Is Christianity Too Narrow in Our Culture?
Wrestling with this question is important. How can the God of the universe only give one way for His children to be forgiven of their sins. Who in their right mind would believe that there is only one option to eternity? God would never be that narrow minded, would He? And all these Christians who believe in this narrow way to heaven can sometimes be so judgmental. Why is that?
As I personally wrestle with this question, it helps me respond from a Biblical perspective in bridging the gap between belief and unbelief. "In Jeremiah 29:4–11, God calls his people to be present in their city in
a way that enables it to flourish, while remaining focused on God.
“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you
into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too
will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7). In other words, the God of the Bible
commands his people to be gracious and charitable toward all
people—including those who do not share the same faith. Is it possible
to have an honest yet graceful dialog about important matters like
faith?" (Explore God Discussion Guide)
I sure hope that it is possible. The hope of honest dialogue drives people to answer the difficult questions in life, like the one on topic for this week. As we explore God, we begin to realize that He is the creator of life and everything in life. We also see that there is evil in this life that can destroy and kill. There must be a redeemer to intercede for man, to combat the darkness of the world - thus steps in Jesus Christ - the perfect sacrifice for our sins and the evil of this world. (John 3:16) The reality lies in scripture where Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, the life and no one comes to the Father except by me" (John 14:6) So yes, from a biblical perspective, the way to Christianity is narrow, but I believe that is not too narrow for our culture today. I believe it is the answer to our culture today.
Read this perspective. "Christianity is seen by some as a narrow and mostly irrelevant belief system within our culture. Why? The Christian Church at one point in history was sought out for knowledge of reality. The Church was taken seriously by the wider culture. In many circles, that is no longer true." (Explore God Discussion Guide) And why is the church not taken seriously? Why has our culture strayed away from the belief in a God who loves them and gave His only Son to redeem the world? Simple - we have taken our eyes off Yahweh - the God of the Old Testament and the risen Savior of the New Testament. Our culture focuses on everything else except the truth of God's word, and because of this, we we are drifting further away from the foundation of biblical truth.
My encouragement for you as you read this and struggle through this question, is to not build a wall - but a bridge between belief and unbelief. Ask and allow God to show you if Christianity is too narrow and ask God to reveal the answer to you.
What are some practical ways you can seek the peace and prosperity of your city? How might these actions contribute to the common good in the world? If you keep a journal, take some time to note your responses there.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. We love because he first loved us.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?
How could such a loving, caring and merciful God allow for there to be so much suffering and pain on earth? This question has been asked for centuries, and even today is one of the most commonly asked questions by those who are exploring God.
To understand and study the magnitude of this question can be very complex and detailed, but in my simplistic mind, my response focuses around the fact that there is good and evil existing in our world today. There is a constant battle going on from the beginning of the creation of the world. The first sin from Adam and Eve set the course for humanity - a broken reality that sin will destroy.
So yes, the answer is sin - it is because of sin that we have pain and suffering in the world. We are a broken people and all in need of a Savior. The beautiful thing about looking to Christ as our Savior is that we have hope in the midst of trials, we have peace in the middle of turbulent times, we have assurance that this is not our home and one day we will be reunited with our heavenly Father where there will be no pain or suffering. Oh, I long for that day! Do you?
Do you have hope that God can meet you at your point of need of pain and suffering? Do you have the hope that no matter how difficult our life might become that there is a God who cares for you? Do you have hope for a redeemer to save you from your sorrows?
This weekend in worship we will be singing a song that speaks directly to this topic of pain and suffering. The story surrounding this song has to be one of the most life-changing stories about hope I have ever read. Journey with me as we look at the scripture behind this song and hear the story of Horatio G. Spafford - "It Is Well"
Romans 8:18-28 says,
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
In this passage, the Apostle Paul suggests that something good always comes of something bad. Indeed, a few verses later he affirms that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Scripture proposes that, despite the painful circumstances in which we often find ourselves, God can somehow use them for his and our good.
