Lesson 3
So, I’ve said that I think prayer is essentially asking for stuff. Fortunately, I’m very good at asking for stuff. If you are reading this, please send me money. See? I told you I was good at it.
“May your name be revered and honored” is a kind of strange thing to ask. I talked to my bank this week. I asked about some services they offer. I asked what those services would cost me. I asked what paperwork was needed to apply for those services. Funny thing is, I never asked, “How could we set up this account so the bank gets a great reputation and makes a huge profit?” I was afraid he would tell me.
I have a theory that if I eat something that is better than an alternative I am eating healthy. So ice cream that’s sugar free is basically health food. In fact, it’s so healthy that it’s almost like taking a vitamin. Last night on the way home from work, I stopped at the grocery to buy ice cream. I considered what flavor I wanted. I considered what price was best. I considered which variety was sugar free so I could get my vitamins. I even considered what flavor my wife might enjoy. I did not ask the grocery manager “which ice cream should I buy in order to benefit the store and enhance its stature?”
So, this morning, I decided to try it. I stopped at a gas station. I went in and asked the clerk “would it be better for you if I bought a Diet Coke or a Diet Pepsi?" (I needed some health food in my breakfast). The clerk needed to have her hearing checked. “Pardon?” she replied. I repeated my request. “Come again?” I said it again. Then her brain stopped. “I don’t understand.” I said it very slowly, because we all know that saying the incoherent slowly and loudly makes it completely understandable. “Woooooouuuld iiiit beee betteeeerrrrrr foooorrrr yyyoooouuuuu….” At that point she looked past me to help the next customer. For some reason they both looked at me like I was a lunatic. Immediately after she helped him she had to tend to something in the back room. I assume she must have gotten a call or something.
The point is… it’s a strange request to make. You can ask all powerful God for whatever you want. (Cars, houses, and chocolate all come to my mind quickly.) So you ask for His reputation to be advanced. Maybe it’s just me, but it kinda seems logical if God wanted his reputation advanced, he could do it, with or without me asking him.
In fact, now that I think about it, while I didn't ask my banker how the account change could benefit the bank, but I’m pretty sure he was thinking about it without me asking.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Prayer – In one billion, three hundred forty nine million, six hundred seventy eight thousand, four hundred and eighty-twelve lessons.
Lesson 2
My second grade Sunday School teacher taught us the Lord’s prayer. When she got to the part about “Hallowed be thy name," I thought it had something to do with Halloween. I imagined Jesus carved into a pumpkin. I had seen a cartoon of Ichabod Crane and I had visions of the headless horseman thundering in the dark, holding a pumpkin with Jesus’ face carved into it. He threw it at Ichabod and it hit him in the head. The result was that Ichabod got saved and knocked into the river… which I took as his baptism.
You may be surprised to learn that “hallowed” was not a word I used a lot when I was 7. You may also be surprised to find out that it’s still not a word I use often. I use the word aardvark more often.
Anyway, my Sunday School teacher said that “hallowed be thy name” was adoration. But if you listen carefully it sounds more like a hope. “Please grant my desire that your name be revered.” If adoration was intended, Jesus would not have said it the same way he said "thy kingdom come," in which He was asking for something.
It’s a request. “Please grant my desire that your name be revered.”
If I told my wife, “you are beautiful to me.” That would be adoration. If I said, “I request that you be beautiful to me,” it would be a well earned instant ticket to sleeping on the couch, but not adoration.
Similarly, “forgive us our trespasses," is not confession, it’s a request.
Rule of thumb: If you can put a "please" in the front, or the end of the sentence, it’s not adoration, confession, or thanksgiving, it’s a request.
My second grade Sunday School teacher taught us the Lord’s prayer. When she got to the part about “Hallowed be thy name," I thought it had something to do with Halloween. I imagined Jesus carved into a pumpkin. I had seen a cartoon of Ichabod Crane and I had visions of the headless horseman thundering in the dark, holding a pumpkin with Jesus’ face carved into it. He threw it at Ichabod and it hit him in the head. The result was that Ichabod got saved and knocked into the river… which I took as his baptism.
You may be surprised to learn that “hallowed” was not a word I used a lot when I was 7. You may also be surprised to find out that it’s still not a word I use often. I use the word aardvark more often.
Anyway, my Sunday School teacher said that “hallowed be thy name” was adoration. But if you listen carefully it sounds more like a hope. “Please grant my desire that your name be revered.” If adoration was intended, Jesus would not have said it the same way he said "thy kingdom come," in which He was asking for something.
It’s a request. “Please grant my desire that your name be revered.”
