What is God’s love and what are we to do with it?
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary states that it is a “strong affection for another arising out of personal ties…affection and tenderness felt by lovers…affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests…a warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion…unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another…the fatherly concern of God for mankind…a brotherly concern of others.” Synonyms for Love are affection, attachment, devotedness, devotion, fondness, and passion.
The Wesley Study Bible says on page 830:
“God always acts to redeem and rescue us. We can’t outrun, out-give, outlast, or out grow God’s love….would send the Son to rescue the world. The whole of Scripture captures Gods’ great love affair with humanity. We may try to run and hide, but the arm of God’s love for us is always long enough to reach and rescue us.”
John Wesley’s Teachings on the Loving God:
“Love is such an easy word to say and such a hard thing to do. Ultimately love shows itself not by declarations of affection but by the service we render to the one we profess to love, especially service that inconveniences us or that calls for sacrifice. What is true in expressions of human love is equally true of our love for God. Jesus put the matter quite simply: If we love him, we will keep his commandments. “(John 14:15)
How great is God’s love?
Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”
Everlasting means there is no beginning and no ending. Since God is eternal and God is love, the more we discover about Love, the more we know God; and the more we know about God, the more we know about love.
God’s love is infinite. In Eph 3:18-19, Paul writes “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you many be filled with all the fullness of God. “ The Message reads “And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”
Dr. Barnhouse described God’s love like this. He said we are touched by the edge of this love, bathed in it, but we can’t fathom just how great the love is, even as the sea is beyond the human swimmer to conquer.
Why does he love us? There is no cause why God should ever love us. But as His heart is love, He found his own purpose for his divine love of us.
God’s heart is love. As God is perfect love, he cannot even look upon sin. Sin is anything that keeps us out of our personal relationship with God. Anything that keeps us from knowing God’s grace and forgiveness is Sin. We could not overcome our own sinful nature to love God and reach Him. He had to reach for us, by becoming human, and being a living sacrifice to overcome our sins.
As Jesus was perfection sacrificed, and His spirit dwells in all of his believers, when God looks upon us he no longer sees our sins, but he sees Jesus reflected in us. This is the great and eternal gift of God.
Love was manifested in Jesus Christ. To manifest is the revelation of something that had before been hidden. When Christ was made visible, the eternal, infinite sovereign love was with us. He was to become a sacrificial lamb and to die for all of mankind’s sins, past, present and future. Imagine that. He took every sin upon himself for every one of us, throughout history from the beginning to the end, and died so that we could live in His eternal grace. Think of that. He died for You! Your personally, as well as humanity universally, so we could have a relationship with him. So that we could experience and share in His divine love.
He was the gift of God’s love, he loved us enough to give his life for you. For you personally, and humanity universally.
In John 15:12-13 Jesus tells us “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
So Christians are called to witness through loving acts of Agape, to love one another as Jesus had done. Do we? We should be reaching out to those that are hurting, those in mourning, those that are hungry, suffering, in prisons, addicted, stricken, and ostracized from society. When I hear Christians attacking others such as homosexuals, drug addicts, abortionists with venom and verve, I cry inside, for this is not what we are called to do. That is not the great commission.
The song by Casting Crowns gets this absolutely right:
If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Jesus payed much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ
God’s love is for everyone and is so powerful that nothing can come between Him and us, if we simply accept Him into our hearts as our savior.
Romans 8:38 states ”For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor other things, present, nor things to come, not powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In the Message Romans 8:38 reads “None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing, nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable- absolutely NOTHING can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”
God’s love is universal and personal.
No one needs to ever feel left out, as God’s love is open to all. That’s right, all of us. We are all sinners, none stands before God in perfection except through Christ Jesus. God’s love is open to EVERYONE, not just the Frozen Chosen, but the prostitute, the abortionist, the homosexual, the pornographer, the wife-beater, murderer, liar, cheat, adulterer, alcoholic, road-rager, abuser, and yes, even the lawyer-politicians. Every one of us. None of us are reconciled to God through anything we do, but through the Grace of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Many folks stop there, but if you continue into John 3:17-18 you discover “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because the have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
So what do you have to do to know him? Simply accept Him into your heart. Confess that you are a sinner. Ask Him to save you and accept His grace, his sacrifice for you. If you do this, you shall be saved and know the personal love of the God of the Universe.
We are made partakers of divine salvation, and divine love.
God’s love is everlasting, infinite, manifest, redeeming, sacrificial, personal, rebuking, providing, protecting, universal, sustaining, and pure.
Accept it. Accept Him. Then show His love to others by your actions. Good works do not save you, Christ already did that and what can you possibly do to equal that Holy Sacrifice? We do good works because we are Christians. Show it.
(This was inspired by a Bible lesson on God’s Love by Dr. Barnhouse that can be listened to at alliancenet.org.)
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Seeing God
I have a testimony to share. Last month, I received a phone call from one of my very best friends, Mark Ramsey. It was bad news. Mark's mother, Yvonne, had been diagnosed with spinal cancer and had been given no more than three months to live. She had fought cancer seven years or so earlier and it had gone into remission. Two years ago she nearly died when she suffered a stroke. The past year she had been living in an assisted living home, and was as happy as I think I'd ever seen her. I had visited her only two weeks earlier and she was complaining of constant back pain. Mark had taken her to the Doctor and after many tests they had delivered the news. Mark asked if I would help move his mother's furniture to a new home where she could receive constant care and attention. This call was on a Sunday, I told him I couldn't be there until Wednesday, he said no problem.
