by Logan Ames
I once read a wonderfully written story called “Life After Birth." You can find a version of it here. The gist of the story is that two babies are in the womb and are having a conversation about whether there is life after delivery. One baby is sure there is nothing else out there, while the other baby hangs on to a belief that there is something more where they will actually get to meet “Mother." The story ends with the unbelieving one essentially mocking the believing one.
Since we are all living and breathing outside of our mothers’ wombs, we can say we know with certainty that there is life after birth. But I want to talk to you here about something that not everyone believes and for which there is not yet any irrefutable proof. I’m talking about life after death. The question of what happens after we die is one of the 7 questions that all worldviews have to answer. Christians are often ridiculed for the belief that we will be resurrected into eternal life with Jesus, and we’re told that it’s just something we’ve made up to make ourselves feel better about what we don’t know. This view, of course, ignores the evidence from Scripture.
Many of us first learned about life everlasting from the most popular Bible verse of all time. As children, most of us heard the King James Version of John 3:16 at some point: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The issue for many believers is not IF everlasting life exists, but more so what that life will look like. Some of you are probably completely freaked out by the concept of eternity. When I was a child, I always thought about how long of a time eternity is and what we’d be doing with it. I remember my mom once saying that we’d be worshiping God all the time. I equated worship with church at that time, so needless to say I wondered who in the world would want to be in church ALL the time. At that age, I didn’t even want to be there once a week! vThe truth is that if heaven were based on what “I” want, it wouldn’t be heaven at all. Bishop T.D. Jakes said, “As a Christian, Christ died so that we will have eternal life with him in heaven. What it looks like doesn’t matter, what it smells like doesn’t matter, as long as Christ is there it will be heaven to me." I think he’s right. We all have our mental pictures of what heaven “might” be like, but no one knows for sure. Since we all picture different things, the most important thing to know is that Jesus is present there.
It’s interesting when we start talking about the physical characteristics of heaven that we have traditionally come to expect. Those characteristics include “streets of gold” and “pearly gates." It’s interesting because those descriptors actually apply to another place and not heaven. The word heaven is first seen at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1:1, but the Hebrew word used there is shamayim and is the same word translated as “sky” in Genesis 1:8. That’s because the Hebrew word basically just means “the waters above." Therefore, heaven is not a proper name, or a place you find on a map. It’s just a reference to the skies above and that’s why when it pours down rain, we say “the heavens opened up."
So, the logical question to ask then is why do we call the place where God dwells “heaven”? Quite simply, it’s because Jesus did and we follow him! In Matthew 6:9, as he teaches his disciples how to pray, he says, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name." Later, he called the place by a different name. As he responded to the criminal on the cross next to him in Luke 23:42-43, he referred to the place as “paradise." The word for “paradise” there, when translated back to the Hebrew, is the same word used for the Garden of Eden, or God’s idea of a perfect place. We don’t know much about the rebel on the cross next to Jesus. Scholars believe he was either a murderer, a thief, or both. Either way, this is the essence of everlasting life. That man, who had lived a mess of a life, at least to some extent up until that point, was now told by Jesus that he was about to have eternal life. Jesus knew his heart was sincere and if we think about it, it’s amazing that Jesus was willing to say this to the criminal despite the agonizing suffering Jesus was in, which would’ve made it painful just to speak and breathe.
The best descriptors of the place we have been taught to believe is “heaven” can be found in Revelation 21. In verses 1-5, we see that Christ is making everything new and the new city is coming down “out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." This tells us that the “city” we’re about to read about can’t be heaven because it’s clearly coming OUT OF heaven. Then in verses 9-27, the characteristics of this perfect “place” are mentioned. This is where we find references to the streets of gold and the pearly gates, among other descriptors. The crazy thing is that this section begins with an angel showing John “the bride, the wife of the Lamb… the Holy City, Jerusalem." Now, we know from Ephesians 5:32 that the bride of Christ is the Church, the universal body of believers.
The big question for many of us, then, is how does this impact our lives right now? Some people just want to be woken up when everlasting life gets here. But the reality of these passages is that they seem to indicate that the “city” made up of God’s people is actually what we often confuse for “heaven." Yet, the passage says the bride is “prepared." How do we prepare ourselves to meet the bridegroom, Jesus Christ? It just so happens that he does a good part of the preparing in us. Take a moment and read Mark 10:17-27. I was blown away when I read this passage with a renewed understanding. Jesus had just talked to his disciples about having faith like a child and in walks this man who does just the opposite. He has heard about everlasting life and wants Jesus to give him the bullet points of what he has to DO to inherit it. The truth is he had already done what is most necessary - he fell at Jesus’ feet. But as soon as he opened his mouth, it all went down hill for him. He called Jesus “good” and Jesus questioned this, not because he’s not good or not God, but because he wanted the man to understand that it doesn’t matter how many good things are done; no one is “good” except God. Therefore, to call Jesus “good” was to call him “God," and Jesus wanted to make sure there was no getting around it.
The problem for the man was that he was not asking Jesus to be his Savior. Rather, he was asking Jesus to tell him how he can be his own savior, which of course is impossible for any human being no matter how “good” they are. For us to be prepared to be part of the city that IS everlasting life with God, we have to be willing to admit our need for Jesus and get ourselves out of the way and let him do the preparing. This attitude is exemplified by Paul in Romans 7:24-25. The humility required to say I am wretched without Jesus but rescued with him is a prerequisite for getting prepared for everlasting life. Have you been trying to earn your way to everlasting life and getting frustrated because of your failures? Let Jesus change you. After that discussion with the rich young ruler, Jesus’ disciples were dumbfounded and wondered who the heck could possibly be saved. Jesus famously replied, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). If you haven’t already, surrender your life to Christ and allow him to begin to do the impossible in preparing you for the gift of life everlasting. Amen and so be it!
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
In the classic movie The Princess Bride, Billy Crystal plays a “miracle man” by the name of Miracle Max. There’s a scene where the main character, Westley, is thought to have died and his friends bring him to Miracle Max. They need him to bring Westley back to life. As Max is taking his time and going through his process, the men begin to get very impatient. Max reminds them, “If you rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles." The comical scene is nevertheless a reminder to us that we must not expect God to operate and give us what we need in OUR timing. He is truly a God of miracles, but he will not be rushed. What miracles are you desperate for in your life, and how are you doing waiting on God for them?
When I preached a sermon on this topic some time ago, it got me thinking, which of God’s miracles in the Bible was the greatest miracle ever done? Was it creating the world in six days? How about parting the Red Sea or the Jordan River so millions of Israelites could cross? Maybe it was knocking down the walls of Jericho, keeping Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego safe in the fiery furnace., or Daniel being unharmed in the lion’s den. All of these were moments over the course of history were examples of God’s supernatural power. Yet, I submit to you that none of these are the greatest miracle that God ever did. Not even close. Each of these things has to do with creating life or maintaining what has already been created. But I think there is something that is a step above that. In my humble opinion, the greatest miracle ever done is taking someone or something that is dead and bringing them back to life!
There are examples from the Old Testament of people who had stopped breathing being brought back to life, but Jesus himself not only stopped breathing, but was confirmed to be dead by a spear into his side, was buried in a tomb for at least 40 hours, and then rose from the grave by the power of God. And when he rose from the grave, he didn’t become a ghost. His actual PHYSICAL body was raised and life was restored. This is one reason why Christians can universally say that we believe in the resurrection of the body.
However, it’s not the only reason. You see, this idea of the resurrection of the body is not actually about Jesus, but about you and I. In order to understand this belief more clearly and why it matters, we have to talk about both death and the hope we have in spite of it. The first time death is even mentioned in the Bible is Genesis 2:16-17, when God tells Adam the rules regarding eating from trees in the Garden of Eden. The one tree that is forbidden is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God states that the consequence of eating from said tree would be death. Adam had to be wondering what “death” is.
