I know that Christmas is now over, but here’s something that was shared with me over the Christmas break. This performance by the Indiana University’s Men’s A Cappella Group is awesome! I know you'll enjoy it!
Finally, this will be my last blog for the year. With the long holiday weekend approaching, including a Youth and Family retreat that is planned for our church at Burnt Cabin this weekend, I’m not likely to be spending a great deal of time with my fingers on the keyboard. Still, I want you to know that I am thankful to God for blessing my life through this new avenue here in blogland. The tie that binds us is our shared love for and devotion to our Savior Jesus the Christ.
My prayer is that each and every one who passes this way knows the joy of fellowship with God that is made possible by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, which was shed for our sins. May you have a happy and safe Happy New Year celebration and may all your days throughout 2008 be full of blessings and joy in Christ.
God bless,
Robert
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Straight No Chaser - 12 Days of Christmas
Friday, December 21, 2007
Merry Tossmas
The debate rages on ... is it Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? Or have you heard of Merry Tossmas? Trust me, you'll like this......
Now for most of my life, we were people who didn't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday but as a family one. But I must admit this cultural battle we're currently engaged in to reject Christ from the American scene is very distrubing to me.
So find myself in a some what of a dilemma. On one hand, I, for one, want to continue to help people understand that Christmas is a human tradition. (Mt. 15:7-9; Gal. 4:10-11; Col. 3:178) But on the other hand as well, I also want people to think of Christ--at least for these few days. I want the Lord to be first in the hearts of everyone all seasons!
So the bottom line is for me, we celebrate the cultrual aspects of the Christmas holiday with our families, just like we do all the other national holidays (Fourth of July, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, etc.) And I'm glad when these national holidays have spiriutal/Christian overtones to them.
Becasue I do try to make the most of this time of the year as one of the best times afforded to the Christian to share the Good News that Jesus saves! Since this is a holiday in which so many minds are thinking about Christ, (which is never a bad thing) what a great opportunity to lift up the name of Jesus to a lost and dying world.
The message of the manger must always point people to the cross – the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The important thing is that He was born and that He died for our sins. We’re not worshiping a helpless infant lying in a manger. We’re worshiping a risen and exalted Christ who has all power in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
Merry Christmas to all of you and God bless,
Robert Prater
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Lifehouse's Everything Skit
This video skit is awesome! I’m a big fan of the music group Lifehouse so that obviously got me interested in this video skit. But this video moved me to tears. It’s a very simple amazing wordless skit depicting a young woman separated from Jesus by the temptations of life performed to Lifehouse’s song “Everything.” I thought the finale was awesome showing in a very dramatic way how Christ was the perfect substitute for our iniquities (1 Peter 2:23-25) and He so much desires to love us, save and give us all His wonderful great blessings for our lives. I found this description about it on the website Godtube: “This drama better known as Lifehouse's Everything Skit was performed at the 2006 Smokey Mountain Winterfest in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville TN. by Mission Baltimore. The drama was written by Mission Baltimore Director Tim Houston. The event in Tennessee packed over 30,000 people and this drama has since been viewed by millions.”
Anyway, hope you’re encouraged by this video.
In Christ,
Robert Prater
Thursday, December 13, 2007
God's "spirit children"??
Mike Huckabee has gone and done it. He’s accused the Mormons of equating Jesus and Satan, as brothers. (Although yesterday, after the Republican’s debate in Iowa, Huckabee Apologized to Romney over his “Mormon Comments” and told Romney that his “religion should not be part of the campaign”)
Of course, the Mormons bring this kind of thing on themselves, with their new-age twisted version of what they claim is Christianity. From the ABC blog, some details, as well as the official rebuttal from the LDSers:
Mormons believe that all beings — including Jesus and the Devil — are sons and daughters of God. But while they are both his “spirit children” only Jesus was “begotten in the flesh” and the Church of Latter Day Saints does not put the Devil on the same plane with Jesus Christ whom they worship as “the Savior of Mankind.” (provided by Michael Purdy, a spokesman for the Church of Latter Day Saints):
“Like other Christians, we believe Jesus is the divine Son of God. Satan is a fallen angel. .. the Apostle Paul wrote, God is the Father of all. That means that all beings were created by God and are His spirit children. Christ, however, was the only begotten in the flesh and we worship Him as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.” (emphasis added)
It’s not hard to see how the Huck became confused: “His spirit children.” Now, pardon my grammar, but “ain’t that something”, Jesus and Satan both “spirit children.” Even most Christian's who don’t claim to hold “the fullness of actual Christian theology” know that Jesus isn’t a child of God in the same way that you and I are.
Yes humans are made in the image of God. Because of our sin, we are quite far from being full and true images of God, but we’ve got the potential to come into full glory through the image of Jesus Christ. (Read Romans 8:29-30; Col. 3:10) Unlike us, Jesus isn’t a mere reflection, a mere image of God. He is the real deal; fully God, fully man. (Read Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 11:1-3)
It comes down to the Mormon system of beliefs, which is not Christian. The Mormon view of Jesus Christ is completely against what the Scriptures teach.
1. Mormonism denies the biblical doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
They teach that Adam-God had sexual intercourse with Mary, and as a result Jesus was conceived. Orson Pratt alleged that “the virgin Mary must have been for the time being, the lawful wife of God the Father . . .” (The Seer, 158-59).
2. Incredibly, Mormonism do actually teach that Jesus and the devil were once brothers. In a speech, delivered in the Mormon Tabernacle at Salt Lake, “Elder” Andrew Jenson declared:
“Thus we see that Lucifer, the son of the morning, is our elder brother and the brother of Jesus Christ, but he rebelled against God and was cast down from heaven with his angels” (The Desert News, January 21, 1928).
Nothing remotely akin to this is found in the Bible.
3. Mormonism also contends that Jesus Christ was a polygamist. Brigham Young asserted:
“Jesus Christ was a polygamist; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, were his plural wives, and Mary Magdalene was another” (quoted by Ann Eliza Young, Wife No. 19, Chapter XXXV).
This is the stuff of fantasy, not Scripture. One scholar, Jan Shipps (professor emeritus of history and religious studies at Indiana University), a specialist in Mormon doctrine, commented about the Mormon’s “change the name” ploy in recent years, which “reflects an attempt to divorce themselves from the “cult” status – hoping to convince contemporary society that the system truly is “Christian.”
So with all due respect, Mormonism is not “Christian” – Mormonism by any other name is still at variance with the teaching of the Bible.
Now, I do agree as one writer put it, “We aren’t choosing a pastor-in-chief; we’re choosing a secular chief.” Now, of course, I’d prefer a believing “Christian.”
And so yes, to me right now, Mike Huckabee is in many ways a very attractive candidate, although he does seem soft on the tax-and-spend front. But, regardless of any lack of conservative purity, real or perceived, he is a man of deep faith.
On the other hand, Mitt Romney has of course given “The Speech”, in which he mentioned “Mormon” but once. Mostly, he talked of “my religion.” This was the Jack Kennedy speech, the one that was meant to assure voters that the candidate’s Mormon beliefs have no bearing on how Romney might govern as president.
Right. Of course they won’t. In Kennedy’s case, he could make such a distinction in good conscience, for the simple reason that he was hardly a poster boy for following Roman Catholic dogma.
Mitt Romney, on the other hand, appears to be a solid “Saint”, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints in good stead. In fact, he sort of is a poster boy for the Mormon church: a fine, upstanding and prosperous member of his community. Yes, I know, he's not running to be Pope or head of the LDS. He's a politician, and he said the right thing:
“Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.”
Romney more than realizes that Mormonism is still looked upon by a sizable portion of the electorate as a strange, polygamous cult whose members mostly live in the Mountain West. Again, but stated differently, Mormons of today may claim to be “mainstream,” but they’ve a dodgy history, and not much history at that. They’re a young cult.
