For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out f his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ my dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.--Ephesians 3:14-19
This is my prayer for all of you.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
If Love Wins Is God Just?
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.--1 John 3:1
Love wins...this is the title of the new book, coming out today, by pastor and author Rob Bell. If some of you do not know Rob Bell, he is the well known pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the creator and star of the Nooma video's, which many church's have used in their curriculum at some point or another. He is also the author of five books dealing with the Christian faith, such as: Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Drop Like Stars, and his most recent Love Wins.
Love wins speaks about the issues of Heaven and Hell and whether they exist and who gets to go there, this in and of itself sounds like an interesting topic, one that is not spoken about often, yet is a staple in the Christian faith. However, Rob Bell comes at this topic in a way that is contrary to what the word of God says. (Keep in mind I do not say this lightly. I personally own all of Rob Bell's books, including Love Wins and up until last night thought that he was a rather good pastor that just raised some rather hard questions, however, I have been proved wrong.) Rob Bell takes a very Universalist stance within this book and within his beliefs. (For those of you that do not know what a Universalist stance is...it is the belief that all religions and all people go to Heaven.) This has upset many throughout the Christian community, yet, Rob Bell had not given any interviews (at least not to my knowledge) concerning the book and his views until last night. Last night Rob Bell was interviewed in New York City about his book (which released at midnight) and his thoughts on the afterlife. (The interview can be seen at www.livestream.com/lovewins, if you have an hour and fifteen minutes and would like to check out the interview yourself.) Within the interview Rob Bell continued to push a lax form of Universalism and promote the fact that God is love and that within that God wants to take care of us and heaven is about us, our needs and what we want.
Rob was very contradictory in many areas of the interview, and he acknowledges that at the end of the time. Yet, he holds fast to the fact that God is love and how could a loving God condemn someone to a life of torment? (Keep in mind that Rob Bell does believe that Hell does exist, however, he never says that hell is a literal place, other then to say that he believes hell is on earth...which is also where he said heaven is, in the beginning of the interview. Yes, I know very confusing.) This is an argument that I have heard throughout my years on the earth and I'm sure has been used on several occasions throughout time! It follows closely with how can a god of love let us suffer...In fact, with the current situation in Japan, I am positive that this question is being asked all over the world right now! And the fact is, this is not an easy question to answer! The question of suffering has been one for the ages, let alone the question of how a loving God could condemn his creation to suffer for a lifetime!
These questions are intense...and cannot be answered easily...but the fact is...God is love...and he does in fact have a plan, even though it may be extremely difficult to see it from our vantage point. In fact Isaiah 55:9 states, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." So, in order to save time and not claim to know the thoughts of God I am not even going to begin to touch on the fact as to why suffering exists or why God allows pain in the world, let alone natural disasters. (At least not in this blog post) All I am going to say is we serve a faithful God and we have to trust him in our times of uncertainty. Come to him with your doubts and your questions and he will give you peace.
The questions I am going to focus on though is the questions of: if God is love, and if love wins (as rob bell says it does) then where does that leave God? Does that mean that he is just a cute and cuddly being that wants nothing more then to please us? Where does the Old Testament come into that? Did God change over time? Did God decide that he was just being too hard on us, mere humans, in the Old Testament and decide that he was going to go ahead and save us so that we could be lazy and not have to give sacrifices? IS the Christian faith all about us? The answer to every one of those questions is a resounding NOOOOOO!
