Top Five?

Way back in college, I had to take a course that introduced the basics of leadership in order to become a Resident Assistant, or an RA, in my dormitory.  That was a long time ago but I've never forgotten the discussion on our priorities in life and how important it is to maintain those priorities when the schedule gets busy.

If you've ever been entangled with the tyranny of the urgent you'll know firsthand how difficult maintaining priorities can be.  But, they're important.  So, what are your priorities?  Here are mine.

God, Family, Work, Ministry, Extra.

These can be broken down a bit and described in different ways as each of these can be a little vague as we first look at them.

First of course, at least for the Christian, is making God the center or top priority in our lives.  In other words, our faith comes first as we are called by God to live for him and even make him the Lord of our lives.  And as time has gone by I've seen modifications to my priorities in that I've defined them a bit differently since I first began.  Now, I would say that God means theology first, or knowing God as he truly is described in Scripture.  My faith then proceeds from this truth or knowledge of God.  And this faith and knowledge of God are absolutely essential for all other parts of life, especially when the inevitable challenges and tribulations of life come.

Secondly, and this isn't much of a stretch for most people, would be Family.  But how do we define family?  First, it is in marriage and then it is in our children and relatives.  Marriage comes first as we see God created Adam and then Eve, as a help meet, or as a companion.  This companionship or friendship is the heart of marriage, and marriage is the core of a family, and family is the fundamental institution for society and culture.  Companionship also shows the oneness that God created in marriage as a practical illustration of the heavenly marriage between Christ and the church.  It is of utmost importance and central to the marriage relationship.  But, then there are the kids, who we raise to grow up and go out, to start their own families as well.  Even more, there is the extended family of siblings and relatives.  All of our family is defined and constituted by our faith and knowledge of God.

Thirdly, we see that our Work, or vocation, is a high priority with God.  This is our calling as God has gifted each of us with a unique set of interests, talents, and skills.  The reason God has given us these gifts is so that we would use them and become productive in our lives.  We find great significance in life when we are doing the work we are good at, or what we are interested in doing.  It can be difficult at times to develop our gifts as we can lack the opportunity to get an education or the time and money.  But, discovering and developing those skills must become a priority for us to grow to maturity.  Finding our talents leads to inspiration in life as we grow in our faith and knowledge of God.

Fourthly, is our calling to Ministry.  This priority may be a debatable point in two ways.  First, there are many who believe that ministry must be a higher priority in our lives, after all that's why God created us, right?  And there are others who would argue that it should not be a priority at all if we are not in the full-time ministry.  But if we look carefully at Scripture we see that all Christians are called to some sort of ministry.  One of the great doctrines of Scripture is "the priesthood of all believers" where we know that all our work in essence is part of our ministry or vocation.  So if we are gifted to be an accountant but not gifted as a preacher, we can see a great part of our ministry is to become the best accountant or business person we can be.  We also are always called to use our gifts to bear Spiritual fruit and serve all people in works of mercy and service.

Lastly, and in a general way, is the category of Extra.  This was first described in college as extra-curricular and anything that was over and above academic work.  But in all of life, it stays the same, we have to have a category for fun, relaxation, refreshment, social times, vacation, sports, hobbies, etc.  This usually is difficult to keep as the fifth priority because it is so tempting to let it creep up on the higher priorities.  But, it needs to be there, and it needs to be there as the fifth priority.  We have to have some fun in order to flourish or thrive.  We can't be all work and no play.  It's even part of the doctrine of Sabbath rest and worship.  Our souls need refreshment, plain and simple.

It is imperative to also understand that these categories are not only sequential, they are interchangeable at times.  The fifth priority doesn't have to always come after the fourth, or else it may never come.  We may need to go for a jog after work before we go to a committee meeting at night.  We may need to start work at 2am and yet get a quiet time in Scripture later that afternoon.  We may need to put in ten hours a day at work for a season, but sooner or later, we have to seek a balance with work to help our family grow and thrive.  It's always a delicate balance, but without a plan or a priority list, it becomes impossible to keep life together.  This leads us back to priority One, to God who can keep all of life together as we keep Him the highest priority in all things.