So I guess the bottom line is, I’m a so-called “conservative Christian”, but also an American. I would vote for Mitt Romney if he were the nominee and were he running against Hillary or Obama or Edwards or Richardson or any combination thereof. But Romney’s beliefs give me great pause, and his claim, which echoes that of the LDS hierarchy, that they are an “authentic” brand of Christianity, rings hollow.
Again, to get some further sense of what Mormons believe, check out this statement put out by the Mormons in the Washington Post. (12/05/07)
…unlike traditional Christians, Mormons also revere the Book of Mormon equally with the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. They believe that Jesus visited the Americas after he was crucified and that he will return and reign from the United States and Jerusalem. They believe that the dead can be baptized, that God was once a man and that a human can become like a god. And, they say, God speaks through living apostles and prophets, such as Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Mormon Church.
So Mormons are hardly “Christian” in any sense of the word simply because they believe bizarre things, even though they try very hard to label them as being Christian. And that is the heart of my distrust of Mormons. One conservative commentator has said: “believe what you wish, just don’t hijack my faith while you’re at it.”
As I’ve said, I’ll vote for Romney if he wins the nominee, given the awfulness of the entire Democratic field. But I’ll probably hold my nose and hope for the best.
What do you think?? Am I being too hard and harsh on poor Mitt?
Humbly,
Robert Prater
Of course, the Mormons bring this kind of thing on themselves, with their new-age twisted version of what they claim is Christianity. From the ABC blog, some details, as well as the official rebuttal from the LDSers:
Mormons believe that all beings — including Jesus and the Devil — are sons and daughters of God. But while they are both his “spirit children” only Jesus was “begotten in the flesh” and the Church of Latter Day Saints does not put the Devil on the same plane with Jesus Christ whom they worship as “the Savior of Mankind.” (provided by Michael Purdy, a spokesman for the Church of Latter Day Saints):
“Like other Christians, we believe Jesus is the divine Son of God. Satan is a fallen angel. .. the Apostle Paul wrote, God is the Father of all. That means that all beings were created by God and are His spirit children. Christ, however, was the only begotten in the flesh and we worship Him as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.” (emphasis added)
It’s not hard to see how the Huck became confused: “His spirit children.” Now, pardon my grammar, but “ain’t that something”, Jesus and Satan both “spirit children.” Even most Christian's who don’t claim to hold “the fullness of actual Christian theology” know that Jesus isn’t a child of God in the same way that you and I are.
Yes humans are made in the image of God. Because of our sin, we are quite far from being full and true images of God, but we’ve got the potential to come into full glory through the image of Jesus Christ. (Read Romans 8:29-30; Col. 3:10) Unlike us, Jesus isn’t a mere reflection, a mere image of God. He is the real deal; fully God, fully man. (Read Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 11:1-3)
It comes down to the Mormon system of beliefs, which is not Christian. The Mormon view of Jesus Christ is completely against what the Scriptures teach.
1. Mormonism denies the biblical doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
They teach that Adam-God had sexual intercourse with Mary, and as a result Jesus was conceived. Orson Pratt alleged that “the virgin Mary must have been for the time being, the lawful wife of God the Father . . .” (The Seer, 158-59).
2. Incredibly, Mormonism do actually teach that Jesus and the devil were once brothers. In a speech, delivered in the Mormon Tabernacle at Salt Lake, “Elder” Andrew Jenson declared:
“Thus we see that Lucifer, the son of the morning, is our elder brother and the brother of Jesus Christ, but he rebelled against God and was cast down from heaven with his angels” (The Desert News, January 21, 1928).
Nothing remotely akin to this is found in the Bible.
3. Mormonism also contends that Jesus Christ was a polygamist. Brigham Young asserted:
“Jesus Christ was a polygamist; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, were his plural wives, and Mary Magdalene was another” (quoted by Ann Eliza Young, Wife No. 19, Chapter XXXV).
This is the stuff of fantasy, not Scripture. One scholar, Jan Shipps (professor emeritus of history and religious studies at Indiana University), a specialist in Mormon doctrine, commented about the Mormon’s “change the name” ploy in recent years, which “reflects an attempt to divorce themselves from the “cult” status – hoping to convince contemporary society that the system truly is “Christian.”
So with all due respect, Mormonism is not “Christian” – Mormonism by any other name is still at variance with the teaching of the Bible.
Now, I do agree as one writer put it, “We aren’t choosing a pastor-in-chief; we’re choosing a secular chief.” Now, of course, I’d prefer a believing “Christian.”
And so yes, to me right now, Mike Huckabee is in many ways a very attractive candidate, although he does seem soft on the tax-and-spend front. But, regardless of any lack of conservative purity, real or perceived, he is a man of deep faith.
On the other hand, Mitt Romney has of course given “The Speech”, in which he mentioned “Mormon” but once. Mostly, he talked of “my religion.” This was the Jack Kennedy speech, the one that was meant to assure voters that the candidate’s Mormon beliefs have no bearing on how Romney might govern as president.
Right. Of course they won’t. In Kennedy’s case, he could make such a distinction in good conscience, for the simple reason that he was hardly a poster boy for following Roman Catholic dogma.
Mitt Romney, on the other hand, appears to be a solid “Saint”, a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints in good stead. In fact, he sort of is a poster boy for the Mormon church: a fine, upstanding and prosperous member of his community. Yes, I know, he's not running to be Pope or head of the LDS. He's a politician, and he said the right thing:
“Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.”
Romney more than realizes that Mormonism is still looked upon by a sizable portion of the electorate as a strange, polygamous cult whose members mostly live in the Mountain West. Again, but stated differently, Mormons of today may claim to be “mainstream,” but they’ve a dodgy history, and not much history at that. They’re a young cult.
So I guess the bottom line is, I’m a so-called “conservative Christian”, but also an American. I would vote for Mitt Romney if he were the nominee and were he running against Hillary or Obama or Edwards or Richardson or any combination thereof. But Romney’s beliefs give me great pause, and his claim, which echoes that of the LDS hierarchy, that they are an “authentic” brand of Christianity, rings hollow.
Again, to get some further sense of what Mormons believe, check out this statement put out by the Mormons in the Washington Post. (12/05/07)
…unlike traditional Christians, Mormons also revere the Book of Mormon equally with the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. They believe that Jesus visited the Americas after he was crucified and that he will return and reign from the United States and Jerusalem. They believe that the dead can be baptized, that God was once a man and that a human can become like a god. And, they say, God speaks through living apostles and prophets, such as Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Mormon Church.
So Mormons are hardly “Christian” in any sense of the word simply because they believe bizarre things, even though they try very hard to label them as being Christian. And that is the heart of my distrust of Mormons. One conservative commentator has said: “believe what you wish, just don’t hijack my faith while you’re at it.”
As I’ve said, I’ll vote for Romney if he wins the nominee, given the awfulness of the entire Democratic field. But I’ll probably hold my nose and hope for the best.
What do you think?? Am I being too hard and harsh on poor Mitt?
Humbly,
Robert Prater
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Ice-Storm Cometh
Wow, did we ever get hit with a major ice storm this weekend and Monday. Our power finally came on Monday evening. At the time we were over at another young couple’s house from church and were planning to spend the night with them. Thankfully, we didn’t have to and we got to sleep in our own bed. But, I sure do appreciate my church family.