To start, I have been studying the book of 1 John. Now, if you have ever read the book of 1 John you would know that one of its main focuses is on love. Love for God and love for others mainly, and I have found that as I was reading 1 John 3 this morning I kept thinking...this chapter is talking about love and how we need to love others and love God and be righteous...but it doesn't talk about God's Justice. However, as a former seminary student, I remembered that this chapter was never meant to be taken by itself; because if you continue reading in Chapter 5 of this book John says, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. WHO IS IT THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD? ONLY HE WHO BELIEVES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD."(1John 5:1-5) It's a simple matter, really. It's what the entire Bible is about. Christ came to take down the devil (1 John 3:8) and in so doing he came to take our sins away. Jesus says, the only way to the father is through him! (John 14:6) Yes, God is love and yes he absolutely wants to save his creation! In fact 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (NKJV) However, this being said...God is just! Hebrews 10:30-31 says, "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (NKJV)
In conclusion, God does in fact love us. In fact, he loves us more then we can even imagine. He created us, and breathed life into us, yet, the Bible is full of times where people turn away from him and he punishes them. He is a just God, and he is a faithful God...and there is a heaven and there is a hell and we need to continue to recognize the two! Do not be caught up in the words of false doctrine! (Especially by someone who quotes "the doctrine of Ricky Bobby") For those that do want to read the book, I urge you to be careful and stand firm in your faith. Guard yourself with the armor of God before reading it, I know I will.
And remember this: He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.--Revelation 21:6-8. If this isn't a clear indicator that God is love and still just in his ways, I don't know what is.
Hell--"If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the win of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."--Revelation 14:9b-12
Heaven--The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.--Revelation 21:21
Love wins...this is the title of the new book, coming out today, by pastor and author Rob Bell. If some of you do not know Rob Bell, he is the well known pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the creator and star of the Nooma video's, which many church's have used in their curriculum at some point or another. He is also the author of five books dealing with the Christian faith, such as: Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Drop Like Stars, and his most recent Love Wins.
Love wins speaks about the issues of Heaven and Hell and whether they exist and who gets to go there, this in and of itself sounds like an interesting topic, one that is not spoken about often, yet is a staple in the Christian faith. However, Rob Bell comes at this topic in a way that is contrary to what the word of God says. (Keep in mind I do not say this lightly. I personally own all of Rob Bell's books, including Love Wins and up until last night thought that he was a rather good pastor that just raised some rather hard questions, however, I have been proved wrong.) Rob Bell takes a very Universalist stance within this book and within his beliefs. (For those of you that do not know what a Universalist stance is...it is the belief that all religions and all people go to Heaven.) This has upset many throughout the Christian community, yet, Rob Bell had not given any interviews (at least not to my knowledge) concerning the book and his views until last night. Last night Rob Bell was interviewed in New York City about his book (which released at midnight) and his thoughts on the afterlife. (The interview can be seen at www.livestream.com/lovewins, if you have an hour and fifteen minutes and would like to check out the interview yourself.) Within the interview Rob Bell continued to push a lax form of Universalism and promote the fact that God is love and that within that God wants to take care of us and heaven is about us, our needs and what we want.
Rob was very contradictory in many areas of the interview, and he acknowledges that at the end of the time. Yet, he holds fast to the fact that God is love and how could a loving God condemn someone to a life of torment? (Keep in mind that Rob Bell does believe that Hell does exist, however, he never says that hell is a literal place, other then to say that he believes hell is on earth...which is also where he said heaven is, in the beginning of the interview. Yes, I know very confusing.) This is an argument that I have heard throughout my years on the earth and I'm sure has been used on several occasions throughout time! It follows closely with how can a god of love let us suffer...In fact, with the current situation in Japan, I am positive that this question is being asked all over the world right now! And the fact is, this is not an easy question to answer! The question of suffering has been one for the ages, let alone the question of how a loving God could condemn his creation to suffer for a lifetime!
These questions are intense...and cannot be answered easily...but the fact is...God is love...and he does in fact have a plan, even though it may be extremely difficult to see it from our vantage point. In fact Isaiah 55:9 states, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." So, in order to save time and not claim to know the thoughts of God I am not even going to begin to touch on the fact as to why suffering exists or why God allows pain in the world, let alone natural disasters. (At least not in this blog post) All I am going to say is we serve a faithful God and we have to trust him in our times of uncertainty. Come to him with your doubts and your questions and he will give you peace.
The questions I am going to focus on though is the questions of: if God is love, and if love wins (as rob bell says it does) then where does that leave God? Does that mean that he is just a cute and cuddly being that wants nothing more then to please us? Where does the Old Testament come into that? Did God change over time? Did God decide that he was just being too hard on us, mere humans, in the Old Testament and decide that he was going to go ahead and save us so that we could be lazy and not have to give sacrifices? IS the Christian faith all about us? The answer to every one of those questions is a resounding NOOOOOO!
