St. Matthew the Writer

I am looking at the first few chapters of Matthew's Gospel this morning. I appreciate the skill and subtleties that he used both as a writer and theologian.

For example, he constructed almost every paragraph between Jesus' genealogy and The Sermon on the Mount around scripture. Without drawing attention he inextricable he forces the readers to inextricably connect Jesus' life and ministry to the sacred writings of the past. It is fitting; Jesus is both the fulfillment of the scriptures and the only possible lens through which they can be understood.
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King James Only?

Last Sunday during church many of our people at Redeemer received literature (from some people not associated with Redeemer) on their windshields comparing other versions of the bible to the King James Version (KJV). As well intentioned as the authors and distributors of that literature may have been, it was full of misinformation. All of the literature is written from the perspective of King James Onlyism, a belief that the KJV is the only true Bible with God's endorsement and all other translations are heretical.

Most of the literature criticized other translations of the bible for their inaccuracies by comparing them to the KJV. Seemingly anywhere a version differs from the KJV that proves it is flawed. Unfortunately, many of the claims made about the KJV were exaggerated or simply incorrect. I hope to briefly shed some light on the intent of the KJV translators and illuminate the history of the translation process.

The KJV was the eighth English Bible to be published. Here is the timeline of English Bibles published from 1525 - 1769.

1525 - Tyndale Bible (Tyndale was martyred in 1536 for this translation)
1535 - Coverdale Bible (first complete English Bible)
1537 - Matthews Bible
1539 - Great Bible (the first Authorized version)
1560 - Geneva Bible
1568 -Bishop's Bible
1582 -Douay-Rheims (1st Catholic version of the New Testament)
1611 - King James Version with apocrypha #1
1611 - King James Version with apocrypha revision
1611-1769 Many revisions and new publishings of The King JamesVersion
1769 - The Oxford Standard Edition King James Version (one still used today)

The KJV was a good version of the Bible for the time it was written. It was necessary for the bible to be put into language that could be read by the masses. The same need exists today. In the original preface of the 1611 version of the KJV the authors wrote, "So the church should always be ready with translations in order to avoid the same kind of emergencies [i.e., the inability to understand because of a language barrier.] Translation is what opens the window, to let the light in. It breaks the shell so we may eat the kernel." I wholeheartedly agree. It seems the authors of the 1611 preface would have been open to updating translations as language and culture changes.






Here are some historical facts about The Kings James Version:

As shown above there were seven English translations of the Bible prior to the KJV being printed.

In 1604 King James I commissioned English university scholars to create a new "authorized" translation of the Bible.

The KJV was finished and first published in 1611.

In order to create the thousands of copies desired, two different printers were used. This resulted in the creation of two separate editions with over 200 differences.

The 1611 KJV had 80 books as it included the Apocrypha, a group of Jewish books accepted by Catholics but not Protestants.

The KJV had many major revisions between 1611 and 1769.

The 1769 version revised by Benjamin Blayney is the one currently in publication.

There are thousands of differences between the 1611 and 1769 KJV editions.

The KJV used the Textus Receptus (Latin for "received text"), a Greek text published in the mid 1500's.

The KJV used some of the best resources available at the time of publication, however, thousands of older Greek and Hebrew manuscripts dating as far back as the second century are now available to modern Bible translators.

I think the KJV is a fine translation for people comfortable with the archaic english of the 17th century. I do not feel it is the best translation since it lacked the thousands of manuscripts and fragments that have been unearthed in the past four centuries.

I am thankful that we live in a time where it is possible to have many translations of the bible in our language. No matter which translation is read, a relationship to the Author is what is essential. May we abide in Him regardless of which acronym is on the binding.



Recommended for further study:
Grasping God's Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by W.W. Klein, C.L. Blomberg, and R.L. Hubbard
The King James Version Debate by D.A. Carson






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Thou Can't Be Serious

The following is one of the worst defenses I have ever heard for the superiority of The King James Version (I think the KJV is a fine translation by the way). Read on if you enjoy the inane. This is from av1611.com:


If we have a perfect Bible in English, don't we need one in every other language?






No. And I find it interesting that the same people who accuse me of putting God's word under a "linguistic padlock" are the same people who believe that God's inspired word only exists in "original autographs" that decayed into dust centuries ago. The same people who accuse me of being ethnocentric believe that only people who study Greek and Hebrew can possibly know what God "really said."

The following is from Sam Gipp's The Answer Book.

QUESTION: If there is a perfect Bible in English, doesn't there also have to be a perfect Bible in French, and German, and Japanese, etc.?

ANSWER: No. God has always given His word to one people in one language to do one job--convert the world. The supposition that there must be a perfect translation in every language is erroneous and inconsistent with God's proven practice.

EXPLANATION: This explanation comes in three parts: the Old Testament, the New Testament, the entire Bible.

(1) The Old Testament:

It is an accepted fact that, with the exception of some portions of Ezra and Daniel, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. It is also accepted that it was divinely given to the Jews.

Thus God initiates His pattern of operation. He gave His words to one people in only one language.

God, apparently unintimidated by modern scholarship, did not feel obligated to supply His words in Egyptian, Chaldean, Syrian, Ethiopian, or any other of the languages in use on the earth at the time the Old Testament was written.

(2) New Testament:

It is also an accepted fact that the New Testament was written in Greek, Koine Greek to be exact. Again, the Lord apparently saw no reason to inspire a perfect original in all of the languages of the world extant at that time.

Only this time, instead of giving His Book to a nation, such as Israel, He simply gave it to the Christians who were told to go out and convert the world (Matthew 28:19). His choice of Greek as the language of the New Testament was obvious in that it was the predominant language of the world at the time.

(3) The Entire Bible:

It is obvious that God now needed to get both His Old Testament and His New Testament welded together in a language that was common to the world. Only English can be considered such a language.

The English language had been developing for many centuries until the late sixteenth century. About that time it finally reached a state of excellence that no language on earth has ever attained. It would seem that God did the rest. He chose this perfect language for the consummation of His perfect Book.

First England and later the United States swept the globe as the most powerful nations on earth, establishing English in all corners of the globe as either a primary or secondary language.

Today nations who do not speak English must still teach English to many of their citizens. Even nations antagonistic to the West such as Russia and Red China must teach English to their business and military personnel.

Thus in choosing English in which to combine His two Testaments, God chose the only language which the world would know. Just as He has shown in His choosing only one language for the Old Testament and only one language for the New Testament, He continued that practice by combining those two testaments in only one language.

But let us not forget the fact that, by choosing the English language, God has given us a mandate to carry out the great commission. He did not give us a perfect Bible to set placidly on the coffee table in our living room to let our guests know that we are "religious." He did not give it to us to press a flower from our first date, or to have a record of our family tree. He gave it to us to read! And to tuck under our arm and share with the lost world the good news of Jesus' payment for sin that is found inside.

Let's get busy!

Really? This mentality encourages one to elevate English as God's chosen language (absurd!) and looks at the world through a tiny peephole rather than from a global perspective.

Someone should let the people slaving over manuscripts at Wycliffe know that they are wasting their life trying to translate the bible into ALL the world's languages. They can stop now. No need to translate the Gospel into the tongues of those who haven't heard in the African bush areas. Rather, the real need is for all people to learn outdated Shakespearean English. Problem solved.
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Counting Sheep

Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted. - Albert Einstein

Each Sunday morning one of our ushers counts approximately how many people are at Redeemer. It's helpful information to have over time so that we can recognize what needs either are arising or may arise soon.

I have come to believe that attendance numbers are not necessarily indicative of a church's health. I don't know of any data that can. Much of what God does in people is like the seed growing secretly, invisibly underground. Then seemingly out of nowhere it pops up exposing the life that was unseen before. There is no way to tabulate and record that kind of growth. I do not know of a measurement that can chart the feeling of vitality in a room when God-filled people express their love to Him with abandon.