Anyway, our usually busy town of Shawnee has been shut down. School has been cancelled for Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday. Sunday evening worship services were cancelled. I was really looking forward to preaching my Sunday evening sermon. You might be thinking, “Well, Robert, you’re going to be a step ahead for next week's sermon.” Well, the truth of the matter is that I was planning on this Sunday for AM to look at the virgin birth and then at PM to look at the genealogy of Christ. So, I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. The sermon I had prepared that night really was intended to be a nice “compliment” with the AM sermon I preached on saving faith. That night we were going to look at the subject of faith from a more practical, “how to use it” standpoint. So, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I will tell you this, I’ve learned that if you are going to write a bad sermon, try to do it in the winter where the chances of ice storms canceling services are much greater!! (That’s a joke of course and really meant to be appreciated by preachers)
Anyway, Sunday afternoon we just “rested”, had a family devo, and I watched NFL football and got to see my Dallas Cowboys come from behind and win thanks to the great play of quarterback Tony Romo. (Man that guy is awesome!)
For those who were able to attend worship services somewhere on Sunday…..... I hope you heard a great sermon and were uplifted, encouraged and challenged.
Now, back to the weather………. are there any spiritual lessons to be learned from this ice-storm? As we have looked around at the damage from the storm, there are more than a couple of inches of ice on tree limbs and hanging from the edge of houses and buildings. Just remind yourself that this is just water. Liquid that we use everyday and now there are branches on huge trees that are breaking in half and falling to the ground. Beautiful bushes when touched fall to pieces. And guess what happens if you walk under one of those icicles as it falls from the roof? That's right, you get the point.
This liquid is dangerous because it has frozen. People can be dangerous spiritually speaking when they are frozen. That is why the Bible frequently warns us not to be cold, lukewarm and apathetic in our devotion to God. To the contrary, we are commanded to be zealous (“white hot”) and have a burning, passionate relationship with God. (Romans 12:11) “Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire” is Paul’s admonition to the church at Thessalonica. (1 Thess. 5:19) Spiritual fervor and fire can be extinguished by simply apathy.
If we ever find ourselves spiritually frozen we need the passionate fire of God and His Word to thaw us out and make us alive again. The Prophet Jeremiah had a spiritual awakening – renewal and rejuvenation in his soul. He said God’s Word was “in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9b) That’s what happens when the Word gets in us.
We need to get closer to the Son and allow the warmth of His Spirit to begin to make alive and mobile again. (Read Romans 8:1-11 and Gal. 5:16-26) We have been created for a very specific purpose and though spiritual “ice storms” come and try to force us to stay in one place and stop growing, God can bring a comforting thaw to our lives. Let the warmth of Christ enable you to feel again and fulfill your purpose. (Eph. 3:17)
Stay safe and warm,
In Christ,
Robert Prater
Anyway, our usually busy town of Shawnee has been shut down. School has been cancelled for Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday. Sunday evening worship services were cancelled. I was really looking forward to preaching my Sunday evening sermon. You might be thinking, “Well, Robert, you’re going to be a step ahead for next week's sermon.” Well, the truth of the matter is that I was planning on this Sunday for AM to look at the virgin birth and then at PM to look at the genealogy of Christ. So, I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. The sermon I had prepared that night really was intended to be a nice “compliment” with the AM sermon I preached on saving faith. That night we were going to look at the subject of faith from a more practical, “how to use it” standpoint. So, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I will tell you this, I’ve learned that if you are going to write a bad sermon, try to do it in the winter where the chances of ice storms canceling services are much greater!! (That’s a joke of course and really meant to be appreciated by preachers)
Anyway, Sunday afternoon we just “rested”, had a family devo, and I watched NFL football and got to see my Dallas Cowboys come from behind and win thanks to the great play of quarterback Tony Romo. (Man that guy is awesome!)
For those who were able to attend worship services somewhere on Sunday…..... I hope you heard a great sermon and were uplifted, encouraged and challenged.
Now, back to the weather………. are there any spiritual lessons to be learned from this ice-storm? As we have looked around at the damage from the storm, there are more than a couple of inches of ice on tree limbs and hanging from the edge of houses and buildings. Just remind yourself that this is just water. Liquid that we use everyday and now there are branches on huge trees that are breaking in half and falling to the ground. Beautiful bushes when touched fall to pieces. And guess what happens if you walk under one of those icicles as it falls from the roof? That's right, you get the point.
This liquid is dangerous because it has frozen. People can be dangerous spiritually speaking when they are frozen. That is why the Bible frequently warns us not to be cold, lukewarm and apathetic in our devotion to God. To the contrary, we are commanded to be zealous (“white hot”) and have a burning, passionate relationship with God. (Romans 12:11) “Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire” is Paul’s admonition to the church at Thessalonica. (1 Thess. 5:19) Spiritual fervor and fire can be extinguished by simply apathy.
If we ever find ourselves spiritually frozen we need the passionate fire of God and His Word to thaw us out and make us alive again. The Prophet Jeremiah had a spiritual awakening – renewal and rejuvenation in his soul. He said God’s Word was “in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9b) That’s what happens when the Word gets in us.
We need to get closer to the Son and allow the warmth of His Spirit to begin to make alive and mobile again. (Read Romans 8:1-11 and Gal. 5:16-26) We have been created for a very specific purpose and though spiritual “ice storms” come and try to force us to stay in one place and stop growing, God can bring a comforting thaw to our lives. Let the warmth of Christ enable you to feel again and fulfill your purpose. (Eph. 3:17)
Stay safe and warm,
In Christ,
Robert Prater
Monday, December 3, 2007
"Abundance"
Abundance is a resonant concept for most of us in this country. We have so much material wealth these days that the rental of self-storage facilities is now a $17 billion industry. Imagine that — $17 billion just to provide people a place to put all their belongings that they don’t have room for at home!
As Christians, we sometimes tend to believe that the prosperity in the society around us hinders our ability to find people willing to hear the gospel. People, we reason, are so focused today on the material that they have neither time for nor interest in the spiritual. And there’s a great deal of truth to this — witness Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-24; Mark 10:17-25; Luke 18:18-25), or Paul’s caution to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:6-10).
There is, however, another facet to this prosperity problem. In the February 2006 issue of Wired magazine, contributing editor Daniel H. Pink makes this observation:
“Liberated by this prosperity but not fulfilled by it, more people are searching for meaning. From the mainstream embrace of such once-exotic practices as yoga and meditation to the rise of spirituality in the workplace to the influence of evangelism in pop culture and politics, the quest for meaning and purpose has become an integral part of everyday life. And that will only intensify as the first children of abundance, the baby boomers, realize that they have more of their lives behind them than ahead. In both business and personal life, now that our left-brain needs have largely been sated, our right-brain yearnings will demand to be fed.”
As people begin to realize that material abundance does not truly satisfy, they sometimes begin searching for spiritual satisfaction. A careful study of the book of Ecclesiastes demonstrates how this happened in the life of Solomon. The rich young ruler’s approach to Jesus, as well as those of such well-to-do men as Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, illustrate this also.
Unfortunately, too often people’s search for the spiritual leads them down dangerous paths. False spirituality and bogus religion are everywhere in modern society, offering false hope and cold comfort to those who are motivated by self-satisfaction rather than a love for the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). The enticements of the world in this regard make for serious competition for people’s hearts and minds.
The encouraging thing to realize, however, is that even as the material abundance of our modern age creates challenges and obstacles, it also creates opportunity. There will always be those who will, given the chance, hear the word of God with understanding, accept it, and bear fruit, because they possess noble and good hearts (Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20; Luke 8:15). They may indeed be few (Matthew 7:14; Luke 13:23), but they are out there, and it is our mission as carriers of the gospel to seek them out and present the good news of Christ to them.
The abundance of our time can produce an abundant harvest for the Lord, if the laborers uphold their responsibility (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2; John 4:35) and stay busy planting the good seed and watering with encouragement those who receive it (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). With whom have you shared your hope of heaven lately?
