There are 3 reasons I named my blog this:
1) March is my Birth month, and it's slogan "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb" is symbolic of changes in life.
2)The title is a play on Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" (the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry)
3) Christ is known as the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God
Doing a word search on "Filled with the Holy Spirit" and it's effects, I've concluded one: Those filled with the Holy Spirit are able to speak to glorify God.
John the Baptist was filled when he was still in the womb and he was a powerful prophet: Luke 1:15
Elizabeth, his mother, was filled and she immediately exclaimed a blessing to Mary and the fruit of her womb, Jesus: Luke 1:41
Zechariah, the father, was filled and praised God and prophesied concerning Jesus and John: Luke 1:67
The Apostles were filled and began to praise God in tongues and Peter began to preach: Acts 2:4-40
Peter, again filled, preaches in Acts 4:8-12
"they [the believers] were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31 ESV)
The Holy Spirit "poured out" on Cornelius and other gentile believers who then began speaking in tongues and extolling God. Acts 10:45-48
Paul is filled and begins to prophesy against Elymas the magician. Acts 13:9
These are all the cases I found of "filled by the Holy Spirit" and remarkably, every case has to do with speaking, whether it be in praising God (with or without tongues), preaching, or prophesying. Everything revolves around the words and their power. This is not surprising considering the tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21).
The following is taken from a paper written by Dr. Jeffrey Arthurs entitled "Devote Yourself to the Public Reading" (2010) in which he discusses the power of God through his Word.
"God transforms us through the Word. It is a fire that burns away dross (Jer 23:29), a hammer that breaks stony hearts (Jer 23:9), rain that waters crops (Isa 55:10–11), milk that nourishes babies (1 Pet 2:2), food that fills the hungry (Heb 5:12–13), a sword that pierces the heart and battles the devil (Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17), a mirror that shows us our true selves (Jas 1:23–25), and a lamp that illumines our path (Ps 119:105; Prov 6:23; 2 Pet 1:19)...
The story of the centurion illustrates the power of words in general and Jesus’ word in particular: “Just give the order, please, and my servant will recover. I am used to working under orders, and I have soldiers under me. I can say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, or I can say to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; or I can say to my slave, ‘Do this job,’ and he does it (Luke 7:6–8 Phillips). God’s Word has power to create, rule, and redeem.
Concerning creation:
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made” (Ps 33:6). Concerning ruling:
“Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to
all generations; you have established the earth and it stands fast. By your appointment
they stand this day” (Ps 119:89–90).
“He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes” (Ps 147:15–16). Concerning redemption:
“They cried to the LORD in their trouble; and he saved them from their distress; he sent
out his word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction” (Ps 107:19–20).
We are “born again, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and
enduring word of God” (1 Pet 1:23).
“He gave us birth by the word of truth” (Jas 1:18) which “has the power to save your
souls” (Jas 1:23) by the “washing of water by the word” (Eph 5:26)." (Arthurs 2010)
Is it any surprise that an infilling of the Holy Spirit (which seems to be able to occur more than once in Peter's case) leads directly to the oral glorification of God? The only appropriate response to a holy God is worship, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." And
"Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved" (Rom 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32),
yet,
"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Ma 7:22-23)
And who can confess unless the Spirit bids him confess? Unless the Father draws him near and the Son confirms him, there is no salvation. Unless the prophesying, praising, and preaching is done by the Holy Spirit working through the unclean lips of men, who can praise God except God alone? For "I [Jesus] do not accept praise from men" (John 5:41) but only from the Father
"Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:28)
and the Holy Spirit
"When the Counselor comes, whom I [Jesus] will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27)
So unless we take part in the life of the Trinity, being in close relationship to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we cannot adequate glorify God in the way God deserves to be glorified. This is why the Spirit fills us again and again so that we may take part in the life of the Trinity and the glorification that takes place there. And if we are One with Christ just as He and the Father are one, then we too will receive glory by being God's glory, being made in his glorious image. For
"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." (Psalms 8:5; Hebrews 2:6-8)
So if at times you feel an uncontrollable desire to praise God, to preach his word, or to prophesy in his name, take heart! You have been touched by the Holy Spirit and are not far from the Kingdom of God. To God be the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Here is a summary from the first review I posted, "Here’s the gist: Hell is what we create for ourselves when we reject God’s love. Hell is both a present reality for those who resist God and a future reality for those who die unready for God’s love. Hell is what we make of heaven when we cannot accept the good news of God’s forgiveness and mercy. But hell is not forever. God will have his way. How can his good purposes fail? Every sinner will turn to God and realize he has already been reconciled to God, in this life or in the next. There will be no eternal conscious torment. God says no to injustice in the age to come, but he does not pour out wrath (we bring the temporary suffering upon ourselves), and he certainly does not punish for eternity. In the end, love wins."
