He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts. ~Samuel Johnson
Every growing ministry is dominated predominately by positive thinking. When negative thinking grows in a ministry then the positive passion and power of that ministry fades and it begins to diminish. It is important therefore that we promote positive thinking in the ministry and resist the temptation to be negative. Only when there is more positive thinking than negative thinking will our ministry be healthy and growing.
What is realistic positive thinking?
Look at the best side of a situation while acknowledging problems
Believing that God can change me and others
Believe in God answering prayer in a positive way
Having hope in what God will do with in the future
Supporting positive comments and encouraging faith in others
Avoiding griping, complaining, and murmuring
Find true encouraging things to say about myself and others
Confess my sins with the confidence that God forgives me my sins in Christ Jesus
Pray for the pastor, leaders, and the other people in the church while praising God
As led by the Holy Spirit try new or challenging things hopeful that God will use them
Get better as I reflect about the past, identify mistakes, and gain wisdom from it
Encourage new, creative, and inventive ideas and see them as possible
Try to see new things from new perspectives. Seek to grow as a Christian and person.
Take prayerful and thoughtful risks
Be encouraged by those who are looking for the “up side” of a disaster
Believe that God is working all things together for good
Praise attempts to fix a dysfunctional situation
Be open to changing my point of view to see things more from God’s perspective
Believe I am realistic not optimistic
What is negative thinking?
I look at the worst side of a situation and make that the focus.
I lack the belief that I could change or others could change
I lose hope in the future being better
I take the opposing view in any positive conversation
I never make upbeat or uplifting comments about myself or others
I turn conversations into griping, complaining, or murmuring sessions
I spread rumors and gossip about leaders and suspect them of evil without proof
I complain about the pastor, the leaders, and other people in the church, and even God
I try nothing new or challenging because I feel that I will fail.
I get bitter over how people treat me.
I put down new, creative, and inventive ideas as impossible without being willing to brain storm.
I limit my vision of what God could be doing in my life.
I take no risks.
I am cynical towards those who are looking for an “up” side of a tragedy, failure, or disaster.
I ridicule those who say “all things are working together for good.”
I ridicule attempts to fix dysfunctional situations.
I tell people I am realistic not pessimistic.
No one is totally positive or negative. These tendencies will go up and down in each of us as individuals and as a ministry as a whole. Where the majority of the people and the weight of the emotional energy is positive then growth will normally occur.
People are attracted to positive organizations and repelled by negative ones. We should strive therefore to be realistically positive in all we do if we want the ministry to grow. It is by promoting such an attitude that we will enjoy the ministry that God has given to us and attach other people to it as well.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part four
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10 ESV)
We must love one another as we really are and not as we would ideally like others to be. We must honor each other in our imperfect state and not in some ideal state in which we have no faults. We are called to love and honor real broken people and not some "ideal" Christians who do not exist in the real world.
The love we are to have for other Christians is unconditional. It is not based on their performance. The honor we are to give them is also unconditional. It is not based on their performance. Only unconditional love and honor last since everyone we love and honor is a sinner. Because those we love and honor sin we will eventually find fault with them if we look for it. If our love and honor is conditional upon their performance then we will find reason not to love and honor them.
This is entirely different than the way the unbelieving world system operates. Love and honor are earned by good performance. Here in the kingdom of Christ they are given as a gift to all who call upon the name of the Lord Messiah Jesus. Doing Church well means that we strive to feel love and honor for every Christian seeing in them God's image and God's child. We see in them the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. We embrace them as God's child and our spiritual sibling. This is all done as a gift even as we have been accepted by God in Messiah Jesus as a gift.
Only a focus on grace can allow us to do church well.
We must love one another as we really are and not as we would ideally like others to be. We must honor each other in our imperfect state and not in some ideal state in which we have no faults. We are called to love and honor real broken people and not some "ideal" Christians who do not exist in the real world.
The love we are to have for other Christians is unconditional. It is not based on their performance. The honor we are to give them is also unconditional. It is not based on their performance. Only unconditional love and honor last since everyone we love and honor is a sinner. Because those we love and honor sin we will eventually find fault with them if we look for it. If our love and honor is conditional upon their performance then we will find reason not to love and honor them.
This is entirely different than the way the unbelieving world system operates. Love and honor are earned by good performance. Here in the kingdom of Christ they are given as a gift to all who call upon the name of the Lord Messiah Jesus. Doing Church well means that we strive to feel love and honor for every Christian seeing in them God's image and God's child. We see in them the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. We embrace them as God's child and our spiritual sibling. This is all done as a gift even as we have been accepted by God in Messiah Jesus as a gift.
Only a focus on grace can allow us to do church well.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Did Haiti Make A Pact With The Devil?
Did Haiti make a pact with the devil and was this the reason they have suffered.
"They were under the heel of the French, you know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the prince.' True story. And so the devil said, 'Ok it’s a deal.' And they kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got something themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another,”
Rev. Pat Robertson
I. Did the Haitian people make a pact with the devil?
Bois Caïman (Haitian Creole: Bwa Kayiman) is the site of the Vodou ceremony presided over by Dutty Boukman on August 14, 1791. The stated purpose of the ritual was to attempt to overthrow French rule, which was based on slave labor. This occurred during the French Revolution and not during the rule of Napoleon the Third (20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) so Dr. Pat Robertson’s story is not a true story.