I am interested in Redeemer growing; growing more in love with Jesus. I assume that as we do more people will come into the kingdom and our attendance will increase. That will be a byproduct of God moving but not the proof that He has been moving. Attendance growth without God moving sounds horrible to me. That sounds like a curse rather than a blessing. I would rather have 50 people surrounding me that love Jesus with their whole being than 5,000 attendees looking at their watches waiting for noon to rescue them.

Leonard Ravenhill once said that you don't need to advertise a fire. Fires always draw crowds. The 50 Jesus-lovers I mentioned in the last paragraph would multiply even without trying. Real life with God is contagious and attractive. But every time I see a crowd that doesn't mean there is a fire nearby.

Are people abiding in Jesus? Are people being equipped for Kingdom service? Is God pleased with our gatherings? Is He given the praise and adoration He deserves? The answers to those questions count.
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The Highway to Fulfillment

Last week I was in the Toronto area driving on the 401. Traffic was exceptionally heavy and was moving forward intermittently with long pauses in between. Thank God for the Garmin we were using. It was so helpful, not only with navigation, but also with estimating how long it would be before we arrived somewhere.

The Garmin, however, did not foresee the jammed traffic throughout Toronto's downtown and the 401. The Garmin expected us to be driving at posted speeds and would estimate our arrival based on that. When we traveled at way less than posted speeds the device would push back our estimated arrival accordingly. And then push it back again. And again.

After an hour or so of barely moving our 18 minute drive was feeling like Gilligan's three hour tour. We tried alternative routes. The Garmin changed accordingly and kept showing new ways for us to get to our destination. Good ol Garmin never gave up. We never received the "pull over and weep in your failure" instruction I was expecting.

We eventually got to our destination. It took 6 or 7 times longer than was originally anticipated. I am thankful for a few things:
* we never assumed there was no destination just because it was difficult getting to it
* the Garmin didn't care how many weird and wrong turns we made - it kept seeking the consummation of the journey.
* The fact that a wrong turn (or many wrong turns) does not mean that a journey is futile.



The road to fulfillment of God's promises feels much the same to me as the seemingly never-ending day on the 401. I feel like I have some destinations plugged into my life GPS by God, but getting there has not happened on the time table I expected. When my estimated time of arrival on God's promises keeps getting delayed I often feel pangs of discouragement. I am going to get to my destination as long as I don't get discouraged by traffic, wrong turns, and construction delays along the way.


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John Stott 1921-2011

I just read that at age 90 the great John Stott passed away today. He was a great scholar and Christian leader. I have often referred to his commentary on Romans for guidance.

Two brief points to highlight the his global impact:

Billy Graham once said that Stott was the most respected living clergyman in the world.

Time Magazine listed him in 2005 among the 100 most influential people on the planet.

Thank you God for John Stott's life of service to You and the legacy that continues on.

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Remember Egypt

A little but important post from Steven Furtick:

You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:17-18

Nothing can sabotage radical belief in the promises of God quite like calculation.

The Israelites were facing a seemingly insurmountable task. They were about to enter the Promised Land and face not only a multitude of enemies, but enemies who were clearly stronger and more capable than them. God knew what would happen: they would ask the faith-shattering calculative question, how?

And so He preempted their question with an instruction: remember Egypt.
Essentially, don’t try to calculate how I’ll do it…just remember how I did it.

God’s instructions haven’t changed much thousands of years later for those of us facing uncertainty as to how God is going to come through for us. You might be wondering how God is going to provide for your family now that you’ve lost your job. Or how He is going to cover the costs of your education. Or how He is going to do any of the other number of things you need Him to do.

Well, I don’t know how. Neither do you. And the truth is, we don’t have to know how. We just need to know that He can. And the way we know that He can is by calling to mind what He’s done.

And He’s done plenty. Your life is littered with signposts of God’s faithfulness. Regardless of your circumstances, take a moment and take a look at them. Remember Egypt. Remember what God has already overcome in your past as you face your present. Then leave the how to Him.



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Catch The Fire

We worshiped with the Catch the Fire (CTF) ministry school one night this week. They just graduated several students that completed a 3 week leadership intensive.
Formerly Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship,
CTF has been a major catalyst to Rolland and Heidi Baker, Brownsville Assembly, IHOP, Bethel Redding, and many many other influential people and ministries.
It was a nice respite along the journey home.


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Delightful

Undoubtedly the best gelato I've ever had. I had pistachio & coconut. Ashleigh had chocolate if you can't tell.










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Little Italy

Ashleigh taking a break on a hot day in the Little Italy section of Toronto.



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Asking God to Help Me See

Sometimes I find myself feeling numb toward the needs of people I see throughout my day. It concerns me to think that I can become unmoved by people without homes, food, or those in pain either emotionally or physically. Sometimes I try to tell myself that it's because of how common it has become to see people in need that I don't always feel stirred inside. But I don't think that is true.

When someone cuts in front of me in line at the grocery store I am not numb to it emotionally. That has happened numerous times in my life. When I feel slighted by someone (whether perceived or real) I am not numb to it. I may not show it on the outside but I definitely notice it. When the waitstaff at a restaurant gives what I deem poor service I notice it and internally react. Why should those type of things cause reactions in me greater than when another human being is in need?

I will be more like Jesus when I care less about the goings on of my own little kingdom and more about bringing justice to the marginalized. Jesus was moved to tears with great emotion over the needs of the people of Jerusalem. I want eyes that see people the way He does.


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A Sunday to Remember (kind of)

Yesterday morning we went to church in Port Hope. The church we intended on attending started at. 10:30. We ran late so I started looking for any church in the area that began at 11. I found a Presbyterian one close enough to us that we could be there on time.

Upon arrival I noticed a few things:

There were few cars in the parking lot.
Including us there were about 20 people present.
All of the females except one were wearing hats.
All of the males (even those preschool age) were wearing ties.
The only musical instruments on stage were a piano and organ.
All of the bible verses posted were kjv.
The hymnal had hymns and then a separate section of Psalms put to music. I thought that was cool.
Most of the people looked to be over the age of 70 except for two families.
No one spoke to each other before or after service. No one. Zero talking.

The regular pastor was on vacation and a very nice young man from Toronto was shepherding the church while he was away. He was not preaching however. The person preaching that morning was a missionary from The Czech Republic. He stated that he intended to give testimonies of the work God is doing there and then preach the gospel.

He shared mostly about the damage that Baptists and charismatics have done in The Czech Republic by spreading their heresies. The atheists are very bad too, just not as bad as the Baptists and charismatics. As a pastor in a charismatic Baptist church I had to chuckle. I wasn't offended at all but I found it funny. Of all the churches in the little town of Port Hope I have to imagine this is the only one with a missionary giving testimony of how bad charismatics and Baptists are. Unfortunately we never heard what God IS doing there.



Then he shifted into the sermon out of 1 Kings. It was the section where Jeroboam has two golden calfs formed so that people would not have to go to Jerusalem for worship any longer. Using that story as the backdrop he talked about the importance of doing things God's way and not doing what is right in our own eyes. One example was dressing appropriately on The Lord's Day. I was the only guy in the house without a tie on. Modern fashions are not appropriate for God's true people. He talked extensively about the evil of all things contemporary. Then he talked about modern music with drums showing how people have wandered away from God and made the church carnal. At this point I am realizing he may not have enjoyed it as much as i did when one of our worship leaders led playing guitar and wearing a Homer Simpson t-shirt a few weeks ago in church. He also railed against the notion that God is concerned with our hearts more than our external appearance and behaviors.

