Bible News from Around the World

There are 6,912 languages spoken in the world today. Of these, only 422 language groups have the entire Bible in their native tounge. There are still more than 2,500 people groups that do not have even a portion of the Bible in their language.

INDIA

The International Bible Society has recently completed the translation of the Bible into the Awadhi language. The language is spoken by more than 20 million people in northern India. The translation took 50 native scholars more than 12 years to complete.
Meanwhile, Hindu extremists attacked three Bible school students and vandalized their Bible school on Saturday after finding the students witnessing for Christ in villages near the school. The Hindu nationalist group, which believes that all Indians should be Hindus often violently oppose Christian outreach efforts. After the attacks, the police took all the Christians into custody - for their own protection, and not as a punishment. The students and staff were released by Saturday evening, and guards have been posted at the school. Gospel for Asia leaders, though, are requesting continued prayer for the school and for the whole Himachal Pradesh province in northern India.

CAMEROON

A Bible translation group is seeking recognition by the Cameroon government so that the organization can expand its work of translating the Bible and health-related materials. The Cameroonian Association for Bible Translation and Literacy, CABTAL, has been dedicated to translating the Bible into various local languages in Cameroon. It also translates materials on HIV/AIDS and water purification techniques, which are of great help to local communities. If CABTAL receives government recognition, they will be able to expand their work to other parts of the country.

MONTANA

Not all Bible translation work is being done in remote jungles. For thirty years, a group in Montana has been working to translate the Bible into the native tongue of the Cheyenne Indians. Even for some Cheyenne who speak English, reading the Word of God in their own language makes a deeper impact. It has been difficult to find the precise words or idioms that fit the Biblical meaning, but it has been a labor much appreciated by Cheyenne Christians. "Spiritually, you have a closer understanding of what the Bible is trying to say," said one Conrad Fisher.

We in America have easy access to Bibles. They can be found in churches and in every hotel room. Dozens of English versions - new or used - are available in bookstores. Every time we pick up our Bible - or one of our many Bibles - we should appreciate the treasure we hold in our hands. It is the Word of God in our own language - a precious gift that other people in the world still suffer for - a gift many still long to possess.

Day 18 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Cultivating Community”

The word “community” is an interesting word. You can see in it the word, “commune,” which as a noun conjures the idea of a group gathered, and as a verb it carries the idea of communication, conversation, connecting, empathizing and feeling as one with one another. You can also easily see the word, “common,” which carries the idea of things shared or mutual with one another. And, of course, there is the word, “unity,” which is used of people in agreement or harmony with one another. Unity is not to be confused with “uniformity” which implies standardization or sameness, for unity can be held among people of varying views.

Although the church was bound in the unity of Christ, there was much diversity among its members, in fact the oneness of the church while being many members was an important emphasis of the teaching of the Apostle Paul while trying to deal with the Jew/Gentile conflicts in his letters (see Rom. 12 and 1 Cor. 12). Although the church started with 3000 people being baptized into Christ and they met together in large groups on occasion in the early days, the church expanded from Jerusalem as churches meeting together in smaller groups in homes. It is easy to imagine the diversity of these early Christians, not only from varying cultures from one individual to another, but also from one house church to another. It did not seem to be the emphasis of the Apostle Paul to try to make everyone alike, uniformity, but rather to help them realize that they could still be united in Christ while still being very different. Even in the difficult questions about eating of meats that had been sacrificed to idols in 1 Corinthians Chapters 8 through 10, Paul never encouraged either side to change their view, he encouraged them to be considerate of the other’s view and practice unity. Each house church became a community of believers that supported one another while understanding that there may be differing viewpoints, not only in another house church, but even among the members of their own house church. Those with similar views were community, but there was a sense of community with those with differing views, also, as long as they held in common their loyalty to Christ.

It would seem with this early history of church unity and the practice of the community of believers it would not be difficult for brothers and sisters today to get along with one another, even when they had differing views on matters of conscience. It would seem that we would see ourselves in fellowship with groups with whom we hold the common faith in Christ Jesus as our Lord even when we differed in our practice of that faith. It would also seem to be reasonable to expect that brothers and sisters in the same congregation could have multiple views and experiences in the practice of their faith and still be united in their common mission in the community around them. It seems that if we could better understand our role as a community within a community within a community, we would work together in fellowship and use our differences in unity to accomplish tremendous good in our world to the glory of God.

Day 17 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“A Place to Belong”

Being involved in sports in my younger years taught me teamwork. It is great to be on a team, especially a winning team. It is great to know that you had a part in helping that team win. At the same time, there is something very special about knowing that you could not have done it by yourself. To know that whatever you contributed you needed your teammates to get it done. My junior high football coach was excellent at teaching this principle. He had a way of humbling anyone who even thought about acting like they were such hotshots that they were better than the team. He made us identify with the team even before we thought about ourselves individually as players. When some didn’t play well, we all ran line drills. When someone fumbled, we all ran ball handling drills. When someone missed assignments, we all took tests on the playbook. It was a team sport and the coach wanted us to remember it. And when the team won – we all won!

It is true that being a Christian is based on individual faith commitment, but it is also a group situation, as well. We are called to a commitment to the church at the same time we are called to a commitment to Christ. You can’t leave your brothers and sisters behind. It is not just about you. In this age of consumer satisfaction evaluation, we often approach our involvement in church through shopping. We want a good deal that will give us what we want, what we think we need, at a price that we can handle. If we don’t like it, we take it back and keep shopping for another we like. This approach to church involvement lacks commitment to the church family and to the Lord. We are often unconcerned about what we can do for the church where we attend, for we are more concerned about what the church can do for us. Does it have the programs I am looking for? Will it keep my interest, or will I be bored? Will they expect too much of me – my time, my talent, my money? When we decide it is not going to make us happy, we move on, not thinking about what impact our departure will have on our brothers and sisters.

Being a member of a church family means being connected and dependent on family members. There are some brothers and sisters depending on you. You are dependent on the family, too. Unfortunately, many brothers and sisters don’t realize this until they face some crisis in their life and they find themselves alone without help for they have not invested in helping others in the church during their time of need. We all need a place to belong! We need a team and we need to learn teamwork! We can all win together!

