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The Top Prize for Piety

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:36:50 GMT

In reading the blogosphere, the places I stop and read the most are Christian websites that have a reputation for linking me to great resources or those who make their research available for lesser scholars like myself. Being a part of the Reformed tradition myself, (okay, I am only a four-pointer, much in line with Calvin himself ) I see a lot of blogs and websites that are written by those who are solidly reformed. I have one rather strange observation to make.

There are a good number of otherwise great Christians out there who are all claiming to be the chiefest of sinners. I get that there can be a plurality of chiefs. But there can only be one “chiefest of sinners”, and seeing as St Paul coined that phrase a couple of millennia ago and applied that title to himself, all other ‘chiefest of sinners’ are frauds – a sin they can add to their long list.

Seriously, I understand that a thorough reading of the epistle to the Romans and the Institutes of John Calvin will teach us to know ourselves and to understand just how lost and depraved we are, apart from the merits of Christ. I have no qualms with anyone experiencing levels of humility that rival the height of a snake’s belly in a deep pit, or experiencing the significance of an earthworm or gnat. But there is always a sneaking suspicion niggling in the back of my somewhat cynical mind that someone describing himself in this self-deprecating way is really competing for the top prize for piety. I think it’s quite okay to be honest and to tell people.. “I’m a total mess. That’s why I need Jesus.” But it all begins to sound silly when we start competing over the question, “I’m a bigger mess than you are.” What’s the point in that?

Yes, let’s strive to be humble, but lets not self-consciously talk about the levels of humility we have attained. Like any other communicable attribute of our Lord, when we take our eyes off of the object of our faith and focus on the fruits of our faith, we’ve missed the point.And at that point, at least, we have created an idol.

The Nuts and Bolts of Conflict

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

As I look back on this morning, I notice that several small squabbles took place in our home. They were nothing serious; this level of quarrel-lite happens frequently, I must confess.

1. I was reading my Bible on the couch. My daughter wanted to watch the morning news. My dear wife was trying to talk to me over the noise of the TV. I experienced frustration. I didn't listen to her, telling her I was reading. I took my laptop, exasperated, and went off into the reading room to avoid the TV and to finish reading in silence and solitude. A voice whispers in my head, "Aren't I the holy one this morning?"

2. We have three cars in the driveway, all in a row. My wife needs to leave for work, but her car was at the top of the driveway. All three of us have a different agenda and schedule. Again, the tension levels rise, as everyone's different agenda comes to the surface and manifests itself. One is the middle of some makeup artistry in the bathroom, the other (me) is lost somewhere in Israel's theological problems in the book of Isaiah. But we all reluctantly plod out to our cars, start our engines, and exit the driveway in order to let Carole get to work on time.

I go back to my Bible reading after moving my car and this is on the reading schedule: (I read with the immediacy of that all too familiar mirror effect.) "1. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2. You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

Two things were driven home to me. One was personal: i.e. Although we were a long way from fighting, the serious conflicts are made out of the SAME STUFF! Having conflicting desires.. and when one party will not sacrifice their agenda for another, we have a serious problem.

The second one applies to our church. This underlined the necessity for all of is to experience the SAME DESIRES in the church. We have read recently that the problem with churches is not lack of Vision, but rather too many visions. When everyone has their OWN desires of how things ought to be, or if everyone has their own set of expectations from the church, and if their expectations are not based on Scriptures, we will experience quarrels and fights and conflict.

As we all learn (through prayer and communing with our God) from the same Source what He wants us to do, we all, slowly but surely, arrive on the same page. And we will begin working in unity, with one heart and mind.

Werner

Baptism

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

Introduction
Believer’s baptism is a Christian ritual that dates back to the days prior to Jesus Christ. Baptism was a custom used by some Jews as an initiation ritual into their particular teaching. John the Baptist was a prophet who introduced Jesus Christ to the world. He taught repentance and baptized those who responded to his message. When Jesus came on the scene as a 30-year-old man, he was baptized by John in the river Jordan. His baptism was unique, in that He did not need a baptism of repentance. His baptism marked the beginning of a pattern for His followers.

Why should I be baptized?
Although there are several good reasons that ought to compel a follower of Christ to be baptized, the one that is most obvious is also simple to understand. Jesus expects His followers to be baptized.

