Our Faith in On Trial - Responding to Terrorism

                                                         Bishop Mike Lowry

Our Faith is on Trial

Responding to Terrorism

 

Last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris have made many of us angry, fearful, and feeling vulnerable. We want to protect ourselves and our families from these influences.  But then the countries in Europe as well as the United States are being asked to take in hundreds of thousands of desperate homeless refugee families from the very countries that the terrorists came from.  How are we as Christians supposed to respond?

 

Instead of writing my usual blog this week, I want to pass on to you a response to this question written by our Methodist bishop, Bishop Mike Lawry.  Bishop Lawry is head of the Central Texas Conference of United Methodist Churches and he sends this out to all of his flock.  The Bishop writes:

 

I realize that terrorism puts my faith on trial.  I believe our Lord’s admonition to love our neighbor.  I am committed in principle to the Savior’s call to holiness in rejecting hate.  The words of Jesus echo in the throne room of my mind.  “You have heard that it was said, you must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:43-45)

 

I am conscious that it is easy to be Christian in times of peace and plenty and in settings of safety and joy.  I am also quite aware that the test of the Christian faith comes on the streets of Paris, in rhetorical punditry of television and the cancer ward of the local hospital. 

 

Our faith is put on trial in:

 

1)     The temptation to reject the Lord’s leading and be driven instead by a desire for revenge.  Prayerful reflection and careful thinking are at a premium if our response is to be faithful to the gospel and Lordship of Christ.  Those who enact such evil must be brought to justice.  There is nothing Christian or holy in allowing terror to reign unchecked.  Let us be clear – terror and terrorism is an outgrowth of Satan’s rage.  And yet, we must also be carefully clear and faithfully obedient in our response.  Matching evil with evil is not the way of Christ.  We seek justice not vengeance.  (Romans 12:19)

 

2)     The engulfing emotions of fear and fear driven disregard for others who are in dire need.  Our model, guide and ruler is the One who was crucified for others, notably for those who were (and are) guilty of sin.  Instead of living under a reign of fear, Jesus reached out stretching His arms wide in an embrace of love.  Let us be sympathetic to each other as we wrestle with fear’s grip.  Fear is a natural and in some ways healthy response to the horrors of unchecked terror.  It alerts us to the need to take protective steps and seek justice for all.  The Christian difference is not that fear is not present.  It is rather that fear does not reign.  It does not rule!  Christ alone is Lord!  However powerful our emotions, they too are subject to Him.  “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.”  (1John 4:18)

 

3)     Our vulnerability mixed with fear and anger which seduces us to react by blaming the stranger, the foreigner, the refugee.   Terrorism is a tool of evil which, if left unchecked by Christian values and by the rule of Christ, can lead us to the unfaithful response of prejudice.  It is worth carefully noting that the earliest Christians consistently refused to simply take care of only other Christians.  They consciously and in allegiance to Christ reached out to any in need.  There were no litmus tests for who should receive love and care.  Teachings from Jesus like the Parable of the Good Samaritan drove their actions.  (see Luke 10:35)  Instructions like James 1:27 were a basic part of the fabric of their response, “True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us.”  Let there be no mistake.  To only take care of Christians or just be concerned about people in our own country is not worthy of the gospel.  It is not faithful to the clear teaching of Christ.  (Check out Jude 1:12 and its explicit rejection of those who care only for themselves.) 

 

As your bishop, I call on us to be a people of faith.  May we reflect the example of Christ and be known the world over for a love which conquers fear.  Jesus our Savior first lived among us as a refugee.  He calls us now to reach out to those refugees fleeing the unspeakable evils of terror and war’s destruction.  May we be instruments of peace offering a place of hope, help and home to those most in need.  May religious prejudice and national jingoism be unknown among us.

 

Do you recall the Apostle’s closing advice in 1 Peter?  First Peter is written as a baptismal address to new Christians for a church undergoing dire persecution.  Terror is an everyday part of their lives.  In such context the Apostle closes his letter with advice fit again for today.  “Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s power so that He may raise you up in the last day.  Throw all your anxiety onto Him, because He care for you.  Be clearheaded.  Keep alert.  Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith.  Do so in the knowledge that your fellow believers are enduring the same suffering throughout the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the One who called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you.  To Him be power forever and always.  Amen.”  (1 Peter 5:6-11)

 

 

 

Are Science and Christianity Friends?