Humbly,
Robert Prater
As Christians, we sometimes tend to believe that the prosperity in the society around us hinders our ability to find people willing to hear the gospel. People, we reason, are so focused today on the material that they have neither time for nor interest in the spiritual. And there’s a great deal of truth to this — witness Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-24; Mark 10:17-25; Luke 18:18-25), or Paul’s caution to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:6-10).
There is, however, another facet to this prosperity problem. In the February 2006 issue of Wired magazine, contributing editor Daniel H. Pink makes this observation:
“Liberated by this prosperity but not fulfilled by it, more people are searching for meaning. From the mainstream embrace of such once-exotic practices as yoga and meditation to the rise of spirituality in the workplace to the influence of evangelism in pop culture and politics, the quest for meaning and purpose has become an integral part of everyday life. And that will only intensify as the first children of abundance, the baby boomers, realize that they have more of their lives behind them than ahead. In both business and personal life, now that our left-brain needs have largely been sated, our right-brain yearnings will demand to be fed.”
As people begin to realize that material abundance does not truly satisfy, they sometimes begin searching for spiritual satisfaction. A careful study of the book of Ecclesiastes demonstrates how this happened in the life of Solomon. The rich young ruler’s approach to Jesus, as well as those of such well-to-do men as Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, illustrate this also.
Unfortunately, too often people’s search for the spiritual leads them down dangerous paths. False spirituality and bogus religion are everywhere in modern society, offering false hope and cold comfort to those who are motivated by self-satisfaction rather than a love for the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). The enticements of the world in this regard make for serious competition for people’s hearts and minds.
The encouraging thing to realize, however, is that even as the material abundance of our modern age creates challenges and obstacles, it also creates opportunity. There will always be those who will, given the chance, hear the word of God with understanding, accept it, and bear fruit, because they possess noble and good hearts (Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20; Luke 8:15). They may indeed be few (Matthew 7:14; Luke 13:23), but they are out there, and it is our mission as carriers of the gospel to seek them out and present the good news of Christ to them.
The abundance of our time can produce an abundant harvest for the Lord, if the laborers uphold their responsibility (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2; John 4:35) and stay busy planting the good seed and watering with encouragement those who receive it (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). With whom have you shared your hope of heaven lately?
Humbly,
Robert Prater
Monday, November 26, 2007
A Real “Inconvenient Truth"
In recent months, global warming has become a “hot” topic among scientists, economists, politicians, media sources, and a segment of the general population. Some sternly warn that if we do not drastically reduce emissions from automobiles, factories, etc., all kinds of catastrophic events may occur, such as the melting of our polar ice caps and a sharp increase in the spread of disease. On the flip side, there are those who downplay these alarmists, stating that man-made emissions account for a very, very small percentage of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, a recent poll by the members in the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Society found that only a small minority believe that the slight warming of the 20th century is related to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. 1
Of course on the heels of all this, came last year’s Oscar award winning documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth”, in which Mr. Al Gore (the inventor the Internet--lol!), has scared the public and apparently many scientists into believing that the polar icecaps are melting at such rapid rate that it may be irreversible. Only twenty-five years ago we were told that the earth was cooling and rapidly heading toward another ice age.
Now many denominational churches are jumping on the band wagon, showing their congregations Mr. Gore’s film and establishing committees to examine how they may encourage better stewardship of our doomed planet. Please don’t get me wrong, I believe that God does require proper stewardship of all that He has placed into our care. There is no doubt that as stewards of the earth, we must encourage our leaders to speed up alternative fuels for our vehicles, ways for companies to truly cut their pollution, as well as protect wild and plant life from extinction. So yes, we should use our planet responsibly, and if we can find more environmentally friendly ways to do what we do, then good. But a 0.6C increase in temperature on a worldwide scale over the past 100 years should hardly be sounding dire alarm bells.
Yes, almost all scientists agree that the earth is in a warming up pattern, but in ten or twenty years it may reverse itself. But no matter what it does, as Christians, we must concern ourselves with promoting “The Inconvenient Truth” that the earth will one day be burned up, and all souls will give answer to God as to the things they said, thought and did (2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 4:12).
And so we as Christians must remain focused and not allow our mission to get sidetracked. We are in the soul saving business, not the earth saving one! We must keep our eyes focused upon the true global warming catastrophe. Yes, believe it or not, the Word of God foretold that just such an event would come to pass. Let’s read what Peter says about it:
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” (2 Peter 3:10-12 NIV) Sounds to me like an icecap melting event that everyone should be preparing for.
Our mission is spiritual, not social. Billions are going to die as the earth as we know it will pass away with fervent heat. Mr. Gore is saying that global climate change is the greatest catastrophe ever caused by man. Has he never read that by man came death, and in Adam all die (1 Cor. 15:21-22). Sin is the greatest catastrophe caused by man. For it is because of sin that all men face suffering, evil, pain, illness, tragedy, death, etc. Sadly, the world does not want to hear the real “Inconvenient Truth” (God’s Word), that sin exists, will be punished if not repented of, and that the universe is only a temporary training ground for eternity.
Great concern has accompanied this 0.6C increase over the past 100 years. Should we not give much greater consideration to a day on which all that exists shall be dissolved by fire? Now that’s “global warming”! Some might doubt that such a day will come. Those who dwelt before the flood also doubted, and perished when the world was destroyed by water (2 Peter 3:3-6). As there were no warnings prior to the flood, neither shall there be a warning before the earth, it’s works and the elements are consumed by fire from the Lord (Matthew 24:38-39; 2 Peter 3:7-9). May we be prepared for the coming day of God.
Humbly,
Robert Prater
Endnotes:
1 http://www.globalwarming.org/
Of course on the heels of all this, came last year’s Oscar award winning documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth”, in which Mr. Al Gore (the inventor the Internet--lol!), has scared the public and apparently many scientists into believing that the polar icecaps are melting at such rapid rate that it may be irreversible. Only twenty-five years ago we were told that the earth was cooling and rapidly heading toward another ice age.
Now many denominational churches are jumping on the band wagon, showing their congregations Mr. Gore’s film and establishing committees to examine how they may encourage better stewardship of our doomed planet. Please don’t get me wrong, I believe that God does require proper stewardship of all that He has placed into our care. There is no doubt that as stewards of the earth, we must encourage our leaders to speed up alternative fuels for our vehicles, ways for companies to truly cut their pollution, as well as protect wild and plant life from extinction. So yes, we should use our planet responsibly, and if we can find more environmentally friendly ways to do what we do, then good. But a 0.6C increase in temperature on a worldwide scale over the past 100 years should hardly be sounding dire alarm bells.
Yes, almost all scientists agree that the earth is in a warming up pattern, but in ten or twenty years it may reverse itself. But no matter what it does, as Christians, we must concern ourselves with promoting “The Inconvenient Truth” that the earth will one day be burned up, and all souls will give answer to God as to the things they said, thought and did (2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 4:12).
And so we as Christians must remain focused and not allow our mission to get sidetracked. We are in the soul saving business, not the earth saving one! We must keep our eyes focused upon the true global warming catastrophe. Yes, believe it or not, the Word of God foretold that just such an event would come to pass. Let’s read what Peter says about it:
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” (2 Peter 3:10-12 NIV) Sounds to me like an icecap melting event that everyone should be preparing for.
Our mission is spiritual, not social. Billions are going to die as the earth as we know it will pass away with fervent heat. Mr. Gore is saying that global climate change is the greatest catastrophe ever caused by man. Has he never read that by man came death, and in Adam all die (1 Cor. 15:21-22). Sin is the greatest catastrophe caused by man. For it is because of sin that all men face suffering, evil, pain, illness, tragedy, death, etc. Sadly, the world does not want to hear the real “Inconvenient Truth” (God’s Word), that sin exists, will be punished if not repented of, and that the universe is only a temporary training ground for eternity.
