Spiritual Formation (Relationship with God part 2)

Feel free to click the follow button here on the right and get notified when ➜  each new blog is posted.

“… [Simon Peter] fell down at Jesus’s feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Luke 5:8)

“… [A] man ran up to Him and knelt before [Jesus], and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” … Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “… go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. (Mark 10:17-22 NASB)

            

          Our last blog mentioned that new, old, steady, strained, and broken relationships are a universal experience of the human condition.  Perhaps we remember a childhood friend that we’ve not seen or heard from in decades.  Those kinds of relationships are relationships in name only, with no actual current association.  In the above scriptures, we meet Simon Peter and a nameless man, both of whom it’s safe to assume are second-temple Jews[i].  Peter’s story happens before he is designated an apostle (Mt. 10:2) and after he, Andrew, James and John had fished all night, but caught nothing.  Then by listening to Jesus, they catch so many fish their boat begins to sink (Lk. 5:7).  This makes Peter aware that Jesus is someone important.  Based on his confession, it is likely he understood Jesus to be a holy person, possibly a prophet of God.

          On the other hand, the anonymous man comes to Jesus seeking eternal life.  This story appears in all three of the Synoptic Gospels.  We can see that he is a religious person, saying that since his youth he has obeyed the commandments (Lk. 18:20-21).  However, he is not able to part with his riches and turns away, not following Jesus.  The man’s question regarding eternal life reveals that he was influenced more by Pharisaic Judaism than Sadduceeic Judaism, since they didn't believe in life after death (Mt. 22:23).  All of this to make it clear, that this is a person who knows there is a God and even has some right beliefs about Him.

          It could be stated then, that since their infancy, both Peter and this man had a covenantal relationship with the God of Israel.  It seems that both had a genuine belief in God through their religion.  Both were called from an old relationship into a deeper relationship, but what kept the man from answering yes?  Perhaps we could all reflect on our relationship with God and ask, is it an old relationship, or even a relationship in name only?

          We could continue surveying types of relationships with God from the scriptures. Samuel or Enoch could be examples of a steady relationship.  Moses or Elijah could be examples of strained.  The kingdom periods of both Israel and Judah could be examples of broken, and to examine these would give us great insight. However, starting next week, we’ll begin exploring how we have relationship with God through communication, starting first with hearing from God through His word. 

Written by Pastor Ozzy

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

---

[i] Second-temple Judaism is a designation for Jewish traditions between 538 BC and AD 70, this was the time of the second temple.  It was constructed after the Jews returned from exile and was destroyed by Titus Vespasian during the Jewish Roman wars.

For more information, visit our website
http://ccvmontrose.org
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ccvmontrose
Or on Twitter
https://twitter.com/ccvmontroseco

Spiritual Formation (Relationship with God)

Feel free to click the follow button here on the right and get notified ➜ when each new blog is posted.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Gen. 3:22-23)

The purpose of the Edenic expulsion was to prevent eating from the tree of life and thereby to live forever in a fallen state; however, it has also cause us to forget that we were created for relationship with God.  Almost everyone has new, old, steady, strained, and broken relationships, these are universal experiences.  These relationships can also be seen in the Bible.  Notice that unlike Noah (Gen. 5:7-29), it seems when Abraham is called there is no reason from the Genesis account to assume Abraham already had a relationship with God.  In fact, there are ancient Jewish legends outside of the Bible that Abraham’s father Terah was an idol maker (Ginzberg, Kindle location 2061)[1].

            Therefore, it seems that the Lord’s relationship with Abram (Gen. 12) is a new relationship.  In a new relationship, there is learning about each other.  Notice that Abram believed God when He promised a biological child (Gen. 15).  However, when Abram tried according to his will to bring about its fulfillment, his action of polygamy (Gen. 16:1-4) mirrored the practices of the ungodly line of Cain (Gen. 4:19).  On the contrary, it was God’s intention for Abram’s first wife Sarai to be the mother of the child of promise.  Could this be a case of Abram needing to know the Lord better?

            

            There may be another example when Abraham is tested by the Lord (Gen. 22).  In a classic movie, when the Lord tests Abraham, he questions Him, “Are you really the Lord my God?” (Scott 1966).  However, consider that Abraham was called out of a pagan and idolatrous culture.  To us, human sacrifices sound like a barbaric ritual of the unenlightened, but to Abraham, was it a normal religious practice from his culture?  Perhaps, when the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham and stopped him from sacrificing (Gen. 21:15-16), God was revealing more of His character to Abraham.  Was He saying, “You imagine a god similar to the gods of your culture; however, I AM a God much different than those gods worshiped by the pagans.”

            

            Therefore, in the new relationship, Abraham had to learn who God really was.  In like manner, we may follow the gods of our culture, or we can learn from the Bible about the character and nature of the true and living God.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

Ginzberg, Louis. 2011. Legends of the Jews. Amazon Digital Services LLC.

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

1966. The Bible: In The Beginning. Directed by John Huston. Performed by George C. Scott.

---

[1] This type of Midrash is called Aggadah (lore) and was never understood literally and is not doctrine.


For more information, visit our website
http://ccvmontrose.org
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ccvmontrose
Or on Twitter
https://twitter.com/ccvmontroseco

Spiritual Formation (From church to individual)

“…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together…” (Heb. 10:24 -25a NASB).