According to the official "History of Haiti and the Haitian Revolution", in 1791 the following events occurred:
A man named Boukman, another houngan (male priest of the voodoo religion), organized on August 14, 1791, a meeting with the slaves in the mountains of the North. This meeting took the form of a Voodoo ceremony in the Bois Caiman in the northern mountains of the island. It was raining and the sky was raging with clouds; the slaves then started confessing their resentment of their condition. A woman started dancing languorously in the crowd, taken by the spirits of the loas. With a knife in her hand, she cut the throat of a pig and distributed the blood to all the participants of the meeting who swore to kill all the whites on the island. On August 22, 1791, the blacks of the North entered into a rebellion, killing all the whites they met and setting the plantations of the colony on fire. However, the French quickly captured the leader of the slaves, Boukman, and beheaded him, bringing the rebellion under control.
It is widely accepted as the starting point for the Haitian Revolution. The ceremony was first documented in 1814 by Antoine Dalmas in his book History of the Saint-Domingue Revolution.
This was a pagan ceremony and was based on the beliefs common in Africa. It was not a “pact with the devil” since it was not done from the framework of the Christian faith. Like most pagans there was a religious ceremony which sought for magical strength and victory over their enemies by making as sacrifice. This had more to do with the idea that the “spirit of the warrior” which was in the ceremony would come into those who drank the blood. Christianity unfortunately was identified with slavery and oppression.
II. Is it right to think that people who suffer disasters are worst sinners than those who do not suffer such disasters?
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (Luke 13:1 ESV)
And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? (Luke 13:2 ESV)
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3 ESV)
Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? (Luke 13:4 ESV)
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5 ESV)
III. Does God judge us for what our ancestors did?
The word of the LORD came to me: (Ezekiel 18:1 ESV)
"What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? (Ezekiel 18:2 ESV)
As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. (Ezekiel 18:3 ESV)
IV. Christian Response to Dr. Pat Robertson’s comments
Dr. Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas said, "It is absolute arrogance to try to interpret any of God's actions as a judgment against this person or that person. … Our duty as Christians is to try to help these people pray for these people and to help them."
Franklin Graham, the evangelist son of Billy Graham and president of the Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, said he also disagrees with Robertson's assessment.
Graham's group is working in Haiti to provide humanitarian relief and, Graham said, he plans to go to the country in the coming days. "He must have misspoken," Graham said of Robertson. "But we need to get on the path of helping people right now. God loves the people of Haiti. He hasn't turned his back on Haiti."
IV. The faith of Haiti
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo
The Struggle of Haiti
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. While the economy has recovered in recent years, registering positive growth since 2005, four tropical storms in 2008 severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and agricultural sector. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has boosted apparel exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. HOPE II, passed in October 2008, has further improved the export environment for the apparel sector by extending preferences to 2018; the apparel sector accounts for two-thirds of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffers from high inflation, a lack of investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. Haiti is expected to receive debt forgiveness for about $525 million of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative by mid-2009. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. (CIA Factbook)
V. Responding to the need by sending funds to Samaritan Purse
The first Samaritan’s Purse cargo plane arrived in Haiti Wednesday with emergency relief supplies for victims of the massive earthquake that rocked the country on Tuesday. The initial shipment included shelter material, hygiene kits, and water purification kits, as well as members of our disaster response team.
Our team is comprised of veterans of many disaster responses, but even they were shocked by what they encountered when they arrived.
“The streets are full of people that have no home to go back to,” said Dr. David Gettle, medical advisor. “They’re running out of food, fuel, and water. The situation is desperate and tense, and there is tremendous suffering.”
Three more flights with personnel and critically needed relief supplies landed Friday. Staff arriving included our team leader, two water engineers, and eight medical personnel to join Dr. Gettle.
Samaritan’s Purse deployed a disaster response team just hours after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Caribbean in decades to help with water, shelter, medical care, and other emergency needs.
“The damage is staggering in a nation where three out of four people live on less than $2 a day,” Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham said. “The people of Haiti need our help like never before.”
We are partnering with HCJB Global, a medical ministry out of Ecuador that will be sending six doctors to join our medical advisor. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is deploying chaplains from its Rapid Response Team to help our team meet spiritual needs.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/responding_to_haiti_earthquake/#
"They were under the heel of the French, you know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the prince.' True story. And so the devil said, 'Ok it’s a deal.' And they kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got something themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after another,”
Rev. Pat Robertson
I. Did the Haitian people make a pact with the devil?
Bois Caïman (Haitian Creole: Bwa Kayiman) is the site of the Vodou ceremony presided over by Dutty Boukman on August 14, 1791. The stated purpose of the ritual was to attempt to overthrow French rule, which was based on slave labor. This occurred during the French Revolution and not during the rule of Napoleon the Third (20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) so Dr. Pat Robertson’s story is not a true story.
According to the official "History of Haiti and the Haitian Revolution", in 1791 the following events occurred:
A man named Boukman, another houngan (male priest of the voodoo religion), organized on August 14, 1791, a meeting with the slaves in the mountains of the North. This meeting took the form of a Voodoo ceremony in the Bois Caiman in the northern mountains of the island. It was raining and the sky was raging with clouds; the slaves then started confessing their resentment of their condition. A woman started dancing languorously in the crowd, taken by the spirits of the loas. With a knife in her hand, she cut the throat of a pig and distributed the blood to all the participants of the meeting who swore to kill all the whites on the island. On August 22, 1791, the blacks of the North entered into a rebellion, killing all the whites they met and setting the plantations of the colony on fire. However, the French quickly captured the leader of the slaves, Boukman, and beheaded him, bringing the rebellion under control.
It is widely accepted as the starting point for the Haitian Revolution. The ceremony was first documented in 1814 by Antoine Dalmas in his book History of the Saint-Domingue Revolution.
This was a pagan ceremony and was based on the beliefs common in Africa. It was not a “pact with the devil” since it was not done from the framework of the Christian faith. Like most pagans there was a religious ceremony which sought for magical strength and victory over their enemies by making as sacrifice. This had more to do with the idea that the “spirit of the warrior” which was in the ceremony would come into those who drank the blood. Christianity unfortunately was identified with slavery and oppression.