Then, we know what happens in Genesis 3:1-5. The serpent comes and deceives the woman and helps her question God’s word which was initially spoken to her husband, who should’ve accurately passed it on to her. Satan tells her that they’re not going to die if they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and Eve likes the sound of that so she goes ahead and eats the fruit. Adam does the same. By the way, Satan doesn’t even believe his own lies. He knows they are lies and that’s why Jesus referred to him as “the father of lies” in John 8:44. Then in Genesis 3:6-10, we see the consequences of sin that begin to take form. After they thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?" they ate the fruit and discovered the reality of the consequences. They experienced fear, began to blame one another, and felt shame. Each of those things add stress to any human being’s life, which ultimately leads to shorter lives and death.
What would you do if you knew or believed you could get away with it? How far would your sinful desires take you? Many Christians still engage in sinful activities like porn, drunkenness, or abuse simply because they don’t believe or think about the fact that God knows. Adam and Eve would’ve never eaten the fruit if they truly believed it would lead to their death. You might think your sin isn’t hurting anyone because you haven’t yet seen the drastic consequences, but all sin breeds death. For example, if you’re engaging in pornography, you are directly hurting your marriage and family, or your future marriage and family if you’re not yet married. Such activities desensitize you to the problem of sin. We have to remember that our time on this earth is not guaranteed, and that death is the destiny of everyone (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
While death is something we all deserve because it is the “wages of sin," we have been given the gift of God, which is eternal life (Romans 6:23). So, death is an end, but it is not THE end. You’ve probably heard people talk about the afterlife at funerals, but maybe you’ve never thought about what it might be like. Paul talks about it in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Evidently, some people were saying that there is no resurrection of the dead even while claiming to be believers in Jesus and his resurrection. Paul says they don't realize the ramifications of such a faulty belief. He's basically saying that changes everything. Paul viewed his life as something he couldn’t wait to get done with so he could go hang out with Jesus forever. He always had an eye on the afterlife, so it’s not surprise that he wrote, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (v. 19).
Paul was driven by his belief in not just the resurrection of Jesus, but the resurrection of all his followers into another life. I've seen those things on Facebook that say that if you live your life as if there is heaven and you turn out to be wrong, you've lost nothing. Paul says that's a bunch of malarkey! He's saying if he found out there was no resurrection, it'd be the biggest disappointment of all time. In 1 Corinthians 15:32, he writes, “If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”! Paul basically says that if our bodies will not be resurrected for a new life, we might as well get everything we can out of this body right now.
The knowledge of the resurrection can motivate us to keep going in the midst of terrible circumstances. Paul was constantly persecuted, yet he got to a point where it didn’t matter to him what happened to his body because he knew he’d be getting an upgrade. In the Old Testament, Job, who suffered as much as anyone, had a surprising revelation in the midst of his complaining to God. He says in Job 19:25-27 that even though his flesh is failing now, he knows his redeemer lives and that he will one day see him in his own FLESH! Like Paul, Job had an upgrade in mind, like going from a Kia to a Chevy Corvette!
Here’s the thing though: spiritually, the resurrection has already happened if you have received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Paul says in Ephesians 2:1-7 that we were dead in or transgressions but have been “made alive with Christ” and are seated with him in the heavenly realms. Yet, Paul also says that God is going to reveal the “incomparable riches of his grace” to others through us. So, what does that mean for us? It means we live in this dual reality of having already been spiritually made alive from our spiritual death, while also knowing that our physical bodies are wasting away every day and someday, we’ll be given a new and better one. It means that our bodies are tools for the Lord to use to accomplish his work here, and we ought not focus on saving what will fade away anyway. Of course, we take care of our bodies so that we are more available to do God’s good work, but we don’t worry about self-preservation. Will you surrender your body to God today, allowing him to use it in whatever he wills? Romans 12:1 tells us this is true and reasonable worship. It makes the most sense. Christ gave his body up for us then received a new one. We can follow his lead by giving of ourselves and putting our faith in the promise of an eventual resurrection of the body.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
One of the greatest poems of all time that exemplifies a foundation of our Christian faith is “Do It Anyway," which has been attributed to Mother Teresa. You can find it in its entirety here. I want to focus on the first line and the last line. At the beginning it reads, “People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway." The world asks why this should happen. Are they sorry? Did they ASK for forgiveness? Have they made the necessary changes in their lives? Have they suffered enough? These are the questions we might even ask if we are not focused on what God has done for us and the mercy he has shown us. After multiple similar lines in the poem it ends with, “In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
As we continue this series going through the roots of our Christian faith as stated in the Apostles’ Creed, we arrive this week at a critical point for those who either call themselves “Christians” or want to know what it is that sets our faith apart from all others. The creed states that we believe in “the forgiveness of sins." We believe in refraining from seeking vengeance or getting even with those who have hurt us. To further understand what this means for us, we must accept a few things about ourselves.
First, we must accept that we NEED forgiveness. Forgiveness always involves wrongdoing of some sort. We can’t understand forgiveness or receive it if we don’t understand why it’s necessary. We must understand the problem of sin. In 1 John 3:4, the Apostle John tells us that sin is actually “lawlessness," and that everyone who sins breaks the law. But it’s not necessarily about driving over the speed limit, cheating on taxes, jaywalking, or even more serious and violent crimes. If we relied on man’s law alone to determine what is right and wrong, we’d be pretty confused. In my home state of Pennsylvania, there are dumb laws like the law that states ministers are not allowed to perform a wedding when either the bride or groom is drunk, and the one that says people are not allowed to sleep on a refrigerator outdoors. Clearly, human beings are not completely reliable in determining right from wrong. So, the law that John is talking about is not the inconsistent and sometimes absurd standard of man, but the holy and perfect standard of God.
The Apostle Paul talks about sin multiple times in Romans. In 3:23, he reminds us that ALL have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Then, in 5:12, he tells us that sin entered the world through one man (Adam) and that the result was that death came to all people because death comes from sin. The Greek word used there for “sin” is hamartia, which is an old archery term that means “missing the mark." Take a look at the image to the right. It does a wonderful job of illustrating what sin really is like for us relative to the bullseye that is God’s perfect standard of holiness. As you can see in the image, we’re not missing it by just a little bit. We’re actually not even hitting the big target! We’re coming up way short of the target that God has for us.
When God created Adam, Adam was perfect. He also had a mark to hit with the way he lived. God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed and more. He only gave them one rule, and that was for their own benefit – stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil! It might look good, but it leads to nothing but destruction. But the devil came in and enticed them, and they chose to go against God's way, deciding their way was better. That's the essence of sin, deciding our mark is better than God's. It reminds me of the song “Long Black Train” by Josh Turner. You can find the full set of lyrics here. It’s a song about temptation and how wonderful and appealing sin looks, but its only destination is the middle of nowhere. Satan is driving the train and he wants to destroy you, so he tempts you in the most difficult ways.
Sin promises to make life better, but it actually dehumanizes us. How often do you hear someone brush off their sin by saying, "Well, I'm only human"? Many of you have even said it yourself, like being a human being gives us the right to sin. Let me tell you something, God created humans WITHOUT sin. So, to sin does not make a person more human, it makes you less human. To sin is not human, it's FALLEN. This is why we've got to stop hiding or justifying sins in our lives. Sin is dangerous and very deceptive. Ravi Zacharias reminded us, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."
Many of us know the truth of that statement from Ravi, but the good news is that sin is not the end. A solution to the problem has been put forth. In Matthew 26:28, Jesus is having his last supper with his disciples and when he gives them the cup of wine, he says, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." That was quite a radical statement in Jesus’ day. In that pagan culture run by the Roman Empire, forgiveness was not virtuous. To forgive was to show oneself to be weak. This created a mentality within the early Christians that one could not be forgiven unless they were trying to make some sort of amends for their sins. That’s the difference between those who accept Christ’s sacrifice and those who don’t. If you don’t, you are still 100% responsible for atoning for your own sins. Stop and think about that. How long would it take for you in your life to get to a point where you could no longer atone for your own sins? I’m guessing it’d be a matter of hours, if not minutes.
That is why we can be thankful that forgiveness has nothing to do with how sorry we are or how much we can make up for it. 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus had never missed the mark. He hit the target every time and you could even say he was right in the middle of the bullseye every time too. Yet, he became the missed marks all across the world and throughout all time so that he would be the one to atone for our sins. The penalty was moved to his shoulders and he was pierced and wounded so that we could be healed. Jesus became what we were so that we could become what he was - righteousness.