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NASB).

           

            Perhaps you've heard of the blind men and the elephant parable from India.  In this parable one blind person touches the elephant’s trunk and concludes that an elephant is like a snake.  Another touches the elephant’s ear and concludes that an elephant is very thin and flimsy.  Another touches his leg and concludes that an elephant is very large and thick.  The point is that each is only understanding one part of an elephant but missing the bigger picture.  An elephant is more than a trunk, ears, tusks, legs, body and a tail; moreover, the whole is the sum of the parts.  In a similar way, we cannot be formed into Christ by only focusing on one part of our lives.  Also, we cannot keep beating the drum on why the Christian life is meant for community.  Hopefully, you've seen this truth from scripture and the witness of Christians that have gone before us.

            Paul’s illustration of the Church being a body in 1^st Corinthian 12, is an easy picture to understand.  The body is made of different parts, i.e. hands, eyes, ears, mouth, nose and so on.  The Church is made of people who are different and gifted in different areas for ministry.  An eye cannot say to a hand, I don’t need you and in the same way, one Christian cannot say to another, I don’t need you.  An eye cannot say that because they are not a hand, they are not part of the body, in the same way, a Christian cannot see another Christian using their gifts and conclude that since they are not gifted the same way, they are not part of the Church.  Therefore, it is not a complicated metaphor, the only question is, will you obey the scriptures?

            However, our formation is a personal and individual venture as well.  The prophet Hosea describes the people of his day as egocentric vines (10).  There they are said to produce the fruit themselves and when that fruit increased so did their faithlessness and idolatry (v. 1 & 2).  In contrast to that, Jesus describes Himself as the true vine and his followers as the branches.  It is only through His support and nurturing that we can produce fruit and apart from Him we can do nothing.

            Therefore, over the next several blogs, we’ll turn our attention to what it means for Christ to be our vine and for us to be His branches.  Reflecting on the example of the elephant parable, would it be correct to state that part of an elephant is similar to a snake?  However, that is only one part of many.  Similarly, the goal of spiritual formation is not just for one part of ourselves, but all of ourselves to be transformed into Christlikeness.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

For more information, visit our website

http://ccvmontrose.org

Follow us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ccvmontrose

Or on Twitter

https://twitter.com/ccvmontroseco

Spiritual Formation (Church part 3)

Feel free to click the follow button here on the right and get notified when ➜  each new blog is posted.

“I don’t need to go to church [building/service] because I can worship God when I’m _____ (fill in the blank).”

Let us imagine that the earliest followers of Jesus had adopted this attitude towards Church.  Perhaps the book of Acts would have sounded more like this:

Jesus was lifted up as the apostles looked on and a cloud received Him.  After these things, Peter began to understand Jesus’ messiahship and mission as a suffering servant and drew away to himself Mark who is also called John.  Matthew however, understood Jesus to be King of the Jews, the fulfiller of Old Testament prophecies.  Luke does not exist in this alternate timeline, and that shall soon be explained.  Finally, the disciple whom Jesus loved believed that He would best be understood through Greek thought expressed in Jewish terms.  In a similar way, James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew, the other James, Simon and the other-other James all thought they had the best understanding of Jesus, this being only through a personal relationship with Him.  Soon thereafter, the disciples each went their separate ways, preaching their esoteric take on Jesus.  Therefore, there was no three thousand converts at Pentecost, but each disciple drew a small group to them.  They continually devoted themselves to their apostles teaching.  There was no lasting fellowship, breaking of bread or prayer.

Therefore, the Jesus movement splintered into several groups, and the Sanhedrin forgot about it, much like Judas the son of Hezekiah (a messianic claimant who you’ve never heard of, mentioned in Josephus).  Therefore, Saul wasn’t persecuting the Way, and he never joined it, which explains why there is no Luke in this timeline.

Perhaps this is how the alternate New Testament would have ended.

Someone once pointed out that Jesus said, “When you fast…” (Matt. 6:16) and not “If you fast…” the point being that a discipline like fasting should not be regarded as optional.  In the same way, why should the call to fellowship be disregarded?  Can a Christian or group of Christians worship on a weekend camping trip or a day at the lake?  Of course, but it should be asked what form does that worship take?  Is a Bible devotion given?  Did someone bring a guitar for some music worship or do they sing acapella?  Is there prayer time or communion?

Eventually, we will explore the subject of a personal relationship with the Lord; however, this Church subject cannot be overlooked.  Communal worship was part of the Mosaic form of worship, and clearly, New Testament authors saw that communal aspect as vital.  Reflect on Acts 2:42, continual devotion to the apostles teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer.

“Therefore, a Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him.  He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth” (Bonhoeffer, Kindle Location 112).

Written by Pastor Ozzy

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1949. Life Together. Munich: Chr. Kaiser.

For more information, visit our website
http://ccvmontrose.org
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ccvmontrose
Or on Twitter
https://twitter.com/ccvmontroseco

Spiritual Formation (Church part 2)

Feel free to click the follow button here on the right and get notified when ➜  each new blog is posted.

For more information, visit our website

http://ccvmontrose.org

Follow us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ccvmontrose

Or on Twitter

https://twitter.com/ccvmontroseco