His redefinition of Hell causes a few problems for me. Theologically, by reducing Hell into an option you can choose for yourself, that logically means you can opt out of salvation to live in Hell (I am using Bell's definition). Conversely, if you can opt out of salvation, you MUST also have a choice to opt in. Saying one implies the other. However the problem lies in the fact that if you can choose salvation, then it is no longer God's grace but your choice i.e. a thing you can do i.e. salvation by works and the Law. If Bell wants to stick by his guns, he must also deny that salvation is by grace and that it is not God's choice (and technically not in God's power) to save anyone.
Save them from what is another question. If all hell is is temporary suffering here and a bit in the next age, just put people out of their misery now and watch them go to heaven. But even Atheists believe that once you die, suffering is over and that sin has no real consequence and in fact boast in them. I am not sure why you would even bother with God or Christianity if your main concern was the injustice of eternal suffering. Atheism is much cleaner than this castrated God and theological nightmare. Why not rather say, "If God didn't want anyone to be punished eternally, maybe he should relax a bit and stop getting all bent out of shape every time someone does something he doesn't like. Yea sometimes we hurt each other and suffering exists in the world, but God loves us and doesn't want to hurt us anymore than we've already hurt each other."
You don't need Jesus the Son of God to go out of his way to die on a cross for that because ultimately, sin doesn't matter because love wins. God didn't need Jesus to die to forgive sins. God's been forgiving the sins of David and countless others in his forbearance way before Jesus died on a cross. Jesus died on the cross to that God's righteousness would be proven because in his forbearance he had left the sins of Israel unpunished and thus appeared to be unjust to the victims in his mercy and compassion to the sinners.
Herein lies the irony: If in fact everyone is saved by God in the end (love wins), then no can be as God does not have that power to bring you to salvation (love fails). By attempting this method to universalism, he in fact achieves the opposite: only those who are able to opt in are saved but since no one is righteous, no one is able to opt in. Jesus's death had no power to save and we are back to life under the Law of Sin and Death once again.
Of course, Bell would deny this, but he cannot have his cake and eat it too. If it is Jesus's sovereign choice to bring people to salvation, it must also be his choice to condemn them. He has that right and it will not and cannot be taken from him. It is God who hardens hearts and softens them for his purposes. Either Jesus is Lord and Savior, or he is not, but not even Bell would go so far to deny Christ for the sake of universalism (which is pointless without Christ anyway). Romans 9:14-24 says:
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
It's hard to argue anything other than God's choice in salvation. Bell wrestles with the same question as Paul's imaginary debate partner, "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will? God is good and wills that no one should perish so he must bring everyone to salvation." We already know Paul's answer to Rob Bell contained in vv.20-24.
Bell argues from a perspective that "God is Love" and "God is good" so therefore "God would never subject anyone to eternal punishment", but he uses human argument and logic to circumvent what he cannot accept. He limits God on what God can or cannot do based on what sense of justice, love, and goodness he imposes on God. God is love only how I want him to love, God is good only by what I think is good and God is just only by my definition of justice and last I checked personal gods made in one's own image are worthless idols. You cannot rob God of his sovereign choice. Whatever His judgments, I trust they are fair, good, and righteous as God has proven himself to be time and time again. If God were not righteous than no one has any hope, but I for one trust God knows what he is doing better than I do.
Did you watch the video? Please take 3 minutes and do so now. You won't regret it.
Done?
Doesn't this video disturb you?
I mean after you get done being moved to tears because of the beauty of what is going on here. You might be wondering what I am talking about. When I see this man, I so clearly see Jesus in him, the way he cares for those outcasted by society, those who no one cares about. In addition, he is going against the orthodox tradition of his family in associating with these "forgotten ones", so he is committing social suicide to do this. Among Christians I hardly see the gospel so clearly, so beautifully displayed as in this man. The only problem is, as far as I can tell, he is not a Christian.