…. to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up {13} until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. {14} Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. {15} Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. {16} From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph 4:12-16 NIV)

Day 16 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“What Matters Most”

The fact that the Lord said the world would know we are his disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35), has always intrigued me. Of all the things the Lord could have said was the identifying mark of discipleship, he said it was our love for one another. Not our inspiring worship services, not the great facilities we would build, not the great sermons we would preach, not even the evangelistic efforts all over the world, but our love for one another. How are we doing? Based on the picture of all who profess to be Christians all over the world, not that great, for we are splintered and divided over various doctrines and practices with such hostility that it has started wars and now it seems impossible to be brought back together again. Historically, and in the present world politics, religious division among Christians does not testify to an unbelieving world that our belief is worthy of consideration. Someone might say that you cannot use the picture of world wide denominations, look at the unity of the restoration plea to come back together on the basis of the Bible, and the Bible alone. But this picture is disappointing as well, for even among the Churches of Christ you have the glaring reality of our division through the last century over our separation from our brothers in this fellowship over instrumental music and the list has continued through a number of petty quarrels resulting in churches starting down the road from one another because they could not get along. And even within the local congregations, there are so many that are caldrons of brewing resentments and hurts just waiting to spill out and run in every direction. What kind of testimony does this make to the world about the Lord we serve.

Discipleship means the student imitates the master teacher. If disputes and division imitate the teacher, then our Lord did not love us and taught against unity. We know this is not true (see John chapters 15-17). No one could have taught love and unity more than Jesus and he demonstrated it with the ultimate sacrifice of love for the unity of believers in one Church. Jesus taught that the greatest commandments were to love God and to love our fellow man (Mat. 22:34-40). The world is watching to see if we will follow our teacher. If we cannot start to demonstrate his basic teaching of the greatest commandments, how are we going to get them to listen to the rest of our Teacher’s instruction? The world doesn’t understand the distinctions we make between Christians, all they know is that the followers of Christ can’t get along with one another. If we don’t find a way to demonstrate our love for all Christians, in the general sense of the word, even the ones with whom we disagree, we will not find a way to share with the world the Teacher of whom we are disciples.

A blast from the Past

Words to ponder:


"Why is it that we see men willing to sacrifice property, the comforts of home, the sweets of the domestic and family relationship, undergo privations and sorrows, suffer hunger, and cold, and nakedness, and want for long and weary years, and freely give up life itself at the bidding of earthly rulers and for the sake of corrupt and perishing human kingdoms, while so few are willing to undergo the slightest inconvenience or suffer the least self-denial for the heavenly and eternal kingdom?"

"Why is it that we even see men who profess to be members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, willing to suffer the loss of all things, property, children, and their own life's blood for the earthly kingdom, yet are unwilling to spend a very small portion of time or money for the Kingdom and cause of God. Why is it? -- David Lipscomb, Gospel Advocate, Vol. VIII, No. 2 (January 9, 1866): 31.

I have found myself wondering the same thing?

Day 15 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Formed for God’s Family”

This chapter has a section titled, “BATISM: IDENTIFYING WITH GOD’S FAMILY.” I would suppose for those coming from our heritage of the Restoration Movement that it is not surprising that I have chosen this topic to write on today. It is a shame that baptism has such a reputation of division among the various groups of Christian churches. However, baptism was used as a reason for division early in the church. Paul in addressing the reports of division in the church at Corinth was grateful that he had not baptized more people there if they were going to use who baptized them as a mark of distinction from other brothers and sisters.

My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. {12} What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ." {13} Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? {14} I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, {15} so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. {16} (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) {17} For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Cor 1:11-17 NIV)

Obviously Paul views baptism as a practice that should have been unifying rather than dividing.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. {13} For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (1 Cor 12:12-13 NIV)

Paul made a similar argument for the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:17-34. It was the abuse of the Lord’s Supper that caused it to be divisive, for a major emphasis of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is unifying.

But the subject of baptism still divides us, and it is just as shameful today as it was then. When Christ sent the Apostles out with the Great Commission He commanded the practice of baptism.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. {19} 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, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mat 28:18-20 NIV)

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. {16} Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16 NIV)

When the Gospel was first preached after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the Church had its beginning, baptism was preached and 3,000 people were baptized.

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." {37} When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" {38} Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. {39} The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." {40} With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." {41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:36-41 NIV)

It was obviously a major part of the teaching of the Apostles Paul and Peter.

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? {4} We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. {5} If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (Rom 6:3-5 NIV)

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, {27} for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Gal 3:26-27 NIV)

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Pet 3:21 NIV)

So why would any church not include baptism as a part of its foundational teaching and practice? There are probably a number of historical reasons for each denomination, but a major one is tied to the effort of the Protestant Reformation to teach salvation by grace through faith. This was a major protest against the view that salvation is based on works, what the individual does to merit salvation. That our salvation is by grace through faith is exactly what Eph. 2:8-9 teaches. This basic truth of God’s Word and Work stands fundamental to all Christian teaching and the understanding of salvation. The argument by some is that baptism is a work used to merit salvation and should not be practiced in connection with a sinner receiving the grace of God. The point is well taken if baptism is taught as a work earning salvation. Salvation was paid for by the price of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. This was made available to us through God’s love, mercy and grace and is to be accepted as His gift to us by faith. There is no earning what has been paid for and extended by grace. The problem is that baptism was never intended to be taught or practiced as anything other than a response of faith. It is directly connected to one’s faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 6:3-5) and therefore connected to the salvation that came through it in conjunction with faith (1 Pet 3:21). Baptism is connected to our becoming a heir of God and receiving the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:26-4:7). And it is an act of humbly in faith calling on the name of the Lord, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16 NIV )

It has often been in the force of arguing for its significance to Christian teaching and practice that baptism has been portrayed as a meritorious work rather than simply submission in faith. It has even been the practice of some churches and fellow believers to use baptism as the one thing one must do to be saved, sending a message that baptism is the point salvation is earned, rather than it being a portrayal of accepting faith. As we continue to teach and practice baptism, let us do it with great care to emphasize that all the work of salvation was done at the cross and that we are still saved by grace through faith; and may we portray baptism in the beautiful image it was intended to restate what we believe in, the glorious story of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. May baptism become among believers of this age a unifier rather than a divider.

