G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
Lucius, Apulieius, Golden Ass
Bart Ehrman, Lost Scriptures
Marvin Meyer, Ancient Mysteries
Cartlidge, Documents for the Study of the Gospels
Stephen Mansfield, Searching for God and Guinness
John Armstrong, Your Church is Too Small
Gary Chapman, Five Love Languages
Donald Kagan: Thucydides
David Wardle (ed.), Cicero: On Divination
Homer, Iliad, Odyssey
Burton Mack and Vernon Robbins, Patterns of Persuasion in the Gospels
Mikeal C. Parsons, Luke
Catrine Carpenter, Beginner's French
Jonathan Z. Smith, Imagining Religion
Burton Mack, Myth and the Christian Nation
F. Gerald Downing, Everything With God
George A, Kennedy (ed.) Progymnasmata
David Berlinski, The Devil's Delusion
I. Howard Marshall, Luke: Theologian and Historian
Richard Burridge, What Are the Gospels?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Cost of Disipleship
Francis Chan, Forgotten God
Adelbert, Denaux, Luke and His Readers
John Drury, Tradition and Design in Luke's Gospels
Leon Morris, 1 Corinthians
Gordon Fee, 1 Corinthians, Paul, the Spirit and the People of God
Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life
Eugene Peterson, Living the Message
Ravi Zacharias (ed.), Beyon Opinion
Steve Mason, Josephus and the New Testament
Paul L. Maier (ed.), Josephus: Essential Writings
Hans Conzlemann, Theology of St. Luke
Michael W. Holmes (trans.), Apostolic Fathers
Shaye Cohen, Josephus in Galilee and Rome
John Wesley, Journal Selections
John Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be
Raymond E. Brown, Death of the Messiah vol. 1 & 2
Michael Licona, Resurrection of Jesus
Michael F. Bird, Introducing Paul
N.T. Wright, Paul: In Fresh Perspective, Surprised by Hope
Andy Stanley, The Grace of God
Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer
Kathryn Lasky, Legends of Ga'hoole: Capture, Journey and Rescue
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Genesis to Revelation
Our sermon series at church for 2010 was Genesis to Revelation. We started the first Sunday in January with Genesis and ended the last Sunday of December with Revelation. Each week there was a short introduction to each book, selected readings and questions for reflection. I am in the process of compiling the study guides and including the sermons for each section. I will self-publish this resource and make it available. Be watching for this sometime in the new year.
Monday, December 27, 2010
In Conclusion
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”” (Revelation 21:1–4 ESV)
Introduction
Some people like surprises and some people do not. I do not mind surprises as long as I know all the details ahead of time. I am guilty of enjoying reading spoilers. Spoilers are information about a story that spoil the surprise. For television shows I follow, I check the Internet to find out what will happen later in the season. Some people are worse than me. Some people go into a bookstore and read the last couple of pages to decide if they want to purchase the book. No matter what, how a story ends is extremely important. This is especially true of the Bible. The Old Testament originally ended with 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles ends with the return from exile and the promise of support from the Persians. It is rather an open ending, with things able to go either good or bad. Our current order of the Old Testament ends with Malachi. Malachi ends with God promising to do something in the future. I happen to prefer the way the New Testament ends. The book of Revelation is not primarily a book of details about the end times. It was written to real churches suffering real persecution. But the encouragement to these churches was that they would get a glimpse of what God will do to conclude this stage of human history. The mistake most people make is to get caught up in the details. What we must focus on is the big picture of what life will look like once Jesus returns. Let us take a look.
Place on Earth
What is the hope of the Christian? Most would say that they hope to go to heaven when they die. They look at the world as it is, all of the pollution and natural disasters and poverty and perhaps cannot wait to get out of this place. It is common for Christians to say things like “This world is not my home” or “I am just passing through.” When a loved one passes away, we might say “He went home to be with the Lord.” All of that sounds very spiritual. The problem is that it is not quite correct. If you read through the book of Revelation, you will find a passage where there are the spirits of dead calling out to God, eager and restless for the consummation of God’s plan. That does not sound like our picture of heaven where we are in our final resting place. That is because heaven is not our final resting place. Earth is. That seems strange to us but it is the biblical truth. When I say that earth is our destination, I do not mean the earth exactly as it is now. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that creation is longing for resurrection as much as we are. One day, our bodies will be transformed into new resurrection bodies that will be built to survive eternity. The exact relationship between our old bodies and our new bodies is unknown. Jesus’ resurrection body, which was the prototype of the resurrection, was both like and unlike his earthly body. The same will be true for the resurrected earth, which Revelation calls the new earth. It will be like the old earth in a way, it will be physical and real, not a soft fuzzy cloud the way many people imagine heaven. But it will be different. It says there will be no more sea. In the Bible, the sea is an image of chaos and death. It was representative of that general foreboding in life that is completely out of our control. But in the next chapter, Revelation says that there will be rivers. Rivers are more closely associated with life. They provide irrigation for agriculture, water for drinking and so on. Rivers were places of assurance, not of fear. When I first began to read the Bible, I was confused regarding what people said about the afterlife and what the Bible says about the resurrection. Revelation tells us that we will spend our eternity on the new earth.
