Weʼve all been there, the conversation is going fine – and somehow, someway the conversation turns to Jesus. While the conversation was on the last topic, you were fine, you were laughing, you were yourself, you were having fun… but suddenly when it turns to Jesus, you get weird. You get tongue-tied, cottonmouth, you start breathing heavy, you get very serious – almost cold. Any hint of joy is gone from your demeanor, and you begin to talk to them about the Greatest News Ever.
Do you see the contradiction? When talking about anything else youʼre fine. But when you talk about the Gospel, your demeanor betrays your message. The Apostle Peter instructs the early Christians in their conversations with those outside the faith, by saying, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). Do you see what he said there? In your hearts, regard the Christ the Lord as holy; always be prepared to make a defense… always. We always need to be ready to talk about the hope that is in the gospel. You never know when the Holy Spirit is going to give you that moment. You need to be prepared. Usually that is the issue why you get weird; youʼre not prepared. Start by preaching the Gospel to yourself. Read passages about the Gospel. Listen to how your Pastor talks about the Gospel, and be ready. Even if you donʼt have all the answers to their questions, you can say something like “Iʼm not sure, Iʼll have to look into that.”
Donʼt get weird, donʼt get defensive, and donʼt get frustrated. If the Gospel is true, and of course we believe it is, then we should have no insecurities talking about it, just like we would talk about anything else that is true. This passage tells us Christ is Lord. The one with the power to draw people is the Lord of your conversations and interactions with those who donʼt believe the gospel. Relax.
Some of this purely comes down to reps. The more you talk about Jesus, the more comfortable you are going to be with these types of conversations. The Apostle Peter begins this instruction by saying, “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as Holy”. In your hearts, always lift up Christ, always submit the conversation to Him, and trust Him! Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you up. When you do it, “do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience (1 Peter 3:15-16). After the conversation is over, trust Jesus for the effects of the conversation. Ultimately you are the messenger of the Gospel, not the Message. God is the one who ultimately evangelizes them.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
People are More than Projects
The reason why we sometimes fail in evangelism is because people can detect that we see them more as a project than a person. This is true in the context of preaching and one-on-one. People perceive we have an agenda that doesn't have anything to do with them; it's just something to get out of them or something to get them to do. Our job is to communicate the gospel, the good news of a perfect Savior who died in the place of sinners, resurrected from the dead, and will one day return. We get to tell people this glorious news, and as we do it, the Apostle Paul gives us insight as to how this is to be communicated.
Colossians 4:6 tell us, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." This gives us three concepts to work with: be gracious, be interesting, and be interested.
Colossians 4:6 tell us, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." This gives us three concepts to work with: be gracious, be interesting, and be interested.
1. Be Gracious
Communicate the gospel of grace with the grace that you have received from God and the grace that will be required for them to receive your words. Be kind, be friendly. Don't get frustrated if they argue, don't get angry if they don't believe. "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). If they have real questions about Christianity, see it as an opportunity to instruct and not an argument to deconstruct. God can use their contentions with Christianity and the gospel to be the very things that bring them back to Jesus. So, be gracious.
2. Be Interesting
Paul also instructs us that our speech should be "seasoned with salt." There should some flavor in your conversation. We use salt on food to bring out the flavor of the food, and likewise, we use salt within our gospel conversations to bring out the flavor of the gospel. Be yourself, let your personality come out. If you're smart, use your intellect (humbly). If you're winsome, use that to advance the gospel. If you're funny, use humor. If you're not funny, don't use humor.
Communicate the gospel of grace with the grace that you have received from God and the grace that will be required for them to receive your words. Be kind, be friendly. Don't get frustrated if they argue, don't get angry if they don't believe. "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). If they have real questions about Christianity, see it as an opportunity to instruct and not an argument to deconstruct. God can use their contentions with Christianity and the gospel to be the very things that bring them back to Jesus. So, be gracious.
2. Be Interesting
Paul also instructs us that our speech should be "seasoned with salt." There should some flavor in your conversation. We use salt on food to bring out the flavor of the food, and likewise, we use salt within our gospel conversations to bring out the flavor of the gospel. Be yourself, let your personality come out. If you're smart, use your intellect (humbly). If you're winsome, use that to advance the gospel. If you're funny, use humor. If you're not funny, don't use humor.
3. Be Interested
Thirdly, Paul instructs us to "answer each person." Everybody is different. Each person has different questions, different issues, and different struggles. If we go to them with a canned gospel presentation they're going to be able to see right through it. Be interested in them and let the Holy Spirit fill you and open the doors as to how you'll talk about the gospel. Also, be sure that it's the gospel that you are talking about. Get them to Jesus. Answer their questions, talk about their issues, but keep bringing them back to Jesus. Simply, talk to people about the gospel in a way that respects the person and honors their personhood (they are not a project).
Thirdly, Paul instructs us to "answer each person." Everybody is different. Each person has different questions, different issues, and different struggles. If we go to them with a canned gospel presentation they're going to be able to see right through it. Be interested in them and let the Holy Spirit fill you and open the doors as to how you'll talk about the gospel. Also, be sure that it's the gospel that you are talking about. Get them to Jesus. Answer their questions, talk about their issues, but keep bringing them back to Jesus. Simply, talk to people about the gospel in a way that respects the person and honors their personhood (they are not a project).
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Numbers Matter
There seems to be a common misconception that numbers in the Church world don’t matter to God. I know in general what people mean by this… they mean that our focus should not be on how big our churches are, but rather that we should focus on caring for people, making disciples, teaching sound doctrine, and proclaiming the Gospel. In general, I would agree, but I’ve also seen many people use this statement as an excuse for not doing evangelism. The statement “numbers don’t matter” sounds very spiritual. The only problem with it is, the New Testament.As you read through the ministry of Jesus, numbers are specifically mentioned on multiple occasions; massive numbers. The reason numbers matter is because numbers represent people. When you look at it that way, numbers matter to God because people matter to God.
As you open the book of Acts you see that Acts 1:15 specifically mentions that there were 120 people in the church at the time of Pentecost. And then, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:41 “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:47 tells us that, “The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 4:4, “Many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” Acts 5:14, “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women”. Acts 6:7, “The word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem”. Acts 9:31, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” Acts 11:21/24, “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord… And a great many people were added to the Lord.” I think you get the picture. I could probably add another dozen passages in the book of Acts that tell us explicitly that numbers matter. Having said that I don’t think we should equate spiritual health with numbers and I don’t think we should get our identity from the sizes of our churches. However, as I read the book of Acts, I see the constant pattern of Gospel proclamation and then Gospel advancement.
I am aware there are men in the Bible, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, who were called to what we might call “fruitless ministry”. Then, there are men who at the last day, who will be applauded for leading 10 people to Jesus in a difficult place, over those who led 10,000. For instance, Isaiah and Jeremiah remained “fruitless” as they preached the message to the unbelieving, in Israel, often doing so with tears. These men, show how the missionary whom is unfruitful can still labor in hope for the lost, even in the hardest of places. There are multitudes of lost people all around us, and because of that, numbers matter. Let’s not keep making the Biblical understatement that “numbers don’t matter.” We see in the book of Revelation, there is a multitude of saints from every tribe and tongue who will worship the Lamb in Heaven, and on that day I guarantee you that those numbers will matter.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Church Exists by Mission
"The Church exists by mission as fire exists by burning." - Emil Brunner
Every verse in the New Testament is in the context of mission. The proclamation of the Gospel is the purpose of the Church. From time to time, I talk to pastors and church leaders, especially those in the camp of reformed theology, that say to me things like, “We are a church that is all about discipleship,” or, “We are just a church that is trying to go deep.” What I have found over the years is that, much of the time, this is an excuse for them not doing any type of evangelism. Also, I have found that it is misleading. I would contend that you are not as deep of a church or a church which excels at discipleship unless people are getting saved and baptized as a church. People geek out on a 72 week series on Ephesians 1:3-14, while there are 17 people in the church who are all from other churches frustrated and discontent. I don’t understand how you can teach the New Testament with such passion and go so deep and not come to the conclusion that you’re supposed to reach lost people.
