Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Guidance part 3)

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He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Revelation 2:11a).

Now then, my sons, listen to me and do not depart from the words of my mouth.  Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house, or you will give your vigor to others and your years to the cruel one; And strangers will be filled with your strength and your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien; and you groan at your final end, when your flesh and your body are consumed; and you say, “How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof!  “I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to my instructors! “I was almost in utter ruin in the midst of the assembly and congregation.” (Ibid. Proverbs 5:7-14)

            Of course, no one likes to be told what they are doing wrong.  In such times, we may feel attacked and that will make us move to the defensive.  However, if you are going to engage in Spiritual Guidance, then there may be times that your spiritual life will be scrutinized.  Therefore, trust is necessary in the relationship.  That trust is also a two-way street, because if you’re going to be open to receiving you feedback, then you’re also going to need to act upon it.

            Perhaps, you’re familiar with the saying, “Can’t see the forest through the trees.”  Many of us experience the idea expressed in this phrase and know there are times that we can’t see the big picture.  It takes someone else expressing things from their perspective for us to see the big picture.  This story bears repeating and may explain it better.[1]  In some town, there was an only railroad bridge that passed over the main street.  One time a truck didn’t have enough clearance when it tried to go under that bridge and it became stuck.  There was a little boy who lived nearby, and he came out to watch the commotion.  They tried to back the truck out, but it was stuck good.  They tried to raise the bridge using jacks, but that didn’t work either.  The whole town was in a hubbub, with some people saying they’ll need to cut part of the bridge out.  Others were saying they’ll need to cut part of the truck off.  Then, the little boy said, “Why not let some of the air out of the tires?  That will lower the truck and then it can drive out from the bridge.”

            This story is an excellent example of what a spiritual guidance can be.  You may describe how your truck is stuck under one of life’s bridges and although you’ve tried and tried, it just won’t get unstuck.  A guide can listen, and in a mode of prayer, also listens for the Holy Spirit to bring Scriptures to mind or thoughts from their spiritual journey.  If your guide has a strong Biblical background, understands grace and love, then from their perspective, they may be able to ask questions or make suggestions on how you may continue to grow spiritually.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

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

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[1] Whatever the source of this story, I've long forgotten where I first heard or read it.  It's not mine and probably needs a citation.

Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Guidance part 2)

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For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1 Corinthians 11:18).

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses

trained to discern good and evil (Ibid. Hebrews 5:14).

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love (Ibid. 1 John 4:7-8).

               Often, the young learn from their elders.  You can read in Proverbs, “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom…” (Ibid. 4:7).  A prominent place to acquire wisdom is from those who have been around a while and learned a thing or two about life.  However, age does not always mean maturity.  It’s likely that we’ve all seen adults act like children.  In a small community, there was a group of adults who were unhappy with the leadership of their church and decided to leave*.  However, this group of adults chose to make sure that everyone in their small community knew that they had left that church.  They called other members of the church and told them that they were more spiritual than that church and they should leave with them.  They went about spreading rumors about the pastor and his wife.  Oddly, these actions and behaviors sound more like what you find amongst immature teenagers, but, these were adults.  In fact, they were the parents of teenagers, adults who regarded themselves as mature and spiritual leaders.

                Perhaps, maturity is found more in action than in age.  We can see that very idea in the pages of the New Testament.  This principle can be seen in Jesus’ own words to believers when He said that we should let our lights shine before the unbelieving world.  Specifically, our actions, with the hope of bringing glory to God (Matt. 5:16).  His teaching evidently rubbed off on the Apostle John, because he wrote that, we should love in actions or in what we do, as opposed to simply by words (1 John 3:18).  Therefore, as you seek a Spiritual Guide, does their walk consist of gossip or in love, joy, and peace?  Do they display their spirituality by causing division and factions in the body or in kindness, goodness, and faithfulness?  When they speak of others is there malice and maligning or gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)?  These fruits of the Spirit are real evidence of maturity.

[* People have left a church for a variety of reason, some good and some bad.  However, their actions speak louder of their spiritual walks than their words.]

