Many believe that the Bible teaches us that all moral choices are black and white when in reality, the Bible teaches the reality that life is hard, correct moral choices are challenging, and there are plenty of grey areas.
Mike Erre teaches from a passage of 1 Corinthians that helps us to be able to navigate through those moral grey area choices that we ponder every day.
Pastor Adrian from Sri Lanka came to speak to our church. He plants churches, rescues widows and orphans (Sri Lanka is predominantly Buddhist and Buddhists believe that widows are not to be helped because their bad karma caused them to be a widow etc.–news to me! wow!), and is someone who is passionately changing the world for Christ. A couple from our church is in Sri Lanka for a year helping with his ministry. Here is a letter written by him that speaks of his brokenness and his passion. Enjoy!
This is the sixth week I have been in pain. I know Ophelia must have kept all of you informed, but I thought I must also give you my version.
I was in Korea for the Lausanne leadership summit – it was challenging and meaningful, but the highlight was for me to attend Dr. Paul Yonggi- Cho’s church. This was a highlight for me for several reasons:
I was seated and absorbing all of this, when suddenly it seemed to me that the Lord was speaking to me.
I was a good evangelist in Youth for Christ, but now I have settled down to be the Leader of a Church planting movement, committed to its growth. I have given myself to establish programs that major on social justice and mercy, looking for ways of developing relevant Theology for Asia. Caring for the orphans and widows. Majoring in developing relevant models of ministry for the Church in Asia. In the midlist of all of such good and worthy projects, I have moved away from my primary call of reaching out to those outside the Kingdom of God.
This conviction came upon me in a real sense. The wonder of the church no more attracted my attention, I was confessing and rededicating me life to align with the purposes of God.
The following Sunday I shared this with the Kithu Sevana community, they responded in an amazing way. We prayed together and that evening I developed a pain in my shoulders. I am not a good patient at the best of times – but the pain was so sharp, I was walking around in unbearable pain for three weeks, the Doctors were treating me but I found no relief. The sad part was my trusted Doctor and friend Kumar Fernando was out, caring for people in the North. When he subsequently returned, I visited him and he prescribed some pain killers and sleeping drugs and muscle relievers. This helped me to finally sleep and I continued with the Physiotherapy and the shoulder pain has lessened greatly.
I learned the following lessons:
This might sound childish, but I wonder if this could this be a spiritual attack to derail my commitment to reaching out to my people in more intentional manner.
I will let you judge the situation.
Sine last evening I am again in pain and unable to sleep. I was thrilled that the painful episode with my shoulder was coming to an end, only to realize that I have developed a sinus infection that has given rise to an asthmatic cough. (This is something that I battle all the time. I go on coughing throughout the entire day, and the worst is in the night when I can’t fall asleep due to the coughing.) At some point I cough so much in the nights and go into spasms.
At the moment I am exhausted and in deep confusion. My theology says God heals, but at the moment I have been in pain for seven weeks. (Many people in the Church have experience divine healing when I prayed) Does God heal only a few? How about the people who never experienced divine healing. Should we assure healing for all or should we simply pray for all, believing that God can heal but allowing this to be an act of God?
What is our responsibility for those who have never experienced healing – condemn them as people of no faith or love them as those who are suffering and we do not know the reason. Some of the evangelists that I have met and even well meaning Pastors and friends, based on erroneous theology add more pain and guilt on the poor and suffering. Their examples says see how God has blessed me, but the same God has withheld blessing from you. (They may not say this so directly but that’s what they communicate)
It is interesting for me to note that Jesus never asked people to give and testimony of how people got healed through his healing ministry to validate his preaching and healing ministry or even to give Glory to God, but on the contrary he asked them not share with any one, but in one occasion he asked the leper “to go and show your self to the priest”
Mark 1:43-44
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them. (From New International Version)
TRIUMPH-LIST ATTITUDE IN PREACHING
Those who understand their role to serve the people will give up this triumph-list attitude in preaching but will communicate the Gospel in a manner to encourage and not to condemn. When people come to church, they come condemned and battling many issues and unresolved problems, they know they have failed God even in worse ways than we can even imagine. The Church must offer hope, encouragement to the week and hurting so that they can go back to their world and make a difference for Jesus Christ.
THE CHURCH MUST PREACH GRACE BOLDLY, OFFER GRACE LAVISHLY AND PREPEARE A GRACIOUES COMMUNITY THAT SERVES A GRACELESS COMMUNITY.