Now why is this a huge problem for me? If this man were to die tomorrow, never having been baptized, never having sang a worship song, never having praised the name of Jesus Christ and accepted Jesus into his heart, by all conventional means, he's going not going to heaven. We say it is by faith and faith alone that a man can be saved, not by his works. Can we honestly say that this man has faith in Christ? More than likely he does not. Salvation through Christ alone, no one can come to the father except through him. But how do we explain Narayanan Krishnan's (the man in the video) Christ-like behavior? Is not man depraved? How is it that he captures the essence of the law and the prophets worlds away from the context and teaching?
But what if God has revealed himself apart from Scriptures and missionaries and churches? What if God, seeing that old man eating his own human waste out of hunger, was so moved to compassion, he enacted his will on the nearest, most effective person who would be able to help his children suffering, a chef at a classy Hotel? Perhaps God has written His law on his heart and has completely bypassed human action that he might be saved first before he could feed the hungry. Is such a thing unheard of with God?
If God were limited to only using Christians to enact His will in the world, nothing would ever get done. We do share a special recognition and partnership with the Lord, however God has never been dependent on us and He never will be. It is for the best as otherwise every unsaved soul and every person left unreached by the gospel would be completely and utterly our fault. It would introduce too much liability for such a life and death matter. It is not like we could use the additional guilt of breaking yet another covenant with God. Besides, it is apparent that some areas of the world have more access to Jesus than others. Someone born right in the middle of the Bible belt has more of a shot of being saved than someone born in the middle of Iran. Is there then bias inherent in the current model of conversion, with some groups disproportionately represented in heaven than others? Is heaven 55% white, 15% Hispanic, 15% African, 10% Asian, and 5% Arabic? Or do all peoples have equal access to God's grace?
There is no doubt in my mind this man in the video is filled with God's love and compassion for the poor, the hungry, and the destitute. Could God have given him his Holy Spirit before he even knew who Jesus was? Could God have acted without us in the partnership we share in the spread of the Gospel?
I think certainly so it is within God's power to do such a thing and at times completely necessary for God to intervene in areas which we find hard to penetrate, such as India (2.4% are Christian, though that is 24 million) especially when there is suffering. Suffering occurs everywhere and so will be Christ's compassion regardless if there are Christians in the area or not. It is conceivable God might fill someone with Christ's compassion to alleviate the pain of his people in his infinite mercy and common grace. But are they saved, or is the compassion but temporary?
Perhaps we must rethink entirely what it might mean to be saved (and for that matter who can be saved/is saved), if in fact God has the power to save without our first sowing the seeds. In a sense we have a checklist that we like to run down:
1) Is he/she baptized?
2) Does he/she proclaim faith in Christ Jesus as his/her Lord and savior?
3) Does he/she act in accordance with that faith?
4) Has he/she confessed his/her sins?
etc.
But is not only one thing here that is truly important: the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of what's to come? I don't know about you, but just because someone asks to receive Christ and prays that the Holy Spirit would indwell them doesn't necessarily mean the Holy Spirit would actually do it. Prayers aren't magic, as if by some supernatural incantation you can invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to be infused into someone. The Holy Spirit does what it wills in accordance with the Father and the Son. I've met many a professing Christian who, Lord help them, show little evidence of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. but the thing is, you cannot always tell someone's heart by being around them. Only the Father knows those he has called and whom the Holy Spirit has indwelled. Up until now, I wasn't sure it was possible for those who did not know Christ to be indwelled with the Holy Spirit, but now I am not so sure.
This man from India, as I said before, blew me away by how clearly he displayed the gospel in his life. When I look at him I cannot help but see Jesus working in India through him although he does not know who it is who works through him. I wish more Christians, myself included, were such beacons of light for the faith. But there is one last crazy idea I would like to submit: although no one is guaranteed to know of Jesus in this lifetime on Earth, for whatever reason (political tensions, unreached, abortion, etc.) each and every single one of the will meet Jesus in the life hereafter, if only for a brief while. If we can accept that
a) The Holy Spirit has free and active reign to work in whomever it wills apart from human intervention and
b) It matters not if you know who Jesus is (for even Satan and his devils know) but rather if Jesus knows you
then it is entirely plausible that Jesus will recognize those whom the Spirit has rested in and in turn those who secretly possess the Holy Spirit will immediately know and recognize the familiar essence of Jesus Christ despite not knowing him in their earthly lives. Moreover, both will rejoice at the sight of the other. Though someone may not display those marks typical of salvation (baptism, confession of faith, etc.), there may not be a reason to jump the gun in condemning such as unsaved. Everything belongs to God, both sacred and secular, and he can do with it whatever He wills. That is his choice, not ours for if it were our choice it would not be grace and therefore not salvation.