After his resurrection and just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave some final instructions to His followers who would spread the good news of the Gospel and plant churches everywhere. He said to them: “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” (Matthew 28:19-20). That is precisely what we see them doing in the book of Acts.

It is somehow contradictory to hear individuals talk in glowing terms about their love for the Lord Jesus, and yet balk at the idea of being baptized. If you, the reader, have not been baptized, stop for a few moments and analyze your objections. In many cases, people wake up to the fact that baptism is far more important to the Lord than they first realized.
One mistaken line of reasoning goes as follows. A person hears the Bible teacher or preacher say something like, “Baptism is not essential to salvation.” The conclusion is then drawn that baptism must not be important. It must be optional. Although it is true that baptism is not as important as salvation, obedience is nonetheless very important. Baptism is as essential as discipleship is. Baptism happens to be the first thing in our Christian walk that the Lord wants us to act on, while disobedience becomes a handicap in our walk with the Lord.

Who should be baptized?
You will notice that there is a particular order in the previously quoted verse (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus asked His disciples to

Make disciples
Baptize them
Instruct them

The order seems obvious. A person must first become a disciple. Infants cannot make that choice; therefore we do not baptize infants.* see footnote

Is there a minimum age before one can be baptized?
There is no direct answer to this question. Obviously there are different degrees of maturity at every age. Some ten-year-olds can be more mature than some 14-year-olds. The difficulty with baptizing young children is the lack of the kind of life’s experience that typically tests the reality of that faith. A child’s ability to respond to concrete facts precedes by far his or her ability to process concepts and abstract thoughts. Young children simply do not adequately comprehend life-long commitments. In the days of the New Testament, when one stepped forward and declared allegiance to Jesus Christ, it meant a willingness to be ostracized from society; indeed it often meant a willingness to die for Him.

That was the nature of the decision, for there were many severe persecutions of Christians by various Roman emperors. Therefore, the decision to be baptized was the ultimate test at the very start of the young believer’s life. In later centuries, and during more peaceful times, some churches required baptismal candidates to learn their catechism for up to three years before they were baptized.

Rather than err too far on either side of this question, this church’s approach will be to wait until a child is at least 12 years old. It was Jesus’ age when he visited the temple with his parents and expressed that He must be about His Father’s business. It is also the age when a Jewish child was considered to be a young adult. There is no clear teaching on the so-called age of accountability, but it makes good sense to recognize that although a very young child can come to faith in Jesus Christ, a life-impacting decision needs a few years of experience and some consolidation of one’s faith before one commits to the waters of baptism. However, even at the age of 12, baptism will not be administered to a child who does not have full parental support.

What is the method of baptism?
We believe the Bible most clearly teaches that in baptism, a person is entirely immersed in water. In fact, the Greek word for baptism primarily means to “immerse”. Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan. Although we will recognize the baptism of those who have been sprinkled or poured upon, we will practice immersion in most every situation. Exception to this practice will be made if a person is unable to be immersed due to disability or illness.

What is the significance of baptism?
Baptism is the symbol that tells the world that your heart belongs to Jesus Christ. What the wedding ring is to a bride and groom, baptism is to the believer. It is the symbol that identifies the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It is also the symbol of a conscience that is clean before God. It is obedience, but a joyful obedience.

Romans 6:3-4 says:
3 Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

The above passage indicates that water baptism takes on a two-fold meaning:
1. The immersion of the person into water indicates that we identify with the death of Christ. Thus, baptism links Jesus’ death to the forgiveness of our sins. The imagery of washing is significant here and that’s the reason for the use of water. Instead of a physical washing of dirt off the skin, baptism symbolizes that a spiritual cleansing from sin and selfishness has taken place. But baptism doesn’t end there.
2. In addition, there’s also a rising up out of the water, illustrating a resurrection out of the grave into new life. Baptism affirms to us that the Holy Spirit is central to our lives now and that we can be assured that just as we died with Christ, we are now more alive than ever. Jesus said: Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24). That is why we encourage baptism to be a public event. Baptism is a powerful object lesson of the new life that we have in Christ.