Place with God
As I say this, you might be slightly disappointed or even skeptical. After all, who would want to be stuck on earth rather than being in heaven with God? Even among the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they believe that an elite 144,000 will go to heaven and the rest of the good Jehovah’s Witnesses will get second class accommodations on the new earth. There is a big problem with that belief. Revelation says that God will come from heaven and dwell on earth with his people. Any place that God chooses is far from second rate. It does not say that God will make periodic visits, slumming with the humans. It says that God will make his dwelling on earth. In fact, in the next chapter, it says that we will not even need the sun, because God’s presence will provide all the light we need. This is what it is all about. The reason we study the Bible and worship and pray is not just to earn some points to avoid hell. We do this to deepen our relationship with God because our ultimate destiny is to be with God. Revelation 22:4 says that we will see God’s face. Take a moment to take that in. Throughout the Bible we are warned that we cannot see God’s face and if we tried we would be destroyed. Even Moses and Elijah were only given a glimpse of a part of God. But after the resurrection, we will be equipped to see God and not just survive the experience but to enjoy it. Our hope is spend eternity in God’s presence.
Place of Healing
It is fair to ask, what are the consequences of being in the presence of God? What will that mean to us? Will it be just the excitement of seeing a famous actor, musician or athlete? Will it be about a bunch of students asking the ultimate teacher all the theological, philosophical and scientific questions that we have always wondered about? Perhaps there will be some of that. But the emphasis in these passages is on healing. In a way that seems strange. If this after the resurrection, we will not have physical illnesses or weaknesses. What healing will be needed? We are told that God will wipe away every tear. I think that there are some things that will not be healed with just a new body. There are hurts that go deeper than the physical flesh. Notice that it is God himself that will wipe away every tear. He does not send an angel or a prophet, God himself will bring the healing. I think it is possible that there will be some tears that will not appear until this moment. We are so good at suppressing our hurts and pains, just so we can go on from day to day. Being in the presence of God will finally free us to look at all the things we have experienced, all the things we have lost, all the dreams that were dashed and confront them head on. And God will be there to wipe away our tears. As a parent, I enjoy many aspects of my relationship with the children. I enjoy playing with them, reading to them and so many other activities. But the most rewarding part of my role is when they are hurting either physically or emotionally and I am able to hold them and wipe away their tears. Just the other day, Abby was home for a visit. At one point she started to cry and seemed so sad. It was so nice to be able to hold her and comfort her in her pain. God will do that to each one of us.
Conclusion
How does the story end? I do not have all the details. I cannot give definitive details about dates, raptures or tribulations. But I do know something. Both we as individuals and our planet will experience a resurrection, a transformation from weakness to wholeness. We will live not as disembodied spirits floating in the clouds. We will have physical bodies and will live on a physical planet. This will not be a second rate eternity, for God himself will descend out of heaven and will dwell with us. The result of this will be a complete healing, not just of physical ills but of emotional and spiritual ones as well. There it is: the final chapter of the story. However, I am confident that these spoilers will far from spoil your enjoyment of the life God has given you.
Introduction
Some people like surprises and some people do not. I do not mind surprises as long as I know all the details ahead of time. I am guilty of enjoying reading spoilers. Spoilers are information about a story that spoil the surprise. For television shows I follow, I check the Internet to find out what will happen later in the season. Some people are worse than me. Some people go into a bookstore and read the last couple of pages to decide if they want to purchase the book. No matter what, how a story ends is extremely important. This is especially true of the Bible. The Old Testament originally ended with 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles ends with the return from exile and the promise of support from the Persians. It is rather an open ending, with things able to go either good or bad. Our current order of the Old Testament ends with Malachi. Malachi ends with God promising to do something in the future. I happen to prefer the way the New Testament ends. The book of Revelation is not primarily a book of details about the end times. It was written to real churches suffering real persecution. But the encouragement to these churches was that they would get a glimpse of what God will do to conclude this stage of human history. The mistake most people make is to get caught up in the details. What we must focus on is the big picture of what life will look like once Jesus returns. Let us take a look.
