congregation of believers in a multitude of ways.  Topical preaching dilutes the Spirit's work providing understanding as a means to application.

I discussed this once with a church elder who agreed with me, but said that topical preaching was necessary because most people in church have a disconnect between a preached message and applying that message to their lives.  I understood the point he was attempting to make, but I still disagreed that it justified topical preaching.  I still believe that to be the work of The Spirit, even if it doesn't happen on the preacher's time table.  Moreover, the scriptures are written in such a way that the words can be interpreted differently based on life experience.  Any of us who have studied have been marveled at God showing us something new in a passage of scripture we've already read.

With that said, I will begin using this blog to study complete passages of scripture in their context.  I will begin with the book of Acts.  It is my prayer that readers will feel confident to leave observations, questions, and answers in the comments field.  It is my prayer that no one feel intimidated and that we will all see this as a venture to learn.  Hopefully, this will allow us to sharpen our iron with the iron of others.

As I said, we will be starting in the book of Acts.  May God bless our journey.  

 

The Thin Line Between Love and Hate

For most Spiritual Bloggers, blogging is often inspired by a personal reaction to something in an Institutional Church.  I'm not naive enough to try to say that all Spiritual Bloggers have noble intentions.  Many "Spiritual Blogs" attempt to promote ideas and ideals that are in direct contrast to the Bible and the Teachings of Christ.  For most Spiritual Bloggers however, blogs are a labor of love to voice something that is either rejected or marginalized from the pulpit.  This makes Spiritual Blogs reactionary and narrowly focused.  Most Spiritual Blogs have two or three platform ideals that their author relates everything to.  That narrow focus, and repetition of platform can lead to "Blogger Bitterness".  This blog is no exception.  Most of my blog entries to date have have tied back to one of two passages of scripture.

2 Timothy 2:15 

Paul tells Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God.  Many Christians today don't study.  We mistakenly substitute the word "study" with the phrase "attend church".  For those who study, many study with no regard to God's approval.  Some study with the intent of burdening those have not studied.  Other's study for the approval of clergy or other church members.  But many bypass study and choose simply to "Attend church to show themselves approved unto others."  

Paul continues to say, "a workman need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."  So many Christians today rely on someone else to rightly divide the word of truth; to the point where many don't know what the truth is.  The bible tells us to test every Spirit, yet there are churches full of congregations that don't see fit to test.  Not just that, there are churches filled with individuals telling us not to test men believed to be "Men of God."  

My experience with followers who refuse to test, and leaders who believe themselves to be above spiritual questioning was a significant factor in me creating the blog.

Mark 7:1-22

This passage is the most glaring example of what happens when spirituality and religion collide.  Religious leaders of the time devoted their lives to the Jewish Law; scriptures that were geared around Jesus' coming. Met face to face with Jesus, they did not attempt to be more like him, they asked him why he had not conformed to their traditions.  These leaders had the audacity to see God in human form and ask Him why he was not meeting their standards.  They attempted to judge him based on the traditions of the elders.

As unbelievable as it sounds, many Christians adhere more to traditions and religious customs than to understand Jesus' message.  Above I mentioned Christians who are unwilling to test leadership.  In the same vein there are Christians who are unwilling to examine traditions.  In my first post I discussed examining our traditions to examine both their roots and their usefulness.  

In doing this blog I've walked away from a few ideas because they did not fit into either of my platforms; most notably a blog on the dangers of topical preaching.  I had to kill that entry because all of my blogs entries were mini topical sermons.   

In the way I encourage others to examine themselves and their traditions I have examined my blog.  I realized that it was limited by my two platforms and I will be transforming it from statements on a topic to a study of scripture. 

Blogger Challenge

I challenge other bloggers to examine their blogs.  I challenge them to test and ensure that their blogs lead others to the love of God and not to hate of modern day practices.  While it is easy to grow frustrated; ensure that your blog devotes itself to teaching who God is as opposed to defining itself by what is not.  Ensure that your blog is and continues to be a Labor of Love for God's called and not a labor of vengeance or other unsatisfactory motives.

