the prosperity gospel. it sucks. what a waste of time. ("Prosperity theology, also known as prosperity doctrine or the Prosperity Gospel, is the doctrine that prosperity, particularly financial prosperity, and success in business or personal life is external evidence of God's favor." from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_gospel)
how often do we, here in America, live out of the prosperity gospel? you might think, the prosperity gospel is not the Gospel. and you would be absolutely correct. but i think we often talk at least in a way like God owes us something. like He is supposed to give us specific things. i think that often our view of suffering is so off because we think through a lens of the prosperity gospel. but instead of being "God loves me so I'm going to be rich" we say "God loves me so I won't get sick or I'm going to have a happy life"
i am convinced that this is at the root of our poor view of suffering, more than our poor view of suffering, our unbiblical view of suffering.
john piper's view on the prosperity Gospel.
i'm still working out my thoughts on suffering. you'll get them in the new year.
i'm going to indiana so i'll catch you in 2008
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
christmas.
so i went to this awesome Christmas spectacular last night. it was awesome. there was a 150 voice choir singing all the songs we know and love. as i was listening i was struck with a strange dichotomy the things the choir was singing were radical biblical truths. the one that stuck out to me was the "Jesus will reign forevermore" line. Under other circumstances, if someone were to have simply stood on the stage with a microphone and uttered those very same words, people would have freaked out. they would have called that person a radical Christian fundamentalist. i just think of what is allowed for the sake of tradition. not that i think its bad that we sing Christmas songs. i really enjoy it and i really enjoy the biblical truths. i was just noting the double standard.
on a second note, there was a beautiful lead window that had Father Christmas with the baby Jesus on the "very first Christmas" and it just made me laugh. Father Christmas appears no where in the four Gospels, but somehow he seems to be more affiliated with Christmas than the name Emmanuel, which is the hope that comes with Christmas. listen i like Santa as much as the next person, but seriously.
oh who doesn't love the secularization of Holy days or holidays?
on a second note, there was a beautiful lead window that had Father Christmas with the baby Jesus on the "very first Christmas" and it just made me laugh. Father Christmas appears no where in the four Gospels, but somehow he seems to be more affiliated with Christmas than the name Emmanuel, which is the hope that comes with Christmas. listen i like Santa as much as the next person, but seriously.
oh who doesn't love the secularization of Holy days or holidays?
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
ramblings.
so i think i'm going to tap into creativity more. i like creative things. but i have this fear that other people might think things i've poured my heart out into are lame. which is a risk that i have to be willing to take, right? right. so i'm going to be more creative. i'm going to take risks. scary. i like to try new things. i have enjoyed almost all the new things i have tried this fall. i really like rock climbing, who would have guessed it. i have enjoyed jogging, its good to zone out for a bit. i like salsa dancing when i don't feel like i'm so awkward at it. i have really, really enjoyed my job. i think its a good fit for me. i think i might stay, but who knows. i don't have to decide today, so i won't decide today :) anyway.
i really like Sufjan Stevens rendition of Come Thou Fount...its one of my favorite hymns.
there is something about a good hymn. there is depth and emotion. after all this time, people still feel those things.
i feel like i am beginning an intense thing with the Lord. not that it wasn't intense before, but now it is getting serious. i think it might be hard, i think it is going to be really hard. without going into any detail i think He's going to uproot some junk. i'm excited for when its over and there is freedom, but the process has to potential to be pretty intense.
but i'm in for it. ready or not here it comes.
i really like Sufjan Stevens rendition of Come Thou Fount...its one of my favorite hymns.
there is something about a good hymn. there is depth and emotion. after all this time, people still feel those things.
i feel like i am beginning an intense thing with the Lord. not that it wasn't intense before, but now it is getting serious. i think it might be hard, i think it is going to be really hard. without going into any detail i think He's going to uproot some junk. i'm excited for when its over and there is freedom, but the process has to potential to be pretty intense.
but i'm in for it. ready or not here it comes.