Place on Earth
What is the hope of the Christian? Most would say that they hope to go to heaven when they die. They look at the world as it is, all of the pollution and natural disasters and poverty and perhaps cannot wait to get out of this place. It is common for Christians to say things like “This world is not my home” or “I am just passing through.” When a loved one passes away, we might say “He went home to be with the Lord.” All of that sounds very spiritual. The problem is that it is not quite correct. If you read through the book of Revelation, you will find a passage where there are the spirits of dead calling out to God, eager and restless for the consummation of God’s plan. That does not sound like our picture of heaven where we are in our final resting place. That is because heaven is not our final resting place. Earth is. That seems strange to us but it is the biblical truth. When I say that earth is our destination, I do not mean the earth exactly as it is now. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that creation is longing for resurrection as much as we are. One day, our bodies will be transformed into new resurrection bodies that will be built to survive eternity. The exact relationship between our old bodies and our new bodies is unknown. Jesus’ resurrection body, which was the prototype of the resurrection, was both like and unlike his earthly body. The same will be true for the resurrected earth, which Revelation calls the new earth. It will be like the old earth in a way, it will be physical and real, not a soft fuzzy cloud the way many people imagine heaven. But it will be different. It says there will be no more sea. In the Bible, the sea is an image of chaos and death. It was representative of that general foreboding in life that is completely out of our control. But in the next chapter, Revelation says that there will be rivers. Rivers are more closely associated with life. They provide irrigation for agriculture, water for drinking and so on. Rivers were places of assurance, not of fear. When I first began to read the Bible, I was confused regarding what people said about the afterlife and what the Bible says about the resurrection. Revelation tells us that we will spend our eternity on the new earth.
Place with God
As I say this, you might be slightly disappointed or even skeptical. After all, who would want to be stuck on earth rather than being in heaven with God? Even among the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they believe that an elite 144,000 will go to heaven and the rest of the good Jehovah’s Witnesses will get second class accommodations on the new earth. There is a big problem with that belief. Revelation says that God will come from heaven and dwell on earth with his people. Any place that God chooses is far from second rate. It does not say that God will make periodic visits, slumming with the humans. It says that God will make his dwelling on earth. In fact, in the next chapter, it says that we will not even need the sun, because God’s presence will provide all the light we need. This is what it is all about. The reason we study the Bible and worship and pray is not just to earn some points to avoid hell. We do this to deepen our relationship with God because our ultimate destiny is to be with God. Revelation 22:4 says that we will see God’s face. Take a moment to take that in. Throughout the Bible we are warned that we cannot see God’s face and if we tried we would be destroyed. Even Moses and Elijah were only given a glimpse of a part of God. But after the resurrection, we will be equipped to see God and not just survive the experience but to enjoy it. Our hope is spend eternity in God’s presence.
Place of Healing
It is fair to ask, what are the consequences of being in the presence of God? What will that mean to us? Will it be just the excitement of seeing a famous actor, musician or athlete? Will it be about a bunch of students asking the ultimate teacher all the theological, philosophical and scientific questions that we have always wondered about? Perhaps there will be some of that. But the emphasis in these passages is on healing. In a way that seems strange. If this after the resurrection, we will not have physical illnesses or weaknesses. What healing will be needed? We are told that God will wipe away every tear. I think that there are some things that will not be healed with just a new body. There are hurts that go deeper than the physical flesh. Notice that it is God himself that will wipe away every tear. He does not send an angel or a prophet, God himself will bring the healing. I think it is possible that there will be some tears that will not appear until this moment. We are so good at suppressing our hurts and pains, just so we can go on from day to day. Being in the presence of God will finally free us to look at all the things we have experienced, all the things we have lost, all the dreams that were dashed and confront them head on. And God will be there to wipe away our tears. As a parent, I enjoy many aspects of my relationship with the children. I enjoy playing with them, reading to them and so many other activities. But the most rewarding part of my role is when they are hurting either physically or emotionally and I am able to hold them and wipe away their tears. Just the other day, Abby was home for a visit. At one point she started to cry and seemed so sad. It was so nice to be able to hold her and comfort her in her pain. God will do that to each one of us.
Conclusion
How does the story end? I do not have all the details. I cannot give definitive details about dates, raptures or tribulations. But I do know something. Both we as individuals and our planet will experience a resurrection, a transformation from weakness to wholeness. We will live not as disembodied spirits floating in the clouds. We will have physical bodies and will live on a physical planet. This will not be a second rate eternity, for God himself will descend out of heaven and will dwell with us. The result of this will be a complete healing, not just of physical ills but of emotional and spiritual ones as well. There it is: the final chapter of the story. However, I am confident that these spoilers will far from spoil your enjoyment of the life God has given you.
Happy Birthday Mom!
Today would have been my mom's 79th birthday. Unfortunately, she died a couple of years ago from cancer. I have many great memories of my mom. She was a very loving person. She took care, not just of my dad and I, but of many people in her community. She has been a great inspiration to me. As much as there are good memories, the feeling of loss does not go away. This morning Justus found my mom's high school year book. It was from Merritton High School (same school I attended) from 1953. She looked so young. All I can do is to try and live my life in a way that she would be proud of. Miss you mom and happy birthday!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
(Luke 2:1–20 ESV)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas Letter 2010
This year has been an eventful year for our family. The most radical change has been with our daughter Abby. In July, Abby went to live in a group home. This was a difficult decision but it has worked out for the best. Abby has thrived there and our relationship with Abby has improved. At the time of this writing, Abby is home for her first overnight visit and it has gone so well that we extended it a day. Logan is doing very well at school and he is now in grade four. Justus started this year at "big boy school" with junior kindergarten. Emma and Faith are doing well in preschool. Faith had been having some language delays but the last few months have seen a drastic improvement.
