Today I am writing from beautiful Colorado. I am on a "girlie" retreat with my daughter, my friend and another friend's daughter. We are going to be working on being "missional" while we are here and took the girls to a dog kennel to try to see if we could help. We got to play with and "socialize" some puppies! It was so fun!
We are also going to be working through a short bible study with the girls called "Confirming Your Faith" and today I would like to share some thoughts on The Apostles' Creed.
There are perhaps many that have not been raised in a "traditional" church setting and may not be familiar with this creed that states what the Christian believes. Here it is in a "traditional" but updated version:
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."
S - John 11:25-27
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
O - Being raised in and growing up in the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches I was aware of this creed and knew parts of it as a kid. I learned this creed in its entirety in confirmation class as a 6th grader and was able to recite it. This was something we would recite often enough in my church that it was helpful to know it. It didn't really hit home with me though until I was in college and teaching junior high Sunday school. It's like it had always been factual until I taught it to someone else and then it became personal. I was able to break it down into parts and really take in the depth of it because I was teaching it.
The verse here in John that accompanies this creed from our little study is Jesus speaking to a woman. I think it's important to know the context here...he is actually speaking to Martha the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. In this verse, Lazarus has died and Martha and Mary are mourning, saying that if Jesus had been there, he wouldn't have died. Jesus was about to demonstrate His power over death so that his followers might believe. He is asking her to believe before He has even demonstrated this power. This is a testament to her FAITH. She had heard Jesus' teachings and seen miracles but resurrection takes it to a whole new level! She did not have to have proof of his power over death to have faith. She BELIEVED He was who He said He was by faith, and nothing else. He was not just a good moral teacher...He was God in the FLESH. He was God who came down to earth to live among us and save us.
Another observation is that He says whoever LIVES by believing in me...this is about not just believing but also LIVING by this belief. We demonstrate our faith by how we live and we help others come to believe as well by how we live. This does not mean we need to DO something to earn salvation, but it is how we respond to our faith, as well as how others come to know the Lord. If we don't share our faith, no one else would have a chance to believe and we would be keeping the greatest gift we've been given from ourselves. I don't know about you, but I want others to get to receive this amazing gift and share it with me!!!
A - the apostles creed has basically three parts of belief: creation, redemption, sanctification. First, we believe that God is the creator of all things and is over all things. Next, we believe that we have the opportunity to choose redemption because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us as a SUBSTITUTE. And third, sanctification is about holy living and demonstration of our faith...we need to believe in the importance of this AND in the correct purpose of holy living. I think this is the hardest part for many people in a lot of ways.
I think for the most part there are many that believe in God as they know Him...the creator, a "higher power", a provider. Even those that are not active in a church and those that follow the Jewish, Islam or other faiths or claim no faith at all believe that we are all believing in and following the same God. (I could get off on another topic about whether this is the same God or not, but I won't for now)
As for redemption, a belief that Jesus died for each of us is maybe an easier path to take than believing that this belief is actually going to CHANGE us through the process of sanctification. Many say "Oh yes, I want to go to heaven...I want to live forever with God." and yet do they really realize what they are inviting God to do? I don't want to dog certain denominations within the Christian faith but I think there are still MANY Christians that are focused on the "how to" guide book of what you have to STOP doing or what you SHOULD be doing to be a "good" Christian and forgetting one simple truth...we are saved by faith alone and this is the purpose of Jesus' redemption. Once saved, it is not up to US to change, it is up to us to ALLOW the Holy Spirit to change us through sanctification and show us how we can demonstrate our faith to others.
And this is why KNOWING what we believe is so important and why the Apostles Creed can be helpful. This is a creed that was written during the years of the early church. I'm not really an official "theologian" and will need to study up more on the origin of it but I think it's an important creed to know and live by and I'm pledging to try to be more purposeful in teaching it to my children. It is a foundation for everyday living and can be a guide for how to demonstrate our faith and share it with others. As the accompanying verse in John teaches us, faith is based on a belief that Jesus IS who He says He is and He will DO what He says He will do.