What is your response to God’s forgiveness through Jesus? Some people arrogantly assume that God will always forgive them, so they might as well keep living in sin. If we truly understand what God has done for us, we would never assume it. If you assume it, then you don’t really WANT forgiveness, because a person who truly wants forgiveness knows just how deadly sin can be and knows they have no other way out of it, so a position of humility ought to ensue. Another possible response, especially if you’re struggling with guilt and shame, is to say that you know God has forgiven you, but you just haven’t been able to forgive yourself. If that’s you, let me just make sure you are aware that the reason you haven’t been able to forgive yourself is because you CAN’T forgive yourself. You don’t have that power and authority. Don’t give yourself more power and pressure than you actually have. Jesus has already paid the penalty in full and your only choice is to either walk in that reality or reject it and be responsible for your own sins.
Finally, some respond to the forgiveness of sins they’ve received by refusing to turn around and give it to others. Jesus makes it clear that if we want to be his followers, that’s not even an option. Matthew 6:14-15 tells us that our forgiveness from God is directly impacted by whether or not we forgive others. Quite simply, it’s arrogant to think God will forgive us even when we won’t forgive others. And here’s the thing, like Mother Teresa said, it’s not really between you and them anyway. It’s between you and God, and their sin is between them and God. You can choose to hold bitterness in your heart toward someone, but it will only affect YOUR standing with God, not theirs. No matter how much you hold a grudge, if that person has repented and asked God for forgiveness, they’ve received it. Living as if you have control over that would be just as arrogant as assuming God’s forgiveness for yourself. Believing in the forgiveness of sins means humbly receiving it and freely giving it. Today is the day to start both if you haven’t already.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
When I was twelve years old, I was still very much scared of roller coasters even though I knew that many of my friends had conquered those fears by that age. However, I remember one specific moment when I was at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania and I was debating whether to try to conquer my fear by riding “The Sidewinder” or simply give in to the fear once again and sit it out. I have shared in past writings that what eventually tipped the scale in favor of conquering the fear was watching other people walking off the roller coaster with smiles on their faces. While I still had a small fear of heights and wrestled with it, I reasoned in my adolescent brain that if every single person was coming off the coaster smiling and with all their limbs still attached, why would I assume my experience would be different? I’ve related this to using good reasoning in the past, but I also think it shows the power of relating ourselves to others who are in similar circumstances and yet are succeeding in being overcomers.
In last week’s post, I talked about the fact that the catholic (universal) Church across the world, as well as past, present, and future, includes all who have come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. This week, I want to show you why it’s important that we recognize and utilize “the communion of saints," which is the next core belief that we find in the Apostles’ Creed. When we talk about “communion of saints," we are not referring to the Lord’s Supper, though it is one way that we practice and enjoy the communion we have with one another. The phrase actually refers to fellowship of any kind that we have with ALL brothers and sisters in Christ, whether they came before us or after us, whether we knew them personally or not, and whether they speak the same language or observe the same traditions as us or not.
It’s interesting that I’m writing this post as I sit here in a hotel in a country that borders Israel after I just spent four days in the Holy Land. As we walked around all the towns and locations where Jesus lived, preached, performed miracles, suffered, was crucified, and rose from the grave, there was one thing for sure: Christians most certainly do share a communion of saints all over the world. There were people from every tribe and tongue at each location hoping to pray, seek, and commemorate their Lord and Savior. As I put my hand on the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, as I stood at the stone slab where it is believed Jesus’ body was laid after it was brought down from the cross, and even as we entered into a bordering country to see Jesus’ baptism site, there were people from all over the world worshiping Jesus who is called “the Christ." Europeans and South Americans wept at the Western Wall. Middle Easterners and Africans knelt at the slab. People from India and other parts of Asia immersed themselves in the part of the Jordan River just meters from where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. These people have different colors, lived through different life experiences, and believe differently when it comes to politics. Yet, they are united by their love and devotion for Jesus.
Because we realize that so many all over the world believe and live as we do, we both have a responsibility and enjoy a benefit from this “communion." First and foremost, it is our responsibility to carry ourselves according to the grace we’ve been given and the faith we’ve professed, because we know that others are watching us. This is why Paul tells us how to live in Romans 12:1-2. He tells us to offer our bodies as “living sacrifices," then he tells us not to conform to this world’s patterns but to allow ourselves to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds." In other words, we must be separate from the ways of the world and must be giving ourselves fully to following Jesus, not just checking in with him when we need something or are desperate. We must be overcomers as we face hardships because we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us, and so many others around the world are aided by our example of strength according to our faith. We must know that the spiritual battle between good and evil is REAL and the devil is seeking to destroy us every day (1 Peter 5:8). We must resist him and stand firm because we know that so many other saints are being attacked in similar AND different ways (1 Peter 5:9).
On the other hand, we enjoy the benefit of this communion when WE are the ones feeling overwhelmed and desperate, unsure if we can continue in the faith. This is one reason why I wrote the almost year-long series that I did on the heroes of our faith as explained in Hebrews 11. They might not be people we knew personally and they might just seem like made-up stories, but they were real people who stood firm in their faith in God even against impossible odds. This week, I’ve stood in many of the physical places where they did and gained an even better understanding of what so many of them went through. The testimony of these saints, whom I have obviously never met, is a HUGE encouragement to me! They achieved victory by the power of our Creator, and you and I can do the same in our lives no matter what we face.
I’d like for you to take a look at a video and song here. It’s by Sara Groves and is called “When the Saints." It’s one of my favorite videos because it reminds me of not only what many of our Biblical heroes did, but what heroes did even more recently than them, such as Mother Teresa, those who are willing to knock down brothel doors to save human slaves, and Jim Elliott and his family members were able to overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives. When the writer of Hebrews talked about the “great cloud of witnesses” by whom we are surrounded (Hebrews 12:1), I think he knew that the cloud wasn’t going to end with those who came before him. The “cloud” continues to grow all over the world no matter what the news media tries to tell us. We must get rid of any sin that entangles us and anything else that stands in our way of being the saints that join that cloud as examples to others who are trying to run the race that has been marked out for them by Jesus, who is perfecting the faith that is ours and theirs (Hebrews 12:1-2).
What’s stopping you today? What’s holding you back? What fears or giants are staring you down and making you think that you can’t stand firm in your faith? First, find encouragement in the communion of saints that you enjoy with all of those other heroes. Then, as you grow stronger in your faith and are able to withstand the devil’s schemes, learn more every day about how to offer your entire life to Christ in any way that he wants to use it. There are other believers who exist now, and who will exist in the future, who are counting on you to set the example for them. Get rid of sin, eliminate other hindrances, and enjoy the communion.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
If you’re familiar with the movie The Land Before Time, you may remember a scene in which the young dinosaur character Littlefoot wants to play with another young dinosaur named Cera. The problem is that Littlefoot is a “longneck” and Cera is a “three-horn." Ignorance is bliss for Littlefoot and all he cares about is having fun with a new friend. Cera seems okay with it at first, until her father, Daddy Topps, says, “Come, Cera; three-horns never play with longnecks." Cera then sides with her father and repeats what he said. Littlefoot is confused, so his mom grabs him and separates him from the three-horns. As they walk away, he questions the segregation, and his mom tells him they all just “keep to themselves." The more Littlefoot keeps questioning, the more his mom just tells him not to worry about it.
The interesting thing about that scene is that it almost perfectly portrays what happens in the Church. I’ve had several times in my life when I told someone I was a Christian and their response was, “Well, what are you?” They saw the confusion on my face and then clarified, “Like, Methodist or Lutheran or something else?” If you grew up with a very specific religious tradition that was ingrained in you, you might be used to identifying yourself as such. Stop and think about how many times you’ve had an opportunity to befriend those from other faith traditions; it’s probably a small number. I have personally founded and coached softball teams at two previous churches where I worshiped, and one of the motivating factors for me was that I realized those local church leagues were just about the only avenues for Christians from a number of different faith traditions in those towns to interact with one another.