If I told my wife, “you are beautiful to me.” That would be adoration. If I said, “I request that you be beautiful to me,” it would be a well earned instant ticket to sleeping on the couch, but not adoration.
Similarly, “forgive us our trespasses," is not confession, it’s a request.
Rule of thumb: If you can put a "please" in the front, or the end of the sentence, it’s not adoration, confession, or thanksgiving, it’s a request.
Prayer – In one billion, three hundred forty nine million, six hundred seventy eight thousand, four hundred and eighty-twelve lessons.
Lesson 1
Once, I tried to read a story in Spanish. I couldn’t do it. So I asked my daughter, a Spanish major, to translate it. I discovered something amazing. The story said pretty much the same thing in English that it did in Spanish. I guess that’s because translation means getting the text to say in the second language what it already said in the first.
We all know that in old English, “pray” meant to ask, or request, or plead, or beg, or petition for something. It’s because the Greek and Hebrew words that are used mean ask, or request, or plead, or beg, or petition for something. A careful scrutiny of the above will indicate that THEY MEAN THE SAME THING, and THEY MEAN TO ASK.
Prayer is not “adoration, confession, thanksgiving.” Before your heresy alert goes off, please note that I didn't say that you shouldn't adore, confess and be thankful. Adoration is essential. Confession is an important command. Thanksgiving is the only appropriate response much of the time. But none of them are prayer. Praying is asking for something.
So, I pray thee, hunt through the scriptures and find any reason to think that praying is anything more than asking.
Once, I tried to read a story in Spanish. I couldn’t do it. So I asked my daughter, a Spanish major, to translate it. I discovered something amazing. The story said pretty much the same thing in English that it did in Spanish. I guess that’s because translation means getting the text to say in the second language what it already said in the first.
We all know that in old English, “pray” meant to ask, or request, or plead, or beg, or petition for something. It’s because the Greek and Hebrew words that are used mean ask, or request, or plead, or beg, or petition for something. A careful scrutiny of the above will indicate that THEY MEAN THE SAME THING, and THEY MEAN TO ASK.
Prayer is not “adoration, confession, thanksgiving.” Before your heresy alert goes off, please note that I didn't say that you shouldn't adore, confess and be thankful. Adoration is essential. Confession is an important command. Thanksgiving is the only appropriate response much of the time. But none of them are prayer. Praying is asking for something.
So, I pray thee, hunt through the scriptures and find any reason to think that praying is anything more than asking.
Monday, June 01, 2009
God wants you rich
The TV preacher was describing a visitor to his office.
“He said to me, ‘I don’t believe all that stuff you teach about healing and about God wants people to be rich. But I want you to take this gift and build another orphanage in central America.’ Then he gave me a check for ten thousand dollars.” The TV preacher then said “HAAA!” It was half laugh and half contemptuous ridicule. He continued “when you put your faith in God, he will have your enemies put money on your desk.”
He repeated that several times while the audience stood and applauded. I was offended by the arrogance he exuded as he strutted and mocked the donor. But I was also offended by the crowd that supported him. I wondered why none of them thought enough to ask a few questions.
“If the guy had ten thousand dollars to give, wouldn’t that mean, according to what you teach, that God had blessed him? How else could he have gotten the money? Why would God bless him for his faith, when he disagrees with most of what you teach?
The donor displayed “true religion” by caring for the orphans. The donor demonstrated several of the fruit of the Spirit. The donor demonstrated faith in God for God to give him the money in the first place (according to your teaching). Why would you call one that demonstrates true religion, the fruit of the Spirit, and faith that God honors, an “enemy?”
Fundamentally, the donor that was scorned and ridiculed was clearly a better example of Christ than the scornful, judgmental, arrogance of the TV preacher.
“He said to me, ‘I don’t believe all that stuff you teach about healing and about God wants people to be rich. But I want you to take this gift and build another orphanage in central America.’ Then he gave me a check for ten thousand dollars.” The TV preacher then said “HAAA!” It was half laugh and half contemptuous ridicule. He continued “when you put your faith in God, he will have your enemies put money on your desk.”
He repeated that several times while the audience stood and applauded. I was offended by the arrogance he exuded as he strutted and mocked the donor. But I was also offended by the crowd that supported him. I wondered why none of them thought enough to ask a few questions.
“If the guy had ten thousand dollars to give, wouldn’t that mean, according to what you teach, that God had blessed him? How else could he have gotten the money? Why would God bless him for his faith, when he disagrees with most of what you teach?
