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Archive for the ‘Modern Christian Thought’ Category

THE BOOK OF ACTS

01 Jun

bible1It is accepted by most Bible scholars that Luke is the author of the Book of Acts.  We see that the Book of Acts was written to Theophilus, as was the Gospel of Luke.  For one to challenge the authenticity of the Book of Acts would also require one to logically and sequentially challenge the authenticity of the Gospel of Luke as they are written by the same author. Likewise, if any student of the Bible chooses to “marginalize” the Book of Acts, then, by sequential logic, you would also be required to marginalize the Gospel of Luke. You cannot have it both ways. Either Acts is the Word of God, or, it is not.

When reading the Book of Acts, one can see that many central figures of Bible history are mentioned in Acts.  Not only are Patriarchs of the Christian faith mentioned in Acts, but also Roman political figures and some degree of discussion of the Roman legal system all of which makes Acts rich in historical context.

The Book of Acts gives us the best and most comprehensive history of the beginning of the Christian Church as well as serving as a historical analysis of the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.  Acts gives cohesion and interconnectivity between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Here springs much disagreement concerning how much theology, if any at all, can be drawn from the Book of Acts.

To say that one cannot draw theology from the Book of Acts is about the most non-scholarly statement any serious student of the Bible could ever make. In Acts, you have the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant and the birth of the Christian Church.  So, to say that one cannot draw theology from the Book of Acts is the anti-thesis of Biblical scholarship. If you don’t draw theology from the Book of Acts and thus treat the church history contained in its pages as merely “historical and transitional”, then where do you get a theological reference for the beginning of the church? Perhaps, one could “make it up.”

To say that we cannot draw and formulate theology from the Book of Acts would be similar to saying that we cannot draw theology from the Book of Genesis.  This leads to the point in the discussion about why some have difficulty with the Book of Acts.  The reason there is such resistance to drawing and formulating theology from the Book of Acts is because in Acts, we see Christians (including the founding fathers of the faith) all getting Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Notice I said “ALL.”  Everyone. In fact, as we shall see, if you were a Christian and not Baptized in the Holy Spirit, you were considered outside of the norm.

First, we see the disciples of Jesus who had been waiting in the Upper Room being filled with the Holy Spirit as described in Acts chapter 2. Notice that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and that they all spoke in tongues.  Some of those nearby heard languages known to them.  It is at this point of interpretation that denominations have been born and various schools of Christian thought have sprung from.  This one event, this one moment in time, this one story in these few verses of scripture generate some of the greatest debate in all of scripture.

Without getting into a specific debate about tongues, suffice to say that it is a most torturous interpretation of these scriptures to suggest that “tongues” must be a known language.  Just a simple exercise in word definition works at this point.  That is, we read in the Bible where the early Christians spoke in “unknown tongues.”  Therefore, if these same Christians (or Christians today), and the tongues they speak in, are to be described as a “known language” that God supernaturally gives that particular Christian the ability to speak for the moment at hand, for the purpose of ministering the Gospel, then you really cannot call it an “unknown tongue” could you, for if God gives you the ability to “know” and speak a language that you haven’t spoken before, then it would not be “unknown.”  Furthermore, to suggest that only “known” languages of the day were spoken at Acts 2:4 is a shallow and less-than-scholarly interpretation as we know that you cannot deduce that “heavenly or angelic” languages were not also being spoken. Let’s look at an analogy.  If I see a car and drive a car, let’s say a very expensive and luxurious car, perhaps a Lamborghini Reventon, and upon seeing, driving and experiencing such a car, I then afterwards have a discussion and describe the car to you. And, in the course of describing the car and my experience of driving it, I simply say to you “Oh, yes, it was a car, it had four wheels, two doors, an engine, a manual transmission and it made a distinct sound.”  End. To hear such a description of such a car, and my experience driving it, would be extremely inadequate and under-representative of the actual type of car it really is.  Likewise, to simplistically describe the event of Acts 2:4 where we see the forefathers of the Christian faith receiving the promise spoken by Jesus, as merely “a group of Christians speaking in French, German, Greek, Spanish, Persian and Italian” is hardly an accurate description of what was really going on.

And, Acts 2:4 is not the only time and place this happens. It is the anti-thesis of scholarship to not read further on in the Books of Acts and take note of the fact that there is more than one Acts 2:4 type of experience mentioned in Acts. In other words, Acts 2:4 is not the only place where we see Christians being Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

In Acts 10:44-48, some 10 years after the events of Acts 2:4, we see believers again being Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.  Seeing that this is occurring some 10 years after the initial event of Christians being Baptized in the Holy Spirit, one could hardly deduce that such an experience could be theologically confined to “getting the church started.” I mean, it’s now 10 years later.