Christians can be some of the most opinionated people, especially when it comes to faith traditions that are not their own. If we find it difficult to play, work, worship, or even exist in the same space as others who are not like us, we’re struggling with something that Jesus prayed for shortly before he was arrested to begin his suffering and sacrifice on our behalf. In John 17:20-21, Jesus prays that all of his followers would be “one” in him so that the world would know that he was indeed sent by the Father. He goes on to pray that all of his followers would be “brought to complete unity” (v. 23). If Christians are divided and segregated as much as the rest of the world is, how does the world have any reason to believe Jesus is real?
In the Apostles’ Creed, we find the statement that we believe in “the holy catholic Church." The first time we hear or see that, we might instantly feel the need to point out that we are not Catholics. However, if you look at the statement from the actual creed, you can see that only one of those three words is capitalized, and it’s NOT “catholic." We have to first understand that when we use the word Catholic in most circles today, we are generally referring to the Roman Catholic tradition, who, while often claiming to be the one true church instituted by Jesus and Peter, is still only one tradition. The word “catholic” in the creed has nothing to do with Roman Catholicism. The word actually means “including a wide variety of things; all-embracing." When I searched for synonyms, Google tells me they include “universal, diverse, wide, broad, and latitudinarian." The last one is my favorite. Think about what “latitudinarian” means. When you were a child, you likely learned about lines of latitude and longitude. Lines of longitude are vertical while lines of latitude are horizontal. That means that for something that describes a group of people (the Church) to be “latitudinarian," we can say that everyone in the group is on the same horizontal line. We are universally looking UP at the glory of Jesus.
Our belief that we are part of the universal Church means that the faith tradition is irrelevant. The Roman Catholic is not above the Pentecostal. The Lutheran is not above the Baptist. The Methodist is not above the non-denominational. All are sinners who fall short of God’s glory and are freely justified by Christ’s sacrifice (Romans 3:23-24). This sums up what it means to be part of the universal (catholic) Church. We recognize that we fall short, we accept that Jesus became the atoning sacrifice for us, and we receive his grace. Nowhere in the Bible are we told that we must belong to a specific faith tradition. So, when you hear that at a local church, you can be sure that it didn’t come from Scripture.
We can be sure that not everyone who claims to be part of the Church truly is. It’s not based on tradition, but on our faith in Jesus as that sacrifice that we desperately needed. In 1 Peter 2:4-10, we see that Peter refers to the Church as a group of “living stones who are being built into a spiritual house” and also a “holy nation." This is a true sense of “one nation under God” and it has nothing to do with America. It is a “nation” of people from all over the world - past, present, and future - who were chosen by God and have received Christ’s sacrifice. The ONLY thing that separates people in God’s eyes is Jesus. Those who come to him through Christ universally make up a holy nation, and those who don’t are separate. The rest of the separating that’s been done within that holy nation has been done by us.
In the days of the New Testament, the two groups of believers were basically grouped into Jews and Gentiles. They had been raised by traditions that taught them to dislike one another. The Apostle Paul knew this, but he also knew he was sent to preach to both and maybe even bring unity between them through Christ. In Ephesians 2:11-16, he spells out for both of them that even Gentiles, who “once were far away," have been reconciled to Christ. He also says that Christ is “our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility," then later declares that Christ used the cross to “put to death their hostility." So anytime Christians are still hostile toward one another, they’re actually working AGAINST Christ.
Most of us would say we aren’t hostile toward other believers, and we certainly don’t have issues with Jews or Gentiles. But, in what ways do we still allow division and even hostility? Do you complain about the music in church because there are either not enough hymns or too many hymns? Do you come to church and try to stay away from people who either annoy you or who you don’t know? These are subtle and not volatile, but they are still ways the enemy divides us. I think the biggest division tactic he uses nowadays is politics. The church should be no place for it, yet many of you who are strict conservatives believe that liberals cannot be Christians simply because they have incorrect views in your OPINION and they relate to Jesus differently than you do. Likewise, many of you who are strict liberals hold the same OPINION of conservative Christians. Is it possible that you all worship the same God and just see the world differently? So you think the other side is “wrong." So, what? Being wrong about how we view things in the world doesn’t keep us from being part of that holy nation of believers.
If you are part of the universal, holy, catholic Church and there are still other Christians who you have completely written off as unfaithful because they don’t fit into the box you’ve created for them, I encourage you to let those walls be broken down. Welcome the brother or sister who is different than you into the holy nation. Look around at the diversity God has built into his Church and be amazed.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
When we think of the word “comforter," most of us probably think of that thing that some spouses have to fight over every night once the weather turns cooler like it is right now as we approach fall. But the comfort such a blanket provides only lasts for the night anyway and then you have to find other ways to keep warm throughout the day. When I think of the true Comforter (with an intentional capital C), I’m reminded of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was talking about the Spirit and the work he would do in John 14:26 after Jesus himself was physically gone from the disciples’ presence. In addition to specifically identifying the Spirit, Jesus also referred to him as the “Advocate," according to the NIV translation, or the “Comforter," according to the KJV. Other versions of Scripture choose to translate the word Jesus used as “Helper” or “Companion."
Anyone of those words would be accurate as we look at the Greek parakaleo, the word written to record what Jesus said. Parakaleo comes from para, which means “beside” or “with," and kaleo, which means “I call." Therefore, a correct way of explaining what Jesus is saying is that the Holy Spirit will be the One who comes alongside us in life whenever we call on him, which those truly belonging to Christ must do each and every day. Jesus told his disciples in that same verse that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and remind them of everything Jesus had already said to them. Jesus knew his time on earth was coming to an end and he wanted them to be assured that he “would not leave them as orphans” (John 14:18). In my post titled He Ascended Into Heaven from just a few weeks ago, I described what it must have been like for the disciples as Jesus, the One in whom they had put all their trust and for whom they had abandoned their previous lives, was telling them he would be no longer with them. Jesus understood their anxiety and promised them that the Comforter would come and assist them.
It is because Jesus made this promise, coupled with the actual coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when the believers were all gathered in one room waiting for it just as Jesus had told them to do (Acts 2), that Christians universally can say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit." Jesus also said in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father and in Jesus’ name. These words of Jesus reveal that anyone who does not believe in the Holy Spirit cannot be a true follower of Jesus. Thus, this belief is one of the tenets that we find in the Apostles’ Creed. As we have done with all of the other tenets, we will answer the follow-up question of, “So, what?”
To understand the importance of the Holy Spirit to the Christian, we must go back to the Old Testament when it was first prophesied. The prophet Joel was writing to the people of Judah during a time of prosperity and peace, but he calls their attention to some events in order to warn the people to stop ignoring God. He tells them of a plague of locusts that literally destroys much of their land and calls for their repentance and lamentation. He tells them that after they have repented and turned back to God, he would repay them for what the locusts have taken (Joel 2:25). But then we see his prophecy regarding the eventual coming of the Holy Spirit. In Joel 2:28-29 he says, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." The disciples of Jesus, being Jews who knew the Scriptures, would have been familiar with this passage, but they wouldn’t know exactly what it means or when it would take place. In Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit coming to them, they could now connect those dots.
For a Jewish man who had abandoned everything about the previous life to follow a rabbi who claimed to be the Son of God, the impact of knowing that the Creator who sent him would also send the Holy Spirit after him could not be understated. As Jesus told them he was leaving them, they likely wondered if this had all been a waste of time and would lead nowhere. They may have even doubted it all the way up to the point that the Holy Spirit actually came to them. But once that coming happened and once they were filled with the promised Spirit, Peter stood up with the other disciples and declared that the Holy Spirit is proof that God had made Jesus “both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:14-36).
While the acceptance of Jesus as both Lord and Messiah is the beginning of the Christian faith for any true believer, the impact of knowing the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives continues far beyond that initial salvation moment. It reminds us that no matter how difficult life can get, we still receive the help and comfort we desperately need in times of trouble. This is why Paul could confidently address this with the Christians in Corinth, as recorded in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. He declares that the God we worship is the God of ALL comfort and that he provides us with the comfort we need in our suffering so that we can share that comfort with others who are also enduring hardships. Christians can be fully obedient and trusting in God even in pain and darkness because we know who provides what we need to continue on.
