Why do you think God created the trillions of stars?
God likes stars. "Praise Him sun and moon, praise Him all you shining stars!" Psaslm 148:3
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Speaking in Tongues
Why do some denominations believe in speaking in tongues while some other denominations do not? What’s the deal with speaking in tongues?
In Genesis Chapter 11, God separated peoples all over the world as an act of judgment for their rebellion to Him as King. When God did this he confused the languages of the people. After Jesus’ death and resurrection there was an event called Pentecost where God allowed members of the church to speak in different tongues signifying that the gospel of Christ reunites humanity. People heard the “wonders of God” in their own languages.
This became known as tongues. People were able to speak in different tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them ability.
Some Christians believed that God stopped doing this a long time ago. Others believe that He still does it. In the New Testament, we are told that when it is done there should be interpreters and it should be in order (1 Cor. 14).
Often when it is done today a bunch of people just do it at once- this is not what the scriptures teach. I believe that the gift of tongues is alive and well today but, rarely practiced in line with God’s will revealed in Scripture.
A denomination’s practice of this gift depends on their views on these issues; although, I will say that many who practice tongues regularly do it in a way that is contrary to scripture.
In Genesis Chapter 11, God separated peoples all over the world as an act of judgment for their rebellion to Him as King. When God did this he confused the languages of the people. After Jesus’ death and resurrection there was an event called Pentecost where God allowed members of the church to speak in different tongues signifying that the gospel of Christ reunites humanity. People heard the “wonders of God” in their own languages.
This became known as tongues. People were able to speak in different tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them ability.
Some Christians believed that God stopped doing this a long time ago. Others believe that He still does it. In the New Testament, we are told that when it is done there should be interpreters and it should be in order (1 Cor. 14).
Often when it is done today a bunch of people just do it at once- this is not what the scriptures teach. I believe that the gift of tongues is alive and well today but, rarely practiced in line with God’s will revealed in Scripture.
A denomination’s practice of this gift depends on their views on these issues; although, I will say that many who practice tongues regularly do it in a way that is contrary to scripture.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Do Christians need Church?
For the next couple of weeks I will be posting questions left over from the Q&A night at our Large Group Gatherings.
Question: Can we have a relationship with God by praying and reading the Bible, but not going to church?
No. The Scriptures have no concept of an isolated relationship with God. This is an American idea and not a Christian one. God has always communicated himself to communities of individuals, but never individuals apart from communities.
In the Old Testament, it was the nation of Israel - communities of people with whom God made a covenant. In the New Testament, it is the Church, which in Greek is the word “ecclesia,” which literally means “gathering.” In the New Testament, to be outside the church (God’s people) is to be outside of salvation.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul makes a clear distinction between those inside the church (or gathering) and outside the church (or gathering) (1 Cor. 5:12;6:4; 11:22). Jesus is the head of the Church (Eph. 5:23), Jesus’ bride is the church and he died for the church (Eph 5:23-32), and His body is the church (Col. 1:18).
Can you have salvation w/o Jesus as your head, Husband, and w/o being part of His Body? Can you love Jesus w/o loving His bride? That would be like saying to me “Harvey, I love you but I don’t like your wife.” If you are a dude I would punch you in the mouth. Most important can you have a relationship with God w/o the death of Christ on your behalf? He died for the Church.
Individualistic American Christianity is foreign to the gospel. The gospel of Jesus nessesitates connection to the community of faith.
Consider 1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
Question: Can we have a relationship with God by praying and reading the Bible, but not going to church?
No. The Scriptures have no concept of an isolated relationship with God. This is an American idea and not a Christian one. God has always communicated himself to communities of individuals, but never individuals apart from communities.
In the Old Testament, it was the nation of Israel - communities of people with whom God made a covenant. In the New Testament, it is the Church, which in Greek is the word “ecclesia,” which literally means “gathering.” In the New Testament, to be outside the church (God’s people) is to be outside of salvation.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul makes a clear distinction between those inside the church (or gathering) and outside the church (or gathering) (1 Cor. 5:12;6:4; 11:22). Jesus is the head of the Church (Eph. 5:23), Jesus’ bride is the church and he died for the church (Eph 5:23-32), and His body is the church (Col. 1:18).
Can you have salvation w/o Jesus as your head, Husband, and w/o being part of His Body? Can you love Jesus w/o loving His bride? That would be like saying to me “Harvey, I love you but I don’t like your wife.” If you are a dude I would punch you in the mouth. Most important can you have a relationship with God w/o the death of Christ on your behalf? He died for the Church.
Individualistic American Christianity is foreign to the gospel. The gospel of Jesus nessesitates connection to the community of faith.
Consider 1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Politics and Jesus
OK. Just so we're clear....Jesus did not come to establish earthly politics. He taught that His kingdom was of another world (John 18:36).
Jesus is not a Republican. Jesus is not a Democrat. Jesus is not an American.
God has blessed America but this does not mean that God prefers America.
In the Scriptures there are 2 Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Man and The Kingdom of God. Believers in Jesus are Citizens of both kingdoms. Jesus Said in another place "render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:25). This means that we have responsibilities as citizens of both kingdoms but these two kingdoms are separate kingdoms.
I get a little nervous when Christians start putting God and politics together (Like the painting of Jesus laying hands on George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln) as if Jesus is with us more than Africans or Iraqi people.
The mission of the church is not to “turn this nation back to Christian values” or “get prayer back in schools” but to make disciples of all nations.