I think it would be a valuable exercise for all Christians to dissect this creed and really think through each of the points, one by one, and decide for themselves what they believe about it. Do we believe in the resurrection of the body, for example? Have any of us really taken the time to think about what we REALLY believe in relation to the gospel or are we just "going with the flow". Perhaps it's time to take a deeper look for yourself???
P - Father God, you ARE the creator of the universe. You sent Jesus to live among us and to save us through substitution and I am eternally grateful. You have transformed lives through the work of the Holy Spirit and I pray that others would not only believe this for themselves but that they would understand WHAT they believe. I ask for guidance Lord as I teach this truth to my children and to others. I pray protection for the TRUTH and that different interpretations of who Jesus is would not be just molded into a sweet little "box of rules" that we can hold onto. NO, I pray we would see life transformation and we would be open and receive the Holy Spirit, putting our life in his hands. Amen.
Showing posts with label Messiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Messiah. Show all posts
Friday, July 12, 2013
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Holy Week Thoughts
This week instead of sharing my regular SOAP devotionals I wanted to share some thoughts on Holy Week. Since I'm currently reading the end of Leviticus and the beginning of Luke, and wouldn't have the opportunity to write about the Easter story, I thought taking a diversion was the best way to focus on the importance of remembering God's greatest gift to us. Next week I'll be back to my regular routine.
S - Luke 24:35-49
"Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said, 'Peace be with you.' But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 'Why are you frightened?' he asked. 'Why do you doubt who I am? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!' As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his feet. Still they stood there doubting, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, 'Do you have anything to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, 'When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.' Then he opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures. And he said, 'Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: "There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me." You are witnesses of all these things. And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.'"
O - There are several eye witness accounts in the gospels of Jesus' appearance after his death on the cross and being placed in the tomb. I like this one in particular for several reasons:
1. He already knows the disciples are afraid, and that they think he is not real, that he is a ghost, and he tells them that he has a body, unlike a ghost would have. He also asks them to touch him. He knows that they are in hiding because of the Jewish leaders and His appearance to them in a locked room is powerful because of it's great testimony. How could 12 men in a locked room have the same hallucination? Why would they testify to this eyewitness account later and suddenly change their frame of mind when they feared for their lives?
2. He asks for food. Now this is my kind of guy! Let's eat is always what I say!
How could a ghost physically ingest food?
3. He restates what he's been telling them all along: look at the scriptures in the Old Testament (back then it was just the Jewish scriptures) and see what it says. It says he will suffer, it says he will die, and it says he will conquer death by resurrection on the third day. The Jews many times over had been looking for a different kind of Messiah, a warrior savior among them and they missed the message. He reminds them again what God spoke to his people in Isaiah 43:12, "First I predicted your deliverance; I declared what I would do, and then I did it - I saved you."
4. His final words in this passage are powerful because of what follows these events, recorded in the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament through the writings of Paul and other witnesses. He sends His Holy Spirit to be here with us on earth and there are many miracles that take place. His resurrection is not the end of the story, it's the BEGINNING!!! There will be more witnesses beyond these 12 men and many who are willing to give their life giving testimony to these things.
A - So how is it really that many still doubt or have different beliefs about who Jesus was and is?
The Jews believe that he was not the Messiah they were looking for...He died and the Messiah would have conquered the cross itself, never dying in the first place. In addition, the tomb guards told the Jewish community that the disciples stole the body from the tomb (they were bribed by the Jewish leaders) and therefore they believe that it was a hoax. But why would hundreds of thousands of people be willing to die for what they believe in? For what advantage?
The Muslims believe that God is ONE, and deny the Trinity...that God would not descend low enough to come to earth as a man...He is too great to walk among His people. They believe Jesus was simply a prophet. They believe that if we follow the Five Pillars of the Faith set before us in the scriptures, then God in His mercy will save us, if it is His will.
