Simple Thoughts - Matthew 1:1-17

Our God works wonders. One of the things that stands out to me as I read the genealogy of our Lord is that there is brokenness in His family line. Rahab was a prostitute, Solomon was the child of a marriage that arose out of adultery and murder and Manasseh did what was evil in God's sight. I could go on. But God brings good out of evil and brokenness. May I trust that He will do the same in my life.

The Trinity and Community

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18, NIV)

Community as God ordained it was not an incidental concern of his nor did it happen haphazardly as the serendipitously creative result of a transcendental cosmic brainstorm. Community is deeply grounded in the nature of God. It flows from who God is. Because he is community, he creates community. It is his gift of himself to humans.[1]

Before the beginning of time, there was God. A single God, but not a lonely God. This idea has fascinated me for some time. It seems to me, that if God existed as one Person, then either He would not have been love, or He would have been less than self-sufficient. For while a non-loving Person could exist on His own without any sense that something was missing, a loving Person could not. Love requires an object, and is never fully satisfied when that object is merely itself. 

How can a loving God be self-sufficient? The Trinity gives us the answer: by existing as three Persons. Father loving Son, Son loving Spirit, Spirit loving Father, and so forth. A perfect, loving community has existed for all eternity in the Trinity. Love is central to the nature of God. Relationship is essential to the image of God.

The church is a messy entity. I am imperfect and will let you down. You are imperfect and will let me down. But we need each other. It is not good for us to be alone. Each of us have gifts that will help lead others into richer lives and into a deeper walk with Christ.

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[1] Bilezikian as recorded in Julie Gorman, Community that is Christian (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), p. 28.

Postmodern Evangelism

In chapter twelve of Evangelism Outside the Box, Rick Richardson explores three different views of the Gospel. First of all, there is the satisfaction theory. It is this theory that evangelicals are most drawn towards. Jesus took our sin upon Himself and suffered for our sake. Through faith we find forgiveness and gain access to God. The second theory is that Jesus was an example to us. As we see His sacrificial death we are inspired and encouraged to choose such a life for ourselves. The third view is referred to as the classical view of the atonement. In it Jesus is seen as the Victor over sin and death and Satan. He frees us by taking away these things that hold us in bondage.

Richardson teaches that Jesus did indeed pay the penalty for our sins, that His death on the cross is an example for us and that He is Victor.[1] He believes that each of these ideas needs to be taught by the church. However, Richardson also holds that in different eras of history, the theory to first present to those outside of the church should change. In the modern era, with “growing individualism, economic freedom and rising nationalism”[2] Luther’s focus on justification by faith resonated strongly with the populace. Richardson believes that this is no longer the case.

Instead, he encourages us to start sharing the Gospel with the Christ as Victor approach. He explains:

In our postmodern culture we cannot assume . . . people are familiar with Scripture or basic biblical ideas. We cannot assume that they feel accountable in any way to a supreme being. We cannot assume that they even think at all in terms of sin. We cannot assume that they will need to have any logical consistency or coherence to their ideas about God. After all, the postmodern assumption is that we create our own reality in the arena of spirituality. In a biblically illiterate, subject-centered postmodern world we face new challenges to communicate the gospel in a meaningful, true and resonant way. [3]

Then he goes on to say:

The modern worldview saw belief in Satan and the powers and principalities as primitive and outmoded. In a postmodern world, interest in the spiritual world, in angels and devils, in magic, the occult, and fantasy has mushroomed. People today can see themselves as pawns of powers that are bigger than they are. They look to the spiritual world for meaning and help. Shows and books and articles on angels have multiplied. Jesus’ victory over darkness and Jesus’ deliverance from the power of addiction are dimensions of the good news whose relevance has returned with intensity.[4]

So, what do we think? Is the Christ as Victor theory the best way to first engage postmoderns with Jesus?

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[1] See Colossians 2:13-15 for example.

[2] Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2000), p. 122.

[3] Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2000), p. 122.