Great concern has accompanied this 0.6C increase over the past 100 years. Should we not give much greater consideration to a day on which all that exists shall be dissolved by fire? Now that’s “global warming”! Some might doubt that such a day will come. Those who dwelt before the flood also doubted, and perished when the world was destroyed by water (2 Peter 3:3-6). As there were no warnings prior to the flood, neither shall there be a warning before the earth, it’s works and the elements are consumed by fire from the Lord (Matthew 24:38-39; 2 Peter 3:7-9). May we be prepared for the coming day of God.
Humbly,
Robert Prater
Endnotes:
1 http://www.globalwarming.org/
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Giving Thanks
As we prepare to fill our faces with turkey and all the trimmings, our eyes with parades and football games, and our most comfortable chairs with our seated carcasses this coming Thursday, here’s a list — far from exhaustive, mind you — of things for which I will express my gratitude this Thanksgiving Day.
I’m thankful for (in no particular order):
Christian brethren in faraway places — whose simple faith and enthusiasm reminds us how blessed we Americans are, and how much we take for granted.
The avenue of prayer, and knowing that my God is never too big or too busy to listen when I call upon Him.
My wife’s continued faithful love and support to me after ten years of marriage.
My children’s laughter when they play or when we share a funny story together.
For the wonderful three families I enjoy. The physical family I was born into, the spiritual family I received at my "second born" and the family of my wife.
God’s grace — He gives me so much that I don’t deserve. Which includes pretty much everything He gives me.
God’s mercy — He doesn’t open the earth and swallow me when I disappoint Him, even at times when, if I were Him, I probably would.
The small little things like: a charcoal grill on a warm summer afternoon. A DSL connection. Comfortable shoes. Cheese. (Need I say more?) Self-adhesive postage stamps. A car that starts in the morning.
Health insurance. Life without it would be both scarier and more expensive.
The life of the apostle Paul. I’ve recently been engaged in a powerful and enlightening study on Wednesday evenings from the incredible life of this great man of God. .
The example of humble people of faith: Tabitha; the servants of Naaman; Barnabas; Mary of Bethany; Gideon; the one grateful leper of the ten who were healed; the widow who put her whole living into the temple treasury. I pray that I can become more like them.
The example of a humble, loving Lord: I pray to become more like Him, too.
Good preaching done by someone else.
The encouragement of knowing that, like Peter, and David, and John Mark, I can fall short of the goal and still be both forgiven and useful, if I repent and mend my ways.
The hope of heaven.
Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Nothing on earth lifts the spirits more quickly than singing a few songs of faith and joy.
Elders who care about the Lord’s people and the Lord’s work, and have the courage, compassion, and foresight to be moved the first to accomplish the second.
The other night the first Spider-Man movie was on TV. Do you remember the scene where Peter Parker was told “With great power comes great responsibility.” Jesus said it long before Spider-Man did: “For everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
Truly Thanksgiving reminds me that I have been given much in this life. I thank God every day for all that He has, by His grace, permitted me to enjoy. But because I have been given much, much is required of me. I dare not ever forget that.
This Thanksgiving, I should be grateful not only for all I am and have, but for the opportunities to serve God that those blessings represent. If I am truly thankful for opportunities to serve, I will use them wisely. You should too.
Which reminds me: I’m thankful for you. You’ll be in my prayers, this Thanksgiving Day.
Because of Him,
Robert
I’m thankful for (in no particular order):
Christian brethren in faraway places — whose simple faith and enthusiasm reminds us how blessed we Americans are, and how much we take for granted.
The avenue of prayer, and knowing that my God is never too big or too busy to listen when I call upon Him.
My wife’s continued faithful love and support to me after ten years of marriage.
My children’s laughter when they play or when we share a funny story together.
For the wonderful three families I enjoy. The physical family I was born into, the spiritual family I received at my "second born" and the family of my wife.
God’s grace — He gives me so much that I don’t deserve. Which includes pretty much everything He gives me.
God’s mercy — He doesn’t open the earth and swallow me when I disappoint Him, even at times when, if I were Him, I probably would.
The small little things like: a charcoal grill on a warm summer afternoon. A DSL connection. Comfortable shoes. Cheese. (Need I say more?) Self-adhesive postage stamps. A car that starts in the morning.
Health insurance. Life without it would be both scarier and more expensive.
The life of the apostle Paul. I’ve recently been engaged in a powerful and enlightening study on Wednesday evenings from the incredible life of this great man of God. .
The example of humble people of faith: Tabitha; the servants of Naaman; Barnabas; Mary of Bethany; Gideon; the one grateful leper of the ten who were healed; the widow who put her whole living into the temple treasury. I pray that I can become more like them.
The example of a humble, loving Lord: I pray to become more like Him, too.
Good preaching done by someone else.
The encouragement of knowing that, like Peter, and David, and John Mark, I can fall short of the goal and still be both forgiven and useful, if I repent and mend my ways.
The hope of heaven.
Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Nothing on earth lifts the spirits more quickly than singing a few songs of faith and joy.
Elders who care about the Lord’s people and the Lord’s work, and have the courage, compassion, and foresight to be moved the first to accomplish the second.
The other night the first Spider-Man movie was on TV. Do you remember the scene where Peter Parker was told “With great power comes great responsibility.” Jesus said it long before Spider-Man did: “For everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
Truly Thanksgiving reminds me that I have been given much in this life. I thank God every day for all that He has, by His grace, permitted me to enjoy. But because I have been given much, much is required of me. I dare not ever forget that.
This Thanksgiving, I should be grateful not only for all I am and have, but for the opportunities to serve God that those blessings represent. If I am truly thankful for opportunities to serve, I will use them wisely. You should too.
Which reminds me: I’m thankful for you. You’ll be in my prayers, this Thanksgiving Day.
Because of Him,
Robert
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Day for Preachers at OC
Yesterday I was blessed to be on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University for their “A Day for Preachers” with Dr. Neil Lightfoot, long time professor, author and preacher from Abilene, Texas. The theme for his lessons was “Teaching and Preaching the Word.” As expected and as usual, he had some very powerful and helpful presentations. I thought I might share with you some of “good stuff” that I enjoyed and some things that challenged me.
He presented a morning lesson on “Life in the Church” using Matthew 18. He first talked about how Matthew is the “teaching gospel” and contains five main teaching sections and how each section ends with the statement or phrase “and so when Jesus had ended or finished these sayings.”
1) Matthew 5-7:28
2) Matthew 10-11:1
3) Matthew 13:1-53
4) Matthew 18:1-19:1
5) Matthew 24-26:1 (notice here however the statement “when Jesus had
finished all these sayings” – end of his public ministry)
Now, Dr. Lightfoot outlined and taught specifically out of Matthew 18 and emphasized the following seven points about “Life in the Church”
1. The Absolute Necessity of Humility – 18:1-4
2. The Importance of receiving one another – 18:5
3. The Importance of not causing any brother or sister to sin – 18:7
4. The Importance of not causing yourself to sin – 18:8-9
5. The Importance of every believer – 18:10-14 (two parables to illustrate
this are giving by Jesus)
6. The Importance of our relationship with one another – 18:15-20 -- he highly recommended a book by Tommy South entitled, “A Fresh
Approach to Church Discipline”
7. The Importance of forgiveness – 18:21-35 – forgiviness just logically flows out of all the previous sections and especially on a sinful Christian who does repent.
He also had a very powerful lesson on Matthew 25:31-46 on “When the King Comes” He talked about how in Matthew 24-25 you have five parables about preparation and being ready for the judgment but how Matthew 25:31-46 does not begin with comparison terminology (i.e. regular parable terminology) “like or as” but rather “When the Son of Man comes…….” (25:31) He called this a Parabolic Prophecy. He pointed out how this is the only time Jesus refers to himself as “king." He pointed out how those on the right don’t remember serving or helping others, it’s just who they are and what they do in their life. However, those on the left never seemed to notice anybody but themselves!! He also pointed out how the last verse 46 really could end with just the word “eternal” giving the emphasis of what Jesus is saying and ironically the last words of His public ministry, just stops right there, no explanation, qualifying, etc. Just “ETERNAL” is what we’re left with to ponder.