The only question for each of us, then, is, “Where are we going for comfort?” I preached a recent message at my church called, “A Tale of Two Gods." You can watch it here if you’d like. The two Gods both claim to provide us with comfort when we are in trouble, but only one is the Creator of the whole universe who promised and then provided a Comforter called the Holy Spirit. The other is a false god (with an intentional lower case g) of comfort that comes in many different forms. Who or what do you turn to? Drugs or alcohol? Unhealthy and improper relationships with others? The riches of this world? Anything else that kills the pain? Unfortunately, every false god of comfort there is only lasts temporarily, until you have to try something else because it only brought more brokenness ultimately. The God of all comfort who created you, molded you, and prepared you to face the challenges in your life will not leave you broken and alone. His Spirit will continue to comfort you each day as you call on him. Make his presence a reality in your life and stop chasing after false comforts.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
At the end of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which is an allegorical depiction of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, the little girl, Lucy, and her friend, Mr. Tumnus, are standing and watching as the lion, Aslan, walks off into the distance. Lucy is upset and wants to know when they’ll see Aslan again. Tumnus says that Aslan will be back in time, but that we cannot press him because, “After all, he’s not a tame lion." Those who are familiar with the book from which the movie was created know that this statement refers back to an earlier conversation that Lucy had with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. They were shocked that Lucy and her siblings hadn’t heard of Aslan the lion. They understood that they needed to go and meet him and Lucy was scared about meeting a lion. So, she asks if the lion is “safe." Mr. Beaver is flabbergasted since they are talking about a lion and responds, “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he is good. He’s the king, I tell you."
Aslan represents Jesus Christ, who stepped out of heaven, willingly gave up his life, and became obedient to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8) as an atonement for OUR sins. Jesus came the first time as a suffering lamb (Isaiah 53:7), but when he returns he is coming back as the conquering Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5). The unsafe, untamed Jesus isn’t the one we typically like. There is in fact only ONE Jesus, but many Christians treat him like they can pick a version of him that suits their feelings and needs best. They can reject the things about Jesus and his teachings which bother them and accept those which make them feel comfortable. This would be the “Burger King Jesus” where you can have him your way.
C.S. Lewis, who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, also wrote Mere Christianity, in which he describes who Jesus is. He says, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." This means that we can’t just accept Jesus as we want him. He’s a great teacher and also our Savior, but we must accept him as Lord as well. And that changes everything. If Jesus is my Lord, that means I CANNOT reject his attributes that I don’t like. I’m not allowed to sin just because it’s how I “feel” and I can’t say, “I was born this way” as an excuse or reason for sinful activity. I also can’t use my past or “the way I was raised” to justify disobedience.
Since Jesus is Lord, that means he has some authority, as we learned last week from 1 Peter 3:22. The Apostle Paul mentions one of Jesus’ authoritative roles as he gets ready to pass the torch of ministry onto Timothy. In 2 Timothy 4:1, Paul announces, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge." This verse is where this week’s core root of the faith in the Apostles’ Creed comes from. Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, and he’ll come from there to judge the living and the dead. We don’t like the word “judge” and we definitely don’t want to think of Jesus as someone who is “judgmental," at least not according to the context with which we generally understand that word. But a closer look reveals that Jesus is completely unbiased and fair and that he’s already told us what we need to know in order to pass this test.
Jesus as every right and authority to judge you and me RIGHT NOW. Yet, both the Apostles’ Creed and Paul describe a FUTURE judgment. When will it happen? Well, if he’s going to come “from” the right hand of the Father, then it’s safe to say that’s going to happen when he returns to the earth. We don’t know when that will be, but it’s interesting that Paul told Timothy, “In view of his appearing." That means that some 1,950 years ago when Paul wrote those words, he considered the return of Jesus to be imminent. Of course, no one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), but we should all live like Paul, expecting the return of Jesus and his judgment to come at any moment.
This should make us want to do whatever Jesus says all the more. The great thing about Jesus is that he didn’t choose to leave us on our own to try to figure out what he wants and how he will judge us. He tells us in Matthew 25:31-46 exactly what the criteria will be. He will come in his glory and separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep and goats. He goes on to explain that this separation will be between those who are willing to serve and love “the least of these brothers and sisters” of his, and those who are not willing. The specific areas of ministry that Jesus requires of those who truly follow him are listed as feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty something to drink, welcoming strangers, giving clothes to those who need them, caring for the sick, and visiting those in prison. Jesus is strikingly clear about his judgment plan: If you do these things for the least of his brothers and sisters, you’ll be welcomed into his kingdom; if you don’t, you’ll be sent away.
Martin Luther once said, “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone." Too often, Christians live and act as if those commands from Jesus to love and serve others are optional. The sooner we come to grips with the criteria for Jesus’ righteous judgment, the sooner we can get on with doing what he commanded us to do. Jesus told his disciples and the teachers of the law that the two greatest commandments, in short, are to “love God” and “love others” (Matthew 22:37-40). How many Christians out there say they love God but have absolutely no evidence to back it up? We can SAY we love God all we want, but the best indicator of whether we really do is looking at how we treat those that God has placed in our lives all around us. The one literally can’t happen without the other. It is impossible to love God and not love those who have been created in his image. I pray that, as you consider that the Jesus you say you love will come back to judge you someday soon, you will follow his commands and experience the joy of serving “the least of these." May God bless you as you get to work!
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
During Holy Week this past spring, my wife and I joined about 125 other believers from our community and packed a local movie theater to see the latest God’s Not Dead movie. The movie was fantastic, but I want to tell you how I, the pastor of one of the churches involved, represented myself in front of so many others that night. Clara and I got a big bag of popcorn to share and when we got to our seats, she put it on the armrest between our two seats and then went to the restroom. Before she walked away, she looked at me and said, “Be careful and don’t knock it over." I sort of half-listened because I was confident in my ability to not spill the popcorn. But as Proverbs 16:18 tells us, pride goes before the fall, so you can pretty much assume what happened next. A minute or so later, I turned to my left away from the popcorn to speak to the person sitting beside me. As I turned, the outer edge of the sleeve of my shirt on my right arm barely bumped into the bag of popcorn and it was instantly all over the floor in front of our seats. As my wife returned, she just looked at me, shook her head, and said, “Seriously?” How could I have possibly managed to do the one thing she told me not to do?
I’m thinking that Jesus probably felt similarly before he left his disciples and ascended back into heaven. As we learned in last week’s post, one of the last things Jesus told his disciples was to “stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). He had told them that the Holy Spirit would be given to them as promised, but they had to actually wait for it. This is not what we’re used to. Jesus normally wanted his followers to GO, not STAY. They were to go and share the good news with the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:6), and were later told to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). But here, Jesus is very clear that they are not to “go” anywhere without him or the Holy Spirit because they would have no power and would be in danger of “spilling the popcorn." Trying to operate in their own power with no help from the Spirit would be disastrous, so he commands them to stay and wait.
Jesus ascended into heaven when his mission on earth was complete, and it was time for his true followers to put their complete confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than continuing to depend on his physical presence. This was the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another one. So, with Jesus returning to the Father, he was about to give them the promised Spirit to guide them and remind them of everything he had taught them. It is recorded in Acts 1:8-9 that right after Jesus told the disciples that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit to help them live as witnesses wherever they would go, he was “taken up” right in front of them and was hidden from their sight. While this tells us that he “ascended," it does not tells us about where he went and what he is doing there.
