The importance of self!
We have been in Princeton now for roughly a year and a half. Time after time I see evidence of God using me, using us, to minister to people. This is not the stuff of news headlines, or maybe even local gossip. Yet as time marches on we see the image of Christ in ourselves and others growing more and more glorious.
I often think, in situations in which I 'feel' that I have been able to provide some light or an answer or speak an appropriate word, “Hey, this is larger than myself. God is at work here!” Given the frailties of our heart, and it propensity towards deception, I know that feelings are not always trustworthy guide. Yet, I would stand firm that God is working in our midst. And, amazingly, God is working in and through me.
Certainly, one should not blow his own horn. There are Biblical warnings against doing that; however, there is also Biblical support for recognizing who and what God is making a person into, where He is placing him and for what purposes. As pastor of a small flock of believers this must mean that I embrace the responsibilities, the authority and the humility of such a calling.
What I am saying is that grappling with and embracing one's calling is not an expression of sinful selfishness, rather to avoid the calling of God is selfishness. However, along with this awareness of stepping up to the plate one must have a growing conviction that it is God who is a work in ME. (Phil. 2:12,13)
Therefore, if in the end, I would be desirous of being able to say: “I have run the race!” I must now say: “By the grace of God I am running the race!”
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
One week from today is Christmas! But what is Christmas? Most believers recognize that Christ was most likely born on a different date, even in a different time of the year.
I am convinced that if God had wanted us to make a big deal out of the birth of His Son He would have included a few more pertinent details, such as a date. But moving on to my own history, I remember as a kid having a tree glowing with lights, stacked with gifts, accompanied by notes of Christmas music floating in the air, and trips to grandparents – long trips from northern Maine (then later central Maine) to southern Maine – more gifts, more relatives and lots more food. As time progressed some of you entered found a place in my memory. But one may have these memories without having anything directly related to the birth of the Messiah. And so, over my life time, and I am sure that this trend started long before that, we have been witnessing, and may even have had a part in, the secularization of this holiday.
In some ways, I am pleased that more non-believers are opting out of saying “Merry Christmas” and that our secular schools are not doing Christmas any more. (Though the extremes that we are witnessing of emptying our schools of all historical memories of our heritage and traditions is a grave and tragic error.) The secular American may observe 'whatever' or not as they wish too, spend as much money or not, and decorate profusely or not.
Likewise, we believers should not be tied too tightly into our American way of doing Christmas, for Christ is far bigger than any American tradition. And over the years that is what has been occurring in my own heart, and I think to some extent in my family as well, that the trappings are free to come and go because the entrance of God into the world as a human being moves us to awe and worship each and every day of the year.
Lastly, God never encourages us to make a big deal over the birth of Christ because without his death, according to the Scriptures, and his burial, and resurrection, according to the Scriptures all would be empty, meaningless! Leaving us with the option of eating, drinking and making merry for tomorrow we die! However, since this unique Son of God – come in the flesh as man – did happen, we look forward to grace and judgment upon his return. While we wait we worship, and rejoice with joy inexpressible, filled with glory, on any day.
This year I believe I celebrate with perhaps more worship and joy than I ever have. We also have fewer decorations. These two do not necessarily go together. I desire most to worship well, with Joy and Hope, so that others might see and that they too might someday have this same Hope and Joy that comes from the King of kings and Lord of lords.
I close with a couple of verses from Hebrews: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (7:25 ESV) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (11:6 ESV)
I am convinced that if God had wanted us to make a big deal out of the birth of His Son He would have included a few more pertinent details, such as a date. But moving on to my own history, I remember as a kid having a tree glowing with lights, stacked with gifts, accompanied by notes of Christmas music floating in the air, and trips to grandparents – long trips from northern Maine (then later central Maine) to southern Maine – more gifts, more relatives and lots more food. As time progressed some of you entered found a place in my memory. But one may have these memories without having anything directly related to the birth of the Messiah. And so, over my life time, and I am sure that this trend started long before that, we have been witnessing, and may even have had a part in, the secularization of this holiday.
In some ways, I am pleased that more non-believers are opting out of saying “Merry Christmas” and that our secular schools are not doing Christmas any more. (Though the extremes that we are witnessing of emptying our schools of all historical memories of our heritage and traditions is a grave and tragic error.) The secular American may observe 'whatever' or not as they wish too, spend as much money or not, and decorate profusely or not.