Amanda has had an eventful year as well. Amanda switched over from the Bachelor of Theology program at University of South Africa to the Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies program at Laurentian University. Amanda has been helping me quite a bit at the church as well. She has begun preaching and takes the pulpit for me when I am on study leave. She is doing very well in these areas. Amanda also had an opportunity to go to Calgary to visit friends and family. She has applied to be a part of a mission trip to the Czech Republic.
I also have seen some changes. I switched from the Doctor of Theology program at University of South Africa to the Doctor of Ministry program at Acadia Divinity College. I also began the process of becoming a chaplain in the army reserves. I taught my first university course with 1 Corinthians at Tyndale University College in Toronto. I started a journal called Hope's Reason: A Journal of Apologetics. I presented two papers: one on the resurrection at the Catholic University at Louvain-La-Neuve in Belgium and the Evangelical Theological Society in Atlanta.
This has been a year of traveling for us. In February, Amanda and I went on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate our tenth anniversary. We renewed our vows in Florida. In April, we went to Belgium, both for the resurrection conference and to tour this beautiful country. In November, we went to Atlanta, where I attended the Evangelical Theological Society meetings and we both attended the Society of Biblical Literature meetings.
It has been a year of struggles and advances. Hard things happened, good things happened. New opportunities have opened up, while others have closed. Throughout it all, God has been with us. I am thankful for God's continues presence.
Amanda has had an eventful year as well. Amanda switched over from the Bachelor of Theology program at University of South Africa to the Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies program at Laurentian University. Amanda has been helping me quite a bit at the church as well. She has begun preaching and takes the pulpit for me when I am on study leave. She is doing very well in these areas. Amanda also had an opportunity to go to Calgary to visit friends and family. She has applied to be a part of a mission trip to the Czech Republic.
I also have seen some changes. I switched from the Doctor of Theology program at University of South Africa to the Doctor of Ministry program at Acadia Divinity College. I also began the process of becoming a chaplain in the army reserves. I taught my first university course with 1 Corinthians at Tyndale University College in Toronto. I started a journal called Hope's Reason: A Journal of Apologetics. I presented two papers: one on the resurrection at the Catholic University at Louvain-La-Neuve in Belgium and the Evangelical Theological Society in Atlanta.
This has been a year of traveling for us. In February, Amanda and I went on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate our tenth anniversary. We renewed our vows in Florida. In April, we went to Belgium, both for the resurrection conference and to tour this beautiful country. In November, we went to Atlanta, where I attended the Evangelical Theological Society meetings and we both attended the Society of Biblical Literature meetings.
It has been a year of struggles and advances. Hard things happened, good things happened. New opportunities have opened up, while others have closed. Throughout it all, God has been with us. I am thankful for God's continues presence.
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Love Test
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:7–21 NIV)
Introduction
Life is about tests. We take tests in school. We have to pass a test to get a driver’s license. We may have to take tests at work to pass certain qualifications. Even when we are not taking formal tests, we are still being tested. We are being tested by our friends and family, by our neighbours and community. Do we live what we say we believe? Are we people of integrity? One of the most obvious tests is the test of love. Do we really love or is it just a word to us? It would be natural for us as Christians to take some time and test ourselves to see if we really live up to the standards of Christian love. But that is not what we are going to do. Instead, we will look at it from a different perspective. What happens when we test God to see if he is really a loving God? This is an important issue. Many people who do not follow God, do so not because they have logically denied his existence, but because they are not fully convinced he is a loving God. One person has said “believe that, and you can believe everything else.” This is most definitely worth pursuing. But are we allowed to do this? Both the Old and New Testaments tell us to not put the Lord to the test. Is it completely wrong to test God? In the Old Testament, this command was given to the Israelites that had been brought out of Egypt who were ungrateful and rebellious. In the New Testament, Jesus says this to Satan as he tries to get Jesus to prove his relationship with God. These examples are coming from sinful motives, people who are not seeking God, but in their testing are mocking God. But in Malachi 3:10, God actually invites people to test him, to see for themselves if he is who he says he is. Let us take that as our invitation to put God under the love test.