II. Is it right to think that people who suffer disasters are worst sinners than those who do not suffer such disasters?
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (Luke 13:1 ESV)
And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? (Luke 13:2 ESV)
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3 ESV)
Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? (Luke 13:4 ESV)
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5 ESV)
III. Does God judge us for what our ancestors did?
The word of the LORD came to me: (Ezekiel 18:1 ESV)
"What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? (Ezekiel 18:2 ESV)
As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. (Ezekiel 18:3 ESV)
IV. Christian Response to Dr. Pat Robertson’s comments
Dr. Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas said, "It is absolute arrogance to try to interpret any of God's actions as a judgment against this person or that person. … Our duty as Christians is to try to help these people pray for these people and to help them."
Franklin Graham, the evangelist son of Billy Graham and president of the Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, said he also disagrees with Robertson's assessment.
Graham's group is working in Haiti to provide humanitarian relief and, Graham said, he plans to go to the country in the coming days. "He must have misspoken," Graham said of Robertson. "But we need to get on the path of helping people right now. God loves the people of Haiti. He hasn't turned his back on Haiti."
IV. The faith of Haiti
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo
The Struggle of Haiti
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. While the economy has recovered in recent years, registering positive growth since 2005, four tropical storms in 2008 severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and agricultural sector. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has boosted apparel exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. HOPE II, passed in October 2008, has further improved the export environment for the apparel sector by extending preferences to 2018; the apparel sector accounts for two-thirds of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffers from high inflation, a lack of investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. Haiti is expected to receive debt forgiveness for about $525 million of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative by mid-2009. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. (CIA Factbook)
V. Responding to the need by sending funds to Samaritan Purse
The first Samaritan’s Purse cargo plane arrived in Haiti Wednesday with emergency relief supplies for victims of the massive earthquake that rocked the country on Tuesday. The initial shipment included shelter material, hygiene kits, and water purification kits, as well as members of our disaster response team.
Our team is comprised of veterans of many disaster responses, but even they were shocked by what they encountered when they arrived.
“The streets are full of people that have no home to go back to,” said Dr. David Gettle, medical advisor. “They’re running out of food, fuel, and water. The situation is desperate and tense, and there is tremendous suffering.”
Three more flights with personnel and critically needed relief supplies landed Friday. Staff arriving included our team leader, two water engineers, and eight medical personnel to join Dr. Gettle.
Samaritan’s Purse deployed a disaster response team just hours after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Caribbean in decades to help with water, shelter, medical care, and other emergency needs.
“The damage is staggering in a nation where three out of four people live on less than $2 a day,” Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham said. “The people of Haiti need our help like never before.”
We are partnering with HCJB Global, a medical ministry out of Ecuador that will be sending six doctors to join our medical advisor. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is deploying chaplains from its Rapid Response Team to help our team meet spiritual needs.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/responding_to_haiti_earthquake/#
Monday, January 11, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part Three
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34,35 ESV)
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The hard thing about doing church is that it is a group activity. From the time of the desert monks it was seen by many people that it was easier to at least feel holy if you did not have to interact with other people. It is easy to love human kind and not be able to stand people.
It is in that dynamic fellowship of different personalities, cultures, genders, philosophies, options, tastes, outlooks, and experiences that we are tested to have healthy, caring, compassionate, honest, encouraging, and challenging relationships. This is what makes up the fellowship of the church. A group of diverse strangers striving to live as the family of Messiah Jesus.
The only thing we have in common is our Messiah Jesus. That connection to Him is suppose to be enough to allow us to connect to each other in caring, compassionate, gentle, and healthy ways so that we can help, encourage, and nurture each other towards becoming more like Messiah Jesus and doing His will on earth together. Being "in Messiah Jesus" is to make us united and one.
Any reading of the New Testament points out how hard this was. The Jews did not respect the Gentiles. The Gentiles could hate the Jews. Women were seen as inferior to men in the Roman empire and women could want to disrespect men in the new freedom offered in Christ. Rich Christians could fear that the poor Christians were trying to take advantage of their relationship with Christ and the poor Christians could judge the rich Christians as lacking in compassion when they did not respond to their needs.
The Apostles themselves struggled to find a practical answer on how to overcome the culture wars between Jew and Gentile in the church (see Acts 15). At the very least many of the followers of James and Paul saw the two men having different solutions to the "Gentile problem." Paul will have friends and co-workers such as Hymeneus and Alexander (1Ti_1:19, 1Ti_1:20) and Demas (2Ti_4:10) who will have their faith ship wrecked. Peter and Paul will have conflict as well because Peter will act in a hypocritical manner. (Gal 2).
Christians in the New Testament struggled with still practicing sexual sins, gossip, self righteous judgement, taking each other to court, splitting up into cliques, forming personality cults, bringing pagan ideas into the church, forsaking sound doctrine, getting involved in strange views of prophecy, misuse of spiritual gifts, rebellion against leadership, and leaders abusing those who followed. These problems which are all recorded in the New Testament we see continue after the age of the Apostles and repeated all during church history. The continued moral brokenness of Christians manifest itself in the practical fellowship of believers making it hard to show love for each other.
The Messiah Jesus actually makes success in loving each other the mark by which the unbelieving world is suppose to be able to tell if people are disciples of the Messiah. When the world sees sacrificial love within a fellowship of people who claim to follow Messiah Jesus then they can know they have found the "real"thing. Messiah Jesus makes real love the way people can know the genuine disciples from those who only claim discipleship. This raises loving each other to the top priority for the church.
