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.

Healing and Deliverance

In John 10:10 Jesus says regarding the behaviors of Satan and Himself, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." This verse makes things very simple for me when praying for people. If a situation or condition is stealing, killing, or destroying a person I treat it as if it is the rotten fruit of Satan's Kingdom. Stealing, killing, and destroying are the evidences that the enemy of God (and therefore God's people) has been at work. 


In 1 John 3:8 the apostle says, "The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." What is the work of the devil? Stealing, killing, and destroying. The purpose of Jesus coming to mankind was to destroy the works of the destroyer.


These two verses create a simple framework for me to operate from as a participant in God's Kingdom. If someone is in front of me that is sick or suffering from a disease I never have to wonder if it is God's will to heal them. I pray for Satan's work to be destroyed in their life and for their life to be abundant with Jesus. I never wonder if God gave someone sickness or brought calamity into their life since I do not believe God is the author of those things. It is nonsensical to me to think that God sent Jesus to destroy (1 John 3:8) what He himself initiated. 


This trimester I am teaching a class on healing and deliverance in RMS. Yesterday we studied the ministry and methodology of John Alexander Dowie. In our next class we will be surveying the ministries of Aimee Semple McPherson, Smith Wigglesworth, and Kathryn Kuhlman.  

The Morning After

I am processing a long but wonderful week of ministry. Randy Clark and the Global Awakening team held a healing school at Redeemer this past week. Our church family was full of servant superheros that allowed us to host hundreds of people from all over the world.



 Today is a much needed day for me to recoup and build up for the coming week's adventures. I am hanging out with Beth and Ash while drinking some of my favorite coffee (the wonderful Casi Cielo is in season) and reading some new books. I am enjoying Joe McIntyre's book on E.W. Kenyon. Just like Joe the book is easy to follow and full of thought provoking insights.

Brief Thoughts as I Process a Wonderful Day

Tonight Beth, Ashleigh, and I attended my ordination service. I was unaware of almost all of the details of the event since Pastor John & Linda coordinated it with our elders and many other wildly gifted and tireless people.

The feelings that I have after being honored and commissioned by people that I deeply admire is hard to describe. Beth and I have so much respect for the men and women that filled the sanctuary this evening. To be told that we have positively impacted them in any way toward Christ is humbling.

I want to say a great big thank you to:
*Everyone that spoke during the ceremony, especially Beth.
*The elders and staff of RFC that not only put the whole night together but also overlook my considerable weaknesses.
*Those who gave their time and effort away to bake 300+ incredible cupcakes, make excellent coffee, beautify the Fellowship Hall, and create the most spiritual and artistic certificate that I have ever seen. What a way to spend your birthday Holly Holladay!
*Everyone who came and participated with Beth, Ashleigh, and I. From the worship to the hugs - it felt like God was interacting with us and through us together.
*God. Your presence makes everything wonderful. Thank you for your mercy and undeserved kindness. 

I don't know if it is possible for me to feel more loved, humbled and honored than I do right now. I am overwhelmed in a very positive way. You see, my two primary ways that I feel loved are by receiving kind, affirming words and by physical touch. If there is such a thing as a love tank, mine is bursting as I write this.

We are so blessed to be in a family like this!

I am reposting this not for publicity, but rather to point out something very important. I have learned (for real) that the man narrating this promo is the same one who does all the promos for the WWE (the WWF to everyone over 35). Using the Kevin Bacon game as our standard - John Piippo and Hulk Hogan are now easily connected within 4 or 5 degrees. That would also connect Pastor John to Sylvester Stallone and Mr. T thanks to the much underrated Rocky III.

To NIV or not to NIV

     I can not figure out why the NIV translates the Greek word  "σαρκί"  into "sinful nature" in  Romans 7:18. I think it would better be rendered plainly as "flesh" in the same way it is used throughout the rest of the New Testament.
     Duke University's Mark Goodacre says that the mistranslation of σαρκί by the NIV may make it unusable for the study of Paul's letters. That is a big statement, and I may agree with him. I know that I feel without clarification the phrase "sinful nature" may lead people to what I feel are erroneous theological conclusions.
     Doug Moo is now the Chairman of the Committe on Bible Translation for the NIV says the following regarding the "sinful nature" debate: 
"The decision of the original New International Version (NIV) translators to render the Greek sarx, when it had its distinctively negative connotation in Paul, with the phrase sinful nature has been widely criticized. I was one of those critics. Every time I taught on passages in which the phrase occured, I insisted that students heed the marginal note indicating the alternate rendering "the flesh" and criticized the translators for their decision. Along with many others, I worried that the introduction of "nature" would further encourage the questionably biblical focus on contrasting "natures" as a framework for conceptualizing the contrast between pre-Christian and Christian experience. Then, in 1995, I was asked to join the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), the group charged with the oversight of the NIV text. As we comprehensively reviewed the NIV text with a view to needed revisions, we came to Romans--and I was asked to serve on a subcommittee that would recommend alternatives to the existing NIV rendering of sarx in Paul. As we did our work--based on a comprehensive review of the translation alternatives by my colleague Walter Liefeld--it quickly became apparent to me that the translator had to consider factors that the exegete and teacher did not."
     Jason Staples make a good argument against the use of "sinful nature" in the NIV that can be found here. 
 

