DOES GOD LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION?

The question is, why did Jesus teach his followers to pray this statement? "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." Our uninformed default reading implies that God leads us into temptation to tempt us. Not so. Perfectly offensive to God. Scripture informs us that God does not tempt us. James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” God does not do the tempting.

7 DEADLY ZINS: The wine is good, the zins are bad

Don't get your shorts in a knot. This is not a wine review but an illustration. There is an exquisite Lodi region California wine called 'The Seven Deadly Zins.' The label lists the zins as Wealth, Vanity, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, and Lust. The name is a clever pun spun from the fact that seven wines come from seven growers to comprise this big, bold and fruity spicy flavour that is great with barbecued meats. Connoisseurs say it has a spicy nose with raisins, jammy blackberry, walnut and black pepper, a bit of raspberry, tomato and cola. In the States it's $14.95 and in Canada it's $22.95 if one is lucky. The wine is good. 

Some of the seven are precisely the kind of zin or sin that offends God. Christian theology informs us that God is a three-personal God, three distinct persons not manifestations while remaining one being - God. Clearly it is something that must be received by faith because visual evidences are in shorter supply than they were in early New Testament times. Then, Jesus, the second person was actually resident on earth in human form. The Holy Spirit, while invisible most of the time, occasionally demonstrated his presence in the form of a dove that appeared in timely fashion. And God, the Father, also invisible, spoke intelligible and audible words such as "this is my beloved son with whom I am very pleased."

By the time Jesus was schedule to leave earth, he had clearly promised that in his absence, the Holy Spirit would continue to be with the disciples and all who follow Jesus anytime, but he would also be inside them, living within them. That is up close and personal. And this promise was given because Jesus is inclined to be graceful to us, God the Father loves us and the Holy Spirit partners with us. Since that is the dynamic or this relationship with God, it becomes clear that when we find sins so tasty, we risk offending the God-one inside us. So, the scripture declares a caution, "Don't grieve the Spirit of God." Do you know how he can be grieved? By us committing zins, well sins, such as lying, anger, corrupt language, bitterness, unforgiveness which are mentioned in verses that surround Ephesians 4:30, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  

Are these sins deadly? They cost us more than money. Unless we give them up, they certainly kill everything that God would powerfully accomplish in us and through us. That's because by continuing to sin, we quench the Spirit, dampen the spiritual fire. And there is an accompanying command against that.   I Thessalonians 5:19, "Do not quench the Spirit.” The wine is good. The zins are bad.

GENUINELY CHRISTIAN YET PRACTICALLY AGNOSTIC (2)

I perceive there will be superior value to the topic if I personalize it. So, I am writing to Christians today. This is a cue, an incentive to a segment of the Christian community.  In the earlier critique I expressed an opinion that we may be living like practical agnostics. It's possible. We are not 'practical' agnostics in the sense of being 'almost' agnostic or virtually agnostic. Of course not, because we do genuinely believe in the large constructs of Christian truth. Rather, during the weekdays, we have minimal explicit contact with God. While the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are factual within our theological framework, we are out of touch. We know that prayer is the network that links us with the divine, but prayer takes time and discipline. We know when we are honest with ourselves that we apply both time and discipline to online social networking, to watching our favourite TV shows, and to daily exercise.  So, we must admit we are slackers. We have not prioritized prayer.

An agnostic is characterized by uncertainty. While we believe in the merit of prayer, we may be uncertain about the effectiveness of prayer.  Possibly, our journals contain slim accounts of answers to specific prayers. We do not doubt God's ability to hear prayer, or to respond to great challenges. We are uncertain that God will answer our request. Our asks have been made before without a response. We don't want to be disappointed any further. Our request seems so trite and selfish so we hesitate. Strangely we are not open and transparent before God who is all knowing.  We worry about a job, about money, about our children. We struggle with our sexuality, with addictions, with attitudes and moods, but we refer none of these to God because we have not successfully integrated our theology with our lives on planet earth. The incarnate Jesus spoke to his Father, and advised us to call God Father. Father loved us (humanity) so much he gave us Jesus.  Jesus came here to do what he needed to do to provide a relationship for us with himself and the Father.  Jesus assured us that in his physical absence he would not leave us comfortless, but rather he promised to give us another comforter, divine like himself, namely, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not only with us but inside us, where character and spirituality are developed so that we can reflect the image of God, that is, be Christlike.      