* When did some churches and denominations start baptizing infants and what were their reasons for doing so?
Only a few generations passed in the life of the early church, when some leaders began to teach that sins are actually forgiven by means of baptism. Because baptism and the moment of salvation are seen so closely together in the Scriptures, it was easy to come to that conclusion. Soon, salvation itself was believed to come through the act of baptism. If salvation no longer depended upon an act of faith on the part of the convert, and if the act of baptism was actually the means of salvation, logically, the sooner one was baptized, the better. Thus, infant baptism came about. In fact, if the life of the mother or child was in peril during or prior to childbirth, some even sought ways of baptizing ‘in utero’.

Of course, we believe the Bible teaches that baptism follows salvation and signifies the washing away of all sin. The assurance of the forgiveness of sin can occur the moment a person trusts in Christ and is born again. Our sins are forgiven on the basis of the following word: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Believer's baptism

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

Introduction
Believer’s baptism is a Christian ritual that dates back to the days prior to Jesus Christ. Baptism was a custom used by some Jews as an initiation ritual into their particular teaching. John the Baptist was a prophet who introduced Jesus Christ to the world. He taught repentance and baptized those who responded to his message. When Jesus came on the scene as a 30-year-old man, he was baptized by John in the river Jordan. His baptism was unique, in that He did not need a baptism of repentance. His baptism marked the beginning of a pattern for His followers.

Why should I be baptized?
Although there are several good reasons that ought to compel a follower of Christ to be baptized, the one that is most obvious is also simple to understand. Jesus expects His followers to be baptized.

After his resurrection and just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave some final instructions to His followers who would spread the good news of the Gospel and plant churches everywhere. He said to them: “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” (Matthew 28:19-20). That is precisely what we see them doing in the book of Acts.

It is somehow contradictory to hear individuals talk in glowing terms about their love for the Lord Jesus, and yet balk at the idea of being baptized. If you, the reader, have not been baptized, stop for a few moments and analyze your objections. In many cases, people wake up to the fact that baptism is far more important to the Lord than they first realized.
One mistaken line of reasoning goes as follows. A person hears the Bible teacher or preacher say something like, “Baptism is not essential to salvation.” The conclusion is then drawn that baptism must not be important. It must be optional. Although it is true that baptism is not as important as salvation, obedience is nonetheless very important. Baptism is as essential as discipleship is. Baptism happens to be the first thing in our Christian walk that the Lord wants us to act on, while disobedience becomes a handicap in our walk with the Lord.

Who should be baptized?
You will notice that there is a particular order in the previously quoted verse (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus asked His disciples to

Make disciples
Baptize them
Instruct them
The order seems obvious. A person must first become a disciple. Infants cannot make that choice; therefore we do not baptize infants.* see footnote

Is there a minimum age before one can be baptized?
There is no direct answer to this question. Obviously there are different degrees of maturity at every age. Some ten-year-olds can be more mature than some 14-year-olds.

The difficulty with baptizing young children is the lack of the kind of life’s experience that typically tests the reality of that faith. A child’s ability to respond to concrete facts precedes by far his or her ability to process concepts and abstract thoughts. Young children simply do not adequately comprehend life-long commitments. In the days of the New Testament, when one stepped forward and declared allegiance to Jesus Christ, it meant a willingness to be ostracized from society; indeed it often meant a willingness to die for Him.

That was the nature of the decision, for there were many severe persecutions of Christians by various Roman emperors. Therefore, the decision to be baptized was the ultimate test at the very start of the young believer’s life.

In later centuries, and during more peaceful times, some churches required baptismal candidates to learn their catechism for up to three years before they were baptized.

Rather than err too far on either side of this question, this church’s approach will be to wait until a child is at least 12 years old. It was Jesus’ age when he visited the temple with his parents and expressed that He must be about His Father’s business. It is also the age when a Jewish child was considered to be a young adult. There is no clear teaching on the so-called age of accountability, but it makes good sense to recognize that although a very young child can come to faith in Jesus Christ, a life-impacting decision needs a few years of experience and some consolidation of one’s faith before one commits to the waters of baptism. However, even at the age of 12, baptism will not be administered to a child who does not have full parental support.

What is the method of baptism?
We believe the Bible most clearly teaches that in baptism, a person is entirely immersed in water. In fact, the Greek word for baptism primarily means to “immerse”. Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan. Although we will recognize the baptism of those who have been sprinkled or poured upon, we will practice immersion in most every situation. Exception to this practice will be made if a person is unable to be immersed due to disability or illness.