Monday, November 19, 2007
arguing
so do you think we are arguing about the wrong things?
do you think that maybe we are getting stopped up and wrapped up in talking and bickering about the wrong things?
i think maybe we have. and by we, i mean i.
i'm so quick to want to have the best argument or to not be willing to change positions, because if i do, i am called to change.
but i claim to be a woman who loves Truth, who seeks after that which is right and good.
how is it that this fight is against one another? not that heresy or bad exegesis is okay. not that we should be okay with bad teaching, but how do we get in these fights that aren't about the things that really matter? how does the enemy convince that the goal is to be right about things that cannot be known? the problem is an has always been that humans want to be like God and it is not possible.
i just keep thinking about how many talks i have heard on the dangers of post-modernity and how it is going to be the downfall of the whole earth. ever since Genesis 3 the world has been headed to downfall, the whole Noahic flood thing was because of how screwed up things got and the whole New Covenant Jesus thing is about redeeming this screwed up place.
we live in this world, Jesus calls us to be in the world, but not of the world. and in the world post-modernity is happening. it simply cannot be stopped. that is not the fight. worldviews are wrong. the only worldview that is correct is the one Jesus holds. the Truth that He came to bring a new kingdom, He came to redeem all things. He came that His people might have life and have it abundantly, if we are willing to lose our lives, to gain them.
what good is it to have a great rebuttal for post-modernity, if it is simply another messed up worldview? is modernity any better? no. its not. it is still not the Gospel of Jesus. the fight becomes about who's writing what and what are they insinuating. then its about whether or not we should do whatever. this fight becomes about things, instead of about Jesus. the point is not that living out this life is unimportant, but that believers are able to live out this life by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the Truths that have been laid out for us in the Scriptures. when the battle begins to be about people and those who represent the "others" those who disagree, then we lose. because the reality is that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and principalities of darkness. this is a spiritual battle, that we fight against the deceiver, against the one who tries to hold us in bondage to sin. but the battle is not fought with weapons of this world, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
every person that walks the face of the earth bears the image of the One True God. every person. so there is no "enemy" of the flesh that can be of little or no value, because each person is an image bearer he is important. because he is known by God the Father, he is important. that's just true. yet i am prone to see those who disagree with me or those who would seek harm for me as my enemies. Jesus says take care of them, LOVE them. how insane.
why is it that i continue to look to what is true, but don't live out what i already know is true?
Jesus says to love one another, that is how they will know who His disciples are, by their love. but i'm too busy trying to be "right" to love.
we fight about doctrine and the way to study the Word and all of these issues. they are important, but they are important not because they will lead us to life abundant but because they are supposed to help us to seek the Father, His Kingdom and to be like Him. not so we can squander away the precious time we have to live out these truths that we find.
i don't have any conclusions, i don't know what this looks like practically, but i am beginning to think that maybe it doesn't look a certain way, but it is the Way. it doesn't seem like Jesus cared all that much about pragmatism either. He calls us to trust Him with everything, to lay down our lives, that He will bring them back up in the resurrection.
yet, i seek after all the things of this world, what's worse is i try to make is spiritual, so its even more shameful. Jesus says what good is it if a man gains the whole world, but loses his soul? i think that is the question.
do you think that maybe we are getting stopped up and wrapped up in talking and bickering about the wrong things?
i think maybe we have. and by we, i mean i.
i'm so quick to want to have the best argument or to not be willing to change positions, because if i do, i am called to change.
but i claim to be a woman who loves Truth, who seeks after that which is right and good.
how is it that this fight is against one another? not that heresy or bad exegesis is okay. not that we should be okay with bad teaching, but how do we get in these fights that aren't about the things that really matter? how does the enemy convince that the goal is to be right about things that cannot be known? the problem is an has always been that humans want to be like God and it is not possible.