But how to practically do that when each of us is so broken and has so much baggage is a hard problem to solve. Many Christians do not know how to have healthy human relationships in any aspect of their lives and so there is little likelihood they will succeed in "loving" Christians at church where they have less connection to than their family and friends. So the failure of the church to be a community of love is easier to understand than when it succeeds.
Now, by the grace of God the church has shown Christ like love to each other. The New Testament believers took care of widows and orphans, made sure that no poor Christian went without food and shelter, overcame the cultural differences between Jew and Gentile with wisdom, and gathered together in a communion of truth and good works (Acts 2:41-47). This would lead to the ancient world commenting on the early church "We are amazed at how they love one another." Therefore, at a practical level, with all the imperfections, the early church did demonstrate substantial love that was recognized by the world. We must always remember to look at the glass half empty and half full when we strive to understand the church. Never perfection only direction.
In my life I have seen Christians love each other in profound ways. I have seen people sacrifice time, money, and life to help others. I have seen the body of
Christ demonstrate real and amazing love towards others and myself. Such times fill my heart with joy even now.
However, it seems that over long periods of time it is hard for Christians to remain in a fellowship or church without this love breaking down. Social politics, personalities, failed dreams, desire for power and control, different opinions, cliques, gossip, judging each other, lack of respect, poor communication, unresolved conflicts, envy, competition, and desire to dominate; all begin to surface more and more, eventually breaking up friendships and fellowships; sometimes in some very ugly ways. It seems hard to establish long term healthy and committed relationships in the body of Christ.
It is hard to do church well. What can we do? We must become aware of how hard it is to really practice love. We need to look for ways we can increase in our love for each other. How are my actions hurting other Christians? In what way am I falling short of loving others as Messiah Jesus loved me? How can we maintain and increase unity with each other? How can we show respect for leaders? How can we give encouragement to followers? How can we do the church well and really love one another? That is one of the greatest challenges of our lives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The hard thing about doing church is that it is a group activity. From the time of the desert monks it was seen by many people that it was easier to at least feel holy if you did not have to interact with other people. It is easy to love human kind and not be able to stand people.
It is in that dynamic fellowship of different personalities, cultures, genders, philosophies, options, tastes, outlooks, and experiences that we are tested to have healthy, caring, compassionate, honest, encouraging, and challenging relationships. This is what makes up the fellowship of the church. A group of diverse strangers striving to live as the family of Messiah Jesus.
The only thing we have in common is our Messiah Jesus. That connection to Him is suppose to be enough to allow us to connect to each other in caring, compassionate, gentle, and healthy ways so that we can help, encourage, and nurture each other towards becoming more like Messiah Jesus and doing His will on earth together. Being "in Messiah Jesus" is to make us united and one.
Any reading of the New Testament points out how hard this was. The Jews did not respect the Gentiles. The Gentiles could hate the Jews. Women were seen as inferior to men in the Roman empire and women could want to disrespect men in the new freedom offered in Christ. Rich Christians could fear that the poor Christians were trying to take advantage of their relationship with Christ and the poor Christians could judge the rich Christians as lacking in compassion when they did not respond to their needs.
The Apostles themselves struggled to find a practical answer on how to overcome the culture wars between Jew and Gentile in the church (see Acts 15). At the very least many of the followers of James and Paul saw the two men having different solutions to the "Gentile problem." Paul will have friends and co-workers such as Hymeneus and Alexander (1Ti_1:19, 1Ti_1:20) and Demas (2Ti_4:10) who will have their faith ship wrecked. Peter and Paul will have conflict as well because Peter will act in a hypocritical manner. (Gal 2).
Christians in the New Testament struggled with still practicing sexual sins, gossip, self righteous judgement, taking each other to court, splitting up into cliques, forming personality cults, bringing pagan ideas into the church, forsaking sound doctrine, getting involved in strange views of prophecy, misuse of spiritual gifts, rebellion against leadership, and leaders abusing those who followed. These problems which are all recorded in the New Testament we see continue after the age of the Apostles and repeated all during church history. The continued moral brokenness of Christians manifest itself in the practical fellowship of believers making it hard to show love for each other.
The Messiah Jesus actually makes success in loving each other the mark by which the unbelieving world is suppose to be able to tell if people are disciples of the Messiah. When the world sees sacrificial love within a fellowship of people who claim to follow Messiah Jesus then they can know they have found the "real"thing. Messiah Jesus makes real love the way people can know the genuine disciples from those who only claim discipleship. This raises loving each other to the top priority for the church.
But how to practically do that when each of us is so broken and has so much baggage is a hard problem to solve. Many Christians do not know how to have healthy human relationships in any aspect of their lives and so there is little likelihood they will succeed in "loving" Christians at church where they have less connection to than their family and friends. So the failure of the church to be a community of love is easier to understand than when it succeeds.
Now, by the grace of God the church has shown Christ like love to each other. The New Testament believers took care of widows and orphans, made sure that no poor Christian went without food and shelter, overcame the cultural differences between Jew and Gentile with wisdom, and gathered together in a communion of truth and good works (Acts 2:41-47). This would lead to the ancient world commenting on the early church "We are amazed at how they love one another." Therefore, at a practical level, with all the imperfections, the early church did demonstrate substantial love that was recognized by the world. We must always remember to look at the glass half empty and half full when we strive to understand the church. Never perfection only direction.
In my life I have seen Christians love each other in profound ways. I have seen people sacrifice time, money, and life to help others. I have seen the body of
Christ demonstrate real and amazing love towards others and myself. Such times fill my heart with joy even now.