When I arrived Wednesday morning I learned that Yvonne had never left the hospital and had gone down very quickly. Mark's sister Kim and his oldest daughter, Erica, had stayed at the hospital with her. Mark and I left his home to get Yvonne's stuff moved. It was very hot, over 100 degrees, and after some sweating, we had just begun to move the furniture to my truck when Mark's cell phone rang. It was Kim. She reported that their mother was going down fast and that he should return to the hospital as soon as possible.
We left the home and began the drive to the hospital. Mark and I had been having very deep theological discussions about God, His plan for us, and our lives as Christians. Mark was hurting, knowing that his mother's death was near. I told him, "Even in the darkest times, God is with us. If you look for Him today, you will see him."
We stopped at a convenience store to get some drinks. I had just driven in from Caldwell and was very thirsty. Mark got an energy drink, and I got a diet coke with a bottle of water. We stood behind five or six people in line to the counter and good-naturedly argued about which of us were going to pay for the beverages, as men are want to do. I said, "I got this." Mark said, "No your my guest I got it." Etc.
A Hispanic day-laborer was in the line in front of us. He turned to us and smiled, "I got it!" Mark and I laughed. It was a good release to the tension we were both feeling about what the rest of the day would hold for his family. When we got to the counter, the lady said, "He already paid for it," and pointed out the door. We were moved to say the least. Here a complete stranger, a Hispanic, day-laborer had paid for our drinks on the day Mark needed to see human agape love the most. Mark couldn't speak. I went outside and found the man sitting on the curb eating a sandwich and drinking a coke. I didn't know what to say, but managed to thank him, "Man, you don't know what you just did for us. My friend's mother is dying. We are on the way to the hospital now. God used you. God bless you." He just smiled and waved me off.
On the way to the hospital, we were quiet for a while. I know we were both thinking of my words, that you will see God had come true. This small random act of kindness from one human being to another was a small miracle. As we approached the hospital, we noticed a poor man living on the streets, walking by with a limp. I stopped the truck and handed Mark the unopened water bottle. Mark offered the man the water. He smiled and said, "God bless you. I was just praying for water. This is exactly what I need in this heat."
In the hospital, Kim told us what had occurred earlier in the day. Yvonne woke up and asked who all the people were in the room. There had not been anyone there but Kim and Erica. Yvonne drifted back to sleep only to wake up later saying, "Kim, my momma's here. What do I do?" Yvonne's mother had died some years before. Kim told her, "Momma, she's here to take you home. You can go. Don't worry about us, we are fine." Yvonne woke a few more times, including while Mark and I were there. She was in a lot of pain and her breathing had turned into that death rattle that I found all too familiar having been with my grandmother and with my mother-in-law as they passed.
Kim and I began discussing Yvonne's condition and I told her that I thought she had six or seven more hours at the most. Yvonne died about six and half hours later. The miracle here is that Yvonne had not suffered very long. Two weeks earlier I had walked and visited with her. Mark, Kim, and Erica witnessed God taking their mother home, and Christ's love shone in a little Hispanic day-laborer's small act of kindness. A week later we gathered and spread her ashes. We prayed and cried, but it was a good day.
God is with you. Through good and bad. Through triumph and sorrow. He loves you. Look for Him and you will see him.
When I arrived Wednesday morning I learned that Yvonne had never left the hospital and had gone down very quickly. Mark's sister Kim and his oldest daughter, Erica, had stayed at the hospital with her. Mark and I left his home to get Yvonne's stuff moved. It was very hot, over 100 degrees, and after some sweating, we had just begun to move the furniture to my truck when Mark's cell phone rang. It was Kim. She reported that their mother was going down fast and that he should return to the hospital as soon as possible.
We left the home and began the drive to the hospital. Mark and I had been having very deep theological discussions about God, His plan for us, and our lives as Christians. Mark was hurting, knowing that his mother's death was near. I told him, "Even in the darkest times, God is with us. If you look for Him today, you will see him."
We stopped at a convenience store to get some drinks. I had just driven in from Caldwell and was very thirsty. Mark got an energy drink, and I got a diet coke with a bottle of water. We stood behind five or six people in line to the counter and good-naturedly argued about which of us were going to pay for the beverages, as men are want to do. I said, "I got this." Mark said, "No your my guest I got it." Etc.
A Hispanic day-laborer was in the line in front of us. He turned to us and smiled, "I got it!" Mark and I laughed. It was a good release to the tension we were both feeling about what the rest of the day would hold for his family. When we got to the counter, the lady said, "He already paid for it," and pointed out the door. We were moved to say the least. Here a complete stranger, a Hispanic, day-laborer had paid for our drinks on the day Mark needed to see human agape love the most. Mark couldn't speak. I went outside and found the man sitting on the curb eating a sandwich and drinking a coke. I didn't know what to say, but managed to thank him, "Man, you don't know what you just did for us. My friend's mother is dying. We are on the way to the hospital now. God used you. God bless you." He just smiled and waved me off.
On the way to the hospital, we were quiet for a while. I know we were both thinking of my words, that you will see God had come true. This small random act of kindness from one human being to another was a small miracle. As we approached the hospital, we noticed a poor man living on the streets, walking by with a limp. I stopped the truck and handed Mark the unopened water bottle. Mark offered the man the water. He smiled and said, "God bless you. I was just praying for water. This is exactly what I need in this heat."