Essence
John in his letter, begins the love test with a look at who God is in his essence. This is very important. Think of this from a human perspective. Based on who I am on the inside and the outside, there are certain things that I am never going to be. I am never going to be an opera singer or a sumo wrestler or a professional skydiver or a figure skater. It is not that I just need a bit of training, my very essence limits me from being certain things. To understand the things that I am capable of, you must take a look at who I really am. John tells us here that God is love. The test is whether or not God is loving, but John is talking about something different. John is saying that God actually is love in his essence. Very few of these statements are made in the Bible. We know God is light, God is spirit and God is a consuming fire. Now, we know that God is love. This is very unique for Christianity. There are many religions that believe in a god but none of them say that God is love. We have much in common with Muslims, but you will not find this statement in the Qur’an. Muslims would say that God loves people who follow and obey him, but not that God is love in his essence. Even Judaism, the parent religion that Christianity emerges from, does not have a statement like this. They would acknowledge that God loves people, but not that God was love in his essence. This statement by John is a radical statement about who God is. This is actually one of our evidences for the Trinity. Long before humanity was created, God was still love as there was love between the Father and Son and Spirit. This does not mean that God does put this love into action toward humanity, but it is the starting point for our investigation. If God is love, that is a good indication that he has potential to demonstrate this love.
Action
It is not enough to have an essence or even a character. For example, imagine a person who has a keen mind, ready wit and a good speaking voice. They are naturally gifted to be a compelling public speaker. But just having those qualities does not mean that they are put into practice. The same goes for God. Being a Trinity, God is not required to act lovingly toward us. He could still be love in essence and never demonstrate it toward humanity. That is why John takes this discussion to the next step. It is fair to ask: what has God ever done for us? There are many things, but the ultimate example is that of the giving of his Son. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9–10 NIV) This tells us much about how God puts love into action. God did not just send us a little note saying: “I love you.” He made it personal by sending his very Son. God did this, not as a response to our love, but as a result of his love. In fact, people had not been very receptive to his prophets, so sending his Son did not really seem logical. But love is not logical. John also reminds us that God did not send his Son just for a little visit. I love bringing my children with me, showing off how great they are. That is not what God was trying to do. The gift of the Son was to become an atoning sacrifice. This could only happen by the death of Jesus. That is how much God loved us. In order to bring us into right relationship with God, God allowed his Son to die. That is love in action.
The Plan
So far none of this has been too surprising. Christians do not hide the fact that God is love or that Jesus was God’s love in action. But there is another way that God shows himself as loving, one that we may not be as aware of. God did not end his plan of showing love with Jesus, in fact it was only the beginning. God’s plan was that there would be a group of people who would follow Jesus and that they would bind themselves together in a common love for God and people. It is interesting to look at how people looked at the early Christians. There was much that they did not like. They thought that the Christian beliefs were strange and they did not like their refusal to worship the emperor. But there is one thing that they did not doubt: that the Christians lived a life of love. Throughout history we can see people and groups that have lived out this love. We can think of individuals and organizations in recent years that have clearly demonstrated God’s love. But the plan was never to have just a few special people. The plan was that God should be able to say to a skeptical world: “Do you wonder if I am a loving God, look at my people and the way they live.” That is a frightening thought. We are a part of the test of whether or not God is loving. Are we helping or hurting his chances of passing?
Conclusion
Is God a loving God? There are three tests. What is his essence? God is love. What action has he taken? God has sent his Son to die for our sins. What is his plan? God has created a church from every culture and tradition, a people who follow his Son and who are called to love as God loves. If ever there has been a question of whether God is loving, it is with this last test. But if we know our role, we can embrace our calling. As John says: “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:21 NIV)
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:7–21 NIV)
Introduction
Life is about tests. We take tests in school. We have to pass a test to get a driver’s license. We may have to take tests at work to pass certain qualifications. Even when we are not taking formal tests, we are still being tested. We are being tested by our friends and family, by our neighbours and community. Do we live what we say we believe? Are we people of integrity? One of the most obvious tests is the test of love. Do we really love or is it just a word to us? It would be natural for us as Christians to take some time and test ourselves to see if we really live up to the standards of Christian love. But that is not what we are going to do. Instead, we will look at it from a different perspective. What happens when we test God to see if he is really a loving God? This is an important issue. Many people who do not follow God, do so not because they have logically denied his existence, but because they are not fully convinced he is a loving God. One person has said “believe that, and you can believe everything else.” This is most definitely worth pursuing. But are we allowed to do this? Both the Old and New Testaments tell us to not put the Lord to the test. Is it completely wrong to test God? In the Old Testament, this command was given to the Israelites that had been brought out of Egypt who were ungrateful and rebellious. In the New Testament, Jesus says this to Satan as he tries to get Jesus to prove his relationship with God. These examples are coming from sinful motives, people who are not seeking God, but in their testing are mocking God. But in Malachi 3:10, God actually invites people to test him, to see for themselves if he is who he says he is. Let us take that as our invitation to put God under the love test.
