Strangers In A Foreign Land Of Digital Delights

I must admit that I’m happy in what author Mark Sayers calls “Non-Places.”(1) These are places where I have access to my digital world. Music downloads, podcasts, and my favorite T.V. dramas. Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook (even though Facebook can be stressful!) are ways to escape the harsh realities of the real world. A good book and a coffee shop is my idea of contentment. I like to escape reality and retreat to my comfortable world. In this world, we do not have to interact with people face to face.

While these things can be good in moderation, they can also dry out our souls and distract us from God. 

The early Christians had to face the stark reality of death daily. The early Church, for the most part, was fearless. While I’m in no hurry to die and leave all my comforts – they lived like pilgrims, just passing through.

The Church Father John Chrysostom wrote, “We are strangers and sojourners. Let us not grieve over any of the world’s painful things. For if you come from a renowned country and from illustrious ancestors, and find yourself in a distant land, known to no one, having neither servants nor wealth, and then someone insults you, would you grieve as though these things had taken place at home? The knowledge that you were in a strange and foreign land would persuade you to bear all easily and to despise hunger, thirst, and any suffering. So consider that you are a stranger and a pilgrim, and do not let anything bother you in foreign territory. You have a city whose builder and creator is God, and the journey is but for a short and little time. Let whoever wishes strike, insult, revile. We are in foreign territory, and live there in difficulty.“(2)

So instead of losing ourselves in this digital utopia we have created – maybe we need to let go of it – just a little. It might be a good idea to consider ourselves foreigners in a strange land. And seek God for a heavenly and eternal perspective on life.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” – Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)

(1) I recommend Mark Sayers book, Strange Days: Life In The Spirit In A Time Of Upheaval.

(2.) Learning Theology With The Church Fathers, Christopher A. Hall, page 198.

The Destructive Nature Of Sin

 

The Word:

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” – 1 Peter 4:17 ESV

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” – Colossians 2:15 ESV

Reflection:

Until we realize the destructive nature of sin, the cross WILL NOT make sense to us. Those who see the cross of Christ as unnecessary or see God as a divine child abuser have no concept of the power of sin. The death of Jesus on the cross disarmed demonic powers and freed us from total enslavement to sin. Jesus’ final sacrifice of himself ended the need for any more bloodshed to atone for sin forever. He gave himself freely out of his love for humanity. Christ paid the sin debt that we could not pay. The cross was a demonstration of God’s self-giving love for humanity.

Yet, much of the Church has neglected the power available to us to live an overcoming life. We all sin, but we do not have to live in complete slavery to it.

As the Church goes, so goes our society.

Cover-ups and scandals plague the Church in America. Disobedient Church leaders and members have re-armed dark principalities and powers through destructive sin patterns. Satan only has power over a believer if we give it to him through unrepentant sin.

The Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, I ask that you would grant repentance to the American Church. You have many faithful gospel witnesses, still standing for and living the truth. But, much of Your Church in America has compromised with sin. Forgive us for not speaking the truth in love to those who do not know You yet. Revive Your Church. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Reflection On Revival

 

The Word:

“Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?” – Psalm 85:6 ESV

Reflection:

We live in a day similar to the time just before the first great awakening in America. In the 1700s the Church in New England was declining morally and spiritually. God used men like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and John Wesley to help as instruments for revival. But, unlike present-day America, even during their spiritual decline, the colonies had a much stronger biblical foundation than we do today.

In recent decades the Church in America has been guilty of excessive materialism and prayerlessness. And we have become biblically illiterate and resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Sadly, much of the western world is considered post-Christian. It seems (looking at it through natural eyes) irreversible. Europe has only its great cathedrals to point to their past Christian heritage. We in America can look back to the past when Christianity was acceptable in our society. Despite slavery and other obvious sins, the general population embraced a biblical worldview.

I believe the spiritual renewal of Churches in the west will precede revival. God is calling his people to repentance, to return to the faith of the early apostolic Church. This calling is to a radical commitment to Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus will have no rivals. This is a message to the Church.

It puzzles me that we expect non-believers to act like believers. Maybe it’s time we (the Church) start living the truth we proclaim. The world won’t agree with us, but at least they can’t accuse us of hypocrisy.

God still has a remnant in the western world who has not bowed their knees to cultural idols. We must resist cultural Christianity and return to the faith of the early disciples.

Pray for renewal in our churches so that we might see a spiritual revival in America and the rest of the western world. God uses ordinary people to pray and intercede on behalf of the Nations. It’s time to pray for the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in world history.