In the hospital, Kim told us what had occurred earlier in the day. Yvonne woke up and asked who all the people were in the room. There had not been anyone there but Kim and Erica. Yvonne drifted back to sleep only to wake up later saying, "Kim, my momma's here. What do I do?" Yvonne's mother had died some years before. Kim told her, "Momma, she's here to take you home. You can go. Don't worry about us, we are fine." Yvonne woke a few more times, including while Mark and I were there. She was in a lot of pain and her breathing had turned into that death rattle that I found all too familiar having been with my grandmother and with my mother-in-law as they passed.
Kim and I began discussing Yvonne's condition and I told her that I thought she had six or seven more hours at the most. Yvonne died about six and half hours later. The miracle here is that Yvonne had not suffered very long. Two weeks earlier I had walked and visited with her. Mark, Kim, and Erica witnessed God taking their mother home, and Christ's love shone in a little Hispanic day-laborer's small act of kindness. A week later we gathered and spread her ashes. We prayed and cried, but it was a good day.
God is with you. Through good and bad. Through triumph and sorrow. He loves you. Look for Him and you will see him.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
When Christians hurt Christianity
The older I get and the more I come to understand about God's Word, the body of Christ, the Priesthood of all believers, and God's Grace, the more upset I get at those Christians who attack, belittle, and show NO agape love of others. Now I've always considered those like the Westboro Baptist cult as extremists and fringe groups that are heretical likened to the early heresies suffered in the Church of the first three centuries. Then I started listening to Christian Radio. Some of it is wonderful and uplifting-sharing the Good News as the Great Commission requires of all Christians. But other things I heard on the radio greatly upset me. I don't believe you can lead anyone to God's Saving Grace by telling them that they are evil and going to burn in Hell for eternity. Or that if someone believes in evolution, they are damned for eternity.
Here is a message for all Christians: Only God Saves! You can point the way, but only the Holy Spirit can change hearts, and only by the precious blood of Christ is anyone saved.
Jesus sought out the sinners, ate with them, taught them, loved them. He didn't stay in the clean walls of the synagogues with the Pharisees who sought pure cleanliness and holier-than-thou attitudes. There is a HUGE lesson there for us. He also spoke more about judgementalism than love! Uh-oh. What lesson do we take from that?
Do I believe Hell exists? Yes. But I think Hell is truly the total absence of God's love and spirit. And if you are a Christian, then you know this is a fate worse than eternal burning. Jesus referred to Hell as Gehenna. Gehenna was the trash pit outside of Jerusalem where all the trash was burned on a daily basis. The trash existed, was destroyed, and was no more.
No one is saved by being told they are going to burn in Hell. They are led to Christ by Christians living the Christian life, and offering the love of God and acceptance to those who have not known it. Walk the Walk, don't just talk the talk. Be what he has called us to be.
We can disagree on many, many issues, but if you teach anything more than Grace, you are missing the point. Read the words of Christ. What does He say? Love you neighbor as yourself. Give to the poor, feed the hungry, cloth those that need it, visit those in prison, help the widows and the orphans. Love your enemies. Pray for them.
He did not cut them off from His fellowship. If you cast out sinners, then none will ever be in the Church. I have news for all of you. You and I are sinners. None of us will ever stand before God in a sinless state.
Now as to sin. Only man places degrees of horribleness on sin. God is pure and all sin is an anathema to Him. That means the little ones (using God's name in vain) and the big ones (murder, rape) are all the same to Him!
Do NOT be a Pharisee. Seek understanding, wisdom, and friendship with those who are not Christians. Let them learn by your example. Pray, love, and seek peace in all situations.
We can disagree and still be Christians, but you will never lead others into a relationship with God by bashing, attacking, or other radical actions or words. Be an instrument of God's love, or get out of His way. If you are the cause of others turning away from God and you call yourself a Christian, than I think you will have a difficult time on that day when you stand before him and he reviews what you did and said in this life!
What have you done lately to show the love of Christ to others? What have you said? Where is your heart? Who has come to see God in you?
That is the Great Commission. If you call yourself a Christian, put up or shut up!
Praying for you,
Ed
Here is a message for all Christians: Only God Saves! You can point the way, but only the Holy Spirit can change hearts, and only by the precious blood of Christ is anyone saved.
Jesus sought out the sinners, ate with them, taught them, loved them. He didn't stay in the clean walls of the synagogues with the Pharisees who sought pure cleanliness and holier-than-thou attitudes. There is a HUGE lesson there for us. He also spoke more about judgementalism than love! Uh-oh. What lesson do we take from that?
Do I believe Hell exists? Yes. But I think Hell is truly the total absence of God's love and spirit. And if you are a Christian, then you know this is a fate worse than eternal burning. Jesus referred to Hell as Gehenna. Gehenna was the trash pit outside of Jerusalem where all the trash was burned on a daily basis. The trash existed, was destroyed, and was no more.
No one is saved by being told they are going to burn in Hell. They are led to Christ by Christians living the Christian life, and offering the love of God and acceptance to those who have not known it. Walk the Walk, don't just talk the talk. Be what he has called us to be.
We can disagree on many, many issues, but if you teach anything more than Grace, you are missing the point. Read the words of Christ. What does He say? Love you neighbor as yourself. Give to the poor, feed the hungry, cloth those that need it, visit those in prison, help the widows and the orphans. Love your enemies. Pray for them.
He did not cut them off from His fellowship. If you cast out sinners, then none will ever be in the Church. I have news for all of you. You and I are sinners. None of us will ever stand before God in a sinless state.