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

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

Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Reading part 1)

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♫ I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God, He calls me friend ♪ (Houghton 2004)

“… encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,”… (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Hebrews 3:13)

            For close to 1,985 years there have been Christians trying to follow Jesus.  Throughout those years, many Christians have left their writings, telling of their Spiritual Formation; although we may not agree on some issues, their writing can still inspire and instruct our lives today.  Without neglecting the nourishment that comes from personal time in the word of God, let us explore some of the writings that have come down to us from these Christians.  Many of them never knew what a car or an airplane was, some of them would not understand the internet; but they knew what it was to try to live their lives for God.

            Gregory of Nyssa was a Christian who lived during the fourth-century AD, and was known for his work, The life of Moses.  In this he wrote that Moses was God’s friend and serves as an example for us to copy (Gregory of Nyssa, 136).  Consider this passage:

… it is time for you, noble friend, to look to that example and, by transferring to your own life what is contemplated through spiritual interpretation of the things spoken literally, to be known by God and to become his friend.  This is true perfection: not to avoid a wicked life because like slaves we servilely fear punishment, nor to do good because we hope for rewards, as if chasing in on virtuous life by some business-like and contractual arrangement.  On the contrary, disregarding all those things for which we hope and which heave been reserved by promise, we regard falling from God’s friendship as the only thing dreadful and we consider becoming God’s friend the only thing worthy of honor and desire (Ibid. 137).

Although specifically Gregory was focused on Moses’ friendship with God (Exodus 33:11), we also hear Jesus’ words, “You are my friend, if you do what I command you” (John 15:14).  Motivation is a powerful tool and Gregory points out that there can be wrong motivations regarding our friendship with God.  The scriptures say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), but Gregory did not think that fear of punishment was an adequate motivator for seeking God’s friendship.  Instead, friendship with God was the only thing worth seeking and this not merely motivated by hope of gain, but because it can lead to what Gregory called the perfect life.

            

            Perhaps, you can reflect on this thought of God’s friendship as you also reflect on “[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, 2 Timothy 1:9). Consider reading the Life of Moses by Gregory of Nyssa and next week, we’ll look at another Christian’s writings.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

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

Houghton, Israel. 2004. "Friend of God." Live from Another Level.

Nyssa, Gregory Bishop of. 1978. Gregory of Nyssa. New York: Paulist Press.

Spiritual Formation (Prayer Life Part 4 Unanswered)

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Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Colossians 4:12) [emphases added]

         For as secular as our society has become, in the public arena we may still hear from time to time someone make a statement like, “Our prayers go out to …” or “Our thoughts and prayers are with …”.  Yesterday during a televised sporting event, the score was tied and the camera found one fan kissing something on his necklace, and if you had read his lips, he was praying for his team to score.  Have you ever wondered if the person who said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims,” actually prayed in any tangible way, or if that phrase is just our cliché when there’s nothing else to say?  Some ancient thought expressed in the Mishnah (part of the Jewish Talmud) considered it trivial to pray for birds (Zahavy, Kerakhot 5:3). How much more then for sporting events?  If these are accurate pictures of prayer in our public arena, how much has this influenced our perspectives on prayer?

         In the above-cited passage from Paul, the word he uses translated laboring earnestly is the same word from which we get our English word agonize.  Paul’s companion Epaphras is said to agonize in his prayer for his friends.  Although people who have developed a deep prayer life may be able to relate to this idea, if we were to do a word association exercise, is agonize the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word prayer?  Perhaps you’ll find it interesting that in Luke, this same word, translated strive, is used by Jesus to tell His followers to enter in the narrow gate (13:24).  In that context, we can see a dichotomy between the path that leads to destruction and the other that leads to life.

          How then do we understand striving to enter by the narrow gate?  Why is the broad road to destruction so appealing?  By exploring those questions, do you see how prayer can be a struggle?  In considering this, we are also reminded how challenges make us better.  Therefore, this earnest labor in our unanswered prayers can be the character-building struggle we need in our spiritual development.  If prayer is as laissez-faire as in the examples highlighted at the beginning of this blog, what kind of character development would be possible?  On the other hand, when we engage in prayer as in wrestling, working, or striving, then we enter into the mystery that is our communication with God.  Perhaps this is why in some cases we experience unanswered prayers.

Did Jesus give carte blanche to prayers?

