Author: daltonjenkins

The giver of life

daltonjenkins

John 3:13-18

Form a young man until now I have had this burning desire to preach the Gospel. Back then, I was not educated in the theological meanings or arguments surrounding my faith but I knew that:
1) God love us
2) He gave His Son to die for us
3) Jesus came to earth born of a virgin name Mary
4) He demonstrate His power, He die, rose, ascended and promise He will return for those who believe

That message transformed my life and I was going to share it with as many people as possible. Jesus the life giver has extended his hands to everyone.

Today, everyone is seeking for any solution to eternal life. Modern technology has allow for so call “fountain of youth” but even that ends, there is just so much stretching the skin will take, age will eventually say enough. But there is a solution to this problem, Jesus!

John 11:25 states that he who believe in me, though he may die, he shall live.

This is the Easter message.

This mission that Jesus was on was to bring eternal life to everyone. This eternal life is restoration of a broken relationship with God.

We experience on a daily basis beginning of life and ending of life. In the business world, technology, science, sporting competition, nature and education this is evident. We are conditioned to think that everything and everyone has an end therefore it is not natural to see that death is limited.

The message of the gospel is about the giver of life, eternal life. We should shout this as loud as we can to everyone we can and in every place we can. The point is this, even though I will succumb to death and all the consequences of death, there is a promise that I will live again. I will live in a place where these ills of life will no longer exist.

Jesus always uses life given statements to describe his mission. I come that he might have life comes to mind (John 10:10). We should develop this attitude and cultivate a new vocabulary that speaks life instead of death. The message of the cross is about grace, God loving me regardless of who I am and all I have done and continue to do. This message is about a lively hope, this message is about abundant life, and this message is about a secured future in Christ.

Let us use all we possess to speak life into others. Say to someone “though you might die, you shall live” and if you suffer for His sake you shall reign with Christ. Remember life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). When we speak positive things we are speaking life.

The reality is that we who live in this life will suffer and eventually experience death. Death can mean entrance into eternal life with God (heaven) or eternal separation from God (hell). Depending on where you will end up, death/suffering have a different meaning to you in this life.

Note carefully that this prospective on life and death, suffering and pain is only available to those “who believe in me (Jesus Christ)”. Therefore, death is not a point of finality for the believer, it is just the beginning of life.

Prayer:
Lord thank you for providing an opportunity that I could experience eternal life. Help me to speak life and not death to those you place into my life. Lord provide opportunities for
me to share this life giving story to those that have not yet accepted this message.

Jesus was led by the Spirit

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“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Matthew 4:1

Understanding the eminent nature of His ministry, and the temptation to come, Jesus followed the leading of the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine that Jesus, with full knowledge of what would unfold in the next 3 1/2 years, did not rush into ministry, but waited in prayer?

Waiting is always painful especially when you have confirmation and knowledge that what you are praying about is approved.

Jesus knew his mission but humbled himself in prayer and waiting.

Sometimes we ask God, why do I have to wait so long?
Why does it seem like those who put in less effort is more successful that me?
Why doesn’t the church or the leader recognize my calling?

I have learnt that we should replace the why questions with prayer and waiting.

I have come to understand that there are situations that I must experience in order to be ready for God to use me.

There are steps to follow, in sequence, before God elevates.

As a child of God every experience is designed to prepare me for the task ahead.
Therefore, I will wait in the presence of God. Here is what I do:
• I must wait in prayer.
• I spend adequate amount of time praying and seeking God’s directions.
• I should stay in the presence of God where I will not be interrupted.

Why should I wait in prayer? This attitude prepares us, it causes us to be tough enough to hold on even through the rough times, it makes us soft enough to bear with those that are weaker than us and it clarifies the mission thereby helping us to stay focus.

Prayer:
Lord while I do not understand all I am going through, help me to wait on you in prayer. I need to stay in your presence uninterrupted. Help me not to resist when you are leading me to wait in prayer and to remain in your presence.

A Call to Action

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I was reading for my devotions this morning from Nehemiah 3 and verse 5 caught my attention.

“And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.”

In this chapter the author was careful to list all the different tribes that were motivated by Nehemiah’s call to rebuild and what portion of the wall they were rebuilding. The chapter listed tribe by tribe and it is easy to skip past this chapter but I could not.

Here is what stopped me.  All the people in this tribe (Tekoites) were working on building the their portion of the wall “but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord”.

Wow! They would not stoop to serve their Lord!

Think about it this way.  They were living in a broken-down and depressed place and a man motivated by the Holy Spirit left his secure, comfortable and prestigious job to come and help them rebuild.  But these guys thought it demeaning to stoop and work.

All the tribes were working and all the people except these nobles.