What is the significance of baptism?
Baptism is the symbol that tells the world that your heart belongs to Jesus Christ. What the wedding ring is to a bride and groom, baptism is to the believer. It is the symbol that identifies the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It is also the symbol of a conscience that is clean before God. It is obedience, but a joyful obedience.

Romans 6:3-4 says:

3 Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

The above passage indicates that water baptism takes on a two-fold meaning:

The immersion of the person into water indicates that we identify with the death of Christ. Thus, baptism links Jesus’ death to the forgiveness of our sins. The imagery of washing is significant here and that’s the reason for the use of water. Instead of a physical washing of dirt off the skin, baptism symbolizes that a spiritual cleansing from sin and selfishness has taken place. But baptism doesn’t end there.
In addition, there’s also a rising up out of the water, illustrating a resurrection out of the grave into new life. Baptism affirms to us that the Holy Spirit is central to our lives now and that we can be assured that just as we died with Christ, we are now more alive than ever. Jesus said: “Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). That is why we encourage baptism to be a public event. Baptism is a powerful object lesson of the new life that we have in Christ.

* When did some churches and denominations start baptizing infants and what were their reasons for doing so?
Only a few generations passed in the life of the early church, when some leaders began to teach that sins are actually forgiven by means of baptism. Because baptism and the moment of salvation are seen so closely together in the Scriptures, it was easy to come to that conclusion. Soon, salvation itself was believed to come through the act of baptism. If salvation no longer depended upon an act of faith on the part of the convert, and if the act of baptism was actually the means of salvation, logically, the sooner one was baptized, the better. Thus, infant baptism came about. In fact, if the life of the mother was in peril during or prior to childbirth, some even sought ways of baptizing ‘in utero’.

Of course, we believe the Bible teaches that baptism follows salvation and signifies the washing away of all sin. The assurance of the forgiveness of sin can occur the moment a person trusts in Christ and is born again. Our sins are forgiven on the basis of the following word: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Questions About Communion

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

Like Baptism, Communion is a Christian ritual that was instituted by Jesus Christ and practiced by his followers from the very beginning. Some refer to it as a sacrament. We generally refer to it as an ordinance. Communion is a corporate, symbolic act of remembrance of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It involves the receiving of a piece of bread and a sip of wine (or grape juice). These elements represent the body and blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we worship and follow. By receiving both the bread and the "fruit of the vine", Christians are encouraged to enter more fully into the realization of Christ's suffering for them, and are strengthened by that act, together with the church.

How Important is it?

This question is the same as asking the question, how important is it to my marriage to tell my wife that I love her? It is the Christian's desire to fulfill the desires of the One Who loves us. He is the One who said, Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me (Jn 14:21).

Looking at the question from a different angle, how significant is this practice?

Various Christian traditions have viewed this quite differently. Very early in church history, some started taking the meaning of Jesus` words quite literally as he held the bread and said “This is my body” and “This is my blood” with reference to the wine. Thus you have a view known as transubstantiation, the belief that the elements miraculously and mysteriously change into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. You can imagine that those elements are treated very reverently and are offered up as a re-presentation of the once-for-all sacrifice that Jesus offered for us. People who hold this view also believe that because the bread and wine are actually and literally the flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus, they are obligated to worship it. They also believe that grace is communicated to the participant. Grace is understood as a divine enablement to resist sin in one's life and adds to the merits that are necessary to attain ultimate salvation.

The view we believe to be biblical is known as the memorial view. That is, we believe that the language that Jesus used was very naturally a figure of speech. In holding up the bread, Jesus said, "This is my body". That is no different than holding up a photograph of one's spouse and saying, "This is my wife." What is meant is, "This is a depiction of my wife". No one believes that the substance that the photo is made of (paper, pixels and ink) somehow changes into the substance that a person is made of. The bread and wine are symbols, meant to represent Jesus Christ himself. We believe that grace is communicated to the participant, not magically through the bread and wine, but in the act of prayerful meditation and in our obedience to Christ.

Who are the Participants in Communion?