But again, this only really tells us what we already know
1) God is sovereign
2) God is mighty to save
3) Only God can judge a man's heart, for if we were judged by our actions there would be no hope.
4) A man's salvation is worked out between him and God alone with fear and trembling. Others may lead him but he must walk.
Much in the same way the Jews were surprised grace could be extended to the Gentiles, perhaps God can extend this grace to non-Christians as well (in the sense that they do not know Christ/never got a chance to know him). Now, I am also no arguing for universalism. I believe there is a real hell that really burns when you go there and God has every right to send people there for their sins. What I am questioning is our own definition of Christian. There are Christians who more than likely Jesus will say, "Depart from me, I never knew you", so it's not so hard for me to believe they may be "secular" folk who do the work of God and so show that the law has been written in their hearts by God. Of course, outright denial of God and the reality of his Son and the power of the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. Although baptism is very much a part of Christian life, it is not what defines us. It is the life that we experience through Christ that we live unto the world as a testimony to God's grace and righteousness and to his gospel of peace which defines us. This Indian man has embodied the gospel like so few I've met, it's harder for me to believe that the Holy Spirit does NOT have something to do with this.
After all, the Bible contains many stories of people outside of the chosen people of God demonstrating great saving faith. Jesus encountered many of them in his ministry and their stories have been written for us to read. They have been made examples for us to imitate. We know that faith is a gift from God as well so we can infer that God has given these gentiles saving faith before the even met Jesus. The Roman centurion, for example, didn't know Jesus at all yet still came to Him for help. So too with the bleeding woman who touched his cloak. But the key thing is that it wasn't until they met Jesus that their faith became realized. As I mentioned before, everyone gets a chance to meet Jesus. Who's to say it has to be during your lifetime? I am not saying that this lifetime counts for nothing. Not at all! But for those not able to be exposed to Jesus, that is to meet Jesus in their lifetime, they will have their chance.
What I am also not saying is that we should quit evangelism. By no means! Just because God can work wonders of salvation apart from us does not means that he does so very frequently. Actually, we might never know how frequently God might do such a thing, but who can know the full extent of what God is doing in the world? We still have our role to play in finding our lost brothers and sisters that God has already started the process of drawing them closer to him. We still get to delight in the joys of the harvest with him. I'm just saying we might be harvesting way less than we think when compared to what God is bringing in. With God, anything is possible, even the salvation of "non-Christians".
Preface: It's been a long time since I've felt inspired to write a poem. It's been a long time since I've felt anything, to be honest, but every Valentine's day, without fail, my body remembers that it is alone. This poem is about me, but in a sense it is not about me at all. These are my thoughts, but not just my thoughts but those like me who know of the pain and privilege of singleness, of a life lived unto Christ. This is the cross I carry. This is the lament of a Single Man:
I've wandered alone off by the roadside
to watch the clouds as they idly fly
But as I sit here perched on a wall knee-high
it happened that two lovers passed me by
"How cruel," I thought, my cross at my side
penning letters to God as I sought out why
this wall had but room for one man to lie
as I lay here watching clouds pass in the sky
"Lord, send me someone equally shy,
meek and modest and as clever as I
She need not be perfect or pleasing," I write,
"I'd do this myself, but Lord knows I've tried!"
So here I sit, reading the clouds for reply
my eyes still damp as I let out a sigh
"Maybe next year perhaps I'll find
that certain someone to share our lives."
But the Lord said to me, "For years I've cried
watching and waiting for you, my bride.
Return to me and in me confide
and I'll return to you, in you I'll abide!"
To hear the Lord's answer, it came a surprise
"How foolish I've been who claim to be wise!"
So now at last I can finally die
thanking God for those clouds that passed me by.