(I will pursue this subject for in a few posts in the days ahead)

THE TRINITY CAN INFORM THE CHURCH

Many people today are stating or behaving as though they want spirituality but they do not have a desire for involvement in organized religion. Granted, 'spirituality' can mean anything from Spa music to Buddhism to born again enthusiasm. I do want to narrow my comments to those who hold to a Christian faith that esteems Jesus as son of the Father God, redeemer, and King. Even among this focus group there are some who love Jesus but the church - not so much. Much of the disenchantment with church results from those within who have power and who misuse it. Top-down organizations have fallen out of favour. Let's recover something important. We cite the Genesis One quotation of God's statement, "let us make man in our image according to our likeness." Perhaps the plurality inherent in that quotation speaks of three persons essential to God who should also now inform our ecclesiology. After pastoring churches for 40 years, and having time to assess church during the past 7 years, I conclude that we need to promote a leadership model that is interdependent, relational, participatory, self-giving, communal and self-surrendering.

THE TRINITY AND THE CHURCH

We all acknowledge a strong connection between the doctrine of the church and the doctrine of God, yet I seldom read anything that emphasizes the close relation between church and the doctrine of the Trinity. In fact, the doctrine of the church originates from the Trinity. God's covenant with people whether in the Old or New Testaments has always been this, "I will … be your God, and you will be my people" (Lev. 26:12; 2 Cor. 6:16). His people, God's people, are his possession. God can say that. He formed them for himself. His people were and are supposed to sound forth his praise (Isaiah 43:21).

God revealed himself in inspired scripture, as the three person Creator God who said, "Let us make man in our image." This living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit created everything for his own glory, including people. When humanity's earliest antecedents disobeyed God, the Father introduced redemption to his people, the story of which is traced in scripture until it is ultimately realized in the Son's atoning death. Israel was once God's chosen people. The Father sent the Son to be incarnated as a Jew. Except for a few Jewish believers, Israel rejected Jesus. Thereafter, all who place exclusive trust in Jesus the Son become not only disciples but the temples of the Holy Spirit and together they are the people of God known now as the church. The church is a divine embrace of people that includes Gentiles, an international selection, whom the Apostle Peter called a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9) and adds that they once were 'not a people' but now are 'the people of God' (vs.10).

BIOLOGICAL CHURCH

I mention 'church' numerous times during these recent articles, which seems peculiar when I observe that Jesus mentioned 'church' only twice. Once, he promised that he would build his church. Another time he advised his followers how to deal with the person who was ruining his church either by intent or accident. We spend far more time talking about planting churches, growing churches, administering them, governing them, managing them, renewing them, upgrading their health, enabling them to survive, than Jesus himself did. I believe this is because we have either inherited or opted into church systems that compel us to take so much responsibility to ourselves that Jesus intends to be naturally biotic.

I came to faith through a church, grew to maturity in a church, received what I believe was a directive from God to set my art ambitions aside to train for pastoral ministry. I was habituated to Sunday school and Sunday morning church services with choir, modest congregational hymn singing, pastoral prayer, offering, preached message and a closure consisting of a hymn and a benediction. Church also required Wednesday evening prayer meeting attendance and group gatherings like Christian Service Brigade and then Youth meetings. My pastoral training equipped me to administer church in accordance with this format. I knew nothing else and neither did any of my parishioners. I pastored four churches over a 34-year span of time and served as president of a church denomination for six years.

I was passionate, devoted to my role as a leader of others, often older than myself. I attended conferences and seminars to learn principles and skills to help me more effectively encourage others to do those measurable results that equated with spiritual maturity. I was busy, sometimes so busy that I had no time for neighbours and I neglected my own spiritual nutrition. Small wonder that in three of the four churches I pastored, crises surfaced to bring an end to my service in each location. Something is definitely questionable about this institution we call Christ's church when Jesus' life and behaviour is missing.

Don't tell me it's part of the territory and that I should get used to it. I am so far past that cop-out. Jesus never fails. Jesus' life is pure, righteous, kind, gentle, forgiving, generous, loving. His life in people changes them and they reflect him. This is Jesus' church. Those are the people with whom I want to spend time, with whom I want to celebrate redemption through Christ, with whom I wish to worship our Father, who give me liberty to be me, permission to explore questions, inspire me to be passionate about living like Jesus. I think that some of these people to whom I allude do actually live within the institutional church, and some have left the organized church. I need them. I believe that they need me. We are church. When I sit with my pastor I feel more a part of 'church' than when I sit with the Sunday crowd. When I sit with my non-attending believing friends, I know I am part of the church. When my children and their children come to my house, praise God, I know we are church. Visiting my brothers this summer, whom I have not seen personally in three years, I am easily aware that we are church. Jesus is in our midst. We welcome him. He is our life and our hope and our aspiration and our reason for living.