Think about this: Every verse in the New Testament is in the context of the Gospel Mission. The gospels themselves present the mission of God in Christ as Jesus accomplishes his part of the mission. The Gospel of Matthew presents him as the King of the Mission. The Gospel of Mark presents him as the Servant on Mission. The Gospel of Luke presents him as the Perfect Man on Mission. The Gospel of John presents him as God on mission. At the end of the Gospel of John; Jesus says “as the father has sent me [on mission], so I send you [on mission]." (John 20:21) And of course there are the Great Commission passages in Matthew 28 and Luke 24. These Great Commission passages are the catapults for the rest of the New Testament, which is a handbook for mission. Think about it; the book of Acts - The mission begins and spreads. It would be hard to read the book of Acts or teach the book of Acts without being overwhelmed by the evangelistic emphasis. The book of Romans is the message of the mission. 1st & 2nd Corinthians deal with conflict and church discipline on mission. The book of Galatians defends the gospel mission from religion. The Book of Ephesians is the church on mission. The Pastoral Epistles describes the leaders of the mission. And the book of Revelation describes to us the completion and goal of the mission. If Jesus sent his people into the world to be disciples who make disciples by baptizing (leading them the Christ), teaching (teaching them about Christ), and then sending them to go teach others, and we then are not doing that… isn’t that disobedience? Is the church even a church, biblically speaking, if people are not meeting Jesus? Look at 2 Corinthians 5:20, this text tells us that we are ambassadors for Christ, that God is using us to make an appeal…. My contention is that the church is not the church unless it’s on Christ's evangelistic mission.
Jesus told his disciples “Follow me, and I will make
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Friend of Sinners
Could Anyone Ever Accuse You of Being a Friend of Sinners?
Do you like sinners? Jesus did, and still does. I hear a lot of Christians talking about being like Jesus, being conformed into the likeness of Jesus, walking like Jesus, following Jesus… but most Christians I know don’t love sinners. They don’t like them; in fact, they hate them. Jesus, however, in the Gospels was accused by the religious crowd of being “a friend of sinners." (Matthew 11:19)
It doesn’t say he tolerated sinners, or that he made an allowance for them to be in his gathering. Nor does it say, he track-bombed them and then ran or held big concerts and then, at the end, preached the Gospel with the old bait & switch trick. Instead, the Gospel tells us that he was a friend of sinners. He knew sinners, went to their houses, talked with them over wine (yes, Jesus drank alcohol with sinful people). He knew their names, probably knew their kids' names, knew their aspirations and dreams and knew what they are interested in. You know… like a friend.
Now, in all this talk about being like Jesus why don’t we ever talk about being a friend to sinners? Why do we think it is okay to only hang out with Christians and never hang out with anybody who does not believe? Since when is that acceptable? We are supposed to follow in his footsteps, aren't we? I’ve heard many Christians say, “Oh we are trying to remain holy.” Jesus was holy! His holiness caused him to reach out to people whom the culture deemed as sinners, criminals, adulterers, fornicators, offenders, outlaws and those who were materialistic. Jesus was the type of guy that would bring wine to a wedding… and it wasn't that cheap box wine, he brought the good stuff. Jesus was known to hang out with these types of crowds, so much so, that they accused him to be a drunkard and a glutton (Matthew 11:19). Not that we would want to sin and get drunk, but could anyone accuse of you of being a drunkard?
The religious crowd hated him; He didn’t keep their rules. He hung out with those who were sick and blind, and all those who, in their mind, God was punishing. One of their greatest complaints was that Jesus didn’t focus his attention on them (the Pharisees and the Sadducees). But he kept hanging out with and preaching to non-Christians. If you were to look at your life, look at your church, maybe even look at the movement within evangelical Christianity that you are a part of, could there ever be an accusation from a legalistic religious crowd towards you? Those people or that person is a friend of sinners.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Living Stones Q&A - #6
Picking up where we left off - a few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.
Does being in the military go against living a life fully for God's purpose?
No... as long as it is done for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). In fact, a deacon from our church just recently returned after serving in the military in Afghanistan. We received updates from him stating that God is using him in significant ways over there.
Would you consider the "plan b" pill as an abortion and against the bible?
The Bible is clear that sex outside of marriage is a sin. For the sake of the question we will assume the person asking the question is married. This is an interesting question from a married couple. My understanding is the "plan b" pill was made for rape victims or those who weren't planning on having sex, to prevent the life of an unborn child. The Bible is pro-children.
Isn’t prayer, simply prayer? Are the prays of a Mormon or a JW heard by God? What about prayers from a Christian with confessed sin?
God is sovereign and therefore hears all prayers. The question is what does God think about prayers prayed to another God? Mormon's and JW's don't believe in the Triune God of the Bible. The prayers of a Christian confessing brings God joy.
Is anal sex a sin?
Again, for the sake of the question we will assume we are talking about sex within marriage between and man and a woman. The Bible does not speak specifically about anal sex. In general the Bible states that the purpose of sex is for procreation, intimacy, and enjoyment. While anal sex directly is not a sin, it would be beneficial within the marriage to discuss where the desire is coming from. Pornography or past sexual sin could be the root of the desire and therefore those desires could be sinful.
Is it okay to drink if you are under the age of 21? And if not why?
No. The Bible says to be under the authority of the land. (Romans 13:1-7) God helps institute government and law and therefore we should not only respect the secular law, but abide by it as well.
What is a good scripture that would help in the healing process to not feel shame of ones past while in church?
2 Corinthians 5:21
Does being in the military go against living a life fully for God's purpose?
No... as long as it is done for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). In fact, a deacon from our church just recently returned after serving in the military in Afghanistan. We received updates from him stating that God is using him in significant ways over there.
Would you consider the "plan b" pill as an abortion and against the bible?
The Bible is clear that sex outside of marriage is a sin. For the sake of the question we will assume the person asking the question is married. This is an interesting question from a married couple. My understanding is the "plan b" pill was made for rape victims or those who weren't planning on having sex, to prevent the life of an unborn child. The Bible is pro-children.
Isn’t prayer, simply prayer? Are the prays of a Mormon or a JW heard by God? What about prayers from a Christian with confessed sin?
God is sovereign and therefore hears all prayers. The question is what does God think about prayers prayed to another God? Mormon's and JW's don't believe in the Triune God of the Bible. The prayers of a Christian confessing brings God joy.
Is anal sex a sin?
Again, for the sake of the question we will assume we are talking about sex within marriage between and man and a woman. The Bible does not speak specifically about anal sex. In general the Bible states that the purpose of sex is for procreation, intimacy, and enjoyment. While anal sex directly is not a sin, it would be beneficial within the marriage to discuss where the desire is coming from. Pornography or past sexual sin could be the root of the desire and therefore those desires could be sinful.
Is it okay to drink if you are under the age of 21? And if not why?
No. The Bible says to be under the authority of the land. (Romans 13:1-7) God helps institute government and law and therefore we should not only respect the secular law, but abide by it as well.
What is a good scripture that would help in the healing process to not feel shame of ones past while in church?
2 Corinthians 5:21
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Living Stones Story
A friend of mine recently asked me to write up a quick story as to how Living Stones became what it is today - the following is what I shared:
I didn’t start out planning to plant a church, but I’m pretty sure that the reason we planted one is the reason churches are supposed to be planted. We wanted lost people to meet Jesus. Isn’t that the reason for churches?
I had just become a Christian after living in rebellion to God through selling drugs, sex, substance abuse and generally hopeless living. Before being saved by Jesus, I was a fairly talented rapper, but was always too stoned to do anything about it. After I was saved, I began devouring the Word and studying theology. And I started telling my drug-dealing, drug-consuming, and drunken friends about Jesus. A group of these friends were interested in talking about God, but not interested in going to church; my friend Matt had the idea that we should bring the church to them.
