At a Building dedication the pastor was preaching from 2 Chronicles 7, when Solomon was dedicating the temple in Jerusalem. After all the sacrifices had been made and Solomon had prayed God answers Solomon and Israel with these words, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice." That particular statement caused me to think in terms of the buildings we call our houses of worship. The question I wonder is do we make these places "houses of sacrifice"? The simple answer would be to say yes, we offer the sacrifice of praise that spoken of in Hebrews 13:15, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praiseto God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
I think the harder answer can be found in Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore brethren that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.
The Old Testament sacrifce involved the giving of the firstfruits, the first born, the best that they had. It literally was a sacrifce on their part. God sacrificed His firstborn, his firstfruit, his best for all mankind. All we truly have to offer is ourselves to God. Our worship should involve the sacrifice of our selves at the altar of God. It's something to think about.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Christianity-lite?
I read recently Christianity being described as Christian-lite. the statement got me to thinking about the Great Commission and the practices of the church. In the church we talk a great deal about sharing the gospel of Christ so that people can become Christians. The Great Commission says "As you are going make disciples of all me". Are we more interested in making Christians or in making disciples? And is the Great Commission a corporate command, or is it an individual opportunity to partner with God in transformation of an individual into a maturing disciple of Christ? It's something to think about.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
How important are relationships?
How important are relationships? According to Oscar Thompson in Concentric Circles of Concern, "The most important word in the English language, apart from proper nouns is relationship. You say, but love has to be the most important word. Love moves through a relationship." Since the creation of mankind, life is about relationships. There are two basic relationships in life. One is a vertical relationship that exists between man and God. the other is the horizontal relationship that exists between persons. The first relationship in the Bible is God's relationship with man as the Creator. God's stated objective was to create man in His own image and to have the reasoning ability and to be able make moral choices. Man was created with the capacity for personal interaction with God and with others. In the Genesis account of creation God and man are presented interacting together and in relationship with the third part of relationships woman. In the creation story there is both vertical and horizontal relationships.
In the Gospels, Jesus is seen entering into relationship with those He encounters. According to John 1:35-51, as Jesus was going about his day, He invited individuals to enter into a relationship with Him in the statement, Come and see. With every person Jesus encountered in the Bible there was an opportunity for relationship building. this same scenario can be seen when Jesus, while passing through Samaria, encountered the woman at the well. Jesus seized hold of the opportunity to establish a relationship with the Woman at the well as described in John 4. he met her where she was and spoke to her as an equal. this relationship resulted in many more from her city meeting Jesus as their Savior.
In the Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells His disciples that they are to make disciples as they are going. Making disciples is about establishing relationships and building upon that relationships. It is about taking hold of the opportunity that is presented and to be Jesus to others who do not know Jesus. After all didn't Jesus say to his followers, "As the Father has sent me, so send I you." It is not about withdrawing from the world, nor is it about warring with those who disagree, and it is not about walking in the same lifestyle as others. It is about being Jesus in our speech, action and reaction. It's something to think about.
In the Gospels, Jesus is seen entering into relationship with those He encounters. According to John 1:35-51, as Jesus was going about his day, He invited individuals to enter into a relationship with Him in the statement, Come and see. With every person Jesus encountered in the Bible there was an opportunity for relationship building. this same scenario can be seen when Jesus, while passing through Samaria, encountered the woman at the well. Jesus seized hold of the opportunity to establish a relationship with the Woman at the well as described in John 4. he met her where she was and spoke to her as an equal. this relationship resulted in many more from her city meeting Jesus as their Savior.
In the Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells His disciples that they are to make disciples as they are going. Making disciples is about establishing relationships and building upon that relationships. It is about taking hold of the opportunity that is presented and to be Jesus to others who do not know Jesus. After all didn't Jesus say to his followers, "As the Father has sent me, so send I you." It is not about withdrawing from the world, nor is it about warring with those who disagree, and it is not about walking in the same lifestyle as others. It is about being Jesus in our speech, action and reaction. It's something to think about.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Be Jesus to others
When Jesus appeared to His disciples on the night of His resurrection He said to them, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you" (John 20:21 NKJV). Was Jesus telling his disciples what was their purpose. This was not the first time of God giving His purpose to man and His church. Since the foundation of time God has called upon man and His church to represent Him to all the world. In Genesis 1:28-30 God pronounces His blessing upon man, calls upon man to be fruitful and to multiply in numbers, and to have dominion over the earth. God created man with a purpose of being His representative on Earth. In Genesis 9, after the flooding of the earth, God blessed Noah and his sons and calls upon them to be fruitful and multiply, stating that all of creation was in their hands. Again the thought is that God's purpose for man was that man would represent Him to all the earth. this same scenario is seen over and over again in the Bible, Abram in Genesis 12, Moses and the Israelites in Exodus, and Israel again through Isaiah.
When Jesus walked the earth, according to Luke 4:16-21, his was a mission of proclamation and liberation. Jesus' final statement was that the day of the Lord was fulfilled. In essence Jesus was saying that His mission purpose was to be God on earth. God had sent Him to be him on earth. Jesus was God on earth doing a ministry of proclaiming the liberating message of forgiveness and restoration that drove him to die upon the cross.
As the risen Savior, Jesus gives His disciples the same purpose of being Him to others. Peter echos this purpose of the church in his statement, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light"(1 Peter 2:9 NKJV). We are to be Jesus to all the world, living in such a way that others would see Jesus in our lives and declaring the liberating message of forgiveness, restoration and hope. It's something to reflect upon.
When Jesus walked the earth, according to Luke 4:16-21, his was a mission of proclamation and liberation. Jesus' final statement was that the day of the Lord was fulfilled. In essence Jesus was saying that His mission purpose was to be God on earth. God had sent Him to be him on earth. Jesus was God on earth doing a ministry of proclaiming the liberating message of forgiveness and restoration that drove him to die upon the cross.
As the risen Savior, Jesus gives His disciples the same purpose of being Him to others. Peter echos this purpose of the church in his statement, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light"(1 Peter 2:9 NKJV). We are to be Jesus to all the world, living in such a way that others would see Jesus in our lives and declaring the liberating message of forgiveness, restoration and hope. It's something to reflect upon.
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