Watch and Pray: 

Father, would you open our eyes to see what you are doing on the earth. Open the hearts of your people to embrace the gospel that the early disciples both lived and preached. We ask you for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Your Church. Revive us again so that the world will see the truth of the gospel in our lives. And they will be drawn to the same Jesus that the early Church proclaimed. In Jesus’ name.

The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ: Reflections and Prayers of The Church Fathers

 

“He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” – (Matthew 28:6 ESV)

“Jesus Christ who was of the race of David, who was the Son of Mary, who was truly born and ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died in the sight of those in heaven and on earth and those under the earth; who moreover was truly raised from the dead, His Father having raised Him, who in the like fashion will so raise us also who believe on Him.” – Ignatius, (written around AD 110-115.)

A  Prayer
O God, who by your only-begotten Son has overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life, grant us, we ask you, that we who celebrate the solemnities of our Lord’s resurrection may by the renewing of your Spirit arise from the death of the soul; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. [Amen.] –  The Gelasian Sacramentary 

Why The Stone Rolled Back?

An angel descended and rolled back the stone. He did not roll back the stone to provide a way of escape for the Lord but to show the world that the Lord had already risen. He rolled back the stone to help his fellow servants believe, not to help the Lord rise from the dead. He rolled back the stone for the sake of faith because it had been rolled over the tomb for the sake of unbelief. He rolled back the stone so that he who took death captive might hold the title of Life. Pray, brothers, that the angel would descend now and roll away all the hardness of our hearts and open up our closed senses and declare to our minds that Christ has risen, for just as the heart in which Christ lives and reigns in heaven, so also the heart in which Christ remains dead and buried is a grave. May it be believed that just as he died, so was he transformed. Christ the man suffered, died, and was buried; as God, he lives, reigns, is, and will be forever. – Peter Chrysologus, Sermons 75.

A Prayer
“O God, who for redemption have your only – begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection has delivered us from the power of the enemy, Grant us to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him, in the joy of the resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”  – Gregory the Great

“For indeed the Lord remained on the tree almost until evening, and they buried Him at eventide; then on the third day He rose again.” – Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, XCII, (AD 100 – 165.)

Enlarge Our Hearts

 

The Word:

I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! (Psalm 119:31-32 ESV)

Reflection:

As finite human beings, we are limited creatures. It takes an infinite Holy God to enlarge our hearts. We can’t grasp God and all his fullness. We need God by his Spirit to open our hearts to reveal his thoughts and loving intentions he has for us – to us. This love surpasses human knowledge and understanding – it’s experiential.

When God enlarges our hearts, our response is spiritual hunger. This hunger can only be satisfied by God’s Word and his presence. To be a people of the Word and not a people of His Presence makes us merely spiritual consumers of knowledge – that doesn’t produce spiritual fruit in our lives.

American evangelicals have a right to hold conservative political views. For some, patriotism and politics have become the main focus – they hurt the cause of Christ. Progressive Christians seek to deconstruct the faith. Both sides use God to push their agendas. The lack of spiritual depth in American Christianity has become evident for the world to see.

America is morally bankrupt and divided to the point that reconciliation between the political right and left seems impossible. Just look at the anger and division on Facebook and Twitter.

Prayer and repentance is our only answer. Scripture teaches, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:7) Many of us (not all) have become spiritually anemic and lack internal spiritual transformation. Thankfully there are still Christians growing during these days and are bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God, but in most cases, we rarely hear their voices among all the political bickering.

Watch and Pray: Father, please enlarge our hearts so that we can have the capacity to love you and our neighbor as ourselves. Pour out your Spirit on your people so that we will run after your commandments with humble hearts and demonstrate the love of Jesus to a confused and conflicted culture. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Do Skinny Jeans Make You A False Teacher?

 

I just heard of a pastor saying that those preachers that wear skinny jeans are false teachers. But, Jesus said: “Stop judging(1) by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24 NIV) Jesus was challenging the religious leader of his day and I think his words could be equally applied to us in our day. Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” – (Matthew 23:27 ESV)

So, a conservative haircut or a nice suit and tie doesn’t mean all is well with your teaching. The content of your message is the determining factor if you are a false teacher or not. Not your choice of clothing or style of worship.

The New Testament doesn’t deal with worship styles. Culture changes and worship styles change, but the Gospel of the Kingdom never does. The truth is eternal. The great protestant reformer Martin Luther wrote hymns accompanied by music played in taverns! At one time the pipe organ was considered evil! And what about the hippies of the “Jesus movement” and their unconventional style? 