Back in college, I wrote a research paper proposing that there were two types of Self-Esteem, implicit and explicit. This isn't a new idea, but I wanted to expound on it. There have been arguments that having a lot of self esteem is a good thing, but also arguments that it is a bad thing as well. My paper was a resolution to this debate. It had 4 archetypes of people in it, varying my their intersections of implicit and explicit self esteem. I proposed we had Low Implicit Self Esteem (LISE) and High Implicit Self Esteem people (HISE) as well as Low Explicit Self Esteem (LESE) and High Explicit Self Esteem (HESE) people. Here are my descriptions of what each type might look like:
LISE/LESE: These people would be your "downers". They don't have very much value in themselves and more often than not let themselves get pushed around. They tend to be people pleasers as well, in hopes of gaining recognition and feelings of worth through service. Easily abused, they seem to just take insults like a sponge.
LISE/HESE: Because of their low implicit self worth, they try to mask it with a High Explicit Self Esteem. These are very dangerous folks, as they are like eggs filled with nitroglycerin. They constantly pick fights with other people stronger than they, are very jealous in relationships, and cannot let the tiniest of insults go without making a ruckus over it. Anything that challenges their explicit self esteem generates a huge amount of "Ego threat". To are so stalwart in defending because if anything gets through their shell, their soft insecurity ridden center will be exposed. They have a lot to lose if their self-esteem is compromised. The classic "Tough guy" act.
HISE/HESE: They generally always feel very good about themselves, but do come off as smug, cocky, and arrogant, but they don't care what you think of them. Probably very used to being treated like royalty because of who they are, they let their accomplishments get to their head. They are able to control their tempers a lot more than the previous type, as really they already know they are all that and a bag of chips. Will fight if you need to be put in your place, but it's no big deal if they lose as they will usually have a smug comeback. The high amount of pride allows them to shrug off most insults.
HISE/LESE: This is a very interesting type of person. They really aren't provoked to anger about anything concerning their own integrity and anything negative said to them they would probably agree with and laugh along. However they will defend another person's dignity. They have an air of calmness and humility around them. They really don't have anything to prove to anyone. Think Ghandi or Jesus here.
I mentioned "Ego Threat" before. Let me expound: Ego threat is the amount of perceived harm from incoming negative actions. Ego in general applies more to the Explicit self esteem system. A LISE/LESE would experience little to no ego threat because they simple have no "ego" to lose. the LISE/HESE in converse would experience very high amounts of Ego Threat, because the difference between their two esteems is rather large, thus they have a lot more to lose (i.e. it is all they have going for them). HISE/HESE would be more like the LISE/LESE, but slightly more because they can be provoked given a sufficient challenge to their authority. They do show more resiliency towards insults. The HISE/LESE would experience no ego threat as well, but have more positive regard afterwards than the LISE/LESE who is more prone to sulking and brooding in their dejectedness.
The Explicit Self esteem system mainly is fueled by competition. By being better at something than someone, they gain explicit self-esteem. Examples include academics, fighting, business, beauty, faith (the "Who's a better Christian" contests are quite ironic), etc. If you can compete in it, you can gain explicit self esteem.
Implicit self esteem is fueled by something different, innate knowledge and acceptance of who one is. It's who one identifies to be and a full embrace of who that is. Both negative and positive are taken together to form the whole of a person. Needless to say, Implicit self esteem is harder to gain, but even harder to lose. Some notable sources of Implicit Self Esteem have been noted as Virtue (being a good or moral person) and interestingly enough, God's love.
I'm beginning to see that perhaps there is a bigger expansion of this theory into all areas in which one can feel esteem. The most pertinent to me is Faith. This is taken from Donald Miller's Blog (http://donmilleris.com/2010/01/13/1513/):
I’ve also found that the more I trust in Christ’s redemption to be sufficient, the less overtly religious I am. And, quite honestly, the more suspect overtly religious people become to me. When I’m with somebody who talks zealously about faith, about Jesus, about the Bible, after a while, I find myself wondering whether or not their faith is strong at all. For instance, if I were with somebody who kept talking about how much they loved their wife, going on loudly and profusely, intuitively I would wonder whether or not they were struggling in their marriage. I would wonder whether they were trying to convince me they loved their wife, or if they were trying to convince themselves. (Now that I think of it, though, some of my favorite people talk about how much they love their wives, but these are less public proclamations and more sighs of appreciation.) Faith in Christ, for me, is similar. It’s intimate. I’m more comfortable giving quiet prayers, intimate prayers. Often alone, in fact. I speak of faith the way I speak of personal matters. Of course there is a time for proclamations, but that’s the key, isn’t it? There’s a time. Anyway, I love that the New Testament is mostly intimate letters written to small groups of people who met in homes. I like the quiet authenticity of our faith.