The donor displayed “true religion” by caring for the orphans. The donor demonstrated several of the fruit of the Spirit. The donor demonstrated faith in God for God to give him the money in the first place (according to your teaching). Why would you call one that demonstrates true religion, the fruit of the Spirit, and faith that God honors, an “enemy?”
Fundamentally, the donor that was scorned and ridiculed was clearly a better example of Christ than the scornful, judgmental, arrogance of the TV preacher.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Conversational Prayer
I have been doing some searching on the topic of "conversational prayer." I have been distressed to notice that 95% of the time the topic is a technique for a group to pray together in a way that resembles a conversation more than a monologue rather than an exploration of developing and maintaining an ongoing conversation with God.
I'm a big fan of a group prayer technique that engages the soul of every person. I'm a much bigger fan of living in conversation with God.
I'm a big fan of a group prayer technique that engages the soul of every person. I'm a much bigger fan of living in conversation with God.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
April 18 meeting plan:
We will hear a de-brief from the prison ministry trip. We’ll hear from each one “the thing that impacted me most about the experience, was….”
Then we’ll talk about the curtain in the Temple.
Then we’ll talk about the curtain in the Temple.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Mixed Motives
As you know, I have been teaching that we all tend to misunderstand the most driving need in our heart. I tend to misunderstand my own need as “to have my contribution noticed and be respected because of it.” So, last night at church I wanted to give a quick review and then open the time for discussion. I wanted to give us each a chance to hear from one another…. “The false hope that most often calls my name is….”
I spent the entire time on the review. Why? Was it just poor planning on my part? Was it just that I let the discussion go too far before bringing us to the scripture? Or, does my fallen heart play a role?
One reason I spent the entire time on review is that I am genuinely excited that I am increasingly seeing this simple message on every page of Scripture. When I get excited about truth, I really want to share it. It’s a good thing to enthusiastically share what God has been showing me more and more clearly. But there may be another motive at work. Think with me about my personal risk / reward paradigm.
RISK: If I ask for others to talk and they talk about unrelated things, it proves that my teaching has not been clear. It proves that they are not being gripped by the point I am trying to drive home. I cannot possibly experience respect based on my contribution, if folks can’t even remember clearly what my contribution was !!!!! The risk is great.
REWARD: On the other hand, if I spend our entire time, reviewing again the basic ideas I want you to grasp, the potential reward is great. If I point it out again in another 3 or 4 passages, you might begin to notice (like I am) that this truth is on nearly every page of the scripture. You might even be impressed that I am pointing it out to you so clearly.
So, did I teach out of love for God, His truth, and you? Or did I teach out of self-protection and self-promotion? The answer, I think, is “yes.”
I spent the entire time on the review. Why? Was it just poor planning on my part? Was it just that I let the discussion go too far before bringing us to the scripture? Or, does my fallen heart play a role?
One reason I spent the entire time on review is that I am genuinely excited that I am increasingly seeing this simple message on every page of Scripture. When I get excited about truth, I really want to share it. It’s a good thing to enthusiastically share what God has been showing me more and more clearly. But there may be another motive at work. Think with me about my personal risk / reward paradigm.
RISK: If I ask for others to talk and they talk about unrelated things, it proves that my teaching has not been clear. It proves that they are not being gripped by the point I am trying to drive home. I cannot possibly experience respect based on my contribution, if folks can’t even remember clearly what my contribution was !!!!! The risk is great.
REWARD: On the other hand, if I spend our entire time, reviewing again the basic ideas I want you to grasp, the potential reward is great. If I point it out again in another 3 or 4 passages, you might begin to notice (like I am) that this truth is on nearly every page of the scripture. You might even be impressed that I am pointing it out to you so clearly.
So, did I teach out of love for God, His truth, and you? Or did I teach out of self-protection and self-promotion? The answer, I think, is “yes.”
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Hebrews 7
Hebrews Chapter 2 verse 5-18
Up until this point in Hebrews, the key idea has been that Christ is a better messenger of God’s truth than prophets or even angelic messengers, because he is God. The next several sentences are each easy to understand their clear statements, but seem pretty unclear about how they fit into the stream of thought in Hebrews.
It’s may be easier to understand if I “cut to the chase.” I think the thought in Hebrews moves to a complementary idea. Not only is Jesus Christ a superior messenger because He is God, Jesus Christ is also a superior messenger because He became human. It’s hard to understand because the plural words in the original, don’t translate well into English. To put it simply, most of the time the word “him” is used it should be understood as plural. It’s not talking about one man (Jesus) it’s talking about all of mankind. The Contemporary English Version is clearer than most others.
6 Somewhere in the Scriptures someone says to God, "What makes you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for weaklings such as we?
