A True Gospel Message

Scriptures:
“34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. 36 This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. 38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, 41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Acts 10:34-43 (NLT)
Observation:
Peter’s 10-point gospel message:
1. God shows no favoritism, he accepts everyone who fears him and does what is right.
2. There is a peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
3. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power.
4. Jesus went around doing good, healing everyone oppressed by the devil because God was with him.
5. The Apostles were witnesses to all that Jesus did.
6. Jesus was killed on a Roman cross and God raised him to life on the third day.
7. Jesus did not appear to the general public after his resurrection, but rather only to his disciples who were chosen in advance by God to be his witnesses.
8. The disciples ate and drank with Jesus after he had risen.
9. Jesus ordered the disciples to preach everywhere that Jesus was anointed by God and Lord of all, the living and the dead.
10. Jesus was the one whom the prophets had testified about when they said that everyone who believes in him will be forgiven all their sins through his name.
The result of the acceptance of Peter’s gospel message was that all who heard it had the Holy Spirit poured out on them and they were baptized in the name of Jesus. This is the conclusion of the initial giving of the Holy Spirit. It had now been poured out on the Jews, the Samaritans, and the gentiles. The Church although still developing was inclusive of all who feared God and did right.
Application:
When we preach the gospel today what are the points that we emphasize? Do we preach a gospel that is line with what the Apostles taught, or do we preach a different gospel? Do we preach a gospel that is inclusive of all who fear God and do right or do we set up other stipulations for who can be and is acceptable to God? I fear that many in the Church today add more to the gospel message, thus preaching a different gospel that the one given by the Apostles.
Prayer:
Lord, let my witness and testimony line up with that of the Apostles. If I preach a different gospel at any point Lord please show me where I error that I may preach only that which you have commanded. Amen…

Complete and Utter Dependence

Scripture:
“4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.”
Exodus 16:4
Observation:
Can they Follow My instructions? Can they trust me to lead, provide, and shepherd them? Even Moses was put to the test by God. Brought to the seaming brink of destruction, desolation, dehydration, and starvation the Israelites cried out to Moses, and Moses cried out to God. The difference between Moses and the rest of the Israelites was the heart from which they were crying out. The Israelites cried out of a heart of mistrust and complaining, while Moses cried out of a heart of trust and desperation. Moses trusted God to do something. He trusted God to handle business. The Israelites on the other hand had a very short-lived memory of all that God had done for them. Sure enough God would do something great for them and they would celebrate until the next trial faced.
Application:
I am like Moses or am I like the Israelites? Do I trust God with a deep desperation for him or does mistrust and complaining define my interaction with him? Sadly far too often I praise God when things are good and complain when they are not. But this has become too easy for most Christians today, with our focus on making sure we hoard and store up for tomorrow. Now I am not saying that saving is necessarily bad, we are called to be good stewards, but is God asking his people to let go of their false sense of security and just trust in him for provision. The Church in the West has been a financial powerhouse for a long time. Religion in America is one of country’s highest grossing industries. Have we been storing up the manna instead of utilizing all we can and trusting God to provide more. Churches are dying every day in America with thousands of dollars in the bank and sometimes millions in property holding. While others struggle to trust that you will provide for them.
It is funny this past year the youth ministry’s budget was slashed tremendously, but yet we finished the year in the black. True we cut a lot of the fluff from the ministry and had to be resourceful in how we accomplished things but it was a year of trusting God to provide. More people donated to the ministry, we cut extravagant spending, and focused on what was necessary to move forward in what God had called us to do.
There is something about having to rely on God that allows us to truly experience him. Much of the Christian religion in America is completely devoid of a necessity for God. Why wait for God’s provision when we can store up for ourselves? Right? But maybe, just maybe, like the Israelites God is asking his people to return to a relationship of utter dependence on him.
Prayer:
Lord, as I move forward in this season help me to have complete trust, desperation, and dependence on you and you alone. I pray for your provision of the finances that are necessary to attend school. Amen…