IN PURSUIT OF THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE

            When communicating an unenthusiastic critique on the present-day or local expression of Christ's church, besides citing deficiencies, it is appropriate to make recommendations for improvement based upon reliable sources.  

            It was impossible to plan for and to launch the earliest church assembly. It was entirely a God-thing. In the documented history of the earliest church assembly are features which when brought to 2015, can become the qualities of another impossible church.  

            The chosen apostles of Jesus were witnesses to his life. Some were spectators at his death. All of them observed and listened to, and some touched the resurrected Christ. They were convinced about this person's genuine and divine identity.  This persuasion was foundational to their establishment as a church.

            As they watched their Master ascend and vanish into the clouds, their incredulity was replaced with hope that this same departing person would on some future day return. This optimism was foundational to their formation as church.

            Before leaving, Jesus instructed them to wait together in Jerusalem until his Father delivered the promised gift about which he had spoken earlier.  Whatever it meant, and however the gift would be bestowed, the Holy Spirit would come on them with the result that they would effectively bear witness to Jesus in the city, in the district, in the country and all over the world. They obeyed. They waited with anticipation together with many other followers of Jesus, including men and women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, one hundred and twenty in total. They prayed continuously during these days. This prayer-filled obedience was foundational to their inauguration as church.

            Ten days later the Spirit of God invested with each one of them, the spectacles of raucous wind and flames of fire, the supernatural presence of Christ, the unfamiliar facility to speak in an unlearned language. This phenomenon was foundational to their commencement as church.

            Sincere practicing Jews who filled the street during the celebration of Pentecost, recognized this verbal jabber as definite languages articulating the miracles of God. Peter explained that this vocal marvel was not due to drunkenness but rather was the fulfillment in their time of one of the Jews' own prophet's predictions concerning the arrival of Messiah Jesus, whom they had crucified but who rose from the grave and at that moment was sitting in his glorious place of honour from where he had sent this occurrence that they were seeing and hearing. This good news declaration was foundational to their assignment as church.

            During this miraculous demonstration, Peter continued to enlighten listeners that the once crucified Jesus was the LORD, the Christ, the Messiah. This broke the hearts of listeners and terrified them until they asked how they could be saved, to which Peter replied, "repent of your sins, and be baptized as a testimony of your personal faith commitment in Christ, and your sins will forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This redemptive prescription was foundational to their mission as church.

            Peter told them that this promise of forgiveness and the invested Holy Spirit applied to them, to their children, to their grandchildren and to every other person anywhere at any time whom God calls. Then Peter issued the call on God's behalf, pleading with them to save themselves from a corrupt generation. Approximately three thousand people believed his message, trusted Jesus and were baptized. This outcome was foundational to their commission as Christ's Church.

            These thousands of people dedicated time to several key activities, the lessons by the apostles, the interaction, solidarity and companionship of other believers, eating meals together and praying, sharing material goods and meeting one another's needs. These behaviors were foundational to their operation as church.

            The miracles and surprises regularly accomplished by the apostles captivated all of these believers. People were glad and their hearts were sincere and authentic as they praised God and embraced one another in a trusting harmony and developed reputations of integrity. Every day God added other new believers to their number. This increase was foundational to their emergence as God's Church.

            Those observations are lifted from the first two chapters of the ACTS of the Apostles as it speaks about ekklesia or assembly, commonly called church which always implies a plurality and when that assembly is Christian, that is, when each person of the assembly is a believer in Jesus, Jesus himself is present and that assembly possesses incredible potential for seeing God at work. That is his promise.  Matthew 18:19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

            A church today, if it is to experience the potency of that early church, must be one that is persuaded that Jesus is divine and that he rose from death and is alive; that is optimistic that Jesus is reigning now and will one day return to earth; that is obedient to Christ's word and engaged in continuous prayer; whose members are recipients of the Holy Spirit; that consequently openly declares Jesus' identity and saving mission; that makes heartfelt proclamation of the gospel; whose behaviour is in keeping with a communal identity; that is excited by regular demonstration of God's miracles and enjoying regular additions of new believers; that trust one another and care for one another's needs; that experience God's ongoing multiplication of their numbers as they live righteous lives, pray, and obey.