Essence
John in his letter, begins the love test with a look at who God is in his essence. This is very important. Think of this from a human perspective. Based on who I am on the inside and the outside, there are certain things that I am never going to be. I am never going to be an opera singer or a sumo wrestler or a professional skydiver or a figure skater. It is not that I just need a bit of training, my very essence limits me from being certain things. To understand the things that I am capable of, you must take a look at who I really am. John tells us here that God is love. The test is whether or not God is loving, but John is talking about something different. John is saying that God actually is love in his essence. Very few of these statements are made in the Bible. We know God is light, God is spirit and God is a consuming fire. Now, we know that God is love. This is very unique for Christianity. There are many religions that believe in a god but none of them say that God is love. We have much in common with Muslims, but you will not find this statement in the Qur’an. Muslims would say that God loves people who follow and obey him, but not that God is love in his essence. Even Judaism, the parent religion that Christianity emerges from, does not have a statement like this. They would acknowledge that God loves people, but not that God was love in his essence. This statement by John is a radical statement about who God is. This is actually one of our evidences for the Trinity. Long before humanity was created, God was still love as there was love between the Father and Son and Spirit. This does not mean that God does put this love into action toward humanity, but it is the starting point for our investigation. If God is love, that is a good indication that he has potential to demonstrate this love.
Action
It is not enough to have an essence or even a character. For example, imagine a person who has a keen mind, ready wit and a good speaking voice. They are naturally gifted to be a compelling public speaker. But just having those qualities does not mean that they are put into practice. The same goes for God. Being a Trinity, God is not required to act lovingly toward us. He could still be love in essence and never demonstrate it toward humanity. That is why John takes this discussion to the next step. It is fair to ask: what has God ever done for us? There are many things, but the ultimate example is that of the giving of his Son. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9–10 NIV) This tells us much about how God puts love into action. God did not just send us a little note saying: “I love you.” He made it personal by sending his very Son. God did this, not as a response to our love, but as a result of his love. In fact, people had not been very receptive to his prophets, so sending his Son did not really seem logical. But love is not logical. John also reminds us that God did not send his Son just for a little visit. I love bringing my children with me, showing off how great they are. That is not what God was trying to do. The gift of the Son was to become an atoning sacrifice. This could only happen by the death of Jesus. That is how much God loved us. In order to bring us into right relationship with God, God allowed his Son to die. That is love in action.
The Plan
So far none of this has been too surprising. Christians do not hide the fact that God is love or that Jesus was God’s love in action. But there is another way that God shows himself as loving, one that we may not be as aware of. God did not end his plan of showing love with Jesus, in fact it was only the beginning. God’s plan was that there would be a group of people who would follow Jesus and that they would bind themselves together in a common love for God and people. It is interesting to look at how people looked at the early Christians. There was much that they did not like. They thought that the Christian beliefs were strange and they did not like their refusal to worship the emperor. But there is one thing that they did not doubt: that the Christians lived a life of love. Throughout history we can see people and groups that have lived out this love. We can think of individuals and organizations in recent years that have clearly demonstrated God’s love. But the plan was never to have just a few special people. The plan was that God should be able to say to a skeptical world: “Do you wonder if I am a loving God, look at my people and the way they live.” That is a frightening thought. We are a part of the test of whether or not God is loving. Are we helping or hurting his chances of passing?
Conclusion
Is God a loving God? There are three tests. What is his essence? God is love. What action has he taken? God has sent his Son to die for our sins. What is his plan? God has created a church from every culture and tradition, a people who follow his Son and who are called to love as God loves. If ever there has been a question of whether God is loving, it is with this last test. But if we know our role, we can embrace our calling. As John says: “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:21 NIV)
Friday, December 17, 2010
A Thoughtful Child
So I was reading to the boys tonight. I start off with a chapter or two from Guardians of Ga'hoole and then a book that Justus will like as well. In between the books, an interesting conversation took place. I will not go into detail but Justus asked the following questions:
Where are people before they are born?
Where is heaven?
Was God ever a baby?
As I stumbled through some answers, Justus sensed my surprise and said to me: "Dad, just read the book." When I hear these things, I am amazed at Christians who say we should not ask questions because the Bible says we should have a child-like faith. If asking the hard questions is not child-like, I am not sure what is. Perhaps the problem is that as adults we get to lazy to ask the hard questions. I see Justus putting all of my seminary training to the test. Of that, I am thankful.
Where are people before they are born?
Where is heaven?
Was God ever a baby?