[4] Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2000), p. 126.

Twin Towers

"Here again are twin themes of postmodern conversion stories: authentic community and genuine God experiences." (Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2000), p. 113.

For some time now I have been impressed with the community God has developed at Faith in Focus. Downtown Toronto is full of individuals who, whether they recognize it or not, crave to be part of a group. We are not islands, but beings made in the image of God, and God exists in an eternal, loving relationship between His three Persons.

Authentic and loving community is important not only for the sake of helping believers thrive in their pursuit of God, but as Richardson points out, it is important for helping people take the step of faith into a relationship with God. The love that is available within the embrace of the church has the power to turn hurting hearts and struggling minds to the open arms of our Father. Keep it up Faith and Focus! May we daily draw closer to God and to one another in love. 

Thoughts - Matthew 4:18-22

Read Matthew 4:18-22.

The call to discipleship is a costly one. Jesus can lead us to leave behind our livelihood, our family, our home. We may need to give up our favourite activities or cherished relationships. We may be expected to abandon that which gives us comfort, that which gives us identity and that which gives us security. And we are not given a perfect understanding of all that the call will entail.

It is beautiful that these four men leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Is there anything that Christ is presently calling me to cast off as I seek to follow Him? Anything that is sinful? Or, anything that, though good in and of itself, is a distraction to the plans He has for me? 

Faith in Focus on Mission - Sharing the Gospel

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian  eunuch is a beautiful one (Acts 8:26-40). There are two things that I would like to reflect on here.

First of all, the obedient heart of Philip is an incredible example. He is directed where to go and he goes. Then he is told which chariot to join and he runs to the chariot. He could have questioned the wisdom of these commands. He could have said that he had other things he would rather do. He could have said that he was not ready to serve God or he could have let fear prevent him from acting. But we hear of none of these things. Philip simply obeys the leading of God. With fantastic results.

God still speaks to us today. He speaks through the Bible. He whispers to our spirits. He guides through the wisdom of fellow believers. When God calls us to do something we must jump into action. Rather than make excuses for not acting, may we respond as Philip did, with the hope that God will do something incredible!

Secondly, Philip takes advantage of the situation before him. When he notices that the Ethiopian is reading from Isaiah he engages him in conversation and is allowed to share the message of Jesus. When we hear people read Scripture or speak about religious matters a door is opened for us. We can walk through that door if we are ready and willing, and can bless people with the truth of God. Or we can shy away and keep this great message to ourselves. May God give us the passion and the courage to speak the Good News!

May I provide all of us with a challenge for the coming week? It is simply this, to be ready to share the Gospel each day. To be ready in each conversation, in each interaction, to bring Christ into it if it seems that God is opening a door or if we feel a tug on our heart to do so. May we have wisdom, courage and power.

Thoughts - Matthew 3:1-6

Read Matthew 3:1-6.

Repentance is key in the sharing of the Gospel and in responding to God. He longs for people who hate sin and commit to seek righteousness. Why do I think of repentance so little? Why do we seem to reflect on it so little in churches? Why is there not regular weeping over wrongs we have done? Have I belittled sin? Do I detest it? Do I long for righteousness? Am I truly passionate to be holy?

Faith in Focus on Mission - Showing Compassion

Earlier today I left my winter hat on a bench in Hart House at the University of Toronto. I am bald, which means that without a hat, I get cold. Really cold.

Fortunately for me, someone saw that hat and brought it to the Hart House lost and found. This unknown individual could have ignored the hat. He or she could have thrown it out, kept it as a present for her dad or chosen to wear it himself (as gross as it sounds to wear a stranger’s hat). However, moved by kindness (I presume), this hero brought my head-warmer to safety – and I am so glad that they did!

Kindness to a stranger. It is a quality that we all respect and admire. We appreciate it when we experience it and certainly demonstrate it, on occasion, to others.

This past Sunday I preached on one of the most popular parables that Jesus told: The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). This story is so popular that many jurisdictions have Good Samaritan laws, which protect those who would help someone in need from being sued, should their help actually further injure the injured.