However, it seems that over long periods of time it is hard for Christians to remain in a fellowship or church without this love breaking down. Social politics, personalities, failed dreams, desire for power and control, different opinions, cliques, gossip, judging each other, lack of respect, poor communication, unresolved conflicts, envy, competition, and desire to dominate; all begin to surface more and more, eventually breaking up friendships and fellowships; sometimes in some very ugly ways. It seems hard to establish long term healthy and committed relationships in the body of Christ.
It is hard to do church well. What can we do? We must become aware of how hard it is to really practice love. We need to look for ways we can increase in our love for each other. How are my actions hurting other Christians? In what way am I falling short of loving others as Messiah Jesus loved me? How can we maintain and increase unity with each other? How can we show respect for leaders? How can we give encouragement to followers? How can we do the church well and really love one another? That is one of the greatest challenges of our lives.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part Two
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 ESV)
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The Messiah Jesus is building His Church. The Church is the building project of our Lord Messiah Jesus. It is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God which the Apostle Peter has just proclaimed.
It will be the Apostle Peter's preaching of this gospel which will smash the the gates of hell which kept the Jews from believing and thousands will come pouring into the Church through his words. The Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles all will have the Apostle Peter and his message about Messiah Jesus smash the spiritual walls which have kept them in darkness. The paganism of Rome will fall after 300 years and the message of Messiah Jesus will rule supreme over the old empire. The gates of hell will not prevail against the message of the Church. That message is the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
To do the church well the gospel must be the foundation of the Church. When we lose the gospel we lose the heart and power of God. Without the gospel we cannot build the church.
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The Messiah Jesus is building His Church. The Church is the building project of our Lord Messiah Jesus. It is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God which the Apostle Peter has just proclaimed.
It will be the Apostle Peter's preaching of this gospel which will smash the the gates of hell which kept the Jews from believing and thousands will come pouring into the Church through his words. The Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles all will have the Apostle Peter and his message about Messiah Jesus smash the spiritual walls which have kept them in darkness. The paganism of Rome will fall after 300 years and the message of Messiah Jesus will rule supreme over the old empire. The gates of hell will not prevail against the message of the Church. That message is the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
To do the church well the gospel must be the foundation of the Church. When we lose the gospel we lose the heart and power of God. Without the gospel we cannot build the church.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part One
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV)
It is not easy to do church well. In 1972 part of the dream of the "Jesus Movement" was to try to do church much better than we saw it being done. We were a reforming movement wanting the church to become more real and relevant. We were also young, naive, and proud. It never occurred to us that others before us had tried to do church well but had found it a hard thing to do. There have been people in the history of the church who have prayed more than we pray, studied more than we studied, and loved more than we loved; that failed to be able to do church very well.
To do church well is a very hard thing to do in the practicality of this fallen world and with the attacks of the world, flesh, and devil aimed above all else to keep the church divided, weak, naked, and blind (Revelation 3:17-18). Only by God's grace will we in some small measure to the church well. We must understand here especially that it will be direction and not perfection. If we demand perfection we will become condemning of the real church as we compare it to an "ideal" church that only exists in our minds.
Part of doing church well is avoiding unnecessary division. From the very beginning this has been hard for the Church to do (1 Corinthians 1:11ff). Christians easily divide over personalities and form parties. The politics of the Church can easily become as ugly as the politics of the government (James 4:1-10).
The church is to be the community of the King Messiah. It is a "beta test" example of the kingdom on earth that is to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God before the watching angels. Some division is necessary due to people departing from a critical aspect of the revealed gospel truth or living lawless lifestyles (1 Corinthians 11:19). However, even in this division the church is called to speak the truth in love and avoid self righteousness (Galatians 6:1). The hope is that out of loving conflict those in error will be restored and unity maintained. Our aim should always be redemptive.
Another problem is when groups or cliques form in the body who see themselves as "the righteous ones" and who stand in judgment of the rest of the body (Galatians 5:20). One can tell that this has occurred when gossip, criticism, and complaining become the main focus of "fellowship" between believers (Exodus 16:2; Mark 14:4).
How we feel about our local church is based on the stories we tell about our local church. If those stories are positive and optimistic we feel good about our local church and love it. If our stories are sarcastic, judgmental, condemning, and cynical then we feel angry, depressed, disillusioned, and pessimistic.
In the same congregation there will be people who feel both of these things at the same time. The circumstances of the people in the congregation will be largely the same but their experience will be vastly different. One person will leave a worship service filled with faith, hope, and love; feeling really blessed by the worship; while the other person will complain about the music, how people are dressed, and the failure of the sermon to motivate or teach. Objectively both people experienced the same events but the impact was very different.
To maintain unity we must be able to see the glass half full even as we work to raise the level of the water. We need to look for "God events" in our congregation and catch God at work. We need to be ready to confess our sins and forgive the sins of others. Guided by the "judgement of charity" we should strive to grant the benefit of the doubt to everyone else and presuppose the best possible intentions for the hurtful actions or words. We need to be slow to judge others and resist every temptation to gossip. Gossip kills trust and healthy fellowship.
Will you pray that God can teach us all to do church well. A healthy church is one of the main reasons why people believe in Jesus the Messiah. Unhealthy churches become a temptation to blaspheme God and reject the gospel. We have been called by God to demonstrate His manifold wisdom before a watching world and even the angels. Yet, a study of church history makes clear that to actually have a healthy church is hard. Let us pray that God will show us a way to do church better and represent his sanity, stability, and spirituality on the earth.
It is not easy to do church well. In 1972 part of the dream of the "Jesus Movement" was to try to do church much better than we saw it being done. We were a reforming movement wanting the church to become more real and relevant. We were also young, naive, and proud. It never occurred to us that others before us had tried to do church well but had found it a hard thing to do. There have been people in the history of the church who have prayed more than we pray, studied more than we studied, and loved more than we loved; that failed to be able to do church very well.