It started as a men’s Bible study. There were two Christians (Matt and I) and a handful of non-Christians. We taught the Bible, and some of them started following Christ and repenting of sin. (Two of those men are now pastors/elders on staff at Living Stones!) More people came, and for a couple years, this group existed as a Bible study that non-churched and non-Christian people floated in and out of, but our overall pattern was one of growth as week after week more people joined us.
Then, we moved the Bible study to a bigger house, and women came as well as men. By this time, one of the guys had learned the guitar and another had learned the bass. They knew about five songs. We did those songs over and over, week after week, until they learned more. I taught the Bible in a discussion format. I was consumed with God exalting, Jesus centered, reformed theology; I would teach non-Christians the 5 points of Calvinism, the sovereignty of God, providence, total depravity, and whatever Calvin and Luther said about the passage. And people just kept getting saved.
So, I decided to teach through the book of John. Each week, I opened up John, and I told the people there what Jesus said, what Jesus did, and who Jesus was. I remember people getting saved on the spot, following Christ, and starting to bring other friends who didn’t know Jesus. Soon we were starting to get too large; we were packing around 60 people into the house, and what had started out as a Bible study unintentionally became kind of like a house church.
During this period of time, I had also been a member of, and at some point a deacon of, my local church in Reno; when we had no more room to meet, I went to my pastor to ask what we should do. He said that we could meet in the church building on Friday night and so that’s what we did. Within two months, the group had doubled in size, and was still filled with non-churched, non-Christian people who were coming to know Jesus. I no longer led a simple discussion of the Bible, but had begun preaching. (Although really, it was more like a running commentary/rant on whatever section of John we happened to be in.) This is the way we—Living Stones—started.
Living Stones now averages about 1,500 people total per weekend, spread out into five worship gatherings at two campuses, but the mission to reach lost, broken, and non-churched people while preaching good old reformed theology remains the ethos of Living Stones. And people continue to meet Jesus. Over the years, literally hundreds of people have been baptized at Living Stones and begun following Christ. Our elder board is comprised of ex-drug dealers, ex-strip club managers, lawyers, and life-long church boys (including ex-Catholic altar boys.) I think Jesus likes this.
I guess it was a pretty good way to plant a church.
I didn’t start out planning to plant a church, but I’m pretty sure that the reason we planted one is the reason churches are supposed to be planted. We wanted lost people to meet Jesus. Isn’t that the reason for churches?
I had just become a Christian after living in rebellion to God through selling drugs, sex, substance abuse and generally hopeless living. Before being saved by Jesus, I was a fairly talented rapper, but was always too stoned to do anything about it. After I was saved, I began devouring the Word and studying theology. And I started telling my drug-dealing, drug-consuming, and drunken friends about Jesus. A group of these friends were interested in talking about God, but not interested in going to church; my friend Matt had the idea that we should bring the church to them.
It started as a men’s Bible study. There were two Christians (Matt and I) and a handful of non-Christians. We taught the Bible, and some of them started following Christ and repenting of sin. (Two of those men are now pastors/elders on staff at Living Stones!) More people came, and for a couple years, this group existed as a Bible study that non-churched and non-Christian people floated in and out of, but our overall pattern was one of growth as week after week more people joined us.
Then, we moved the Bible study to a bigger house, and women came as well as men. By this time, one of the guys had learned the guitar and another had learned the bass. They knew about five songs. We did those songs over and over, week after week, until they learned more. I taught the Bible in a discussion format. I was consumed with God exalting, Jesus centered, reformed theology; I would teach non-Christians the 5 points of Calvinism, the sovereignty of God, providence, total depravity, and whatever Calvin and Luther said about the passage. And people just kept getting saved.
So, I decided to teach through the book of John. Each week, I opened up John, and I told the people there what Jesus said, what Jesus did, and who Jesus was. I remember people getting saved on the spot, following Christ, and starting to bring other friends who didn’t know Jesus. Soon we were starting to get too large; we were packing around 60 people into the house, and what had started out as a Bible study unintentionally became kind of like a house church.
During this period of time, I had also been a member of, and at some point a deacon of, my local church in Reno; when we had no more room to meet, I went to my pastor to ask what we should do. He said that we could meet in the church building on Friday night and so that’s what we did. Within two months, the group had doubled in size, and was still filled with non-churched, non-Christian people who were coming to know Jesus. I no longer led a simple discussion of the Bible, but had begun preaching. (Although really, it was more like a running commentary/rant on whatever section of John we happened to be in.) This is the way we—Living Stones—started.
Living Stones now averages about 1,500 people total per weekend, spread out into five worship gatherings at two campuses, but the mission to reach lost, broken, and non-churched people while preaching good old reformed theology remains the ethos of Living Stones. And people continue to meet Jesus. Over the years, literally hundreds of people have been baptized at Living Stones and begun following Christ. Our elder board is comprised of ex-drug dealers, ex-strip club managers, lawyers, and life-long church boys (including ex-Catholic altar boys.) I think Jesus likes this.
I guess it was a pretty good way to plant a church.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Future Campus Plans
This quick message is to help answer some questions that have recently come up regarding the future campus plans of Living Stones. The following response is to help to paint a picture in understanding how Living Stones structures our Worship gatherings theologically, philosophically, and practically.
There are three reasons why we are not doing three morning gatherings at the Downtown campus. First, theologically we have a conviction that in public worship there ought to be plenty of time for all of God’s people to engage in extended times of singing. We believe that sermons should be long enough and deep enough to allow the people attending to grow spiritually and we believe in encouraging community…which leads to the next more philosophical reason for only having two morning gatherings. If we were to run three gatherings back-to-back-to-back, we would need to shorten our gathering times. This would not allow for extended for worship, preaching, or community because we'd have to funnel people in and out of the gathering. Philosophically this goes against our convictions. Finally, we also believe that threes gatherings would create practical difficulties. Although we have considered having 8a.m., 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. gatherings, we believe that this would be a pragmatic mistake since almost no one would go to the 8 a.m. gathering; history and demographic studies have proven that there is very little draw for attending 8 a.m. gatherings, and people in general don't generally want to go to church at noon on Sundays. Therefore, having three gatherings would leave Living Stones with only one optimum gathering time – the 10 a.m. which would inevitably become packed while the others remained empty. This would go against the very purpose of adding an extra gathering. Hope these explanations help.
There are three reasons why we are not doing three morning gatherings at the Downtown campus. First, theologically we have a conviction that in public worship there ought to be plenty of time for all of God’s people to engage in extended times of singing. We believe that sermons should be long enough and deep enough to allow the people attending to grow spiritually and we believe in encouraging community…which leads to the next more philosophical reason for only having two morning gatherings. If we were to run three gatherings back-to-back-to-back, we would need to shorten our gathering times. This would not allow for extended for worship, preaching, or community because we'd have to funnel people in and out of the gathering. Philosophically this goes against our convictions. Finally, we also believe that threes gatherings would create practical difficulties. Although we have considered having 8a.m., 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. gatherings, we believe that this would be a pragmatic mistake since almost no one would go to the 8 a.m. gathering; history and demographic studies have proven that there is very little draw for attending 8 a.m. gatherings, and people in general don't generally want to go to church at noon on Sundays. Therefore, having three gatherings would leave Living Stones with only one optimum gathering time – the 10 a.m. which would inevitably become packed while the others remained empty. This would go against the very purpose of adding an extra gathering. Hope these explanations help.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Living Stones Q&A - #5
A few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.
Why is homosexuality "wrong" when animals exhibit homosexual behavior?
This question presupposes that humans and animals are essentially the same. But Scripture teaches otherwise. Genesis 1:27 and 5:1-2 teaches that man was created in God’s image, and correspondingly, is distinct from the rest of creation. Thus, although animals may exhibit homosexual behavior, because man is made in God’s image he has commanded mankind not to.
How many Christians are there in the world? How many really live it? Your thoughts?
A Christian is someone who has a saving faith in Jesus Christ, as Romans 10:9 teaches. Determining the exact number of Christians worldwide is difficult because certain people and certain religions identify themselves as Christians but deny Jesus Christ is God and that he lived, died, and rose again for their sins, among other tenets essential to the Christians faith. Further, many acknowledge Jesus and the truth, like demons, but do not have a trust and love for God. See James 2:19.