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

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

Zahavy, Tzvee. 1987. The Mishnaic Law of Blessings and Prayers: Tractate Berakhot. Scholars Press.

Spiritual Formation (Prayer Life Part 1 Unanswered)

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You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, James 4:3)

You say God give me a choice, you say Lord I say, Christ,
I don't believe in Peter Pan, Frankenstein or Superman (Queen 1978)

            How has prayer been explained to you?  There is a scene in the movie Europa Europa, in a Soviet orphanage, the communists intend to prove to the kids that God does not exist (Hofschneider 1990).  They tell the kids to pray to God for candy, and no candy comes.  However, they then drop candy on the kids and tell them the candy is from Stalin.  Is this a good explanation of prayer?  Asking God for things you want and then He gives you what you asked for?  In an argument form it would look like this:

            p1. If God exists, you can make requests to him.

            p2. If you make requests, he is obligated to fulfill your request.

            p3. A request unfulfilled means he does not exist.

            c. Prayer requests go unfulfilled; therefore, God does not exist.

However, as can be seen in the above passage from the book of James, within the Biblical religion, God is not obligated to fulfill certain requests.  Therefore, from a Biblical perspective, p.2 is a false dilemma.  Since p.2 can be falsified, unfulfilled prayer requests are insufficient in disproving the existence of God.  Moreover, this explanation of prayer also displays an inadequate understanding of the subject.

            Many of us begin to learn about God at a young age, the same time we are exposed to stories about Peter Pan, Frankenstein, and Superman.  Many people think there is even a verse that extols child like faith; however, in context, Jesus is talking about giving up ambitions for power in Matthew 18.  Paul, on the other hand, instructs Christians to become mature in their thinking (1 Cor. 14:20).  Therefore, how can we understand unfulfilled prayers?

            Again, James gives one reason that prayers may go unfulfilled, that the request is made with selfish motives and for only the purpose of pleasures.  Are Jesus’ followers to resemble Him or should they resemble Veruca Salt?  She was that spoiled little girl that following her own desires, fell down the garbage shoot in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (Cole 1971).  Selfish motives are only one Biblical explanation for unfulfilled prayer requests, and perhaps many of us can call mind to requests that were not selfish but were unfulfilled.  What do we do with those?  That gives us a topic for further exploration next week.

Jesus's unfulfilled prayer

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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1971. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Mel Stuart. Performed by Julie Dawn Cole.

1990. Europa Europa. Directed by Agnieszka Holland. Performed by Marco Hofschneider.

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

Queen. 1978. "Bicycle Race." Jazz. Comp. Freddie Mercury.

Spiritual Formation (Prayer Life Introduction)

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“When you pray…”  Matthew 6:9 [emphases added]

… devoted to prayer…” (Rom. 12:12)

Stop and think about prayer.  How would you define prayer or how would you explain praying?  In the above passage from Matthew, Jesus said, “When you pray,” which seems to imply that prayer is a part of the Christian walk.  Moreover, Paul instructed Roman Christians to be devoted to prayer.  It bears repeating that this blog is not intended to be a guilt trip; however, like going to the doctor, it is best, to be honest about your diet, exercise level, and other activities that may affect your health.  Therefore, ask yourself and answer only yourself, how is your prayer life?  Does “devoted to prayer” describe you?

Years ago, there was a movie, a line of Union troops and Confederate troops were in a stalemate.  Near the battlefield was a hill and on top were commanders of the Union army.  From their position, they could view the entire battlefield, something that was impossible from behind each sides line.  Imagine if one side had today’s technology, such as cell phones and Bluetooth earpieces.  The commanders could speak directly to the troops and tell them what they see, and the soldiers could reply.  It’s important to remember that we are in a battle here on earth, though it is not against other people (Eph. 6:12).  However, we genuinely have an enemy (John 10:10), and he does seek to make you ineffective or attack you (1 Pet. 5:8).  Therefore, using the battlefield and communication, as an illustration, is an appropriate way to think about prayer.

Going back to your answer above, how is your prayer life?  If you can honestly say, it’s great, nothing could be better; then perhaps this series is not for you.  However, if your prayer life is not in the shape you’d like it to be in, then this could be a very fitting series.  What is one of the greatest hindrances to a vibrant and active prayer life?  Could it be, prayers that go unanswered?