I was wearing a cross necklace that reminds me of a man named Father Bishoy from Egypt that I met many years ago. He is one of the humblest, gentlest, and most teachable people I have ever met. I wear it sometimes to remind myself to stay low, stay unoffended, and that I have much to learn. I took it out and rubbed it like a rosary. I wasn't offended. I wanted to stay humble and find some meat among the bones I was spitting out.

Several times he mentioned the importance of preaching the real gospel. The word gospel literally means good news. Good News. I don't know if it's a message of good news to say that God's goal for your life is for you to wear clothing that was popular in the 1940's, listen to outdated non-percussive music, and live unconcerned about your true self (your heart). That sounds horrible to me. I think every time we preach the gospel it should sound like good news. I have been so guilty of not letting the goodness of the gospel shine through at times. This world needs the Good News of Jesus.

The missionary had a family of six people there with him. We were a party of five. If you take away the visiting pastor that leaves a total of about 12-13 people from that church in attendance. We were clearly the only ones who missed the hat and necktie memo. He clearly wasn't preaching to the choir if you know what I mean. As he talked about churches that are contemporary being too casual with God our four year old was lying under her chair (we were in the back) coloring. Uh oh.

Now all things considered:
Being contemporary is not important. Being authentic is.
God deserves awe and reverence and He should not be treated whimsically.
Modern worship music is only as valuable as it is pleasing to God.

This isn't me complaining as much as it is me processing. It was a bit surreal. Maybe even more surreal than a costume dog show. Funny thing is that at the end of the dog show someone awkwardly yelled out "Hallelujah!" No one yelled that Sunday morning.










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Are We Pentecostals (pt 2)

"Pentecostalism has not always been linked to glossolalia (speaking in tongues). In fact, it has only been in the past 110 years that the two became linked in American religious thought. Previous to 1901 many churches that believed speaking in tongues passed with the death of the first apostles called themselves Pentecostal.

The dominant factors that we see stemming from what took place on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 are inclusion and unity. When the Holy Spirit touched the community of believers in the upper room He did so in a way that empowered them to communicate with people from diverse locales. The people from different parts of the Roman Empire were then included in mass numbers into this new community. The greatest sign of the Holy Spirit's supernatural empowering was that this new community lived at peace in unity with one another.

Ethnic boundaries were dissolved as this new community of individuals found their identity in Jesus rather than in their ancestral heritage. Social boundaries were also destroyed as the wealthy and the poor lived together as equals. Those who could had more gave of what they had so that those who had less would not be without.

For Pentecostalism to stay true to it's origin it must represent ethnic unity and social equality empowered supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. Glossolalia was one of the instruments used by God to bring those things about but it was not the core of this new community of people. It would be similar to seeing a magnificent house where many previously homeless people lived that was built where once only a vacant lot sat and then focusing all attention on a hammer that was used throughout the building process. The hammer was useful, even necessary for the house to be built but certainly not more significant than the family that dwelled in it.

If being labeled a Pentecostal caused people to think that I was a part of a movement where all human divisions were obliterated by the blood of Jesus I would surely not resist wearing that label. Either the term needs to be redefined or a new one created altogether."

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Regarding Are We Pentecostals (pt2)

About 6 am this past Saturday I wrote and I thought (?!) I published a lengthy post continuing my thoughts on Pentecostalism. It is nowhere to be found. When I finish pouting I will try again.


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Tales from the Dog Show

Yesterday we wandered into downtown Port Hope and found things that were too good to believe. Some kind of festival was taking place and the sidewalks were full of vendors and the locals were friendly. Most importantly a dog show was about to take place. A COSTUME dog show. All of the dog's competing were in costume!

(It must be understood that I have an internal monologue always running that amuses me throughout my days. Sometimes that monologue expands into dialogues with characters and skits. For the people in my head a costume dog show was the type of goldmine that Sarah Palin was for SNL.)




Here is where it gets even better. The pet owners were also in costume. They wore MATCHING COSTUMES! I don't know why it created the reaction in me that it did but I am not sure what I could have enjoyed more than a public competition matching dogs and owners in costumes against each other.

Yet it did get better for me. Way better. There was a catwalk (yes I said catwalk) erected on the street for the event. Right behind the catwalk were




two men sharing a microphone commentating the entire affair via very loud speakers. They reminded me of the two commentators in the movie "Best in Show". Appropriately there were many references to costumes being fetching.

My favorite moment happened when the commentators were announcing the first and second place finishers in one of the divisions. The announcers mentioned that only two people competed so both of them will place. After announcing the 2nd place finisher they announced the winner who put her hand over her mouth and squealed while acting totally surprised. She and her dog both wore matching red hats as part of their costume representing the Red Hat Society.

I took more than 10 minutes of video on my phone that I hope has some "Best in Show" moments on it.
each other.



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Oh Canada

Waking up slowly this morning in a little town about an hour north of Toronto. A few highlights:

Yesterday as the Canadian customs officer at the border was asking where we lived my four year old daughter yelled out "Africa!" as I was giving a very different answer. A furrowed brow and a suspicious look followed as the officer said, "Did she just say Africa?"

I forgot (again) that Tim Horton's in Canada does not accept Visa. Tim Horton's is 50 yards away across the street from our hotel. Their largest coffee is a medium.

We are not in the late 90's anymore. Cashiers treat American money like I just handed them a VHS of Waterworld in barter for goods and services.

Calling Canada Michigan's "Upper Peninsula" isn't as funny here for some reason.

Six of us crammed in the Crown Vic for 7 hours was actually very fun. Elbow room is overrated.



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Are We Pentecostals? (pt 1)

Recently I was asked by a person in our church if we are Pentecostals? That question prompted this post and probably a few more to come.

In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost there were people in Jerusalem the followers of Jesus were all together in one place. While they were all together a sound filled the entire place that was comparable to a violent wind. They saw what looked like tongues made of fire that would separate from one another and rest on the people sitting in the house. Everyone there was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages (tongues).

There were people in Jerusalem from every area of the Roman Empire. When the masses heard the wind-like sound in the house they crowded around it. The people from various places heard wonderful things about God being spoken in their own languages by the followers of Jesus.

Some mocked the followers of Jesus and accused them of being drunk.

Peter then stood with the other 11 disciples and addressed the crowd. I presume he did that in either aramaic or hebrew. Approximately 3000 people accepted his message of Jesus being the Jewish Messiah.

The label Pentecostal is used for people or religious groups that affiliate their beliefs and practices with the people and the events mentioned above.

I have two questions:

What message is generally intended when a group calls themselves Pentecostals?

What images and ideas should be evoked by the term Pentecostal?

I ask those questions because I feel like the word Pentecostal has become synonymous with speaking in tongues in the minds of many, both in side and outside Pentecostalism. In fact, in my younger years I ignorantly thought all tongues speakers were Pentecostals and all Pentecostals spoke in tongues.

Roberts Liardon, in his book on the Azusa Street revival, poses the question "Who are the Pentecostals?" and answers by saying, "The emphasis on the Holy Spirit is essential to Pentecostal reality, and almost all Pentecostal denominations believe that the 'initial evidence' of Spirit baptism is the manifestation of glossolalia or what s commonly referred to as speaking in tongues...Pentecostal worship is characterized by praying in tongues, prophesying, healings, hand clapping, and dynamic preaching, which are all enjoyed with great zeal and fervency. This worship style divides Pentecostals from other mainline Christian denominations. Pentecostals believe in a separate experience known as the baptism of the Spirit. This experience is evidenced by speaking in tongues and a renewed experience of power in their life."

Liardon's description of Pentecostals feels too narrow. As I look at the details of what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 I am perplexed by the emphasis (mine included) on tongues at the advent of the New Testament church. It feels disproportionate when viewed both historically and biblically (see 1 Corinthians 12-14).

If speaking in tongues is not appropriate to be the definitive and distinctive characteristic of Pentecostalism, then what should define and distinguish Pentecostals?