Day 14 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“When God Seems Distant”

Being focused is the opposite of being distracted. There are several ways in which I am distracted. Some times it happens because I am not as interested in the thing that first has my attention as I am interested in the thing that distracts me. One illustration of this was one night when I was playing cards while there was a good ball game on television. I was having a hard time concentrating on playing cards. But there are times when I am very interested in what I am doing and I still get distracted. This can happen when I value something more than the thing holding my interest. For example, let’s suppose I am watching the great ball game that is holding my interest because I am a huge fan of one of the teams that is playing, but suddenly I hear the crash of a car in front of my house and the scream of a child. Suddenly the game is forgotten and I am running for the front door to see if I can be of help. How was the sound I heard able to distract me from the important game on television? Because of the value I gave it. As much as I valued the game I was watching, I valued the child’s life more. On rare occasions, my wife would probably say often and she may be more near the truth, I have been so focused on something like a ball game that my wife can call my name and I don’t hear her. This is upsetting to her for it is as if I don’t value her as much as I value the game on television. It seems to her that she has to work to get my attention. Finally she gets my attention and upon hearing the tone of her voice I am drawn away from the game to give her my full attention for I value what I hear realizing that I have upset her by not answering. The point is this, “Where is my focus, what has my full attention?” We need to consider whether we are so focused on Christ that it is hard for us to be distracted by Satan, or if the reality is that we are so focused on the world that Christ is having a hard time getting our attention. No matter how loud the sinful nature shouts trying to get our attention we need to only be hearing the Spirit. So focused that we tune out anything that would interfere with our paying attention to our relationship with God. Or is the reality that we so value the things of this world our attention is constantly being pulled away from God?

Day 13 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Worship That Pleases God”

God is pleased when our worship is: Accurate, Authentic, Thoughtful and Practical.

Two things that really stood out to me in this chapter were a statement about the motivation of music in worship and a story that illustrated the statement. Although the two are not directly connected in the book, they grabbed me as being connected to each other and connected to me.

The statement: “Today many equate being emotionally moved by music as being moved by the Spirit.” And the story is of how Matt Redman came to write the song, “Heart of Worship.”

Matt Redman, a worship leader in England, tells how his pastor taught his church the real meaning of worship. To show that worship is more than music, he banned all singing in their services for a period of time while they learned to worship in other ways. By the end of that time, Matt had written the classic song “Heart of Worship”:

I’ll bring You more than a song,
because the song itself is not what You’ve required.
You search much deeper within
than the way things appear.
You’re looking into my heart.

It is not really about the emotion of the songs we sing that counts, what counts is what God finds when he looks into my heart!

As a preacher I spend a great deal of time in concern for what happens in our worship services. I fear I spend more time preparing my sermons than preparing my heart. I fear I spend more time preparing the “order of worship” than ordering my life to align with God’s heart.

I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
And its all about You,
All about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing
I’ve made it,
When it’s all about You,
All about You, Jesus.

David

History of the Restoration Movement

Below is an article that appeared in the Indianapolis Star newspaper on January 20, 2007 entitled:

Rewriting History, Finding Reconciliation
3 Christian denominations hope that creating 1 version of splintering will heal misunderstandings
By Robert King
January 20, 2007
Church historians from across the country convened in Indianapolis last week to start a monumental task: rewriting nearly 150 years of American religious history.
Their goal is to agree upon a single history that describes a 19th-century movement that tried to break down denominational walls but splintered itself into what became the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Independent Christian Churches.
Historians representing each of the branches hope a new version of the story that incorporates all three perspectives would do much to help heal lingering differences.
"We share a history in which each group has written their own account,"
said Newell Williams, a professor at Brite Divinity School, a Disciples school in Texas. "Of course, in those, whichever group is writing is the good guy and the other people are the bad guys." The three strains that spawned from what is known as the Stone-Campbell Movement today represent more than 4 million American Christians, including some of the largest churches in the Indianapolis area and the Disciples denomination, whose world headquarters is Downtown.
The scholars involved in the project, which could take six years to complete, hope a more balanced and rounded telling of their history could heal misunderstandings and end the occasional animosity that followed after the groups began to split in the 1870s.
"We are not just throwing it out there as another piece of history writing," said Paul Blowers, an Emmanuel School of Religion professor representing the Independents. "We do have an agenda. We want our churches to get to know each other across the divisions." Blowers'
father, Russell, was the longtime pastor at East 91st Street Christian Church.
"We want people to begin to own responsibility again for Christian reconciliation."
The three groups span the theological spectrum, from the conservative Churches of Christ to the more liberal-leaning Disciples. So the scholars say that if they can succeed in bridging differences, it could offer hope for the larger fracturing of the Protestant landscape.
Breaking off
The Stone-Campbell Movement, named for its founders, arose in the early 1800s out of concern that denominational divisions were hindering the spread of the Christian Gospel.
Its devotees sought to unite around the practices of the early church, as outlined in the New Testament. They practiced baptism by immersion and took Communion each Sunday but rejected the creeds and confessions developed by the denominations. The use of "Christ" and "Christian" in their modern names is a legacy of that effort at essential Christianity.
Williams said the movement, centered mostly in the border states, grew to more than 20,000 members in 1832 and eventually spread to England and Australia.
But by the 1870s, a faction of the movement of mostly Southern churches raised objections to the use of instrumental music in worship and began to break away. By 1906, this group was recognized as the Churches of Christ, whose worship services are still devoid of instruments.
In the 1920s, the remaining groups divided over the issue of baptism.
The group that became the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) wanted to accept believers who came from other churches but had not been immersed. The group that became the Independent Christian Church stuck to its practice of total immersion. And those differences hold today.
Today, there are 65 Disciples churches within 30 miles of Downtown Indianapolis. And several of the largest churches in the community -- East 91st Street, Traders Point Christian and Mount Pleasant Christian
-- fall under the Independent Christian Churches umbrella.
The epicenter of this history project is the Disciples-affiliated Christian Theological Seminary, on the Northside. The historians are scheduled to meet for "writers conferences" two more times in the coming years. And Scott Seay, an assistant professor of church history at the seminary, is the managing editor who will try to pull it all together.
The historians, most of whom were strangers, came together for the first time in a church service where they took Communion -- a sacrament all hold dear.
Respecting the different worship styles, the service featured segments with instrumental music and segments of only a cappella singing.
The scholars say worshipping and working together have helped them see the folly of some of the squabbles their groups have had. "It is a step to break down the barriers of misunderstanding, mistrust and sometimes even condemnation," said Doug Foster, a professor at Churches of Christ-affiliated Abilene Christian University in Texas.
None expects its history book to bring about an organizational merger.
But they hope the new history text -- and their example of a united fellowship -- can revive more of the unity that spawned the movement to begin with.
"When our churches read their account, hopefully it will help them, as it is helping us, to no longer demonize or discount or write off the other party," said Williams, the Disciples historian. "The big goal is to let God do with this what God wishes to do."