Regarding living with your boyfriend, being married does not mean that you are worshiping God more than a non-married couple. All sins are equal, right?
All sin is equal in that it constitutes disobeying God and inconsistent with unity with Jesus Christ, but not all sin has the same consequences. Some sin, e.g., sexual sin, has consequences severer than other sins, as 1 Corinthians 6:18 teaches. It is unwise, moreover, to justify one’s sinful conduct by comparison with others’. In saying that all sin is equal, we are saying that all sin is horrendous crime against God and his creation. In this way, living with your boyfriend is equal in rebellion to a man who rapes and murders children. God hates all sin.
If God has a certain path for me yet I have sinned (ex. Having a child out of marriage), how do I know if I will ever follow his path, the right path?
God is bigger than sin as he defeated it on the cross. If God has a plan for you, your sin didn't screw up what he had in store for you. In fact, he can turn your sin into an incredible blessing such as a child. In regard to the second part of the question, a good check to see if you are following the Lord's path is to ask, are you repenting of sin? A life of a believer is one of repentance and so his will for your life will be to repent as you become more like Jesus.
How do I know if I am idolizing my spouse? What are ways I can keep God central yet love and devote myself to my husband and let him lead?
Great question. This is not something we often discuss in the church as it is one of those "accepted sins" within the church. The answer to the question, if you lost your husband, would it cause to to lose the desire to live or want to turn away from God?... will reveal a lot about the difference between idolizing your husband and loving him.
Why is homosexuality "wrong" when animals exhibit homosexual behavior?
This question presupposes that humans and animals are essentially the same. But Scripture teaches otherwise. Genesis 1:27 and 5:1-2 teaches that man was created in God’s image, and correspondingly, is distinct from the rest of creation. Thus, although animals may exhibit homosexual behavior, because man is made in God’s image he has commanded mankind not to.
How many Christians are there in the world? How many really live it? Your thoughts?
A Christian is someone who has a saving faith in Jesus Christ, as Romans 10:9 teaches. Determining the exact number of Christians worldwide is difficult because certain people and certain religions identify themselves as Christians but deny Jesus Christ is God and that he lived, died, and rose again for their sins, among other tenets essential to the Christians faith. Further, many acknowledge Jesus and the truth, like demons, but do not have a trust and love for God. See James 2:19.
Regarding living with your boyfriend, being married does not mean that you are worshiping God more than a non-married couple. All sins are equal, right?
All sin is equal in that it constitutes disobeying God and inconsistent with unity with Jesus Christ, but not all sin has the same consequences. Some sin, e.g., sexual sin, has consequences severer than other sins, as 1 Corinthians 6:18 teaches. It is unwise, moreover, to justify one’s sinful conduct by comparison with others’. In saying that all sin is equal, we are saying that all sin is horrendous crime against God and his creation. In this way, living with your boyfriend is equal in rebellion to a man who rapes and murders children. God hates all sin.
If God has a certain path for me yet I have sinned (ex. Having a child out of marriage), how do I know if I will ever follow his path, the right path?
God is bigger than sin as he defeated it on the cross. If God has a plan for you, your sin didn't screw up what he had in store for you. In fact, he can turn your sin into an incredible blessing such as a child. In regard to the second part of the question, a good check to see if you are following the Lord's path is to ask, are you repenting of sin? A life of a believer is one of repentance and so his will for your life will be to repent as you become more like Jesus.
How do I know if I am idolizing my spouse? What are ways I can keep God central yet love and devote myself to my husband and let him lead?
Great question. This is not something we often discuss in the church as it is one of those "accepted sins" within the church. The answer to the question, if you lost your husband, would it cause to to lose the desire to live or want to turn away from God?... will reveal a lot about the difference between idolizing your husband and loving him.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Living Stones Q&A - #4
A few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.
As followers, how do you reconcile yourself and your faith with the evil things done in God's name?
Evil things done in God’s name are exactly that, evil things that people attempt to justify using God’s name. But God is perfect can neither author or approve evil. See Matthew 5:48; Luke 18:19; Psalm 100:5; and Psalm 18:30. Even when people invoke God’s name, we can know that they are not acting consistent with his direction when their activity contradicts God’s character revealed in Scripture and the person of Jesus Christ.
Did Moses ever actually write any of the Old Testament? I have heard other people authored the books but were simply inspired by Moses, who in turned was inspired by God..
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which means that Moses was divinely inspired to produce the words comprising those books. See, e.g., 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21.
If God oversaw the creation of the Bible, wasn't god also overseeing the creation of the Koran and the book of Mormon and all the heretical books too?
God in his sovereignty allowed the Koran and Book of Mormon to be written, but Scripture is clear that only the Bible is written by God and indeed it teaches against adding to it in any way. See 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16; Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; and Revelation 22:18-19.
Because our bodies are temples, are getting tattoos/piercings a sin?
The Bible does not prohibit tattoos or piercings. 1 Corinthians 6:19 does teach that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God[.] You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Accordingly, Christians have a responsibility to exercise responsible stewardship over their bodies, but this does not necessarily preclude getting tattoos or piercings. Instead, a Christian is free to do those things if doing so does not go against his or her conscience and ultimately can be done to God’s glory. See Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 10:29-33.
How do you know if God is real?
God has revealed himself in Scripture and the person of Jesus Christ. Further, Romans 1:19-20 teaches that the natural world bears witness to God through its beauty, complexity, usefulness.
As followers, how do you reconcile yourself and your faith with the evil things done in God's name?
Evil things done in God’s name are exactly that, evil things that people attempt to justify using God’s name. But God is perfect can neither author or approve evil. See Matthew 5:48; Luke 18:19; Psalm 100:5; and Psalm 18:30. Even when people invoke God’s name, we can know that they are not acting consistent with his direction when their activity contradicts God’s character revealed in Scripture and the person of Jesus Christ.
Did Moses ever actually write any of the Old Testament? I have heard other people authored the books but were simply inspired by Moses, who in turned was inspired by God..
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which means that Moses was divinely inspired to produce the words comprising those books. See, e.g., 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21.
If God oversaw the creation of the Bible, wasn't god also overseeing the creation of the Koran and the book of Mormon and all the heretical books too?
God in his sovereignty allowed the Koran and Book of Mormon to be written, but Scripture is clear that only the Bible is written by God and indeed it teaches against adding to it in any way. See 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16; Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; and Revelation 22:18-19.
Because our bodies are temples, are getting tattoos/piercings a sin?
The Bible does not prohibit tattoos or piercings. 1 Corinthians 6:19 does teach that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God[.] You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Accordingly, Christians have a responsibility to exercise responsible stewardship over their bodies, but this does not necessarily preclude getting tattoos or piercings. Instead, a Christian is free to do those things if doing so does not go against his or her conscience and ultimately can be done to God’s glory. See Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 10:29-33.
How do you know if God is real?
God has revealed himself in Scripture and the person of Jesus Christ. Further, Romans 1:19-20 teaches that the natural world bears witness to God through its beauty, complexity, usefulness.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Living Stones Q&A - #3
A few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.
Do you believe that other religions demonstrate how to live valid and good lives?
Other religions espouse principles consistent with the common understanding of living a good and valid life; e.g. forbidding rape, stealing, lying, etc. Those religions typically teach that adherence to those principles, among others, leads to salvation. The Bible is plain, however, that salvations is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by our work in adhering to rules. See Galatians 2:16. What distinguishes Christianity is that obedience (i.e., living a good and valid life) flows from loving God for what he has already done for us in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. See John 14:15; 1 John 5:3. Moreover, the principles for living a good and valid life that other religions promote are often based on personal experience and observation, but Scripture teaches that wisdom begins with fearing (i.e., demonstrating reverence and humility before) God. See Psalm 111:10. Thus, while other religions may teach useful principles, they do not go far enough. Living righteously begins with God, not our experience and observation. Additionally, our obedience is only possible through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, not through exerted personal effort or any other external assistance, such as a better circumstance, meditation, reading a self-help book, etc. See Philippians 2:12-13.