Then, let’s go on and take a look at Acts 19:1-6 where we see again Christians receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues after being asked the question “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”  This event is said to have occurred some 20–25 years after Acts 2:4.  So, at this point, to try and confine the experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues as simply a “kick start” to get the church going, is hardly a scholarly approach to Bible interpretation. At this point, the gospel message has gone throughout most of the known world and multitudes of churches have been established and multitudes have accepted Christ as Savior.  Acts chapter 19 is hardly the “starting point” of the Christian church. The Christian Church is “well on its way” at this point.

In conclusion, we must see Acts as the foundational description of the early church.  There is not a more accurate description, historically or spiritually, of what was going on than is described in the Book of Acts.  This is the record of the early church. Acts establishes spiritual principles, doctrine, theology and a significant part of the frame of reference for Christianity.

 
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Posted in Discovering Truth, For Christian Leaders, Modern Christian Thought

 

THE STRENGTH OF AN IRON HORSE

18 Mar

f-16_aircraft_in_flightIt sits on the tarmac near the hanger with the cockpit open awaiting the pilot.  The F-16 fighter jet is known the world over as a premier fighting machine.  It is as agile in flight as its sleek design would lead one to imagine.  The bubble shaped canopy that covers the cockpit is a very distinctive feature of this jet which makes it easy for the pilot to keep a 360 degree awareness of his surroundings at all times.  The performance factor of its engine and the pound per thrust ratio make it a superb aircraft.

The F-16 is only one of several fighting aircraft in the U.S. arsenal.  And then, there are those under development.  These aircraft are some of the best in the world.  They are highly sophisticated in their electronic warfare capability.  They can track multiple targets simultaneously and they can carry hefty payloads of very lethal and very accurate armament.

What the F-16 is to armies today, is very similar to what the horse was to armies way back then.  Back before the era of jet fighters, tanks, armored personal carriers and missiles, there was the horse.  The horse, in times past, has been a symbol of military strength.  In medieval times, a horse was outfitted with layers of thick covering draped over its sides and face, for the purpose of shielding the horse from arrows and swords of opposing armies. A soldier riding such a horse, had a tremendous advantage over an opposing soldier who was merely on foot.

For the purpose of this article, I am going to call the F-16 jet fighter an “Iron Horse.”  I could use a tank, which might seem more appropriate but, for this article, I am choosing the jet fighter. We, as a nation, have put our trust in the Iron Horse.  We, as a people, have put our trust in what we can build with our hands.  We, as a people, have put our trust in our ability to develop and fabricate highly technical and ultra-sophisticated electronic warfare devices. In the process of the time span covering the era of such high-tech warfare, we, as a nation, have marginalized our trust in God, and have instead begun to do what the Bible refers to as putting trust in the strength of a horse.  We read in Psalm 33:16-18 “No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy.”

Here is the problem.  For every F-16 sitting on runway, you need a pilot to fly it. Not only do you need a pilot, but you also need maintenance personal, parts and fuel.  Then, once airborne, the pilot will need the support of air traffic control, ground tracking info and eventual landing and refueling location.  All of this requires a tremendous and expensive and elaborate support system.  Lots of money.  When looking at the money issue, we have even built one model of jet fighter (F-22 Raptor) that proved to be too costly to fly and maintain. Even now, the plane chosen (F-35 Joint Force Fighter) as the alternative, is proving to be very costly and by the time all the top military officials get their add-on features incorporated into the project, it will most likely end up being as expensive as the F-22. A serious threshold to be sure, but the money issue isn’t where I’m going with this.  There is something more serious.

What I see for our country that is the more serious issue, more than money, is the absence of a belief in God and the absence of vision for the future as a Christian society. This may sound old fashioned but, when one contemplates the transition that has begun, the future of our society looks anything but promising. We, as a nation, are going headlong into a post-Christian era.  Some, upon reading this may say “yes, this is a good thing.”  The arrogant, atheist intellectual may think he will one day live in a world free of all religion, but such an individual is naïve.  Mankind has been religious from the beginning, and will be in the end.  Imagining a world in which there is no religion, is the product of the mind of a person who has insulated himself from the rest of the world.