Day 12 in the 40 Days of Purpose

“Developing Your Friendship with God”

My thought as I worked through this chapter was how developing my friendship with God compared with the growth of my relationship with my wife. We are closer now than any time in our marriage after 32 years. It is not that everything has been perfect in our marriage, and it certainly does not mean that I have been a perfect husband. But as the years have gone by, we have improved our communication and found more areas of life that we hold in common and share mutually. We have worked through difficult times together and through them drawn closer to each other. We have learned to trust each other instinctively and to depend on each other. We have learned to be each other’s strength for the other’s weakness. We cherish the happy times and remember them together, and have found joy even in the hard times. It has been a process of growth, not always easy, but steady in a positive direction.

When I compare my relationship with God to my marriage relationship, I see several similarities. It also is a relationship built on sharing the good times along with the bad. The longer we are together, the more we seem to share. The more I seem to see a bigger plan, the more I draw strength and find encouragement in his love. The more I am with God the more trust grows and the more I feel he is there for me, the more confident I am in our love for one another.

David

Day 11 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Becoming Best Friends with God”

I have to admit that I am not too crazy about the term “best friend.” Even to the point that I discouraged my daughters from using it as they were growing up. It is overused and misused, and often creates an atmosphere of exclusivity and jealousy. I feel one’s mate for life should be their best friend, and trying to have other best friends can sometimes be detrimental to the marriage. Having a best friend relationship can cause one to not be open to other friendships and can cause others to feel left out. If you have a best friend other than you husband or wife, it should be because it has developed naturally over a period of time without the effort to make that person an exclusive best friend.

Okay enough on my philosophy about “best friends,” what about the idea of our being “best friends” with God? I would agree that if you are going to use the term, “best friend,” in describing your relationship with God, it should be based upon a relationship built upon your knowledge and experience of him and your communication with him. This demands much time in the Word and Prayer. It also needs to come with a journey of faith that has drawn you closer to God through the test of time. Knowing that I risk sounding like a hardnosed preacher here, but I really question the use of the term, “best friend,” in relationship with God if a person is not reading the Bible and talking to God in prayer. We would never speak of a person as being our best friend if we didn’t know any thing about them, never spent any time with them, and never talked to them. How then could we use the term for our relationship with God?

On the other hand, I may not treat God as my best friend, but he treats me like his best friend, for he knows me and always listens to me, no matter what I have to say. And no matter how long I go without talking to him, he is ready to talk when I am ready. He is constantly sharing himself with me and helps me understand. He always forgives me no matter how I ignore him or mistreat him. It makes me think of a little childhood friend I had by the name of Rocky. We were together constantly during the time when we were both starting first grade. I was a rough friend for Rocky for my experiments with engineering were dangerous for him. For example, my effort to hang a pipe from a chain on the swing set for a trapeze bar resulted in my dropping the pipe on his head. And my efforts to build a soapbox racer resulted in his sliding across the nail I left sticking up in the seat. The interesting thing about my relationship with Rocky was that he kept coming back. No matter what I did to him, he came back the next day to play with me. I know it may seem a strange comparison with God, but it seems like no matter what I do to hurt God, he keeps coming back. He is my “best friend,” even when I don’t treat him like it!

David

Thoughts along the Journey

Looking at what is going on in the churches of Christ these days is encouraging. We are beginning to return to the roots of the Restoration principles upon which our movement was founded. Rather than being another denomination we profess to be "Christians only....but, not the only Christians." We have no creed but the Bible and we are free as a congregation to celebrate the freedom of grace as we see fit not subject to any greater authority than Jesus Christ as Lord.

With that said there are many who believe that some of the issues that preoccupy the minds of many are simply missing the mark. Fred Peatross writes an interesting blog at:http://fredpeatross.wordpress.com/

Below is one of his comments that struck me:

"Here’s just one example of our (forgotten) misplaced priorities.
My heritage is busy exerting time, energy, efforts, and resources to the evolution and incorporation of instruments of music into its church model. Why? Some leaders believe by introducing instrumental music (which my theology allows) into their assemblies they will become relevant and increase the potential to reach our culture. I’ve often asked myself why do we think this way? Do Churches of Christ think by introducing instrumental music into their assembly that somewhere in Anytown, USA one non-Christian will say to the other? "Hey, Have you heard? The East Side Church of Christ now uses guitars in worship." With that both men jump off their bar stools and rush to the East Side Church of Christ because, finally after all these years, the Churches of Christ have an acoustical guitar in their assembly. Please! Other religious heritages have used instrumental music for years and many of them are in decline. Innovation? Hardly! Relevant is important but I think we’ve been duped into believing something that isn’t. Satan is the architect of this secondary issue and it makes me sad. There’s little doubt…we have lost our way! "

I find much to agree with in his conclusion. I think the study we are undergoing with the 40 days of Purpose is the type of teaching that we need to comprehend if we want to truly become a church that is missional in purpose. What do you think?