For that information, we have to read a little bit further in the New Testament. Jesus told his followers right before he left that they would be “baptized by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). The Apostle Peter then was able to understand the craziness that was happening on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) as the power of the Holy Spirit resting on them. However, seeing the power of the Spirit in physical form was just the beginning. As Peter and the rest of the apostles grew in their faith and practice of the Christian life, they began to learn what it was like to have the Spirit work in them and also through them. Sometimes, the power of the Holy Spirit allowed them to do supernatural things that others could see; sometimes it did the supernatural work of change within them. Peter describes this power in 1 Peter 3:21-22. He says the baptism of the Spirit, which is only symbolized by water baptism, gives us a “clear conscience toward God." Then, he says that this baptism “saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." In other words, unless there has been a change in our hearts that comes as a result of the Holy Spirit’s work in us, how can we be sure we’re truly saved?
In the midst of talking about salvation through Christ, Peter says in verse 22 that Jesus “has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand - with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him." So, now we know that Jesus didn’t just ascend into air and evaporate; he went straight to heaven and is now seated at God’s right hand, which is why the Apostles’ Creed says as much. This is a big deal! If someone were at my “right hand," that wouldn’t mean a thing. But describing Jesus as being “at God’s right hand” meant that he is in a position of great power, lordship, and authority.
As we dig further into the core roots of our Christian faith, this is the first time that we are talking about Jesus in this light. We are used to Jesus being loving, humble, and even meek. When we think of Jesus, we see the suffering servant who was willing to endure the pain of the cross in our place. Yet, we must never forget that his suffering was only part of his story. When he was seated at God’s right hand, he became the judge over all. This means we should not take him lightly. We should not live as though he doesn’t care about our sins. We ought not mistake his kindness and love for weakness. He sees everything we do, hears everything we say, and knows everything we think. If he is truly our Lord, that means that we seek to do what he desires for us and what would please him. One day, regardless of whether you believe in him or not, you are going to stand before him as the Righteous Judge and Ruler of all. Will you be ready? Will you stand there assuming that he’s okay with your choices? Have you been living under the assumption that you’ve been “good enough” to get to heaven? I encourage you to take some time to get to know Jesus through his Spirit. Ask him to reveal the areas of your life where things need to change. Then, understanding his authority, make a choice to surrender anything that doesn’t belong in your life to Jesus. In doing this, you truly show Jesus and those around you that he is your Lord.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
I come from a family that does not embrace the latest technology, at least not to the extent that many other families do. My family of origin only obtained things after it seemed like everyone else did. We didn’t have a computer or email in the home until I was a junior in high school (and even then it was the annoying dial-up access), I didn’t get a mobile phone until I was out of college and working as a driver, and I didn’t join Facebook until late 2009 after I had already been away from friends and family in seminary for over a year. I still have no other social media accounts and honestly don’t even know what technological advances are out there.
For this reason, I found myself out of the loop when I visited my in-laws’ home a year or so ago and everyone was seemingly talking to the air. Then, to my shock and awe, the air started talking back. Even more surprising was that they had to address this “air” by name before speaking to it. Its name was “Alexa." Eventually, I discovered this was a physical device on the shelf or table and not some voice in the wind. For such a small device though, Alexa had power. She controlled the lights and music and even managed to irritate some people when she didn’t do what they wanted. Alexa also had knowledge. We were able to play a trivia game with her and anytime we needed an answer to something, we didn’t even have to type it into Google anymore. We could just simply ask Alexa and we’d receive the necessary information.
My mother-in-law has been visiting weekly to be with our daughter when my wife and I work, and just this past week she commented that “we live in an age where we don’t have to not know something." Double negative aside, she’s right. We can get an answer to almost any question with one or two clicks of a mouse, by asking our Siri, or by calling out to Alexa. It recently struck me that the disciples most likely felt the same way as they walked and ministered with Jesus 2,000 years ago. They didn’t have the technology we have today, but they had something far more powerful and knowledgeable - the Son of God in their midst! Jesus not only would’ve been every person’s favorite teammate in Trivial Pursuit, but he also guided them when it came to difficult moral and spiritual circumstances. Some people say that “knowledge is power." Well, Jesus had and WAS both! He never faced a question that he was forced to answer with, “I don’t know," and he never failed in following God’s commands because of “I can’t."
That must have been some luxury for the disciples. Sure, they had to deal with persecution and ridicule from those who didn’t worship Jesus. But having all knowledge and power available in their midst in the person of Jesus meant they always had someone to whom they could turn during tough times. I imagine having this comfort for so long and getting used to it would’ve made it all the more difficult for them to watch him suffer and die. Then, when he rose three days later, they were elated. But that circumstantial happiness would soon come to an end again as he told them he was leaving and going back to the Father in heaven. You can almost hear them complaining, “But, why, Jesus? We stood by you even when it was unpopular. Yeah, we left you alone at the cross but let’s just forget that part. Everyone needs a do-over at some point. We’re here now, together, and we are happy. Why must you insist on leaving AGAIN?”
Jesus’ perspective was probably a bit different. He had to be thinking, “I’ve made myself pretty darn clear about this and you knuckleheads still don’t understand!” For the record, they were Jesus’ friends and if you can’t call your friend a “knucklehead” from time to time, something’s wrong. Jesus knew “he had come from God and was returning to God” (John 13:3), so on the last night he spent with his disciples before he was arrested, he told them that they would only see him a little bit longer and then he would be going to a place where they could not yet go (John 13:33). Though he told them this, they struggled to understand. He tells them in John 14 that there is plenty of room in the Father’s house and that he is going to prepare a place for them so they can one day join him (vv. 2-3). He also tells them that they already know “the way” to where he is going (v. 4). That’s when Thomas gets tired of all the mysterious talk and asks directly, “How can we know the way when we don’t even know where it is you’re going?” (v. 5) Jesus responds that he is “the way and the truth and the life” (v. 6). He adds that he is the ONLY way to the Father because no one can go except through them and concludes that, because they know and have seen him, they also know and have seen the Father (v. 7).
Jesus proceeds to tell them all about the Holy Spirit in the next few chapters. He refers to the Spirit as an advocate or a counselor and describes in detail how the Spirit will work in, through, with, and for them. The key for them is to take the necessary steps to remain or “abide” in Christ. Jesus even tells them it is for THEIR good that he leaves because the Holy Spirit will not come unless he leaves (John 16:7). They don’t have a clue what any of this means yet, but once he appears to them after the resurrection, he does everything he can to remind them and give them hope. He supernaturally enters a room that is locked to the outside world, shows his body, and invites them to touch him so they know he’s real, eats fish with them to further prove that he’s truly alive and not a mere ghost, then sits down with them and teaches them the Scriptures and reminds them of the things he had said when he was with them before his death (Luke 24:36-47). From that point on, he gives them the greatest responsibility the world has ever known - to be his “witnesses” (Luke 24:48).
Their lives, their endurance through trials and hardships, their resistance to temptation when the rest of the world is giving in, their love for one another and for all of God’s children, and their preaching of the truth would all help to tell the world about Jesus and his victory over sin and death that makes forgiveness possible. Jesus puts this responsibility on their shoulders, and it WORKS! We see in Acts 4:13 that the priests and the Sadducees who arrested Peter and John for healing a crippled beggar in Jesus’ name were so surprised by their courage despite being “unschooled, ordinary men” that all they could conclude is “these men have been with Jesus." Even to those who refused to believe the truth, Jesus’ disciples were witnesses.
I said that Jesus put the responsibility to witness on their shoulders, and that’s true. That’s one reason he had to leave. As long as he stayed, they would’ve continued to enjoy this comfort and completely rely on his physical presence in their lives. But he wasn’t about to leave them completely hanging. Luke records that Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem until they are “clothed with power from on high” (24:49). He then records something more direct in Acts 1:8, where Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." There is certainly reason to believe this is the same reminder from Jesus recorded by the same writer two different ways in two different books. We can’t know that for sure. But either way, Jesus had told them about the Holy Spirit’s work that would only come AFTER he leaves, and then reminded them of this just before he left. You and I get to sit back and read each recording of it, which is not just a reminder to his first disciples, but a reminder to us as well. Sure, it’d be nice to have Jesus physically with us all the time - much better than Alexa. But through the Holy Spirit, WE get to be the witnesses for Jesus in his physical absence. What a great responsibility, and an even greater JOY!