I am convinced that triumph- listic preaching continues to do more harm to our people than good. We may be communicating to our people we are far superior and above them. They may admire us for such spirituality, but can never relate to us. Brokenness on the other hand, permits me to be real and celebrate the blessed assurance of JUSTIFICATION BY HIS GRACE and share my feeble attempt to reach SANTIFICATION through his sustaining Grace. This brings hope to those who are battling sin and doubt and make us shepherds they can relate to.
I wonder whether any of this make any sense to you, if so I am glad-If not I need help
I have placed 1 of the 8 sermon series on this post because it is so important for Christians in the U.S. to come back to the early church practices of prayer, meditation, and using ALL of our sense and especially using our imagination/minds.
As a western physician, my brain is entirely left without a right. The use of imagery in prayer and in our walk with Him could transform our faith if we took the time to practice these exercises.
As a former atheist, I am quick to put distance between myself and God when life is going smoothly and to be filled with doubt when life is going rough. These sermons inspire and challenge all of us to use our minds/imaginations to grow closer to Him.
Animate Sermon Series by Boyd (This is the link to notes on the Series)
As always share with us your thoughts.
This is a ‘homerun’ sermon from Pathways Church. Bucky shares how to make work more than just work, more than just a job. Work can be an adventure, a walk of faith, and a ministry.
Please share your thoughts as always.
The road to Holiness:
PLEASE read Dave’s wonderful comment below (just click on the ‘1 comment’ in yellow in the right hand corner of this post or click on this post title and you will be sent to a page with his comment below).
The progression of the chapters in Calvary Road is significant. We started with brokenness, then went to confession/cleaning our lives (cups) up so we can fill them with the Holy Spirit, and now we turn to fellowship.
Years ago I kept secrets from my wife, and one day I finally ‘confessed’ and ‘cleaned’ out ALL the skeletons in my closet (cup). It was a scary, crazy, and bold move that kept us up talking until 3am. I was scared of her not forgiving me and not understanding me. She did both.
Shortly after my cup was clean 2 things happened. My marriage went from great to amazing. The comfort in KNOWING that there was nothing to hide freed us up to have a depth and peace and intimacy that I would have never dreamed of.
The second thing that happened is that I learned to share my dirty cup with other men. I found several men who were willing and that I felt save enough with to share my deepest fears and struggles. I talk and meet with these men weekly. This has transformed my relationship with my wife, with Christ, and with everyone around me. A very large weight has been lifted from my soul, and I have a place to run and hide when things get overwhelming.
Hession in chapter 3-The Way of Fellowship outlines the importance of fellowship in shaping our lives and our relationships with our spouses, our friends, and our God.
Through the years, I have continued to try and coach and encourage other men to ‘date’ each other. There is a richness to life that is sorely lacking without this process. But it takes men SO LONG and most NEVER are able or willing to get there.
The only way to do it is by finding a guy that you feel comfortable with and you take a few baby steps by sharing some private struggles or sins. See how they respond, If they respond in kind and with understanding then dig deeper and continue to share more. As you trust more and learn to share more, you will find that your marriage is better, your walk with Christ is deeper, and your life is richer.
Any questions?
Calvary Road, Chapter 3, Fellowship quotes:
But if we have not been brought into vital fellowship with our brother, it is a proof that to that extent we have not been brought into vital fellowship with God
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Sin always involves us in being unreal, pretending, duplicity, window dressing, excusing ourselves and blaming others–and we can do all that as much by our silence as by saying or doing something.
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The only basis for real fellowship with God and man is to live out in the open with both.
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Spurgeon defines it in one of his sermons as “the willingness to know and be known.”
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We must be willing not only to know, but to be known by him for what we really are. That means we are not going to hide our inner selves from those with whom we ought to be in fellowship; we are not going to window dress and put on appearances; nor are we going to whitewash and excuse ourselves. We are going to be honest about ourselves with them. We are willing to give up our spiritual privacy, pocket our pride and risk our reputations for the sake of being open and transparent with our brethren in Christ.
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We have not necessarily got to tell everybody everything about ourselves. The fundamental thing is our attitude of walking in the light, rather than the act. Are we willing to be in the open with our brother–and be so in word when God tells us to?
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When the barriers are down and the masks are off, God has a chance of making us really one. But there is also the added joy of knowing that in such a fellowship we are “safe.”