Buddhists also believe that we can achieve "enlightenment" by making the effort ourselves in following the "middle way", therefore there is no need for a "savior". Hindus believe that God is in all of us and in everything so there is not one path but many to finding God. Buddhists and Hindus believe in many lives lived over and over until we achieve a release from this "illusion" of material reality through union with "God".
To apply the study of this passage to our lives today, how can some not believe that what Jesus did was real? Eyewitnesses SAW for themselves Jesus perform miracles, raise people from the dead, heal the sick and cast out demons. They saw Him die and they saw Him out of the tomb and alive. If the disciples conjured up a scheme to begin a new "religion" in order to save face, then they had thousands of people in on this lie. Today, we may not have seen Jesus for ourselves or been witnesses to His story but I KNOW that Jesus is alive and is living today because He has changed ME. I do not have to SEE Him to know that He lives in me and gave His life so that I might live with God in eternity. Only God can be God - the creator of the universe, all good and all powerful, who can speak a word and move mountains - and yet because of His nature of not tolerating anything but goodness AND at the same time having an extreme love for US, His creation, found a way to come to earth in flesh and take the weight of our sin on His shoulders. He is God WITH us. He took our place. He paid the toll. We have received the greatest gift ever given and there is NOTHING we can do to EARN it, except to ACCEPT it.
P - I pray Lord today for those that have doubts and fears about who you are and the gift of life that Jesus gave. It can be confusing to some and I pray that the veil of unbelief would be lifted so that those that might read these words today would believe. I pray that if they still have doubts, they would investigate more and that through your Holy Spirit Lord, you would reveal to them that you are REAL and that you are ALIVE. I claim this truth for myself and I praise you that you would do this for ME! And those that don't see the need for a savior and that life is "just fine", I pray that you would show them Lord that life is better and more incredible when we invite you to be a part of it! I thank you that even today you have given me the desire and the opportunity to speak your truth through this blog and in other avenues so that others might claim this salvation for themselves. Hallelujah, Christ is Risen indeed!!! Amen.
If you would like to investigate more on the evidence for the Resurrection, read "The Case for Easter" by Lee Strobel. It is only 90 pages and I would be happy to loan you a copy if you know me personally. God's peace to you this Easter as we celebrate and remember God's greatest gift to us in Jesus.
S - Luke 24:35-49
"Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said, 'Peace be with you.' But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 'Why are you frightened?' he asked. 'Why do you doubt who I am? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am a ghost, because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!' As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his feet. Still they stood there doubting, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, 'Do you have anything to eat?' They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched. Then he said, 'When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true.' Then he opened their minds to understand these many Scriptures. And he said, 'Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: "There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me." You are witnesses of all these things. And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.'"
O - There are several eye witness accounts in the gospels of Jesus' appearance after his death on the cross and being placed in the tomb. I like this one in particular for several reasons:
1. He already knows the disciples are afraid, and that they think he is not real, that he is a ghost, and he tells them that he has a body, unlike a ghost would have. He also asks them to touch him. He knows that they are in hiding because of the Jewish leaders and His appearance to them in a locked room is powerful because of it's great testimony. How could 12 men in a locked room have the same hallucination? Why would they testify to this eyewitness account later and suddenly change their frame of mind when they feared for their lives?
2. He asks for food. Now this is my kind of guy! Let's eat is always what I say!
How could a ghost physically ingest food?
3. He restates what he's been telling them all along: look at the scriptures in the Old Testament (back then it was just the Jewish scriptures) and see what it says. It says he will suffer, it says he will die, and it says he will conquer death by resurrection on the third day. The Jews many times over had been looking for a different kind of Messiah, a warrior savior among them and they missed the message. He reminds them again what God spoke to his people in Isaiah 43:12, "First I predicted your deliverance; I declared what I would do, and then I did it - I saved you."
4. His final words in this passage are powerful because of what follows these events, recorded in the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament through the writings of Paul and other witnesses. He sends His Holy Spirit to be here with us on earth and there are many miracles that take place. His resurrection is not the end of the story, it's the BEGINNING!!! There will be more witnesses beyond these 12 men and many who are willing to give their life giving testimony to these things.