Communion is based on the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples before he was arrested, tried and executed on a Roman cross. The Last Supper was the Passover meal that Jewish people celebrate every year as a memorial of the exodus event. In this memorial event the Jewish people remember that they were once in bondage as slaves to another power, but had been redeemed by God's mighty hand of deliverance. Through the instrumentality of a lamb that was slaughtered for them, the blood of which was spilled and applied to each Jewish household, judgment was averted.

In the same way, those who may participate in the act of Communion are people who live in the realization of redemption by the sacrificial death of the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". It makes no sense at all and it is not biblically permissible that people take part who do not self-identify as followers of Christ. But individuals need to assume responsibility for this decision, (except in matters of church discipline) because we cannot be a judge of the heart to decide who is a true believer and who is not. Thus we observe an "open table" where all professing and self-examined Christians are welcome.

What about partaking in an unworthy manner?

An examination of the context of this term, unworthy manner in 1 Corinthians 11 will show that the Apostle Paul's concern was not that believers were partaking who felt unworthy. We are all unworthy in that sense. The unworthy manner that Paul describes in his Corinthian epistle had to do with the fact that Communion was not being held in the spirit in which it was intended. They were using the occasion as an excuse to party and actually get drunk.

What about children?

We realize that children can and do understand redemption at an early age. We encourage children under the age of 12 to be seated beside their parents during a Communion service. It is the parents’ responsibility to determine whether that child receives Communion in the spirit that is intended. This would mean not allowing a child to partake simply because a parent doesn't want their child to feel excluded, or simply because a child is curious. Those who pass the elements should not be responsible for making these decisions.

How frequently should we hold Communion?

The Bible gives us no prescription. It only assumes that we do it regularly. Jesus said, "As often as you do it... do this in remembrance of me." (1 Cor 11:26) The disciples seemingly did it daily in the early chapters of Acts. Later we see that they did it on a weekly basis, and it became a core part of their corporate life of worship. We routinely do it on a monthly basis, but are not bound or limited by any scriptural constraints. If we want to do it more frequently, we certainly can.

Why do we use grape juice instead of wine?

Firstly, wine in the mid-east was fermented grape juice. We suspect that whether it is fermented or not matters little to the Lord. It does matter that there may be individuals in the congregation who conscientiously avoid any alcoholic beverage out of conviction or due to a former life of alcohol abuse. Therefore, in order to avoid tripping anyone up, we serve grape juice.

Secondly, we live in a culture that has in its history regarded any drinking of alcoholic beverages as sinful. This is so deeply embedded in the conscience of some that is becomes a violation of conscience for them.

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor. 8:9).

What shall I think or meditate on while this service takes place?

First, we are to be sharing in the reality of who and what Jesus Christ really means to us in all the fullness of His life and work on our behalf—righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; acceptance, significance, and ability to live for the Lord and others. Think about what Jesus Christ means to you because of His sacrifice.
Second, as a fellowship, Communion is a sharing together with one another. It is a time when together, as we pass the elements, we are demonstrating our common faith, commitment, concerns, love, devotion to Christ and the ministry and life to which He has called us.
Third, the observance of the Lord's Table should also be a time for examination. It should be a time for personal examination and evaluation of our loves, aspirations, values, devotion, relationships, pursuits, and of our lives in general.
Last but certainly not least, it is a time of confession. Self examination is a good thing. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to your conscience anything that requires cleansing. And determine, as the Lord brings these matters to light and as you confess them, that you will do what it takes to make them right.

If you have any questions or need further clarification on this topic, please email werner1950@gmail.com

Give It Away

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

In a class today the students and I were discussing the words of the Lord where He said that “if someone takes your tunic, give him your cloak also”. This was in a cultural context where a person may have only had 2 or 3 major items of clothing in his wardrobe. This was not a gift of a few superfluous items that one gives to the Salvation Army. This is giving something away that is very valuable and needed.

It reminded me of a story out of my own life that I had almost forgotten. In a small town where I was pastoring, I was one of the first in that town to own a Home Computer. People were being referred to me to help them set up theirs. At the same time, I was wasting a lot of time on the computer. Time that belonged to the Lord.