Day 10 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“The Heart of Worship”

The heart of worship is surrender, and surrender is so counter to our nature and culture. I have been raised on the stories of heroes being the people who against all odds would never surrender. The Winston Churchills of this world! The last standing at the Alamo. The fighters for the right because they have a dream of something better that keeps them going. The Martin Luther King, Jrs that will fight for the cause, even if it kills them. “Surrender,” is not a word in their vocabulary!

But surrender is the heart of worship. The giving up for Him. Letting Him reign over me, and through me. Letting Him have total and absolute control of my life no mater where it takes me.

In Luke 14, Jesus has several followers, but they find out that the demands of discipleship are more than just tagging along with the latest fad. It had become popular to be one of the curious onlookers of the ministry of Jesus. He turns to them and tells them that being one of his disciples means carrying a cross and dying daily. He tells them being his disciple means giving up the people you love. He tells them that before they start to follow, count the cost, for unless they are willing to give up everything, they cannot be his disciple. Some decided that they could not pay the price and stopped following. They decided to not worship Jesus.

With all the attention given to the elements of contemporary worship, do we have contemporary worshipers? People of our contemporary culture who will give up everything to be a follower, a disciple of Christ? Often our discussion about worship, a discussion about what we like or don’t like, paints the true portrait of our concept of worship – that we are not really willing to pay the price to worship the Lord.

David

Day 9 of 40 Days of Purpose

“What Makes God Smile?”

In this chapter Warren uses Noah as an example and lists 5 acts of worship from Noah’s life that makes God smile. Many from our heritage, if asked to list 5 acts of worship, would list singing, praying, giving, communion (Lord’s Supper), and preaching. Comparing Warren’s list to ours points to the difference in the meaning of “worship” as a life style rather than something performed in a Sunday morning “worship service.”

God smiles when we love him supremely.
God smiles when we trust him completely.
God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly.
God smiles when we praise and thank him.
God smiles when we fulfill his purposes.

When I was growing up as a young boy the greatest joy of my life was to see my dad smile. He worked nights as a diesel mechanic and we didn’t get to spend a lot of fun time together for his hours were so different from mine. He had a very difficult time trying to sleep during the day. And my brother and I did not make it easy for him with the constant noise we seemed to generate around the house. I remember a few times he growled out of bed and yelled at us to “shut up.” The look on his face was far from being a smile. But there were those times, those glorious times, when I would look up in the stands from the on-deck circle and see him smile, or smile down into the little pail I held with the green beans I had just picked, or when his smiled radiated out in the pews as he listened to me stammer through a Wednesday night devotional. I knew he was proud of me and that he loved me. He smiled when I obeyed him, and smiled after I disobeyed and came back to say I was sorry. He smiled when I helped someone in need, or acted in kindness. He smiled when I forgave and would share. I loved to see my father smile.

And some day I will see my Heavenly Father face to face and He will be smiling!

David

Day 8 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Planned for God’s Pleasure”

Bringing pleasure to God is called worship. “Worship is far more than music.” This statement alone is enough to get the attention this chapter deserves from the members of our a cappella heritage. But be careful, music includes four-part-harmony, as well! Worship is not about how we sing, with or without instruments. It is not about traditional or contemporary services. It is not about style or taste; it is about living a life pleasing to God, not just in the assembly, but in every aspect of our lives. And when we come together to please God with congregational praise, it should not be about me and my choice of worship experience. Our first priority in the worship assembly should be about making God happy, not about making me happy. Then applying the basic principles of the Christian life, like the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” or Philippians 2:1-4:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, {2} then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. {3} Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. {4} Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Phil 2:1-4 NIV)

Our second priority should be to have a worship assembly that best serves the needs of others, rather than one that pleases me. When you apply these two priorities, which incidentally fit the two greatest commands:

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' {38} This is the first and greatest commandment. {39} And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Mat 22:37-39 NIV)

You come to the worship assembly not trying to please yourself, but trying to please God and serve your fellowman. How would our worship assemblies change if we really applied these two priorities every Sunday?

David

Day 7 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“The Reason for Everything”

It seems the favorite question of a child is, “Why?” And I am not sure that this is really different for adults! The ultimate answer to the question, “Why?” is – God. And the ultimate purpose of God for our lives is that He might be glorified (Eph. 1:3-14).

Another often asked question is, “What am I supposed to do?” In today’s study I find myself in contradiction with the answer given. Although I agree wholeheartedly with the principle behind the answer given, for one’s salvation is based on a faith relationship with Jesus Christ, however, I cannot find an example in the Bible of the prayer for the acceptance of Jesus as given on page 58 (“Jesus, I believe in you and I receive you.”) as the way of initiating that saving relationship. When I am asked the question by a sincere seeker of God’s teaching concerning receiving forgiveness through Jesus, I point people to examples in Acts of others who long ago asked that question, for example Acts 2:36-38:

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." {37} When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" {38} Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:36-38 NIV)

I would encourage the reader of The Purpose Driven Life that has not had a similar experience as the one in Acts, to keep praying and reading to discover God’s purposes for your life; but be careful to answer your questions with Bible answers. Saul, who would later be known as the Apostle Paul, was told after his encounter with the Lord in a blinding light to go to a man by the name of Ananias to find out what he should do. He was told, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16 NIV) You will notice that indeed he was told to call on the name of the Lord, but it was in the process of being baptized washing away his sins. Warren discusses baptism more in the book on Day 15 (pp. 120-121) and encourages baptism to be an immediate response as “an act of initiation,” but he doesn’t connect it to the receiving of forgiveness through prayer on Day 7 There is no denying that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9) and that our relationship with Jesus is initiated by faith, but included in the New Testament answer to what one should do in faith is the response of repentance and baptism. . I would encourage you to put Day 7 and Day 15 together, and more than that, put the Bible examples of the answer to “What am I supposed to do?” into the total equation.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, {27} for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Gal 3:26-27 NIV)

“Clothed with Jesus,” now that is receiving Jesus!