Before going further, let us be honest.  To say that, “All prayers are answered, but perhaps God said no or wait,” is at best a pious attempt to explain unanswered prayers and at worst is skirting the issue.  Reality is, sometimes we’ve prayed for people to get better and they’ve died.  We’ve prayed for one thing, and the opposite has happened.  Perhaps the helpless optimist tells us, we pray for God to heal them and now they are at peace and healed; however, you must admit, sounds more like sleight of hand, than actually answered prayers.

Therefore, we are now going to press on and look for a sufficient answer to why our prayers go unanswered.  Join us.

Is God obligated to answer prayers?

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Spiritual Formation (Reading Scriptures part 4 of 4)

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But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, John 16:13-14)

Some movies are meant to explore hidden meanings and deeper perspectives.  By analyzing the films, philosophies and ideas emerge from the dialog, from the settings or even from the camera angles.  Sometimes, directors come out and explain the subtext of their movie in hopes that their film becomes more than amusement, it transcends into our conscious and changes our outlook.  In a way, this is the role of the Holy Spirit and His movie is the Bible.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring an ancient reading system, and here we are at our final step.  This last step may sound like over spiritualized mumbo-jumbo; but it is at its core, hearing the voice of God speak through His word.

In week one, we listened.  Like a text message or email from a friend that we’ve wanted to hear from, we read the passage making sure to hear every written word.  We listen intentionally.   In week two, we used our mind’s eye to see the passage.  Words have meanings, and they can be used to paint a picture.  Here we let the text move from words to images.  Last week, we prayed.  Those images triggered our thoughts, and we reshaped those thoughts into a prayer to God.  Now, we let God’s response reshape us.

This time, the exercise is all on you.  In the past, we’ve explored a scripture together.  Now, you do it alone.  Perhaps, start with a familiar passage, one that has spoken to you before, even your life verse.  Like many other things, you’ll get out of this, what you put into it.

Find a quiet, comfortable spot and open to the passage of scripture.  Begin at step one and start to work your way through all the steps.  When you get to step four, hear the voice of God using the scripture to reform, transform, and renew you.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. (James 1:22-24)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)

Written by Pastor Ozzy

 

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

Spiritual Formation (Reading Scriptures part 3 of 4)

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He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Ps. 23:3)

But Hannah replied, “… I have poured out my soul before the Lord. (Ibid. 1 Sam. 1:15)

            One of the questions that the early church asked in recognizing which writings were Scripture [i.e., Bible] and which were not, was whether or not a text had life-transforming power (From God to Us How We God Our Bibles, Kindle location 1319).  In one sense, they were asking the texts, did they contain truth and did that truth set them free (John 8:23).  The next step in this ancient Bible reading practices involves this question; however, it is us asking the text or the truth of the text to set us free.  In other words, we shape our prayers to God through the freedom brought through the texts.

            In the first part of this series we listened to the text of Psalms 66:16, “Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul” (NASB).  If you went through step two, described in last week’s blog meditation, then you should go back and apply that lesson to Psalm 66:16 also.  Now we pray as we read the Scripture.  Ask the Holy Spirit to steer feelings that arise in your soul from the Scripture.  When they spring up, offer them back to God as the Spirit leads.

 

For example, Ps. 66:16 contains the words, “fear God”, what emotions or ideas do these words produce in your soul?  This can be a profound or powerful idea.  Remember the children of Israel at Mount Sini, in fear of God they cried for Moses alone to speak to them (Ex. 20:19).  In Deuteronomy, there is a command to, “… fear the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and love Him…” (10:12).  Jesus, who reconciles us to the Father and shows us the Father’s love also says to fear Him (Matt. 10:28).  Ask the Holy Spirit, what does it mean to fear God in the way the Scriptures teach?  Offer it as a prayer, asking Him to instruct your heart, your mind and, your soul to fear God in this way.  However, do not neglect the second part of the verse, where the Psalmist is excited to tell of what God has done in his soul.  What has God done in your soul?  Perhaps ask for the opportunity to tell someone what God has done in your soul.