Coming Next: part 2




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"Preach Faith Till You Have It"

The great preacher John Wesley once considered giving up preaching altogether when he came to grips with his lack of "sufficient" faith in God. He told his friend Peter Boehler of his notion to quit and was advised against it. Boehler told Wesley, "Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith." Thankfully Wesley heeded his friends advice.

Throughout church history there have been many people who have preached on what they have yet to experience. William Seymour ushered in Pentecostalism before he had yet felt the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The great English Vicar A.A. Boddy preached on the availability of speaking in tongues to modern Christians nine months before he ever experienced the gift. Just a few decades ago John Wimber professed healing as a part of normative Christianity well before he saw people being healed in his ministry.

I desire to preach that which is biblical even when I have not personally experienced it yet. I want my faith to precede my expectation. I have heard Christian leaders tell pastors that congregations will experience what they hear preached. I believe that is often true. There is a higher probability that people will pray for healing if it is encouraged from the pulpit regularly. Those that pray for healing more often will probably see more healings than those that don't.

Thinking about this makes me again thankful for Pastor John and Redeemer. Hearing sermons on and studying The Real Jesus the past several years makes me excited for what is being produced in our people.


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Speaking in Tongues

If tongues was the evidence in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then men and women that received the gift of tongues could not believe contrary to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Since tongues is not the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, men and women can receive it and yet be destitute of the truth. It's one of the signs, not the evidence.
William Seymour

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From Azusa to the World

Within two years of The Azusa Street Mission being founded missionaries from there were in 50 different countries. Cambridge graduate and veteran missionary Cecil Polhill observed,

"Nothing has in so short a time sent so many eager souls out... Some have gone unprepared, and some have not been very steady, but these are, we believe, comparatively few out of a host of earnest Pentecostal missionaries."


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Making Room for Prayer

I am reading about the tradition In black Christianity for churches to have backless pews. That allowed for "room to pray" as well as being less costly to make.

Azusa Street's pews were made by placing redwood planks across nail kegs, old boxes, and any odd chair that could be found.

It originally had a seating capacity of 100 people. Within months more than ten times that amount were flooding the building daily.


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Coming Alive

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
- Howard Thurman


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While My Kindle Recharges

I've been reading Douglas J.Nelson's "There is More" this past week (Thank you God for my Kindle). Church historian Richard Riss calls it the best biography of William Seymour, the leader of the Azusa Street Mission, that has ever been written. So far I agree.

One thing I am especially thankful for is that Nelson surveyed a multitude of material that has been written about William Seymour and carefully critiques the historical accuracy of each. Some of the errors that he highlights I had learned through my own research (reading the very sources he cites) and then passed along the misinformation. For example, it has been written in dozens of books that Seymour had a glass eye. I have written that on this blog. It seems that he was legally blind in one eye but the severity of his ocular condition grew as the years passed. I was thankful to see that I had noticed some of the same misinformation and contradictions among the sources as Nelson had.

Nelson posits Seymour as one of the most undervalued leaders in church history. He cites a racial and religious bias for that due to Seymour's color and pentecostalism.

According to my device I am 40% of the way through the book. It is duly educational and devotional for me. Something inside me comes alive at the hope of God again manifesting His presence in such a way that people are unified in the midst of it. May it happen here. Soon.


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The Rest of the Story

Make every effort to enter into rest." - Author of Hebrews






Yesterday Kellie, Ashleigh, and John Collins drove from Green Lake, Wisconsin to Chesterton, Indiana. The traffic through Chicago was s l o w.
Beth and Ryan drove from home so that we could meet up on Lake Michigan and watch the sunset and fireworks over the water.

On of the roads leading to the beach was covered with water. It was unsure of the wisdom of driving through it's unknown depths to get to the beach, but I motored through it regardless. It proved to look worse than it actually was.

Once on the beach, the six of us skipped stones on the water, played in the sand, enjoyed the sunset, and eventually watched the fireworks show with the Chicago skyline as a backdrop. It was so restful.

I often find rest and recreation to be elusive. I think of so many things I should be doing and get discouraged at the obstacles that arise against times of rest. I am not too busy to rest. I have to rest to do things well.

Rest is a gift for me. Recreation literally gives me a chance to be re-created and re-freshed. I read a study last week that shows the increased productivity in people who take time to recreate in their busiest times compared to those who put off recreation until the busyness wanes.

The recreation and fellowship last night was more than worth Chicago traffic and a flooded road. Rest is worth working for.



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Suffering & Joy

Greg Boyd's work is the best I have ever read on why evil exists.



Today I talked with my friend Lilly. Lilly has had a very difficult past couple of years. Several family members have passed away after grueling illnesses. She has had several bouts with cancer. Last month on the day of her mother's funeral her husband had a stroke.

Almost every time I talk with Lilly she looks at me and says, "God must have a reason for doing all this." My heart breaks every time she says it. First, because she has suffered so much pain and then because she thinks God is orchestrating it.

I don't believe that God is causing the suffering in her life. Not one bit. But that is to be the subject of a post sometime in the future. Lilly said something else that arrested my attention long after I stopped talking with her. She looked at me with a gleam in her eye and said, "I can't wait until the marriage supper (after Jesus' return). I don't belong in this world. I just want to be with Him."

Here is a woman that has seen so much suffering and believes that God has willfully and purposefully caused all of it, yet her love for God shines through her eyes. While I disagree with her theology regarding God causing sickness, I am deeply moved by her eschatological vision and her love for Jesus.

Theological nuances aside, I could use a good dose of Lilly's passion and vision. Over the past couple of years I have arrogantly thought that I have something to teach her. I have something to learn from her. She loves God in the midst of trial. Her eyes are focused on eternity in this moment. I bet that pleases God.
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Bitterness is Toxic

James Tissot's "Michal despises David" from 1898


Thinking about Michal today. Remember Michal? King Saul's daughter that was in love with David. Saul gave her to David in marriage for 100 Philistine foreskins in an attempt to get David killed. Then Daddy tried to kill David repeatedly. I am sure she had Daddy issues.

David fled town. Saul gave Michal away in marriage to another man. The new husband is CRAZY about Michal. Daddy dies in battle & David officially becomes king.

One of King David's first orders of business was to go get Michal from New Husband and reclaim her as one of his wives. In one of the saddest verses in the bible New Husband follows behind Michal wailing as she is taken off to again be David's wife.

Maybe she was sick of New Husband adoring her so much and she longed to be one of David's wives. The text doesn't tell us how she felt. Sadly, that is probably because no one asked or was concerned.

Later comes Michal's most famous, or rather infamous moment. Once when David returns home successfully he dances before God worshiping wearing very little. Michal is embarrassed by this and calls him undignified. David promises that "Girl, I'll show you undignified!" (may not be an exact quote).
Because Michal criticized something as holy as the worship of someone before God she was struck barren and was unable to have children.

I do not think the following is probably true. I just wonder if it's possible that it could be true. What if Michal was so angry and hurt by being treated like a commodity and having to leave a crying husband that really wanted her that she became spiteful toward David? What if the injustice of going from being a princess to one of the King's many many women that injustice spoiled inside of her and turned to bitterness? I wonder...

Sometimes our response toward being wronged can put us in an even worse place. We are not responsible for the wrong things that happen to us but we are responsible for the way we deal with them. By releasing forgiveness toward those who wrong us we set ourselves free. When someone is unable to forgive another they are victimized doubly. First by the act that occurred, the second by toxicity of undealt with emotions and feelings. The most loving thing a person can do for themselves is to release others of their wrongdoings.



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Too Long to Tweet

I love using Twitter. Twitter for me is a man at a party carrying around an hors d'oeuvre tray. It provides light digestible thoughts without having to stop and take time for a full mental meal. I follow Greg Boyd, Bill Johnson, John Piper, and many others on Twitter. I get to read their condensed ideas without time spent following their train of thought through a book, essay, or even a blog post.