Now as to sin. Only man places degrees of horribleness on sin. God is pure and all sin is an anathema to Him. That means the little ones (using God's name in vain) and the big ones (murder, rape) are all the same to Him!
Do NOT be a Pharisee. Seek understanding, wisdom, and friendship with those who are not Christians. Let them learn by your example. Pray, love, and seek peace in all situations.
We can disagree and still be Christians, but you will never lead others into a relationship with God by bashing, attacking, or other radical actions or words. Be an instrument of God's love, or get out of His way. If you are the cause of others turning away from God and you call yourself a Christian, than I think you will have a difficult time on that day when you stand before him and he reviews what you did and said in this life!
What have you done lately to show the love of Christ to others? What have you said? Where is your heart? Who has come to see God in you?
That is the Great Commission. If you call yourself a Christian, put up or shut up!
Praying for you,
Ed
Monday, October 11, 2010
Early Christian Teachers: Philo of Alexandria c15 B.C. to c. 50 A.D.
Okay. Philo was not a Christian, but a Jewish philosopher and interpreter of the Torah. However his ideas of studying would greatly influence the early Christians.
Philo was a Hellenistic (Greek) Jew. He was one of the first to combine the logical processes of the Greeks with the truths of Judaism. He was a Stoic. Stoicism was a type of Greek philosophy founded in Athens in the early 3rd century B.C. They believed that strong emotions resulted in errors in judgment and strove to separate themselves from such emotion. They were very interested in the free will of humanity compared to the gods, or God. They sought to use logical processes to understand the cosmic universe.
Philo regarded the Torah as the "source not only of religious revelation, but also of philosophic truth." (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=281&letter=P) He wrote commentaries on Jewish law and he also wrote in allegory searching for the inner truths and meanings of the Torah, not just the literal ones. In fact, he often rejected any literal sense of scriptural passages if it raised any type of factual contradiction. He also pointed out that what the scriptures didn't literally state was also important, and that a single word is often the key to true interpretation. He believed that each word should be studied for the inner meaning or truth of the passage.
"According to Philo, God transcends all first principles,...is incorporeal and cannot even be said to occupy a space or place; He is eternal, changeless, self-sufficient and free from all constraint or necessity (cf. Tripolitis 1978, pp. 5-6 ff.). God freely willed the creation of the cosmos, first in a purely intellectual manner, and then, through the agency of His Logos (Philo's philosophical term for the Wisdom figure of Proverbs 8:22)....Philo calls the thoughts of the Logos "rational seeds" (logoi spermatikoi), and describes them as having a role in the production of the cosmos which, he insists, was brought into being out of non-being by the agency of God." [http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/neoplatonism.htm]
Christians took to the idea of the Logos. In fact the introduction of the Book of John in the New Testament has seeds of Philo's writings such as using the term "Word" translated as "Logos." He also taught that God helps His followers based on their love and devotion to him and their fellow man.
Many early Christian teachers would follow his Hellenistic example of understanding the verses through Allegory, word meanings, and the silence of the scriptures. These included Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Augustine.
It should be noted that many of the Jews of Judea did not accept his teachings as they were opposed to the teachings of the Pharasees at that time.
What does all this mean? Human beings have struggled to understand the Bible for thousands of years. Some view a literal interpretation of everything in it. Some look for the allegorical truths, while others debate the meanings of the words. I think all of this together in the Weslayan tradition should be studied, prayed over, and the truths sought out.
Philo was a Hellenistic (Greek) Jew. He was one of the first to combine the logical processes of the Greeks with the truths of Judaism. He was a Stoic. Stoicism was a type of Greek philosophy founded in Athens in the early 3rd century B.C. They believed that strong emotions resulted in errors in judgment and strove to separate themselves from such emotion. They were very interested in the free will of humanity compared to the gods, or God. They sought to use logical processes to understand the cosmic universe.
Philo regarded the Torah as the "source not only of religious revelation, but also of philosophic truth." (http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=281&letter=P) He wrote commentaries on Jewish law and he also wrote in allegory searching for the inner truths and meanings of the Torah, not just the literal ones. In fact, he often rejected any literal sense of scriptural passages if it raised any type of factual contradiction. He also pointed out that what the scriptures didn't literally state was also important, and that a single word is often the key to true interpretation. He believed that each word should be studied for the inner meaning or truth of the passage.
"According to Philo, God transcends all first principles,...is incorporeal and cannot even be said to occupy a space or place; He is eternal, changeless, self-sufficient and free from all constraint or necessity (cf. Tripolitis 1978, pp. 5-6 ff.). God freely willed the creation of the cosmos, first in a purely intellectual manner, and then, through the agency of His Logos (Philo's philosophical term for the Wisdom figure of Proverbs 8:22)....Philo calls the thoughts of the Logos "rational seeds" (logoi spermatikoi), and describes them as having a role in the production of the cosmos which, he insists, was brought into being out of non-being by the agency of God." [http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/neoplatonism.htm]
Christians took to the idea of the Logos. In fact the introduction of the Book of John in the New Testament has seeds of Philo's writings such as using the term "Word" translated as "Logos." He also taught that God helps His followers based on their love and devotion to him and their fellow man.
Many early Christian teachers would follow his Hellenistic example of understanding the verses through Allegory, word meanings, and the silence of the scriptures. These included Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Augustine.
It should be noted that many of the Jews of Judea did not accept his teachings as they were opposed to the teachings of the Pharasees at that time.