FAITH TODAY:  Colossians 1:17 - "He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together."

The Greatest Gift

What a year 2013 has been, and now, it’s Christmas!  What a tremendous time of the year it always is.  The family is home, the presents are under the tree, and the smell of breakfast casserole arises from the kitchen on Christmas morning.  It’s a time to celebrate the Giver of gifts and the greatest gift in the world.

Because there are so many gifts and blessings we enjoy it would be good to count them one by one.  First we have family, a big family, and a growing family.  In our family picture there’s our two new grandsons, Michael & Elijah who were born this year in July and November, respectfully.  Michael was born to Valerie & Tim sitting on the right, and Elijah was born to Carolyn & Jason sitting on the left.  In the back row there is Leanne and Daniel on our left, and Andrew and Alison to our right.  In the middle there is Sue & me, and we celebrated our thirtieth anniversary this year.   Wow, what great blessings, and how the time flies. 

The greatest gift of course is the gift of Christ who left the glory of heaven to become the Savior and live a sinless life for us.  The incarnation is complicated but it is made very tangible through the birth of Jesus as a baby in the manger.  The immortal became mortal so that we could have immortality if we receive him in faith.  This is the gift of the eternal life of Christ, the greatest gift of all. 

As we celebrate giving gifts to each other at Christmas let’s remember to see the gift that God gave in Jesus Christ.  Let’s receive this gift afresh and live out this faith throughout our whole lives so that we can help others to also receive the greatest gift of all. 

FAITH TODAY:  Luke 2:10-11, Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Commitment to Christ

In this blog, Faith Today, I seek to promote and develop our faith through the grace and truth of Christ.  There are many different aspects of our faith that we experience and need to recognize.  Perhaps the most important part of growing in faith however is to be committed to Christ throughout our life.  He is the one we need to be committed to in a constantly changing world. 

 

Our commitment to Christ however will not be the first thing we do as we come to know God.  The commitment to Christ is a conclusion that we come to after learning both the greatness and grandeur of God and after we experience the many hard knocks and difficulties life will bring.  

 

To be practical, life is filled with good times and hardships in many ways.  They both can cause us to forget who Christ is or what he has called us to do.  When times are good we tend to believe we don't need God.  And then, it is easy to forget God when we are overwhelmed with many real problems every day.  The tangible often overshadows the theoretical.  But let the tangible be a witness to the unseen.  

 

Both in the good times and the challenges we need to be committed to Christ because he is the source of all life, and he is the author and perfecter of our faith.  We are called to live for Christ and not ourselves because he is building his kingdom.  When we take his perspective instead of our own we find our lives take on new meaning and purpose.  We see problems as opportunities for ministry and the good times as an opportunity for praise to him.  When we see our lives as something we own we lose sight of God's reality and Christ's salvation.  

 

Be committed to Christ then because his purposes are the key.  His life is the greatest life that brings joy, and it is eternal life.  Consider the many faithful people who have come before us to show us the way.  Consider the Psalms in times of discouragement as they point us upward to the majestic presence of God.

FAITH TODAY: Psalm 16:8-11,  “I have set the LORD always before me, because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices, my flesh also will rest in hope.  For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.  You will show me the path of life, in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  

Back to the Basics

From time to time Christian leaders need to assess a situation and make a call to "Back to the Basics".  What are the basics of the Christian faith?  At the center of the faith is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Christ is alive today and gives Spiritual life and renewal to his people if we call out to him.  In fact, he delights to bring restoration to his children in grace and through the Holy Spirit.  We must emphasize in Christian renewal that the Christian faith is a Spiritual life in Christ, we cannot live this life in our own strength.  This is why we need Spiritual renewal.

 

It is absolutely fundamental therefore that we seek the Holy Spirit to come to us through the Word of God.  It was the Holy Spirit that inspired the writing of the Word, and it is this same inspiration that brings us alive to the Word today.  We find in Scripture many different words of encouragement and inspiration.  The Bible brings us comfort and rest, as well as correction and reproof.  