The downside of Twitter is that it provides quotable thoughts without context. It creates an environment where being quotable supersedes being fully thought out on subjects. The context that a tweet (or any quote for that matter) is birthed out of is essential to understanding it's true intended meaning. For example, "God often offends our mind to reveal our heart" is a phrase that I have heard quotes probably hundreds of times. After being repeated so often without context that can lead someone to assume that our thinking is a detriment to a full spiritual life. In a fuller context it can be explained that our response to the supernatural (when God does things outside of what we can understand) could be an indicator of our heart condition. Unfortunately that quote has been used to paint a picture of a false rivalry between head and heart in Christians.

In the pages of the writings of great spiritual thinkers there are many quotable gems to be found. I love reading those gems on Twitter as the authors or their readers post them. However I am sensing a need in myself to go beyond the surface and get a better context from which those gems came. If I am quotable; great. If I am fully thought out; better.


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Jealous? Part Deux

Isn't it interesting that the very thing that Saul feared was actualized through his jealousy of David? Saul feared that David would be honored and revered more than himself by the people. Saul's jealousy pushed people away from him and highlighted the favor on David's life even more.

As I read 1 Samuel it feels like Saul is trapped in a "Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!" season. Everywhere he turns people are loving David. Saul's son Jonathan made an oath to protect David from his dad. His daughter hid David when Dad sent men over to kill him in the night. As Saul grew more hateful the people around him adored David more.

Jealousy leads to irrational thoughts and behaviors. Saul's reason was so clouded that he killed the priest Ahimelek for feeding David on his journey. Saul then had 85 priests slaughtered because they were associated with Ahimelek. Then Saul had the men, women,children, infants, and all livestock of the town of Nob butchered because Ahimelek lived there.

Be vigilant with feelings of jealousy and rivalry toward others. Do not let them grow wild. Unchecked they can turn a king into a madman.



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Jealous?

Envy is the ulcer of the soul. - Socrates


God's favor upon a person often provokes jealousy in others. Jealousy is toxic to the development of relationships while internally damaging the person who is jealous. It also leads to irrational thoughts and behaviors.

The story of David is a good example. Goliath was punking out the Israelites daring them to fight while they hid in fear. Doom seemed imminent as the days went by. King Saul offered marriage to his oldest daughter Merab for anyone that could defeat Goliath. No one stepped up to try. That must have a boon to her self image. (Maybe Saul could have guaranteed that anyone that killed Goliath would not have to marry Merab and gotten a few takers.)

David shows up on the scene and is met with disdain by his older brothers. Saul then gives David the "Rocky, you can't win!" speech that Talia Shire gave in the first four of the movies. Everyone assumes that David is about to be giant food when shockingly he wins. He cuts of Goliath's head and the Philistines run from the Israelites like preteen boys from a shower.









Celebrations ensue with singing and dancing. David becomes a hero overnight and Saul will feel indebted to him forever. Right? Nope. Saul allowed David's success to provoke him toward jealousy rather than thankfulness. Saul's insecurity caused him to feel lack when seeing David's abundance.

Jealousy of another causes us to see another person's blessings through the lens of our own lack. Saul's vision was so impeded by his jealousy that he tried to kill David repeatedly. Saul remained king because of the favor on David's life and he hated him for it!

If I am secure in my identity and my relationship with God I can celebrate other's successes freely. I want to have the heart of a father toward others in this regard. I want to be so secure that I always desire for those who come after me to have greater successes than mine. Because Jesus' identity was not in His works, He could desire for us to do even greater things than Him without fear.

When I begin to feel hints of jealousy arising inside of me I try to take action immediately. I ask for forgiveness for doubting God's plan in my life and for thinking that someone else being blessed is withdrawing from me somehow. I then ask God to pour outrageous favor on the person in the area I was jealous about.

If I focus on the things God is doing in my life I am not prone to jealousy. It is when I focus on what I think God is not doing that I catch myself struggling. I don't want to be like Saul - being threatened by what is God is doing for fear of losing my own little kingdom.

By the way, after killing Goliath David said "thanks but no thanks" to marrying Saul's daughter Merab. David later married one of Saul's other daughters Michal. That could make family dinner's awkward.


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In My Opinion

Today I am again recognizing the tyranny of my own opinions regarding other people's affairs. I have opinions about so many things that are none of my business. I have opinions about things in which I have less than zero expertise. There is a sickness inside of me that believes I have it is my right to have and express those opinions.

There have been times where I have heard a story about people I have never met that are going through a situation I have never experienced and I quickly spit out what they ought to do. A person's life can be so complex and full of unseen factors that it is literally impossible (unless God brings revelation) for me to know with any surety what they should have done from afar.

One of my least favorite things to hear said to anyone is "You know what you would if you were smart?" Because implied in that is that what you have been doing is not smart and the person speaking is going to now give you a tutorial on what an intelligent person would do.
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This next story is embarrassing. As a very young adult I worked with several older men who had opinions on everything. Over time I had heard them criticize a certain businessman from Detroit repeatedly. His intelligence and his ethics were consistently attacked. They had opinions like that about all kinds of people. I would listen and learn waiting for the chance to regurgitate their opinions as my own and sound smart (so I thought).

Some time later I was in a training class for a new job I had taken. During one of the breaks someone had a newspaper and there was a story about that certain businessman from Detroit. Ignoring all common sense, I said that the man "is an illiterate criminal". It wasn't enough for me to have an uninformed opinion. No, I needed to have a really BIG DUMB uninformed opinion. The sweet young lady that I was sharing a desk with looked over at me and said quietly, "He is my uncle."

Horrifying isn't it? The man that I slandered could have been a mixture of Billy Graham and Ghandi rolled into one. I probably wouldn't have recognized him if he would have squeezed in and sat down between me and his niece. Yet that didn't stop me. I had no right having an opinion about someone I didn't know well much less someone I had never met.

I try (occasionally with success) to catch myself now and not give people opinions about things that:
a) I do not understand
b) I was not asked for an opinion about
c) will not be improved by me having an opinion.

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Hear Ye, Hear Me?

(Klondike commercial that is more sad than funny as a commentary of our times)



The thoughts in a person's heart are deep waters...

I often imagine the innermost feelings and thoughts of a person to be like treasure on the bottom of the ocean floor. I also picture myself having to hold my breath to get from above water to ocean floor where the treasure lies. These images are helpful to me because I can't hold my breath and talk at the same time. If I really want to find the deep things of a person I need to be quiet long enough to get there. I have to be patient, willing to wait through as I journey from water's top, through the shallows, and eventually all the way to the treasure.

My desire to talk rather than listen is my nemesis in relationships. I have never learned about another by listening to myself talk to them. We live in a culture where silence and true dialogue are foreign commodities. Sadly, having only the tv on is the new silence of our age. Patience, quietness, and active listening are necessary components to foster an atmosphere of understanding.

My relationship with individuals and with God have this in common; I am a better friend when I listen intentionally. It has to be intentional because it feels way more natural to give my unasked for opinion as soon as it floats through my mind. It has to be intentional also because someone will never get to finish a thought or story if I butt in each time their words remind me of something about me.

Some waters are deeper than others. Some treasure seems to float toward the surface while some seem to take a whole lot of breath-holding to get down to it. I am determined to practice holding my breath until I can reach the ocean floor without passing out.

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Expectation & Anticipation

Good morning. It is 3 hours before our Sunday service begins at Redeemer. I am sitting in one of our 3 local Tim Horton's since God has not brought Starbucks to Monroe yet. Yet...

I am trying to pray. I mean that I am trying to talk to God about what we can do together today. I am having a hard time this morning because it is more natural for me to think about what I think I can do on my own rather than talk to Him about what we could do together. Trust me, church this morning will be more fun if God gets to be involved in the process.