If going through a hard time in life where in the Bible do I turn to?
Although myriad passages of Scripture are helpful when suffering, the Psalms are a good place to start, as many of them were written by a man named David, who experienced severe hardship in his life. During those times, he wrote down his prayers to God, seeking help, expressing frustration and confusion, and ultimately praising God. Check out Psalm 46, Psalm 22, and Psalm 55.
In 1 Tim 4:10, we read that "...because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe (ESV)." I thought that Jesus is the savior ONLY of those who believed...? How then is He the Savior of "all people"?
As the question suggests, 1 Timothy 4:10 appears to teach universalism—that everyone will be saved and that no one will suffer eternal punishment in hell. But such an interpretation contradicts much of Scripture; e.g., Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:23; Daniel 12:2; and Matthew 5:29-30; 10:28; and 18:9. Instead, it appears that the term “Savior of all people” in 1 Timothy 4:10 likely refers to God’s temporal blessing enjoyed by all mankind, referred to as his common grace; e.g., the enjoyment of God’s creation, rain that produces crops, and the breath that sustains us. See Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:15-17. The phrase “especially of those who believe,” then, is a reference to the more specific way in which God saves those who live by faith in Jesus Christ.
Should Christian teens date or wait till they’re older?
The Bible does not say much about dating specifically because the modern understanding of dating is a relatively recent invention, developing in the last 100 years. In my view, a person should not pursue a serious romantic relationship until he or she is mature enough and ready to marry. Meanwhile, the individual should focus on maturing by, for example, taking on adult responsibilities, studying Scripture, living on mission, and pursuing godly mentorship.
God still speaks through people today. I have my personal testimonies where I feel God spoke to me. Can I write my own "book of the Bible?"
No. The Bible unequivocally prohibits us from adding anything to it or considering any other writing as equal in value to it. See, e.g., Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; and Revelation 22:18-19.
Do you believe that other religions demonstrate how to live valid and good lives?
Other religions espouse principles consistent with the common understanding of living a good and valid life; e.g. forbidding rape, stealing, lying, etc. Those religions typically teach that adherence to those principles, among others, leads to salvation. The Bible is plain, however, that salvations is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by our work in adhering to rules. See Galatians 2:16. What distinguishes Christianity is that obedience (i.e., living a good and valid life) flows from loving God for what he has already done for us in Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. See John 14:15; 1 John 5:3. Moreover, the principles for living a good and valid life that other religions promote are often based on personal experience and observation, but Scripture teaches that wisdom begins with fearing (i.e., demonstrating reverence and humility before) God. See Psalm 111:10. Thus, while other religions may teach useful principles, they do not go far enough. Living righteously begins with God, not our experience and observation. Additionally, our obedience is only possible through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, not through exerted personal effort or any other external assistance, such as a better circumstance, meditation, reading a self-help book, etc. See Philippians 2:12-13.
If going through a hard time in life where in the Bible do I turn to?
Although myriad passages of Scripture are helpful when suffering, the Psalms are a good place to start, as many of them were written by a man named David, who experienced severe hardship in his life. During those times, he wrote down his prayers to God, seeking help, expressing frustration and confusion, and ultimately praising God. Check out Psalm 46, Psalm 22, and Psalm 55.
In 1 Tim 4:10, we read that "...because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe (ESV)." I thought that Jesus is the savior ONLY of those who believed...? How then is He the Savior of "all people"?
As the question suggests, 1 Timothy 4:10 appears to teach universalism—that everyone will be saved and that no one will suffer eternal punishment in hell. But such an interpretation contradicts much of Scripture; e.g., Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:23; Daniel 12:2; and Matthew 5:29-30; 10:28; and 18:9. Instead, it appears that the term “Savior of all people” in 1 Timothy 4:10 likely refers to God’s temporal blessing enjoyed by all mankind, referred to as his common grace; e.g., the enjoyment of God’s creation, rain that produces crops, and the breath that sustains us. See Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:15-17. The phrase “especially of those who believe,” then, is a reference to the more specific way in which God saves those who live by faith in Jesus Christ.
Should Christian teens date or wait till they’re older?
The Bible does not say much about dating specifically because the modern understanding of dating is a relatively recent invention, developing in the last 100 years. In my view, a person should not pursue a serious romantic relationship until he or she is mature enough and ready to marry. Meanwhile, the individual should focus on maturing by, for example, taking on adult responsibilities, studying Scripture, living on mission, and pursuing godly mentorship.
God still speaks through people today. I have my personal testimonies where I feel God spoke to me. Can I write my own "book of the Bible?"
No. The Bible unequivocally prohibits us from adding anything to it or considering any other writing as equal in value to it. See, e.g., Deuteronomy 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; and Revelation 22:18-19.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Living Stones Q&A - #2
A few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.
What does it look like to completely die to self?
Dying to self means laying aside our will, desires, motives, etc. and aligning them with Christ. Paul says in Galatians that we have been crucified with Christ and that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. This is the picture of baptism (Rom. 6). As we are lowered into the water we are aligning ourselves with Christ’s death and as we come out of the water we are aligning our self with Christ’s resurrection. Dying to our self would include reminding ourselves of our Gospel identity (reliance on Christ’s work, not ours) and repentance (crucifying the flesh Gal. 5:24). To die to self is to cast aside the idol of self-reliance and fully trust in God.
As a leader, when do you step-down from moral failure?
If by moral failure you’re referring to adultery, then immediately due to the gravity and public nature of such a sin.
Why was proving a point to the devil, worth more than Job's well being?
The Bible doesn’t say that the only reason God allowed this to happen was to prove a point to Satan. I’m sure God, in His infinite wisdom, had a number of reasons why He gave permission to Satan to test Job and we can only speculate from there and need to be careful in doing so (Deut. 29:29). From the story of Job we learn that at times bad things happen to good people and that it isn’t always a result of sin and good things can happen to bad people. The world doesn’t revolve around Karma. We’re also reminded in Job that in the midst of affliction or suffering we shouldn’t curse God, which is so often our default and shows our self-centeredness. When Jesus suffered, He looked to God and submitted to His will. It also shows us that God is sovereign throughout the whole situation and in the end doubles everything that was taken away.
Does the story about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 teach salvation by works?
Whenever we seek to interpret scripture, we always look at it not only in light of its immediate context, but also with the rest of scripture. We can’t pull out verses on their own and develop a theology, without comparing it to the rest of the Bible. There is a lot of bad doctrine and heresy developed by ignoring the basic hermeneutic principle that Scripture interprets Scripture. So if we come across a passage that seem ambiguous, we don’t develop a theology from it without taking into consideration other passages that are more clear. We then use the clear passage to help us understand the less clear passage, not the other way around!
In this case, the Bible is very clear that we are saved by grace and not by our works and that we are then saved to good works (Eph. 2:8-10). The sheep aren’t saved by their righteousness, but rather that these good works are evidence of their transformed heart. It also shows them being judged for keeping all of the law or none of it. There’s no middle ground. So the sheep are being judged as having done perfect and the goats being judged as having kept none of it. At judgment, those people (sheep) who profess Christ, will be judged not according to our obedience, but to Christ’s perfect fulfillment of the law.
Why did God make the devil if he knew that he would be evil?
Ultimately, we are not given a straightforward explanation to this question in Scripture and we can’t full know the mind of God (Deut. 29:29); however, we do know that God didn’t originally create demons, but that at some point there was an angelic rebellion, with many angels turning against God and becoming evil (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6).
It’s also important to remember that God and the Satan are not equally “weighted” forces waging the war on good and evil while we hold our breath in suspense to see who will win. The Bible always shows God as sovereign and in control, even over Satan and his influences (Job 1:7-2:7).
It’s also important to remember that God will do whatever will bring him the most glory, which he has the right to do because he’s God. God’s glory is most clearly pictured in the cross! The most evil act in history is the act through which God showed his Glory in bringing about reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins displaying His love and mercy. It was on the cross where God’s power and justice was displayed in defeating Satan (Col. 2:15, Rev. 12:11) and Satan’s ultimate end will at be at Final Judgment where he will be thrown into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).