He also how a very good lesson in the afternoon on “Opening Our Hearts to God” out of the Book of Acts and chapter 16:11-15 and the conversion of Lydia. He first talked about how one way you can outline the Book of Acts is by six summaries Luke gives dealing with the extension and spreading of the gospel.
1) Acts 6:7 – the extension of the gospel in Jerusalem.
2) Acts 9:31 – the extension of the gospel in Judea, Galilee and Samaria.
3) Acts 12:24 – further extension of the gospel
4) Acts 16:5 – the extension of the gospel in Europe
5) Acts 19:20 – further extension of the gospel
6) Acts 28:31 – extension of the gospel as far as Rome
He also made a wonderful point in Acts 16 concerning Lydia and how the gospel went into Europe as a result of God responding to the prayers of women (see Acts 16:13). He also talked about the statement “The Lord opened her heart” and how really the order is the exact opposite of what many religious teachers preach. That first, God has to open your hearts to receive the word, but here, rather Lydia in Acts 16:14 “one of those listening” is in the Imperfect Tense which means she was “continuing to listen, continuing to listen, etc. and then, as a result of her continuing to listen to God’s Word, the Lord opened her heart. That’s the order. Listen to God’s Word, God opens our hearts to respond!
Finally, I must mention that he had a very challenging and thought provoking presentation at the luncheon where he talked about “With Those Whom We Disagree.” He used the passage of Ephesians 4:1-6 and first talked about the context of this passage dealing with the tension/relationship between Jew and Gentile and yet how God had brought them both into the one body of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-22) And that really is why the Book of Ephesians deals with the “church” or body of Christ so much because it’s in the context of the incredible tension and differences between the Jew and Gentile in the first century church. He talked about how we have some differences today in our churches, but nothing like they did in the first century when you talk about the culture and history and background and differences and distinctions made between the Jew and the Gentile (clean and unclean, circumcision, keeping the law, etc.) He also pointed out how to a Jew the first and last thing mentioned emphasizes a matter or subject. That is why the body is first mentioned in those seven “ones” and God is mentioned last. There is one body (not two, body for Jews, body for Gentiles), one Spirit, one hope, etc. and finally one God (not one God for Jew, one God for Gentile but all worship and serving the same one God).
He talked about the implications of all this as it relates to the church today. What do we do when we are faced with major differences and opinions and beliefs in the body of Christ? He pointed out a passage where Paul was willing to compromise for the sake of the body and His work both with Jews and Gentiles in Acts 21:15-25. And of course Paul’s statement that “he became all things to all people” for the sake of the gospel. (1 Cor. 9:19-23) He pointed out that we should always be willing to compromise in those matters that aren’t essential. (Not talking about compromising Biblical truth or the authority of the Scriptures) He said the implications of this is that we will have some congregations that are just going to be “different” and some out of consciene and convictions we may not be able to worship in due to conscience (i.e., praise teams, clapping, and yes even instrumental music), but we still most consider them our brethren in Christ and have humility and patience and a loving attitude towards those with whom we disagree with on some of their practices and interpretations of Scripture. They did it in the first century and so must we! Very powerful food for thought to consider.
However, I don’t know if I agreed with him on all the examples and implications that he may or may not have been implying. Some questions I had during this lesson was, what about the passages then dealing with false teachers who threaten to destroy the local congregation and the body of Christ as a whole? What about noting false teachers or withdrawing from those who would introduce division into the body of Christ? What about the issue of “withdrawing” fellowship with those or how that might effect our relationship and fellowship with such a sister congregation who are promoting false doctrine and practices. (i.e., baptism, Lord's Supper, instrumental music, etc.)
He also challenged us to not be so isolated as preachers in our interactions among other “Christian” groups. That we don’t ever have to violate the teachings of Christ or our conscience but we can still be open to teaching opportunities with our religious neighbors in some situations and settings. Again, I don’t completely agree with all the examples and implications that he mentioned. I do think there is an application of 1 Corinthians 10:19-22 that might apply to the issue of our fellowship/association with religious denominations and preachers. Paul contended that in some way, eating at idol temples establishes communion with demons. And Paul said, “I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.” And remember what Paul wrote Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5, that false doctrines would arise, “doctrines of demons” (source was Satan).
I just personally believe that we must be very, very careful when we interact with non-Christian religious groups. I think we need to be careful to enter into any communion or contact that would suggest that they share in God’s spiritual family. This is my concern with many of our “big name” preachers who are appearing on speaking programs with denominational preachers and churches who have “fellowship” get togethers with denominations. They seem to be pushing the envelope of not wanting to “teach them the way of the Lord more perfectly” but to simply accept and welcome them as brothers and sisters in Christ in the kingdom. And I can’t endorse or offer my support to those who do such.
However, when a devote Christian and student of God's Word like brother Lightfoot speaks on such a topic, I'm going to listen very closely and humbly to what he's saying. I took his points in the spirit and context in which he offered them and greatly appreciate his warning for us always practice humility, patience, longsuffering and have kind and loving attitudes towards those whom we disagree. I need to do a better job on that in my life. Paul said, “”in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:25-26)
But, like I said, overall it was a wonderful day of instruction, fellowship and encouragement to me as a preacher. Dr. Lightfoot has been a tremendous blessing to the kingdom of God and I continue to enjoy his teachings and writing works. I appreciate Oklahoma Christian for the good influence and support they offer the body of Christ and especially ministers.
Humbly,
Robert
He presented a morning lesson on “Life in the Church” using Matthew 18. He first talked about how Matthew is the “teaching gospel” and contains five main teaching sections and how each section ends with the statement or phrase “and so when Jesus had ended or finished these sayings.”
1) Matthew 5-7:28
2) Matthew 10-11:1
3) Matthew 13:1-53
4) Matthew 18:1-19:1
5) Matthew 24-26:1 (notice here however the statement “when Jesus had
finished all these sayings” – end of his public ministry)
Now, Dr. Lightfoot outlined and taught specifically out of Matthew 18 and emphasized the following seven points about “Life in the Church”
1. The Absolute Necessity of Humility – 18:1-4
2. The Importance of receiving one another – 18:5
3. The Importance of not causing any brother or sister to sin – 18:7
4. The Importance of not causing yourself to sin – 18:8-9
5. The Importance of every believer – 18:10-14 (two parables to illustrate
this are giving by Jesus)
6. The Importance of our relationship with one another – 18:15-20 -- he highly recommended a book by Tommy South entitled, “A Fresh
Approach to Church Discipline”
7. The Importance of forgiveness – 18:21-35 – forgiviness just logically flows out of all the previous sections and especially on a sinful Christian who does repent.
He also had a very powerful lesson on Matthew 25:31-46 on “When the King Comes” He talked about how in Matthew 24-25 you have five parables about preparation and being ready for the judgment but how Matthew 25:31-46 does not begin with comparison terminology (i.e. regular parable terminology) “like or as” but rather “When the Son of Man comes…….” (25:31) He called this a Parabolic Prophecy. He pointed out how this is the only time Jesus refers to himself as “king." He pointed out how those on the right don’t remember serving or helping others, it’s just who they are and what they do in their life. However, those on the left never seemed to notice anybody but themselves!! He also pointed out how the last verse 46 really could end with just the word “eternal” giving the emphasis of what Jesus is saying and ironically the last words of His public ministry, just stops right there, no explanation, qualifying, etc. Just “ETERNAL” is what we’re left with to ponder.