David

The Book of Jude

This smallest book of the New Testament is also, in many ways, the most provocative. The Epistle of Jude is a tiny book, tragically neglected by students, yet overflowing with fascinating Old Testament references and allusions: lessons from Israel in the Wilderness, the angels that sinned, the strange events in Sodom and Gomorrah, Michael and Satan's contention over the body of Moses, and other insights from Cain, Balaam, Korah, as well as the mysterious person known as Enoch. It is surprising to learn of allusions to events in the Old Testament that are only found in the New Testament:

(1) the Second Coming prophecy of Enoch,
(2) that Noah was a preacher of righteousness,
(3) the names of the two magicians in Egypt,
(4) that Elijah prayed to stop rain for 3 1/2 years,
(5) and that the Pharaoh of the Exodus was not Egyptian.

Why study the book of Jude? Because it is written for us today. It is written for the end times, for the end of the Church Age. The beginning of the Church Age was, of course, the Acts of the Apostles. However, the end of the Church Age might be called the Acts of the Apostates. Jude is the only book devoted entirely to the great apostasy. "Shall the Son of Man find faith on the Earth?" Jude is the "vestibule" to the book of Revelation. It includes the oldest prophecy uttered by a prophet of the Second Coming of Christ, declared before the flood of Noah! There are four facts emphasized:

(1) We know the Lord's coming is sure;
(2) We know who will accompany the Lord;
(3) We know the purpose of His coming;
(4) We know the result of the Lord's coming.

This letter was written by the "brother of James," one of four brothers of Jesus. (James was the head of the church in Jerusalem; neither James nor Jude were among The Twelve; they didn't believe at first.) Why did Jude write this letter? James' epistle deals with good works as evidence of saving faith; Jude's letter deals with evil works as evidence of apostasy. Why must we contend for the faith? Because there are tares among the wheat, false brethren have stolen into the church, and the saints are in peril, all due to the "doctrines of demons." It was an 11-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea, yet it took Israel 38 years! Over a million left Egypt, but only two Israelites (over 20 years of age) who left Egypt ever reached Canaan! Why? (Despite the common reckoning, Canaan is not representative of heaven; the Jordan is not representative of death. We are to leave behind the wilderness of doubt, defeat, and failures, and enter victory!) We live in exciting and challenging times, and there is much we can learn from this little book that can be applied to our lives today.

Day 6 of the 40 Days of Purpose

“Life Is a Temporary Assignment”

There is a song with these lyrics:

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

The first line is biblical, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”

Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (1 Pet 1:17 NIV)

The great ones of faith from the Old Testament in the “Faith Hall of Fame Chapter” are said to be people who realized by faith that they were just passing through to a better place.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. {14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. {15} If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. {16} Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Heb 11:13-16 NIV)

The rest of the song is a bit more difficult for me, for it goes beyond Bible information to personal conviction. I take the song as applying to when it is time to die, “The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,” and our attitude about this world when that time will come. I think we would all agree that we want to be ready on that day and feel that we have “laid up treasures in heaven.” But the truth of the matter, for me any way, is that I have a difficult time, as much as I look with longing to my heavenly home, I still feel at home here. I love my wife and daughters, and although I am eager to go to heaven, I very much like home here, too. I think that is why even faithful Christian brothers and sisters dying in terrible pain longing to be freed from this world of pain and sorrow to go home to be with God, still want to hang on to their family here as long as they can. That’s not a weakness of faith. I don’t think God intended for us to not be at home here, but to live with the reality that home here is just temporary. This whole earth will be destroyed and we wait for a new heaven and a new earth.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. {11} Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives {12} as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. {13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Pet 3:10-13 NIV)

Knowing this, my longing for my eternal home is approached with trying to live properly in this home and in relationship with everyone in it. For some day I will stand before my judge and put aside the earthly for the heavenly. It is not that being here with the people I love stops being home, rather it becomes my temporary home in preparation for an eternal home.

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands….So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor 5:1, 9-10 NIV)

David

Day 5 of 40 Days of Purpose

“Seeing Life from God’s View”

When I think about the idea of today’s study, that this life is a test and a trust, I think of the test of Abraham. He was told to offer his son as a sacrifice. It needs to be remembered the story that led up to the test that is described in Genesis 22. Abraham and his wife Sarah had been promised a son at a time in their lives when without a miracle it would have been impossible. God made the impossible a reality and Abraham was living in a covenant relationship with God having received the son of promise. He was commanded to offer that son. Abraham was obeying when he was interrupted by God. The Book of Hebrews adds this commentary on this story:

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, {18} even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." {19} Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. (Heb 11:17-19 NIV)

In a similar way, we are called to be living sacrifices in a test of faith trusting God to work his perfect will in our lives.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. {2} Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:1-2 NIV)

Day 4 of 40 Days of Purpose

“Made to Last Forever”

When looking for opportunities, how do you evaluate if they are good, or not; if one is better than another, which is best? How would you decide? Would you base it on the amount of good that can be done? Would you base it on the length of time that the good impact would continue? If this were the basis for the evaluation of a good opportunity how can you do better than an opportunity that would be a blessing to your life for eternity? There is more to life than just the here and now. And as we studied today we are not looking for an opportunity of a lifetime, we are looking at an opportunity beyond this lifetime. As we study God’s purpose for our life we are involved in the pursuit of a relationship with God that will continue throughout eternity. With the pursuit of God’s purpose we are involved in a pursuit of the destiny to which we were created. We were created for eternity. God made us to choose his eternal plan, a plan that would bring glory to God that will never end. And we will share in that glory with Him and His Son.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. {4} For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love {5} he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- {6} to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. {7} In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace {8} that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. {9} And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, {10} to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. {11} In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, {12} in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. {13} And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, {14} who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. (Eph 1:3-14 NIV)

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. {17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. {18} I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Rom 8:16-18 NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28 NIV)

Day Three of 40 Days of Purpose

“What Drives Your Life?” Warren lists 5 common drives in our lives:

1. Guilt
2. Resentment and Anger
3. Fear
4. Materialism
5. The Need for Approval

We have all probably been driven by all these forces in our lives to some degree or another. It would be worthwhile to think through what has been behind the various accomplishments and failures in our life. What role did each of these play in bringing us to the point we are in our lives right now? But more important than this self-examination is the determination to be driven by the purposes of God that will free us from all five of these drives. With God’s purposes at work in my life I am free from guilt for I am forgiven. I can overcome resentment and anger for I can forgive others. I don’t have to be driven by fear, for love drives out fear and I am at peace with God. I don’t have to be driven by materialism for I know it is God who owns it all and I am destined for an inheritance in eternity. I won’t be driven by the need for approval for God’s grace has given me approval even in my sin to be called his child. Wow! Show me your purpose for me, God!