 

King David tells us in Psalm 23:1-3, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”  David knew the importance of taking time to rest and be restored in his soul.  He found that renewal in who God is and what God has done.  First, we must find Spiritual rest.

 

The Apostle John also sees a key element in the Spiritual life through walking in the light, or the truth, and turning away from the darkness.  In 1 John 1:5-7, we see, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin.”  

 

John shows us that fellowship with God is always fellowship in the Light, which is a metaphor for truth.  But it is more than just intellectual truth, it is Spiritual Life, the truth of living in the Spirit.  And we must be actively walking in the Light.  The second fundamental for renewal is to turn away from darkness and walk in the Light.

 

John continues to prescribe another essential element in Spiritual renewal.  He also teaches us in chapter one, (v.8-10), “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.”  These verses contain some of the most precious truths and stern warnings in all of Scripture.  

 

It is absolutely essential to acknowledge sin in our lives to be forgiven and then to be restored to fellowship with Christ.  Even more, if we claim that we have no sin, we in essence are saying that God is a liar, and then the Word of God has no place in us.  The third fundamental of renewal is to confess and repent from any sin in our life.

 

We see that the Word of God is tantamount to a vital Spiritual life.  We must have the Scriptures in us, in our hearts as we rest beside the quiet waters, as we seek to walk in the Light, and as we confess and repent from sin.  These three fundamentals are essential to return to the basics and find the renewal of Spiritual life.  

 

FAITH TODAY:  1 Peter 2:1-2, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

Easter Resurrection

Just this last Sunday we celebrated Easter again.  This is absolutely my favorite holiday of the year.  Not only do we get to celebrate our faith that we have eternal life in Christ and we will experience resurrection after we die, but we also have the opportunity to evangelize this "good news" to unbelievers in the here and now.

First and foremost I do rejoice in the faith that I have.  It is a gift that has been given to me by the grace of Christ.  And I accept it gladly.  Probably the greatest need anyone has is to find eternal life so that they know they will not perish when they die.  The Bible clearly teaches in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  The primary issue for all people is to know that we will not perish, but have eternal life when we die.

But there's more as you can imagine.   The Christian faith transforms our whole life in the here and now. By accepting the Son of God we receive his Spiritual life and that causes us to be born again and become a new person.  This is the "resurrection" life even now in Christ.  And with this new life, we are able to tell people they too can be saved.  It often comes spontaneously because we are living a different life, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and have a Spiritual nature that spills out.

The resurrection life sounds like "pie in the sky" and idealism to some but it really comes down to earth when we experience its power.  We can live differently than the secular culture because we have experienced a Spiritual rebirth.  Even though we will never be perfect in this world we have tasted the sweet Spiritual blessing of Easter resurrection.  This touches at the deepest point in our souls, we have found God through the grace of Christ.  We can experience the life of Jesus because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

He is risen, He is risen indeed!

FAITH TODAY: Mark 12:26-27, "But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?"  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living."

Faith Anniversary

On one of my other posts, Veritas Fellowship, (veritasfellows.blogspot.com), I described that today is my anniversary or birthday for becoming a Christian.  Thirty-seven years ago, on March 21, 1976, I was asked about my faith and a pastor led me to the Lord.  My life was forever changed, and I still have "faith today".

Many things have changed since 1976 when Jimmy Carter was the Democratic candidate, gasoline was .59 a gallon, and you had to be connected to a "land line" in order to make a phone call.  Bell bottoms were something everyone still knew about, Rocky was the first in a series of Stallone movies, and the beloved Red Sox lost to the Reds in the world series.  Even more, Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I, in March, and together with Steve Jobs, they founded Apple Computers on April 1.  Just a year earlier, Paul Allen and Bill Gates wrote the first computer language for personal computers (PCs), which was a form of BASIC designed for the Altair.