Do you see what process he is describing? It's the difference between a LISE/HESE Christian and a HISE/LESE Christian. What I mean to say is this: one of the clearest signs that someone is not firm in their faith is their defensiveness. Those who aren't firm in their faith will often erupt in backlash to anyone who criticizes it. There is no "Quiet Authenticity" which Donald speaks about, rather zealous defense of a religion that if true, should need no defense. There is a process of maturity that happens as the beliefs are made more solid. There is no longer a need to constantly justify why you believe what you believe at every joke or criticism, not because of a loss in faith but because of a loss in religious pride.
There I said it, religion and it's practice can make you prideful. Being able to hold the position of "salvation" can carry with it an attitude of "I have better beliefs than you". It makes one seem privileged and can easily be lorded over people. You've heard it before from Christians, I'm sure. They brag about how good God is at every chance they get, inserting Him into everything in some sort of twisted evangelism. They brag about how good it feels to be saved, and express pity on those who are not like they. They are doing the Lord's work in their own eyes, and are above reproach because of it. Scripture affirms them and their actions, and not the other way around. They are better Christians, period. How do I know so much to be making these strong accusations? Well, I was one of them.
I was a foolish child who let his mouth run ahead of him. My brother's and sisters will attest this is usually what I've always done. I was given Scripture not knowing how powerful it was, and I used it irresponsibly. Children should not wield swords. I nearly cut off all my good friends mishandling God's word or at least left them mutilated. I still regret every word I said and every wound I inflicted. Even if God forgives me, I have a hard time forgiving myself. I would beg new Christians not to speak about Scripture until they are ready to do so responsibly and be accountable to every word they say. Let Scripture speak for itself, invite others to partake in reading it with you. Tell others what you have been getting out of it, and that's it. Be honest, not overbearing. Be loving, not obnoxious.
I've since settled in my beliefs. I know who I am and who I am is in transition to who I was made to be. I still say dumb things and I still am prideful, but at least now I can recognize them where I was once blind. I've been humbled, not by my own effort, but by being made known of my pride. This is your psychology tidbit for the evening: One of the clearest signs that someone is not firm in their faith is their defensiveness.
This is in response to what God has been revealing to me these past couple weeks (as I attempt to connect seemingly unrelated messages). I just got back from an invigorating Spiritual formation class. My spirit feels restless/excited/joyful so I thought some reflection on the themes of my life were in order. Also, forgive me, I jump all over the place, as is my mind's custom. A lot of stuff is being said that's been hitting me, so I write it down as I remember it through free association.
To start: my recent Facebook Status:
If A) I cannot lose my salvation (and fairly certain I am in the process), and if B) God exists outside of time (meaning all things that were, are and are to come are already to God), then does C) I am already worshiping God in heaven with all the angels and saints logically follow?
If time began when the universe was created and will end when Jesus comes back and the fullness of God's kingdom is seen on this earth, then this period known as "time" is just a blip in God's eternity. This must be true in order that God may be outside of time, hence unchangeable. Creation then, is a story with a beginning and a end, as told by the Bible, and through the history of the early church, up to the present day until the return of Christ (as told in revelation). If this is true, then the Fall of man had to happen to bless us with free will. If the story is already told, then God knows us well enough to know every single choice we'd make in all circumstances. Freedom becomes then not an instrument of choice, but rather an ability to become that which God requires of you in the story, unencumbered by sin and the slavery tied with it.
