Category: Matters of Faith

Imagine, if you will, a pair of 10 or 12 year old boys happen upon an old rowboat washed up on the shore of a river. There are no oars, but the boys decide to push it out into the river and go for a ride. While drifting along they joke around and tell each other tales of adventure as riverboat captains, or pirates, or brave explorers. After a while they begin to hear a sound; faint at first, growing louder. Their eyes grow wide when they recognize it: THE RAPIDS! If the decrepit old boat goes into those, it will surely break up and they could drown. They paddle frantically with their hands and manage to get the boat close enough to shore to jump out into water shallow enough to walk safely to shore. They watch from the shore as the boat is tossed by the white water, beaten against the boulders and smashed to bits. What started out as pure fun nearly ended in disaster.  This story serves as a metaphor for life. Continue reading “Drifting Through Life”

In the early days of the movement known as The Way, this congregation swelled rapidly from 120 members to around 5,000 members. Because the Sanhedrin hated Jesus and his followers, any Jew who converted to following Jesus was ejected from the Jewish temple and ordered to be shunned by all devout Jews. This had a major impact on the economy of any Jewish family who became followers of Jesus.

To help these people, as well as the lame and widows who joined them, the “church” took up collections and dispersed goods and funds to those in need. These collections were not forced, but rather the followers of Jesus gave freely out of a generous heart. Acts 4:32 says, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own but they had all things in common.”

This was not a new concept, I Chronicles 29:14-16  states that possessions come from God, belong to God, and should therefore be offered back to God when there is need. It is said that a hand opened in giving is ready to receive as well. A hand closed in greed cannot receive anything.

As followers began selling possessions to supply the need; there was, no doubt, some recognition of these gifts by the Apostles.

Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of land, but chose to hold back part of the proceeds for themselves (Acts 5:1-11)  . They told the Apostles that what they gave was the full price they received. Why did they do that? Continue reading “Lessons Learned from Ananias and Sapphira”

When Jesus walked the earth and taught about the kingdom of God and what would come to be known as Christianity, he frequently spoke against the temple model of worship. Briefly, that is: holy places (usually buildings) where holy men interpret holy writings and tell the devout what to think, how to live, and what their god demands of them. The church that Jesus built through his apostles was not this way. Acts chapter two clearly describes what the original Christian church looked like:

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV)

This original, pure “Christian” church (they did not call themselves Christian for some time. Originally this church was called The Way. “Christian” was a derogatory tag hung on them by Roman soldiers at Antioch, which the followers of Jesus picked up and wore with pride) broke the temple model, but it did not last long. Continue reading “A Snapshot of True Christianity”

Before Jesus came on the scene, religious activity always followed the temple model. In a nut shell, the temple model is having one or more holy places, where the holy writs are kept, and holy men stay. These holy men interpret the holy writs and deliver to the faithful decrees about how they will live and behave and what sacrifices their god demands. If these holy men feel a follower is not living up to their decrees, that follower can be punished or killed in accordance to their writ. Continue reading “Toppling the Temple Model”

The Christmas season is upon us and many will be making out wish lists. As children we addressed these lists to Santa Claus, as adults some address them to God and ask Him to fulfill their wishes. They hold up Bible passages such as John 14:13-14 as evidence for their expectation:

¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask[a] anything in My name, I will do it. (NKJV)

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it: ask me anything and I will do it? So then if I ask Jesus for a red Maserati with chrome wheels, he should give it to me right? No.

This is not to say that if I truly desired this I would not end up with a red Maserati with chrome wheels, for we do tend to get whatever it is we fix our heart on. I may have to work three jobs for 5 years to get the money, but if that is what I hold most dear I’ll do it – and in so doing, turn my back on Jesus to pursue worldly gain.

As is so often the case, pulling a single passage out of the Bible and using it to make a point proves to invalidate that passage. Let’s look at what is really being said here. Continue reading “Ask What You Will”

Many Christian organizations feel that erecting a magnificent building in which to worship honors God. Some claim that the Holy Spirit lives in such edifices. Not true!

Acts 7:48-49 says:

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
⁴⁹ ‘Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
Or what is the place of My rest? (ref: Isaiah 66:1)(NKJV)

And in Acts 17:24 we find: Continue reading “The Broken-Down Temple”

I don’t know too many people who say they are not concerned by recent world events, the economy, and the current political climate.  In fact, most people I know spend a lot of time being angry or frightened (or both) about these things and so much more.  Yet, the Bible tells us that, as believers, we are not to worry.  About anything.   How can we do that?

In the modern vernacular “worry” means to be anxious or disturbed.  The Greek word translated as “worry” is merimnao, which also means to be anxious and that comes from the word merimna which means “to be divided or pulled apart”.  This is appropriate because worrying about things outside of our control will only pull us apart from God and the peace He promised us. Continue reading “Being Happy in Unhappy Times”