It is easy to be credited for accomplishing something when you are apart of a group-even when you did little. Often times this is the case in the church, college and on the job, a few will bare the full burden of the group.

Are you allowing others to carry your load and you are okay with taking the credit?

What is it that God has called you to do that you think is not becoming of your personality or credentials?

When we get to heaven and everyone is being praised for his or her deeds, will there be a “but” before your name?

Will you hear God say, everyone in that church, small group, or ministry worked, they were outstanding but these people did not serve me fully?

Let Us Rise and Build

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The theme for consideration this year is “I will Rise and Build”. The scriptural focus is on Nehemiah 2:1-7.  Nehemiah personally answered the call and made the determination that he would rise and build and then was able to challenge the remnant of Israel in verse 18 to let us rise and build.

Often times it is easier to answer a call to action when others are joining or have answer a similar call.  Others will act alone if there is something in it for them.

However, the challenge this year is a personal one. Who will answer that call that Bill Haybels call, “Holy Discontent”?  This he said is when something wrecks you from the inside, when your spirit will not rest until you respond to the call.

During this year’s convention we are focusing on the individual call to build.  Nehemiah was in a secure job that carries certain risk but it was a prestigious position.  Upon hearing the news of the destruction of the old city he was moved to act.  It is this initial conviction that placed him in a position to be able to encourage others to act.  As Christians, we have to first accept the challenge and then act on the challenge, if we are going to be effective at encouraging others to act.

This was not a hasty action, one that was not properly informed.  Nehemiah counted the cost. Ultimately, the decision he made could have cost him his life, but he was willing to take the chance.  This move was not for selfish motive but to accomplish the mission of God (redemption-restoration of a broken relationship).  Answering the call of God is worth the risk all the time.

I believe we are living in a time when the motivation to stand alone, on principles, seemed to be abnormal.  However, I have a strong feeling that many are standing alone but are not in the limelight. It will take a conviction of the Holy Spirit to motivate us to abandon our individual pursuits in order to fulfill God’s call on our lives.  What is holding you back from answering that “Holy Discontent”?

Ten years ago I felt this “Nehemiah Unction”.  I could not resist and I could not rest until I answered that call.  The result of that call is this church and this ninth year celebration. Those who are members and regular attendees have also answered that unction and today we reflect and celebrate God’s goodness together.

Many lives have been changed and have experienced that call to come up higher. Yes, it is because others answered the call why we celebrate today. Lives have been changed because you and I answered the call to “Rise and Build”.  Like Nehemiah you have left something or someone to follow God and today we rejoice together.

My prayer this year, is that we all look with ourselves and respond to the challenge of the Holy Spirit.  There is a lot of work to be completed and the challenge ahead is great but God can use a committed heart to do extraordinary feats.  I am praying that the power of the Holy Spirit will cause a “Holy Discontent” within our souls until we get up and act on the call of God on our lives.

What will stir our hearts right now to action? Right where you are what do you see and hear that will cause you to move?  What does God has to do to get you to move?

Individually, we have to see the need and make up our minds that we are not going to delay anymore, even if we are the only one-we will act.  We will not wait on anyone else to act but we will sacrifice everything to be where God wants us to be and to do what God wants us to do.

After Nehemiah answered the call he was able to challenge others to build. If together we are going to build, then individually we have to rise and build.

This year, this is an individual challenge.

The Gospel Message: Contextualization (Acts 10)

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The Colonial Era Model of missions continues to today according to Paul G. Hiebert’s essay, The Gospel in Human Context. “The Churches that were planted during the Colonial Era emulated western Churches in theology, worship and Church polity.” Critical Contextualization is necessary in missionary endeavors. “The gospel must be Biblical but relevant to the context. If the early missionaries adjusted too little, these missionaries in the twentieth century accommodated too freely and the result was syncretism.”[1] Every culture possesses both good and evil, and Christianity has the potential to transcend any cultural ethos if the missionaries are allowed by the Church to do so. Even in church-planting efforts, contextualization must be an active part of the planters’ consideration. A new paradigm, or a rediscovered paradigm, has emerged. According to Paul G. Hiebert’s essay, The Gospel in Human Context, “In recent years Evangelical missiologists, especially anthropologists, have emphasized the importance of contextual hermeneutics. A contextual hermeneutics seeks to interpret the scriptures in a way that is Biblically correct but also culturally appropriate and relevant. This approach reflects the importance of the two hermeneutical questions: what did the Biblical text mean originally and what does this text mean for us today.”[2] According to Hiebert, what we need is a more “contextual hermeneutics & critical contextualization that must be informed by Holy Scriptures, guided by the Holy Spirit and discerned by the Church” if we are going to be true to the Great Commission.