 Let’s consider the content of the message before we crucify the messenger.

And why don’t we consider becoming all things to all people that some might be saved, without compromising the truth? 

” To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” – (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 ESV)

(1), κρίνω (krinō) ‘to judge’ (G2919)

“to decide, consider, as preferring one thing over another or determining the correctness of a matter; by extension: to judge, pass judgment on, condemn in a legal sense”

“pluperfect, κεκρίκει (3 singular), primarily to separate; to make a distinction between; to exercise judgment upon; to estimate, Rom. 14:5; to judge, to assume censorial power over, to call to account, Mt. 7:1; Lk. 6:37; Rom. 2:1, 3; 14:3, 4, 10, 13; Col. 2:16; Jas. 4:11, 12; to bring under question, Rom. 14:22; to judge judicially, to try as a judge, Jn. 18:31; to bring to trial, Acts 13:27; to sentence, Lk. 19:22; Jn. 7:51; to resolve on, decree, Acts 16:4; Rev. 16:5; absolute to decide, determine, resolve, Acts 3:13; 15:19; 27:1; to deem, Acts 13:46; to form a judgment, pass judgment, Jn. 8:15; passive to be brought to trial, Acts 25:10, 20; Rom. 3:4; to be brought to account, to incur arraignment, be arraigned, 1Cor. 10:29; middle to go to law, litigate, Mt. 5:40; in NT to judge, to visit judicially, Acts 7:7; 1Cor. 11:31, 32; 1Pet. 4:6; to judge, to right, to vindicate, Heb. 10:30; to administer government over, to govern, Mt. 19:28; Lk. 22:30 ”  (Step Bible)

Ask For The Nations

 

The Word:

“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” – Psalm 2:8 ESV 

Read and meditate on Psalms 1 and 2.

A Reflection:

As intercessors, we need to grasp the implications of Psalms 1 and 2. In Psalm 1, we see how meditation on the Word shapes our lives. Psalm 2 invites us to partner with Jesus in prayer for the nations. We pray for those on the mission field. It takes both prayer and witness to carry out the great commission. Scripture teaches that all believers are to support and participate in spreading the gospel to all nations (Mathew 28:18-20.)

Prayer is the key to the success of the mission.

Prayer warriors need to be praying bold and audacious prayers for a worldwide move of God.

In partnership with Jesus, we have the privilege of asking the Father for the Nations. Our influence on world leaders and their rebellion against God is not political but spiritual – prayer is the key.

Below is a lengthy quote from Stuart McAlpine’s book, “Just Asking.”

“Here is the great asking of the Son by the Father, asking Him to “ask of me!” Having established in Psalm 1 the necessity for life according to the Word, we are here presented with asking as God’s essential and non-negotiable means for engagement with His purposes in the nations.

The personal meditation in the Word that is encouraged in Psalm 1 is followed by an invitation to public mission in Psalm 2 by way of asking. In other words, God’s Word in us is for God’s world.

The most common reason that so many believers are not acting like believers is because they are not asking ones. Right at the beginning of the introduction to the Psalter is this massive invitation to ask for huge things, for transformations that defy the imagination and challenge faith.

Herewith is the agenda of faith: the call is to speak out in prayer what needs to be spoken, God’s Word, and what cannot be silenced by the world’s mocking, raging and raucous unbelief. What is the strategy to take the nations? Asking is the strategy that overcomes. We inquire, then find that we acquire nations as our inheritance. Who would ever have thought! And whoever would have thought that the meek (humble askers) would inherit the earth?

Here is an invitation to bold asking in a world that threatens us and would think it has the right to push us around and mock the choices of the congregation of the righteous. The tumult of the nations in the first stanza looks unchangeable, unstoppable, invincible. What is the use of hoping, of opposing, of praying about it? It is too much, and it is too late, so too bad. But suddenly the asking Son is installed, and He is invoking the Father. He still is, as He ever lives to make intercession for us. Now He invites us, His anointed ones, to join His asking of the Father.”

Watch And Pray:

Father, we thank You that we can approach Your throne of grace anytime we wish. Jesus told us to ask ( Matthew 7:7-8.) So we ask for a heart for every ethnic group on earth. Raise – up more intercessors to pray in the harvest. Fill those on the field with your Spirit, so they can boldly proclaim the gospel. And help us all to be a part of making disciples of all nations. In Jesus’ name, amen.