He also how a very good lesson in the afternoon on “Opening Our Hearts to God” out of the Book of Acts and chapter 16:11-15 and the conversion of Lydia. He first talked about how one way you can outline the Book of Acts is by six summaries Luke gives dealing with the extension and spreading of the gospel.
1) Acts 6:7 – the extension of the gospel in Jerusalem.
2) Acts 9:31 – the extension of the gospel in Judea, Galilee and Samaria.
3) Acts 12:24 – further extension of the gospel
4) Acts 16:5 – the extension of the gospel in Europe
5) Acts 19:20 – further extension of the gospel
6) Acts 28:31 – extension of the gospel as far as Rome
He also made a wonderful point in Acts 16 concerning Lydia and how the gospel went into Europe as a result of God responding to the prayers of women (see Acts 16:13). He also talked about the statement “The Lord opened her heart” and how really the order is the exact opposite of what many religious teachers preach. That first, God has to open your hearts to receive the word, but here, rather Lydia in Acts 16:14 “one of those listening” is in the Imperfect Tense which means she was “continuing to listen, continuing to listen, etc. and then, as a result of her continuing to listen to God’s Word, the Lord opened her heart. That’s the order. Listen to God’s Word, God opens our hearts to respond!
Finally, I must mention that he had a very challenging and thought provoking presentation at the luncheon where he talked about “With Those Whom We Disagree.” He used the passage of Ephesians 4:1-6 and first talked about the context of this passage dealing with the tension/relationship between Jew and Gentile and yet how God had brought them both into the one body of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-22) And that really is why the Book of Ephesians deals with the “church” or body of Christ so much because it’s in the context of the incredible tension and differences between the Jew and Gentile in the first century church. He talked about how we have some differences today in our churches, but nothing like they did in the first century when you talk about the culture and history and background and differences and distinctions made between the Jew and the Gentile (clean and unclean, circumcision, keeping the law, etc.) He also pointed out how to a Jew the first and last thing mentioned emphasizes a matter or subject. That is why the body is first mentioned in those seven “ones” and God is mentioned last. There is one body (not two, body for Jews, body for Gentiles), one Spirit, one hope, etc. and finally one God (not one God for Jew, one God for Gentile but all worship and serving the same one God).
He talked about the implications of all this as it relates to the church today. What do we do when we are faced with major differences and opinions and beliefs in the body of Christ? He pointed out a passage where Paul was willing to compromise for the sake of the body and His work both with Jews and Gentiles in Acts 21:15-25. And of course Paul’s statement that “he became all things to all people” for the sake of the gospel. (1 Cor. 9:19-23) He pointed out that we should always be willing to compromise in those matters that aren’t essential. (Not talking about compromising Biblical truth or the authority of the Scriptures) He said the implications of this is that we will have some congregations that are just going to be “different” and some out of consciene and convictions we may not be able to worship in due to conscience (i.e., praise teams, clapping, and yes even instrumental music), but we still most consider them our brethren in Christ and have humility and patience and a loving attitude towards those with whom we disagree with on some of their practices and interpretations of Scripture. They did it in the first century and so must we! Very powerful food for thought to consider.
However, I don’t know if I agreed with him on all the examples and implications that he may or may not have been implying. Some questions I had during this lesson was, what about the passages then dealing with false teachers who threaten to destroy the local congregation and the body of Christ as a whole? What about noting false teachers or withdrawing from those who would introduce division into the body of Christ? What about the issue of “withdrawing” fellowship with those or how that might effect our relationship and fellowship with such a sister congregation who are promoting false doctrine and practices. (i.e., baptism, Lord's Supper, instrumental music, etc.)
He also challenged us to not be so isolated as preachers in our interactions among other “Christian” groups. That we don’t ever have to violate the teachings of Christ or our conscience but we can still be open to teaching opportunities with our religious neighbors in some situations and settings. Again, I don’t completely agree with all the examples and implications that he mentioned. I do think there is an application of 1 Corinthians 10:19-22 that might apply to the issue of our fellowship/association with religious denominations and preachers. Paul contended that in some way, eating at idol temples establishes communion with demons. And Paul said, “I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.” And remember what Paul wrote Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-5, that false doctrines would arise, “doctrines of demons” (source was Satan).
I just personally believe that we must be very, very careful when we interact with non-Christian religious groups. I think we need to be careful to enter into any communion or contact that would suggest that they share in God’s spiritual family. This is my concern with many of our “big name” preachers who are appearing on speaking programs with denominational preachers and churches who have “fellowship” get togethers with denominations. They seem to be pushing the envelope of not wanting to “teach them the way of the Lord more perfectly” but to simply accept and welcome them as brothers and sisters in Christ in the kingdom. And I can’t endorse or offer my support to those who do such.
However, when a devote Christian and student of God's Word like brother Lightfoot speaks on such a topic, I'm going to listen very closely and humbly to what he's saying. I took his points in the spirit and context in which he offered them and greatly appreciate his warning for us always practice humility, patience, longsuffering and have kind and loving attitudes towards those whom we disagree. I need to do a better job on that in my life. Paul said, “”in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:25-26)
But, like I said, overall it was a wonderful day of instruction, fellowship and encouragement to me as a preacher. Dr. Lightfoot has been a tremendous blessing to the kingdom of God and I continue to enjoy his teachings and writing works. I appreciate Oklahoma Christian for the good influence and support they offer the body of Christ and especially ministers.
Humbly,
Robert
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
unChristian Christians??
This past weekend I was finally able to purchase a copy of a much anticipated and talked about book. And I am almost through reading it and want to recommend it to you as a tremendous resource book. The book is by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, in association with George Barna and is titled, “unChristian” - What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters “ This groundbreaking research reveals that Christianity has an image problem and is disconnected from younger Americans 16-29.
According to this latest “report card”, Christian are failing to represent Christ to the world. Descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” are the impression of many young Americans regarding Christians. Now, although the media seems to have played some role in the image Christians have in America, most people surveyed pointed, not to the media, but to personal interactions they had experienced from people who claim Christianity.
David Kinnaman described their book as an effort to:
"make sense of the complex and challenging project - both why the problems exist as well as what Christians ought to do in response to the information. We looked for the biblical space in order to respond to the sharpest criticism. Beyond simply reporting the problems that we discovered among a skeptical generation, my partner Gabe Lyons and I want the book to help Christians find a way forward, to read positive examples and find hope that their life can provide a clearer picture of Jesus to skeptical people around them."
So far I am finding interesting the similarities between the views of these young people and the feelings that Jesus expressed toward the condition of Judaism in his day as practiced by the religious establishment. When young people were asked to identify their impressions of Christianity, one of the common themes was “Christianity is changed from what it used to be” and “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.” These comments were the most frequent unprompted images that young people called to mind, mentioned by one-quarter of both young non-Christians (23%) and “born again” Christians (22%).
The book reveals that the most common perception is that present-day Christianity is “anti-homosexual.” Overall, 91% of young non-Christians and 80% of young churchgoers say this phrase describes Christianity. As the research probed this perception, non-Christians and Christians explained that beyond their recognition that Christians oppose homosexuality, they believe that Christians show excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians. One of the most frequent criticisms of young Christians was that they believe the church has made homosexuality a “bigger sin” than anything else. They also claim that the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians. (Though it seems like the last sentence is ambiguous - “applying the biblical teaching on homosexuality” could mean a wide range of approaches, I’d guess.)