Scripture is a powerful tool that God uses in our lives.  Praying and being attentive to how the Holy Spirit can lead you through the Scriptures can remind you of the power found in the Word of God.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Heb. 4:12)

[Next week: Hearing from God]

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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

Norman L. Geisler and William E Nix. 2013. From God to Us How We God Our Bibles. Matthews: Bastion Books.

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Spiritual Formation (Reading Scriptures part 1 of 4)

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“This is my daily bread, your very word, spoken to me” (Barnett 2002)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

(Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Psalms 119:105)

… Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures…” (ibid. Matt. 22:29)

           Every believer knows that they should read the Bible; however, it is a sad fact that many Christians do not have a daily routine of reading through God’s word. This is not meant to be a guilt trip. Being guilted can often lead to a begrudging habit, and that does not sound like a productive action in one’s spiritual formation. Therefore, you do not need to build up a defense against the feeling of guilt. Instead, why don’t we begin to explore some ancient Christian practices that were developed for productive time in God’s word. When you gain something from a habit, you’re more likely to do it without a sense of guilt.

            Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who isn’t really listening to what you’re saying?  They may be hearing your words but before you’ve finished your thought, they have already formulated a response.  Perhaps, they are the type who takes one part of your speech and goes off in a personal story that has nothing to do with what you’re saying.  They dominate the conversation and you’re not even sure it should be called a conversation, maybe it is more like a monolog.  We’ve all been in situations like this and therefore, we can relate to the frustration that comes from not being heard.  Now ask yourself, how often do you listen to God’s word?

            Hearing could be described as a passive activity, but you cannot passively listen to anything.  Many of us have received an email or text message and only glanced at its content.  Our eyes quickly scan the words only looking for a generalized understanding.  The same can be said about reading the Bible, a person can read the words without engaging the text.  Other times, we stop and read each word, seeing the whole sentence and gaging its meaning.  Therefore, starting with a short passage or section of scripture, begin by reading and imagining the text.

            For example: “Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul” (Ps. 66:16 NASB).  This Psalm is not attributed to any person, so start by imagining yourself within an Old Testament scene.  Perhaps you’re with the children of Israel listening to Moses at Sinai, or you’re there when David leads the Ark of God to Jerusalem, or sometime after Solomon’s temple has been dedicated.  The reader reads these words of Psalms 66:16, and let your imagination go, picture the biblical scenes that touch your soul.  Let this go on for as long as you can.

            Then when you’re ready, become the speaker and say, “Come and hear, all you who fear God and let me tell you what Jesus has done in my soul.”  Again, let your imagination run and remember what Jesus has done in your life.  Imagine telling people about how you met Jesus.  Think about telling someone about a troubled time you’ve been through and how now you can see the hand of God leading you through that time.  This is a way to live the scriptures and make them a personal part of your very being.

            “…But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints… 

[God] whispered, "…When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you” (Stevenson n.d.)

[Next week: Meditation]

Written by Pastor Ozzy

2002."Breathe." The Air I Breathe . B0000UWE04.

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

Stevenson, Mary. n.d. "Footprints in the Sand."

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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.

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Spiritual Formation (Church part 3)

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“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.

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Spiritual Formation (Church part 1)

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Imagine that a gym puts up a sign that reads, “Exercise is good for your health.”  Is that statement falsified because the gym benefits from you paying to join it?  Imagine a restaurant putting up a sign that reads, “We serve heart-healthy soups.”  Is that statement falsified because the restaurant stands to benefit from health-conscious customers buying their soups?  In both cases, the fact that there could be benefits to the sign owners does not negate the claim made by their sign.  Perhaps you will think, of course, a Church blog is going to write about the importance of Church attendance.   In the same way, a blog focused on Spiritual Formation and pointing out the value of participation in the local Church cannot be falsified only on the grounds that the local Church benefits from that participation.

Perhaps you will think, I have the Bible and I can read; therefore, I have no need to go somewhere and have someone tell me what the Bible says.  If that is the case, then we should consider what the Bible says about believers gathering together.  You may remember a Psalmist likened his seeking for God to a deer that pants for water.  When that Psalmist pondered the question, “Where is God,” it was answered by remembering their going with crowds of people up to the House of the Lord and being with the multitude celebrating the festivals (Ps. 42).