We live in a fast-paced technological revolution that is changing the world.  But interestingly, it really is only changing culture, the world is being discovered technologically.  Christianity hasn't really changed throughout all the cultures or centuries either.  Because cultures are different and do change our view of truth, our faith in God can change.  But God never changes. 

Personal lives change as well and in 1976 I was a freshman in college when I became a Christian.  Later I would change schools and go on to graduate with a Bible degree at a Christian college in 1980 and work for a couple of years as a youth pastor in Massachusetts, before running off and joining the Navy to fly the P-3 and chase Soviet subs in the Atlantic during the Cold War.  As you can imagine, there was a girlfriend in my life, and that turned into a wedding in 1983, and then the kids, in 1985, '87, '88, '90, '93, and 1995.  Yup, a six pack.  It wasn't my idea, but they were too big to throw back.  And I love them all forever.

My Spiritual life has seen some highs and lows with steady progression I hope.  "My theology" has changed at least seven times, starting at conversion when I thought believing in God was good enough, and then realized I needed to accept Jesus as the Savior and Lord.  Probably the most important theology I have ever learned, however, is that it is a Person we want to know.  We want to know God and to be known by him.  And we need God.  He has sent his son Jesus into the world as the God-man to show us who he truly is.  But we don't want to really know about him as much as we want to know him personally.  And he wants us to know him, and to seek him and recover the relationship we lost in the fall of man.

Still in faith after all these years.  And I can't possibly describe how great it is to know the triune God, even in such a limited or small way.  He reveals himself in the creation and in the Bible.  He is eternal and trustworthy.  He created us and can redeem and sanctify us.  We are blessed when we walk in faith with him, even as the people of faith before us lived by faith and were blessed.  God is the goal.

FAITH TODAY:  Hebrews 11: 13, "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth."

 

Creation Design

The new life in Christ is a Spiritual relationship with the Creator of the heavens and the earth.  As we grow in our relationship with Him we discover there is a creation design for all of life.  This design is especially valuable in relationships, particularly in the marriage relationship. 

There are two primary sections in the Bible that describe God's design in marriage.  One of course is in Genesis where we learn that God creates Eve to give as a companion to Adam.  In Gen.1:26, we see God made man in his image, which shows we are much different than all the animals and we have a special representation of God.  And in Gen.1:27, we read that God made them male and female, and thus both genders are significant in representing God.  Even more in Gen.2:18, we hear that God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."  Here we discover one of the most foundational reasons for marriage, and that is companionship, it's not good to be alone.  The creation design is that both genders represent God and God created man and woman for companionship with each other.  

But also in the New Testament, we see another section in Ephesians 5 that discusses the Spiritual marriage between Christ and the church.  In 5:31, Paul repeats a section from Gen.2:24 that says, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."  Paul is describing how children grow and eventually leave home and form their own marriage, and there is a distinct break from one generation to the next, to establish a new relationship, a new companionship just as described in Genesis.  

In the next verse Paul describes that this marriage relationship mirrors the Spiritual marriage between Christ and the church by saying, "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."  That is to say, that God created mankind to have a love relationship with us, much like we understand in marriage.  It's not because God was lonely and needed a companion but because he was so overflowing in harmony in the Godhead (Trinity) that he created humanity to display his glory in relationship.  The church is the Bride of Christ so that we can understand the love relationship with God that God has in his triune nature. 
 
Our Spiritual lives are greatly enhanced when we live by God's design.  And marriage is created by God to give companionship between a husband and wife, and that in turn is to help us all see the heavenly picture of Christ's marriage to the church. 

FAITH TODAY:  Mark 10: 6-8, (Jesus said), "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.  Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

 

 

New Life "in Christ"

The Christian life brings Spiritual life, from the Holy Spirit.  We all have life in ourselves in our human spirit with differing personalities, circumstances, and environments.  But over and above, within and throughout, when a person becomes a Christian the Holy Spirit makes all things new. 

