How are we different?

What makes a Christian different from a non-Christian?  Yes, I know that we have the eternal God living in us but to the world what do they see?  Christians have the same struggles as non-Christians.  They battle the same temptations, they often live just like their non-Christian neighbours.  So what makes them different?  It is not that they do good deeds, many non-Christians do good deeds and often they do them better.  The answer is that we have the living God with us.  When Moses faced the daunting task of leading the Israelites the Lord said that He would go with them.  Moses replied that he would not go if the Lord did not go with them.  Does the world know that we have the living God with us or do they see us as just another "do-gooder"? 

Miracles

I have been thinking about miracles lately.  I am struck by the fact that most miracles we see today are not action against the natural order but rather restoring the natural order.  Cancer is a result of the fall so the healing of cancer would be making things as they should be.  I think too often we think of the way the world is as natural but really it isn't.  The world is as it is today because man sinned.  Miracles give us a small taste of what the world should be like and will be one day.

Telescope

A couple of Christmases ago my son gave me a powerful reflector telescope.  Though I am not very good with it I have taken time to study the moon and a few stars.  As I looked at the moon I was filled with wonder and  it got me thinking about what ever happened to wonder.
First we have the wonder of creation.  "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  Colossians 1:15 - 17  Do we wonder at creation or has our scientific knowledge made it seen ordinary? 

Second there is the wonder of the church.  Some people may look at the church and say that it is anything but something to wonder about.  "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." Colossians 1:18.  The church is the body of Christ.  If you want to know truth then you need to look to Jesus Christ.

Then there is the wonder of the cross.  We have made the cross so ordinary.  We wear it as jewelry, we put it on bumper stickers, we wear it on t-shirts.  I wonder if this cheapens the cross?  If we want wonder unwrapped in our lives then we need to have a fresh look at the cross. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." Colossians 1:19 - 23

Just a few questions:  What robs us of our sense of wonder?  What gives us a sense of awe?  How do we regain that sense of wonder?  What do we learn about wonder from the cross?

Playful

We visited the Toronto zoo a couple of weeks ago and we watched the otters play in the water.  It reminded me that we don't play enough.  I love to play.  Not just competitive games but silly things like climbing a tree or dressing up or doing puzzles with the grand kids.  When I taught I loved to do fun things with my students.  It is too easy to look at Mathematics as a discipline and not see the fun and joy of it. 

Our God is playful.  Why else would He make the otter the anteater or other such creations.  I sometimes think we miss the playfulness of God because we are too busy defending Him (you cannot defend a lion) or trying to understand Him (how can a finite mind understand the infinite).  Sometimes we just need to enjoy Him and His wonderful creation.

Creation and Redemption Part 3

Continuing with the theme of creation and redemption brings me to the final book of the Bible.  In Revelation 4 we have a scene of worship around the throne in Heaven but the basis of that worship is creation. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”  Revelation 4:11
When you turn to the next chapter you read, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”  Revelation 5:9 - 10  We see the parallel themes of creation and redemption in our worship.  We are called to worship our God because He is both our Creator and our Redeemer.  It is not enough to worship Him because He made us though that is where we must start.  We worship Him because He has redeemed us.

Creation and Redemption Part 2

The theme of redemption runs through the entire Scriptures.  One of the places that we see it is in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  Because we are God's children first by creation and secondly by redemption we must understand what it means to live in light of that theme. 
The Great Commandment is rooted in creation.  Because we are created by God we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love our neighbour as ourselves.  We are to work along side our unbelieving neighbours to help make this world a better place.
However, the Great Commission is different.  It is rooted in redemption.  The role of the church is to make this redemption known to the world through going, teaching and baptising.  The church cannot confuse the two or it will become ineffective in the world. 
When we confuse the two and the church preaches issues like justice and social issues and ignores the Gospel then the church becomes irrelevant.  However, the church must instruct its members to deal with the justice and social issues. 
A great example of this is Newton and Wilberforce.  Newton remained faithful as pastor of his church to proclaim the Gospel but he encouraged Wilberforce as a member of his congregation to fight for justice. 

Creation/Redemption

I have been thinking about different themes through Scripture and one theme is the creation/redemption theme.  We are all God's children in the sense that He created us but those who are believers are also God's children in that He redeemed us. 
In the Ten commandments we read in Exodus 20:8 - 11, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."  Here we see that the basis of the Sabbath is that God is the creator.
However in Deuteronomy 5:12 - 15 we read that the basis of the Sabbath is redemption, "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."
This dual theme creation/redemption is throughout all Scripture.  In Colossians 1 we read that Jesus is the Creator but He is also the redeemer reconciling all thing to Himself.

Letters to a Future Church

A friend lent me a book written by a number of people who wrote letters to a future church.  Some of the letters I liked but some I didn't.  However, the book generally left me frustrated.  It took me awhile to understand why I was frustrated with the book. 

The book generally misses the mark when it comes to the mandate of the church.  Most of the book dealt with what is the mandate for Christians not the church.  Some may say what is the difference, don't Christians make up the church?  Yes they do but there are two different mandates.  The Christian is to fulfill the great commandment.  To love God and to love their neighbour.  This means that Christians should be involved in the community working along side non-Christians when necessary to feed the hungry, to clothe  the poor, to work for justice, to be involved in politics.  That is the responsibility of the Christain.  However, the church is to make disciples by going, baptising and teaching.  The church is to proclaim the Gospel and equip the believers to do the work of ministry.  When the church confuses the Great Commission with the Great Commandment then the Gospel is not proclaimed and the believers fail to fulfill their calling. 

Do I recommend the book?  Yes I do but with the reminder that it is letters to future Christians within the church not to be confused with letters to the church as we read in Revelation.