As I ponder and pray about this morning with God I begin to feel my expectations rise inside of me. There is a hopefulness that emerges from prayer. Simultaneously I feel a sense of foreboding within me challenging my burgeoning optimism. I recognize it. It is my fear of being disappointed. This is not new to me. Genuine time spent with God, even when brief, results in hope, optimism and an expectation of good to come. Often I can feel it deep inside. The fear of being disappointed that sometimes will try to rear itself is rooted in both my pride and shame. My pride does not like to feel or look foolish. What if God doesn't meet my sensed hopes or expectations? My shame leads me to second guess whether I am really worthy of God doing amazing things in my life or even if it's preposterous to think He would communicate with someone as flawed as me.

So I consistently challenge myself to embrace hope, optimism, and lofty expectations. I fight within myself to silence the voice of discouragement and fear. Lowering my expectations of God to what is humanly possible is akin to riding a bike with training wheels our entire life. What feels safe is often limiting to our potential. I also try to focus on God's abilities rather than my own. God-focus increases my faith while self-focus increases my doubt. The more I focus on and know Him the more that I will expect the seemingly impossible to take place.

This morning I am anticipating that The Holy Spirit will be recognizably present at Redeemer. I also expect that God is going to share with me some things that He wants me to tell certain individuals. He could tell them on His own without my help, but I think He delights in partnering with us to benefit each other.

Again today, I commit myself to choose hopefulness. I anticipate our perfectly good God to do perfectly good things in our midst. I choose to expect Him to allow even me to participate in all of it.

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The Trifecta of Awkwardness

(My view from the floor)

The following are some thoughts I had last night during our Friday night gathering at the church.
What is there about waiting that is so awkward? Well, not just waiting but silence too. Silence feels awkward often. Waiting while silent is doubly awkward. The awkward trifecta occurs when I don't know what I am silently waiting for.

Maybe that's what we should call our Friday night group at Redeemer... The Trifecta of Awkwardness.

As a community we gather at 9pm on Friday evenings to wait on God, often silently. We do not know what, if anything, will happen. In fact we are doing it right now as I type this.

Too often Christian meetings have become venues that strive to entertain and comfort the masses. In fact, many meetings seem to do everything possible to make people feel secure that absolutely nothing out of the ordinary will happen. You see the unexpected happening makes us feel out of control. Here in the West we like to feel like everything is totally within our control even if we know deep-down that is an illusion. Why else would we feel so secure having "church" end at precisely the same time every Sunday since Jesus ascended?

Why do we wait on God? Because Jesus waited on The Father for instruction. Because the disciples waited for The Holy Spirit until Pentecost even though they didn't know exactly what they were waiting for. We wait on God because we expect Him to show up. Like all really worthwhile things in life, He is worth waiting for.

Christian waiting is different than wishing. Christian waiting is active, full of expectation. I waited for our daughter to be born after Beth became pregnant in a very active way. I prepared for her arrival. I poured money, time, and effort into waiting for her arrival. I should wait on God in the same manner. I should spend myself actively preparing for Him to arrive.

As I type this some people are praying, some reading the bible, some expressing their love to God by quietly worshiping Him as they wave a flag, and some are meditating. To an outsider it may look very passive, even boring. To those who are physically, emotionally, and mentally invested it is a time filled with passion.


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Times Change, Truth Does Not

Elapsed time sometimes produces changes in perspective. To have perspectives remain unchanged over time means that one has learned nothing from history.

Today I read excerpts of a book published in 1900 by the American Book and Bible House authored by Charles Carroll. It's title was "The Negro a Beast". One hundred and eleven years ago a book by that title was published by a mainstream Christian Publisher!

The contents of the book do not betray it's title. For example Carroll writes, "The average weight of the European brain, males and females, is 1340 grammes; that of the Negro is 1178; of the Hottentot, 974; and of the Australian, 907. The significance of these comparisons appears when we learn that Broca, the most eminent of French anthropologists, states that when the European brain falls below 978 grammes (mean of males and females) the result is idiocy. In this opinion Thurman coincides. The color of the Negro brain is darker than that of the White, and it's density and texture are inferior."

Why the book was not titled "The Australian a Beast" or "What the Heck is a Hottentot and Why Aren't Their Brains Heavier?" I do not know. Carroll later assumes that his numbers weren't entirely accurate and that Caucasian brains probably weigh closer to 1500 grammes. Whew - the book may not have felt bigoted enough without upping the weight of the white brain.

It gets worse (or better if this was a mockumentary highlighting racist absurdity). The book goes on to provide sketches portraying lily white Adam and Eve standing separate from a crying dark skinned baby. The caption reads, "Is the Negro an offspring of Adam and Eve? Can the rose produce a thistle?"

Later sketches in the book show a white woman being married to a black man by a white preacher with a caption that reads, "Can you find a white preacher who would unite in Holy wedlock a burly negro to a white lady?... Ah! parents, you would rather see your daughter burned and her ashes scattered to the winds of heaven."

The book quickly became a bestseller.

To make sure that no one mistakes The American Book and Bible house as an open minded publisher that chooses not to censor it's authors they give their own opinion in the foreword of the book. It reads, "In placing the book The Negro a Beast upon the American market, we do so knowing their will be many learned men who will take issue with us, but while we are fully convinced of this, we are also convinced that when this book is read and it's contents duly weighed and considered in an intelligent and prayerful manner, that it will be to the minds of the American people like unto the voice of God from the clouds appealing unto Paul on his way to Damascus."

This bestselling book was published within a single generation of the Civil War. How is it possible that Christians were the primary buyers of such a book? There were of course Christians who opposed racism in America at that time. A group that William Seymour was associated with used their publishing house in response to promote a book encouraging racial equality titled "Is the Negro a Beast?" Of course that book did not do as well in sales.

I feel challenged today to look carefully and critically at the views to which I adhere. I do not want cultural acceptance to dictate my personal beliefs and standards. Racism was socially acceptable in 1900. It was not and never has been acceptable to God.




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Samson and Ruth

In sports I love watching athletes that make the most of their physical abilities. Conversely I do not enjoy watching the ultra-talented underachieve. The rare athlete that is supremely gifted and driven to succeed (Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, etc.) is a joy to behold.

As a pastor I hate seeing people not living up to the greatness they have inside of them. I also LOVE seeing people take whatever talents they do have and go all out using them for God. I often see people with seemingly less natural ability or charisma that do great things for God because they persevere and use whatever they do have for His kingdom.

The book of Judges reveals Samson as someone that had all the physical characteristics a man could want. His strength was without rival. He did not have the character to match his gifting. He was hot headed, stubborn, a womanizer, and intensely selfish. The only thing that equalled his strength were his moral deficiencies.

He also wasn't being recruited by MIT. For example, doesn't it seem like he should have caught on to Delilah after she betrayed him for the BILLIONTH time? How many times does someone have to hear, "Samson the Philistines are upon you!" before wondering if this is a good person to be vulnerable with?

The captivity of Samson caused the pagan Philistines to celebrate and honor their false God. Instead of his life provoking people to honor the God of Israel the opposite took place. To quote Pastor John, "Power without character is creepy." Yep.


The book of Ruth immediately follows Judges in the Old Testament. Ruth is the anti-Samson. She had a grand total of zippo going for her in life. She was a unmarried widow in a culture that didn't afford women the opportunity to prosper apart from a man. She was a foreigner in a very closed society that did not have good relations with her people.

She chose to devote her life to her aging mother in law even though she was not obligated to do so. Surely Ruth could have had a better life among her own family in her own country than she would have in Israel as a caregiver. She gave up her life for the betterment of another person's.

God not only blessed Ruth with a husband and a family, but she has become the standard bearer of what loyalty looks like. It's funny to me, the words "where you go I go" seem way stronger than a guy pushing pillars down.