Take a minute to watch this quick video about the author of this amazing song of faith ad hope through the adversity of life in pain and suffering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvq3pYsHidA
Here are the words to this amazing song by Horatio G. Spafford - "It Is Well"
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
To understand and study the magnitude of this question can be very complex and detailed, but in my simplistic mind, my response focuses around the fact that there is good and evil existing in our world today. There is a constant battle going on from the beginning of the creation of the world. The first sin from Adam and Eve set the course for humanity - a broken reality that sin will destroy.
So yes, the answer is sin - it is because of sin that we have pain and suffering in the world. We are a broken people and all in need of a Savior. The beautiful thing about looking to Christ as our Savior is that we have hope in the midst of trials, we have peace in the middle of turbulent times, we have assurance that this is not our home and one day we will be reunited with our heavenly Father where there will be no pain or suffering. Oh, I long for that day! Do you?
Do you have hope that God can meet you at your point of need of pain and suffering? Do you have the hope that no matter how difficult our life might become that there is a God who cares for you? Do you have hope for a redeemer to save you from your sorrows?
This weekend in worship we will be singing a song that speaks directly to this topic of pain and suffering. The story surrounding this song has to be one of the most life-changing stories about hope I have ever read. Journey with me as we look at the scripture behind this song and hear the story of Horatio G. Spafford - "It Is Well"
Romans 8:18-28 says,
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
In this passage, the Apostle Paul suggests that something good always comes of something bad. Indeed, a few verses later he affirms that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Scripture proposes that, despite the painful circumstances in which we often find ourselves, God can somehow use them for his and our good.
Take a minute to watch this quick video about the author of this amazing song of faith ad hope through the adversity of life in pain and suffering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvq3pYsHidA
Here are the words to this amazing song by Horatio G. Spafford - "It Is Well"
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Is There a God?
Do you believe that there is a God? It is one of the most commonly asked questions by many people who live on earth. The answer to this question can set the course of your life and make the most significant impact upon how you live your life.
Many do claim no belief in God. We define this as "Agnostic", which is a person who does not have a definite belief about whether God exists or not. We here it said often, that people are entitled to believe what they want to believe - in God or not in God. Different upbringings and circumstances shape this belief. The reality is this - everyone is asking this question. How you answer this question is life changing!
To answer this question, one must reach into the hearts their own soul and ask God himself if He exist. One must at least seek God to know if He is the creator of all things, and knock on the door of God to see if He is home. (Matthew 7:7-8) How can one make this statement of unbelief without first of all seeking Him to find out, right? And being able to give a defense for why you believe or why you do not believe is vital as well.
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” In other words, creation reflects its creator. If God exists, all people have seen and experienced God, though they might not have known it or attributed that experience to God. Isn't that fabulous! God is all around us and speaking to us - even through creation.
As a person who deeply believes in God, we have chosen a song this week which strikes to the core of our beliefs as God fearing believers in God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. This song crosses all denominational and religious lines to share the belief that God is our Judge, Defender, All Creating One! It is a song about belief. It is a strong song which those who believe can sing with authority. It is a song that defines God as our Lord.
Join me this week as we proclaim that God does exist and pray that God would use this song this week to draw those who do not believe in God to an understanding that the heavenly Father cares for them and loves them.
Journey with me as we go behind the music and the song.
Love God and Love others! - Keith
Behind the Song Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdQKWBV8c5w
This I Believe.