A - So how is it really that many still doubt or have different beliefs about who Jesus was and is?
The Jews believe that he was not the Messiah they were looking for...He died and the Messiah would have conquered the cross itself, never dying in the first place. In addition, the tomb guards told the Jewish community that the disciples stole the body from the tomb (they were bribed by the Jewish leaders) and therefore they believe that it was a hoax. But why would hundreds of thousands of people be willing to die for what they believe in? For what advantage?
The Muslims believe that God is ONE, and deny the Trinity...that God would not descend low enough to come to earth as a man...He is too great to walk among His people. They believe Jesus was simply a prophet. They believe that if we follow the Five Pillars of the Faith set before us in the scriptures, then God in His mercy will save us, if it is His will.
Buddhists also believe that we can achieve "enlightenment" by making the effort ourselves in following the "middle way", therefore there is no need for a "savior". Hindus believe that God is in all of us and in everything so there is not one path but many to finding God. Buddhists and Hindus believe in many lives lived over and over until we achieve a release from this "illusion" of material reality through union with "God".
To apply the study of this passage to our lives today, how can some not believe that what Jesus did was real? Eyewitnesses SAW for themselves Jesus perform miracles, raise people from the dead, heal the sick and cast out demons. They saw Him die and they saw Him out of the tomb and alive. If the disciples conjured up a scheme to begin a new "religion" in order to save face, then they had thousands of people in on this lie. Today, we may not have seen Jesus for ourselves or been witnesses to His story but I KNOW that Jesus is alive and is living today because He has changed ME. I do not have to SEE Him to know that He lives in me and gave His life so that I might live with God in eternity. Only God can be God - the creator of the universe, all good and all powerful, who can speak a word and move mountains - and yet because of His nature of not tolerating anything but goodness AND at the same time having an extreme love for US, His creation, found a way to come to earth in flesh and take the weight of our sin on His shoulders. He is God WITH us. He took our place. He paid the toll. We have received the greatest gift ever given and there is NOTHING we can do to EARN it, except to ACCEPT it.
P - I pray Lord today for those that have doubts and fears about who you are and the gift of life that Jesus gave. It can be confusing to some and I pray that the veil of unbelief would be lifted so that those that might read these words today would believe. I pray that if they still have doubts, they would investigate more and that through your Holy Spirit Lord, you would reveal to them that you are REAL and that you are ALIVE. I claim this truth for myself and I praise you that you would do this for ME! And those that don't see the need for a savior and that life is "just fine", I pray that you would show them Lord that life is better and more incredible when we invite you to be a part of it! I thank you that even today you have given me the desire and the opportunity to speak your truth through this blog and in other avenues so that others might claim this salvation for themselves. Hallelujah, Christ is Risen indeed!!! Amen.
If you would like to investigate more on the evidence for the Resurrection, read "The Case for Easter" by Lee Strobel. It is only 90 pages and I would be happy to loan you a copy if you know me personally. God's peace to you this Easter as we celebrate and remember God's greatest gift to us in Jesus.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
On the same team when Jesus is on FIRST!
Here is my SOAP devotional for Feb. 8th
S - Matthew 10:34-39
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[a]
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
O - This is a challenging passage because it appears to be a contradiction. Jesus is drawing a line. Most would say "how can Jesus who is the supreme example of love, ask you to go against your own family, especially when it is one of the original 10 commandments?" What Jesus is saying is that people are flawed and not dependable. They will let you down but Jesus will never let us down. Jesus has proven to be dependable and has sacrificed much in spite of people that even deny who He is. So if we place our faith in people instead of Him, especially those that are not following His ways, then we will always find disappointment. Sometimes love means making tough choices if that is doing what is best. Jesus is always going to choose to love us, therefore we must choose to put Him first in our life...to choose His way over the way of people.