The Apostle Paul describes this truth in Second Corinthians 5:17 by saying, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  The people in Corinth at that time were caught up in a very worldly culture and needed to understand that being a Christian wasn't just another worldly religion.  It was a complete change of a person from within their soul by the Holy Spirit. 

Paul goes on to explain in the next chapter that as a Christian he sought to live his life, "by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God," etc, Ch. 6:6-7.  He gives a long list of sources of power to live in this new life.

The Holy Spirit is seen to be the key to becoming a Christian and one of the keys to living out the Christian life.  We need the power of God to live in Christ and the Holy Spirit is that power because He is the presence of God with us.  He uses the "word of truth" as well to describe this wonderful life in Christ.  

We can read much more that Paul describes the Christian life to be, but it is a life that is "in Christ" as Christ is in us through the Word of Truth, inspired and illuminated by the Holy Spirit.  This Spiritual life will lead us to become like Christ and to live for him.

FAITH TODAY: 2 Cor. 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

 

 

Renew & Restore

Have you ever become too busy to read?  Have you ever become too busy to study or pray, or even exercise?  Have you ever become too busy to remember what's important?

Well, the last few months have been like that for me.  Between family, work, projects, and new and unexpected problems, I've been distracted from reading, studying, and all the rest.  Life is full of challenges and distractions but don't quit.  Keep on keeping on, in season and out of season.

Our Spiritual lives need time, nourishment, exercise, and rest.  And with too many distractions we can lose our Spiritual zest.  Make time for God, He is the source of our Spiritual life.

FAITH TODAY: Psalm 23:1-3,  "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

Spiritual Life

The Christian faith is at its essence a personal relationship with Christ. Often times it is considered to be a religion like all the other religions in the world. And Christianity is religious, but it is primarily a relationship with the Creator of the universe.  

Because it is a relationship it has a spiritual life that manmade religions do not have. This relationship is so radical that Christ described it as being born again to Nicodemus in John 3. We are not born with this spiritual life and when Christ comes into our lives we have a brand new nature, a spiritual life from above.  

But this spiritual life needs nurturing and growth. Just as a newborn baby starts with milk and learns to eat whole food, he starts with crawling and learns to walk, he starts with sounds and learns to make words and sentences, so also our spiritual lives require development.  

One of the great prayers of the Apostle Paul for spiritual growth is found in Ephesians 1:15-23. Paul prays for the Ephesians for three things as he seeks to minister to them. He prays first that they would have "a spirit of wisdom and revelation" as he teaches them because, without a teachable spirit, no one can grow. He describes this teachability in, vs.18-19, as "having the eyes of your heart enlightened," and then prays that they would know "... the hope to which he has called you, ... the riches of his glorious inheritance, ... and the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe."  

We see Paul praying for these Ephesian Christians for their growth in their knowledge of the hope, riches, and power of Christ so that their spiritual lives would be strengthened. And it is the same for us. Our spiritual lives can be stagnant or even sick. But in Christ, we too can grow, we can be enlightened, and we can with a spirit of wisdom and revelation, see the hope, riches, and power available for us in Christ.  

Religion without spirituality is dead, and a spiritual life without a spirit of wisdom and revelation can also be declining. We can however grow up in our spiritual lives by the power of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things. But we need the eyes of our hearts enlightened and a spirit of wisdom and revelation to have a vibrant spiritual life. 

FAITH TODAY: Ephesians 1:16-17, "I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him."

 

Perspectives

Have you considered your perspective today? It has sometimes been said that everything is just a matter of perspective. But if everything is just a matter of perspective we'd get confused because even that would be a perspective. Faith can also be like a perspective when we believe only those things we see or want.

A couple of days ago I flew a trip to South America and had this wonderful perspective out my window. It's interesting that I see things differently looking down from above. God's perspective is a complete picture as only he can see things in the ultimate way as he looks down from above.

Another one of my favorite "perspectives" is Psalm 8:3-4 where King David was looking up and said,

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

He goes on to say that God not only is mindful of mankind but he has crowned us with glory and honor. This is because we are made in the image of God as we know from Genesis. God's perspective is very good and when we see the glory of creation we can see a true perspective of ourselves and of the God of all ages. Finding God's perspective is great.