As I stumbled through some answers, Justus sensed my surprise and said to me: "Dad, just read the book." When I hear these things, I am amazed at Christians who say we should not ask questions because the Bible says we should have a child-like faith. If asking the hard questions is not child-like, I am not sure what is. Perhaps the problem is that as adults we get to lazy to ask the hard questions. I see Justus putting all of my seminary training to the test. Of that, I am thankful.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Proud of Our School
We attended the Christmas presentation today at our children's school St. Vincent Euphrasia. It was a lot of fun watching the children sing and dance. Justus did a great job. We laughed when he was the only child to bow after his class' song. Of course it was all generic Christmas celebrations with songs about Santa Claus and Christmas trees. That is completely appropriate, after all SVE is not a religious school. There would be families there from different traditions and some with no interest in religion at all. It is not a public school's job to put on a religious presentation. However, this year as in previous years, they did include a Christian Christmas carol. This year it was Come All Ye Faithful, which has such a wonderful message of Jesus' birth. As a Christian, I appreciate that they acknowledge that even in this post-Christian world, that the birth of Jesus is still an important part of many people's celebrations. In Canadian society, many schools would feel the pressure to avoid any mention of religion and to keep a generic holiday completely free of any Christ. SVE has the courage to include such a song in a tasteful and natural way that respects the Christian families while being sensitive to the non-Christian families. I appreciate their balance. Merry Christmas SVE!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ligonier Ministries
Here are some great resources from Ligonier Ministries:
Buy R.C. Sproul's "Chosen By God" for $10.40. Shop Today!
Buy "The Last Days According to Jesus" from R.C. Sproul. Shop Now!
Buy R.C. Sproul's "The Consequences of Ideas" for only $12.80. Shop Now!
Buy "The Prince's Poison Cup" children novel by R.C. Sproul. Shop now!
Buy "Dust To Glory" by R.C.Sproul. Shop Now!
Buy "The Prince's Poison Cup" DVD by Dr. R.C. Sproul. Shop Now!
Buy "Providence: God in Control" in audio. Shop Now!
Buy R.C. Sproul's "Surprised by Suffering" Hardcover for only $12.00. Shop Now!
Resources for the serious Christian. Find your reformed theology resources at Ligonier.org. Shop Now!
Buy R.C. Sproul's "Chosen By God" for $10.40. Shop Today!
Buy "The Last Days According to Jesus" from R.C. Sproul. Shop Now!
Buy R.C. Sproul's "The Consequences of Ideas" for only $12.80. Shop Now!
Buy "The Prince's Poison Cup" children novel by R.C. Sproul. Shop now!
Buy "Dust To Glory" by R.C.Sproul. Shop Now!
Buy "The Prince's Poison Cup" DVD by Dr. R.C. Sproul. Shop Now!
Buy "Providence: God in Control" in audio. Shop Now!
Buy R.C. Sproul's "Surprised by Suffering" Hardcover for only $12.00. Shop Now!
Resources for the serious Christian. Find your reformed theology resources at Ligonier.org. Shop Now!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
At the same time, this is an incredible book. First of all, Metaxas is extremely successful in igniting an interest in Bonhoeffer, and hopefully readers will read some of Bonhoeffer's own works, as well as that by Bonhoeffer scholars. Metaxas helpfully puts Bonhoeffer into his historical contexts and the importance of his interactions with the thinkers of his time such Von Harnack, Niebuhr, Barth and George Bell. Metaxas also is very good at painting a picture of what could happen when a Christian combines deep theological reflection with a commitment to social justice. This book left me wanting to be a better scholar and a better pastor and most of all to bridge the gap between the two.
I highly recommend this book. It is an inspiring account of the life, times and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Faith or Works?
Last week at church we looked at the idea of faith or works with an emphasis on James.
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
(James 2:14–26 NIV)
The challenge is that Paul uses the same passage from Genesis regarding Abraham to prove that justification is by faith alone. Are Paul and James contradicting each other? Not at all. Paul and James are writing for different purposes. Paul is writing theology, James is writing ethics. Paul wants to know how to become a Christian, James wants to know what the Christian life looks like. Paul is right that Abraham was justified by faith. But James is right that the faith Abraham had took him beyond the moment he said 'yes' to God's promises. It took him from the starry sky to the place of lifting his knife above Isaac. We are saved by faith alone, but the Christian life must be marked by faith manifested in works.
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
(James 2:14–26 NIV)
The challenge is that Paul uses the same passage from Genesis regarding Abraham to prove that justification is by faith alone. Are Paul and James contradicting each other? Not at all. Paul and James are writing for different purposes. Paul is writing theology, James is writing ethics. Paul wants to know how to become a Christian, James wants to know what the Christian life looks like. Paul is right that Abraham was justified by faith. But James is right that the faith Abraham had took him beyond the moment he said 'yes' to God's promises. It took him from the starry sky to the place of lifting his knife above Isaac. We are saved by faith alone, but the Christian life must be marked by faith manifested in works.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Candlelight Services
One of the most memorable parts of Christmas growing up for me was attending candlelight services. There is something about the light of a candle in a dark church. It speaks to the light of Christ in this dark world. There are a couple of candlelight services that people in the Meaford/Owen Sound area are invited to attend. On Sunday, December 12 at 7:00 pm there will be a candlelight service at First Baptist Church Meaford. On Tuesday, December 21 at 7:30 pm there will be a candlelight service at Woodford Baptist Church. Everyone is welcome to join us for this celebration of Jesus' birth.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Who Are You Praying To?