It is my desire that we at Faith in Focus have the utmost respect for Scripture, hold to orthodox theological positions, worship and seek God, experience great community and share the message of the Gospel. But I also want us to be a people who demonstrate our love, or, as Andy Stanley says, a people who put our devotion into motion.

The Samaritan gave of his time and resources to bless a man who despised him. May we always be ready to be neighbours to those in need.

Thoughts - Matthew 2:19-23

Read Matthew 2:19-23.

It is so beautiful that Joseph has such clear leading from the Lord. How can I find such direction? Is it purely God's initiative? Do I have a part to play? I have so much to learn when it comes to hearing from God, and am desperate for His guidance.

Thoughts - Matthew 2:16-18

Read Matthew 2:16-18

The evils that a human being is capable of are tremendous. In an attempt to preserve his own throne, Herod wipes out all males two-and-under in-and-around Bethlehem. Understandably this leads to great mourning.

In our day another atrocity is committed in the name of self-service: abortion. It may be impossible to get an accurate reading of how many abortions are performed in Canada today (Ontario withholding 'sensitive' statistics), but it would seem that there are somewhere around 100,000 per year (perhaps a bit less?) (Right to Life statistics). Some of these children die after being born alive (Lack of accurate numbers).

What is perhaps most disturbing when it comes to the termination of pregnancies, is that while human beings are programmed to mourn the loss of a child when she dies in utero, with abortion these children are discarded with a sigh of relief. While the mothers of Bethlehem mourned their boys, our society (regularly) expects those who have undergone an abortion to continue life as if nothing significant has happened.

What evils do I justify doing in my own life for the sake of my own protection?

Thoughts - Matthew 2:13-15

Read Matthew 2:13-15

One has to be impressed with the speed of Joseph's obedience. An angel speaks to him in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary. Joseph gets up and they leave immediately. Gone. Vanished. Quite possibly without a word to anyone.

Am I ready to jump when God tells me to jump? When He speaks to me through His Word or lays something on my heart? Am I ready to obey immediately?

Euthanasia - The Supreme Court of Canada's Recent Ruling

My beloved nation of Canada took a progressive step this past week. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that preventing doctors from helping the seriously ill end their lives violated the rights of my fellow citizens. It decided that if someone suffered from an incurable disease that led to "enduring and intolerable suffering," they should have medical personnel available who could effectively and painlessly bring an end to their pain (see http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31170569).

In a nation which increasingly rejects the Christian worldview this decision was unavoidable. The human rights movement sees it as a great victory. It is empowering for the individual to have full control over one's body. And while I feel great distress for those suffering with horrific and painful diseases, I can't help but see this decision as a great mistake. It is a decision which demonstrates the fact that while many believe we are giving greater dignity to human beings with rulings like these, the opposite is actually true.

The book of Genesis teaches that human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). If we are made in the image of God, we inherently possess great dignity. It is unthinkable to take the life of such a valued creature. Murder is wrong. "'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."  (Genesis 9:6).

While it may seem compassionate to end a human being's suffering, it reduces his or her worth to that of a horse or dog that needs to be put down. We are of great worth and must be treated as such.