Going forward this blog will adopt a different format.  Each entry will study a passage of scripture without regard to topic.  I will simply speak on the passage of scripture and not attempt to direct or impede the work of The Spirit.  

EDIT:  After discussing this entry with a friend I revamp my blogger challenge.  We all study and grow at different rates and excel in different areas.  My convictions about my own blog may not extend to other bloggers.  Therefore, my revised blogger challenge is simply to speak what God has laid on your heart for the betterment of His Kingdom.

Beautifully Torn

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose --Matthew 27:50-52

My wife tells the story of a friend who would occasionally accompany her and her family to church as a teenager.  This friend would be disgusted and utterly mortified when Christians would sing about, or proclaim to be "washed in the blood."  "DO YOU HEAR YOURSELVES" he would ask.  Why would anyone want to be washed in blood?


We sometimes erroneously believe that we are allowed to come to God just as we are.  We speak as though we are all children of God and as a righteous Father he would never turn us away.  We incorrectly believe that God, bound my his love for us, is obligated to receive us, accept us, is incapable of turning us away.  This belief is not supported in scripture.

Before sin, Adam walked naked before God.  After sin Adam felt obliged to cover his nakedness.  Adam's desire to cover up was less about Adam's tender bits and pieces and more about Adam's shame that he was now a sinful being.  When God demanded sacrifice from Cain and Able Cain thought that he could come to God on his terms as opposed to God's terms.  Cain was shocked to find out that God was not willing to change His standards.  When God gave Moses the law and the blueprints for the tabernacle he ordered that a thick heavy curtain be constructed to separate His holy place from the rest of the temple.  God isolated himself from His people; choosing to inhabit the inner room of his temple.  In the inner room God sat upon His throne, shielded from the world, allowing only the High Priest to enter once a year after a sacrifice and a ceremonial washing.  Death was there to meet anyone who did not adhere to God's terms.

When Jesus died the curtain in the temple was torn opening the door for us to commune with God.  Even though Jesus opened that door by providing the perfect sacrifice for sin, we still are not allowed to come to God as we please.  Jesus tells us that there is one way to The Father and he is That Way.  Because of our sinfulness, our inability to be perfect as God is perfect, we cannot commune with God.  What we can do is go to Christ and admit that we are in need of his forgiveness.  That forgiveness, that ceremonial washing in the blood, is the only avenue we have be with God.

As we understand why we need to be washed in the blood we understand what a privilege it is to commune with God through Christ.  In understanding our ability to commune with God on God's terms we understand that only through Jesus is that allowed.  We have gained access to the Father through the righteousness of Christ.  Through Christ's sacrifice we now have access to eternal life on the other side of the curtain.

As we celebrate the Easter season, let us not take access to our Savior or our Father lightly.  Let us take the time to pray and commune with God directly.  While we may ask others to pray for us, intercessory prayer is not a substitute for direct communication with God.  Jesus is the ONLY mediator between God and us.

When Adam sinned he created a barrier between his vulnerabilities and God.  In some of our lives, we attempt to hang new curtains to wall us off from God.  We want to believe that he can't see us.  For some of us, other men attempt  to persuade us that they are between us and God mediating.  Don't buy into these knock-off curtains.  Take time to go to God, without barriers, and commune with Him.

Happy Easter.

Cover Charge

A saved housewife, married to an unsaved man, asked John Piper how to go about tithing in this blog post.  Piper answers her question by stating, "If you originate no income then God doesn't expect you to give any income."  Piper continues however, instructing the wife to sit with her husband and attempt to quantify the value of her contributions to the household in an effort to create a basis for tithing.  I respect Piper's study and biblical expositions, but  his response in this matter; I found it troubling.  Why would I have a problem with his answer?  In order to explain why Piper's answer made me uneasy we have to fully understand tithing as God designed it.  We have to understand it as more than a measure of 10%, but a system of equitable and responsible giving.  Once we understand God's design, we need to question our application of God's intention.  