If this seems scary to you, it's because it is. Am I suggesting you just resign to your fate, if it is already written? Yes, but do you know why? God is a benevolent God. He wrote the story of your life. He wants to write a great ending for you if you resign the right to write your own story. It would be scary as Hell if God was a passive God, but this is the Gospel, that God came down to Earth to act on our behalf. And you best believe that God will use anything and everything (including permitting evil) to transform you to be the person God made you to be (this is what I meant when I said "freedom to become"). I count every struggle in my life past to be a blessing for without those, I would not be who I am today, redeemed in Christ from so much. Giving up your life, you will receive blessings far beyond those you could think you could want, but you will face hardships bigger than you could ever imagine, except now you have a powerful ally beyond all comprehension. God's imagination, unlike ours, is infinite. He just has to speak his Word and it come to be. If you don't think so, look at all the multitudes of animals, plants, fish, molecules, atoms, particles, planets, galaxies, and stars far beyond what someone could count. Each one was made, and each one is unique somehow. Though God may lead you through hard times, you know He leads you to salvation. Therefore do everything you can to make sure that the path you are on and the story you are in is God's epic tale, written in His Book of Life. God help those who reject this word, I pray it is not too late.
Now the question becomes, do you know what story you are living out? Is it a story of unconditional love and great sacrifice leading to redemption, or a bitter tale of misery after the pursuit of material things that you can't take with you in death. You get to choose the kind of role you want, but God already knows both what is best for you and what you will inevitably choose (and since God is love and truth, God will not manipulate you into loving Him. It must be your choice.). He weeps over every soul, for all must stand before him before being sentenced, if only so that Christ himself may see the face of his fallen child one last time.
When you die and jump into eternity, it is the same as waking up from a dream. You do not know how much time has passed since your death, but you will see all the saints and all the angels, all the prophets and the apostles, and the Triune God in full Glory. Knowing the truth such as this, who could deny the power of the gospel to save? Certainly Jesus believed in his message, and so did Paul, as they taught fervently. As Jesus said in Mark 1:38 "Let us go somewhere else-- to the nearby villages-- so I can preach there also. This is why I have come" He said this many sick people were seeking him out for healing. He left them unhealed. Was it lack of compassion? No, but Jesus had a mission. He not only proclaimed the Gospel, he WAS the Gospel.
Jesus prayed for future believers who would believe on account of the Apostle's message (John 17). That's us! Jesus prayed for US, that by our love Christ would be deified. That by our love we would show the world that Jesus is the one true God. With today's communication age, mass evangelism and spreading the gospel message has become so easy. We have Christian TV, radio, podcasts, websites, and sermons. The list goes on, but there is one problem. Jesus didn't call us to convert others with the Gospel. Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very ends of the age."
Let's look at the phrase "in the name of the Father..." The word "name" isn't just a label. If you do a word study on how the "name" is used culturally, it is his very presence. In the name of God means in the presence of God to Hebrews. God is actually there doing the baptizing! Miracles in the name of God! There is power in Jesus's name! There is no power in saying the word Jesus; that is magic, not faith. Jesus is just a Spanish boy's name, but rather it's Jesus's presence in us and with us and that is power! Going back to John 17:24 "Father, I want those You have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." Jesus dwells in us, so that when we love (for God is love), we are in Christ as Christ is in the Father, hence proving Jesus's status as Lord so that "all may believe".
Getting back to the original point, Jesus didn't say go make converts, but go make disciples. What is a disciple? One who has been disciplined. I can tell a million people about Christ dying on a cross, convert a few, and yet disciple none of them. What this communication age has enabled us to do as far mass evangelism, it has equally crippled us in terms of authentic personal discipleship. There is only one thing you need to do the will of God: The human voice. No projectors, no guitars, no amps, no microphones, none of that is needed. Are they bad? No, just extraneous. You know why discipleship is lacking? It's hard because love is hard. Discipleship takes a lot of your time to put up with a disciple, to love them to pay attention to and listen to them even when they are being a nuisance and you have others things you want to do. I became a Christian because someone really took the time to love me, even when I knew I was being overly clingy and attached. What Jesus said was true, that through love, unbelievers will know Jesus Christ is Lord and God. All it took was for someone to show me the love of Christ. Love is not any emotion or feeling. Any narcotics junkie can feel the same emotional high you can on a weekend retreat with God. You don't need God for fleeting feelings, but if you want to love, a love that takes patience and kindness, that does not envy or boast, then you need discipline. You need God.