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Toronto Investigated

I recently picked up James Beverley's book titled "Holy Laughter & The Toronto Blessing an Investigative Report" for 1$ in a bargain bin at a bookstore. It was published in 1995 a little over a year after the outpouring in Toronto became a worldwide attraction. I have read much of it the past few days.

As with much that is written, some of the major points of conflict that the book addresses now feel rather small in the light of years passed. "Holy laughter" is not the distinguishable characteristic that the move in Toronto is known for. The possible excesses that drew much attention from Christian leaders and media in the late 90's are not much more than footnotes in the church's history. I believe the Toronto Blessing will be recognized historically for it's global impact as many Christian leaders felt resuscitated and empowered by God in their time in Toronto.




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Regarding Propriety in Worship

"No reading of the Book of Acts will suggest that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is always inner and quiet. In adopting such an attitude we may be cutting ourselves off from the activity of the sovereign Spirit which we all so much need, and cosigning our congregations to harmonious sterility." ~ Canadian church historian Ian Rennie


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God Broke My Paradigm...and I liked it.

As I ponder and reflect on all that took place last week my mind often lands on a few of the moments that I found to be especially fun.

One of them is the Rock Concert / Worship / Deliverance atmosphere during Angela Greenig's daytime session. What a riot! I have taught on deliverance several times over the years in a few different contexts. I have tried to personally witness several different methods that others use and have read many books on the subject. I have NEVER seen anything like what took place that morning. Ever.

She threw little toy army men at people to remind them we are in a spiritual battle. She waved a sword violently as she prayed. She yelled AT people in tongues. She seemed to have a "Come and get some!" attitude with the demonic. Because of her I can use the words "leg scissors" and "ministry" together in a sentence.

Angela did everything that I have ever told students not to do. She did some other things I had not thought to tell them not to do. And the best part? I never once felt like things were amiss as it all took place. There are some things that are wise as principles but should not be made into strict laws of behavior.

There was yelling, falling, pushing, crying, and people being touched by God. As she ministered I thought of Smith Wigglesworth. If I were a pastor in a church in the first half of the 20th century that Smith ministered in I can imagine that I would of been aghast as he wound up to strike someone with an infirmity. I hope that my offense would be gone as the fruit of their healing was evident and I recognized that God was was not sharing my offense. As I reflect I am smiling. The body of Christ is beautifully diverse and thankfully God did not make everyone like me.

I hope to see Angela again. I can learn much from her. She has experienced some things I have only read about in books. God is using her in areas that many have been unwilling to go. I am praying for God's Kingdom to keep advancing through the unlikeliest of people in the unlikeliest of places in the unlikeliest of ways.


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Azusa St. & William Seymour

Tomorrow morning I will teach on The Azusa St. Revival in Redeemer Ministry School. No one person in the history of the 20th century captures my interest like Azusa's leader William J. Seymour.


Who is William J. Seymour? He was a one eyed black man that was a son of slaves with no formal education that God raised up to be the greatest civil rights leader you've never heard of. He is the one person in modern Christian history that causes me to feel "something" (I put it in quotes because I can't explain what that thing I feel is) when I look at his picture. The "something" is a mixture of respect, regard, pity, admiration, and maybe even love. But my musings regarding loving someone that was born 100 years before me and only known through the extant testimonies of other people is a topic for another day.

He may very well have been the founder of modern Pentecostalism but he is rarely more than a footnote in Pentecostal literature. I think he was more significant to the cause of civil rights than Malcolm X, and that is no denigration to Malcolm X.

He is best known for pastoring the church that made glossolalia (speaking in tongues) famous but in my opinion that wasn't the defining mark of the revival.

Tonight I am thankful that I get to tell others a story that I enjoy so much.

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Some questions about 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Next Sunday Pastor John will be preaching out of 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Each week home groups in our church meet together and many of them discuss the verses that are going to preached that coming Sunday. I am putting the questions that will be discussed this week along with the corresponding verses below:

26: "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.”

Q: How would you describe yourself before you became a follower of Jesus?

Q: What does human wisdom consist of? How does that compare to God's wisdom?



27-29:"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”


Q: Why would God choose foolish, weak, lowly, and despised things to reveal Himself through rather than things that are wise and strong?

Q: What are some examples of God choosing unlikely seemingly unqualified people to show His glory through throughout history?


30-31 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Q: How specifically did Jesus become wisdom from God? What does that phrase mean?

Q: If you were talking to someone that had never been to church before, how would you explain the meaning of the words “righteousness, holiness, and redemption”?

Q: What are several things you can boast in The Lord about?

Volunteers Needed:

The Salvation Army Warming Center is a facility that gives people without shelter a place to stay when temperatures are expected to be below 32 degrees. The Warming Center is scheduled to cease operating for the season on Saturday night March 12th . If we can find volunteers to monitor the facility from 8pm - 8am each night we could help keep the Warming Center open until the winter weather breaks (which may be within a couple of weeks). There are usually 8 or 9 people on average staying the night at the facility. Sometimes there are as few as 2 or 3 depending on the severity of the weather.

There currently are shelters for women and children in Monroe so the vast majority of the people staying at the Warming Center are males.
If you are interested in volunteering for this in the next 2 weeks please contact me (Josh - 693-1831; joshabentley@gmail.com ) and I will give the specifics of what volunteering would entail. It feels like a Jesus-opportunity to help provide shelter to people without any. Any amount of time you can donate between 8pm -8am would be very helpful.


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C.S. Lewis on God's Humility

C. S. Lewis wrote:
It is hardly complimentary to God that we should choose him as an alternative to hell. Yet even this he accepts. The creature’s illusion of self-sufficiency must, for the creature’s sake, be shattered. And by trouble, or fear of trouble on earth, by crude fear of the eternal flames, God shatters it, unmindful of his glory’s diminution. I call this “divine humility”, because it’s a poor thing to strike our colours to God when the ship is going down under us, a poor thing to come to him as a last resort, to offer up our own when it is no longer worth keeping. If God were proud, he would hardly have us on such terms. But he is not proud. He stoops to conquer. He would have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to him, and come to him because there is nothing better now to be had.

From "The Problem of Pain"

Tonight at the Cafe

Tonight my wife Beth will be speaking at Newport Beach Cafe about a biblical view of forgiveness. 

Just in case, I've been on my best behavior all week.

Furious Love Event Schedule

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Furious Love Event

Furious Love Event




On April 6-9, 2011, nine internationally renowned speakers will be coming to Monroe, Michigan. The Furious Love Event, which was conceived and is being produced by Monroe native Darren Wilson, and his film production company, Wanderlust Productions, will feature four days of world class teaching on the many subjects highlighted in Darren’s first two feature films, Finger of God and Furious Love. The Event will be held at Redeemer Fellowship Church. Registration is required.

The movies, which have been seen by millions around the world, cover a wide range of experiences Darren and his film crew have had while traveling the world in an attempt to film the various moves and character of God. Whether it be miracles, demon possession, spiritual warfare, or radical love, the two films have helped ignite a shift in Christians and churches all around the world towards love and compassion, as well as a new understanding of the power of God.

The speakers will include Heidi & Rolland Baker (Mozambique), Philip Mantofa (Indonesia), Mattheus van der Steen (Netherlands), Shampa Rice (India), Angela Greenig, Will Hart, Robby Dawkins, and Greg Boyd.

For more information or to register, the website for the Event is www.furiouslovefilm.com/event. Group rates and discounts are also available.

For more information on Wanderlust Productions or their films, visit www.wanderlustproductions.net or call 847-628-1142.


Below are details on each speaker for the Event:

Heidi and Rolland Baker, who have seen thousands of miracles in Mozambique, including nearly 100 people raised from the dead. They also care for nearly 10,000 orphans through their ministry, Iris.