i just keep thinking about how many talks i have heard on the dangers of post-modernity and how it is going to be the downfall of the whole earth. ever since Genesis 3 the world has been headed to downfall, the whole Noahic flood thing was because of how screwed up things got and the whole New Covenant Jesus thing is about redeeming this screwed up place.
we live in this world, Jesus calls us to be in the world, but not of the world. and in the world post-modernity is happening. it simply cannot be stopped. that is not the fight. worldviews are wrong. the only worldview that is correct is the one Jesus holds. the Truth that He came to bring a new kingdom, He came to redeem all things. He came that His people might have life and have it abundantly, if we are willing to lose our lives, to gain them.
what good is it to have a great rebuttal for post-modernity, if it is simply another messed up worldview? is modernity any better? no. its not. it is still not the Gospel of Jesus. the fight becomes about who's writing what and what are they insinuating. then its about whether or not we should do whatever. this fight becomes about things, instead of about Jesus. the point is not that living out this life is unimportant, but that believers are able to live out this life by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the Truths that have been laid out for us in the Scriptures. when the battle begins to be about people and those who represent the "others" those who disagree, then we lose. because the reality is that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and principalities of darkness. this is a spiritual battle, that we fight against the deceiver, against the one who tries to hold us in bondage to sin. but the battle is not fought with weapons of this world, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
every person that walks the face of the earth bears the image of the One True God. every person. so there is no "enemy" of the flesh that can be of little or no value, because each person is an image bearer he is important. because he is known by God the Father, he is important. that's just true. yet i am prone to see those who disagree with me or those who would seek harm for me as my enemies. Jesus says take care of them, LOVE them. how insane.
why is it that i continue to look to what is true, but don't live out what i already know is true?
Jesus says to love one another, that is how they will know who His disciples are, by their love. but i'm too busy trying to be "right" to love.
we fight about doctrine and the way to study the Word and all of these issues. they are important, but they are important not because they will lead us to life abundant but because they are supposed to help us to seek the Father, His Kingdom and to be like Him. not so we can squander away the precious time we have to live out these truths that we find.
i don't have any conclusions, i don't know what this looks like practically, but i am beginning to think that maybe it doesn't look a certain way, but it is the Way. it doesn't seem like Jesus cared all that much about pragmatism either. He calls us to trust Him with everything, to lay down our lives, that He will bring them back up in the resurrection.
yet, i seek after all the things of this world, what's worse is i try to make is spiritual, so its even more shameful. Jesus says what good is it if a man gains the whole world, but loses his soul? i think that is the question.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
leaving
well. i am leaving. i will be pretty unreachable for 4 weeks. i have had some things that i have wanted to write about, but the coherence seems to be a little lacking and i have deleted at least three blogs, so that's why you get this nothing post 12 hours before i have to be to the airport. upon my return, though, i plan to have some good stuff prepared. there may be several posts to go up all at once and you won't know what to do with it all. so while i'm gone i'll be reading several books and enjoying my job and life. i am quite excited about this little adventure and will share with you all about it in a month.
its also the first time that i will be out of the country for my birthday. so the next time you hear from me i'll be another year older, weird.
its also the first time that i will be out of the country for my birthday. so the next time you hear from me i'll be another year older, weird.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Hope
"now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1
"so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" 1 Cor 13:13
the word "hope" is used so much in everyday life and its clear from the context in Scripture its not used the same way throughout the Word as we use it in the world. we "hope" it doesn't rain or "hope" we get to sleep in an extra 30 minutes or "hope" we can do or have or see lots of things. but the word used in the New Testament for hope is elpis, this word is used 54 times. This Greek word means "expectation of evil, fear or expectation of good, hope" Strong's concordance goes on to say "in the Christian sense, joyful & confident expectation of eternal salvation" (emphasis mine)
so this word HOPE it has a depth that i want to search out.
the thing i note most is that our hope is in eternal salvation. i often place hope in how God will provide for me or how God will do something. it seems easier to hope in His action for today, but the truth is, His action is what He calls us to hope in. But its the action that is far greater than His providing materials things. He calls us to hope in our salvation through Christ's death and resurrection. We hope in that we will never die. That though we die, we live.