A Bigger Loser

Here is an interesting story about the coach and founder of The Washington Generals written by Joe Posnanski. He has probably lost more games than anyone in the history of basketball. The story goes a bit  behind the curtain of The Harlem Globetrotters.

"In being loved, we become lovely; we become lovable because God finds us that way."
                                                                           John Fischer from Confessions of a Caffeinated Christian

Meeting Mr. Right

Looking up on my street

    Earlier today I was having a conversation with someone that I do not know very well but that I genuinely like. After a few minutes he began to tell me about some the things on his mind. Since meeting the man a little over a month ago I have asked God to open the door for me to be some kind of blessing to him.
     My desire was to listen and really hear him. Years ago my desire may have been to listen to him only well enough to get my opening to tell him all the things I thought he needed to hear. Not shockingly I have found that God actually uses me more with people when my only agenda is to be kind and not to corral every conversation  into my religious corner of choice.

     I had what is for me a hard choice to make today. The choice was between what the late Jack Frost called "being in relationship" with someone or "being right". Sometimes those are the only two choices. There are obviously times when it is essential to declare and stand up for certain truths. But I believe there are often times where relationships can grow when someone is willing not to try to "win" the other person to their way of thinking and just listen. Today I felt the latter was the way of choice.
     It's easy for me to choose to lay down my opinions when it comes to matters of little consequence. For example, my friend Gary Wilson believes Barry Sanders was a better overall running back than Emmit Smith in the 90's. He's wrong and I can let that go. It is not always as easy when it comes to issues of faith and religion. It is definitely not as easy when it comes to opinions that I have regarding the character and ways of God.
      In a 15 minute dialogue the following things were said to me:

• Prophecy is God's way to let the world know how angry He is and of impending judgment.
• The sin nature that Christians still have is too powerful to overcome and will not be remedied until Heaven.
• God's wrath is being revealed through the disasters He causes until the rapture comes.

     I believe that those statements above represent some of the most dangerous unbiblical teachings that are rampant in the American church today. In fact, I disagree with multiple things in each bullet point. I also feel I can explain what I believe is a biblical response to each of those three statements. However...
     While I vehemently disagree with those statements I had to recognize that I am not the final authority on all things concerning prophecy, sanctification and eschatology. I also had to accept that he was not asking me for my opinion. I had to shut my mouth internally as well. It's hard to really hear someone when I am formulating my own rebuttal in my mind. So I just listened.
     After being asked if I understood him, I was able to tell him that I don't see those things the same way. I restrained myself from explaining why. He can ask why if he wants to know. By shutting up I was able to be relational rather than adversarial. My pride wanted to argue. Wisdom (as usual) recommended quietness and kindness.
     I may get together with him in the future. I feel a God-pull towards him and hope that it happens. I at least feel like I didn't do damage today trying to prove my rightness that will impede our future relationship. I feel very good about that.
     The dangerous thing about blogging is that someone like me can do something correctly 1 time out of a hundred and never post about the 99 others. I hope my average goes up in the next hundred opportunities - it will give me more to blog about.

Healing School With Randy Clark

Hear Ye Hear Ye

I am asking God for help and trying to discipline myself to be a better, less distracted and more active listener to others. I feel it is such a lost art in our culture that is filled with opponents to attention and focus.

A Trusting God

In the past month, like many others, I have been pondering the situations surrounding the birth of Jesus. I especially have been wondering about the people God chose to be key characters in His real life drama. What characteristics did Joseph and Mary have that caused God to trust them with circumstances unlike any that had ever been heard of?

To begin, I believe that Joesph and Mary were not puppets used by God for a purpose but rather people that had legitimate opportunities to go along with or reject God's plans for them. I believe that God risked the success of His plan for the salvation of the world by choosing to to let imperfect humans partner in it's development.

What kind of man must Joseph have been for God to trust him with such a shameful looking scenario. A lesser man would have washed his hands of the entire situation and appeared to be a greater man for it. In first century Israel the honor of one's name carried greater value than gold. Joseph's honor and the honor of his family name had to be forfeited (temporarily at least) for God's plan to succeed.  God must have seen in Joseph the type of integrity that would cause him to listen to God rather than look like someone who was Godly.
What about Mary? Socially it certainly would not have seemed like a blessing to be a pregnant unmarried girl in tribal Israel. Whispers, jeers, and disdain probably would have been her portion. She must have been a very strong young woman with great devotion in her heart to God to be chosen for such a embarrassing (yet favorable) mission.
I can't help but wonder how God goes about choosing people for the adventures of His will on the earth. What kind of man, woman, boy, or girl is he looking for today? What does he find when he looks in Michigan at the onset of 2011? I hope He finds many that are choosable ( I am aware it's not a word) for His missions.

Information Overload

     "...What we need is not primarily informational, telling us things about God and ourselves, but formational, shaping us into our true being.
     It is the very nature of language to form rather than inform. Whenm language is personal, which is at its best, it reveals; and revelation is always formative - we don't know more, we become more. Our best users of language, poets and lovers and children and saints, use words to make - make intimacies, make character, make beauty, make goodness, make truth."
                   Eugene Peterson from "Eat This Book"