If your Christian walk is easy, it's wrong. Are you not struggling with sin? Do you say you have a pretty good faith? Do you feel like your life is up to standard? Chances are you aren't doing what God requires of you. John 6:29 "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." To believe in Christ is to believe in his Word, to believe in his word is to obey his teaching, to obey his teaching is to be his disciple, to be his disciple is not inherit the Kingdom of God. Did Jesus say easy things? "I have come with a sword to turn a man against his father..." "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off..." "Sell all of your possessions..." "Deny yourself and take up your cross..." Is this your response: "He couldn't have meant that literally! That is too hard! Who could survive if they just left everything they had to proclaim his name? Jesus would never sacrifice my happiness (or my iPod!) for the sake of the Gospel!" Awful things happen when people get too comfortable in their faith. The more comfortable you are, the less you pray, the less you seek God, the more you feel in control of your own life, the more you write your own way to destruction. "How hard it is for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!... Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of heaven! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!" "But small is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Mark 10:23-25) (Matthew 7:13)
Jesus said there will be persecutions if we leave everything for Christ's sake and the sake of the gospel, but that is one thing America lacks. Why? Why do I want persecution? I don't just want it, I pray for it because it is harder to be a Christian in America than in any other country without religious freedom. Your life is literally on the line if you preach the gospel in China. You risk social shame and imprisonment. In America, everyone thinks they are saved because they prayed the sinner's prayer once and wrote down the date in their Bible. Everything is alright, everyone is a Christian. In China, you must have faith, you must be committed to and know what you believe. In America, you just have to go to church. So many Americans are lulled into a false sense of security because they figure as long as they do what everyone else in the church does, they are good. It keeps me up at night thinking about how many Americans are in danger of Hell. Our churches don't help the problem. Our churches are more influenced by the culture than are influences of culture. Good financial stewardship means budgeting your money appropriately towards the capitalist goal so you can have an SUV and a house in the suburbs (which count as "God's blessing"). Evangelism means handing out groceries once a month to inner city families without caring about who they even are. Giving your possessions to the poor means donating the stuff you don't want or that doesn't fit you anymore so you can buy new stuff. We have always had an interesting way of twisting scripture to serve our purposes (Read Mark 7)
I am also afraid that you do not need God for truth. Before I get stoned for saying that, I am not saying God does not provide divine and perfect truth (as he plentifully does as pertaining to Scripture), but he reveals only what is necessary for us to know to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. In terms of Epistemology i.e. "What is true", Buddhists have a limited understanding, although their Ontology i.e. "What is real" is flawed. What is real precedes what is true. For example, say you know someone has the flu. You then know what must be true (that person has a fever, is achy, etc.) If you first knew what was true, you may arrive with any sort of realities that could fit that (a flu, a cold, malaria, etc.) Christians know what is real first (the Great I AM, the boldest statement of being), and Buddhists arrived at what is true first. I think they understand some aspects of truth better than Christians. I say this because if there exists universal truth, it is true for all and can be discovered by all (to varying degrees of totality). I've studied Buddhism in light of Christianity, and I can honestly say it helped me understand Scriptures on a deeper level. It only magnified Christ to me. What troubled me was the fact that another "religion" could stumble upon any truth without Christ who is "the truth". We could learn something from them as they emphasize spiritual experience, vibrant inner life, and fervent practice (things I feel modern Christianity lacks).
So what does Christianity offer us that is unique? What about communion (conversation, eating and drinking) at the same table as the God who created the heavens and the Earth? What about a personal relationship with a loving God who cares about someone so insignificant? What about a mentor who can teach us how to love so that we can restore this fallen world and thus usher in the Kingdom of God? If I didn't believe God could redeem this world, then I don't believe God can redeem me, and if God can't redeem me, then I have no business being here working towards useless goals. This body is as good as dead, for that is the only thing I can expect in life.
Jesus said Heaven and earth will pass away, so the kingdom you will be in will be the fullness of the kingdom God that He is building "now" (to us who are caught in time) to descend upon Earth with Jesus as it's rightful Lord and King. The victory is already won, the Kingdom of God is near! It will be already finished in eternity, you will be in a place where time has already ended, i.e. the world is no more, heaven is no more, just God and his Word in everlasting worship. If Abraham died, Isaiah died, and someone died 20 minutes before the rapture, they all will wake up to a Kingdom where everyone who will ever be there will be there already (if it is indeed outside time).
Of course this is contingent on a few things: 1) God being outside of time (the Eternal God) as opposed to the "Evolving God" model proposed by process theism and 2) God's sovereignty over all things in conjunction with the Truth of Human Free Will.
