| — | A nobody trying to love somebody outside himself. |
love is not lost
Posts tagged with "Jesus"
Anonymous asked...
Hey Zac! What's with the obvious change you've undergone? Obviously your more closely orienting yourself to the reformed community which I'm not against or anything. I like guys like Mark Driscoll and all. But do you still believe in the gifts of the Spirit (tongues, prophecy, etc.?)
Firstly, I perhaps read a lot of reformed authors and theologians because many are theologians whom God chose to use to form much of the basics of our protestant foundations in Christian faith according to the scriptures. Men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, and others. I also hold much agreement with the early puritans. I enjoy reading dead authors because we are able to see how their life finished. Did they preserver in the faith, or did they flounder or end up shipwrecked like many the apostle Paul speaks about in his letters to the church. I want to know, hear from, and have conversation with men whom finished strong, holding to Christ through much suffering. Reading these dead authors provides that opportunity.
Secondly, you must not personally know many people that call themselves “reformed”. Many people don’t even know what that means and rather then meeting and enjoying the unity of the brethren they stand at a “safe” distance and make assumptions. I have many friends who would call themselves “reformed” and they all believe in the gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues. However I’ve seen their views come from a much more biblical perspective then most whom label themselves “charismatic”, of whom I grew up with. I’ve never met more passionate men whom work hard to show themselves approved, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).
So to answer your direct questions:
What’s with the obvious change you’ve undergone?
Five years ago I began reading the Bible from cover to cover, every book in completeness, in context, and from the perspective of those it was written to, rather than my 21st Century American perspective. Through this, God began to convict me of sin, show me the false teaching I had taught based American ideals rather than the Kingdom of God, my own leadership of church people being to serve my desires rather than his, and ultimately how I had wrongly led my wife and self to put ministry, status, celebrity, and the fear of man at the center of our lives rather than Christ himself.
This “obvious change” was the Spirit’s work in me through the reading of scripture not podcasts, or books. I now read books which come from this perspective because it is what I see the scripture as saying.
Do you still believe in the gifts of the Spirit? (tongues, prophecy, etc.?)
Yes! I absolutely believe in the gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues. Although, I definitely feel I am standing on much firmer ground scripturally regarding what the Bible communicates about these and how they operate at God’s discretion in the lives of God’s people.
I would challenge you, read the Bible daily and do so in completeness, in context, be open to others whom follow Jesus regardless of where they stand denominationally, theologically or the church the represent. Live on mission around unbelievers. God is so big! He is not limited to space or time, nor human theology or church brands. Have no fear or reservation in this because ultimately:
Matthew 23:9–12 (ESV) 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
AND
John 10:27–30 (ESV) 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.
There are men God teaches us through as vessels, but ultimately he is the one leading us to him and maturing us in the faith, him alone who conforms us into the image of Christ. He is the vine we are to stay connected to, the father is the vinedresser, and it is Jesus whom builds his church, not us. Christ’s body is large, vast, and wonderfully beautiful. God has given me wonderful friends whom call themselves charismatic, evangelical, baptist, reformed, calvinist, arminian, cessationist, even atheist. God is the creator of them all and I have seen his image, to different distortion levels in each one. God is bigger than our divisions. I am excited to learn from all of them, for my foundation is in Christ, I daily read, study, and learn from his word. I know who I am in Christ. It is so wonderful following Jesus!
| — | The King Jesus Gospel, By Scot McKnight |
I received the most wonderful complement on twitter yesterday from a friend. It was an encouragement to me. A validation of the work of the Spirit in my life. The fruit of Christ was seen in me and my friend was grateful for it. I was encouraged by his tweet, the problem was, I wanted to ReTweet it. I wanted others to see what he saw. I wanted their view to be that of his. I might as well have tweeted right after it: Look at me! I’m doing it! My friend see’s it! I’m like Jesus!
I can’t retweet personal compliments. We often see people, celebrities & sadly vocational ministers regularly retweet compliments others give them of their work. (To see some hilarious shameless self promotion check out the RT’s of @humblebrag).