The United States of America is drifting away from God.  The United States of America is transitioning from a Christian nation to a post-Christian nation.  If history proves correct, such a transition will not go smoothly.  We, as a people, have put our trust in the Iron Horse that we made with our hands.  We thought if we could build such technologically innovative and superior war machines that they, of and by themselves, would keep us safe and secure as a nation.  What we have failed to realize is that it is in God, and in Him alone where our security is to be found.  Once we abandon the foundation of faith and trust in God, then all is lost. Once we start putting our faith and trust in our own man made devices, all is lost.  It is the Lord who delivers a nation, not man.  It is the Lord who provides peace, safety, security and comfort, not man. If our future is left in the hands of mere men, then only misery awaits.

As important as it was to design and build the F-16, it was equally important to ensure that you had pilots to fly them.  As a nation, we needed to ensure that we were training up pilots we could trust and pilots who had the same vision and hope for the future.  We, as a nation, have failed in this area. It is the unity of vision and values in our society that is slipping away.  In other words, the dilemma rapidly overtaking us is “so what, if we are able to build the best jet fighters in the world.  If we don’t have loyal pilots to fly them, what good are they.” And, this is where I see our society heading at a rapid pace. It is coming down to the issue of trust.  Who do you trust to put on the Iron Horse?  If you cannot find soldiers you can trust and you cannot face an enemy with a unified force, you will lose the battle.  This is the dilemma we are facing as a nation.

We have chosen to put our faith and trust and in ourselves and the work of our hands rather than putting our faith and trust in God. So what, if we can build the sophisticated Iron Horse.  If our nation is rotten and corrupt on the inside, if our society has turned its back on God, if our people have gone headlong into a lifestyle of sin, then no degree of sophistication or lethality of our military Iron Horse can save us.  We are doomed. God will leave us to our own devices and we will fragment and begin fighting each other.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 28:19 “Where there is no vision (prophetic revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint).  We, as nation have lost our vision.

So, there on the runway sits the new Iron Horse.  Who will fly it?  What will be the loyalty of the pilot who sits in the cockpit?

 
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Posted in Church and State, Current Events, Modern Christian Thought

 

Humbled To Witness

20 Jan

CrossThe pride of man is much like a computer virus. Have you ever had a computer virus? I once had one on my computer that was called a Trojan virus. If you are ever thinking about downloading a free song online from one of those sites that offer such service and a warning pops up that says “This file may be corrupted. Do you still want to download?” please click on the button which says “No.”

You see, in my case, my song was already at ninety-nine percent download. And I just had to click “Yes.” Within seconds of doing so, the image of an ugly beastly-looking creature took over my computer screen, flashing in bold letters the words “TROJAN VIRUS! TROJAN VIRUS!” No matter what I did, I could not get the beast off of my screen. Whenever I clicked the “x” to close the window, another would just pop up to replace it. This happened again and again and again. Finally, I had to unplug the computer and take it in to a specialist to have the virus removed.

Similarly, the popping-up of pride in a man’s heart is something we all must deal with as Christians. Nobody is exempt. Sometimes it feels like we keep clicking the “x,” but it keeps on coming up again. So, we humble ourselves before the Lord, calling on the name of Jesus. Through and by the graceful working of the Holy Spirit, God then begins to set things straight in our hearts. Praise God for his sin-virus specialist!

In Titus 3:2-6 we read a reminder that the Apostle Paul writes to his son Titus concerning the attitude a believer should have toward an unbeliever in light of all the “viruses” which Jesus has healed us of by the stripes he bore for us on the cross. I encourage you to examine it carefully. It reads:

“Remind the people…to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy”

We can see from this Scripture that the Apostle Paul is wanting Titus to remind the people who have come out of a very deep place of darkness, to remember who they were before the love of God was revealed to them. He felt it vital to recall that they were only brought from slavery and into freedom when God unveiled the curtain to them to show them the “new and living way” spoken of in Hebrews 10:20. It is in this light that the people are reminded to, again, “slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility toward all men.”

What Paul is referring to here is an attitude of heart that only comes from the crushing of human pride at the cross of Christ. This “true humility” can only be in us because we truly believe the truth of God’s grace and it has affected us in the inner man. This broken spirit, created by the Spirit of Grace, must remain in us if we are to be used to draw those to the Father who are “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.” This humility cannot be reproduced and it cannot be imitated in order to reach the lost. God will not be mocked and, most of the time, neither will unbelievers. This is why God, speaking through Paul, calls the humility which we are to show forth “true humility.” I say to you, if the humility in us has been re-manufactured, then it has been replaced by something sinister.  Therefore, I ask rhetorically, is it time to take the computer in? Is it possible, as II Peter 5-9 discusses, that we are not gathering harvest because we have forgotten that we were cleansed of our past sins?