What does all this mean? Human beings have struggled to understand the Bible for thousands of years. Some view a literal interpretation of everything in it. Some look for the allegorical truths, while others debate the meanings of the words. I think all of this together in the Weslayan tradition should be studied, prayed over, and the truths sought out.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Why Were the Early Christians Hated and Persecuted?
The early Christians of Jerusalem, as I've already discussed, were seen as a Jewish sect. Paul came to the Jerusalem Council and argued to allow Gentiles (non-Jews) to become Christians. As more gentiles joined the fold, many true Jews were upset, and they were angry with some of the teachings of the Christians. Remember the martyrdom of Stephen. Following the Stephen's murder, the Christians fled Jerusalem and spread the Gospel throughout Judea and into Asia-Minor (Turkey) and North Africa, as well as throughout the Roman Empire.
The Romans worshipped and sacrificed to many gods, while the Christians denied the existance of any god, but the one true God. The Christians practiced Communion in secret, and rumors developed about Christians being cannibals (eating the body and drinking blood). Christians also stood against the status quo and were revolutionary with their teachings such as Love your enemies, and that slaves could be rewarded equally with the rich and the nobles in Christ's service. In fact in Galatians 3:28, Paul stated that there was neither Jew nor Greek, neither "slave nor free, there is neither male nor female." This type of talk was very offensive to the castes of the Romans.
The Romans were also fed up with the Jewish zealots and revolts throughout Judea that had been occurring for almost a hundred years. Around 50 A.D. during a Passover ceremony, a Roman guard "mooned" the Jewish elect and chaos and rioting resulted. When all was over, nearly 30,000 Jews were killed. Eventually Jewish zealots attacked Roman outposts and Nero sent General Vespasian to end the problem. Soon after, Vespasian was crowned the Roman emperor. On August 5, 70 A.D. the Romans conquered Jerusalem and burned the temple mount to the ground. Following this tragedy the Jewish leaders of the Diaspora (the time of scattering througout all the lands of the world), began to exclude other groups, such as the Christians. Timothy Paul Jones, a modern scholar and minister, writes that by "90 A.D. the weekly synagogue prayers included a curse against" the Christians.
Emperor Domitian (son of Vespasian) continued persecuting all Jewish groups, including the Christians. Then Emperor Trajan also persecuted the Christians. Christians were considered outlaws and criminals and were hunted down, killed in the arenas, burned, and crucified. Many of the early Christians began to believe that they could earn their way to Heaven by dying as martyrs, though most of the leaders of the Church taught against this early "heresy." By the mid-100s, many Christian leaders became known as apologists, as they argued to prove that Christians were not criminals or outlaws.
The Christian God was different from the Roman ones. He was a personal savior. He had suffered and died. He understood human suffering and loss. Despite all the persecution and violence, Christianity continued to grow throughout the Roman Empire, as people sought this personal relationship with a loving God. It has been said the Church grows more when it is persecuted. This may be true, it certainly was in the Roman days.
God did not promise anything in this life, but peace and joy of the soul in relationship with Him. To the early Christians, that was enough.
The Romans worshipped and sacrificed to many gods, while the Christians denied the existance of any god, but the one true God. The Christians practiced Communion in secret, and rumors developed about Christians being cannibals (eating the body and drinking blood). Christians also stood against the status quo and were revolutionary with their teachings such as Love your enemies, and that slaves could be rewarded equally with the rich and the nobles in Christ's service. In fact in Galatians 3:28, Paul stated that there was neither Jew nor Greek, neither "slave nor free, there is neither male nor female." This type of talk was very offensive to the castes of the Romans.
The Romans were also fed up with the Jewish zealots and revolts throughout Judea that had been occurring for almost a hundred years. Around 50 A.D. during a Passover ceremony, a Roman guard "mooned" the Jewish elect and chaos and rioting resulted. When all was over, nearly 30,000 Jews were killed. Eventually Jewish zealots attacked Roman outposts and Nero sent General Vespasian to end the problem. Soon after, Vespasian was crowned the Roman emperor. On August 5, 70 A.D. the Romans conquered Jerusalem and burned the temple mount to the ground. Following this tragedy the Jewish leaders of the Diaspora (the time of scattering througout all the lands of the world), began to exclude other groups, such as the Christians. Timothy Paul Jones, a modern scholar and minister, writes that by "90 A.D. the weekly synagogue prayers included a curse against" the Christians.
Emperor Domitian (son of Vespasian) continued persecuting all Jewish groups, including the Christians. Then Emperor Trajan also persecuted the Christians. Christians were considered outlaws and criminals and were hunted down, killed in the arenas, burned, and crucified. Many of the early Christians began to believe that they could earn their way to Heaven by dying as martyrs, though most of the leaders of the Church taught against this early "heresy." By the mid-100s, many Christian leaders became known as apologists, as they argued to prove that Christians were not criminals or outlaws.
The Christian God was different from the Roman ones. He was a personal savior. He had suffered and died. He understood human suffering and loss. Despite all the persecution and violence, Christianity continued to grow throughout the Roman Empire, as people sought this personal relationship with a loving God. It has been said the Church grows more when it is persecuted. This may be true, it certainly was in the Roman days.
God did not promise anything in this life, but peace and joy of the soul in relationship with Him. To the early Christians, that was enough.
The Apostles
The 12 Disciples of Jesus were chosen to experience his ministry first hand and following his crucifixion and resurrection the 11 remaining were caught up in the Holy Fire of the Holy Spirit and set out to work in his service.