One note of interest is that Jesus quotes Micah 7:6 here. Micah is a book in the Old Testament and he was a contemporary of Isaiah. He is considered one of the "minor" prophets and he spoke of God's judgment and the offer of pardon to all those who repent. The book of Micah contains many prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah, who will come to unite all of God's people. He writes of God's extreme dislike of pride and injustice, and also His willingness to provide a way to forgiveness and mercy. It is clear to me that Jesus IS the only way that God could be both the judge and merciful.
A - We cannot control the choices of the people in our life. If we cling to what is actually temporary on this earth, we will miss the purpose of Jesus' coming. Jesus is not asking us to NOT love people - He is asking us to love Him MORE. He calls us to choose His way above any earthly way as the way to eternal life with Him. Jesus brings a "sword" against anything that seeks a path of destruction, and the enemy prowls in an attempt to take us with him (1 Peter 5:8). In our human nature we will not always be "on the same path"...some will have their own best interest in mind, or be blinded by the enemy's schemes, even if we are family. Therefore, in order to fully love each other, we must FIRST love the Lord of Life. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we will always be on the "same team".
P - Oh Lord, I plead with you to strike the heal of the enemy and keep him far from me and my family. When the enemy seeks to destroy, he will put us against each other. But putting our eyes on you (Hebrews 12:2) as the author and perfector of our faith, we will experience a peace beyond understanding, (Philippians 4:7) for following your ways ensures that we are always on the "same team". I pray most earnestly for protection and that each of those I love, and that I call "family", will put YOU first in their lives so that we might cling to your promises together. I am truly thankful that you found a way to be both the judge of all evil and yet sent Jesus to show us mercy. Amen.
S - Matthew 10:34-39
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[a]
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
O - This is a challenging passage because it appears to be a contradiction. Jesus is drawing a line. Most would say "how can Jesus who is the supreme example of love, ask you to go against your own family, especially when it is one of the original 10 commandments?" What Jesus is saying is that people are flawed and not dependable. They will let you down but Jesus will never let us down. Jesus has proven to be dependable and has sacrificed much in spite of people that even deny who He is. So if we place our faith in people instead of Him, especially those that are not following His ways, then we will always find disappointment. Sometimes love means making tough choices if that is doing what is best. Jesus is always going to choose to love us, therefore we must choose to put Him first in our life...to choose His way over the way of people.
One note of interest is that Jesus quotes Micah 7:6 here. Micah is a book in the Old Testament and he was a contemporary of Isaiah. He is considered one of the "minor" prophets and he spoke of God's judgment and the offer of pardon to all those who repent. The book of Micah contains many prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah, who will come to unite all of God's people. He writes of God's extreme dislike of pride and injustice, and also His willingness to provide a way to forgiveness and mercy. It is clear to me that Jesus IS the only way that God could be both the judge and merciful.
A - We cannot control the choices of the people in our life. If we cling to what is actually temporary on this earth, we will miss the purpose of Jesus' coming. Jesus is not asking us to NOT love people - He is asking us to love Him MORE. He calls us to choose His way above any earthly way as the way to eternal life with Him. Jesus brings a "sword" against anything that seeks a path of destruction, and the enemy prowls in an attempt to take us with him (1 Peter 5:8). In our human nature we will not always be "on the same path"...some will have their own best interest in mind, or be blinded by the enemy's schemes, even if we are family. Therefore, in order to fully love each other, we must FIRST love the Lord of Life. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we will always be on the "same team".
P - Oh Lord, I plead with you to strike the heal of the enemy and keep him far from me and my family. When the enemy seeks to destroy, he will put us against each other. But putting our eyes on you (Hebrews 12:2) as the author and perfector of our faith, we will experience a peace beyond understanding, (Philippians 4:7) for following your ways ensures that we are always on the "same team". I pray most earnestly for protection and that each of those I love, and that I call "family", will put YOU first in their lives so that we might cling to your promises together. I am truly thankful that you found a way to be both the judge of all evil and yet sent Jesus to show us mercy. Amen.
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