David

Day Two of 40 Days of Purpose

You Are Not An Accident! I have to admit that I struggle a bit with this concept. It is that old struggle with understanding that God knows and controls and yet he gives freedom of choice and allows bad things to happen to good people. It is a wonderfully encouraging thought and a disconcerting one at the same time, to think that God knows all about me and yet I question why in those areas of my life where things have happened that hurt. Job struggled with the same issue. He believed in a God that was in control, and that was the problem, “If God is in control, then why has he brought these terrible things upon me.” We often hear of this referred to as the “problem of suffering” in apologetics. Actually for the believer, it is the problem of faith. For the fact that we believe in a God who knows and controls puts us in the position of having to question if our faith in the activity and compassion of God is valid, and if it is, then there must be a purpose in what we are experiencing. Which is harder to believe, our view of God, or that suffering has a purpose?

This day uses one of my favorite passages in all of the Bible, Psalm 139:15. Let me apply it with a little more of the context:

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psa 139:13-16 NIV)

The challenge is not in believing there is a God. The challenge is not in believing that that God is a God of wisdom and power. The challenge is not even in believing that he is still that same God when things happen in my life that hurt and seem unfair. For my experience does not change God from being God. The challenge is in believing that God loves me when he lets these terrible things happen to me or to someone I love. And without the faith that there is a higher purpose to be accomplished, even in my pain, I don’t know that I could keep believing that He loves me. That’s why knowing my purpose through what God did for me out of love at the cross is so very important.

David

Day One of 40 Days of Purpose

“It All Starts with God,” and if we could just remember that! Indeed it is not about you! It is not about me! So much of what we hear about when we consider our participation in “church” is about “me.” If I like the sermon, or the music. If I think my needs are being met. If I enjoyed my worship experience today. Sounds a whole lot like it is about me, and in fact, very little to do with God. No wonder we need to study about our purpose, when we spend so much of our time leaving God out of our lives, and even out of our religion. Day One grabs us with the reminder that if we are going to discover the purpose of our lives we need to back up to begin with God. How can we begin to answer the most crucial questions in life if we leave out God? How will we ever know the will of God if we try to find it without God? I am here to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:3-14), not for my glory, and may I never forget it!

It reminds me of an old song by John Denver, “Sweet, Sweet Surrender.”

Lost and alone on some forgotten highway
Travelled by many remembered by few
Lookin for something that I can believe in
Lookin for something that Id like to do with my life

Theres nothin behind me and nothin that ties me
To somethin that might have been true yesterday
Tomorrow is open and right now it seems to be more
Than enough to just be there today

And I dont know what the future is holdin in store
I dont know where Im goin, Im not sure where Ive been
Theres a spirit that guides me, a light that shines for me
My life is worth the livin, I dont need to see the end

We are traveling lost and alone on some forgotten highway trying to find something to believe in and to do with our lives if we travel life’s journey without God, but if he becomes the spirit that guides us, life becomes worth the living and he will bring us to a glorious end that will last forever.

David

Examining Ezekiel

It is difficult to understand the caldron of the Middle East without first studying the remarkable prophecies found in the book of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel was among the captives with King Jehoiachin in the second of three deportations under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He mentions Daniel three times, who had been in Babylon nine years before Ezekiel arrived. Ezekiel ministered, as did Jeremiah, to a nation experiencing judgment for their sins. In his captivity he lived at the River Chebar, which was the great ship canal branching off from the Euphrates above Babylon and turning through Nippur to the Tigris. This was the primary settlement location of the Jewish captives.
Ezekiel was born in approximately 627 B.C. and lived in a time of moral decline, distress and uprooting. His messages were not well received at first, but did ultimately result in the nation being purged of idolatrous practices. He was married and owned his home. His wife died during his ministry, and he was forbidden to mourn her.
We also learn that God intended his life to be a series of signs to Israel; therefore, he does all kinds of strange things. He shuts himself up in his home. He binds himself. He is struck dumb. In a formal ritual, he was to lie on his right and his left sides for a total of 430 days. He ate bread that was prepared in an unclean manner. He shaved his head and beard, which was considered a shame in his particular calling.
Throughout the book, his main theme was the sovereignty and glory of God. This is good for us, because we can get so focused on God’s grace that we tend to forget there is also a governing role of God, and that His glory requires justice.
Ezekiel was very direct. He carefully vindicated God’s justice throughout the book, although he deals more in symbol and allegory that any other Old Testament prophet. He is probably the greatest mystic of the Old Testament. He was well suited for the calling God gave him, which included a remarkable vision of God's Throne in Chapter 1. This dramatic vision of God never left him. It is not just introduced in the first chapter, it is referenced all the way through.

The Prophet of the Regathering

The famed vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones in Chapters 36 and 37 may be the monumental Biblical fulfillment of the 20th century. Beginning in the last half of the 19th century, the regathering that climaxed in the establishment of the State of Israel is one of the most irrefutable evidences that we are on threshold of God's climax for the nations mentioned throughout the Bible - and remarkably detailed in the writings of Ezekiel.