Christians are not promised success, wealth, or even good health in this life. Sorry to the mega success churches out there, but they got it wrong. The proof. Here is what happened to the Apostles:
1. Simon-Peter: The Fisherman who was chosen by Jesus to the the Rock of his Church (to establish Christianity), the only human to ever walk on water (though he ultimately failed when he took his eyes off Jesus), the one who swore to never deny Christ, though he did three times in one night, and after the ressurrection-it was Peter who Jesus told to "Feed my sheep." He eventually made his way to Rome where he was crucified during Nero's persecution of the Christians. Nero blamed the Christians for setting Rome on fire in 65 A.D., making them scapegoats for what many believe was his plan to rebuild Rome. Peter refused to be crucified as Jesus had been, "I'm not worthy." Instead tradition states he was crucified upside down and suffered a horrible death.
2. James-Son of Zebedee, one of the first chosen by Jesus, and witness to the transfiguration. Following the first wave of anti-Christian rioting with the murder of Stephen, James is said to have traveled to Spain, then after a vision, returned home to be beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in 44 A.D.
3. John-Son of Zebedee, one of the first chosen by Jesus, witness to the transfiguration, member of the Jerusalem ruling council, and the only disciple to remain with Jesus' mother at the foot of the cross watching Jesus die. John is the one "Jesus loved," though he obviously loved them all. He lived to be very old and died in 100 A.D. after recieving many prophetic visions. He was the only Apostle that died of natural causes.
4. Andrew, brother of Simon-Peter, an original follower of John the Baptist and then Jesus, and later he spread the Gospel to north of the Black Sea, and to the new city of Byzantium. He was crucified in Patras in Greece. Like Simon-Peter, he begged not to be crucified as Jesus had been, but instead was tied to a cross that made an X now known as Saint Andrew's Cross.
5. Philip. He preached to the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews. Tradition states that he converted the wife of the Roman Proconsul in Heirapolis. The Proconsul was so angry he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Mariamne tortured and then crucified Philip and Bartholomew upside-down, but Philip continued to preach from the cross. The crowd, converted, and released Bartholomew, but Philip refused to be released and died on the cross. Another legend has him beheaded in Hierapolis. Either way, he was probably killed there for his teachings.
6. Bartholomew (Nathaniel). The Apostle usually linked with Philip. Following the resurrection, tradition states he traveled to India through Mesopotamia and Armenia. Stories tell that he was flayed alive, and crucified, head downward by the brother of the King of Armenia after he converted the King to Christianity. Other stories state he was beheaded in Armenia.
7. Matthew. He followed Jesus and was a witness to the resurrection and ascension of Christ. He lived in the upper room with Mary and other Christians in Jerusalem. He preached the Gospel throughout Judea and later to Ethiopia, Greece, and Persia. He may have died of natural causes, but the Catholic church claim he died a martyrs death.
8. Thomas, the one who doubted. He may have also been known as Judas (no not that one, he is listed later). It is believed he traveled to India and preached the Good News until about 72 A.D., when he upset Madai, a local king at mylapore. Madai ordered Thomas to be taken to a nearby mountain, be allowed to pray, then they stoned and stabbled him to death.
9. James the lesser, the Just. According to tradition he may have been a early leader of the Christian sect in Jerusalem following the Ascencion of Christ. Tradition states he was martyred by being beaten to death by a club at Ostrakine in Lower Egypt while preaching the Gospel.
10. Jude, possibly also known as Thaddeus. According to Armenian tradition he was martyred in 65 A.D. in Beirut, Lebanon.
11. Simon the Zealot. He wanted to free Israel from the Romans and like Judas Iscariot, probably wanted Jesus to be a warrior king rather than the Prince of Peace. After the Ascension, Simon evangelized with Jude in Egypt, Persia, and Armenia. There are many traditions about his death and possible martyrdom. Justus Lipsius writes that Simon was sawed in half at Suanir, Persia. Others state he was martyred in Spain, Britain, or even was killed in the Jewish revolt against Rome. Only one states he died peacefully in Edessa.
12. Judas Iscariot. The Betrayer of Christ. He may have committed suicide after the betrayal, some traditions state his innards burst out of his body, some state he grew enormous and was crushed by a chariot, and one even states that the other disciples stoned him to death. I go with the Gospel of Matthew and believe he killed himself, probably by a sword or dagger to the gut (hence the field of blood reference).
13. Matthais. Judas Iscariot's replacement following the Ascension. An early historian, Nicephorus wrote that Matthais taught in Judea, then in the modern region of Georgia (no not the state, the nation near Russia) where he was crucified in Colchis. Another tradition states he was stoned in Jerusalem by the Jewish rulers and beheaded.
So. Only one for sure, and possibly two of the original Apostles lived a long life and died of natural causes. We are not assured of peace, health, or success in this life. We are assured that we are saved in the next life with Jesus in eternal worship and joy. We are promised earthly joy in Christ. If you have a personal relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will comfort and guide you, and your earthly days will be a monument to His grace, love, and forgiveness.
De Colores.
Christians are not promised success, wealth, or even good health in this life. Sorry to the mega success churches out there, but they got it wrong. The proof. Here is what happened to the Apostles:
1. Simon-Peter: The Fisherman who was chosen by Jesus to the the Rock of his Church (to establish Christianity), the only human to ever walk on water (though he ultimately failed when he took his eyes off Jesus), the one who swore to never deny Christ, though he did three times in one night, and after the ressurrection-it was Peter who Jesus told to "Feed my sheep." He eventually made his way to Rome where he was crucified during Nero's persecution of the Christians. Nero blamed the Christians for setting Rome on fire in 65 A.D., making them scapegoats for what many believe was his plan to rebuild Rome. Peter refused to be crucified as Jesus had been, "I'm not worthy." Instead tradition states he was crucified upside down and suffered a horrible death.