At the same time, I was in debt, and felt an impulse to do something that just didn’t make any sense. I became aware of a need for a computer at a children’s Bible Camp. I was not sure that this impulse was something the Lord was giving me; but it sure didn’t feel like it was coming from my own heart. The impulse was to give my computer to this Bible Camp. I sat on the idea for a few days, wanting to be sure that it wasn’t a fleeting idea that might evaporate in a day or two. Besides, I did not want to part with my computer. But it was also becoming addictive, so perhaps, I thought to myself, the Lord wanted it out of my life.

I finally picked up the phone with a sigh and called the camp. The director there told me that just that week, someone had given them a brand new computer, and they did not need an additional one.

Now what was I going to do? Well, I got ready to go downtown to enquire about running an ad in the local paper. I would sell the computer, and would at least pay down my debt, still puzzled about this ‘leading’ I felt I had from the Lord.

On the way out of the office to go downtown, I met an older believer (we’ll call him John) who asked me what I was up to. I told him about my strange experience with the computer, and informed him that I was going to sell it in order to pay off a loan. He said to me, “Please don’t go to place that ad. I might be interested in buying the computer What would it cost me if I bought one just like it in the store?” (In those days we were paying $1200-$1400 for a computer with only 1 Megabyte of ram and a very small Hard Drive.)

“John?? You want a computer?” It was very unusual, particularly in those days to see an elderly person getting into computers, but he was a businessman, and I figured he must want it for his bookkeeping.

I held off running the ad. He came back to the office a couple of days later, and pulled out a roll of brand new hundred dollar bills. He counted them out; 12 crisp new ones. I prepared to pull the computer apart for transport and help him out to the car with it when he said, “Now the computer is mine, right?”

“Right,” I said. “It’s all yours.”

“Well,” he said, “I want you to have it.”

I didn’t quite understand him. I asked him to repeat what he just said.

“I want you to have it. I am giving it back to you! I am convinced that the Lord was telling me to help you with your debt, so I bought your computer, and I am giving it back to you. It’s a gift.”

It’s one of the strangest experiences I have ever had with an ‘impulse’, but I learned that sometimes, giving something away is sometimes simply a roundabout way of consecrating something to the Lord, and using it only for Him. That is the lesson I learned that day.

The Parable of the Kit Kat Bar

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

As told to Werner Peters...
A woman was shopping in a busy mall one day. She was exhausted as she pushed her full shopping cart past the food court, milling with people. The aroma of coffee grabbed her and drew her in. She bought a cup of coffee and a Kit Kat bar, then turned to find a place to rest her weary feet for awhile. The only empty seat she could find was right across from an older gentleman who himself was sipping a cup of coffee.

She asked if he minded that she sat across from him, to which he shook his head. Sitting down, she picked up the Kit Kat bar, (she just loved the combination of chocolate and coffee) and tore the wrapper off, broke off a piece and set the bar back down. To her utter amazement, the man smiled awkwardly, picked up the bar, broke off a piece and ate it. Now she is thinking, “This is odd. Maybe the guy is really hungry and can’t afford his own. I better eat another chunk before he eats it all.” She takes another piece and crams it in her mouth. Almost immediately, as if he is in competition with her, grabs another piece and sticks it in his mouth. “Well,” she thinks, “I’m not going to let him get away with this. Not even a word of thanks. How rude!” And she stuffs the rest of the bar in her mouth and walks away in a huff, not even finishing her cup of coffee.

She remembers that she has another item to pick up in the store. After her purchases are complete, she heads towards the exit, and there at the food court, is the same man, stirring another coffee, and this time he has a muffin in front of him on the table. This incensed the woman, because obviously he could afford his own food, so in anger and without thinking, she stomped over to where he was, picked up the muffin, and tore off the top of the muffin and slammed the remainder down on the table as the man watched her in utter shock and amazement.

"That’ll teach him!” she thought to herself as she stomped off in her self-righteous huff, pushing her shopping cart towards the exit. Still enjoying the sensation of vindication and justice being satisfied, she arrived at her car in the parking lot, reached into her purse for her keys, and as she did so, there she found her unwrapped Kit Kat chocolate bar

How many Christians live in disharmony, in dissonance with one another, because of a misunderstanding, or because of something as insignificant as a Kit Kat bar. How quickly we can get into an argument, and how quickly an argument turns into an all out war. And on a larger scale, these arguments turn into knives, and guns and missiles and bombs, and no one wants to forgive, and no one exercises grace, and no one will deny themselves the right of revenge.
And it can all begin with a few crumbs of a muffin or a chocolate bar.