Are Science and Christianity Friends?

 

Many people think that the Christian faith and science are in conflict with one another. But for most of history the Christian Church has been a friend to scientific study and has encouraged it. It was the Christian worldview that provided the right environment for modern science to emerge.  Belief in one God led people to look for the laws of nature to remain the same in time and space.  If the universe was thought to be irregular and unpredictable it could not be systematically studied.

Few of our early scientific discoveries came out of countries with religious systems that espoused beliefs in many unpredictable gods, some good, some bad, some warring and some helping.  And even some gods who demanded human sacrifices. The people who shared these religious beliefs did not live in an environment that encouraged them to get involved in scientific study.

But the Christian belief in a rational God who created the world in an orderly fashion led scientists to look for a world that was both ordered and rational.  And when they looked for an ordered universe, they found it. The Christian faith was an encouragement to many scientists during the Renaissance period to investigate their natural world.  Since the Christian faith teaches that God is a God of law, scientists were inspired to look for laws in nature.  And they found them also.

Our faith and what we believe about God is all important.  Scripture says: “The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  (Psalm 111:10)  Christian faith teaches that we have a good and loving and just God who is all powerful and who is separate from nature.  We order our lives differently when we believe in the Christian God of grace and sacrificial love. If we lived in a country with a religion that tells us that all forms of matter (animals, plants, trees, etc.) are really gods, then we would not want to perform scientific experiment with these, since we would be experimenting on a god and we might be cursed.

Some religions teach that matter in nature (birds, germs, insects, the weather) is evil.  Members of these religions would be discouraged from performing scientific experiments with natural matter if they believed that it was evil.  The Christian belief that everything that God created is good (Genesis 1-2) is a doctrine that encourage scientific experimentation.  

The fact that Christian doctrine provides fertile soil for scientific experimentation is recognized by historians, philosophers and scientists.  Science is the child of Christian thought.  Many devout Christians have been inspired to get involved in scientific study because of their underlying faith.  

One of these early Christians was Nicolaus Copernicus, who lived in the 15^th century, and who laid the foundations of modern astronomy.  He was Canon of Frauenburg Cathedral in Poland.  Another early scientist, Johannes Kepler, who lived in the 16^th century was known for his discovery of the three principles of planetary motion.  As a devout Lutheran, he said that he was “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”  Sir Isaac Newton who lived in the 17^th century discovered the laws of gravity. He also was the first to find a correct analysis of white light.  He believed that Scripture was God’s Word and he wrote theological books as well as scientific books. 

Michael Faraday of the 19^th century was the first to produce an electric current from a magnetic field and he invented the first electric motor and dynamo.  He stated that his Christian faith had influenced him to get involved in scientific study.  James Simpson, who discovered anesthetics and paved the way for painless surgery was once asked, “What is the most important discovery of your life?”  And he answered, “The most important discovery I ever made was when I discovered Jesus Christ.”   Thousands of Christians have devoted their lives to scientific study over hundreds of years.  Louis Pasteur who discovered pasteurization, and Joseph Lister who pioneered antiseptic surgery are two who come to mind.   

Some people believe that science proves the Christian faith to be wrong because our Scriptures (the Bible) teach about miracles. Scripture tells us that Jesus performed miracles, raised the dead and healed the sick. But some people say that science proves that miracles cannot happen.  Actually science describes or tells us how God usually acts in nature but science does not prove that exceptions to the laws of nature (miracles) can never happen!  

Scientific studies look for rules in nature (how nature usually acts). But people studying science  do not always make room for the exceptions to the rules of nature (the supernatural). Some folks think that the laws of nature are set in stone and cannot be tweaked or changed!  But God created the laws of nature and rules over them, not the other way around!  And God can do whatever He wants!