The final chapters, 40-48, climax with a remarkably detailed description of the Millennial Temple which is yet to be rebuilt. Ezekiel was uniquely qualified for this role due to his priestly background. He was the son of Buzi, who was also a priest. It is interesting that even though he never served as a priest, he apparently so influenced later worship that today he is called by some, "The Father of Judaism." From Numbers 4:3 we know that Kohathites had to be 30 years old before they could begin service as priests. When Ezekiel became 30, however, he was deported, in approximately the eightieth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The Temple which Ezekiel describes has never yet been built. Most scholars regard it as the details for the Temple which will be established during the Millennium.
Between the regathering of the nation in Chapters 36 and 37, and the Millennium Temple described in Chapters 40-48, there is a climactic event that intervenes. The invasion of Gog and Magog, described in Chapters 38 and 39, are among the most famous prophetic passages in the Bible. Some scholars believe that the identity of "Magog" refers to the people of Russia. Only time will tell if this correct?

Consistency with Grace

Well, we have come to the end of another college football season and the arguments will still be made for some type of playoff approach to determine the national championship. Although Florida beat Ohio St. convincingly, you still have the top two teams each having lost once. And of course, Boise St. can argue for their right to first place with an undefeated season. One can analyze the top 10 to death. I cheered for two teams this year and was disappointed with both – Arkansas and USC. Florida was beaten by Auburn and I like to point out that Auburn was beaten by Arkansas, but then Arkansas lost to Florida in the SEC playoff game. USC slipped to Oregon State, and who knows why, but then still had the chance to be in the championship game against Ohio State, but got beat by their cross-town rival UCLA; then they beat Michigan in such a way that made the comparison with the Ohio State v. Michigan game look like Ohio St. would have a very difficult time staying with USC. Now you may be saying, what is his point and what in the world does this have to do with a “spiritual discussion”?

My point is this, without a playoff system like March Madness in college basketball to award the national college football championship to the last team standing, there are two key factors to determining the national champion in the present system: consistency and grace. The best argument for Florida being the national champion, in my opinion, is not only that they beat Ohio State, but that with that victory they demonstrated through the whole season that they were the better team. You may disagree with the system and my analysis of it, but without a playoff system, that’s how it looks. If this is not the case then Boise State should be the national champion for they finished the season undefeated. The reason Florida is the champion is that the system determines that they have consistently demonstrated through the season that they are a better team than Boise State, even though they were once beaten and Boise State was undefeated. I would call this “consistency with grace,” meaning that even though they lost a game, which makes their won-lost record no better than some others, the present system is designed to overlook that loss and award their consistent play with the championship award. The system allowed some grace to be applied to their loss. What’s spiritual about this discussion?

No analogy is perfect, but our relationship with God may be closer to the BCS system than a playoff system. In the playoff system, once you make the playoffs, one loss and you are out. In the BCS system it is not just about winning the last game, it is about the consistency of the season that gets you into the championship game. Frankly, in football, as a fan, I like a playoff better; but in life, I like a system that will allow me a loss or two during the season and I am still able to be in the running for the championship. My winning relationship with God is not based on my perfection, but on my consistency of faith within His grace.

David

The Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises a special blessing to the reader. (Many verses in the Bible encourage reading God's Word in general, but only one book has the "audacity" to claim, in effect, "Read me, I'm special.") What is surprising is that, even for many avid Bible readers, this book is overlooked or neglected. One would expect just the opposite. There are many reasons why this book invariably results in a special blessing to the diligent inquirer. Perhaps the most basic blessing accrues from the fact that in order to understand the back ground of the many idioms and allusions, one will have to trace back into virtually every book of the Bible. The Book of Revelation consists of 404 verses which contain over 800 allusions to the Old Testament alone! One reason the book appears so strange to the uninitiated is that most of us haven't developed enough familiarity with the Old Testament. The Book of Revelation is the only book which also has a divinely inspired outline included! Jesus Himself has provided the key to the structure of the book: He told John to write:
1. the things which thou hast seen, and
2. the things which are, and
3. the things which shall be hereafter.
The "things which thou hast seen" refers to the vision of our risen Lord just experienced previously in Chapter 1. The "things which are" refers to the seven churches which were existing at that time in Chapters 2 and 3. Interestingly, the Lord's letters to the churches in these two chapters are the most relevant part of the book for us today. The "things which shall be hereafter (meta tauta)" refers to the remainder of the book.

It is interesting to notice the parallels in design between the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation. Joshua's name is in Hebrew; in Greek it could be rendered "Jesus." Joshua's mission is to dispossess the usurpers from the Land on behalf of God's people; in Revelation, Jesus' mission is to dispossess the Planet Earth of the usurpers. Joshua initially sends ahead two witnesses. (We call them spies, but all they accomplished was getting a Gentile woman saved.) The two witnesses of Revelation Chapter 11 are a prominent element. Also we observe that in the initial attack on the Amorite capital of Jericho in the book of Joshua every rule of the Torah was violated: the Levites were exempt from military duties, yet they lead the procession. They were to do no work on Sabbath Day, yet here they march around Jericho once a day for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day! They are to keep silent until the final trumpet blast, etc. It is interesting that the Seven Trumpets in Revelation are introduced after a strange silence. It seems that in Revelation we have the final "Joshua," dispossessing the Planet Earth of its usurpers on behalf of God's people in a manner that is remarkably parallel. One of the keys to understanding the book is also to take it seriously, not to get distracted with fanciful allegories or speculations but to read it with care and diligence as part of the whole Word of God. The Bible consists of 66 books, penned by 40 authors over thousands of years, and yet we now discover that it is an integrated message: every detail, every word, every number, every place name is there by supernatural engineering. And no study makes this clearer than the study of the Book of Revelation.

40 Days of Committment

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25)."

Starting this Sunday we will be asking all of our members to commit to studying the Bible for 40 days using Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life". The start of each new year is traditionally a time for reflecting on the past, and more importantly, looking forward to the future. It is also a time to consider the changes we want (or need) to make in our lives, and to resolve to follow through on those changes. A typical list of New Year's resolutions might include things like losing weight, exercising more, quitting bad habits, or spending more time with family and friends. However this year, as you're setting your objectives for the next twelve months, don't forget to establish some spiritual goals for yourself.

The Lord has told that we will reap what we sow. If we will make a committment to get into the Word on a daily basis, one's life will improve. Please come join us for Bible Class this Sunday and bring $10 with you to purchase the materials for the next 40 days. If you do, you will be blessed!