Us Against Them

In Pursuit of Health - Introduction

I want to lose weight.
"Why?" you ask.
For many reasons. Let me enlighten you.
First of all, I want to be healthier. Being overweight is linked to many diseases. I don't want one of these diseases to claim my life or prevent me from doing what I want. If I choose to climb Mount Everest when I'm 63, I want to be able to do it.
Secondly, I have three boys (and another child on the way) - I want to set an example for them as to how they should treat their bodies. I never want them to say (or think), "My dad lives and looks like Jabba the Hut - I can too!"
Thirdly, I have three boys (and another child on the way) - I want to be around for them. As a dad I have a responsibility to be here for them and I cannot allow my selfishness (if I'm honest that's what's causing my weight problem) to drive me to an early grave.
Next, I want to know what its like to be lighter. I have always enjoyed sports and I exercise. However, lately I've been wondering what it would be like to be able to fly across a sports field without gravity's relentless tug winning the battle.
Fifthly, I want to look better. For me. For my wife. For the world. Perhaps that's vanity. I choose to call it courtesy.
Furthermore, I might have a hernia. In order to have a hernia operation at the world's best clinic I need to be lighter. And most importantly, I need to honour God with this body, and being as overweight as I am is certainly not honouring to Him. There might be other reasons, but that's enough for now.
My plan is to post regularly on how this journey is going. Successes. Failures. Plans. Things that work for me and things that don't. Perhaps no one will ever read it. But I believe that it will be helpful for me. 

Resolutions

Emerging from the flames of the guilt of an over-indulgent holiday season we have entered the hope-filled days of the New Year's resolution. Many of us North Americans subject our wills to promises of betterment, only to see these longings for self-improvement extinguished as the ebb and flow of the rhythm of life resumes following its Christmas break. Resolutions need not end in failure though.
According to research performed by the University of Scranton, 45% of Americans usually make New Year's resolutions while 38% never do. There is value in taking the time to explicitly state and commit to your goals though. The study explains that people who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to reach their goals than those who hold off on resolving (http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/).
For the first five weeks of 2015 Faith in Focus is going to be talking about spiritual resolutions: goals to set as we seek to follow Christ with all of our heart. Goals which are attainable thanks to the work of the Spirit of God in us and as we set our wills to follow after God. 

Babbling Prayer? Part I

I realize that I may be dating myself a little bit here, but I’m a huge Mr. Bean fan. If you’ve never heard of him, Mr. Bean is a character played by Rowan Atkinson – a bumbling, clumsy, selfish, nearly mute individual who regularly finds himself in bizarre situations.

            In one of the Mr. Bean episodes, the star is in the enviable position of getting to meet the Queen of England. Standing in a line and waiting his turn, he spends several minutes preparing for this once-in-a-lifetime event. He rehearses his bow, freshens his breath and trims his nail, among other things.

            The moment when he meets the Queen is a disaster. When she steps in front of him his nerves have taken over and he proceeds to bow deeply in great reverence before her, only to smash heads with her and knock her to the ground. Unbelievable! He had the chance to speak with someone of great importance but he blew it.

            We have the chance to speak with someone even greater than the Queen of England on a daily basis: God. Do we take advantage of this opportunity? Do we speak with Him properly? Or do we too, blow it?

            At times I think about how to best go about praying to God. Sometimes I use the ACTS acronym method: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. I’ve used the Lord’s Prayer as a guide for my thoughts, praying and then expanding upon its various petitions. I’m intrigued by the idea of reading and reflecting on a specific Scripture passage, and then praying that passage into life. It can also be nice to just let your thoughts go where they will when praying.

            Perhaps you struggle with the best way to pray too. We often think that more is better: more money is better than less money, I get happy when more people like my Facebook comment than yours, I enjoy having a great number of songs on my iPod to choose from, I want to buy the computer with the most power I can afford.

            Living in a world where more is considered better, we might get the idea that the more words we use, the more likely it is that God will hear us. As children we applied a similar principle whenever we wanted something that our parents were reluctant to grant us – hounding them until we got our way (do you remember The Simpson’s episode where Bart and Lisa keep a torrent of requests flying at their dad – “Will you take us to Mount Splashmore? Will you take us to Mount Splashmore?” – until he finally caves into the pressure to get them to shut up?).

            This principle is operative in various religious environments as well. Faithful Roman Catholics pray the rosary, reciting the Hail Mary prayer dozens of times a day. Tibetan Buddhists spin prayer wheels which contain prayers or mantras, believing that each revolution of the wheel counts as a prayer. We often believe that more is better. But is it?  

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller - Chapter 4: How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?