In the essay by Paul G. Hiebert, he identified several types of contextualization.[3] Hiebert posited that contextualization is a critical aspect of missions. I agree with him that all of us participate in some aspects of contextualization. The world is at our doorstep, and we have to minister to people within their context without losing the essence of the Biblical message. Hiebert argues that there are “changing perceptions of contextualization among missionaries and missions scholars. Missions must include social, historical, personal and other contexts in which people are living.” He maintained that minimal contextualization is when one is unaware of the contexts in which they live or the depth to which these contexts shape how and what they think.[4] He continues to define uncritical contextualization where there is a watered-down presentation of the gospel leading to syncretism[5] (“This would mean the “old religion” would become mixed in with the new Biblical faith and that culture would have more authority than revelation.[6] Critical contextualization tends to seek a balanced approach to which missionary interactions with societies is both true to the Bible and sensitive to the cultures of the particular people group”) and Divine revelation given in human context.

In Acts 10, we see that the Holy Spirit was the guiding hand in this missionary endeavor and that the message was all about Jesus Christ. Peter did not go to Cornelius with a message of cultural change, but one of spiritual revolution. Good deeds do not complete the conversion process, but a full acceptance of the person and work of Jesus does. It was at this point in the message that the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his friends and family who were present. Lawrence O. Richards in his book The Bible Readers Companion said,

The fact that Gentiles were given this gift, just as the apostles had been on Pentecost (cf. Acts 2), was proof of God’s acceptance of Gentiles into the Church. Peter’s phrase “at the beginning” (v. 15) suggests that this event was unusual because it involved Gentiles, and speaking in tongues, γλώσσαις (glossolalia), was not a common phenomenon in the early church.[7]

It was at the introduction of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Scriptural prophecies that the Holy Spirit did what only He could do; He came into their hearts, anointing them with the evidence of other tongues, γλώσσαις (glossolalia). In Acts 10:43, Peter said about Jesus, “He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Before an invitation was given, the Spirit already readied the heart of Cornelius, filled him and anointing him. This process of the Anointing of the Holy Spirit began way back in Acts 10:1. It was evident in Matthew 4 at the introduction of Jesus’ ministry and at His baptism by John the Baptist. Cornelius saw something among the Jews that moved him. He practiced two out of the three virtues of the Jews at that time: prayer, alms giving, and fasting. He was obedient to the Holy Spirit and now as the full counsel of the gospel was being revealed he accepted and as a sign of God’s acceptance of this Gentile He gave them His Spirit with the sign of the γλώσσαις (glossolalia). Since these two men, the seeker and the messenger, were obedient to the direction of the Holy Spirit, Acts 12 indicated that The Good News spread rapidly, and many more became believers. The message Cornelius heard was the same message that was preached in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”[8] This is the gospel message; that there is salvation only through Jesus Christ. This salvation requires that one repents as stated in Acts 3:19 and accept Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior as seen in Acts 4:12. Here we have seen the gospel being presented in context of the culture; however, the message did not change and the requirements remained.

When we examine the ministry of Paul, we can see that he was born in a Hellenistic Greek culture, Tarsus; he was a Jew and Roman citizen. To add to the complexity of contextualization as stated in Acts 22:3, “he was educated under Gamaliel as a strict Pharisee?”[9] Yet we can learn a lot from the apostle’s presentation of truth that was based on Jesus Christ, and he was more concerned, I think, with critical contextualization of the gospel. Paul did not stray from the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He has provided a way for sinners to reconnect with God through conversion. In Acts 17, we witness Paul on Mars’ Hill, the pinnacle of philosophy, as he gently used their context to present the Gospel. Paul looked around and noticed how religious they were and pointed them to Jesus by speaking in their context. This method can be seen throughout the Pauline Epistles. It is very noticeable in Luke’s writings in Acts 15, about the story of Peter and Cornelius. On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached a sermon that had its basis in the life, work and teachings of Jesus Christ (Acts 3). What developed later was an institution that formed the basis of what we call Church today. The challenge that the early Church faced was how to contextualize the gospel. In the story of Peter and Cornelius this was evident. It took the revelation of the Holy Spirit to transform Peter.