A Most Important Question

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

Here’s a question that came to me from a young Ethiopian seeking to make Canada his new home. He has been casually dropping in to see me over the last two years.

Pastor, what exactly do we mean when we say, “Christ died for our sins?”

This is a fundamental question, and it needs to be answered very precisely, because this statement is one component of the most basic definition of the Gospel (1 Cor 15). And Paul taught us that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all those who believe (Rom 1:16).

First of all, we need to realize that our sinful condition is the only reason that we are not in a right relationship to God, our Creator. Because Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, all of mankind has inherited not only the sin nature, and are totally depraved of any goodness, but we have also inherited this broken relationship with God which the Bible refers to as a state of condemnation. This is not a trivial thing. When we sin, even though sin is ultimately self-destructive, God is holy, and He is the most offended party. The entire Bible deals with the question, “How does a holy God restore mankind to a place of righteousness in order to fellowship with Him, as Adam and Eve once did on a daily basis?” This ongoing and unresolved state of condemnation will lead to eternal condemnation which the Bible speaks of in no uncertain terms. There is a place called Hell, and the lake of fire from which there is no escape, and it is the final destiny of all who have rejected God’s offer of his Son.

And that is the answer: Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son.

God is merciful and loving, but because He is also holy, His justice is uncompromising. Most people who assume that because God is merciful, he can forgive sin with the necessary sacrifice of Jesus. But justice would not be justice if forgiveness is based on thin air. Someone has to pay the price that justice demands in order for forgiveness to have any real power. And so, God determined that Jesus Christ, his Son, would become a human, live a sinless life, and then die as a sin-offering for mankind.

When John the Baptist first introduced Jesus in the gospel of John, he did so with the proclamation, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

When John referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God, people’s minds no doubt went immediately to the significance of the Passover Lamb, that is, the lamb that was killed, and whose blood was taken and applied to the doorposts of every house that wanted protection from the angel of death, that was passing over all the land of Egypt. Whenever God saw the blood on the doorposts, judgment (condemnation) did not come to that house. The lamb died in order that man would live and not be punished. People who believed the message that judgment was coming, acted upon their belief. But, the New Testament teaches us that the blood of animals cannot redeem us from sins. It was only a temporary measure until the real sacrifice would be made. The real sacrifice for sin for all of mankind is |Jesus Christ, dying for our sins.

In the same way that people back then had to believe the message, we must believe that Jesus died and literally shed his life’s blood in our place, to satisfy God’s justice. And at the same time, it satisfies the quality of God’s mercy and love. The way has been opened now, for any one who believes, to have a right relationship with God, because Jesus died for our sins.

And the good news, the clincher in all of this, is that He rose from the dead, thus proving that He is the Son of God after all. And that is what transformed his followers back then,

Can you imagine what happened in those days, where, in a climate of fear and persecution, the church of Jesus Christ grew by thousands of converts on a daily basis for awhile? It could only be that the eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ were so convinced of the resurrection that their message was more compelling than all the fear that a Roman empire could instil with their many sweeping persecutions. What else can explain the martyrdom of every apostle but one?

Indeed, Christ died for our sins, not just to provide us an example of the greatest act of unselfishness a man could enact, but to open a way for absolute justice and infinite love to coexist given the sinful condition of the fallen and broken people that we are.

My Flirt with Fame

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

My vegetable-oil adventure lasted about a year. I had converted a Passat Diesel to actually run on used vegetable oil. Interested people would stop and ask me questions about my experiment with renewable (and recycled) fuel. They would ask me if my exhaust smelled like French Fries. (It did!) A friend of mine (a ministry colleague) heard about the vegetable oil and actually used the filtration process that I used as an illustration in a talk he was giving to his congregation. Before we take communion, we need to ensure that “the dirt is filtered out”, and he used my process of filtering out used vegetable oil through a pair of denim blue jeans as an analogy.

One of the people listening to him that day was a student of journalism at Ryerson. The story piqued her interest and she got my contact information from him, and gave me a call.

“Do you mind if I come over and do an interview with you,” she asked?