2. James-Son of Zebedee, one of the first chosen by Jesus, and witness to the transfiguration. Following the first wave of anti-Christian rioting with the murder of Stephen, James is said to have traveled to Spain, then after a vision, returned home to be beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in 44 A.D.
3. John-Son of Zebedee, one of the first chosen by Jesus, witness to the transfiguration, member of the Jerusalem ruling council, and the only disciple to remain with Jesus' mother at the foot of the cross watching Jesus die. John is the one "Jesus loved," though he obviously loved them all. He lived to be very old and died in 100 A.D. after recieving many prophetic visions. He was the only Apostle that died of natural causes.
4. Andrew, brother of Simon-Peter, an original follower of John the Baptist and then Jesus, and later he spread the Gospel to north of the Black Sea, and to the new city of Byzantium. He was crucified in Patras in Greece. Like Simon-Peter, he begged not to be crucified as Jesus had been, but instead was tied to a cross that made an X now known as Saint Andrew's Cross.
5. Philip. He preached to the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews. Tradition states that he converted the wife of the Roman Proconsul in Heirapolis. The Proconsul was so angry he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Mariamne tortured and then crucified Philip and Bartholomew upside-down, but Philip continued to preach from the cross. The crowd, converted, and released Bartholomew, but Philip refused to be released and died on the cross. Another legend has him beheaded in Hierapolis. Either way, he was probably killed there for his teachings.
6. Bartholomew (Nathaniel). The Apostle usually linked with Philip. Following the resurrection, tradition states he traveled to India through Mesopotamia and Armenia. Stories tell that he was flayed alive, and crucified, head downward by the brother of the King of Armenia after he converted the King to Christianity. Other stories state he was beheaded in Armenia.
7. Matthew. He followed Jesus and was a witness to the resurrection and ascension of Christ. He lived in the upper room with Mary and other Christians in Jerusalem. He preached the Gospel throughout Judea and later to Ethiopia, Greece, and Persia. He may have died of natural causes, but the Catholic church claim he died a martyrs death.
8. Thomas, the one who doubted. He may have also been known as Judas (no not that one, he is listed later). It is believed he traveled to India and preached the Good News until about 72 A.D., when he upset Madai, a local king at mylapore. Madai ordered Thomas to be taken to a nearby mountain, be allowed to pray, then they stoned and stabbled him to death.
9. James the lesser, the Just. According to tradition he may have been a early leader of the Christian sect in Jerusalem following the Ascencion of Christ. Tradition states he was martyred by being beaten to death by a club at Ostrakine in Lower Egypt while preaching the Gospel.
10. Jude, possibly also known as Thaddeus. According to Armenian tradition he was martyred in 65 A.D. in Beirut, Lebanon.
11. Simon the Zealot. He wanted to free Israel from the Romans and like Judas Iscariot, probably wanted Jesus to be a warrior king rather than the Prince of Peace. After the Ascension, Simon evangelized with Jude in Egypt, Persia, and Armenia. There are many traditions about his death and possible martyrdom. Justus Lipsius writes that Simon was sawed in half at Suanir, Persia. Others state he was martyred in Spain, Britain, or even was killed in the Jewish revolt against Rome. Only one states he died peacefully in Edessa.
12. Judas Iscariot. The Betrayer of Christ. He may have committed suicide after the betrayal, some traditions state his innards burst out of his body, some state he grew enormous and was crushed by a chariot, and one even states that the other disciples stoned him to death. I go with the Gospel of Matthew and believe he killed himself, probably by a sword or dagger to the gut (hence the field of blood reference).
13. Matthais. Judas Iscariot's replacement following the Ascension. An early historian, Nicephorus wrote that Matthais taught in Judea, then in the modern region of Georgia (no not the state, the nation near Russia) where he was crucified in Colchis. Another tradition states he was stoned in Jerusalem by the Jewish rulers and beheaded.
So. Only one for sure, and possibly two of the original Apostles lived a long life and died of natural causes. We are not assured of peace, health, or success in this life. We are assured that we are saved in the next life with Jesus in eternal worship and joy. We are promised earthly joy in Christ. If you have a personal relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will comfort and guide you, and your earthly days will be a monument to His grace, love, and forgiveness.
De Colores.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Peter's Life
The Apostle Peter
Simon was a simple fisherman. Jesus chose him to become “fishers of men.” Can you imagine meeting someone, they ask you to leave everything you have, all the people in your life, your job, perhaps even a wife and children, and you do? Obviously there was power with Jesus and charisma that drew people to him.
Simon’s brother is the Apostle Andrew and their father was John of Jonah from the village of Bethsaida in Galilee. Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist and had witnessed John announce Jesus as the Lamb of God. Andrew then went to Simon and and brought him to hear Jesus. Simon owned a fishing boat and was listening to Jesus teach on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. The crowd was pressing closely to Jesus, and He used Simon’s boat to stand on to preach to the masses. Jesus then performed a miracle by having Simon, and his fishing buddies, James and John, lower their nets and catch a large number of fish. Amazed, they decided to follow him.