Presenting the Gospel has to be strategic, holistic, and deliberate. This requires meeting persons in their context and applying the gospel contextually. There is a physical and a spiritual dimension to mission and the Church; if it is going to be effective we cannot continue to present a one-sided Gospel. I agree to some degree with Hoekendijk as he challenged missionaries to identify and integrate with the suffering masses, seeking to realize God’s shalom on earth, but he fell short of advocating for a holistic approach inclusive of the Church.[10] He went to the left of the evangelical community and focused on social, economic, and political liberation and less on the church as the vehicle to present the gospel message. Holistic approaches to mission are demonstrated in countries like Africa and Latin America; Asian church leaders have embraced Creation Care, an environment mission’s agency hosted by God and Creation conference in Kenya. In a recent article in the Christian Today magazine-July 2010, a “faith-based model”, in Mieze, Mozambique, they “teach rural poor how to use trade to rise out of poverty”. The founders of the program (Iris Ministries), Don Kantel and his wife, said, “We are determined to create a holistic model for transforming life among Africa’s poorest families through job creation and evangelistic outreach”.[11] Here, they were strategic and deliberate while maintaining a holistic approach to mission. They show the communities how to become self-sufficient economically and at the same time teach them about the life-transforming message of the Bible. In a unique way “the project brings together farming, animal husbandry, long-term orphan care, education, and newly planted church, all in a sustainable way with indigenous leaders”, a mission geared towards orphans and vulnerable children. As we bring the Gospel to the world we have to be aware of the context but we have to be anchored in a strong scriptural foundation.

;

[1] Paul G. Hiebert. The Gospel In Human Context, 100.

[2] Ibid., 101

[3] Paul G. Hiebert. The Gospel In Human Context, 82 – 94.

[4] Paul G. Hiebert. The Gospel In Human Context, 84.

[5] Ibid., 89 – 91 and 107

[6] A. Scott Moreau, Harold Netland and Charles van Engen, Evangelical Dictionary of World Missions, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria, UK: Baker Books; A. Scott Moreau, 2000), 226.

[7] Lawrence O. Richards, The Bible Readers Companion, electronic ed. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991), 718.

[8] W. Hall Harris, III, The Lexham English Bible (Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2010), Ac 2:36.

[9] Logos Bible Software. http://blog.logos.com/archives/2010/07/mind_the_gap.html?FBF (Access 2010) – Make of Logos Bible Software.

[10] Johannes Christiaan Hoekendijk, The Church Inside Out, (London: Scm Press, 1967), 25-31.

[11] Cassandra Soars, “A Hand Up,” Christian Today, July 2010, 13.

The Gospel Message: Peter’s Address – Acts 10:34-43

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The gospel message is all about Jesus and what He did and is going to do.  Peter summarized this in Acts 10:37-41.  The commission to go and preach was given by Jesus in Acts 1 and the authority and power to preach was given in Acts 2.  The revelation for mission was given in Acts 10 that laid the foundation for the selection of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:2 where the Holy Spirit instructed, after they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”  Paul later became the face of missions to the Gentile world.  The gospel must be grounded in the Bible and consist of the message of Jesus’ life, work, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return.  Those who have first received the Gospel Message must carry out this message, and the Church is the organism that has been authorized to deliver this message.  The work of the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus in John 16:6-11, is clearly at work in the story of Peter and Cornelius.   Jesus said “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”  The Holy Spirit was going to convict the world, in this case Cornelius.  In the case of Peter, the Spirit’s ministry of guidance and revelation of truth was demonstrated. Finally, the Spirit wanted Peter to present Jesus to Cornelius. This ministry of representation, according to John, is demonstrated through us who represent Christ here on earth.

We understand that the gospel message is sent to the world, not just to one group of people.   Matthew 28:20 said, “go into all the world” and in Acts 1 it gave more detail as to the meaning of the world: “And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Again we see the Holy Spirit taking the lead in first equipping the messengers before they were sent.  Those in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost were anointed by the Holy Spirit and sent to bring the Gospel message.  They sometimes struggled with the fact that many were accepting this message, but that did not stop the spread of the Gospel.  Peter was one who struggled with seeing the world outside of Jerusalem and the Jewish context.

The Holy Spirit however, gave him a lesson; this lesson was that God is impartial and all need the Gospel.  As the Holy Spirit taught Peter, we need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts on this matter as stated in Acts 10:15, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  We are to be willing to take the gospel message to the world, and have no exception.  Once Peter understood the message, he was able to go into Cornelius’ home and present the gospel and fellowshipped.  This was a remarkable accomplishment, a Jew not only going into a Gentile’s home, but he was staying for a while and eating with them.  The food was not declared clean by Mosaic Law but by the fulfillment of the Laws through Jesus Christ.  He was truly a missionary.  A missionary is simply a messenger, bringing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.  As we endeavor to bring the gospel and assume the mantle of a missionary, there must be an understanding of contextualization of the gospel, wherein the message does not change, but the application of the message in the local context will vary.  This is true of Paul in Acts 17 when he spoke to the Athenians about their monument to the unknown God.  Paul used their context and presented the Gospel.  In the July 2010 Christianity Today issue in the article, “Love where you live”, J. R. Kerr said, “A city gets transformed when neighborhoods marked by the gospel are redeemed.  To do that, we need to stay 20 or 30 years.”[1]  This missionary enterprise is an investment, or a life commitment.