“Not at all,” I responded. Before the week was out, she showed up with another classmate and professional camera equipment. It took a couple of hours, but I showed her how it was done, and she plied me with many questions. It was my 15 minutes of fame, I thought.

A few weeks later, I got a call from CBC Radio. They had heard of my greasy ways, and wanted to interview me for some Saturday morning entertainment program. Once again, I agreed to be interviewed, but this would not be a student who is learning to do interviews. This would now be the real thing. I was going to be heard by 500,000 people, she told me. “Wonderful,” I thought. Maybe I could even slip in the location of our church or something similarly surreptitious and get some free advertising.

“We’ll call you back,” she said. She did, within a week.

“We have it all ready,” She said. “The dialogue is written out. Now, you have to understand that we’ve spiced it up a little. And we have fictionalized it in orer to make it more entertaining.”

“Wait a minute,” I was still trying to process the phrase ‘the dialogue.is all written out’ and when she used the word ‘fictionalized’ I started getting dizzy. I saw my second 15 minutes of fame slipping through my fingers.

“I don’t understand, you’ve scripted a dialogue? You’ve written out what I am going to say,” I ask incredulously?

Without skipping a beat, as if they do this every day, she said, “Yep.” (Implied, “Did this plebe actually think we were going to let him speak his own mind on national radio! How naïve!”)

Another question, because it finally occurred to me what she meant by ‘fictionalized’. “Umm, excuse me, but are you saying that I will have to say things that are actually not true about myself?”

“Yes.” Although we were on the phone, I thought I could hear her blank stare. And I am thinking to myself, “I can’t believe this. She knows I am a preacher, and she wants me to go on the airwaves to tell things about myself that are untrue.”

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t think I can do this. Thank you for thinking of me though.” I had to say something to bring closure to this embarrassing affair while I hung up the phone.

Being totally unnerved, I emailed a journalist acquaintance of mine, Michael Coren, and explained what happened to me. “Is this normal operating procedure in your industry?”

He assured me that it was unethical and no, it was not normal.

My experience has left me doubtful though. Now, every time I turn on the radio, I wonder…

A Glimmer of Eden

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:47:15 GMT

It's early in the morning and I receive a telephone call. Someone in the hospital needs a visit from a pastor. A patient is dying. He is well past 70. I arrive thirty minutes later. He doesn't have to say anything. The questions are written all over his anxious demeanour. "Why is this happening to me? This shouldn't be happening to me! This is not the way it's supposed to be!" Yet it has happened to every member of the human race, without exception.

I reflect as I drive back to the office later that day. Why do we inherently doubt our mortality? Why do we act as if the great crisis will happen to everyone else but me? Why do we act surprised when it happens to ME?

I think there are good reasons why we do not easily accept reality on this level. Somewhere, we have picked up the notion that 'this is not the way it is supposed to be.' Death and sickness are unwelcome intruders. I believe our primal memories know better. We were made for the Garden of Eden, and although we were banished from that garden, we remember. We once had an immortal soul.

A former acquaintance of mine was in the final stages of Alzheimer's. He spent a lifetime fishing Lake Huron. He cannot remember his wife's name and shows no signs of knowing her. Yet, he remembers how to sew nets. At night (his wife tells us) as he is going to sleep, he grabs the edge of his bed sheets, and he thinks he is holding on to the lead rope of a net, and his fingers deftly go through the intricate motions of sewing net onto the rope. Doctors say that there is such a thing as muscle memory, whereby long after the mind forgets its stored up facts, the body will remember its motions and actions.

I would suggest that we have a kind of genetic memory too, which tells us that the Creator's original intention with us was something quite different than our present reality. Why else do I feel like at age fifty-two, I've only just begun to learn about life? We smirk knowingly at the cottage plaque that says "We get too soon old and too late smart!" Why else do most other middle agers and seniors tell me that they still feel like a kid inside?

Of course, I believe in our intended immortality, not just because I feel it instinctively, but also because Someone who claimed to represent God many years ago insisted that it was so. He said, ""I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

That's quite a bold and arrogant statement to make, unless of course it's true. Whether Jesus really was the Son of God is hotly debated in many circles today. It's interesting to observe though how dramatically those words affect a person in their last hours. That's usually where the debating stops and reality asserts itself. I've seen it all too often.