What does it look like to completely die to self?
Dying to self means laying aside our will, desires, motives, etc. and aligning them with Christ. Paul says in Galatians that we have been crucified with Christ and that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. This is the picture of baptism (Rom. 6). As we are lowered into the water we are aligning ourselves with Christ’s death and as we come out of the water we are aligning our self with Christ’s resurrection. Dying to our self would include reminding ourselves of our Gospel identity (reliance on Christ’s work, not ours) and repentance (crucifying the flesh Gal. 5:24). To die to self is to cast aside the idol of self-reliance and fully trust in God.
As a leader, when do you step-down from moral failure?
If by moral failure you’re referring to adultery, then immediately due to the gravity and public nature of such a sin.
Why was proving a point to the devil, worth more than Job's well being?
The Bible doesn’t say that the only reason God allowed this to happen was to prove a point to Satan. I’m sure God, in His infinite wisdom, had a number of reasons why He gave permission to Satan to test Job and we can only speculate from there and need to be careful in doing so (Deut. 29:29). From the story of Job we learn that at times bad things happen to good people and that it isn’t always a result of sin and good things can happen to bad people. The world doesn’t revolve around Karma. We’re also reminded in Job that in the midst of affliction or suffering we shouldn’t curse God, which is so often our default and shows our self-centeredness. When Jesus suffered, He looked to God and submitted to His will. It also shows us that God is sovereign throughout the whole situation and in the end doubles everything that was taken away.
Does the story about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 teach salvation by works?
Whenever we seek to interpret scripture, we always look at it not only in light of its immediate context, but also with the rest of scripture. We can’t pull out verses on their own and develop a theology, without comparing it to the rest of the Bible. There is a lot of bad doctrine and heresy developed by ignoring the basic hermeneutic principle that Scripture interprets Scripture. So if we come across a passage that seem ambiguous, we don’t develop a theology from it without taking into consideration other passages that are more clear. We then use the clear passage to help us understand the less clear passage, not the other way around!
In this case, the Bible is very clear that we are saved by grace and not by our works and that we are then saved to good works (Eph. 2:8-10). The sheep aren’t saved by their righteousness, but rather that these good works are evidence of their transformed heart. It also shows them being judged for keeping all of the law or none of it. There’s no middle ground. So the sheep are being judged as having done perfect and the goats being judged as having kept none of it. At judgment, those people (sheep) who profess Christ, will be judged not according to our obedience, but to Christ’s perfect fulfillment of the law.
Why did God make the devil if he knew that he would be evil?
Ultimately, we are not given a straightforward explanation to this question in Scripture and we can’t full know the mind of God (Deut. 29:29); however, we do know that God didn’t originally create demons, but that at some point there was an angelic rebellion, with many angels turning against God and becoming evil (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6).
It’s also important to remember that God and the Satan are not equally “weighted” forces waging the war on good and evil while we hold our breath in suspense to see who will win. The Bible always shows God as sovereign and in control, even over Satan and his influences (Job 1:7-2:7).
It’s also important to remember that God will do whatever will bring him the most glory, which he has the right to do because he’s God. God’s glory is most clearly pictured in the cross! The most evil act in history is the act through which God showed his Glory in bringing about reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins displaying His love and mercy. It was on the cross where God’s power and justice was displayed in defeating Satan (Col. 2:15, Rev. 12:11) and Satan’s ultimate end will at be at Final Judgment where he will be thrown into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10).
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Living Stones Q&A - #1
A few months back Living Stones hosted a Question & Answers night and received over a hundred questions. Many of them were addressed during our gatherings and can be found on our podcast here. For the next few weeks I will be posting up answers to some of the remaining questions that were not answered. Answers for the questions have been provided by various Living Stones Elders.
Is the length of marital engagement dictated by the Bible?
The Bible does not dictate a specific length for marital engagement. The Bible does say though in 1 Corinthians 7: 9 that if one “cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” Having said that, one should not enter into marriage for the sole sake of sex and should practice self-control. At Living Stones, for a pastor to marry you, we ask that the couple go through at least eight weeks of pre-marital counseling. Personally, I don’t think long engagements (over 1 year) are wise for the reason stated above. This isn’t a hard line in the sand, and there are a number of factors that go into choosing the length of an engagement, but if you’re going to get married, get married and don’t wait another year or two. If you’re not ready to get married, then don’t get engaged.
What is the church doing to help build up the men in the community as leaders in the church and their homes?
It is a constant prayer of the LS staff and pastors that men would man up and be godly men who lead in the church and home! Paul exhorts the Corinthian men saying, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, ACT LIKE MEN, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13 ESV). So often it’s women who shoulder up the man’s burden and responsibility to lead his family and church, because he simply chooses not to put in the effort, give of his time and resources, or has some other idol in place.
So the exhortation here is that a man is to lead and love his wife the way that Christ loves the Church. How did Jesus love the Church? He chose her, pursued her, served her, sanctified her, and laid down His life for her. As a man submits to the Lord, a wife submits to her husband’s leading in the same way the Church submits to Christ’s leading. Too often we hear the word submission and we get squeamish, especially in American culture, and no doubt, there has been abuse; however, if a man is truly following Christ’s example of what it looks like to love his bride, then it should be a joy for his wife submit to him as we in the church joyfully submit our lives to Christ.
How do you become a Christian?
There are not certain “steps” one takes to become a Christian in a religious sense i.e. say this specific prayer, or do this then that, etc. To become a Christian rather means to recognize and understand that our sin has separated us from God and apart from Christ there is no hope for reconciliation. It means that we have come to a place when we realize we are unable, no matter how hard we try, to meet God’s standard of perfection and are in need of a savior. This is repentance: that we turn from sin, and turn to Jesus in faith. It moves beyond a pure cognitive understanding of the Gospel and acceptance of it to placing full trust and faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Once we have placed our faith in Jesus and His work on the cross, we now live a life of faith and worship in response to His amazing grace (Gal. 2:20).
Can you be a Christian and not go to church?
I think that you could technically be a Christian and not go to church because we’re saved by God’s grace and not by our own works of righteousness (Titus 3:5); however, you would be walking in sin (Heb. 10:25) and are most likely deeply deceived by your own self-righteousness. What a place for Satan to get someone. If one refuses to repent and submit to Hebrews 10:25, then they’d truly need to personally assess whether they’re Christian or not. Paul gives the analogy of the church in First Corinthians as being a body, comprised of all different parts to make a whole. If a part of a body is cut off, and isn’t quickly “sown” back on, it will die.
What does it mean to have my identity in Christ or "gospel identity"? How does this look in my daily life?
To have our identity rooted in the Gospel means that we see ourselves the way God sees us through Christ (redeemed & forgiven Col. 1:13-14, righteous 2 Cor. 5:21, chosen Eph. 1:3-8, justified Rom. 5:1, child of God Rom. 8:15, free from condemnation Rom 8:1, sealed 2 Cor. 1:21-22, new creation 2 Cor. 5:17, temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19.
It’s out of this identity that we have the freedom to follow after God. It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). Having a Gospel Identity sets us free and gives us peace before God because we remember our right standing before God is not based on our works, but by Jesus work on the cross.
Is the length of marital engagement dictated by the Bible?
The Bible does not dictate a specific length for marital engagement. The Bible does say though in 1 Corinthians 7: 9 that if one “cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” Having said that, one should not enter into marriage for the sole sake of sex and should practice self-control. At Living Stones, for a pastor to marry you, we ask that the couple go through at least eight weeks of pre-marital counseling. Personally, I don’t think long engagements (over 1 year) are wise for the reason stated above. This isn’t a hard line in the sand, and there are a number of factors that go into choosing the length of an engagement, but if you’re going to get married, get married and don’t wait another year or two. If you’re not ready to get married, then don’t get engaged.
What is the church doing to help build up the men in the community as leaders in the church and their homes?