[1] Collin Hasen, “Love Where You Live” Christianity Today, July 2010, 36.

The Art of Worship

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We have been experiencing great changes in our churches. The worship experiences have transitioned from traditional to contemporary worship styles. This has caused many rifts in churches, the older Christians vs. the younger Christians. We now hire full time professional musicians and worship leaders to lead these worship services. We sing along to professionally arranged music that seemed to usher us into the very presence of God. Everyone seemed to have entered into his or her own worship experience with God. By all account the worship seemed to be right on target. Let us first define worship. What is worship, according to The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible?

Worship: that is, worthiness, dignity, or merit, thus the recognition accorded or due to someone, the paying of homage or respect. In the religious world the term is used for the reverent devotion, service, or honor paid to God, whether public or individual. The church building is a place of worship and the forms of divine service followed by various Christian groups or congregations are forms of worship.[1]

For the past couple of years my spirit has been troubled by what I am witnessing in the world of “Praise and Worship”. For the record I am musician at heart, I love good music and I admire worship teams that are well rehearsed. I enjoy a well-put together worship experience. I strongly believe that praise team and worship leaders must spent quality time in preparation for the worship experience. I even teach my church that the praise team and worship leaders are held to the same standard as the pastor is with regard to preparation and readiness. For some it seem that worship is just the time of praise and as soon as it is time for prayer and the sermon they are turn off, some even sleep.

I submit to you that we can get a similar feeling or experience of euphoria and emotional high in sports arenas or in secular concerts as we sometimes feel in the worship services. What are the distinctions between the two experiences? These are some questions that have resulted from my concern and my internal questioning:

  • I am concern and I wonder aloud are lives been changed for the better or are we aiding and abetting people in their sins?
  • Does the type of worship we offer, a direct reflection of our relationship with God?
  • Are our services allowing for people to identify their sins and provide a place for confession of their sins, before, during and after these services?
  • I am concern that all we do might not be acceptable to God. I have to keep asking myself is God pleased with our presentation today?
  • Are lives being changed during the time of worship?
  • Does our lives activities during the weekdays reflecting of a true worshiper?
  • Do we live the same way during the rest of the week as we do for the 30 to 40 minutes we sing and participate in what we call “Praise & Worship”?
  • Do we tend to sleep just as the pastor is giving the sermon but we are wide-awake during the praise and worship segment?
  • Can a person live a different lifestyle during the week and come before God in worship on Sunday?
  • How do we know that what we are feeling or experiencing is the presence of the Holy Spirit?
  • Some songs are sometimes written with a crossover appeal versus those that are written solely unto God. How do we know the difference?
  • Can those songs written with a crossover appeal be acceptable unto God?
  • Can worship that incorporate secular singers be acceptable to God?
  • Do we still need to gather at a central place in order for worship to take place or can we just ignore church communal worship?
  • A person can leave a worship session and would get involve in a fight by the “drop of a hat.” Many worshiped and go right back into the same sinful lifestyle they were in before. Attitudes seemed to not being affected by what we are calling “Praise & Worship”. Is God really please with our Worship Experience?

The scriptures declared in John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” And also, in 1Cor. 6:15-17, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” ESV

It is now acceptable to intermingle different forms of worship from other religions with that of Christian Worship Experiences. Many are ignorant of those things and have gladly accepted this and I have to wonder if God is please. I have been drawn into this desire to find out more of what God wants and what are the requirements for worship. Let us spend the next two to three months and examine this this theme: “The Art of Worship”. As I examined the Old Testament (OT) for clues into the requirements of worship what I am discovering and being reminded about humbles me. Clearly the religions of the day have similar rituals and practices, as did those of the people chosen by God. Therefore, rituals and feelings do not provide clear unequivocal evidences of the Divine presence of God in our worship services.

Here are some points that I have noticed in reviewing the scriptures concerning a worship experience that pleased God.

God desires to have full-unhindered fellowship with His creation.

  • In Genesis we see God would come down on a daily basis to have fellowship with Adam at a certain place at a certain time.
  • God is expecting us to be at a certain place at a certain time.
  • God who is omnipresent allow himself to be revealed in a certain place so that we can know more about and develop a relationship with us.
  • He came down and met the patriarchs of old; they did not have to ascend up into heaven to worship God. Those who ascended into heaven their earthly worship were completed.
  • He came down to the Children of Israel in the Tabernacle and the Temple and allowed his presence to be seen at times confined to the mercy seat.
  • He sent His Son down to earth to die for us as the perfect sacrifice; He fulfilled all the requirements of the law and paid the penalty for sin.
  • He came down to the Apostles and the brethren on the day of Pentecost and left His Holy Spirit with us.
  • He still desires to dwell among us on a daily basis.