FAITH TODAY: Psalm 8:1 - "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens."

The Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God is often thought of as a reality that will eventually take place in heaven when all of life is over. But the great surprise is that the kingdom has already begun. That's because the kingdom of God is a Spiritual kingdom of the heart and mind that places Christ at the center of our lives here and now.

When people become Christians they accept Christ into their hearts and they are then transformed into a new person. This is a Spiritual birth that happens by the Holy Spirit and Jesus described this as being born again when talking with Nicodemus in John 3:3. At first Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant but he certainly understood that Jesus had truth that he wanted.

So often in life we can get caught up in following the ways of the world so that we really miss the kingdom of God. The ways of the world however are all about the progress of mankind in order to promote ourselves. But the kingdom of God is all about a new Spiritual life that seeks to promote Christ. When we pursue the life of Christ our hearts find peace because we can be forgiven of our sins. We also can find inspiration because our minds are filled with the truth of living with purpose before God.

The kingdom of God has come into the world here and now and we can live in this Spiritual kingdom through faith in Christ. The Christian life can also be filled with strength from above because we have the Holy Spirit leading us. But we must accept Christ in all aspects of life to have the Holy Spirit and live in the kingdom of God.

FAITH TODAY: Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Here and Now

Looking back at the Bible it's easy to think, that was then, but we are living in the ‘here and now’. The people of the Bible lived in a completely different culture and world. They had no automobiles, airplanes, computers, televisions, cell phones, or electricity; and they believed the earth was flat. Obviously, mankind has made great progress in two thousand years.  

But instead of looking back to discredit the Bible or to look just at the here and now to celebrate the progress of man, we should look up to see the eternal truth of God.  

We see that even though our technology and cultures have developed we are still as dependent upon God as ever before. Mankind still needs food and water and air to breathe. We still need sleep and protection from diseases, sickness, the environment, and predators. Man is still finite and confined to the parameters of space and time. And most of all, we are mortal, our lives are temporary on this earth.

The ‘here and now’ is significant indeed but mankind needs answers to the ultimate questions of life. We need to look past our present moment to find the source of life and the purpose for living. We should look up to see timeless truths that are just as true for us as they were for the people of long ago. We may even find that they were more advanced than we are in some ways.

FAITH TODAY: John 6:68, "Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

 

The First Testament

Is the Old Testament so old that it is irrelevant? No, not at all. In fact, the teachings of Jesus were consistent with the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. It is God's first testament in a two testament Book.  

The first five books of Moses provide a theological foundation for the whole Bible. They describe the creation of mankind in the image of God, the sin and fall of mankind from God's grace, the ten commandments, and also the creation of a particular nation as a covenant people of God. The people of God however needed faith in the promised Messiah who was yet to come.  

God created these particular people by calling the Patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the land of Canaan, their promised land. Jacob's name was later changed to Israel, and his twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel, who over time grew into the nation of Israel. 

The Israelites however were forced to the land of Egypt to find food from famine, only to be saved by their betrayed, yet exonerated, brother Joseph. The Egyptians eventually forgot Joseph and enslaved the Israelites, but God raised up Moses to rescue them and return them to the land of Canaan. After Moses' life, Joshua brought the Israelites into the promised land where they struggled in faith and were then governed by the Judges.  

The Wisdom literature of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes describes many writings and teachings from the people of God as they walked and wrestled in faith. The lessons and questions of life were part of the experiences even for people of the Old Testament, which are the same as we also have today.

The Historical books of Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings describe how the people of God often stumbled in faith and even chose a king to lead them like the many pagan nations around them. They made Saul their first King. Kings David and Solomon followed in a golden age that was soon followed by civil war, and then several different kings, many of whom departed from the Law of God.