Some folks believe that science has proved that the laws of nature are rigid and cannot ever be broken.  They believe in a mechanical uniformity of nature.  They can’t seem to believe that God can create exceptions to His rules!  If the laws of nature are completely uniform and they can never be broken, then the supernatural would be ruled out. 

Since it is not natural for a virgin to have a baby or for someone to rise from the dead, some people do not believe that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to the baby Jesus.  Or that Jesus rose from the dead after He was crucified. That God could work these miracles seems too much for some to believe. They can’t seem to believe in anything that doesn’t usually happen, or anything that they have not seen with their own eyes! 

 

If there is no God then miracles are a problem.  But if there is a God and if He created matter, reason, time, space, and all the scientific laws, then He is at liberty to interfere or move His own rules around if He wants to.  What seems impossible for us is always possible for God!  He is all-powerful and all loving and He can do anything!  Perhaps if we can’t believe in miracles, our picture of God is too small. 

Scripture states that the angel told Mary that she would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit and that her child would be the Son of God.  We all know that it is not natural for a virgin to have a baby.  We know that for a baby to be conceived and a woman to become pregnant, we need the union of the mother’s egg and the father’s sperm.

  But Mary’s baby – the baby Jesus – is different.  Different from every other baby that has ever been born!  Jesus is God!  His name “Emanuel” means “God with us” according to the Bible.  (Matthew 1:23 and Isaiah 7:14) And Jesus the Son of God was born sinless so He was a special Person and He had a special birth.

 Of course God could make an exception to the usual rule of nature this one time and intervene and impregnate Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit if He wanted to. God is powerful enough to manage that. If we can believe in a God that is big enough to manage these things then we can believe in miracles. It is as simple as that! Let’s believe in a bigger God. That is the key I think. Scripture says that the Virgin Mary conceived the baby Jesus when the Holy Spirit came over her. Is that so hard to believe? 

 

When we believe that God is big enough then it isn’t hard to believe in the miracle of the virgin birth or in any other miracle for that matter. Our Christian faith rests on the fact that Jesus, our Savior, rose from the dead.  Scripture says:  “Because He lives, we shall live also.” (John 14:19)   The fact that men and women do not come back to life after they have been dead for three days and nights does not mean that Jesus Christ the Son of God did not rise from the dead after three days and nights.  Jesus Christ is God and He has conquered death.  He conquered it for us!  We don’t worship a dead Savior but a living Savior.  God is God and He is all powerful.  Nothing is impossible with Him.  Our God is a God of miracles! 

 

Some of the ideas in this blog were taken from Nicky Gumbels’ booklet, “Searching Issues”.

 

Psalm 15 - More Thoughts

 Psalm 15

More thoughts

 

 

We blogged about Psalm15 a year or so ago.  But this Psalm deserves more thoughts. Psalm 15 is short and simple and yet profound.    In verse 1 David asks a question to God.  And in verses 2-5 God gives David the answers. 

 

David’s question is this: “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?  And who may dwell on your holy hill?  (Psalm 15:1)  In other words, David was asking what a person needed to do to be able to come close to God?  David lived a thousand years before Christ at a time when the priests had placed the Arc of the Covenant in the tabernacle on the “holy hill”.  The presence of God rested over the Arc of the Covenant so this was a very holy place. So when David asks God who can go in the tabernacle and walk on the holy hill, he was really asking who could stand before God. 

 

Only the high priest could come before God’s presence each year and he could only come if he was bringing a sacrifice.  When David asked God what a person needed to do to come before His holy Presence, he already knew that no sinful person could come before a holy God without sacrificing a domestic animal and sprinkling its blood.

 

 All of the Jewish people knew that their sin separated them from God and that the priest had to give a “sin offering” or “trespass offering” whenever they came to worship.  A domestic animal had to be sacrificed and the animal had to be healthy and “unblemished”.  The unblemished animals that were sacrificed were a picture or a fore shadow of what Jesus Christ who is unblemished by sin, would do when He would come later and be our sacrifice for sin. 