Death no longer has a hold, so what have we to fear. Because if Jesus conquered death and we join with Him in death and resurrection then we too have conquered death. "no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" Romans 8:37
Paul's writings on God's care and provision for us are founded in the hope that comes in eternal life. That we do not have to guess whether or not we will be saved. We stand in confidence. And that is why Paul can write some crazy stuff. "behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. we put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger... as dying, and behold, we live...as having nothing, yet possessing everything" (emphasis mine). Jesus says that everything we need is eternal life, everything we need is him, because even if we lose our lives we gain. even if we die, we live. so there is nothing we could need except Him.
in a world where people die by the millions everyday because of hunger, war, poverty, violence, disease, and the like it seems insane that Jesus would say that He is all we need. it seems like we need health and food and shelter and protection, but Jesus says that we need him, because even with health, food, shelter, and protection, we are mortal and we will die and that everything in this place will pass. but that He remains, forever.
"so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love" 1 Cor 13:13
the word "hope" is used so much in everyday life and its clear from the context in Scripture its not used the same way throughout the Word as we use it in the world. we "hope" it doesn't rain or "hope" we get to sleep in an extra 30 minutes or "hope" we can do or have or see lots of things. but the word used in the New Testament for hope is elpis, this word is used 54 times. This Greek word means "expectation of evil, fear or expectation of good, hope" Strong's concordance goes on to say "in the Christian sense, joyful & confident expectation of eternal salvation" (emphasis mine)
so this word HOPE it has a depth that i want to search out.
the thing i note most is that our hope is in eternal salvation. i often place hope in how God will provide for me or how God will do something. it seems easier to hope in His action for today, but the truth is, His action is what He calls us to hope in. But its the action that is far greater than His providing materials things. He calls us to hope in our salvation through Christ's death and resurrection. We hope in that we will never die. That though we die, we live.
Death no longer has a hold, so what have we to fear. Because if Jesus conquered death and we join with Him in death and resurrection then we too have conquered death. "no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" Romans 8:37
Paul's writings on God's care and provision for us are founded in the hope that comes in eternal life. That we do not have to guess whether or not we will be saved. We stand in confidence. And that is why Paul can write some crazy stuff. "behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. we put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger... as dying, and behold, we live...as having nothing, yet possessing everything" (emphasis mine). Jesus says that everything we need is eternal life, everything we need is him, because even if we lose our lives we gain. even if we die, we live. so there is nothing we could need except Him.
in a world where people die by the millions everyday because of hunger, war, poverty, violence, disease, and the like it seems insane that Jesus would say that He is all we need. it seems like we need health and food and shelter and protection, but Jesus says that we need him, because even with health, food, shelter, and protection, we are mortal and we will die and that everything in this place will pass. but that He remains, forever.
Monday, September 24, 2007
from "good" to "freedom"
So this is what I've been reading and what I think about it...
I continue to read that a post-modern thinker is less concerned with being good, but would rather be free. This is so important in the way the Gospel is presented. Not only how its presented, but rather looking at what the Gospel is. Many Gospel presentations share about how we are separated from God because we are not good, because we have fallen short of some standard. But a post-modern response is "who says what's good?" "why does that definition or standard have to apply to me?" whether or not these are valid questions does not change the fact that they are asked. I know easily it is said that the standard is set, so to question it doesn't change the fact that it is in place. I totally agree, but you won't reach this generation with a response like that. People will turn and call you small minded. Whether or not they are right, it is the response.
So we are all about reaching people, and in the same way that we learn new languages if we are going to minister the Gospel overseas, we must learn to speak in a way that is understandable to this generation. I DID NOT SAY CHANGE THE GOSPEL. I do not advocate changing who Jesus is or how we are saved or any of those things, but there seems to be room to move toward a message of freedom. Freedom is in the scriptures. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" and Isaiah writes and Jesus restates, "The Lord has anointed me...to proclaim liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18).