One of the greatest objections people raise against Christianity is the doctrine of hell. Believing in a loving and forgiving God, for many in the West, is easy. Accepting that this God is also just and holy, and that He will punish the guilty, is far more difficult to accept.

We have done a good job of creating a god made in our own image. A god whose sensibilities concerning right and wrong line up perfectly with our own. A god who is tolerant because Western society is tolerant. A god who subscribes to the philosophy of Live and let live. But is this god real?

Timothy Keller proposes an idea that is essential for those of us in the West to reflect on: "For the sake of argument, let's imagine that Christianity is not the product of any one culture but is actually the transcultural truth of God. If that were the case we would expect that it would contradict and offend every human culture at some point, because human cultures are ever-changing and imperfect. If Christianity were the truth it would have to be offending and correcting your thinking at some place. Maybe this is the place, the Christian doctrine of divine judgment." (p. 75).

It makes absolute sense that if the god you believe in agrees with you on all points of lifestyle and doctrine, then perhaps you believe in a god of your own making - a god of your design - and not the all-powerful Creator.

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller - Chapter 1: There Can't be Just One True Religion

We live in a world of choice. Want peanut butter? Chunky, smooth or natural? With jam or chocolate mixed in with it or perhaps marshmallow goo? The squirrel, bear or giant peanut-man variety? Ice cream parlours pride themselves in having so many flavours that you regularly second guess your choice and find yourself looking covetously at your friend's cone.

And not only do we live in a world of choice, but we live in a world where many choices are subjective and it doesn't matter what you choose. Chocolate, vanilla or cookie dough ice cream? It doesn't really matter. All are fine and acceptable (though friends might find you boring on the one hand or disgusting on the other if you go against their preferences).

Such subjectivism has carried over into the religious realm. A vast number of people in the Western world believe that all religions are equally valid. "We have no right to judge someone else's beliefs." "All paths lead to God." "All religions are true." My main point here is not to argue against such relativism or pluralism, although Steve Turner has some interesting thoughts for those who blindly assert wide-ranging commonality among all religions (as quoted in Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God (Dallas: Word, 1994), pp. 42-44 for whole poem):

          We believe that all religions are basically the same-
          at least the one that we read was.
          They all believe in love and goodness.
          They only differ on matters of creation,
          sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.
 
My desire here is to point out a powerful idea of Keller's that flows from the assertion that Christianity is unique and therefore different from other worldviews. All worldviews contain a potential danger. When we believe that we are right and others are wrong we often swell with pride and look down upon those who do not share our outlook. This leads to the belittlement and persecution of those holding other opinions. Keller explains: "Most religions and philosophies of life assume that one's spiritual status depends on your religious attainments. This naturally leads adherents to feel superior to those who don't believe and behave as they do." (p. 20). However, because Christianity is a religion of grace where we are saved not by our attainments but through faith, Christians have no right to look down upon others: "The Christian gospel, in any case, should not have that effect." (p. 20).

All worldviews (not merely religious ones, but atheistic ones as well, as the twentieth century has clearly demonstrated) have the potential of abusing those outside of their walls. Christians have mistreated many over the years, and these failures need to be addressed. However, when properly observed, Christianity leads the follower of Jesus to love and not abuse the non-believer. Two more quotes from Keller and then we will be finished: "It is common to say that "fundamentalism" leads to violence, yet as we have seen, all of us have fundamental, unprovable faith-commitments that we think are superior to those of others. The real question, then, is which fundamentals will lead their believers to be the most loving and receptive to those with whom they differ? Which set of unavoidably exclusive beliefs will lead us to humble, peace-loving behavior?" (p. 20) and "Why would such an exclusive belief system lead to behavior that was so open to others? It was because Christians had within their belief system the strongest possible resource for practicing sacrificial service, generosity, and peace-making. At the very heart of their view of reality was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It meant they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents." (p. 21).

What type of a Christian am I? Do I reflect the love of Jesus towards those who are different from me? To those who hate me and what I stand for? What are some examples of my love in action?

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44)