VERSE
Our Father everlasting
The all creating One
God Almighty
Through Your Holy Spirit
Conceiving Christ the Son
Jesus our Saviour
CHORUS
I believe in God our Father
I believe in Christ the Son
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Our God is three in one
I believe in the resurrection
That we will rise again
For I believe in the Name of Jesus
VERSE
Our Judge and our Defender
Suffered and crucified
Forgiveness is in You
Descended into darkness
You rose in glorious life
Forever seated high
BRIDGE
I believe in You
I believe You rose again
I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord
CHORUS
I believe in life eternal
I believe in the virgin birth
I believe in the saints' communion
And in Your holy Church
I believe in the resurrection
When Jesus comes again
For I believe in the Name of Jesus
Video - https://us.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=iry&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_011&type=mce_bndl8_15_30¶m1=yhsbeacon¶m2=f%3D4%26b%3DFirefox%26cc%3DUS%26p%3Dmceyahoo%26cd%3D2XzuyEtN2Y1L1QzutAtD0D0D0FtB0EtCtGzyyDtAyBtGyD0CtByEtGzytAyBtAtG0FtB0AyD0AtCyC0DyB0C0DtCtN1L1G1B1V1N2Y1L1Qzu2Szzzz0AtDyDzztD0FtG0DtAzzyDtGyEyDtBzztG0A0E0BtCtGzy0FyDtA0C0DtDtDyC0F0E0C2QtN1Q2Zzu0StCtAtDtCtN1L2XzutAtFyDtFtDtFyEtDtN1L1Czu%26cr%3D1156302068%26a%3Dmce_bndl8_15_30&p=THis+I+Believe-+The+Creed+Song+lyric
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Does Life Have a Purpose?
This weekend we begin our journey with Explore God. What is Explore God? Why are we spending the next 7 weeks on this idea of answering the 7 most commonly asked questions about God?
Basically, Explore God creates credible content for people with spiritual questions and curiosities to come together in community and seek God together. Exploration is at the core of the human condition. We're made to be curious, and we're made to connect in some way with the creator of all this. The question is: who is the creator, and how can we connect?
We all come from different backgrounds and traditions. We all have some sort of “bent” towards understanding who God is in their lives, or maybe not. I invite us to journey together as we allow these great questions to drive us to know who God is in our lives.
This week the topic is “Does Life Have a Purpose?” and our theme in our worship set is based around a proclamation and confession of who God is through the truth of God’s Word. It comes from a song we have sung many times in worship called “Great Great God”. Read the words to this amazing song about who God is. Listen as you read for key words about God like LIFE, SALVATION, RESTORATION, GRACE, KINGDOM, FREEDOM, LIGHT, YOU REIGN, VICTORIOUS, LIMITLESS - THERE IS NO ONE LIKE OUR GOD!!
Video of Gateway Worship - “Great Great God”
Lyrics to Great Great God:
Verse 1:
Your cross gave life, hope and salvation
Full restoration, promise for all
Your grace has made us part of Your kingdom
Living in freedom as heirs with Your Son
Pre-Chorus:
Jesus, Your name is a light, now Your redemption draws into our lives
Strong in battle, You overcame and the victory's ours, now we sing
Chorus:
Great, great, there is no one like our God
Great, great, there is no one like our God
Verse 2:
Our walls fall down, strongholds are broken
Eternity's spoken, righteous we stand
The church will rise, declaring Your kingdom
Shouting for freedom, the Blood of the Lamb
Bridge:
You reign in all the earth
You reign victorious
Your power is limitless
There is no one like our God
Tag:
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God
Jesus states in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Discovering our purpose is one of the most important endeavors in life. If what Jesus says is true, then if we simply ask, seek, and knock, God will meet us wherever we are and address our heart’s desire. Question for you today - what is your heart's’ desire? What do you crave and long for? What is your purpose for living life today? What drives you to be who you are?
To explore this topic more, you can visit these resources below.
Videos
- How Do You Find Purpose in Life?
- (http://www.exploregod.com/how-do-you-find-purpose-in-life-video)
- The Pursuit of Purpose
- (http://www.exploregod.com/the-pursuit-of-purpose-video)
Articles
- What Is My Purpose?
- (http://www.exploregod.com/what-is-my-purpose)
- Does Life Have a Purpose?
- (http://www.exploregod.com/does-life-have-a-purpose)