I found myself at one point very caught up in the world of social media, especially wanting others to tweet me, or comment on my posts. It fed my narcissistic views, provided me with validation, and created greater self worship. I so hoped for some “big name” to have RT’d me or quoted me. It led me to thoughts of fame and glory of me in the eyes of men. It would make me feel validated if someone agreed with me, complimented me on a good word, or a message that impacted them. It was a downward spiral of self worship, that led to self loathing and disappointment if I didn’t get the validation I desired from the people I thought were “cool”. Perhaps I am a validationaholic? Perhaps I have deep seeded selfish ambition? Or perhaps I am totally normal?
No doubt with the celebrities it brings attention to their current work (their brand or product) which for them is themselves. But what should be the product of the minister of God? What should be the thing we draw attention to? Are we selling something? Our book? Our Church? Our organization? Do we have a work that we want people to see? Is it for God’s glory? Or ours? It gets vaguely grey quickly, at least for me.
I feel Paul of all the apostles could have really promoted his “brand” of Christianity. He was by far the most educated of the apostles. But regarding his apostleship he concluded…
1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (ESV) 15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
I find this such a beautiful example of how we should approach this issue. We see Paul…
- Reminded them of the Gospel, not his work.
- Showed them that the gospel is of FIRST importance.
- Pointed them to how God CHOSE the apostles.
- Gave God the glory for his being chosen as an apostle.
- Showed that his work was by God’s grace, not his own strength.
- Ended with taking the attention off of the apostles, their work, and put attention on the message they preached. THE GOSPEL
We simply live out the story of God as mere stagehands to his lead performance. Jesus is the lead in this play, he is the protagonist, the hero, the one whom the story is about. Not us.
We also see Jesus teaching the disciples about the temptation they will have to draw attention to themselves and their good works…
Matthew 6:1–4 (ESV) 6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
So in this life I cannot boast in my work or ReTweet these compliments of others. Even if they are the highest of praise, that being the fruit of Christ being seen in me. I can’t ReTweet it because I am weak and it draws me back into the gravitational pull of selfish ambition which I wrestle with. The temptation to make it about me is too great for me.
This ever so dormant monster of pride that wants to take credit for the very work of God in my life, ministry, and even in my family. I will give praise to God, but not praise to myself, not even praise to my organization. For I want the reward of God, not the reward of man. I want to give in secret, so that I know that it was unto him, and not to build me or my organization. For I believe we are the church universal. God’s people, on mission, in community. I believe that God doesn’t see our individual brands of Christianity, but one unified Church under Jesus. So I promote him, not my brand.
The joy of pleasing God in secret, knowing, not wondering if my motives for reaching out, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and sharing the Gospel were genuine and for him! Far out way the small applause and compliments of man. For when I ReTweet that compliment, I then begin to wonder what my motives truly are.
Even in this post, I sense the tension within me to say LOOK AT ME! I’M LIKE JESUS. God help me.
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As stewards prepare Easter messages. Let us remember what the cross actually is & represent it appropriately.
MARCH 26 || GOD CHOSE US, SO THAT HE WOULD RECEIVE THE GLORY | 1 COR 1
SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (ESV) 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
OBSERVATION:
It is interesting that because of our culture we assume that we must have some form of formal training for God to do something through us. A program, a certificate, a graduation, but if that be the case then we host in our program, not the very Spirit of God whom has transformed us by grace through faith in the very work of Jesus Christ.
APPLICATION:
I find myself feeling inadequate often, wanting what others have, simply not trusting in the very work of God within me.
PRAYER:
Lord, I repent of this foolishness I have put my faith in. I repent of this lack of trust that what you are doing in me is NOT enough. You are enough, and as you use me to equip others let me point them to you, not our program.
View post...| — | A nobody, trying to love somebody, outside of himself |
When we limit the gospel to being spread through money, we rob God’s people the joy of living the true Christian life.
Jesus never said, “Give your money so the gospel can be spread.”
He said, “Come to me, I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus never said, “Go & make money so I can preach the gospel.”
He empowered his disciples to spread the gospel themselves.
| — | A nobody, trying to love somebody, outside of myself. |