The Prophets were raised up by God to call the people of God back to the covenant of God. The Prophets spoke against the unrighteous kings and the coming Exile of God's people from the Promised Land. They also spoke of the redemption of God's people, and Nehemiah and Ezra saw this return and the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem.  

The Prophets still speak of living in faith today by living obediently to the Word of God. It is in the brokenness of life we can clearly see the need for a Savior which the people of the Old Testament also saw. Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of God's first testament who came into the world to save mankind from sin.

FAITH TODAY: Isaiah 9:5 - "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

 

 

The Book

If Jesus is alive and at God's right hand even now, we know there is a reality beyond the here and now that is paramount. But how can we know Christ and know this Spiritual reality that is the most important truth in the world? We have to go to God's Book, the Bible, to discover the teachings of Jesus to begin to know Him.  

The New Testament begins with the four gospels of Jesus' life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These eyewitness stories of Jesus describe the historical and Spiritual accounts from four different personal perspectives as his life was documented in great detail.

Shortly after his life Jesus' disciples began to teach the truth of his message and the book of The Acts of the Apostles describes the early Church and its inception. Jesus commissioned his Apostles to go into the world to also make disciples and to build his spiritual kingdom.  

Through the lives and ministries of the Apostles, they also wrote books of their own teachings that we know as the Epistles. Peter, James, John, and Paul wrote several epistles that describe in greater detail the nature and works of having faith in Christ.

Finally, The Revelation of John describes future events of the kingdom of God. In this book, the apostle John describes a great battle of Armageddon, a final judgment of all people, the Book of Life, and the return of Christ to the earth to establish his eternal kingdom. There is much figurative language that makes the time of Christ's return uncertain. Yet there are also very clear descriptions of a culmination of all things.

The Bible's context and culture are much different than in our own times. Yet the descriptions of spirituality in the Bible have not changed at all from our own spirituality. We too recognize the need for relationships, for significance and purpose, yet we also know the reality of sin and death. Only God can give a true answer to all our needs, and he does so in his Book, the Bible. Only Christ can reveal God adequately because he is the Son of God.  

FAITH TODAY: John 8:12, "Again Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

 

First Things

What does the Christian faith look like in the twenty-first century?  

We live in a crazy, complicated, and confusing world sometimes. Technology is always changing, and we can only wonder if there is anything that is going to stay the same.  Who can understand our culture as we need to have some understanding of truth and reality for today?  When I was young our culture basically believed that Christianity and the Bible are true.  But faith in God and Christian faith is all about Jesus who lived twenty centuries ago. How can we understand that Jesus is the Christ and that Christianity is true in our constantly changing and modern world?

First things first. We must understand the Christian faith through the lens of truth. Our faith doesn't stand on faith itself but upon the truth and existence of God.  The truth of God has not changed even though the cultures of man have changed.  We can know that Jesus is the Son of God, that he arose from the dead and he is alive forever more.  We can know that Jesus is the Christ and Christianity is as true today as it was twenty centuries ago through the Scriptures.  

How can we know this?  I believe Christianity and the Bible are true because they contain truths that only God can convey. The Scriptures still speak to us today.  This book resonates with my soul, as my conscience understands that I need God, I am mortal, and I need to understand who created me and who can save me from sin and death.  I also need to know what the purpose of my life is all about.  The Bible speaks of these truths in such a way that no mere man could invent. 

The truth of Scripture doesn't change with the changes of culture, it's as true today as it was two thousand years ago because it is from God. We read in Scripture that Christ is alive and has sent the Holy Spirit to us, the Spirit of truth.  And Truth is true for every generation or else it wouldn't be true.  And if God isn't true, then, 'What is truth?'  So we can find the truth to the questions of our deepest needs of salvation and the meaning and purpose in life through the Scriptures.  We can find new life in Christ because he is true. 

If Christ isn't alive and at God's right hand then everything about Christianity is false.  But Christ is alive and therefore all of the Christian faith is true and must be oriented around this great truth.  The Bible is trustworthy because it is true.  And truth exists because God exists. 

FAITH TODAY: John 14:6, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."