August 30, 2010

For the last few months, we’ve been studying Genesis together on Sunday mornings. We’ve noticed that the first half of Genesis follows the line of “the seed” – that is, the line of descendants of Adam that led to Jesus Christ.

Yes, others are mentioned, but the focus is on Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, and then Isaac and Jacob. The text mentions others who are part of Adam’s, Seth’s, Noah’s, Abraham’s, and Isaac’s family. But, most of the emphasis are placed on descendants that lead to Jesus Christ.

But, it seems that something changes after Jacob. Suddenly, the focus changes to the entire family. The line of “the seed” goes through Judah, and Judah is certainly included in the text. But others are emphasized as well, especially Joseph.

When you continue through the Pentateuch, again the emphasis is on all of Jacob’s (Israel’s) family and not just Judah’s family.

Have you noticed this double emphasis (the line of the seed and the family of Jacob)? Why do think the emphasis shifts from just “the seed” to the entire family of Jacob?

August 30, 2010

A couple of months ago, I was asked to wrote a post about internet ministry. Since I was preparing to leave for Ethiopia, I said that I would write the post after I returned. As I was studying and thinking about the topic, my post turned into a series of posts.

In this first post, I want to define what I mean by the term “internet ministry.” Now, to be completely honest, this is my definition. While my definition may be similar to others, I wanted to define the phrase in a way that express what I think about ministry itself. So, I’ll begin my definition with the term “ministry.”

As many, many scholars have pointed out, the English term “ministry” comes from the same Greek term as the English term “service.” “Ministry” is “service” and “service” is “ministry.” In the New Testament, there is not difference. So, in my definition there is no difference either. “Internet ministry” is “internet service.”

But, serving whom? In Scripture, service is also directed toward other people.While it may be beneficial to do something that benefits only yourself, this is not service. For example, if I write a book, but do not show it to anyone, it is not an act of service. It only because a possible act of service when I then share that book with others. So, “ministry” or “service” is directed toward others and interact with others in some way.

Thus, “internet ministry” is “internet service directed toward and interacting with other people.”

Now, what about the “internet” part of the phrase “internet ministry?” For this series, I will include any technology, app, or function that uses the internet as “internet.” That may seem obvious, but this means that both email and cell phone apps could be included in the phrase “internet ministry.”

On the other hand, simply having a computer program does not mean that I would include that program in the phrase “internet.” For example, I often use BibleWorks, but I would not include that software package in the term “internet.”

There is at least one more statement that needs to be made about “internet ministry.” I’m writing this from the perspective of a child of God – from someone who desires to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. As such, my intentions in serving others is so that those other people will be drawn to the love of God and begin following him as well. In other words, I want to see people grow in maturity toward Jesus Christ as the ultimate goal.

So, I could a hungry person food as an act of service. But, as a child of God, I also give them that food to demonstrate the love of God and to attract them to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This idea is not found in the terms “ministry” or “service” but should always be found in the life and actions of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Thus, as a Christian, my idea of “internet ministry” must include the idea of helping someone grow in their understanding of God and in maturity in Christ.

So, “internet ministry” is the use of online services, apps, functions, and technologies in order to serve people with the intention of helping those people grow in maturity towards Christ.

August 29, 2010

Please allow me an opportunity for a little levity concerning a very important subject.

Jon at “Jon’s Journey” has written a very good article looking at 1 Corinthians 11 concerning “The Lord’s Supper.”

As I thought about Paul’s admonition that some of the Corinthians were eating too much food while others were going hungry, I applied that to today’s practices. I pictured someone sneaking in and eating most of the little morsels of bread-like substance off of the plates.

Then, as I thought about Paul’s admonition that some were drinking so much wine that they were getting drunk, I also applied that to today’s practices. I pictured someone else sneaking in a drinking most of the wine (grape juice wouldn’t work in this case) from the small glasses and getting drunk.

For some reason, this was a funny image for me.

August 29, 2010

This is the 119th passage in “Scripture… As We Live It.”

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, to go to church which is your spiritual corporate worship. (Romans 12:1 re-mix)

(Please read the first post for an explanation of this series.)

August 28, 2010

Mark at “Called Out In Kansas” wrote a very good post this week called “On Faith – Volume 1” (I’m hoping that title indicates that further “volumes” are to come). In this post, Mark talks about how his understanding of faith has changed. He concludes:

So, the crux of the post is this:  faith is an important part of our Christian walk, and faith is a bi-product of our Christian walk.  We use our faith to walk in Christ, and like a muscle, the more we use it the more it grows.  As a charismatic I felt condemned if I didn’t have enough faith.  Now I understand that there are things I will stand in faith for, but haven’t walked in Christ long enough to grow into that level of faith, and so I may not see the final manifestation of what I prayed for.  This is no cause for guilt or condemnation, it just is what it is.  The longer I walk the more I will grow in faith, and the greater works He can do in and through me.