The Law Establishes the Tithe

Leviticus 27:30 speaks of "the tithe of the land".  This holy portion consisted of seeds, fruits, grain and all that the land produced.  Leviticus 27:32 introduces us to a livestock tithe.  These are the only tithes outlined in the law of Moses.  Note that there is no mention of a monetary tithe.  In God's system, neither money nor income was tithed.  Money could be used to redeem tithed items, but not as a tithe.  It's also important to note that when an item was redeemed, it was redeemed at 120% of it's value.  That means that in God's system of tithing, money was worth 83% of what the livestock and crops were worth.  We can speculate and opine as to why, but we can not deny that God demanded livestock and crops while not demanding a portion of income and devaluing money.

Who Did the Tithe Belong to?

Leviticus 27:30 states that the Tithe belongs to the Lord.  With the Tithe belonging to God, it was His to do with as he pleased.  What pleased God was to with the Tithe is stated in Numbers 18.  In Numbers 18 God decrees multiple times that the tithe was his gift to the Levites for their service in the temple.  God also decrees that a tithe of a Levite tithe was to be given to the High Priest.  It is important to note that the Tithe was not for the upkeep of the temple, nor was it simply for the people who maintained the church as described in many churches today.  The tithe was specifically for the Levites.  It's important to note that along with accepting the tithe, the Levites no longer had any inheritance in the land.  

So God's system of tithing provided food to the descendants of Aaron.  It was not monetary, and monetary sacrifices were devalued by 17%.  In return, the Levites had no inheritance to the land.  The purposes of tithing expanded beyond the purposes of the 10% cover charge that New Testament churches have implemented.   

The Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee

For many advocates of the New Testament cover charge, understanding that the tithe was food for the Levites is negligible.  Given that most parishioners grow no crops, own no livestock and worship with no Levites; the  simple answer is to draw parallels and equate the temple and Levites with the church and the clergy.  Some may read this blog and conclude that Christians should be paying 12% (120% of the tithe) since we are not offering crops and livestock.  Understanding the tithe as crops and livestock is imperative to understanding The Sabbath year.

Leviticus 25 lays out rules that every 7th year, each household was to allow the land to rest.  In the 7th year God made provisions for the poor and allows for each household to feed themselves.  In God's system of tithing, there were six years of sacrifice followed by one year of relief.  Modern churches can not claim to be following God's system of tithing without instituting a Sabbath year.  

If Not Tithing Than What

Most people will agree that New Testament churches are not run by Levites and have little use for corn and goats.  Most will also agree that most churches would fold sometime during their first observation of a Sabbath year.  2 Corinthians 9:6-15 gives us a blueprint for New Testament giving.  

1. Give understanding that the more you give the more you sow in giving the more you shall reap.  
2. You determine how much you should give
3. Give your amount cheerfully.

Unlike tithing, which was agricultural, this passage of scripture can be extended to include monetary donations.  For some of us, the amount we purpose may be 10%.  For some it may be more; less for others.  This blog isn't about me telling others how much to give.  If you have purposed 10% in your heart then 10% is what you should give.  

Then What's the Point of This Blog Entry

Go back to John Piper's answer.  If the housewife posing the question has purposed in her heart to give 10% then why would Piper's answer bother me?

In Sunday church services the importance of tithing rivals the importance of salvation.  Malachi 3:8 is quoted more than John 3:16.  Most Sunday services spend more time passing a collection plate than opening the altar for salvation.  The opening dilemma of the housewife exemplifies this.  This homemaker is married to a man in need of salvation; a man on his way to hell.  Getting 10% of his earnings shouldn't be part of this discussion.  More important than her tithe is his soul.  Moreover, after this question was posed, Piper did not take the time to redirect and refocus her to the more pressing issue; he focused on the church's collection plate.  There is something fundamentally wrong with the focus in this question, and the answer.  

The point of this blog entry is illuminate the fact that the church is so obsessed with collecting 10% that we bend scripture and we discuss how to collect a portion of income from an unsaved man.  In most matters we understand that we are no longer under The Law, but govern our giving through The Law ignoring Galatians 5.    Furthermore, we ignore the common components of Old and New Testament giving; equality and faith in God to provide.