Likewise, we believers should not be tied too tightly into our American way of doing Christmas, for Christ is far bigger than any American tradition. And over the years that is what has been occurring in my own heart, and I think to some extent in my family as well, that the trappings are free to come and go because the entrance of God into the world as a human being moves us to awe and worship each and every day of the year.
Lastly, God never encourages us to make a big deal over the birth of Christ because without his death, according to the Scriptures, and his burial, and resurrection, according to the Scriptures all would be empty, meaningless! Leaving us with the option of eating, drinking and making merry for tomorrow we die! However, since this unique Son of God – come in the flesh as man – did happen, we look forward to grace and judgment upon his return. While we wait we worship, and rejoice with joy inexpressible, filled with glory, on any day.
This year I believe I celebrate with perhaps more worship and joy than I ever have. We also have fewer decorations. These two do not necessarily go together. I desire most to worship well, with Joy and Hope, so that others might see and that they too might someday have this same Hope and Joy that comes from the King of kings and Lord of lords.
I close with a couple of verses from Hebrews: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (7:25 ESV) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (11:6 ESV)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Okay, I haven't blogged for a while – I living in a small town and sometimes there is not much happening!! (Disclaimer – I am exaggerating some and this blog is not strictly tied to what is or what is not happening in Princeton!).
Over the last couple of weeks I have been preparing for the next topic in our Adult Sunday School class, which will be the decrees of God and his sovereignty. I spent some time over several days getting familiar with a view known, among other names, as Open Theism. In someways this was a delightful exercise, but one that also left me with sadness. This is an excellent example of poor theology leading to bad theology. I will not rehash the whole thing but share some brief comments.
This is a teaching that speaks of God's relationship with his creation, claiming that there is much, regarding future events, that God knows only as possibilities. God knows all possibilities, and being infinitely intelligent he has the ability to to be prepared to respond to any and all combinations of possibilities. While God has the broad outline of history fixed there are many 'little' steps along the way that God is willing to take risks as to how his creatures will respond to himself as well as to events in their lives.
From my admitted limited exposure, I suggest the following poor theological points allows for even more glaring positions to be embraced. Many of the proponents are Arminian in their theology, thus they already hold that a spiritually dead person may chose life, that God is doing all that he can do to save everyone, and that God knows future events because he foresees (looks ahead) to see what we will do. Problems exist with these position yet the Open Theism proponents, while recognizing some errors, will use these as platforms to build an even shaker house. Scriptures does not seem to be the number one building tool for this theory, rather the mind is. While I argue that many of us do not love God with enough of our mind, human thinking is full of faulty presuppositions, and therefore, must not be relied upon exclusively, or even chiefly.
The Holy Spirit, and He alone, through the Scriptures, is the teacher of Truth. Yet we do have responsibility to hear, learn and build upon the truth. The following is repeated seven times in Revelation chapters two and three: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev 2:7 ESV) If our starting point is something learned because we have not been listening, where will our ending point be?
Over the last couple of weeks I have been preparing for the next topic in our Adult Sunday School class, which will be the decrees of God and his sovereignty. I spent some time over several days getting familiar with a view known, among other names, as Open Theism. In someways this was a delightful exercise, but one that also left me with sadness. This is an excellent example of poor theology leading to bad theology. I will not rehash the whole thing but share some brief comments.
This is a teaching that speaks of God's relationship with his creation, claiming that there is much, regarding future events, that God knows only as possibilities. God knows all possibilities, and being infinitely intelligent he has the ability to to be prepared to respond to any and all combinations of possibilities. While God has the broad outline of history fixed there are many 'little' steps along the way that God is willing to take risks as to how his creatures will respond to himself as well as to events in their lives.
From my admitted limited exposure, I suggest the following poor theological points allows for even more glaring positions to be embraced. Many of the proponents are Arminian in their theology, thus they already hold that a spiritually dead person may chose life, that God is doing all that he can do to save everyone, and that God knows future events because he foresees (looks ahead) to see what we will do. Problems exist with these position yet the Open Theism proponents, while recognizing some errors, will use these as platforms to build an even shaker house. Scriptures does not seem to be the number one building tool for this theory, rather the mind is. While I argue that many of us do not love God with enough of our mind, human thinking is full of faulty presuppositions, and therefore, must not be relied upon exclusively, or even chiefly.
The Holy Spirit, and He alone, through the Scriptures, is the teacher of Truth. Yet we do have responsibility to hear, learn and build upon the truth. The following is repeated seven times in Revelation chapters two and three: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev 2:7 ESV) If our starting point is something learned because we have not been listening, where will our ending point be?
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