God is not expecting us to ascend into heaven to worship Him; He is waiting for us to prepare our lives and a place so He can come to us. In the process of preparation we should consider what are God’s requirements for a genuine worship experience. Here are some points to consider as we seek to understand what God wants or requires for those that seek to worship Him:

  1. A place to fellowship with his people in Worship.
  2. A people to have fellowship with Him in Worship.
  3. Like the Children of Israel our approach to worship has to be different than that of our neighbors, the world.
  4. God requires preparation of the worshipper for worship: the worshipper’s attitude and his offering should be in a position that is acceptable unto God.
  5. There is a process that God requires when worshipping Him; it is not just a “free for all”, according to Gaebelein, Morris, Burdick et al., made these points in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. [2]
  • When we enter into a worship experience we must recognize who we are worshipping; we are having and encounter with the Supreme Holy God – (Exodus 3:1–6)
  • God clearly set forth through Holy Scriptures that Worship is reserve for him alone – (Exodus 34:14)
  • The process of worship requires us to ascribe God all the glory that is due to him – (Psalm 29:1–2)
  • Our worship should be motivated by the fact of the sacrificial demonstration of love by Jesus Christ on the cross – (Hebrews 10:1–10)
  • There must be a posture of reverence and fear when we enter our worship experience – (Hebrews 12:28)
  • If we desire to have a personal encounter with God then we must deliberately draw near to God in return he will draw near to us – James 4:8).

One writer said that worship is to the audience of one that is God. God said that He would never share His Glory with another. Therefore, we must be very careful not to allow worship to be about ourselves or to please the worshippers. We can see many OT shadows of what God ultimately requires of those that desire to worship Him. God does take worship seriously. When we examine the OT we can see how specific and very detail God was in His requirements for worship.

We notice this from the first sacrifice in the Garden of Eden for the sins of Adam and Eve to the sacrifices in the magnificent Solomon’s temple. God left nothing to the imagination, from the specification of measurements, the type of materials, the food and sacrifices, times and process all were detailed by God and given to His people.

Are we planning our time of worship around what we desire or what God requires?

It is in the NT that we see the fulfillments of those symbols that were in the OT. Through Jesus Christ and His work here on earth we see him as the perfect sacrifice, the ultimate high priest and the soon coming King. He left us with a personal aid, our helper the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into what God the Father is expecting from us. John put it this way, in the Gospel of John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” ESV

Believers God’s expectations of us are clearly outlined in scriptures we do not have to turn to a professional to write directions for us. The scriptures have detailed God’s requirements. God’s has a constant desire to have fellowship with us. He desires a people that will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

For the next couple of post I will look to identify the principles of worship as laid out in the Scriptures. As a guide in this journey I will look at the Letter to the Hebrews as well as to the Corinthians while collate it with the instructions given to Moses for the Tabernacle worship and extended to Solomon for the Temple worship. I strongly believe that if we can make the connection and understand the nature and expectations of the God we worship then our worship experience will be different.

Join me on this journey as we rediscover the Art of Worship. The next post will examine the Tabernacle worship experiences and relate it to our current time.

[1] Moisés Silva and Merrill Chapin Tenney, The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 5, Q-Z, Revised, Full-Color Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 2009), 1126.

[2] Frank E. Gaebelein, Leon Morris, Donald W. Burdick et al., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews Through Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 21.

Easter Challenge: The Cross and the Grave

daltonjenkins

The challenge of Easter that Jesus faced was a triple challenge; He faced the Gethsemane Challenge involved submitting to His Father’s will, Calvary’s Challenge was about paying the ultimate price and the Grave’s Challenge was to leave a lasting evidence of the completed work of redemption and His promised return. Luke documented this in Acts 10:38-42,

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on he third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.”

Our response to these challenges is to first submit ourselves to God’s will even when it does not seem clear.  As we face the challenges of our various situations let us imitate Jesus’ behavior.  We can apply these 6 principles to any challenge that we are facing.  I pray that you will allow the Easter Challenge to realign you to the will of God.  For this realignment to occur you must (Matthew 26):

  1. Find a place where you could meet God – verse 36
  2. You must meet your challenges with prayer – verse 36-39
  3. You should have people around you during your challenge – verse 37
  4. You should share your burden or challenges with your intercessory friends – verse 38
  5. You should separate yourself in order to be alone with God the Father – verse 38- 39
  6. Once you are alone with God submitted to His will for your life – verse 39-46

This Easter will you face your challenge with a resolve like Jesus did, will you say I would do what God’s will is for my life.