7 You made us lower than the angels for a while. Yet you have crowned us with glory and honor.
8 And you have put everything under our power!" God has put everything under our power and has not left anything out of our power. But we still don't see it all under our power.
9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels. Because of God's wonderful kindness, Jesus died for everyone. And now that Jesus has suffered and died, he is crowned with glory and honor!
The point is that we humans are built to have dominion over creation, but because of sin we do not. “But we see Jesus” who was made human like us and has been glorified and returned to full dominion and authority. He became human and led the way for all humans to be restored to the dominion. That’s why verse 10 calls Jesus the “pioneer” or “firstfruits.”
14 We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death.
15 But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying.
16 Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham's descendants.
17 He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins.
18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.
Jesus Christ, perfect God became perfect man. As such his message to us is much better than the Old Testament message. He is God. He is Man. He has pioneered the way for mankind. He is a superior messenger because his life, death, resurrection, and glorification IS the message of good news for all of us.
Up until this point in Hebrews, the key idea has been that Christ is a better messenger of God’s truth than prophets or even angelic messengers, because he is God. The next several sentences are each easy to understand their clear statements, but seem pretty unclear about how they fit into the stream of thought in Hebrews.
It’s may be easier to understand if I “cut to the chase.” I think the thought in Hebrews moves to a complementary idea. Not only is Jesus Christ a superior messenger because He is God, Jesus Christ is also a superior messenger because He became human. It’s hard to understand because the plural words in the original, don’t translate well into English. To put it simply, most of the time the word “him” is used it should be understood as plural. It’s not talking about one man (Jesus) it’s talking about all of mankind. The Contemporary English Version is clearer than most others.
6 Somewhere in the Scriptures someone says to God, "What makes you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for weaklings such as we?
7 You made us lower than the angels for a while. Yet you have crowned us with glory and honor.
8 And you have put everything under our power!" God has put everything under our power and has not left anything out of our power. But we still don't see it all under our power.
9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels. Because of God's wonderful kindness, Jesus died for everyone. And now that Jesus has suffered and died, he is crowned with glory and honor!
The point is that we humans are built to have dominion over creation, but because of sin we do not. “But we see Jesus” who was made human like us and has been glorified and returned to full dominion and authority. He became human and led the way for all humans to be restored to the dominion. That’s why verse 10 calls Jesus the “pioneer” or “firstfruits.”
14 We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death.
15 But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying.
16 Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham's descendants.
17 He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins.
18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.
Jesus Christ, perfect God became perfect man. As such his message to us is much better than the Old Testament message. He is God. He is Man. He has pioneered the way for mankind. He is a superior messenger because his life, death, resurrection, and glorification IS the message of good news for all of us.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Hebrews 6
The fifth truth about Jesus is that he is the sustainer of all things. The word "sustainer" comes from the concept of “carrying.” He carries all things. It’s also in the present – active tense. He is doing it now.
The sixth is that he accomplished cleansing for sins. Notice that cleansing is more than forgiveness. Forgiveness means overlooking the problems, while cleansing means eliminating the dirt, washing it away, removing it. Additionally, the verb is in a tense that English doesn’t have. It basically means that it is happening now and will continue to happen. Our cleansing was done on the cross, but it is also being done now. He is washing you and me clean, now.
Finally, the seventh, and finally, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty.
Seven truths about Jesus
Heir of all things
Creator of the world/ages
The light from God’s radiance glory
Representation of His Essence
Sustainer of everything
He accomplishes cleansing of sins
He is seated at the right hand of the Father
Seven truths that should leave us blessed, grateful, and amazes: If we really let these truths sink in, worship will spring spontaneously from our hearts.
It’s a good time to read the rest of the chapter (Hebrews 1). The author had the same reaction.
The sixth is that he accomplished cleansing for sins. Notice that cleansing is more than forgiveness. Forgiveness means overlooking the problems, while cleansing means eliminating the dirt, washing it away, removing it. Additionally, the verb is in a tense that English doesn’t have. It basically means that it is happening now and will continue to happen. Our cleansing was done on the cross, but it is also being done now. He is washing you and me clean, now.
Finally, the seventh, and finally, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty.
Seven truths about Jesus
Heir of all things
Creator of the world/ages
The light from God’s radiance glory
Representation of His Essence
Sustainer of everything
He accomplishes cleansing of sins
He is seated at the right hand of the Father
Seven truths that should leave us blessed, grateful, and amazes: If we really let these truths sink in, worship will spring spontaneously from our hearts.