To start, I have been studying the book of 1 John. Now, if you have ever read the book of 1 John you would know that one of its main focuses is on love. Love for God and love for others mainly, and I have found that as I was reading 1 John 3 this morning I kept thinking...this chapter is talking about love and how we need to love others and love God and be righteous...but it doesn't talk about God's Justice. However, as a former seminary student, I remembered that this chapter was never meant to be taken by itself; because if you continue reading in Chapter 5 of this book John says, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. WHO IS IT THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD? ONLY HE WHO BELIEVES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD."(1John 5:1-5) It's a simple matter, really. It's what the entire Bible is about. Christ came to take down the devil (1 John 3:8) and in so doing he came to take our sins away. Jesus says, the only way to the father is through him! (John 14:6) Yes, God is love and yes he absolutely wants to save his creation! In fact 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (NKJV) However, this being said...God is just! Hebrews 10:30-31 says, "For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (NKJV)
In conclusion, God does in fact love us. In fact, he loves us more then we can even imagine. He created us, and breathed life into us, yet, the Bible is full of times where people turn away from him and he punishes them. He is a just God, and he is a faithful God...and there is a heaven and there is a hell and we need to continue to recognize the two! Do not be caught up in the words of false doctrine! (Especially by someone who quotes "the doctrine of Ricky Bobby") For those that do want to read the book, I urge you to be careful and stand firm in your faith. Guard yourself with the armor of God before reading it, I know I will.
And remember this: He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.--Revelation 21:6-8. If this isn't a clear indicator that God is love and still just in his ways, I don't know what is.
Hell--"If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the win of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."--Revelation 14:9b-12
Heaven--The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.--Revelation 21:21
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
There is NO Fear In Love
Recently I've been more aware of the aspects of my life and the lives of those around me that are changing. I mean change is constant. Ironic yes, but factual, and recently it seems like a lot of things have changed.
One of those things being my faith and the faith of those around me. Some of you know that last year I took a hiatus from my home church and went on a journey to find a new one. This journey ended with me back home, which I've come to understand is EXACTLY where God wants me. I do feel like I needed the break. I needed the time to figure some stuff out...to do some major forgiving...but ultimately I'm happy with where I am, and I know God is too.
Of course, with any journey comes realizations...it's the reason we take journey's in the first place. To find ourselves somewhere new. Somewhere where nothing is familiar...where you have to be stretched...you have to figure things out...and you have to change. And sometimes within those moment's we come to realize that the place we are supposed to be was the place we began, but even those journies are not taken in vain. For some piece of wisdom comes with every step we take to understand ourselves and God better. For me, the one piece of wisdom that I came away with that has plagued my mind and heart is the way we love each other within the church and outside of it.
Gerard Manley Hopkins was a famous poet in the 1800's. He says in his poem As Kingfishers Catch Fire, "For Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his To the Father through the features of men's faces." For we are made in the image of God, in fact the word Christian literally means, "little christ". Keeping this in mind...ask yourself...are you loving people like Christ loved people? Are you seeing Christ in others? This is something I struggle with on a daily basis, the laying down of my patience and pride at the Father's feet, in order to live a life that glows from HIS glory, not my own. Believe it or not, God uses people. In many instances in my walk, God has chosen to use people to speak to me, rather then speaking directly. He has used people to comfort me, to encourage me, to speak truth to me, to heal me, and to teach me. As humans, I think we are a lot like Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when he asks for rest. At this point, Elijah is terrified. He is literally running for his life and He comes to a tree in v. 4 and says, "I have had enough, Lord...Take my life; I am no better than any ancestors." He is giving up. He is discouraged. He is TIRED. God sends him an angel and tells him to "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Elijah goes out and there comes a huge wind...but God isn't in the wind. There comes a huge earthquake...but God isn't in the earthquake. Then there is a huge fire storm...but God is not in the fire. Yet...Elijah finds God in the silence. In the same way, we today expect to see God in the GREAT moments. In the moment's where things are happening! Not in the silence. We don't expect to see God in eachother. We don't expect to see God in our pain...in our tears...in a touch from a friend...in an encouraging word...in a simple sentence. No, we expect to see him in the wind storms, earthquakes, and fire storms of our lives. But God uses us. He created us...he loves us...and he uses us for his glory. So...shouldn't we do EVERYTHING we possibly can to love one another? Shouldn't we being giving to others the love that God is continually pooring out on us? For those that are thinking that it's too hard...that you don't have the patience...or you don't have the time...MAKE THE TIME! PRAY FOR PATIENCE! People are dying without knowing! My pastor once said, "By doing nothing we are in essence telling everyone else to 'go to hell!' So are you going to sit by and do nothing? Or are you going to show love to anyone and everyone you come in contact with? I'm not saying it's going to be easy...but it's soooo worth it!