It is a constant prayer of the LS staff and pastors that men would man up and be godly men who lead in the church and home! Paul exhorts the Corinthian men saying, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, ACT LIKE MEN, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13 ESV). So often it’s women who shoulder up the man’s burden and responsibility to lead his family and church, because he simply chooses not to put in the effort, give of his time and resources, or has some other idol in place.
This is why approximately 2/3 of the volunteers at Stones are women.
The primary discipleship tool to build up men in the community is Community Groups. We have over 90 different community groups for men, women, and co-ed all over the Reno-Sparks area every day of the week at various times for people to join. For men that are already plugged into the strategy (worship gatherings, community group, mission) and are faithful, there are a number of more “organic” groups for men to join or be invited into such as the pastor’s school, academy groups, deacon process, etc. I could be completely off and most likely am, but part of me wonders if the guy who asked this question (assuming it was a guy), has even taken the initiative to faithfully plug into the opportunities currently in place.
What does your relationship with your wife look like based on Ephesians 5:22-25?
Marriage is given to us as a picture of Jesus’ relationship with us (Eph. 5) and heaven is often pictured as a wedding banquet (Rev. 19). Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom (Matt 9:15) and the church is referred to as His bride (2 Cor. 11:2).
What does your relationship with your wife look like based on Ephesians 5:22-25?
Marriage is given to us as a picture of Jesus’ relationship with us (Eph. 5) and heaven is often pictured as a wedding banquet (Rev. 19). Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom (Matt 9:15) and the church is referred to as His bride (2 Cor. 11:2).
So the exhortation here is that a man is to lead and love his wife the way that Christ loves the Church. How did Jesus love the Church? He chose her, pursued her, served her, sanctified her, and laid down His life for her. As a man submits to the Lord, a wife submits to her husband’s leading in the same way the Church submits to Christ’s leading. Too often we hear the word submission and we get squeamish, especially in American culture, and no doubt, there has been abuse; however, if a man is truly following Christ’s example of what it looks like to love his bride, then it should be a joy for his wife submit to him as we in the church joyfully submit our lives to Christ.
How do you become a Christian?
There are not certain “steps” one takes to become a Christian in a religious sense i.e. say this specific prayer, or do this then that, etc. To become a Christian rather means to recognize and understand that our sin has separated us from God and apart from Christ there is no hope for reconciliation. It means that we have come to a place when we realize we are unable, no matter how hard we try, to meet God’s standard of perfection and are in need of a savior. This is repentance: that we turn from sin, and turn to Jesus in faith. It moves beyond a pure cognitive understanding of the Gospel and acceptance of it to placing full trust and faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Once we have placed our faith in Jesus and His work on the cross, we now live a life of faith and worship in response to His amazing grace (Gal. 2:20).
Can you be a Christian and not go to church?
I think that you could technically be a Christian and not go to church because we’re saved by God’s grace and not by our own works of righteousness (Titus 3:5); however, you would be walking in sin (Heb. 10:25) and are most likely deeply deceived by your own self-righteousness. What a place for Satan to get someone. If one refuses to repent and submit to Hebrews 10:25, then they’d truly need to personally assess whether they’re Christian or not. Paul gives the analogy of the church in First Corinthians as being a body, comprised of all different parts to make a whole. If a part of a body is cut off, and isn’t quickly “sown” back on, it will die.
What does it mean to have my identity in Christ or "gospel identity"? How does this look in my daily life?
To have our identity rooted in the Gospel means that we see ourselves the way God sees us through Christ (redeemed & forgiven Col. 1:13-14, righteous 2 Cor. 5:21, chosen Eph. 1:3-8, justified Rom. 5:1, child of God Rom. 8:15, free from condemnation Rom 8:1, sealed 2 Cor. 1:21-22, new creation 2 Cor. 5:17, temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19.
It’s out of this identity that we have the freedom to follow after God. It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). Having a Gospel Identity sets us free and gives us peace before God because we remember our right standing before God is not based on our works, but by Jesus work on the cross.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Hell vs. Annihilationism
Recently with all the discussing about eternal life, hell, etc. The topic of annihilationism has come up. Annihilationists believe that hell is not eternal torment, but there’s just a period of time where someone suffers in hell – then they cease to exist. Although this sounds great to the carnal dictates of the human mind it is not consistent with God’s revelation or God’s justice. We know this from scripture. For more information on the doctrine of hell, see my sermon here or listen here. In the process of all of this discussion I had some conversations with some leaders and deacons-in-training at our church regarding the doctrine of hell and annihilationism. One young lady, who is a deacon-in-training, read a couple books on the subject and talked to several pastors, missionaries, and theologians. Below is the correspondence between her and a man who runs a mission organization in China, which she used to work for. She shared his answers with me, and thought they were brilliant, so I wanted to share his answers with you. Her words are in italics – his responses are in bold.
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Her Introduction to the situation: My pursuit on the study of hell has been an intense one for me. What began as a simple desire to learn more took me to a whole new place in my understanding of God's infinite power. God truly is glorified by all of His creation and by everything that happens in it. When I first studied Anniahalism I was driven by both emotional struggles and intellectual questions. I was very close to being considered a professing annihilationist when God began a series of events to open up my mind to His ways. The turning point for me was the evenings of March 11th when Japan got hit with an earthquake and then the tsunami. God gave me a very restless night of sleep that night and woke me up early on the 12th to continue watching the news on this. The Lord spoke to my heart that morning saying that this was not a "natural disaster" but rather His Supernatural Power. I was immediately humbled by His power and found myself glorifying Him in a situation that the world would view as a reason to question God's sovereignty. This isn't something I say to many people and don't get me wrong, my heart goes out to those suffering from the tsunami. But my soul brings glory to God because I know that nothing happens without his allowing it to. It was through this change in my heart as I looked at the crisis in Japan differently that God allowed me to understand that He too is glorified in his creation of Hell. I don't know how to fully explain it, but I have an absolute peace that its true. A couple weeks ago Jason Diaz preached about sanctification and the wonderful wooden duck. He talked about how the person carving the duck would have to chip away anything that doesn't look like a duck. God gave me this understanding of a kind of parallel to how He uses Hell. He must sanctify his creation and in doing so, He takes away everything that no longer looks like Him (hence the duck). So by meditating on sanctification and how God truly glorified in all situations regardless of how our mortal human eyes view them, I began to open up to how God is also glorified in His creation of Hell. I understand that Hell is a very difficult topic for many of us to really think about. But I challenge us all to do just that. I challenge us all to think about it the way God thinks about Hell not the way the World does. I pray that we all can have eyes to see Hell the way God see's it.
Here's a snippet of their exchange
Her words: I'm calvinist which is kinda my hangup on eternal conscious torment. If I was Armenian then I could swallow it much easier, but being a Calvinist then I'm stuck saying that some people were actually created for Hell and never had a shot at any other option. However I'm also fully aware that I don't understand God's ways, and my claim isn't backed by Scripture. I too don't at all feel like this is a hill to die on. Its more of an open hand issue for me but I am pretty intrigued by it. Edward Fudge also talks about the Matthew 25:46 verse ("Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life"). He says that no longer existing or even being in the presence of God in even a common grace environment is in fact eternal punishment, but that it doesn't have to be a conscious punishment. But to no longer exist is an eternal sentence (punishment).
His response: Yeah, he has to dance around this verse because it’s problematic for his position. But if you let it just say what it says, it’s kind of hard to come out the other end with annihilation. At least in my thinking. I don’t like reading a bunch of ideas into a verse to make a theological point. That’s not good scholarship.
Her Words: He talks a lot about the fire being eternal, smoke being eternal, punishment being eternal (permanent) but that none of those have to do with a conscious torment.. There were a couple examples that the NT uses to describe Hell as being like those that were destroyed from the flood. He mentioned that no one questions what the word "destroyed" means when talking about objects, but we change that meaning when talking about people to it becoming a eternal torment instead of just destroyed (ceasing to exist).