Good Friday is a day that we focused on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  What a challenge Jesus faced on that cross.  This is the Calvary’s Challenge (Matthew 28:21-59) as documented by Luke in Luke 23:39-43, One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Calvary’s’ Challenge was that Jesus had to pay the ultimate price for mankind’s redemptions.  This payment is to bring us back into a right relationship with God.  This was not an easy task; only one that was perfect could have satisfied this ransom.  On the cross Jesus faced:

  • Rejection
  • Loneliness
  • Betrayal
  • False accusation
  • Pain physical and spiritual
  • Death

His disciples abandoned Him; the people that were healed were outnumbered by the shouts of those that were in the crowd; crucify Him.  Those that did not abandoned Him followed close by but it was a stranger that helped Him carry the cross.  They humiliated Jesus, they beat Jesus, they cursed at Him, they mocked Him, and the rejected Him.

John writes in John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

We have to respond to Jesus’ death on Calvary.  This response is both active and passive.  Whither we publicly acknowledge or privately deny or turn away from the call of Calvary we are responding to the Calvary’s Challenge.  This challenge says I died for you, I paid the ultimate sacrifice so that you can become one with God the Father.   Jesus faced death for you and I and we must respond to this demonstration of LOVE.

The two thieves that were crucified with Jesus, one on the right and one on the left both had an opportunity to respond to Calvary’s Challenge.  In their response one was ushered into paradise and one was ushered into eternal damnation (Luke 23:39-41).  In a society like the one we now live in, we are faced with a selfish spirit that seems to permeate the atmosphere.  Like the first thief many are only seeking their own pleasure.  They do not consider your plight.  All they want is for you to satisfy them.  Like Jesus we Christians are commanded to love others and look out for the wellbeing of others.

Jesus demonstrated this on the cross, in Luke 23 verse 27-31, Luke state, “ and there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say,  ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” ESV

He also commended His mother and brother into each other care.  In His death He was looking out for others.  John said in John 19:26-27 “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” KJV

As an indication that the price was paid, Jesus told the thief that today you would be with me in Paradise.  This indicated that salvation purchase was complete. The symbol of the cross is one that constantly reminds us that ultimate love is calling us into a relationship. Today, what will your response be?  While there are many debates as to the resurrection the fact that Jesus died is never in doubt.  I will even dare to say that if Calvary was the finale we still would have to answer the call of Calvary.  While Jesus’ death paid for our sins, the grave left us an evidence of this purchase.

Grave’s Challenge was to left us a lasting reminder of the purchased redemption and Jesus promised return.  If Jesus had only died and not rose from the grave many would dismiss His deity and power.  They would say many prophets and great leaders lived, they did good deeds, and died but their bodies are in the grave they are still dead.  But thank God the empty grave is evidence that Jesus is the risen Lord.  The challenge was his to face on Calvary but the rest was for the Father to do.  Jesus’ obedience to the Fathers’ will led Him to Calvary, His Father exalted Him by raising Him from the Grave and accepted Him into heaven to His rightful place at His right Hand.  Once you have met the Gethsemane and Calvary challenges then the Grave is no challenge for you.  You and I must know that our responses to God’s overt demonstration of love will put us in a position where we do not have to fair Sin, Hell, Death and the Grave (1 Corinthians 1:50-58).

Jesus rose triumphantly from the Grave.  When we inspect the grave we can see that there was no fight to get out of the grave.  Jesus rose with all power.  The Roman elite solders were gone, the sealed tomb was open, the burial cloth was wrapped neatly and laid to the side, and most of all Jesus was not there, He was raised.  Many saw him and touched Him after the resurrection.  The evidence is clear, the empty tomb and a risen body. The Grave’s Challenge for Jesus was to leave a lasting reminder of the completion of the restoration process and to leave us a reminder that He will return for those that have accepted the challenges of Easter.  With the empty grave Jesus demonstrated that He has all power, He accomplished the plan, He was victorious over man’s three greatest enemies sin, death and the grave.

The evidences are glaring; we placed a dead body in the grave, left the best guards to watch the grave on penalty of their lives, the disciples were all disperse because of fear and now three days later we have an empty grave.  We cannot deny the evidences and these evidences have left us a constant reminder that Jesus loves us so much that He paid the ransom for us thereby bringing us back into a right relationship with God the Father.  And He has sealed our redemption and secured our place in eternity in the presence of God the Father.

In Conclusion we must respond to the Easter Challenge.  What then is the real meaning of Easter?  Why was it necessary for Jesus to have left Heaven, lived among humans, demonstrated His power and love, died, buried, raised, ascended and promised to return?  It is about the Full Gospel Message.  The challenge you face today is to respond to the challenges of Easter and accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life.