Washroom Leprechauns are Better than Garden Gnomes

The movie had just ended and my girlfriend told me she really needed to use the washroom, so I decided it would be the perfect time to do the same. As I walked into the washroom I saw Vin Diesel’s mini me, except for the spikey-gelled hair he was a dead ringer. “Wow little fellow are you looking for your pot of gold,” I said to myself as I envisioned myself patting him on the head. Now I know that this is not politically correct but regardless it was the first thing that popped into my mind. It was one of those moments when you can’t help but chuckle to yourself. But as I passed by him he must of noticed the smirk on my face because all of a sudden he tried to flex a little harder with a look on his face that said, “what are you laughing at, buddy?” Which only served to cause me to laugh a little harder. I don’t normally walk around thinking random thoughts about people but the movie we had just finished watching had a running joke in it about a leprechaun, so my guess is that’s what prompted the pot of gold comment.

Movies of are really a barometer that gauges the thoughts, fears, trends, and concepts that people are wrestling with. Movies are really just an on going conversation about what’s on people’s minds. That is why so much of the time we get enveloped emotionally with the films that we watch. We find ourselves reacting to what took place on the screen even in subconscious ways. It is this truth that we need to understand because truthfully we must face the realization that movies shape more people’s theology than, the bible and/or the Church. So it doesn’t help when movies made about biblical ideas by the Church portray poor theology.

Growing up I remember watching movies like “Left Behind” and thinking to myself that the bible doesn’t say anything about this stuff. Now I am sorry if I offend any Kirk Cameron or Tim Lahaye fans, but I realized even at young age that people have no idea about what will happen in the future. The more I saw movies about the rapture and heard Jack Van Impe talk, the more I realized that these people were just grasping at straws trying to solve the bible’s unsolvable mystery. Even now when I Googled Jack’s name to make sure I spelled it correctly a bunch of You Tube video links popped up trying to direct me to Jack’s Inca calendar meltdown. People don’t have a clue and they are so uncomfortable with that thought, that it drives them to develop all sorts of far-fetched theories about what will happen in the future. But the truth is there are some things that are certain, like God is victorious and Jesus will return. The rest of their theories don’t discount these truths, but they simply just go off the deep end with estachalogical paranoia.

As the Church we do not need to make “Christian” films, because truthfully there are already lots of Christians just making great films. We do not need to brand everything with the big “C” word. But we can point out Christ in movies without having to hire Kirk Cameron to play the lead role. Let us be part of the conversation without trying to sanitize it and brand it “Christian”.

Freedom Abolitionists and Subjective Slavery

Scripture:
“For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.”
1 Corinthians 9:19
Observation:
Paul asserts his freedom as the ultimate ability to be subjected by his own doing. Paul is free to do and say as he pleases, but as he puts this idea in context a few verses later he becomes like those whom he is seeking to reach with the gospel. It seems like Paul is saying that if he were giving the gospel as a means to get paid, it would inhibit his ability to actually reach people with it.
This concept conjures up images of congregationally ruled churches. The pastor is not free to do and say as he pleases. He is bound by the fact that he receives a paycheck from this church and they have the power to stop it anytime they want. He is not free, but bound to this certain group of people. By not taking his right to get paid for the gospel, Paul makes sure he avoids this fate. Paul is not scared to offend. He is not scared of rejection by the influencers. He is not trying to win over anyone for monetary purposes. His only subjection is a willing one to further the gospel by gaining more people.
Application:
Recently I have seen this play out in dramatic fashion. Choices were made not based upon conviction, but rather they were based on what the employer demanded. Many Pastors seem to have this same dilemma. Now to be sure I am not talking about differences in methodology, I am talking about conveying the gospel which at times can be very convicting and hard to swallow for many Christians who have become more in love with particular systems and traditions than with seeing people molded by the gospel. A lot of pastors are scarred to say what their convictions would lead them to say for fear of the establishment.
I have been in ministry now for just under four years. I have served less than three different youth pastors. I have been subjected to many ministry philosophies. I have served faithfully and diligently, and have never feared speaking my mind when I saw things going wayward from a gospel perspective. But at the same time I have also never feared losing a paycheck because I have never gotten one from ministry. So this idea is somewhat removed from my personal context but nonetheless I have seen its vices grip many co-laborers of the gospel.
Prayer:
Lord, Please help me to be led by the convictions you have given me not by any given by man. Amen…

The Gospel According to Lost

ABC's "Lost" has been at the center of many late night coffee shop conversations. One cannot help but talk about what happened last on the show. It screams at you to just say something. It wants you to devise your own theory. It whispers, "Go ahead and tell people what you think all of this means." Pastor Chris Seay the author of "The Gospel According to Lost" does just that. He explores each character in depth and begins a conversation with the reader about the show's spiritual implications.