To do church well is a very hard thing to do in the practicality of this fallen world and with the attacks of the world, flesh, and devil aimed above all else to keep the church divided, weak, naked, and blind (Revelation 3:17-18). Only by God's grace will we in some small measure to the church well. We must understand here especially that it will be direction and not perfection. If we demand perfection we will become condemning of the real church as we compare it to an "ideal" church that only exists in our minds.
Part of doing church well is avoiding unnecessary division. From the very beginning this has been hard for the Church to do (1 Corinthians 1:11ff). Christians easily divide over personalities and form parties. The politics of the Church can easily become as ugly as the politics of the government (James 4:1-10).
The church is to be the community of the King Messiah. It is a "beta test" example of the kingdom on earth that is to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God before the watching angels. Some division is necessary due to people departing from a critical aspect of the revealed gospel truth or living lawless lifestyles (1 Corinthians 11:19). However, even in this division the church is called to speak the truth in love and avoid self righteousness (Galatians 6:1). The hope is that out of loving conflict those in error will be restored and unity maintained. Our aim should always be redemptive.
Another problem is when groups or cliques form in the body who see themselves as "the righteous ones" and who stand in judgment of the rest of the body (Galatians 5:20). One can tell that this has occurred when gossip, criticism, and complaining become the main focus of "fellowship" between believers (Exodus 16:2; Mark 14:4).
How we feel about our local church is based on the stories we tell about our local church. If those stories are positive and optimistic we feel good about our local church and love it. If our stories are sarcastic, judgmental, condemning, and cynical then we feel angry, depressed, disillusioned, and pessimistic.
In the same congregation there will be people who feel both of these things at the same time. The circumstances of the people in the congregation will be largely the same but their experience will be vastly different. One person will leave a worship service filled with faith, hope, and love; feeling really blessed by the worship; while the other person will complain about the music, how people are dressed, and the failure of the sermon to motivate or teach. Objectively both people experienced the same events but the impact was very different.
To maintain unity we must be able to see the glass half full even as we work to raise the level of the water. We need to look for "God events" in our congregation and catch God at work. We need to be ready to confess our sins and forgive the sins of others. Guided by the "judgement of charity" we should strive to grant the benefit of the doubt to everyone else and presuppose the best possible intentions for the hurtful actions or words. We need to be slow to judge others and resist every temptation to gossip. Gossip kills trust and healthy fellowship.
Will you pray that God can teach us all to do church well. A healthy church is one of the main reasons why people believe in Jesus the Messiah. Unhealthy churches become a temptation to blaspheme God and reject the gospel. We have been called by God to demonstrate His manifold wisdom before a watching world and even the angels. Yet, a study of church history makes clear that to actually have a healthy church is hard. Let us pray that God will show us a way to do church better and represent his sanity, stability, and spirituality on the earth.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
How can we do church well?
As one studies church history is become clear that it is not easy to do church well. Paul says that the manifold wisdom of God will be seen by the powers of the heavens in the Church (Eph 3:10). It is clear that God's intention is for us to demonstrate His love, grace, and holiness. We are to be the body of Messiah and live the gospel before the nations. Yet, we are so easily distracted and deceived.
We normally can stand in judgment of other Christians and of various movements in church history. Yet, we rarely judge ourselves or our short comings. Self righteousness runs deep in our veins and it is hard to understand that some who prayed harder than we have prayed and studied harder than we have studied, failed to do church well. So how great is the danger that in our generation we might fail to do church well. Are we failing even now?
The beginning of insight is humility. My brothers and sisters for 2000 years have struggled to do church well. How easy is would be for me to fail to do church well. Satan, the world, and the flesh have as their highest priority to shatter the witness and testimony of the church. They are much more interested in corrupting the Church than running Washington. They want us not to reflect God's wisdom but to be foolish.
Lord, have pity on your people. We need revival of true spirituality and reformation to align ourselves with your WORD. We need a transformation of head and heart. We need to know how to relate to one another in holy love. Teach us to do church well.
We normally can stand in judgment of other Christians and of various movements in church history. Yet, we rarely judge ourselves or our short comings. Self righteousness runs deep in our veins and it is hard to understand that some who prayed harder than we have prayed and studied harder than we have studied, failed to do church well. So how great is the danger that in our generation we might fail to do church well. Are we failing even now?
The beginning of insight is humility. My brothers and sisters for 2000 years have struggled to do church well. How easy is would be for me to fail to do church well. Satan, the world, and the flesh have as their highest priority to shatter the witness and testimony of the church. They are much more interested in corrupting the Church than running Washington. They want us not to reflect God's wisdom but to be foolish.
Lord, have pity on your people. We need revival of true spirituality and reformation to align ourselves with your WORD. We need a transformation of head and heart. We need to know how to relate to one another in holy love. Teach us to do church well.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Praise in Pain
Jeremiah 31:7-14
7 For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, "Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel." 8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. 9 With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock." 11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. 13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14 I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.
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God's people had radically sinned. They had worshipped idols. They had oppressed the poor. They had neglected the widow and orphan. They had become sexually perverse. They had honored the LORD with their lips but not loved the LORD with their hearts. They had acted like spiritual whores. They had ignored and persecuted the prophets who warned them.
God radically responded to their sin. God allowed the Babylonians to smash their defenses. The LORD did nothing as their towns burned, children died, women were raped, and all their wealth was stolen. They were enslaved and taken out of their land to serve the Babylonians in exile. No nation or people had ever recovered from such a deportation. Nothing was left. Israel and Judah were dead.