Worship Element: Perfect Love from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
One of those things being my faith and the faith of those around me. Some of you know that last year I took a hiatus from my home church and went on a journey to find a new one. This journey ended with me back home, which I've come to understand is EXACTLY where God wants me. I do feel like I needed the break. I needed the time to figure some stuff out...to do some major forgiving...but ultimately I'm happy with where I am, and I know God is too.
Of course, with any journey comes realizations...it's the reason we take journey's in the first place. To find ourselves somewhere new. Somewhere where nothing is familiar...where you have to be stretched...you have to figure things out...and you have to change. And sometimes within those moment's we come to realize that the place we are supposed to be was the place we began, but even those journies are not taken in vain. For some piece of wisdom comes with every step we take to understand ourselves and God better. For me, the one piece of wisdom that I came away with that has plagued my mind and heart is the way we love each other within the church and outside of it.
Gerard Manley Hopkins was a famous poet in the 1800's. He says in his poem As Kingfishers Catch Fire, "For Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his To the Father through the features of men's faces." For we are made in the image of God, in fact the word Christian literally means, "little christ". Keeping this in mind...ask yourself...are you loving people like Christ loved people? Are you seeing Christ in others? This is something I struggle with on a daily basis, the laying down of my patience and pride at the Father's feet, in order to live a life that glows from HIS glory, not my own. Believe it or not, God uses people. In many instances in my walk, God has chosen to use people to speak to me, rather then speaking directly. He has used people to comfort me, to encourage me, to speak truth to me, to heal me, and to teach me. As humans, I think we are a lot like Elijah in 1 Kings 19 when he asks for rest. At this point, Elijah is terrified. He is literally running for his life and He comes to a tree in v. 4 and says, "I have had enough, Lord...Take my life; I am no better than any ancestors." He is giving up. He is discouraged. He is TIRED. God sends him an angel and tells him to "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Elijah goes out and there comes a huge wind...but God isn't in the wind. There comes a huge earthquake...but God isn't in the earthquake. Then there is a huge fire storm...but God is not in the fire. Yet...Elijah finds God in the silence. In the same way, we today expect to see God in the GREAT moments. In the moment's where things are happening! Not in the silence. We don't expect to see God in eachother. We don't expect to see God in our pain...in our tears...in a touch from a friend...in an encouraging word...in a simple sentence. No, we expect to see him in the wind storms, earthquakes, and fire storms of our lives. But God uses us. He created us...he loves us...and he uses us for his glory. So...shouldn't we do EVERYTHING we possibly can to love one another? Shouldn't we being giving to others the love that God is continually pooring out on us? For those that are thinking that it's too hard...that you don't have the patience...or you don't have the time...MAKE THE TIME! PRAY FOR PATIENCE! People are dying without knowing! My pastor once said, "By doing nothing we are in essence telling everyone else to 'go to hell!' So are you going to sit by and do nothing? Or are you going to show love to anyone and everyone you come in contact with? I'm not saying it's going to be easy...but it's soooo worth it!
Worship Element: Perfect Love from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
Just A Quick Note
Sorry I haven't been updating this more often!!! I just want you to know that i fully intend on updating this blog way more this year!!! So keep your eye's open for future stuff :)
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