His Response: Right, but he’s arguing for annihilation from a bunch of peripheral ideas. He’s not arguing for annihilation straight from a text that says the damned are annihilated. If that concept (annihilation) wasn’t in the minds of the early readers, and I can’t think of any ancient philosophical position that would have held that view, then don’t you think there would be something more clear on the issue? Could the early reader’s have cleverly sorted through all the little nuances of this metaphor and that one and figure out, “Hey, the damned are annihilated!”? And where could you find a metaphor on earth with a concept of eternal conscious suffering? All the metaphors Jesus used were earthbound so naturally temporal in nature. They are metaphors, and so by nature not exact. To insist on annihilation is to push the metaphors a little harder than Jesus intended.
Her Words: So the Scriptures don't use the word annihilated but they do seem to express destruction which to me may be the same.
His Response: But again, Jesus is trying to put “the fear of God” into people through examples that show how terribly awful hell will be. He used the most awful metaphors he could find, but again, they are earth bound and so they speak a lot to the issue of total and complete loss and destruction. Basically, the metaphors can work in favor of either view. One has to ask, what was the prevailing understanding of the nature of eternal damnation in that day? If the metaphors don’t directly challenge the prevailing notion, then that notion is supported by the metaphor. The theologians that are arguing for annihilation are doing so mostly because of the modern mind’s logical problem with it, not from sound Biblical exegesis.
Her Words: Oh, and he mentions that it wasn't until Plato/Socrates that the idea of the soul being eternal even came about and it wasn't a scriptural thing. Do you know much about when we started having this philosophy?
His Response: Basically the Old Testament is where the idea of an eternal existence of the soul after death comes from. The OT has the concept of Sheol, which was a place where all the dead went, both good and bad. But it wasn’t paradise exactly. It was thought of as a kind of no-man’s land. Remember Saul (I think it was), who called up the spirit of Samuel (I think) from the dead. Samuel was thought to be in Sheol. “Eternal life” for the OT Jew, was found in the continued existence of the family’s land and the continued existence of the family name. That’s why it’s such a disaster for Naomi when she loses her husband and sons. She was cursed by God because her “eternal life” (land and family name) ended.
The ideas of heaven and eternal life are more fleshed out in the New Testament because Jesus spoke often about them. But yes, the Greeks also had a concept of a place where the souls of the dead went after death. There were various places with various aspects of enjoyment or suffering, depending on the person’s life. You had to get past a three headed dog named Cerberus and then buy passage on a ferry across the River Styx. But there was a place over there for the souls of the dead. But Jesus didn’t buy into any of that. Also, probably the concept of the devils living in hell and torturing souls forever with pitchforks, along with the idea of various torture chambers and levels of hell are a mixture of some of those classical Greek and Roman notions, along with a lot of imagination from the Middle Ages. Dante’s Inferno did a lot to contribute to the modern and erroneous ideas about what hell will be like.
But all that said, there wasn’t really a concept of the damned being annihilated and the saved living on in paradise forever. If that is in fact the truth, then one would think that the Scriptures would have clearly corrected the erroneous ideas of the time. In fact, they don’t. So I let the idea stand that the damned exist eternally. I just jettison all the baggage. To me, hell is a place where God is not. And where God is not, how can there be anything good? That’s why people there gnash their teeth and weep. That’s why Jesus likened it to an eternal fire. But beyond that, we don’t know much about it. Thank God!
Her Words: My other thought/confusion is on using the word "eternal" to describe life especially since we consider God to be eternal (no beginning and no end). So unless the english language just doesn't have the proper vocabulary which is very possible, i'm confused how our souls are eternal when clearly we are created beings and did in fact have a beginning. Any thoughts on that? If you're open to it, i'd really appreciate dialoguing about this with you!
His Response: Well, here’s some dictionary definitions:
1. without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal): eternal life. 2. perpetual; ceaseless; endless: eternal quarreling; eternalchatter.
3. enduring; immutable: eternal principles.
4. Metaphysics . existing outside all relations of time; notsubject to change.
The second and the third ones would lend themselves to the notion of having a finite beginning but not an end. I think that’s probably how Jesus was using it.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Dear Living Stones Family,
As you know, tomorrow we have our big Easter gathering at Lawlor Events Center at 10 a.m. I am really looking forward to worshipping the risen Christ with all of you in one place at one time. Just wanted to drop you all a note to remind you of a few essentials for tomorrow.
Love you and look forward to celebrating the resurrection of our Lord with you.
Pastor Harvey
p.s. - pray.
As you know, tomorrow we have our big Easter gathering at Lawlor Events Center at 10 a.m. I am really looking forward to worshipping the risen Christ with all of you in one place at one time. Just wanted to drop you all a note to remind you of a few essentials for tomorrow.
- Pray. Over 2,000 invites have gone out in the past couple weeks, along with a billboard on the freeway. Friends inviting friends, family co-workers, neighbors and schoolmates. It is essential that we pray, not only for our own souls to encounter the risen Christ, but pray for the hundreds of people who don't know salvation in Jesus who will be there tomorrow. Pray against the attacks of the evil one as he schemes to keep these people away from church and from hearing the gospel message. Pray for the band and the technical crew, the artists, and volunteers and pray for me as I preach that I may be able to make the message of the gospel clear and compelling.
- Be hospitable. Often times people's ears are not open to hearing the message of the gospel until the gospel people show the care of Christ to them. Go out of your way to help people find seats, show people around, introduce yourself, invite people to your community groups.
- If you are a parent of a child who is 5 years or younger, you do have the option of taking your kids into childcare, but if you do, remember that those who are volunteering, also volunteer not to go to church on Easter so that they could serve you. Thank them. And if possible, bring your children into the service instead so that we can keep the number of volunteers in LS Kids to a minimum. If you're worried about your kids paying attention and being quiet enough, consider a few things: there will be music, there will be a dance, and the sermon is only 20-25 minutes. Also, at the Welcome, I'm going to mention the fact that kids are joining us for Easter celebration and that we should rejoice even if they make noise because these kids are being raised under the influence of the gospel. So, you don't have to worry about it if your kid makes noises or talks too loud or is somewhat distracting. It might be a good idea, though, to sit somewhere towards the back with your kids, just in case you need to make a quick exit. Another good idea would be to bring your kids a bag with crayons, coloring books, books to read or give them a quiet game on your phone to play, that doesn't make noise.
- In preparation for tomorrow, read for yourself one of the crucifixion and resurrection accounts from one of the gospels. We will be covering John's gospel tomorrow, so you might choose Matthew, Mark or Luke.
- Pray.
Love you and look forward to celebrating the resurrection of our Lord with you.
Pastor Harvey
p.s. - pray.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Hell? Yes.
Come to Living Stones this weekend to hear what the Bible has to say about hell. Gathering times at 9am, 11am, 5pm, 7pm at the Downtown Campus or 5pm at the Sparks Campus. In preparation for this coming Sunday - here are many verses about hell.
----------------------------- Daniel 12:1-2 - [1] “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. [2] And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Isaiah 66:24 - “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
Matthew 25:30 - And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Matthew 25:41 - "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew 25:46 - And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Mark 9:42-49 - [42] “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ [49] For everyone will be salted with fire.
Matthew 10:28 - And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
2 Thessalonians 1:5-9 - [5] This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— [6] since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, [7] and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [8] in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
Jude 13-15 - [13] wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. [14] It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, [15] to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Revelation 14:9-12 - [9] And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, [10] he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. [11] And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” [12] Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Revelation 20:10-15 - [10] and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. [11] Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. [13] And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Luke 16:22-24 - [22]The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. [24] And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'
Luke 16:28 - for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'
Revelation 19:3 - Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever."
1 Thessalonians 5:3 - While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
2 Peter 3:7 - But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Revelation 6:10 - They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
Revelation 19:1-3 - [1]After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, [2]for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." [3] Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever."
John 5:28-29 - [28] Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29] and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
2 Peter 2:4 - For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Jude 1:6 - And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day
John 3:36 - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Matthew 22:11-14 - [11]"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. [12] And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. [13] Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' [14] For many are called, but few are chosen."
Revelation 9:2 - He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
Matthew 13:40-42 - [40]Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, [42] and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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