I’m not going to lie, Lost is one of my favorite television shows. Naturally I was curious about what pastor Chris Seay had to say about the show. I opened the book with a slight apprehension, wondering if this book was just going to be over spiritualized allegories. My apprehension was soon elated within the first chapter of the book. I found that the book had many helpful insights to the show and angles to discuss in conversation. I loved how the author invites the reader to make the Lost experience communal by watching it in a group setting and discussing the shows finer points over kimchi brought by your Korean neighbors.

*Thomas Nelson provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Winter Support Letter

2010 New Year’s Resolutions

The coming of each New Year is pregnant with potential; the potential to accomplish great things; the potential to make major mistakes; the potential to change the world by reaching out and taking a hold of the God given opportunities in front of you. In years past I have let them slip by without ever challenging myself to fully engage the potential that it bared. That is not to say that I went unaccomplished, but rather that I left it not fully explored. This year I want to challenge myself to take full advantage of the potential that this New Year has, and in order to do so fully I am writing a list of seven New Year’s resolutions and they are in no particular order:
1. To Engage My Academics to My Fullest Potential: This coming semester, at Pacific Rim Christian College, I want to not just do well, I want to do my absolute best. I am more than capable of getting straight A’s in my classes without fully exerting myself academically, thus this semester I want to empty myself out by engaging fully and rigorously everything that I am asked to do this semester.
2. Complete the 52/52 Challenge: The 52/52 challenge is to read 52 books in 52 weeks (for those who are mathematically challenged that is a book a week for one year). I love to read. I love the exchange of ideas between an author and the reader. I love the robust conversation that can erupt around ideas in a particular book. So this year I want to consume and digest a rich variety of books and authors.
3. Work on My Health: Let’s face it I am not getting any younger. The longer I put off taking care of my health the harder it will be. I am roughly 80 pounds overweight. It would be nice to say that I plan to loose all that weight this year, but honestly I would ecstatic if I lost 20 pounds. So my goal for this next year is to loose at least 20 pounds and if I loose more then great.
4. Become Organized, Tidy, & Neat: I would be lying to myself and everyone else if I said that I was a highly organized, tidy, and neat. The truth is I keep all appointments mentally, my room is an ominous pile of clean clothes, and neat has never been an adjective used in front of my name. So this year my goal is to completely eradicate those problems. Psychiatrists say that it takes about three months for the brain to learn new behaviors. So I will commit this year to learning new behaviors in regards to organization, tidiness, and being neat.
5. Get into Seminary: This particular New Year’s resolution is not as easy as it sounds. I have a very good GPA, somewhere around the 3.7 mark. But grades are not my hurdle that needs jumping. The seminary that I want to attend is Fuller Theological Seminary, and being an international student I need to raise my entire degrees tuition prior to being accepted. To be exact that means I need to come up with around $48,000.00, and to assure you that is no small amount to someone who is unable to work due to my visa situation.
6. Pray More: Not that I do not pray now, but the truth is we could always spend more time seeking God in quit contemplation or beseeching Him in earnest prayer. This year I want to spend more time doing just that.
7. Launch a New Evangelistically Based Ministry: One of my favorite things is when God gives someone a fresh vision for a new ministry. Over this past year I have been in dialog with a group of young Bible College students about what effective evangelism looks like in our generation’s context. This year I want to launch a ministry with my fellow disciples of Jesus that speaks to the need for effective evangelism to my generation. Not entirely sure what this will look like, but nonetheless I would like to see it take shape this year.
So there you have it, my 2010 New Year’s resolutions. Please feel free to pray and support me as I do my best to fully explore the potential of this New Year.