 

David lived during the Age of Law.  But Christ would usher in the Age of Grace.  Scripture says that animals cannot take away human sin.  (Hebrews 10:4)  But what these animals could not do, Christ would do.  (Ephesians 5:2, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Cor. 5:17)  Scripture says: “For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast…”  (1 Corinthians 5:7)  And: “We have been made holy, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once and for all.”  (Hebrews 10:10)  We can only come to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Verse 2 of this little Psalm is part of God’s answer to David’s question.  The question is: Who will be close to God?  What must they do? Let’s read Gods answer.  “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.”  (Psalm 15:2)   None of us walk uprightly or work righteousness all of the time.  I am afraid that none of us can ever be good enough in our own strength to meet God’s holy standards.  Scripture says: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”   (Romans 3:23)  “There is none who is righteous, no not one..”  (Romans 3:10 and Psalm 11)  We all need “the Lamb of God (Christ) who takes away the sin of the world.”  (John 1:29)

 

God continues to answer David in verse 3.  Let’s listen:  “He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor…”  (Psalm 15:3)  God’s message to David is clear.  The way we treat others means everything to God.  It matters to God whether we are loyal to our families and our community or not.  The Bible says that we cannot love God and hate our brother.  “If anyone says: ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  (1 John 4:20-21)

 

You may ask, ‘But what if my brother has done something that is very wrong?’  Bible scripture in Matthew 18:15 gives guidance as to how to settle disagreements and judge an offender and restore fellowship.  Is God calling us to be faithful friends and steadfast family members even when big problems arise?  Our faithful love for one another and our unity a Christians and as family is all important to the Lord.  Is He calling us to value and protect the ties that bind us?

 

Also God says that a person who draws near to Him is a person “who does not take up a reproach against a friend.” verse.3 We can be faithful and considerate of our friends even when we don’t agree with them.  Instead of slandering a friend or brother (the reproach) we can pray for him/her and encourage him/her.  Build her up instead of tearing her down.  Scripture says: “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born to help out during trouble.”  (Proverbs 17:17)

 

God’s answer continues in verse 4.  Here God says that a person who draws near to Him is a person “in whose eyes a vile person is condemned; but he honors them that fear the Lord.”  (Ps.15:4a)  This verse seems to say that God doesn’t want us to say that a person who is sinning and disobeying God is “good.”  We are to honor those who fear the Lord.  But we are not to honor the persons who rebel against Gods will and do their own thing.   

 

  Folks who want to draw near to God may not always be popular.  They may have to go against the culture when they disapprove of a sin that their society has called “right” but the Bible has called “wrong.”  John the Baptist lost his head because he spoke out against adultery.  Hopefully we won’t have to lose our heads, but we should not honor a rebellious person and not go along with the crowd when it comes to calling “sin” a “good” thing.   

 

 My husband and I went to an “Evangelism” retreat last weekend.  The leaders at the retreat spoke of Christ’s great commission calling us all to go into the world and spread the good news of God’s love and make disciples.  There was an emphasis on bringing people to church and letting them know that God loves them.  And all of that is good.  But I don’t remember anyone ever mentioning repentance during the whole conference!  Don’t we need the whole gospel and not just part of it?

 

It’s easy to tell people about God’s great love for us. And that Jesus died for us.  But the gospel message also includes our part – repentance – being sorry for our sins.  We are called to confess our sins and turn from them.  I know of several successful pastors today who preach in mega churches about God’s love but these pastors never call their people to turn from sin!  

 

 A friend of ours says that he has been in the same church for fifteen years and only once the word “sin” was briefly mentioned.  He doesn’t even believe that a Christian needs to be sorry for his sins because his church has not taught him that part of God’s Word.  Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  (John 14:15)  God is a God of love but He is also a God of justice. 

 

God continues to tell David how He wants his children to live their lives.  He wants us all to keep our promises even when it hurts.  God wants us not to make an unfair financial profit off of the backs of the poor, or take advantage of them or use them. 

 

This little Psalm tells us that God expects big things from us!  He wants us to live out our lives caring and loving our neighbors and families.  He gives us his Holy Spirit to help us do these things.  And the Psalm ends with these word: And “those who do these things shall never be moved.”  (Psalm 15:5)    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creation or Evolution?

Creation or Evolution?