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Jesus wants you to begin walking in the light with Him in a new way today. Join with one other–your Christian friend, the person you live with, your wife, your husband. Drop the mask.
We discussed chapter 2 of Calvary Road today. It discusses the importance of brokenness and confession in our lives so that we are willing and ready to be filled by the Holy Spirit to ‘spill out’ the spirit of God onto others around us. The exercise of brokenness and confession helps for us to get out of the way so God can drive/lead.
Francisco shared what “personal and daily revival” means to him:
“Jesus is waiting for me when I get up.”
What would the world be like if followers of Jesus lived like this? Imagine if you lived a life of anticipation and joy knowing that as soon as you opened your eyes every morning, Jesus was there smiling and waiting for you! Take away the worry and anxiety and all the stuff packed into our minds, and start each day as an adventure with Jesus.
Quotes from Calvary Road:
“Revival itself is being absolutely filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, and that is victorious living.”
“If we were asked this moment if we were filled with the Holy Spirit, how many of us would dare to answer “yes”? Revival is when we can say “yes” at any moment of the day.”
I missed yet another ‘God moment’ when I was listening in to a discussion between 2 families about passover and the cross. Lacking the courage and/or energy to speak up, I listened as the Jewish family and the Catholic family had this dialogue with the conclusions that the passover and the cross are stories that shared from each other and just happen to fall on the same days this year. I proceeded to try and share with my sister the incredible parallel’s between the passover and the cross during our Good Friday dinner discussions.
We have lost sight of the incredible and miraculous design of the Bible: “The old testament is the new testament concealed and the new testament is the old testament revealed.”-Chuck Missler
One historical event that is truly miraculous and shows us the overwhelming design of the Bible message is the passover and its foretelling of Jesus and his ministry.
Enjoy Mike’s great message as he points out some of the incredible connectedness between the passover and the cross.
Enjoy Mike’s sermon and please share your thoughts.
Here is a GREAT summary of the passover and the cross–the golden thread of redemption and the incredible design proven by prophecy and foreshadowing in the Bible is AMAZING!
Here is a GREAT summary from Dave (and the study questions are below as well):
| Our “ice breaker” question last Wednesday, was, “Talk about a beautiful place you have visited or would like to visit.” I cannot say what was discussed at the other tables but there were some great answers at the table where I sat. Most of us, including me, mentioned great works of God like the Grand Canyon and the Great Lakes. But a couple of guys spoke of simpler things. One was the view while sitting on his screened in porch as a child. The other was watching a farmer till his land and taking in the smells of the earth as it was being turned over. Simpler is certainly better, isn’t it? Close your eyes and think of a simpler time in your life and take in it’s beauty.Bucky covered Psalm 139; please take a few minutes and read the Psalm. What does this Psalm say to you? Here is a quick synopsis of what Psalm 139 says to Bucky. Verses 1-6 say God knows us intimately. Verses 7-12 say God is with us constantly. Verses 13-18 say God made us wonderfully, and verses 19-24 say God judges righteously. So, if David, knew these things about God, how did it effect his relationship with Him? If you are familiar with David’s life, you know he was far from perfect. But the Bible tells us David was a man after God’s own heart. How can that be? Well, in looking at the verses of Psalm 139 and how Bucky broke them down it is easy to see what David’s reaction was to each. Since God knows us intimately, David knew we must TRUST God. It makes sense, doesn’t it. If someone knows all about you shouldn’t you be able to trust them? If God is with us constantly, David knew we must ACKNOWLEDGE Him. It is amazing how David said that no matter where he went he knew God was there. God is everywhere. Since God is always with us shouldn’t we acknowledge His presence and act accordingly? I think it is funny that some people believe they can get away with something because, “no one is looking.” How untrue. God knows everything you think, say and do. So, when you sin, rather than shy away from God, do what David did; acknowledge Him and repent. You will feel better faster if you get on your knees and say you are sorry. Ask God to help you overcome your areas of weakness. Pete McKenzie says the real turning point in his spiritual life came when he got on his knees and said, “Lord, I am a failure at being a Christian. Would You help me become the man You want me to be? Well, I’d say God heard Pete and helped him get to his goal. Since God made us wonderfully, David knew we must PRAISE God. We’ve heard it before; God has a purpose for our lives. We have been given talents and spiritual gifts and must use them both for God, not our own personal gain. Many of us struggle with this one. We, as men, find our identity in our work. We justify why we need to put in 12 hours a day. I would like you to take a piece of paper and write down the five things that are most important to you. Then, HONESTLY put down how much time each day you spend on those five things. This will tell you what is really most important in your life. Lastly, since God judges righteously, David knew we must FOLLOW God, not try and be Him. In other words, it is not up to us to judge or take matters into our own hands. Judgment is reserved for God and God alone. This is my biggest challenge. I have a tendency to judge rather than listen with an open mind. Every Wednesday we end with, “How can we pray for you?” Well, if you are a man of prayer, my request is you pray for me and my judgmental attitude. Have a great week; I encourage you to spend some time with God and reflect on the blessings He’s given you. |
Please enjoy the study questions from our latest men’s group, and as always, please share your thoughts.