Now, to be sure, Kinnaman and Lyons do not suggest that Christians back away from Biblical truth in the way we respond to these impressions. They urge us, to see with clear eyes the culture to whom we are trying to reach. To be able to effectively communicate the gospel accordingly. (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
I hope that many Christians and even leaders in the Lord’s church don’t just respond to this study by being defensive or dismissive. We need to always be able to learn from critics, especially those young people who are expressing their frustrations about the state of faith in America. Jesus told us to expect hostility and negative reactions. That is certainly nothing new. But the issue is what we do with it. Is it a chance to defend ourselves and demand our rights? Or is it an opportunity to show people grace and truth? Common ground is becoming more difficult to find between Christians and those outside the faith. When the Apostle Paul advises Christians to 'live wisely among those who are not Christians' and to 'let your conversation be gracious and effective,' (Colossians 4:5-6, NLT) he could be writing no better advice to committed Christians in America.
So the bottom line is that I was optimistic coming in for this book and have yet to be disappointed. I’m hopeful that this book will be helpful and useful in my ministry in understanding and reaching this postmodern generation, which at 31, I am basically a part of. Friends, may the Lord help us to have a positive influence on those around us. I pray that God will help us blaze a trail for the truth of Christ, which really is indeed a truth of optimism and hope—the hope of heaven ultimately.
So, what do you think? How can we change and reverse this perception? How can we more effectively impact and reach this younger generation for Christ??
Humbly in Christ,
Robert
According to this latest “report card”, Christian are failing to represent Christ to the world. Descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” are the impression of many young Americans regarding Christians. Now, although the media seems to have played some role in the image Christians have in America, most people surveyed pointed, not to the media, but to personal interactions they had experienced from people who claim Christianity.
David Kinnaman described their book as an effort to:
"make sense of the complex and challenging project - both why the problems exist as well as what Christians ought to do in response to the information. We looked for the biblical space in order to respond to the sharpest criticism. Beyond simply reporting the problems that we discovered among a skeptical generation, my partner Gabe Lyons and I want the book to help Christians find a way forward, to read positive examples and find hope that their life can provide a clearer picture of Jesus to skeptical people around them."
So far I am finding interesting the similarities between the views of these young people and the feelings that Jesus expressed toward the condition of Judaism in his day as practiced by the religious establishment. When young people were asked to identify their impressions of Christianity, one of the common themes was “Christianity is changed from what it used to be” and “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.” These comments were the most frequent unprompted images that young people called to mind, mentioned by one-quarter of both young non-Christians (23%) and “born again” Christians (22%).
The book reveals that the most common perception is that present-day Christianity is “anti-homosexual.” Overall, 91% of young non-Christians and 80% of young churchgoers say this phrase describes Christianity. As the research probed this perception, non-Christians and Christians explained that beyond their recognition that Christians oppose homosexuality, they believe that Christians show excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians. One of the most frequent criticisms of young Christians was that they believe the church has made homosexuality a “bigger sin” than anything else. They also claim that the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians. (Though it seems like the last sentence is ambiguous - “applying the biblical teaching on homosexuality” could mean a wide range of approaches, I’d guess.)
Now, to be sure, Kinnaman and Lyons do not suggest that Christians back away from Biblical truth in the way we respond to these impressions. They urge us, to see with clear eyes the culture to whom we are trying to reach. To be able to effectively communicate the gospel accordingly. (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
I hope that many Christians and even leaders in the Lord’s church don’t just respond to this study by being defensive or dismissive. We need to always be able to learn from critics, especially those young people who are expressing their frustrations about the state of faith in America. Jesus told us to expect hostility and negative reactions. That is certainly nothing new. But the issue is what we do with it. Is it a chance to defend ourselves and demand our rights? Or is it an opportunity to show people grace and truth? Common ground is becoming more difficult to find between Christians and those outside the faith. When the Apostle Paul advises Christians to 'live wisely among those who are not Christians' and to 'let your conversation be gracious and effective,' (Colossians 4:5-6, NLT) he could be writing no better advice to committed Christians in America.
So the bottom line is that I was optimistic coming in for this book and have yet to be disappointed. I’m hopeful that this book will be helpful and useful in my ministry in understanding and reaching this postmodern generation, which at 31, I am basically a part of. Friends, may the Lord help us to have a positive influence on those around us. I pray that God will help us blaze a trail for the truth of Christ, which really is indeed a truth of optimism and hope—the hope of heaven ultimately.
So, what do you think? How can we change and reverse this perception? How can we more effectively impact and reach this younger generation for Christ??
Humbly in Christ,
Robert
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Welcome to my world!
Welcome to the world of my brain! Pretty scary thought isn't it? Well, hopefully the thoughts and ideas and opinions that come out of my head and will be posted on this blog will be anything but scary. Hey, this is my little, itty bitty corner and space in the information superhighway called the web. I'll have an opportunity if I'm brave and crazy enough to take my thoughts into the marketplace of ideas that is now found in cyberspace. I hope this blog will be a friendly place to share ideas, info, viewpoints and have some good, honest dialogue on various subjects of interest.
The communication of ideas and the exchanging and debating of thinking has never been more easy and available than the day and age in which we live. We’re truly witnessing something bigger than a fad or trend. We are seeing what's been called by some, "an epoch cultural change." We talking about the technological revolution. It has created an incredible world that is global, interactive. The Internet alone has spawned numerous communities of every kind imaginable.
My hope and prayer as a Christian and minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to help fulfill two passages of Scripture that really sum up my purpose in creating this blog site. John 8:32 "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," and 2 Corinthians 10:5 "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Besides being a preacher and teacher of God's Word, I love to read books, fish, play sports (watch sports--Go Sooners!!) I am a husband and God has blessed me with an incredible and beautiful Christian wife in Maggie. She has made me a better person in every sense of the word and couldn't imagine doing my ministry without her. I have three of the most precious and amazing children in the world--Megan 5, Mackenzie 3, and Camden 1 (in three weeks!). They are my pride and joy in life. I also have a wonderful larger family - terrific caring mother, two great older brothers and their wives and their children (my nieces and nephews), the best mother and father-in-law a person could ask for, a brother-in-law who is a fellow minister in the church, and two awesome sister-in-laws. I also have wonderful grandparents on my family's side and two sets of grandparents on my wife's side.
The Lord has so richly blessed me and been so good to me with the people he has put into my life. I work with a great church family at the Central Church of Christ in Shawnee, OK and love the life the Lord is allowing me to live in service to Him.
So, I hope this blog site is a blessing to others and honors God.
humbly,
Robert (Rob) Prater
The communication of ideas and the exchanging and debating of thinking has never been more easy and available than the day and age in which we live. We’re truly witnessing something bigger than a fad or trend. We are seeing what's been called by some, "an epoch cultural change." We talking about the technological revolution. It has created an incredible world that is global, interactive. The Internet alone has spawned numerous communities of every kind imaginable.
My hope and prayer as a Christian and minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to help fulfill two passages of Scripture that really sum up my purpose in creating this blog site. John 8:32 "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," and 2 Corinthians 10:5 "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Besides being a preacher and teacher of God's Word, I love to read books, fish, play sports (watch sports--Go Sooners!!) I am a husband and God has blessed me with an incredible and beautiful Christian wife in Maggie. She has made me a better person in every sense of the word and couldn't imagine doing my ministry without her. I have three of the most precious and amazing children in the world--Megan 5, Mackenzie 3, and Camden 1 (in three weeks!). They are my pride and joy in life. I also have a wonderful larger family - terrific caring mother, two great older brothers and their wives and their children (my nieces and nephews), the best mother and father-in-law a person could ask for, a brother-in-law who is a fellow minister in the church, and two awesome sister-in-laws. I also have wonderful grandparents on my family's side and two sets of grandparents on my wife's side.
The Lord has so richly blessed me and been so good to me with the people he has put into my life. I work with a great church family at the Central Church of Christ in Shawnee, OK and love the life the Lord is allowing me to live in service to Him.
So, I hope this blog site is a blessing to others and honors God.
humbly,
Robert (Rob) Prater
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