 

 

Scripture instructs us to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us about why we believe our Christian faith.  “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have….”  (1 Peter 3:15) 

 

And you can count on someone asking you if as a Christian you believe that God created human beings like it says in the Bible. And when they ask, if your answer is “yes”, then they will remind you that only uneducated folk believe in creation.  And they will scoff at you and tell you that there is scientific proof that we humans are on this planet because of evolution.   Sophisticated person don’t believe ancient myths and Bible stories that were written long ago, they will say.  

 

 Modern persons know that the theory of evolution is what they must believe if they want to be considered intelligent. They are to say that they believe that after the “big bang” produced our world, then we humans gradually over billions of years began evolving, starting out as amoebas and moving up the chain to becoming fish and then crawling out of the sea and evolving into apes before finally progressively evolving into becoming the human beings that we are today!  They even have pictures of fish walking out of the sea and furry monkeys bent over walking on all fours and over the billions of years gradually losing more and more of their fur and straightening up and finally walking on two legs and turning into people!  

 

Mass media wrongly portrays the theory of evolution as scientific fact!  But scientists have never found the “missing link” – a link between the species of apes and the human species.  They never found a fossil that is part ape and part human even though they keep searching! They need to find some piece of evidence in order to prove that we humans evolved from apes.  But without any proof they insist that evolution is true anyway. 

 

 Even though the theory of evolution has not been proven scientifically, the lie that it has continues to echo down from one generation to the next.  And this misconception continues on as we Christians are told that the theory of evolution makes it impossible for us to believe the account of creation in the Bible.  If we stop believing that God created us then we can be off the hook from having to obey His laws! 

 

People often criticize the Biblical story of creation because it seems to say that God created the world in seven days.  Sincere Christians hold many different interpretations of the creation story in Genesis.  Some believe in a literal seven-day creation.  But many Christians interpret Genesis 1 differently.  The Hebrew word for “day” in the Biblical creation story has many different meanings.  The word “day” can mean a thousand years and it can also mean “a very long period of time.”  So the creation of the world could have taken billions of years and not be in conflict with the story in Genesis 1.

 

Also billions of years could have passed between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.  Genesis 1:1 says: ”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”   And Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” 

 

The Bible is not primarily a scientific book, but a theological one.  It offers personal and spiritual explanations. Several of the main points of the creation story in Genesis 1 is to answer the questions of “Who?”  and “Why?”.  Who? (Who are we humans?)  (Who is God?)  The creation story in Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve were created on purpose by God their Father and that humans were created in Gods’ image.  God is holy and good and all loving and everything He made was good. We humans were created as God’s children.  Human life is sacred. We belong to God and are loved by Him.

 

 And “Why?” (Why were humans created?)  Adam and Eve (humans) were created to be loved by God and to love Him back.  To share God’s work. We were created to fellowship with God and trust Him. And we humans were given dominion over the earth to take care of it. Adam and Eve were told to have children and enjoy living and obey God by not eating the one forbidden fruit.  We are given free will and we can choose to obey God or to disobey Him.

 

Unlike the story of creation in the Bible, the theory of the evolution of the human race does not answer any of these questions.  The evolution theory never answers the “Who?” or the “Why?” We are left to wonder if we humans are just accidents or if a god somewhere somehow intelligently planned that we human animals would evolve over billions of years from fish or amoebas and chimpanzees?  Our forefathers were apes and monkeys. The theory of evolution does not answer the question: Why do humans exist?  Are we worth anything? Guess we are on our own to figure that out.  The theory of evolution cannot speak to our deepest needs. 

 

There are two types of evolution – micro evolution and macro evolution.  It is necessary to distinguish between micro-(evolution or changes in a species) and macro-evolution (changes or evolution across the species).  The theory of the evolution of humans would entail Macroevolution, or evolution across the species.  

 

 Microevolution means that evolutionary changes and development take place within a species.  For example, the horse has increased greatly in size and developed in other ways over time.  This form of evolution has been observed and there is ample evidence for it.  When we are told that evolution has been scientifically proven, we are only talking about microevolution or changes occurring within a species.