How we pray is shaped very much by who we believe we are praying to. How does God respond to our prayers? Does he dismiss our concerns as meaningless? Does God know our struggles simply by observation? This passage reminds us that God knows our concerns by experience. Through Jesus Christ, he has gone through all the things we have gone through. This is not just a theoretical concept of the incarnation, it is a reason for us to rush to the throne of grace in full confidence.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Upside Down Christmas
We recently purchased an upside down Christmas tree. Someone on Facebook mentioned there was a blog post in there and so I am giving it a shot. On a practical level, it is a great thing for us with young children, a dog and a cat. It is just very convenient. But on another level, it is symbolic of what Christmas is all about. Christmas is supposed to be an upside down celebration. What is Christmas? God decided to come to earth to fulfill the promises of restoration found in the Old Testament. In what form did God appear? Not as an angel or a king or a priestly ruler. God appeared as a real flesh and blood baby born to poor working class parents. That is completely upside down. How did Jesus save us? He did not instigate a revolution to physically overthrow the powers of evil, Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. That is completely upside down. This upside down nature of Christmas continues to challenge us to transform our values. Society says it is about what we get, God says it is what we give. In what ways can we take the current views of life in general and Christmas celebrations in particular and turn them upside down?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
(Matthew 5:3–11 ESV)
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Bonhoeffer Book
I am currently reading Eric Metaxas' book on Bonhoeffer. I will be doing a review when I am finished but I wanted to say that already I am loving it. I highly recommend this book. Here is some information and a link to purchase it from Christian Book Distributors.
 | Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy By Eric Metaxas / Thomas Nelson As Adolf Hitler and the Nazi's seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted the extermination of European Jews, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Widely known as the author of the classic works, The Cost of Discipleship, Life Together and, arguably, some of the most important theological works of the 20th century including Act & Being, Sanctorum Communio and Ethics. Bonhoeffer is also widely known for his 1945 execution in Flossenberg concentration camp for attempting to assassinate Hitler. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy is the first fully comprehensive biography of Bonhoeffer in more than 40 years. Written by best-selling NY Times author Eric Metaxes, he presents both sides of Bonhoeffer's life, as theologian and as conspirator drawing them together to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil. Presenting a deeply moving narrative, using previously unavailable documents-including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and first-hand personal accounts, Metaxas reveals dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and theology never before seen. Furthermore, Metaxas presents the fullest accounting of Bonhoeffer's heart-wrenching 1939 decision to leave the safety of America for the lion's den of Hitler's Germany, and using extended excerpts from love letters and coded messages written to and from Bonhoeffer's Cell 92, we are allowed to see for the first time the full story of Bonhoeffer's passionate and tragic romance. Finally, Bonhoeffer gives witness to the extraordinary faith of an incredible human being, while also illuminating the tortured fate of a nation he sought to deliver from the evil tyranny of National Socialism, and its political party, the Nazi party. The reader will come face to face with a man determine to do the will of God radically, courageously, and even to the point of death. Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer |
A Big Change
For the last year or so, I have been a doctor of theology student at the University of South Africa. I have not been to South Africa but have been researching at home. After some reflection, prayer and discussion with Amanda, I made the difficult decision to drop out of UNISA. There were a number of reasons. One was that UNISA is a large international university and it was very difficult for any communication to take place. The bureaucracy was too much for me. Secondly, I felt like the direction of where my dissertation was going was not consistent with where I see God leading me in ministry.
Amanda suggested that I look into Acadia Divinity College. I did my masters' work at McMaster Divinity College and Acadia is our sister school. I knew of a number of their professors and so I checked it out. I was extremely impressed with Acadia's Doctor of Ministry program, especially their focus on theology and biblical studies for ministry. I also like the partnership they had with the Arrow Leadership Program, of which I am a grad. So I made the decision and applied for admission. Today I received word that I was accepted into the Doctor of Ministry program at Acadia Divinity College. I am very excited about this program. It will be week long courses in the Fall and Spring and I will be remaining at Woodford and First Baptist Church Meaford during my studies.
Amanda suggested that I look into Acadia Divinity College. I did my masters' work at McMaster Divinity College and Acadia is our sister school. I knew of a number of their professors and so I checked it out. I was extremely impressed with Acadia's Doctor of Ministry program, especially their focus on theology and biblical studies for ministry. I also like the partnership they had with the Arrow Leadership Program, of which I am a grad. So I made the decision and applied for admission. Today I received word that I was accepted into the Doctor of Ministry program at Acadia Divinity College. I am very excited about this program. It will be week long courses in the Fall and Spring and I will be remaining at Woodford and First Baptist Church Meaford during my studies.
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