Therefore, Easter is about the Full Gospel Message.  It is about the Creation, the Fall, Redemption, Restoration & Consummation.  God created the world and all that inhabits it.  There was perfection in the beginning.  Man had unhindered access to God and daily interaction with God.  The perfection of the Garden was given with the stipulation that Adam obeys God.  He could partake of everything in the Garden except from one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In this state man had no need for anything; his every need was provided for.  Picture man with ultimate dominion over all creation.  The sea had no limit and outer space had no limit.  Dominion means he had ultimate control over creation.  He lost that when he disobeyed God.  He died spiritually, separated from God and He lost his ultimate dominion and he entered time and now would eventually die physically.

Since that time God has always long to be in relationship with us.  It is this desire that has moved God to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our transgressions and mend the relationship between God and man.  The penalty for disobedience is death and only the shedding of blood can remedy the sin problem.  That is why in due season Jesus Christ died for the human race.   This process is the redemption and restoration phase of this glorious message, Gospel.  That is why only through Jesus can we be made whole or right with God.  It is only Jesus that has declared His deity and He said that His death remedied the sin problem.  The Bible declared that He would die, He would be buried, He would be raised from the grave, He would ascend to Heaven and that He would return for those that believe and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  Five of the six events have already come to past only one is left and that is Jesus’ return, are you ready to meet Him.

Easter is more that just about salvation from hell but it extends to a new relationship with God.  Restoring what has been lost.  Since there was dominion and access to God, provided in a place that provided for all man’s needs.  Restoration then is returning back to the original form.  This process of restoration begins with salvation and continues in a relationship with God.   While we do not have the full manifestation of the Kingdom of God, only the inauguration, one day we will have the full access to the Kinndom of God in all its glory, and that is our lively hope, that we will live and reign with Jesus.  We will inhabit the place Jesus went to prepare for us, that place where there will be no more dying, no more sickness, no more goodbyes and no more suffering.  The Bible describes it as a place where the lion and the lamb will play together.  This is a place of peace.   Since Jesus has promised this kind of place wouldn’t be best to try to get to this place by obeying Him and following His instructions as to how to get to this place. Campus Crusade for Christ lay out what they call the four spiritual laws documenting how we can come into relationship with God.  We must recognized and accept that God LOVES us and offers a wonderful PLAN for our life.  We are SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, we cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.  Jesus Christ is God’s ONLY provision for man’s sin. Through Him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.  We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.   This will help us to meet the Easter Challenge in a way that is pleasing to God.

Will you respond to the Easter Challenge.

Kingdom People Living By Kingdom Principles – Part 4

daltonjenkins

When one finds meaning to life, he or she will find it easier to deal with issues of death and dying, pain and suffering. The pastor has to take the lead role in helping to change the pre-conceived notions about end of life issues of the community, beginning with the congregants.  Since the average life span is increasing, the pastor should play a more active role in educating the congregation about these issues.   The internal structures and systems of the church have to include pastoral care with emphasis on end of life and death and dying issues. We have to become “missional” from a holistic framework without losing the basic understanding of mission as laid out in the Bible, addressing the body, soul, and spirit. The individual has a soul, which we are preparing to meet God in eternity, but he or she also has to live in this life and both body and spirit need to be ministered to, thereby completing holistic missions.  When the structures and systems of the church are addressed from a holistic point of view, then the church will be more successful in bringing the Gospel Message to the community.  This message is wrapped in the principle of love; we must love God and love each other.  Jesus said that if we do not love, then we are not His children.  This is important because it is only the children of God that will inherit eternal life with God.  John wrote in his epistle in 1 John 4:20, “If someone says, ‘I love God’, but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” This principle of love is critical to the understanding of the missional church.

The challenge as to how to be truly missional requires those persons who consider themselves to be disciples to engage their communities in their everyday lives.  This has posed a challenge to the church: how will missions and being missional in the 21st century be different from the 1st century to the 20th century? How can one truly and radically live out the mission of the Church? To capture the full essence of missions, we should look:

1) To raise awareness by helping to clarify the nature of the structures and practices of the church relating to its missional focus;

2) To develop a better awareness of local missions;

3) To develop a process that will assist persons to live out the mission by engaging their communities.

The idea of being missional is not about the church coming up with some program and fancy name, but more so, it is about understanding the needs of the community – spiritual, social, financial – and how to live in ways that can help transform the community.  Every person must begin at his or her own doorstep.  According to Dave Black, the practical application of missionary congregations is actually to “live out their spiritual life not only as the Church, but also as God’s people in the world.[1]”  According to Rick Warren, “The Church is God’s people living in this world and acting as catalysis for change.”[2]  The Church’s basic mission is to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; this message has social and political aspects to its application.  We are called, commissioned, and authorized to go with the gospel.  This is the fundamental responsibility of the Church, but this message is holistic, and affects the total person: body, soul, and spirit.

[1] Dave Black is currently Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. http://www.daveblackonline.com/why_church.htm, Accessed 6/2010.

[2] Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1995), 238-40.