 

  

 

Macroevolution means evolution that jumps over the species barrier from one species to another – the example being apes changing into humans.  No scientific evidence has been found of one species evolving into another species.  Just because evolution can occur within a species does not mean that one species can evolve or change into another species.  Cats don’t evolve into dogs and birds don’t evolve into lizards. The theory of evolution (macroevolution) (one species evolving into another) is still taught in schools as the theory of evolution.  It is taught as if it is the assured results of modern science.  To teach an unproven theory as a scientific fact is not only to lie but I believe it is bad science.

 

We believe that since everything has a cause, there must be a first cause.  There is a story of an agnostic man speaking to a small crowd in the streets of Hyde Park and attacking the belief that God created the world and we humans in it.  He was arguing that nothing caused the world to exist. That the world just happened during the big bang all on its own.  As he was speaking, a soft tomato was thrown at him.  “Who threw that tomato?” the speaker demanded angrily.  A young man from the back of the crowd laughingly replied, “No one threw it – it just threw itself.”  This argument is not a proof, but it is a pointer.  It is easier to believe that God created something out of nothing than it is to believe that nothing created something out of nothing!   

 

Psalm 100 speaks beautifully to the fact that God is our Creator.  “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness.  Come before His Presence with joyful song.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.  We are His people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good.  His love endures forever, and His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  (Psalm 100)

 

Some of the ideas in this blog were taken from Nicky Gumbel’s booklet “Searching Issues”   

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Why is the Trinity a Christian Belief?

Why is the Trinity a Christian Belief?

 

 

Christianity rests on the doctrine of the Trinity – (the Threeness of the One God.)  Our Athanasian Creed written by the Church fathers around 500 A.D. describes the Christian doctrine of the Trinity like this:  “that the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and yet there are not three gods, but one God.” 

 

We Christians believe in One God and we believe in the Three in One.  We believe this because we find the concept of the Trinity in the Bible.  The Old Testament as well as everywhere we look in the New Testament speak of the Triune God.  Just because we cannot put the mystery of the Triune God in a neat box and understand Him doesn’t mean we don’t believe in what Scripture says about Him. 

 

God would not be God if we could grasp who He is with our limited understanding.  His ways are much higher than our ways and His truths than our truths.  It is silly to try to pin Him down or box Him in with our little incomplete human reasoning.  God is all powerful and He can do anything He wants. He made the rules.  He is one God and He is also Three in One - a mystery we accept by faith.

 

Nicky Gumbel in his book, “Searching Issues” tells the story of a preacher who preached a sermon about the Trinity.  At the end of the sermon he asked his congregation, “Have I made the doctrine of the Trinity clear?”  One man in the congregation answered “Yes”, to which the preacher replied, “In that case you have got it wrong!”  If you can understand the Trinity it is not God because there will always an element of mystery about God.  A mystery we Christians accept by faith.  Faith alone can bridge the gap.

 

Our Christian faith arose out of Judaism. The belief that there is one God is and always has been all important to the Jewish faith.   Deuteronomy 6:4 states: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”  All of the nations that were neighbors to Israel in the olden days believed in many gods.  And the Jewish people were constantly being tempted to worship idols since everyone else in the ancient world was doing it.  Many times human sacrifices were being made to these idols.  God hated to see His people worship idols and He was constantly calling Israel back to worshipping Him and Him alone.

 

God also calls us Christians to worship Him and Him alone.  The New Testament states that God is one God.  And as Christians we believe that. (John5:44: Romans 3:30: 1 Timothy 1:17: and James 2:19)   Our Athanasian Creed says that: “We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.” 

 

The doctrine of the Trinity sheds light on the interaction of God with His creation.  First, God the Father is the Source and the Creator.  He does everything out of love.  Even His justice is out of love.  “God is love “(1 John 4:8) and we are told to “Abide in His love.”  (1 John 4:16)

 

 Second, God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the human face of God revealed.  Scripture says that Jesus Christ (the Word) was there in the beginning with God and was God.  (John 1:1) Jesus Christ is the One through whom all things were and are created. (John 1:3)   And God the Son (Jesus) died for us.  He is our Shepherd.  And He is a risen Savior.  Jesus could not have conquered death and risen again if He were not God.