Now, if we possess an authentically grateful heart to God, there will be no limiting of the praise that flows from the fountains of our hearts. The Holy Spirit will dwell in our hearts by faith and through Him we will sing that freedom song in us which declares “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord (Psalm 117).” This is the Spirit-formed declaration we need in order to obey our dear Lord Jesus’ command found in Matthew 28:18-20 which states:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples

of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,

to the very end of the age.”

In this humble faith, which produces praise, we are then lifted up by the hand of the Almighty himself. For He has promised us in James 4:6 that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” This is the grace in which enables us to operate in the entirely unlimited authority of our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and, by it, we have the full capability to go and make disciples of all nations!

However, I want to remind you that we do have an enemy, named the devil. And even though, according to Colossians 2:13-15, Jesus has disarmed the devil by taking the Law of Moses and “nailing it to the cross,” this devil is still a very good deceiver and is constantly wanting us to turn away the grace offered us at Calvary. It is the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ that has forever defeated him, and he knows this. Therefore, Satan must get our eyes as far away from that reality as possible to have success in stopping us– not only for our sake, but for the sake of the people we might bring to God by our authentic faith in Jesus. He does not want you, the nations, or anybody to glorify God through Him!

So, what is Satan’s weapon or what fiery dart does he use to accomplish such a thing? He plays on human pride– that evil desire that produces judgment, as seen by the fruit of the Pharisees. As the Apostle Paul said in Romans 10:3 about them “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” The Gospels declare in Luke 18:9 that these Pharisees were “confident in their own righteousness, and looked down on everybody else.” It is pride that causes men to turn from grace, to desire self-glory and to look down on others. This is the same desire the devil had in the beginning when he said “I will ascend…” The Pharisees ascended in their hearts above the rest of the people. This is one the reasons why Jesus called the devil the father of the Pharisees.

What I am saying to you is that the most vile people we come across as believers can and must be reached. We must see people through the eyes of the Holy Spirit and always remember that “it is by grace we have been saved, through faith– and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8).” We ourselves must remain at the cross to preach the cross rightly.

Therefore, in light of this we ought to easily show forth true humility towards even the most perverse of men and keep our mouths shut concerning slander toward them. This will be a huge surprise to such a person because, even in the world, sinners constantly slander other sinners for the sins they have committed. If you doubt me, you should go get a job in an office building sometime!

In getting to the heart of the matter, the words of Jesus recorded in Mark 12:31 need to get burnt into our souls, especially concerning those in danger of suffering in hell for eternity. Jesus said “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is in this kindness that we must go, living the holy life offered to us in Jesus Christ. We also must open our mouths to testify, without fear, of the reason why this is possible.  Simply put, since we do not want to go to hell, we should not allow a neighbor to go there either– not without a fight. We must love their souls as we love our own.

Let me close with some practical advice in terms of personal evangelism, in light of God’s mercy toward us. Remember, this is not a formula, but merely advice for someone getting started:

  1. Be Patient To use a fishing analogy, sometimes we must give someone a chance to take a hold of the “hook” and not be so quick to reel the line in. We must fish, with patience, like the person’s soul depends on it, remembering that it actually does. A fish will sometimes nibble, much like a person who is becoming interested in the truth. The Holy Spirit will tug with urgency on your heart when it is time to bring them in. It is Jesus who makes you a fisher of men.
  2. Pray in the Spirit, asking the Lord for the wisdom in reaching these souls (James 1:5). We need wisdom to win souls as Proverbs 11:30 states: “He who wins souls is wise.” Let us pray without ceasing for fields placed before us, remembering we were in that field once. Also pray for other Christians working in fields around the world. God is listening and will respond to us.
  3. Use the Word of God You do not have to have it all “figured out,” so relax and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you. We do not use Him, but he does use us. So, if you are in conversation with a person and it feels as though God may be “in it,” pray to God (in your mind) for guidance. Often, a Scripture will come into your heart that you know. This is the Holy Spirit handing you the tailor-fit Word you need for that situation. Just open your mouth and say “You know, the Bible says…..”  You may be surprised at everything coming out of your mouth and at the ensuing results. While the goal is to have such a person turn to Christ right at that moment, we must learn to take only what the Holy Spirit gives us. Take it boldly and in the anointing He provides. If nothing else you will have planted a seed and that seed, God’s Word, will not fail, but will accomplish that which it was sent to do (Isaiah 55:10). Praise the Lord!

Submitted By Jeremiah Cullett

January 20, 2010

 
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Posted in Current Events, Cutting Edge Christian Life, Missions, Modern Christian Thought

 
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