Equality - In 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 Paul states that it is not his desire to see some struggle while others live in luxury.  The mathematics behind Old Testament tithing also promoted equality.  We've already covered that the tithe was agricultural, but let's assign a seven year span where the value of Israelite agriculture was $7,000,000.  Let's assume that the $7,000,000 was split equally between the  11 Non-Levite tribes.  We use a 7 year span so that we can include the Sabbath year.  Under this scenario, the Levite tribe would collect $600,000 in a 7 year span.  The other 11 tribes would collect $581,818.  Better stated, the 11 tribes would each own 8.3% of the agriculture while the Levites own 8.6% of agriculture.  In short, God mathematically provided equality.  

Conversely, let's create a church with 24 parishioners and a pastor.  If we spread the same $7,000,000 over those 25 individuals with the 24 parishioners tithing the church/pastor would collect $700,000 compared to the parishioner's $262,500.  In terms of percentages, the church/pastor is collecting 10% while the parishioners are controlling less than 4% of earned income.  The disparity in those percentages only increases as you add more parishioners.  It's no mystery why Joel Osteen preaches health and wealth.  

Faith in God to provide -  Both the Old and New Testament speak to God's ability to provide.  In Old Testament tithing, the Israelites were to trust that God would provide ample in year six to sustain for 3 years.  In the 2 Corinthians 9:8 Paul talks about God's ability to create an abundance for every good work.  

What now?

That's up to the reader.  One person may read this blog and continue to give 10%.  Another may read and increase giving to 25%.  A third may decrease giving for the time being.  The point of this blog was for readers to understand that we as Christians no longer need to give 10% from obligation.  The purpose of this blog post is for all to know that we can give from our hearts knowing that God loves for us to give cheerfully.  Hopefully, in understanding this, we can focus on the souls of the unsaved, and not the wallets.  

Narrow Minded

A year ago Michael Sam was practically unknown.  A week ago, despite being SEC defensive player of the year, Michael Sam was an unheralded NFL prospect.  Today Michael Sam is perhaps the most famous football player on the planet.  His rise to super-stardom had nothing to do with on field accomplishments.  Michael Sam's notoriety is a byproduct of him announcing that he is homosexual.  Sports writers, anchors, and even the first lady have unanimously described his decision to announce his homosexuality as courageous, heroic and inspirational.  Connected to these articles, and scattered on message boards are thousands of comments commending Sam for his "bravery".  Tucked away between comments of admiration and adoration are comments describing Sam's lifestyle choice as perverted and his decision to announce it as anything but heroic.  Some of these comments were obviously the work of people whose sole purpose in typing them is to stir up emotional responses.  Some responses however were poster's unappreciated attempts to proselytize the masses.

As to be expected, most of these posts are met with misquoted scriptures, misinterpreted bible excerpts and characterizations of being a narrow minded, intolerant bigots.  This is the world we live in; selectively tolerant but absolutely intolerant of all things Christ related.  In this world, God is mocked, and dedication to Christ is viewed as the choice of those lacking the mental acumen to evolve with society.  Among the insults and cries of "judge not" and "Let he who is without sin"; the hurled insult of narrow minded echoed in my head.  It echoed, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am narrow minded; and unwilling to veer from that.

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says:

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

As I've thought on it, I realized that my narrow mind was not an insult but a necessity to walk the narrow path.  I have been given a narrow mind to walk the narrow path.  Narrow minded, by definition, is a person whose mind is not receptive to new ideas.  In John 14:6 Jesus famously declared:

I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIGHT.  NO MAN comes to the Father but by ME.

There has never been a more definitive statement made.  Jesus left no wiggle room.  There is no back door into heaven, no way to bypass the need for Jesus.  To believe this statement takes a narrow mindset.  Jesus made this statement 2,000 years ago.  It takes an unwavering mind to continue to cling to those words from a man those on the wide path have deemed to be a fictional character.