It’s a good time to read the rest of the chapter (Hebrews 1). The author had the same reaction.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Hebrews 5
The third point about Jesus is that he is “the radiance of God’s glory.” If you are looking at a light bulb, you see the light itself. If your back is to the bulb, you can still see from the “radiance” of the light. The radiance is the light you can see when you can’t see the source directly. Jesus is the means for us to see the light of the Father. “Jesus said If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” My grandfather would have said, “he’s the spittin’ image of his father.”
This point is expanded in the fourth truth about Jesus, “the representation of God’s essence.” A few lines from the Nicene Creed make the point very clearly:
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
Jesus is made of the same essence as God. My grandfather would have said “he’s a chip of the old block.”
Jesus, God’s new method of delivering His message, is the radiance of God’s glory and the representation of God’s very essence.
This point is expanded in the fourth truth about Jesus, “the representation of God’s essence.” A few lines from the Nicene Creed make the point very clearly:
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
Jesus is made of the same essence as God. My grandfather would have said “he’s a chip of the old block.”
Jesus, God’s new method of delivering His message, is the radiance of God’s glory and the representation of God’s very essence.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Hebrews 4
The second of the seven things about Christ is “through whom he created the world.”
It’s clear from other scripture that Christ was involved in creation (John 1:3,10 & Col. 1:16) and that may be what’s meant here. But word translated “world” could also be translated “ages.”
In Hebrews 13:8 we read “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, forever.” The word translated “forever” in this verse is the same word translated “world” in verse 2.
I think the latter or perhaps even both is what the author had in mind. Later in this chapter he wrote…
"You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, and like a robe you will fold them up: and like a garment they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run out." Hebrews 1:10-12 emphasis added
The emphasis seems to be on the eternal nature of Christ. All previous messengers of the truth were temporary and eventually replaced by a better messenger (Jesus Christ). He is the perfect messenger and it’s inconceivable that he will ever be replaced by a better messenger. He not only created the world, he created forever. This messenger will never be replaced by a new and improved version.
DISCUSSION: If this messenger can never be replaced, what does that mean about His message? What impact was the writer of Hebrews hoping this phrase would have on his readers? What does this mean for those who preach “another gospel?”
It’s clear from other scripture that Christ was involved in creation (John 1:3,10 & Col. 1:16) and that may be what’s meant here. But word translated “world” could also be translated “ages.”
In Hebrews 13:8 we read “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, forever.” The word translated “forever” in this verse is the same word translated “world” in verse 2.
I think the latter or perhaps even both is what the author had in mind. Later in this chapter he wrote…
"You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, and like a robe you will fold them up: and like a garment they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run out." Hebrews 1:10-12 emphasis added
The emphasis seems to be on the eternal nature of Christ. All previous messengers of the truth were temporary and eventually replaced by a better messenger (Jesus Christ). He is the perfect messenger and it’s inconceivable that he will ever be replaced by a better messenger. He not only created the world, he created forever. This messenger will never be replaced by a new and improved version.
DISCUSSION: If this messenger can never be replaced, what does that mean about His message? What impact was the writer of Hebrews hoping this phrase would have on his readers? What does this mean for those who preach “another gospel?”
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Hebrews 3
The first of the seven things listed about the son is that he is "heir of God." (Chapter 1, verse 2) Inherit has at least two meanings that apply here. One meaning is the “stuff” one inherits in the future. In one sense this does not apply because this Father will never die. But in another sense, Christ at one point stepped (or will step) into the throne over all of creation. Verse 13 cites an Old Testament proof text for this. Only the Son, the heir will sit at the right hand of God until his enemies are made into a foot stool. (See also Daniel 7:13-14 and Revelation 5:5-14)
The other meaning of inherit is an intrinsic part of the heir. I inherited dark hair, dark eyes, and a love for learning. I also inherited a sin nature and an inclination toward selfishness. These are genetic and spiritual inheritance.
What did Jesus inherit “genetically” or spiritually from his Father? If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).
DISCUSSION: Galatians 4:6-7 teaches that since we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we become heirs with Jesus. What do we inherit “genetically” or spiritually from our Heavenly Father?
(See Matthew 5:43-45 for one answer.)
The other meaning of inherit is an intrinsic part of the heir. I inherited dark hair, dark eyes, and a love for learning. I also inherited a sin nature and an inclination toward selfishness. These are genetic and spiritual inheritance.
What did Jesus inherit “genetically” or spiritually from his Father? If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).
DISCUSSION: Galatians 4:6-7 teaches that since we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we become heirs with Jesus. What do we inherit “genetically” or spiritually from our Heavenly Father?
(See Matthew 5:43-45 for one answer.)