So how are post modern thinkers reached?
Is it necessary to have a desire to be good? or is it about having a desire to know God through Christ Jesus?
I'm just asking some questions, just thinking it through. These thoughts are absolutely subject to change. As I seek the Lord, I pray you would too and we could know God more through asking these questions. And talking about the answers together.
One more question, where do freedom and shalom intersect?
I continue to read that a post-modern thinker is less concerned with being good, but would rather be free. This is so important in the way the Gospel is presented. Not only how its presented, but rather looking at what the Gospel is. Many Gospel presentations share about how we are separated from God because we are not good, because we have fallen short of some standard. But a post-modern response is "who says what's good?" "why does that definition or standard have to apply to me?" whether or not these are valid questions does not change the fact that they are asked. I know easily it is said that the standard is set, so to question it doesn't change the fact that it is in place. I totally agree, but you won't reach this generation with a response like that. People will turn and call you small minded. Whether or not they are right, it is the response.
So we are all about reaching people, and in the same way that we learn new languages if we are going to minister the Gospel overseas, we must learn to speak in a way that is understandable to this generation. I DID NOT SAY CHANGE THE GOSPEL. I do not advocate changing who Jesus is or how we are saved or any of those things, but there seems to be room to move toward a message of freedom. Freedom is in the scriptures. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" and Isaiah writes and Jesus restates, "The Lord has anointed me...to proclaim liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18).
So how are post modern thinkers reached?
Is it necessary to have a desire to be good? or is it about having a desire to know God through Christ Jesus?
I'm just asking some questions, just thinking it through. These thoughts are absolutely subject to change. As I seek the Lord, I pray you would too and we could know God more through asking these questions. And talking about the answers together.
One more question, where do freedom and shalom intersect?
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
learn a new world
i live in orlando now. and i think i like it. one of the things talked about so much in my community is "learning a new world" its what i was trying to do this summer in asia. but no one told me it was going to be like that here.
i moved around a lot growing up and thought this transition would be as easy as any of those, but i was wrong. before when i left it was always with someone, with the exception of college, where there were tons of new freshman who didn't move with someone. and before i hadn't poured my life into others. its strange to be in a new place, without people you would jump in front of a bus for. i miss my friends, i miss the people who know me. not that i don't love getting to know new people, because i do.
i have to rely on the Spirit and that's just what i am going to have to do. everything is new and different. i'm glad that i don't have to learn a new language in order to survive here, but everything else is totally new.
i like new though. i can do new.
its just weird to still see the old. still talk to people who are doing the things i would be doing if i lived in muncie. and thanks to facebook, i even know what people are doing on the weekends. i get invited to see shows at the living room and i'm a little bummed that i don't get to go. but the Lord has me here, and i said i would go. so i'm going. praise the Lord that He allows me to go on His behalf to the ends. only by His grace.
i moved around a lot growing up and thought this transition would be as easy as any of those, but i was wrong. before when i left it was always with someone, with the exception of college, where there were tons of new freshman who didn't move with someone. and before i hadn't poured my life into others. its strange to be in a new place, without people you would jump in front of a bus for. i miss my friends, i miss the people who know me. not that i don't love getting to know new people, because i do.
i have to rely on the Spirit and that's just what i am going to have to do. everything is new and different. i'm glad that i don't have to learn a new language in order to survive here, but everything else is totally new.
i like new though. i can do new.
its just weird to still see the old. still talk to people who are doing the things i would be doing if i lived in muncie. and thanks to facebook, i even know what people are doing on the weekends. i get invited to see shows at the living room and i'm a little bummed that i don't get to go. but the Lord has me here, and i said i would go. so i'm going. praise the Lord that He allows me to go on His behalf to the ends. only by His grace.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
new blog
i got a new blog. i thought it was time. i'm in a new place with new people doing a new job. i figure a new blog is just what i need.
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