Don't be disillusioned into thinking that Jesus had nothing to say regarding marriage.  In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus said:

4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

So as this world evolves, I encourage you as followers of Christ to maintain the mind that allows you to walk the narrow path.  I encourage you that as the world calls you narrow minded to understand that what they mean as an insult is is needed for us to be pleasing to Christ.  As we traverse this world that will mock and reject us, be encouraged by Jesus' words:

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

The Missing Ingredient

Despite being raised in the church, running a Christian blog (a blog I hope to update more in 2014), studying the scriptures, and attempting to be a good facilitator of Spiritual discussions; I rarely attend church.  I'm not like some who proudly proclaim to have outgrown the need for church.  My church attendance is not a badge of honor or a sign of having reached a higher plain.  I have not "outgrown church" as some who don't attend would claim.  At the same time, my church attendance is not a sign of being backslidden or uninterested with things of God.  Church, in my life, was missing a key ingredient.  While I couldn't pinpoint what it was, I set out to understand what was missing.  Why did I love God but not enjoy church?  Why can I study scripture for hours at a time, but struggle to survive 20 minute sermons?  When I started the journey to find what was missing I realized that the first steps for that journey begun years before.  The first steps are not necessarily important to the blog post, so I have italicized them if you wish to bypass them.

Business meeting - Having grown up in church I've attended countless business meetings.  I would have a hard time recalling any issue discussed at most of them.  Most are forgotten moments in time.  The one I have the most vivid memory of happened about 25 years ago.  There was a debate between the pastor and some of the deacons about whether the church could afford to buy new carpet and pews with cushions.  The deacons insisted that upgrades were not budgeted and the money needed was not available.  As the debate intensified, and the pastor continued to make the point that the state of the pews and carpet just wouldn't do I raised my hand to ask how this carpet and these pews impeded the preaching of the gospel.  My 7 or 8 year old hand was never acknowledged.  Looking back, it was when I learned that "church business" may not always be God's business.

Excommunication -  No single event shaped my spiritual life more than being told my family and I were no longer welcomed at the only church I had ever considered home.  After the pastor from the business meeting retired, the church hired a new pastor; an underling of a very famous and influential pastor who had roots in my hometown.  Being that I was only about 10 years old, I can't speak to the due diligence the church did or did not do.  I can't honestly speak to the issues that led to our dismissal, as well as the dismissal of several other families.  I have vague recollections of my last times in the church, but again nothing I could speak to with any certainty.  What I remember most was the fallout.  I remember church folks that my dad had shuttled to and fro in an act of service now seeing him on the street and ignoring him completely.  I remember my mother pleading with her old Sunday School teacher, "Show me from the scriptures where we are wrong".  I remember most of all the hangdog look on his face as he had no answer for her.  Eventually, the older pastor came out of retirement and started a new church.  Once that happened, many of the individuals that had stayed at the church left and joined his new church.  Oddly enough, that new church eventually merged with the church the excommunicated families settled in and I subsequently learned lessons on bitterness and forgiveness.  Through excommunication I learned that sometimes people are more devoted to their church building, church customs and church leaders than they are to God.   

Plurality of Elders - Most of the excommunicated families ended up as members of the same church.  One of the main differences between my new church and my old church was that there was no pastor.  Instead there was a plurality of elders.  For the first time I was seeing a church run by a committee of volunteers.  I say volunteers because each elder either worked a full time job or had retired from a full time job.  The church paid the elders stipends for their service, but the church had no employees.  With the influx of new people, and the "odd" church structure one of the elders began to preach a series on elders.  In his series I learned the qualifications of an elder, the expectations and duty of elders and the functionality of a plurality of elders.  The one thing that hit me the hardest was when he preached from Matthew 23:8-12.  None of the elders at our new church were addressed as Elder or Pastor or any other title that would imply their authority.  All of them were simply called Brother; the same as any other man in the congregation.  I had never known these scriptures were in the bible.  Till this point in life my bible study had consisted of Sunday School stories, Wednesday night topics and Sunday morning sermons.  This was the first of many times that God showed me the value of studying His word; in this case it was simply because His word is more expansive than the excerpts preached from the pulpit.