Talk about a beautiful place that you have visited or would like to visit?
Psalm 139-I Must Worship
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
God knows us intimately—I must_____________him-vv.1-6
God is with me constantly—I must _____________him-vv.7-12
God made me wonderfully—I must____________him-vv.13-18
God judges righteously—I must _______________him—vv.19-24
Questions for Discussion:
1. What are some of the ways that you see and experience God in this life?
2. How does David’s knowledge of who God is affect his daily life?
3.How is God calling you to live a life of Intimate worship
-Trust
-Acknowledge
-Praise
-Follow
4. How can we pray for you?
Enjoy this brief story that challenges us as Christians to be the Good Samaritan in our culture. One of the reasons that Christianity is ‘dying out’ in our culture is because we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Here is an example where we as Christians could have chosen to show sacrificial love to those who don’t know God.
Please share your thoughts with us.
This is part 2 of 4 in the Brennan Manning speaking series from Mariners Church in 1996. If you haven’t heard him speak or read any of his books please start NOW. It is AMAZING! I have been sharing these lectures with men from my men’s group for years, and they ALL have been AMAZED and changed by his beautiful insights, humor, and stories. If you haven’t heard him speak or read any of his books please start NOW.
Some of my favorites:
Brennan Manning spoke at Mariners Church in 1996. I have added this 4 part series to uberlumen for your listening pleasure. It is AMAZING! I have been sharing these lectures with men from my men’s group for years, and they ALL have been AMAZED and changed by his beautiful insights, humor, and stories. If you haven’t heard him speak or read any of his books please start NOW.
Some of my favorites:
There has been much controversy over the concept of the Trinity. It has been tried to be explained in many ways using many analogies that ALL fall short. It has been said that philosophically God is ‘one what’ and ‘three whos’.
It is clear that throughout Scripture God is 3 and 1 at the same time held in a paradoxical tension never to be fully understood this side of heaven.
Much of the recent controversy has been from the depiction of the Trinity by Paul Young in his book The Shack despite the fact that Paul Young has made it very clear that it is a work of fiction and an allegory. In The Shack, Paul Young describes the Trinity as: “I am one God and I am three persons, and each of the three is fully and entirely the one.” God or ‘Papa’ in the story goes on to say: “Love and relationship. All love and relationship is possible for you only because it already exists within Me, within God myself. Love is not the limitation; love is the flying. I am love.”
Here is a pictorial representation of the Trinity:
I don’t think we will every fully grasp nor understand the Trinity this side of heaven. I love what A.W. Tozer has said: “The doctrine of the Trinity…is truth for the heart. The fact that it cannot be satisfactorily explained, instead of being against it, is in its favor. Such a truth had to be revealed; no one could imagine it.” This quote from a GREAT book explaining basic tenets of Christianity: Without a Doubt by Samples
I have added this brief video clip of my 2 cents from a scientific and theoretical perspective to help us get our mind around the concept. (see also Beyond the Cosmos by Hugh Ross) As always please leave your comments!
Ever since the 1st Century church emerged and their miracle and healing stories were documented in the book of Acts et al, the church has been filled with such stories. There has been a ground swell in Christianity to focus again on the early Church model of miracles and healings. What are your thoughts about this? JP Moreland in his wonderful book, The Kingdom Triangle, points out and discusses this epidemic of miracles and healings occurring worldwide in Christianity noting that American Christianity continues to fall behind in this resurgence of the early Church model of Christianity.
We have been posting interviews and stories regarding miracles and healings as well. The posts have been generated by a missionary friend who has experienced these miracles and healings first hand. He has shifted his ministry from the traditional evangelical Christian model of the last 50 years to a miracle and healing ministry, and he has seen incredible things. This is yet another audio clip of such miracles and healings from a mentor of his.