 

And thirdly God the Holy Spirit is God who is active and present throughout His creation.  The Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts when we believe in Jesus.  And He meets our most fundamental psychological and spiritual needs as human beings. He is our teacher and guide if we allow Him to be.

 

The followers of Jesus found themselves worshipping Jesus as God. (John 20:28)  They watched Him heal the sick and raise the dead.  They saw Him after He rose from the dead. These early Christians had an experience with the Holy Spirit and they realized that the Holy Spirit was the spirit of Christ and was God.

 

 John writes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and lived among us. ” (John 1:1-4 and 14) The “Word” here is another name for Jesus. Scripture has called Jesus the Living Word. Jesus was in the beginning with God and is God and He became flesh (was born) and lived. (John 1:1)   

 

There are several blessings in the New Testament that include the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Baptism is in the Name (singular) of (1) the Father, and (2) the Son and (3) the Holy Spirit.  One name but three Persons. (Matthew 28:19)  Paul ends a letter to the Corinthians with: “may the grace of (2) the Lord Jesus Christ, and (1) the love of God, and (3) the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  (2 Corinthians 13:14) 

 

In Ephesians chapter 2 our relationship with God in prayer is seen in terms of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We are instructed to pray (1) “to the Father”, (2) “through the Son”, and (3)   “by the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 2:28)  And when we are filled with the (3) Holy Spirit we give thanks to (1) God our Father in the name of our (2) Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Ephesians 5:18-20)   And then there is “(3) one Spirit…(2)one Lord…(1)one God and Father of all.”  (Ephesians 4:4-6) 

Everywhere in the New Testament we see the Father, Son and Holy Spirit working together.  Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:13:14, “(1) God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the (3) Spirit…that you might share in the glory of our (2) Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Another of the many Trinitarian Bible passage shows the Trinitarian God at work.  “To (1) God’s elect, …who have been chosen …through the sanctifying work of the (3) Spirit, for obedience to (2) Jesus Christ sprinkling by His blood.”  (1 Peter 1:1, 2)

 

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches us that there is a threefoldness about God’s acts and revelations.  In the New Testament the doctrines of baptism, grace, salvation, ethics, worship, and unity – are all described in Trinitarian terms.  To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to experience God as the Father.  Scripture says: “those who are led by the Holy Spirit are sons of God.  …and by him we cry, ‘Abba Father.’  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”  (Romans 8:14-16) 

 

Paul also prays that the followers would experience the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God.  (Ephesians 3:17-19)  And Paul prays that the followers would experience the “power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16) When the Holy Spirit fills us, we experience the Fatherhood of God and the love of Christ, and the power of the Spirit.  Yet the three are not separated. Our spiritual lives also have a threefold fullness about them through the Spirit. To be filled with the Spirit is to experience God as Trinity. 

 

Many of the ideas in this blog were taken from Reverend Nicky Gumbel’s booklet “Searching Issues” which is one of the Alpha series.  

 

 

 

   
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fighting Depression

 Fighting Depression

 

Depression is epidemic in our society and the rates of suicide are on the rise.  We live in a society that values individualism.  And of course individualism and freedom are very important.  But belonging to a caring community – a community that has a safety net – a society where we value one another is also very important.  All important to our emotional health.  We need a balance somewhere.  We need to work towards a community where everyone belongs. 

 

 God did not put us in this world to stand alone.  We were meant to live in community. Many people who commit suicide feel like they are all alone.  Statistics show that the main reason a person is desperate enough to kill him or herself is because he or she is alienated or cut off from family, work, friends or community.  It seems that when we are not valued by anyone we feel that life is no longer worth living.   

 

 As a Christian I believe that we are called to make a difference.  To love one another and be sensitive to each other’s fears and needs. We can help our church provide a warm community.  And we can be there for family members when they need a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on.  Scripture says that “A brother is born to help in times of trouble” (Proverbs 17:17) God calls us to be there for our families.  To judge less and love more.           