Later, Peter is called upon by Christ to establish the Christian Church. “And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church.” (Matthew 16: 18-19. Peter or Petra is translated to be “rock,” though there was some controversy in the translation from the Hebrew and Greek. Jesus then said to Peter in verse 19, “I will give to thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” According to Acts 1-2, 10-11, 15, Peter is the leader of the early church of Jerusalem and church traditions state he later moved to Rome and established the Church there.
The Protestant view is that Jesus is not referring to Peter when talking about the rock, but referring to Peter’s confession of faith in the preceding versus. This would mean that the Church would be built upon the foundation of “revelation of and confession of faith of Jesus as the Christ.” Even this is debated amongst Protestant Church historians.
Does this debate matter? Yes and no. Yes if you are proving the primacy of Peter as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, or if you are teaching that faith is the rock that would establish the Christian church on earth. No when it comes to salvation. Some things we can put on a shelf and trust that God knows what we do not.
After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter established the church in Antioch and preached to other churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and Bithynia. He was arraigned before the Jewish Sanhedrin twice for preaching the Good News and directly defied their orders. He supported Paul and the evangelizing to the Gentiles.
When the persecutions began he fled Jerusalem and went to Rome to establish Christianity there. Jesus had told him, “when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you do not want to go.” Many believe Peter was crucified at Rome. He was placed on an upside down cross as he did not consider himself to die the same way as his master. This was probably during the time of the great fire of Rome in the year 64. Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome and had many rounded up and crucified for it.
Now consider this. Peter loved Jesus as a disciple, but denied him three times on the day of his crucifixion. He was human and afraid for his own life. Then following Pentecost, he was on fire for Christ, willing to go anywhere, face any hardship, to teach the saving news that Christ loves us, died for us, so we could have everlasting life with him. He was a Christian. He faced death on an upside down cross to serve the Lord.
Christianity does not promise an easy life on this earth. However, it is a life of peace, understanding, love of others, and service that makes this life worthwhile. Christianity offers us a new way to live as brothers and sisters in a Society of Agape, and promises everlasting life with our Savior and with our loved ones.
Consider Peter’s story of Christian growth from denial to facing death on a cross to srve the God he loved.
What are you called to do? How can you serve? I ask myself this everyday and though I fail most days, I keep this truth close to my heart. Am I serving Him today? Am I living an authentic Christian witness? What can I do differently?
Love to all,
Ed
Simon was a simple fisherman. Jesus chose him to become “fishers of men.” Can you imagine meeting someone, they ask you to leave everything you have, all the people in your life, your job, perhaps even a wife and children, and you do? Obviously there was power with Jesus and charisma that drew people to him.
Simon’s brother is the Apostle Andrew and their father was John of Jonah from the village of Bethsaida in Galilee. Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist and had witnessed John announce Jesus as the Lamb of God. Andrew then went to Simon and and brought him to hear Jesus. Simon owned a fishing boat and was listening to Jesus teach on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. The crowd was pressing closely to Jesus, and He used Simon’s boat to stand on to preach to the masses. Jesus then performed a miracle by having Simon, and his fishing buddies, James and John, lower their nets and catch a large number of fish. Amazed, they decided to follow him.
Later, Peter is called upon by Christ to establish the Christian Church. “And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church.” (Matthew 16: 18-19. Peter or Petra is translated to be “rock,” though there was some controversy in the translation from the Hebrew and Greek. Jesus then said to Peter in verse 19, “I will give to thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” According to Acts 1-2, 10-11, 15, Peter is the leader of the early church of Jerusalem and church traditions state he later moved to Rome and established the Church there.
The Protestant view is that Jesus is not referring to Peter when talking about the rock, but referring to Peter’s confession of faith in the preceding versus. This would mean that the Church would be built upon the foundation of “revelation of and confession of faith of Jesus as the Christ.” Even this is debated amongst Protestant Church historians.
Does this debate matter? Yes and no. Yes if you are proving the primacy of Peter as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, or if you are teaching that faith is the rock that would establish the Christian church on earth. No when it comes to salvation. Some things we can put on a shelf and trust that God knows what we do not.
After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter established the church in Antioch and preached to other churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and Bithynia. He was arraigned before the Jewish Sanhedrin twice for preaching the Good News and directly defied their orders. He supported Paul and the evangelizing to the Gentiles.
When the persecutions began he fled Jerusalem and went to Rome to establish Christianity there. Jesus had told him, “when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you do not want to go.” Many believe Peter was crucified at Rome. He was placed on an upside down cross as he did not consider himself to die the same way as his master. This was probably during the time of the great fire of Rome in the year 64. Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome and had many rounded up and crucified for it.
Now consider this. Peter loved Jesus as a disciple, but denied him three times on the day of his crucifixion. He was human and afraid for his own life. Then following Pentecost, he was on fire for Christ, willing to go anywhere, face any hardship, to teach the saving news that Christ loves us, died for us, so we could have everlasting life with him. He was a Christian. He faced death on an upside down cross to serve the Lord.
Christianity does not promise an easy life on this earth. However, it is a life of peace, understanding, love of others, and service that makes this life worthwhile. Christianity offers us a new way to live as brothers and sisters in a Society of Agape, and promises everlasting life with our Savior and with our loved ones.
Consider Peter’s story of Christian growth from denial to facing death on a cross to srve the God he loved.
What are you called to do? How can you serve? I ask myself this everyday and though I fail most days, I keep this truth close to my heart. Am I serving Him today? Am I living an authentic Christian witness? What can I do differently?
Love to all,
Ed
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