Now God says to the exiles. I want you to sing, shout, and give Praise to ME! I want you to have a prayer meeting and ask the LORD to save the remnant of Israel. I want you to stop rebelling against God. God is saying to them; “Stop being angry with ME over what happened and accept your guilt.” Be angry at the sin that brought judgment. But come now, praise the LORD for saving the people from idolatry and oppressive relationships. Ask now to be saved.
God is radically going to save them. Now that judgment has come. Now that repentance has been experienced they will be saved. God is going to bring from Babylon and all the places where they have wandered the remnant home. They will come home not because they are the strongest. No, God will save the weakest of the weak. The handicapped and pregnant women will be returned despite their physical weakness. He shall gather a great company of the broken and return them to the land. Against all odds and all history they will be restored. Israel will not die but be resurrected.
God's people will radically repent. They will weep real tears over their sins. They will plead for mercy and recognize they deserve only judgment. They will be humble and submissive.
God will radically be with them. He will personally lead them in their journey. Because God is their father and they are His children they will not be lost. The LORD is the shepherd of Israel and will gather what has been scattered.
God has paid for Jacob's salvation and bought Israel back from the power of world, the flesh, and the devil. God's people's resurrection has a price. That price will be the blood and suffering of the Messiah Jesus. Even the return from exile as part of God's redemptive plan was only possible because Messiah Jesus had died for His people. Mercy to be just must have atonement.
God's people will be radically joyful. As they see the answer to their prayers for salvation their weeping will turn to wild adoration over the goodness of the LORD. Young woman and men will dance. The darkness of judgment will give way to the light of restoration. The people of God will feast upon a vision and experience of God's goodness and be satisfied.
The faith of the Bible is a radical faith. We might wish that it was less radical. That sin would not bring such radical consequences. That we could stay in a safer and more moderate relationship with God. Yet, the LORD, pushes the issues. The LORD demands holiness and punishes sin. The LORD will save us from this sin regardless of the cost to Himself or to us. We will not be lost to the power of darkness. He will give us life.
Now the only people who could find the joy offered here are the ones who adopted God's story over the events that had occurred and accepted the promises of restoration as true. The people who are being asked to praise are the ones who have seen death, destruction, rape, and torture before their very eyes. They have experienced events that normally produce post traumatic shock. Their hearts have been ripped out of them as they have seen loved ones suffer and die. They have lost every physical possession and all their wealth. In the midst of this they are to praise and sing.
This is only possible if they accept God's story about these events. Any other story will lead to bitterness, complaint, doubt, anger, and despair. Only accepting the good news of God' grace can place them in a position to be restored.
In the 2008 movie "Defiance" directed by Edward Zwick and based on a true story a group of Jewish brothers resist the Nazis and endeavor to build a village in the middle of the woods to provide protection for about 1000 Jewish exiles from the Nazi extermination. The movie demonstrated the horror and pain of the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. In that movie the Rabbi is filled with despair as they face yet death after death and loss after loss. He then prays this prayer.
"Merciful God, we commit our friends - Ben Zion and Krensky - to You. We have no more prayers, no more tears; we have run out of blood. Choose another people. We have paid for each of Your commandments; we have covered every stone and field with ashes. Sanctify another land. Choose another people. Teach them the deeds and the prophesies. Grant us but one more blessing: take back the gift of our holiness. Amen."
Here the Rabbi has assumed the innocence of Israel. God is unfair in allowing such suffering from the Rabbi's point of view. There is no hope in restoration. There is no reliance upon promise.
We can understand this prayer by the Rabbi. It is very close to how we pray when we feel under the pressure of struggles and affliction in our own lives. It is more honest than we normally will admit. But we can relate to the prayer. The price of being God's people is just too high. We must remember the amount of pain that brought about such prayer. This prayer we can understand better than praise.
Yet, God wants us to believe His story in the middle of experiencing exile, loss, persecution for righteousness, and struggle. God wants us to feast upon His goodness and know joy in the midst of our tears. The LORD wants us to live as though all things are working for good and trust His promises of restoration. We are His children and nothing will separate us from His love which is found in Messiah Jesus. We can weep but not despair. We can know sorrow but not shut our hearts to hope. We are called to believe in the midst of our suffering.
The restoration of Israel from exile in Babylon occurred. Nothing in all history was ever seen like that. Israel again is scattered by the Romans during a series of wars and the temple is destroyed in 70 AD. No people so dispersed over centuries ever returned. Yet in 1967, nearly 1900 years later, Jerusalem is restored to Israel. God's promises and prophecies are kept. Remember what Messiah Jesus taught.
"They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (Luke 21:24 ESV)
God is at work in the midst of the brokenness of history. We must pray for peace among Palestinians and Jews. We must seek just resolutions in these conflicts. Yet, in the midst of all of this complicated and difficult political process we must see God at work keeping His Word.
Such global faithfulness of God should cause us to believe that in the middle of our daily lives God is also being faithful. The LORD has promised us that one day a new heaven and a new earth will come in which righteousness will dwell. The rebellion of the world, the lust of the flesh, and the temptations of the devil will end. We will see our Lord Messiah Jesus face to face, and feast upon the goodness of the LORD forever. This vision of total restoration is to comfort our hearts and give us strength in the midst of our current struggles.
Sing praise to the Lord and shout for joy! LORD, save your church from our apostasy and apathy. Give to us reformation and revival. For your glory and for our good. Amen.
7 For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, "Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel." 8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. 9 With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock." 11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. 13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14 I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.
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God's people had radically sinned. They had worshipped idols. They had oppressed the poor. They had neglected the widow and orphan. They had become sexually perverse. They had honored the LORD with their lips but not loved the LORD with their hearts. They had acted like spiritual whores. They had ignored and persecuted the prophets who warned them.