As I told Mark in a comment, I’ve started to think more and more of “faith” as trust. How much do I trust God? Do I trust God in spite of anything that may or may not happen with my life?

August 28, 2010

I use Google Reader to track blog subscriptions. I am currently subscribed to 454 feeds, but some of them are not active.

This morning, for some reason, I decided to look at the trends for my subscriptions. Some of these trends are interesting. For example:

From your 454 subscriptions, over the last 30 days you read 2,033 items, clicked 176 items, starred 11 items, shared 0 items, and emailed 0 items.

Yes, okay, so I don’t use Google’s “share” or “email” functions. But, I only “starred” 11 items over the last 30 days. Of course, I was in Ethiopia for part of that time.

Similarly of the 2,033 items posted by the 454 blogs that I follow, most item were posted on Friday, with Monday following close behind. I was surprised by that, because Friday is usually a slow day on my blog, with fewer hits on Friday than other days of the week.

Also, more items are posted at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. than any other time of the day. Noon sees the third most items posted, followed by 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. with items posted at other times being well below those times. (By the way, these times are all Eastern time.)

Do you think these statistics are representative of what you see blogging wise? Do the match the way that you post items to your blog?

August 28, 2010

There are several passages of Scripture that indicate that God sends his Spirit to dwell within his children. Here is one of those passages:

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 ESV)

Have you thought about how incredible it is that God’s Spirit dwells within us?

The Spirit convicts, encourages, strengthens, guides… so many different functions. Yet, the Spirit of God does not force us to do or say anything.

I’ve studied several aspects of the Spirit. I even wrote a paper once about the Holy Spirit in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). But, the more I think about and read in Scripture about the Spirit, I realize that there is much that I don’t understand.

Perhaps I’ll write a series of posts about the Spirit after I finish my series about internet ministry.

What is the most amazing thing about being indwelled by the Holy Spirit to you? What major question(s) do you have about the Spirit indwelling people?

August 27, 2010

I read two articles this week in which the authors write about why they blogged:

Andy at “aBowden Blog” asks “Why Blog?”

Lionel at “a view of the woods” thinks about why he blogs and traces his blogging history in “Blogging: The Joys and Sorrows.”

Do you blog? If so, why? If not, why not?

August 27, 2010

Paul had a weird way of handling theological differences:

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind… So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding… Therefore accept one another as Christ has accepted you, for the glory of God. (Romans 14:1-15:7)

What was he thinking? If we love and accept and upbuild and have peace with one another, how we will know who’s right and who’s wrong?

August 27, 2010

Three years ago, I wrote a post called “But will you ‘Stop’?” The point of the post is simple: we can study, and explain, and discuss, and argue, and teach, and preach, and examine, and analyze, etc. But if we do not obey, then all of the above is moot.

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But will you “Stop”?

John at “Jesus the Radical Pastor” shares a post called “The Meaning of ‘Stop’” which was originally written by Tim Perry from Durham University. He uses caricatures of modern hermeneutical methods to examine the meaning of the word “STOP” on a stop sign. Here are some of my favorites (although there are many hilarious examples):

5. A fundamentalist, taking the text very literally, stops at the stop sign and waits for it to tell him to go.

6. A seminary-educated evangelical preacher might look up “STOP” in his lexicons of English and discover that it can mean: 1) something which prevents motion, such as a plug for a drain, or a block of wood that prevents a door from closing; 2) location where a train or bus lets off passengers. The main point of his sermon the following Sunday on this text is: when you see a stop sign, it is a place where traffic is naturally clogged, so it is a good place to let off passengers from your car.

10. A NT scholar notices that there is no stop sign on Mark street but there is one on Matthew and Luke streets, and concludes that the ones on Luke and Matthew streets are both copied from a sign on a street no one has ever seen called “Q” Street. There is an excellent 300 page doctoral dissertation on the origin of these stop signs and the differences between stop signs on Matthew and Luke street in the scholar’s commentary on the passage. There is an unfortunate omission in the dissertation, however; it doesn’t explain the meaning of the text!

Yes, these are funny and very close to reality. But, I wonder: how many people who study the stop sign would actually stop?

I enjoy a good scholarly study of a biblical passage. But, if you want to teach, start by living out what you are teaching. You can study and outline and explain and exhort, but if your life does not match what you say, then you are not teaching (in the NT pattern of teaching). Consider this passage from Jesus:

The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you- but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. (Matthew 23:2-3 ESV)

And this passage from Jesus:

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. (John 14:23-24 ESV)

And this passage from Paul:

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 ESV)

And this passage from James:

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. (James 3:13 ESV)

So, study the stop sign. Examine the stop sign. Analyze the stop sign. Read what others say about the stop sign. Discuss the stop sign. But, most of all, STOP!