This brief audio clip is from Pastor Bill Johnson at Bethel Church in Redding, CA. He tells numerous stories of miracles and healings.
Do you believe it? What do you think? Please click on the title of this post and then scroll down to leave your comments.
“Now tell me again who is blue and who is red?”
Racist, stupid, bigoted, evil….these are some of the words used to describe ‘us’ by ‘them’.
Intolerant, arrogant, angry, blind….these are some of the words used to describe ‘them’ by ‘us’.
Something has gone terribly wrong here.
We worship a God who is BIGGER than ALL of THAT!
We follow a God who became a man who was beaten, whipped, tortured, mocked by the ruling government of his day.
We cherish the LOVE of a God who was mocked by guards who made him wear a robe that symbolized royalty, KINGSHIP as they laughted and scorned and cried out, “King of the Jews! Ha Ha Ha!”
The robe he wore was PURPLE: The color of KINGSHIP.
We are NOT blue; we are NOT red. We ARE the PURPLE people. We follow and worship the God in the PURPLE robe who loves each of us as if we are the ONLY person in the universe.
Share with us your comments after you listen to Rob Bell’s teaching titled: Beware the Dogs and Greg Boyd’s teaching titled: Defying Tanks. These are 2 of the MOST challenging sermons that I have heard. After you listen, PLEASE share your thoughts on some practical and specific ways that we can transform our world!
Everlasting Love is one my top 10 songs of all time! Get Jaime Lee’s Album! All the songs are wonderful. It is a MUST BUY ALBUM by Jaime Lee titled: Rescue Me. Only available via the net at this spot: Release Me by Jaime Lee. You can listen to a sample of her music at her site.
The Christians in the miracles and healing and spiritual gifts movements call it an encounter with God…I am wondering what in the world that is and means! My friend, who you have listened to regarding miracles and healings, invites me to come to his last teaching engagement of the summer before he goes back to the mission field. At the end of the service, I am watching him laying hands on people for healing etc. There is a very strange woman rocking back and forth and waving her hands in the corner of the church. This woman later walks up to me with her friend and asks to pray for me…as she is praying she is humming and talking jibberish aka speaking in tongues? but the English that she is speaking/praying out loud is about what God has put on her heart to share with me–God tells her-through prayer-things about me and my family that ONLY God could know! WOW! What can a skeptic like me say to this?!! The Christians who walk in these circles call it ‘getting your mail read’ when someone prays for you and speaks things that ONLY God could know about you.
What do you think?
In this 4th and final interview with my missionary friend who lives in the middle east, we hear some insights on ‘how to’ do healings and miracles. We also learn to ask ‘what do I expect?’ Can we train our mind and heart to expect the supernatural? And what does it take to do miracles and healings?
I came across this fascinating dialogue between the main character, Mack, and God in the parable story entitled “The Shack”:
“But what about all the miracles? The healings?…Doesn’t that prove that Jesus was God–you know, more than human?”
“No, it proves that Jesus is truly human….Although he is also fully God, he has never drawn upon his nature as God to do anything. He has only lived out of his relationship with [God the Father], living in the very same manner that I desire to be in relationship with every human being…”
“So, when he healed the blind?”
“He did so as a dependent, limited human being trusting in [God’s] life and power to be at work within him and through him. Jesus, as a human being, had no power within himself to heal anyone.”–excerpt from The Shack, pg 99-100
If this is true, then we should also see healings and miracles as we trust in HIM?!
What do you think???
So what is the big deal about healing? Isn’t the point of healing and miracles to lead people to salvation? Yes it is a way to lead people to salvation, but healing and miracles are showing God’s LOVE and communicating God’s LOVE to those in need. What better way to show God’s LOVE than to healing someone from their illness?
I recently had a conversation with a friend at work who mentioned that a skeptic friend of his pointed out that the God of the Old Testament seems to be a different God from the New Testament using the classic example: O.T.=eye for an eye; N.T.=turn the other cheek.
Here is a classic Mike Erre sermon from the sermon on the mount in which he explains this supposed contradiction.
Take home: eye for an eye laws were VERY progressive at the time and were created by God to promote societal justice whereas turn the other cheek teaching of Jesus was what we as individuals should continue to strive to do.
Here is another great summary of eye for an eye laws vs. turning the other cheek
As always, please share with us your thoughts!