What if the millions of dollars spent on “fighting for 10 Commandments monuments” were instead spent on reaching unreached people groups with the gospel? What if all of the $ spent on American Christian political battles were spent on feeding the worlds poorest people?
America is one of the nations in the "kingdom of man" and we should be the best of citizens in this country. We should vote with Christocentric world view and obey the laws of this government as long as those laws do not conflict w/ the gospel. But this does not mean that we should make it our agenda as Christians to get Christians in office. Martin Luther once said "I would rather nominate a Jew that understands justice than a Christian who does not." The emphasis of the New Tesament is that the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Man directly intersect when the apostles tell us to obey and pray for the authorities (1 Pet. 2:13-17). Obey and pray.
Jesus is a king of a different kingdom than the USA.
Jesus is not a Republican. Jesus is not a Democrat. Jesus is not an American.
God has blessed America but this does not mean that God prefers America.
In the Scriptures there are 2 Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Man and The Kingdom of God. Believers in Jesus are Citizens of both kingdoms. Jesus Said in another place "render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:25). This means that we have responsibilities as citizens of both kingdoms but these two kingdoms are separate kingdoms.
I get a little nervous when Christians start putting God and politics together (Like the painting of Jesus laying hands on George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln) as if Jesus is with us more than Africans or Iraqi people.
The mission of the church is not to “turn this nation back to Christian values” or “get prayer back in schools” but to make disciples of all nations.
What if the millions of dollars spent on “fighting for 10 Commandments monuments” were instead spent on reaching unreached people groups with the gospel? What if all of the $ spent on American Christian political battles were spent on feeding the worlds poorest people?
America is one of the nations in the "kingdom of man" and we should be the best of citizens in this country. We should vote with Christocentric world view and obey the laws of this government as long as those laws do not conflict w/ the gospel. But this does not mean that we should make it our agenda as Christians to get Christians in office. Martin Luther once said "I would rather nominate a Jew that understands justice than a Christian who does not." The emphasis of the New Tesament is that the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Man directly intersect when the apostles tell us to obey and pray for the authorities (1 Pet. 2:13-17). Obey and pray.
Jesus is a king of a different kingdom than the USA.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Justification by Fake
Just to follow up on last week's sermon...(if you missed it, you can find the sermon on the podcast - link is on http://www.gracelivingstones.com/)
Ths morning while I was reading the scriptures, it occurred to me that the difference between religion and walking with Jesus comes down to how we try and justify ourselves. In Romans 10, the scriptures talk about how a person is made right with God (in other words "saved") by believing the work of God that was done through Christ. This concept is found all throughout the book of Romans. Justification by faith. It is not our faith that makes us right with God, but it is what we put our faith in that makes us right with God. When we put our faith in Christ alone for salvation, identity and hope we are justified before God. In other words, all of our sin is nailed to the cross w/ Jesus and all of His righteosness is given to us. We are changed from sinners to saints.
Religion is just the opposite. Religion is justification by fake. We are trying to make ourselves right by portraying an image of ourselves that is not true to the core of our being. We get our identity from what we do. Religion trains us to be fake. This is why so many people outside of the movement of Jesus see us as inauthentic. It is because when we are trying to get our justification through what we do instead of what Jesus did, it leads us to hypocricy - being someone on the outside that we are not on the inside. Our justification is by faith in Christ alone and when we do this, we're forsaking all attempts at justifying ourselves. We are able to live our lives out of Christ's transforming goodness. This frees us to stop trying to manage our image and allows us to live a life where we are consistent on the inside and outside.
HT
Ths morning while I was reading the scriptures, it occurred to me that the difference between religion and walking with Jesus comes down to how we try and justify ourselves. In Romans 10, the scriptures talk about how a person is made right with God (in other words "saved") by believing the work of God that was done through Christ. This concept is found all throughout the book of Romans. Justification by faith. It is not our faith that makes us right with God, but it is what we put our faith in that makes us right with God. When we put our faith in Christ alone for salvation, identity and hope we are justified before God. In other words, all of our sin is nailed to the cross w/ Jesus and all of His righteosness is given to us. We are changed from sinners to saints.
Religion is just the opposite. Religion is justification by fake. We are trying to make ourselves right by portraying an image of ourselves that is not true to the core of our being. We get our identity from what we do. Religion trains us to be fake. This is why so many people outside of the movement of Jesus see us as inauthentic. It is because when we are trying to get our justification through what we do instead of what Jesus did, it leads us to hypocricy - being someone on the outside that we are not on the inside. Our justification is by faith in Christ alone and when we do this, we're forsaking all attempts at justifying ourselves. We are able to live our lives out of Christ's transforming goodness. This frees us to stop trying to manage our image and allows us to live a life where we are consistent on the inside and outside.
HT
Welcome!
So, you can call me a late bloomer, but I've finally set this up.
We're in a very exciting season of ministry currently, and it seemed appropriate to create a space for news, observations on Scripture, and additional content that I can't cover in Living Stones' large group gatherings.
It will be pretty open ended so keep an eye on things and let me know what you think.
Pastor Harvey Turner
harveyt@gracechurchreno.org
Living Stones
Reno, NV
We're in a very exciting season of ministry currently, and it seemed appropriate to create a space for news, observations on Scripture, and additional content that I can't cover in Living Stones' large group gatherings.
It will be pretty open ended so keep an eye on things and let me know what you think.
Pastor Harvey Turner
harveyt@gracechurchreno.org
Living Stones
Reno, NV
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