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
Just two months ago, the world watched, first in horror then in global jubilation, as an entire soccer team was trapped several miles inside a cave in Thailand for 18 days before a daring rescue effort worked to near-perfection and got every single one of them out safely. Sadly, a retired Thai Navy SEAL who was volunteering died several days before the escape as he passed out underwater due to lack of oxygen while he was placing extra air tanks along the route which was being organized to bring the boys out of the cave. Outside of his death, however, the plan that was put together by volunteers, divers, and military personnel from all over the world worked just about as smoothly as possible.
According to this article, a major general in the Third Army region said, “The most important piece of the rescue was good luck." He then added, “I still can’t believe it worked." Now, I’m not sure what the man believes about God, but Christians around the world who were praying for a safe rescue and who have seen the power of God at work in their own lives would say that “luck” didn’t have anything to do with it. What do we really mean when we talk about “good luck” or “bad luck”? Who decides who gets which? Is it some random force in the universe that makes this critical decision for so many? Even Christians say it sometimes. I said it myself at least three times on the golf course yesterday when I made putts I wouldn’t ordinarily make!
I think that maybe it makes us feel more independent of God to talk about some other randomness that doesn’t actually exist. If we truly praise God for the good things that happen and the work he does in our lives, that means we also have to go to him when we do NOT get the result we wanted. And that can be a heck of a lot harder to deal with, especially when the lives of our loved ones are on the line. It’s simpler to just say we had “bad luck” so we don’t have to address God regarding what went wrong. The reality is that God is always in the details and the results, whether good or bad. God is worthy to be praised for giving those teams and divers what they needed to succeed on the rescue mission and for allowing them to be successful. But God doesn’t always work mysteriously. Sometimes, it’s as simple as staying connected to your source of life.
In the case of the Thailand rescue operation, their source of life was a rope that they sometimes couldn’t even see and had to locate by feel. The rope led them through the entire winding, hilly, underwater path to freedom. As we look at our own source of life that God has given us, it all goes back to an event that happened roughly 2,000 years ago that changed the world for every single person ever. After Jesus had been tortured, crucified, CONFIRMED dead, and buried in a tomb with a large security contingent guarding it, he rose from the grave on the third day after he was killed. This wasn’t luck. As Andy Stanley told us at a conference earlier this year, “Anyone who can successfully predict their own death and resurrection and then pull it off is someone we ought to be willing to listen to." Jesus had already covered our sins by being the atoning sacrifice to God on the cross. But it did not end there and only in his victory over the grave can we truly find victory in our own lives.
Because Jesus has already demonstrated that God has the power to raise the dead, you and I can choose to tap into that “resurrection power as our lifesource." No matter what trials we’re going through, they are not more powerful than resurrection power. I remember watching a talk show one time that had Terry and Rebecca Crews on it. Terry is a well-known actor and his wife of 28 years is a successful singer. During their conversation, they revealed that Terry had a past addiction to pornography and had gone so far as to be unfaithful to his wife many times. Rebecca talked about how she was so close to leaving and the talk show host asked why she stayed. She talked about the power of God and added, “There was a death, but from death there can be a resurrection." God resurrected what was a dead marriage.
What is it for you? Do you have faith and hope in the resurrection power of God? Take a look at Hebrews 11:17-19, which references a story originally found in Genesis 22. The writer of Hebrews talks about Abraham’s faith when God tested him and had him climb a mountain to sacrifice his son, Isaac, who had been the heir of the promise of many descendants for Abraham. These verses help us see the spiritual dilemma that Abraham faced. He was about to sacrifice the ONLY son of the promise because God said so. But, wait a minute? God had ALSO said that Isaac was the one through whom the offspring would come. How can this be? Abraham had to be thinking either he or God had gotten something wrong at some point. How could he go through with destroying the only son God gave him to meet the promise? Hebrews 11:19 gives us the answer: “Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death." That is some kind of faith, hope, and reasoning! No one had ever been risen from the dead before, but Abraham reasoned that it could happen because God would not tell him to do something seemingly so against his own Word without a plan. You and I have more reason to believe in the resurrection power of God because we live on the other side of Jesus and KNOW that it happened.
Do you believe it can happen in your life? What needs resurrected? A marriage? A desire for God? A body wrecked by drugs and alcohol? If you believe in Jesus and his power, even if you’re not quite believing it for your own personal situation yet, be like the father of a demon-possessed boy in Mark 9:21-24 who cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” You see, it’s only by faith that he could say that. It takes a little faith to realize you need a lot more of it. If you have no faith whatsoever, you don’t even realize you need more! The man was desperate for his boy to be healed and was somewhat resigned to not seeing it happen. He told Jesus to take pity on them IF he could do anything to help them. Jesus was somewhat surprised by the “if” qualifier and tells them anything is possible for those who believe. After the man admitted his unbelief and need for more faith, his boy was healed. Maybe you need to cry out to Jesus today to help your unbelief.
I’ve been saying that YOU have resurrection power if you believe in Jesus. If you’re wondering how that could be possible when you weren’t the One raised from the dead, take a look at Ephesians 1:18-20. Paul calls the power that comes to believers “incomparably great." He then specifies that it is the SAME POWER that God used when he raised Christ from the dead and took him back to heaven. How amazing is that! You can sit there right now in whatever mess you feel is happening in your life, and if you’ve trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can KNOW beyond all doubt that resurrection power is available to you. It’s not even “maybe." It’s there!
Are you ready to speak it into the dead areas of your life? Nothing in this world has power of you. Porn doesn’t. Drugs don’t. Alcohol doesn’t. Infidelity doesn’t. Your past doesn’t. Abuse doesn’t. Fear doesn’t. Your feelings don’t. Money doesn’t. Your sin doesn’t! This is the greatest thing about being a follower of Jesus. God used mighty strength to raise Christ from the dead and 2,000 years later, that power is available to you. You have resurrection power and no longer have reason to live in darkness and death. Believe it, claim it, and walk in it today!
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
Nelson Mandela once said, “Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front." To some degree, this describes the humility that Jesus portrayed in his life. As we saw in last week’s post, Jesus suffered under the governor Pontius Pilate, who, though others may have worshiped him and held him in high esteem, was nothing compared to the authority that Jesus had from above. But there was a purpose in all the pain that Jesus went through. Each time he endured suffering and did not give into the temptation to rid himself of it, he won a victory that makes it possible for us to win such victories when WE are suffering and tempted. That seems to be the main point of what the writer of Hebrews is saying in Hebrews 4:15-16, as we looked at last week. Jesus was tempted in every single way that we are, yet he did not sin. This means we can approach the throne of grace boldly and ask our Lord for help when we are deeply struggling. He gives us what we need to endure it and keep moving forward. Could you imagine what it would be like for us if Jesus had actually given into temptation and sin? We’d all be doomed!
God did not want to leave us in that position. You see, God is both distant AND near. He’s distant in the sense that he spoke the universe into existence and is greater than our finite minds can even comprehend. We’ll never understand or be able to contain him. But he’s near in the sense that he saw our unformed bodies and knit every single human being together in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13-16). He’s also near in the sense that he chose to come to our messed up world in the person of Jesus Christ and deal with all of the things we deal with. Could you imagine how life was for Jesus as a teenager? You can picture him being in a typical teenager argument with his parents and them saying, “Whatever, smart aleck, I guess you just think you know everything." And Jesus could’ve responded, “Um, yeah, because I DO." He knows how many hairs are on their heads, knows what’s on their minds, and even knows who actually finished all the cookies. But Jesus came to show us how to live and act as his disciples, which meant he rarely played the “I’m God” card even when he could. Luke 2:51 tells us that Jesus was even “obedient to his parents." They were sinners; he wasn’t. Yet, he showed us that the temporary suffering of having to obey them leads to a greater reward.
This is true with not only our relationships with our parents, but with God as well. Jesus tells us that being his disciples means we have to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him, because we can literally gain everything in the world and still lose our souls and have no eternal hope (Mark 8:34-35). As a man, Jesus had enough faith in his Father to trust that the temporary suffering would lead to something much better and that it was all part of the Father’s plan. He knew that even during his suffering, he and his Father remained in control, even if those around him thought he was being defeated.