God radically responded to their sin. God allowed the Babylonians to smash their defenses. The LORD did nothing as their towns burned, children died, women were raped, and all their wealth was stolen. They were enslaved and taken out of their land to serve the Babylonians in exile. No nation or people had ever recovered from such a deportation. Nothing was left. Israel and Judah were dead.
Now God says to the exiles. I want you to sing, shout, and give Praise to ME! I want you to have a prayer meeting and ask the LORD to save the remnant of Israel. I want you to stop rebelling against God. God is saying to them; “Stop being angry with ME over what happened and accept your guilt.” Be angry at the sin that brought judgment. But come now, praise the LORD for saving the people from idolatry and oppressive relationships. Ask now to be saved.
God is radically going to save them. Now that judgment has come. Now that repentance has been experienced they will be saved. God is going to bring from Babylon and all the places where they have wandered the remnant home. They will come home not because they are the strongest. No, God will save the weakest of the weak. The handicapped and pregnant women will be returned despite their physical weakness. He shall gather a great company of the broken and return them to the land. Against all odds and all history they will be restored. Israel will not die but be resurrected.
God's people will radically repent. They will weep real tears over their sins. They will plead for mercy and recognize they deserve only judgment. They will be humble and submissive.
God will radically be with them. He will personally lead them in their journey. Because God is their father and they are His children they will not be lost. The LORD is the shepherd of Israel and will gather what has been scattered.
God has paid for Jacob's salvation and bought Israel back from the power of world, the flesh, and the devil. God's people's resurrection has a price. That price will be the blood and suffering of the Messiah Jesus. Even the return from exile as part of God's redemptive plan was only possible because Messiah Jesus had died for His people. Mercy to be just must have atonement.
God's people will be radically joyful. As they see the answer to their prayers for salvation their weeping will turn to wild adoration over the goodness of the LORD. Young woman and men will dance. The darkness of judgment will give way to the light of restoration. The people of God will feast upon a vision and experience of God's goodness and be satisfied.
The faith of the Bible is a radical faith. We might wish that it was less radical. That sin would not bring such radical consequences. That we could stay in a safer and more moderate relationship with God. Yet, the LORD, pushes the issues. The LORD demands holiness and punishes sin. The LORD will save us from this sin regardless of the cost to Himself or to us. We will not be lost to the power of darkness. He will give us life.
Now the only people who could find the joy offered here are the ones who adopted God's story over the events that had occurred and accepted the promises of restoration as true. The people who are being asked to praise are the ones who have seen death, destruction, rape, and torture before their very eyes. They have experienced events that normally produce post traumatic shock. Their hearts have been ripped out of them as they have seen loved ones suffer and die. They have lost every physical possession and all their wealth. In the midst of this they are to praise and sing.
This is only possible if they accept God's story about these events. Any other story will lead to bitterness, complaint, doubt, anger, and despair. Only accepting the good news of God' grace can place them in a position to be restored.
In the 2008 movie "Defiance" directed by Edward Zwick and based on a true story a group of Jewish brothers resist the Nazis and endeavor to build a village in the middle of the woods to provide protection for about 1000 Jewish exiles from the Nazi extermination. The movie demonstrated the horror and pain of the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. In that movie the Rabbi is filled with despair as they face yet death after death and loss after loss. He then prays this prayer.
"Merciful God, we commit our friends - Ben Zion and Krensky - to You. We have no more prayers, no more tears; we have run out of blood. Choose another people. We have paid for each of Your commandments; we have covered every stone and field with ashes. Sanctify another land. Choose another people. Teach them the deeds and the prophesies. Grant us but one more blessing: take back the gift of our holiness. Amen."
Here the Rabbi has assumed the innocence of Israel. God is unfair in allowing such suffering from the Rabbi's point of view. There is no hope in restoration. There is no reliance upon promise.
We can understand this prayer by the Rabbi. It is very close to how we pray when we feel under the pressure of struggles and affliction in our own lives. It is more honest than we normally will admit. But we can relate to the prayer. The price of being God's people is just too high. We must remember the amount of pain that brought about such prayer. This prayer we can understand better than praise.
Yet, God wants us to believe His story in the middle of experiencing exile, loss, persecution for righteousness, and struggle. God wants us to feast upon His goodness and know joy in the midst of our tears. The LORD wants us to live as though all things are working for good and trust His promises of restoration. We are His children and nothing will separate us from His love which is found in Messiah Jesus. We can weep but not despair. We can know sorrow but not shut our hearts to hope. We are called to believe in the midst of our suffering.
The restoration of Israel from exile in Babylon occurred. Nothing in all history was ever seen like that. Israel again is scattered by the Romans during a series of wars and the temple is destroyed in 70 AD. No people so dispersed over centuries ever returned. Yet in 1967, nearly 1900 years later, Jerusalem is restored to Israel. God's promises and prophecies are kept. Remember what Messiah Jesus taught.
"They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (Luke 21:24 ESV)
God is at work in the midst of the brokenness of history. We must pray for peace among Palestinians and Jews. We must seek just resolutions in these conflicts. Yet, in the midst of all of this complicated and difficult political process we must see God at work keeping His Word.
Such global faithfulness of God should cause us to believe that in the middle of our daily lives God is also being faithful. The LORD has promised us that one day a new heaven and a new earth will come in which righteousness will dwell. The rebellion of the world, the lust of the flesh, and the temptations of the devil will end. We will see our Lord Messiah Jesus face to face, and feast upon the goodness of the LORD forever. This vision of total restoration is to comfort our hearts and give us strength in the midst of our current struggles.
Sing praise to the Lord and shout for joy! LORD, save your church from our apostasy and apathy. Give to us reformation and revival. For your glory and for our good. Amen.
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