 

There are several kinds of depression.  First there is “medical depression” which is caused by a physical problem, an imbalance or a hormonal change.  These illnesses require medical or psychological attention. And secondly there is “situational depressions” which can be caused by man’s inhumanity to man, poor health, financial problems or any number of things.  Situational depression happens when our response is to become depressed when there are bad situations in our lives.  

 

We will mainly discuss situational depression in this blog.   You can depress yourself by thinking about all of the bad things that are happening in your life and talking about all of the people who are not treating you fairly, or have been mean to you in the past.  And you can worry about problems in your life that seem impossible to solve, or problems that may arise in the future that may be impossible to solve.

Your mood is linked to your thoughts and your words so you have power over how you feel by how you talk to yourself and the way you tell your story to others.  Instead of telling others  how impossible your relationship is with this mean person, you can mention that you prayed and your difficult relationship is in God’s capable Hands and you wait to see how things will be improving now with His help. Also the Word of God (the Bible) is powerful and you can fight depression by believing and counting on God’s promises.   

 

 Scripture says: “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”  (Isaiah 61:3)  I think this Scripture is saying that praising and thanking God will help take away heaviness or depression.  We have been instructed here to “put on” praise.  Lose ourselves in God. Look at the Savior and not at the high waves threatening to do us in.  Our victory is in Him!  He promises to take care of all our problems if we try to follow Him. I have been in churches that spent time praising God and I can testify that any heaviness or sadness that I brought into the praise time was lifted when I spent some time praising God.   

 

In the Bible we read where David talked to himself when he was depressed. “Why are you cast down and why are you miserable?  Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him.  For I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.”  (Psalm 41:5)  When David was depressed he reminded himself that God would see him through his troubles and that God was his help.  We need to do that too.

 

 David had a lot to be depressed about.  He had many people who hated him and were trying to kill him. Even one of his own sons tried to kill him!  For many years David was an outcast and could never go home.  He was under heavy persecution as many of God’s children are and have been. (Matthew 6:10-12)  For years King Saul and all of his mighty men were searching for David, trying to find and kill him.  So poor David was forced to hide in dark caves and sleep in the dirt while constantly watching for his enemies.  He was out in the wilderness in the cold and on the run for such a long time. It all appeared so hopeless.  But finally God did something. God always comes through for his children, but in His time frame. 

 

You can talk to yourself and encourage yourself like David did. Put yourself in God’s hands and trust God to take care of you.  If there is sin in your life, do your best to turn from it and confess it to God. There is joy in coming clean and following God.  Remember, if you believe in Christ as your Savior then God is your Father, your “Abba” which means “Papa”.(Romans 8:15)  Enjoy your relationship with your “Abba”. 

 

 Stand on the promises in Scripture.  One of my favorite Scripture verses is Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes.” God promises that in the end all of His children will have victory in Christ. (Revelations 19:11-21)  That is a mighty promise!  Encourage yourself in that!   

 

You can help break your depression by reminding yourself of your past victories.  Don’t sit and feel bad but go out and do something good for someone else.  Exercise. Eat right and get enough sleep. Have fun.  Laugh and lighten up. Make friends. Sing or listen to music. Keep busy and think about good things. (Philippians 4:8)

 

 Don’t dwell on the negative or allow it to have power over you. Refuse to be a victim.  “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  (James 4:7)  Don’t allow others to make you feel ashamed of who you are (You are God’s precious child) and refuse to suffer from abnormal guilt. If you believe in Christ as your Savior then the Bible says that you have been set free from sin and guilt. Walk in the freedom that is yours in Christ.

 

 Stand tall and don’t let any critical person drag you down. If you have been disappointed by people or by failed expectations, start fresh with new goals or visions. Don’t live in the past or allow past failures to define who you are. (Isaiah 43:18) 

 

And if you need to do something and you are afraid you can’t do what you need to do, remind yourself that you can do anything you need to do in Christ’s power.  Believe it.  He will be with you.  Scripture says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13)  Everything we do is sacred if we do it for the Lord.  Jesus died so that we could have and enjoy a wonderful and powerful life.  “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  (Psalm 118:24)

 

 

Many of the ideas in this blog were taken from Joyce Meyer’s book, “Living Beyond your Feelings”