College - When I left home for college I didn't really have a plan for my spiritual walk.  Everyone talked about finding and joining a church.  The implied message is that by walking into a church every Sunday, your Christian walk will be what it needs to be.  I spent a few college Sundays in church, but I was not getting the substance I had become accustomed to.  I never felt led to join a church, but I did not want to leave home and become prodigal.  I decided that I would start each day with time in God's word and trust Him to direct my steps.  In four years there were about 5 days where I did not spend time in God's word.  I grew in the scriptures, and talked with him daily.  The days I did not spend in his word pained me.  I knew on those days that something was missing.  I am ashamed that since college I have not consistently made the same efforts.  In those four years however I learned the value of a personal relationship with God juxtaposed to relating to God through church. 

My attempt to find what was missing began with me attempting to strip away all the layers of church.  In my walk I wanted to remove the pastors, the pulpits, the sermons, the music, the offerings, the customs and everything else related to church.  I wanted to go through the exercise of stripping away all that church has in order to see what it was missing; or at least what I perceived it to be missing in my life.  For a while I thought it was study, maybe fellowship, maybe guidance, or maybe it was all in my head.  Eventually, I got to Acts chapter 2.

Acts chapter 2 is the beginning of what we would consider Christianity.  The Messiah had come, he had died, he had conquered death, rose again, and he was back in heaven.  He left behind a group of dedicated followers who heard his message of repentance and forgiveness; a group of followers who were not led by the law, the prophesies of Jesus' first coming or the flesh and blood Jesus himself.  These followers would be led by the Holy Spirit and driven by the promise of Jesus' return.

Acts 2 begins with the day of Pentecost; a show of God's power and his desire for us all to know the truth.  God's display on the day of Pentecost was so magnificent that many of Christians and certain denominations have tried tirelessly to duplicate it since.  There was speaking in tongues, tongues of fire, the truth spoken in every language, and countless souls saved.  But before the Holy Spirit cam upon them there were a group of people described in the NIV version of Acts 2:1 as together in one place. 

Seems a little redundant; together in one place.  When you go to the KJV though you see that these men were not simply gathered in the same room, but they were described as being of one accord in one place.  Simply put, these men were not just meeting in one location.  There was a unity that existed BEFORE the Holy Spirit was poured out on them.  For emphasis I will repeat that statement.  THERE WAS A UNITY THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT ON THEM.

The part of church that was weighing heavily on me; the part that was missing was this Greek compound word homothumadon or the state of being of one accord.  What was weighing heavy on me was dissention in God's body.  What bothered me more was the fact that I often felt like others did not realize the lack of an ability to be on one accord.  We as Christians have learned to be content with simply being in the same place.  We will disagree, as people always do, but I believe we have grown far too comfortable with dissention; dissention between members, dissention between denominations, dissention drawn on political affiliations.  When we miss church, it's not the accord we miss, but the location, or the customs, or any other facet associated with the place we gather.  I don't even think we look for homothumadon any longer, and we suffer because  of it. 

People often quote misquote Jesus saying, "Where two or three are gathered there I am in the midst."  Jesus never said that.  What Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 is that "Where two or three are gathered IN MY NAME there I am also".  There is the source of our unity, there is our one accord, there is our homothumadon.  It's more than gathering around in the same place and hearing the same words and singing the same songs and leaving at the same time. 

Missing church doesn't make me better than anyone.  I haven't found homothumadon outside of church.  I'm not writing a blog on something I've found I'm writing a blog on something I desire.  My hope is that if you read this blog you will desire the same thing and we will find our accord; we will mend our relationships and be able to further Jesus' message of repentance and forgiveness as we were called to do.  Not simply by being in the same place at the same time, but by being of one accord.  The last time the Greek word homothumadon appears in the bible is Romans 15 in a message fashioned in what we as a church should be all about.

Romans 15: 1-13

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. ³ For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^{[a] 4} For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ⁸ For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews^[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed ⁹ and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”^[c]

¹⁰ Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”^[d]

¹¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”^[e]

¹² And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”^[f]

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.