In this week’s root of our faith, we look at how Jesus specifically suffered through crucifixion, death, and burial. While none of this felt like victory to anyone who loved and followed him, God was in control every step of the way. Each part of this process was a necessary VICTORY for us as believers. Jesus was CRUCIFIED because the weight of the whole world’s sin required such a great payment. There is so much theology in the Bible about it that we could write multiple posts on it, but it will suffice to just draw your attention to Romans 5:15-19, where Paul describes that the gift and sacrifice of Jesus, which brought freedom and grace to the world, was greater than the trespass of Adam, which brought sin into the world.
In reality, when Jesus went to the cross, God was just fulfilling his promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:8-18. If you read it on your own, you’ll see how God does this bizarre ritual with Abraham where he has Abraham cut various animals into two. In that tradition, when two people walked through the halves of the animals, they were making a binding covenant with one another that stipulated that if either one breaks the covenant, they would be as dead as those animals. But what you see in verse 17 is that God appears while Abraham is in a deep sleep and passes through the pieces BY HIMSELF. On that day, the covenant that God made was that even if Abraham or his descendants break their end of the covenant, God would be “as dead as the animals." Thus, when Jesus was crucified for OUR sins, it wasn’t pretty. It was every bit as gory as that scene where the animals were cut in two.
After Jesus was crucified, he actually died. This was also a necessary victory for us because it was what WE deserved. Romans 6:23 says death is the penalty for sin, so Jesus couldn’t just suffer badly and “almost” die, only to make a full and miraculous recovery. He had to go through it all the way in order to pay for our sin. Anything less would not have saved us. Could you imagine going shopping for a new car and telling the owner you would work really hard, save the money, ALMOST buy the car, and then expect the owner to give it to you? That’s obviously ludicrous but that’s why Jesus had to die to win the victory for us. God required the full payment for sin, and in the person of Jesus, he took that debt on himself.
Even Jesus’s burial was necessary in his work of salvation and redemption for all who trust in and follow him. To completely atone for our sins, he had to separate us from them. You may have heard in a song called "Glorious Day" by Casting Crowns the lyrics "buried he carried my sins far away." You may know those lyrics and sing them, but you have to know what they mean. This goes back to the idea of the Day of Atonement from the Old Testament, the Yom Kippur. Leviticus 16 tells us all about it. It's where the priest went through this whole routine ordained by God and takes a live goat, lays both hands on it, and confesses all of the sins of all the people onto the head of the goat, and then sends it away into the remote wilderness never to come back again. The sins are transferred to the goat and the goat carries them far away. Incidentally, this is where the term "scapegoat" first originated. Psalm 103:12 tells us that God has removed our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west." That's why Jesus had to be buried. His death paid for our sins, but his burial took them so far away from us that we'll never see them again! So, what does that mean for you today? Stop living in your past sins. If you trust Jesus, they are buried and gone and they are NEVER coming back!
Have you been walking in the victory that Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial have provided you? Yes, we know that the ultimate victory is what we’ll deal with next week - the resurrection. But it’s important to know that choosing to endure suffering and temptation because of our trust in the Lord to bring something good out of it is what Jesus demonstrated for us each step of the way. Since we are now living on the other side of Jesus’ resurrection, we can know that his willingness to suffer brings us victory as we choose to endure and overcome it in our own lives. May God grant you the strength, mercy, and grace that you need to keep going!
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
by Logan Ames
Today, my daughter Evangeline is two months old on the nose. She’s been a good baby, or at least we think she has since it’s not like we really have anything to compare this experience to, being that she is our first. Lately though, I’ve been thinking about how she deals with discomfort or suffering and it has me thinking about how our human response to it changes over the course of our lives, regarding both our own pain and that of others. Right now, even the slightest pain for Evangeline is a reason to scream her head off. Hungry? Then, scream. Tired? Let’s hear all about it. Dirty diaper? Time to make sure even the neighbors can hear her. As we get older, we begin to learn to deal with pain a little bit better, but still have a tendency to cry in order to get the attention we seek. When my daughter cries right now, it pains my wife and I if we can’t figure out the source. But I remember when I was around the age of 7 or 8 years old and started to cry and whine about something I didn’t like, my dad said, “You can cry about it all you want, but it’s not going to change anything."
At a young age, my brothers and I were taught the importance of endurance and toughness. Thankfully, our parents didn’t prepare us for a world where we always get what we want and all goes according to our plans and needs, because that world doesn’t actually exist. Because of sin, there is suffering. This is something every human being can understand and experience. As we get older, we also learn the difference between suffering for doing good and suffering for doing evil (1 Peter 3:17). Suffering for good doesn’t necessarily make it any less painful, but at least we know there is no guilt attached to it and we are actually being treated the same way as our Lord and Savior was. Peter tells us we should not be surprised at the “fiery ordeal” we face and should not consider it a strange happening, but ought to rejoice that we are able to participate in the sufferings of Jesus (1 Peter 4:12-13). As we transition into adulthood and then continue throughout the rest of our lives, we learn to accept that suffering is a part of life and our focus shifts away from avoiding or ending it to finding a way to endure it. When it comes to enduring suffering, Jesus is once again our example to follow (Hebrews 12:2-3).
The core root of our faith that we’re dealing with this week that ought to bear fruit in our lives is our belief that Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate. It’s not merely that he suffered that brings fruit in our lives, but the fact that he willingly accepted God’s difficult plan for his life, endured it with the toughness and strength we too can have, and suffered in OUR place for what we deserved.
Even though many of the Jews refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah because he didn’t fit into their idea of a conquering hero, they actually had every reason to believe he would suffer if they paid attention to their ancient Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah told them about his vision of the Messiah: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, and he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). The suffering he willingly endured did not belong to him, but to us. It was the weight of OUR sins that he bore, yet many looked at him as if HE must have done something wrong in God’s eyes to deserve the curse that was on him. Those who mocked him lost sight of their own sin, so they didn’t even realize their need for a savior. The more he talked about that need, the more they viewed him as an enemy. Speaking of enemies, they wanted a Messiah who would conquer their national foes, but Jesus came to confront the greatest enemy of all, which was SIN.
Isaiah 53:3 shows us that we should’ve been more accepting of Jesus because he was a “man of suffering and familiar with pain." This means that he knows what it’s like to deal with the things we deal with, such as physical pain, emotional trauma, humiliation, and rejection. Despite these obvious reasons for mankind to accept Jesus, we still reject him in favor of whatever makes us feel good in the moment.
Fortunately, Jesus did not reject us, though Satan tried to get him to do so. One of my favorite scenes from The Passion of the Christ is when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion, knowing what awaits him, and Satan is right there with him trying to convince him that the whole world’s sin is too great of a burden for him to bear. As Jesus ignores Satan and cries out to God, he receives the strength from his Father to resist the temptation to walk away from his destiny. He then turns back toward Satan and stomps the head of a snake that came directly from Satan himself, symbolizing his victory over Satan, sin, evil, and temptation.
Did you get that? By willingly choosing to suffer, Jesus won the victory for us. That goes against everything we naturally believe and everything those around him believed back then. Suffering meant pain and it only came to those who were “losers” in the world’s eyes, not winners. But Jesus remained in control throughout his entire ordeal and willingness to suffer under Pilate, a Roman governor who ordered the crucifixion at the demand of a hostile crowd because he didn’t have the guts or the humility to stand for truth. Each time Jesus CHOSE to suffer rather than walk away from it, he resisted temptation, thereby setting an example for us to follow when we are tempted to avoid the suffering that comes from doing good.
The writer of Hebrews summed up the ongoing impact of Jesus’ endurance and suffering in our daily Christian lives: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Friends, Jesus didn’t just suffer under Pontius Pilate and endure it so that we could be set free from the PENALTY of sin; he did it to give us power over the PERSUASION of sin. He did it to show us that when we are tempted, no matter what it is, it’s something he already resisted. This means we don’t have to pretend that we aren’t tempted, but instead can approach God directly (something we couldn’t do before Jesus) and ask for the mercy and grace to resist. Let Jesus’ suffering and endurance impact your life in this way today.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