Philip Mantofa, who pastors a church of 30,000 in Indonesia, the most Muslim nation in the world.

Angela Greenig, who has been a part of thousands of demonic deliverances over the years. Her story of leading a prominent Satanist to Christianity is highlighted in Furious Love.

Mattheus van der Steen, a Holland evangelist who regularly preaches to tens of thousands all over the world, and has preached alongside noted evangelist Reinhard Bonnke.

Robby Dawkins, a Chicago Vineyard pastor who travels the world teaching on deliverance and power evangelism.

Will Hart, a young evangelist who has spent the last 12 years of his life traveling to some of the most remote places in the world to spread the good news of Christ.

Shampa Rice, a former “slumdog” who now runs a children’s home and other ministries in her native India. She has seen incredible miracles and transformations simply through what she describes as “hugging ministry.”

Greg Boyd, noted author of books such as Letters From A Skeptic, God At War, and The Myth of a Christian Nation.



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Eyewitness Account of The Cane Ridge Revival of 1800 in Kentucky

The Rev. Moses Hoge described the Cane Ridge camp meeting, in an account that could stand for similar meetings of that period:

The careless fall down, cry out, tremble, and not infrequently are affected with convulsive twitchings.…

Nothing that imagination can paint, can make a stronger impression upon the mind, than one of those scenes. Sinners dropping down on every hand, shrieking, groaning, crying for mercy, convulsed; professors praying, agonizing, fainting, falling down in distress, for sinners or in raptures of joy!.…

As to the work in general there can be no question but it is of God. The sub jects of it, for the most part are deeply wounded for their sins, and can give a clear and rational account of their conversion.…

Excerpt from Christian History Magazine issue 26 1989

Purpose

"God is rescuing us from the shipwreck of the world, not so that we can sit back and put our feet up in his company, but so that we can be part of his plan to remake the world. We are in orbit around God and his purposes, not the other way around."
N.T. Wright in Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision


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Location:Frenchtown,United States

Daniel 9

In Daniel 9 we see Daniel repenting for his sins and the sins of his people. How I need a heart that recognizes (& grieves)my own sin but also cares for others in such a way that I would feel personally impacted by their sin. Too often I am slow to recognize my own shortcomings & am callous in regards to others distance from God. I am praying for a heart like Daniel's.

posted via phone

My Own British Invasion

I have been listening so much to N.T. Wright's lectures of late that I am beginning to hear my own thoughts with an English accent. My shed-yule has been quite full this week so I have often listened while driving. I have also been listening to the English ex-patriot Mark Goodacre's podcasts (how can the word podcast not trigger a spellcheck warning BUT podcasts is deemed unacceptable. Blogger recommends that I hyphenate the plural of podcast making it pod-casts. For real? Is there a plural I am unaware of?) who seems to feel it is his global duty to mention the BBC, soccer, and all things metric in each recording. It's amazing I'm driving on the right (opposed to left) side of the road and not racing home to watch Dr. Who on the telly.

The two of them seem to disagree on many important subjects, however they both challenge my preconceptions about the New Testament regularly. That is what I desperately need. I think it is necessary that my paradigms are challenged and stretched for me to grow. I find that I am able to come to my own conclusions more rapidly on a subject when I am challenged to consider opposing or new viewpoints. Even if I do not agree with the conclusions that one arrives at I am better for having to consider why I can't hold their opinion.

I specifically value the graciousness that N.T. Wright extends to those who disagree with him while not retreating from his position. There is a humility that seems to underlie all of his work that I hope is contagious via paper, kindle, and podcast(s). 

Bishop Wright

Mark Goodacre

 

 

 

 

 

A Mother's Prayer Answered

The clips below are just the audio of R.W. Shambach telling of a miracle he witnessed at an A.A. Allen meeting. I have played these for our RMS students each year. I start to cry each time that I hear it.

1 Thumb up & 1 Thumb Down so far...

One of the books I am currently reading is Victorious Eschatology by Harold Eberle and Martin Trench. What makes this book unusual for me is that I am finding myself both agreeing and disagreeing vigorously with the authors, sometimes within the same paragraph. It is common for me to have minor differences of opinion as I read especially since I often purposefully select reading material that will challenge my paradigm.

I think Victorious Eschatology does a fantastic job working through the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 and putting them into a historical context with the first century. At the same time, I am uncomfortable with the dominionist tone that the chapters covering John's revelation seem to have.

The good news for me is that my internal cheering and arguing is keeping the pages turning and my interest intact.

Introducing Clair & Anne

The picture on the right is of my new friends Clair and Anne. I have seen them around our community several times over the years, but I just got to know them this past week. They have been married for many years and are a delightful couple to be around. Anne is very sweet and Clair has always appeared to me to be dignified and stoic.


Anne is currently struggling with several very serious health issues. Her right eye is almost completely blind. A recent bout with pneumonia has left her dependent on an oxygen tank for consistent breathing. There are also numerous aches and pains that have accumulated over the past couple years.

This past Saturday night, along with a few of my friends, I was able to pray for her. She said that she saw a marked improvement in the amount of brightness she could see out of the edges of her right eye. Her and I were both excited at the improvement (giant of faith that I am I tried not to act shocked). I also prayed for her breathing to be restored fully and for God to move on her entire body. She said she physically felt the  presence of God as we prayed.

While I prayed for her, my friends Sue, Josh, Patt, and Daniel were praying for Clair. Anne had shared with all of us what a great husband he has been to her all these years. As they prayed Clair began to laugh.  It was the kind of laugh that seemed to at first bubble up inside him and then came out like a river. Sue laughed with him. Not to be irreverent but it sounded to me like God was tickling them both. It was truly precious. Anne, hearing her husband giggle while we were praying, looked up at  me and said, "It's been years since he's had the spirit of laughter." She thought it was such a good thing for him to be laughing that way in the presence of God after all the serious things they have been through together lately. It's funny, as Clair joyously laughed I felt better and better. It was contagious.

Anne said that I could use their pictures and ask anyone that may read this to pray for them. I don't know yet if Anne's breathing has improved. Let's pray for 100% full recovery for her lungs and for her vision. I will post as soon as I hear an update. Until then I hope that the laughter continues.

THE Son of Man

Earlier tonight I preached out of Luke 9:43-45. It is yet  another passage where Jesus tries to alert the disciples to His impending fate in Jerusalem. They again are unable to comprehend what He is telling them.

There is one statement by Jesus in that passage that has completely confiscated my attention: "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." The "Son of Man" is what Jesus referred to Himself as throughout the Gospels. The phrase "Son of Man" when used in the Old Testament, Ezekiel for example, referred to the humanity of a person. However by the time of Jesus' ministry "Son of Man" had become a title. It's usage as a title stems from Daniel 7:13-14. It reads:
 ¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Every religious Jew in the 1st Century would have been aware of Daniel 7. Notice that Daniel saw someone "like a son of man".  The One Daniel saw was given all authority and power and an everlasting kingdom. The messianic hopes of Israel would be fulfilled by someone like the figure from Daniel's vision. Jesus' usage of the title "Son of Man" for Himself was so common most commentators believe it was a circumlocution for the pronoun "I".

The irony for me is that "The Son of Man" (contrasted against "a son of man") was delivered to the hands of "men". The One that could only be described hundreds of years earlier prophetically by Daniel as being somewhat "like" a man  was handed over to mere men and subjected to their scrutiny. If it wasn't the genius of God for Jesus to rescue and redeem mankind, it would be absurd to me that the One with all power and an everlasting indestructible kingdom would be judged by the representative of a kingdom that wouldn't last the millennium.


That The Son of Man would suffer under mere men to save mankind astonishes me anew today. Like the disciples I can not comprehend the magnitude of that, but I am ever so thankful.