Consider these words attributed to the fourth-century Christian philosopher Ambrose, “To Thee our morning song of praise, to Thee our evening prayer we raise” (Farrar 1822).  Notice the plural pronoun ‘our’ as opposed to any singular pronoun.  Ambrose’s words fit with Paul’s words to the Church in Corinth; the body of Christ is made of several different people.  Those different people perform different functions, just as different body parts perform different functions, so the body works.  One part cannot say to another part, I do not need you (1 Cor. 12:14-26).

With that in mind, think about how many things you do in a week where you need another person.  You cannot go waterskiing alone.  Is it fun texting yourself?  We can see the need for other people in our daily lives; moreover, as shown above, God intended His people to be in community.

Written by Pastor Ozzy 

Farrar, D. D. 1822. "Sermon at Great St. Mary's." The Cambridge Review Vol. III. NO. 62. . Cambridge Review Committee, Feb 22.

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Spiritual Formation (Presence of God part 2)

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[Preface: In this entry, we will look at Jesus as our example; when Paul writes regarding Christ being formed within a believer, he is talking about the same attitudes that were present in Jesus’ incarnation.  This entry will focus on Jesus’ relationship with the Father during the incarnation.  Therefore, it will not contain a full treatment of the relationship between the Father and the Son within the Trinity.]

In the days of His flesh, He [Jesus] offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:7-8 NASB).

Last week there was a challenge to be aware of the presence of God in every moment, with the hope of raising the awareness of His presence not only in “religious experience,” but in the ordinary and commonplace.  Within an average day’s routine, when waking from sleep, preparing for the day, commuting, working, resting, eating and everything else that happens.  Consider what David wrote regarding his daily life, that God knew his sitting and rising, his thinking, sleeping and all his activities (Ps. 139:2-3).  This could make us understand that all our life is for the Lord and not just parts of our lives.  Moreover, since the goal of Spiritual Formation is having Christ formed in us, then Jesus serves as an example for us regarding awareness of God’s presence.

    Although having a unique relationship with the Father, as quoted above Jesus still learned from his experiences.  In an episode from Luke, we see a twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple, sitting with the teachers and possessing some incredible level of understanding. Yet that story ends with the statement that He continued to increase in wisdom (2:46-52).  I.e., He kept learning.  Whatever came with being God in human form, also came with being human.  This is something we must not miss.  What was Jesus doing in the wilderness before the temptation (Mt. 4:1-11, Mk. 1:12-13, Lk. 4:1-13)?  He was fasting in solitude, two disciplines that we’ll cover in future blogs.  The author of Hebrews writes of Jesus, “…who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (4:15 NASB).  Take note then of Jesus’ words from a few years later, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38 NASB).  Jesus learned the importance of the presence of God and then could declare that He knew the will of the One who sent Him.  Therefore, our own practicing the presence of God is vital to Christ being formed within us.

Written by Pastor Ozzy 

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

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Spiritual Formation (Presence of God part 1)

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“The presence of God is the concentration of the soul’s attention on God, remembering that He is always present” (The Practice of the Presence of God, Kindle Location 467).

            

            In a way, our modern 21^st-century American system has created a distinction between the sacred and the secular.  In other words, within reason, a person may have beliefs; however, strictly secular practices are required within our social order.  Beliefs are still allowed when they are restricted to the private life.  This dichotomy is a relatively new idea in history.  For instance, the earliest followers of Jesus were second-temple Jews, and their social life and their religion were principally one in the same.  God was a part of their everyday life.

In the pages of the Old Testament, there are examples of miraculous and unique encounters with the God of Israel.  The LORD appeared to Abram at Shechem (Gen. 12:7), also to Moses in a burning bush (Ex. 3).  Isaiah reports having seen the LORD in Solomon’s temple (Is. 6) and Ezekiel’s vision by the river Chebar (Ezek. 1) to name a few.  The narratives often express life-changing experiences, moments of calling or divine instruction.

This was the pattern in the Old Testament; however, in the pages of the New Testament, the message of God’s redemption and salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus spread beyond ethnic Israel (Acts 8 & 10).  With that movement, the Apostle Paul expressed that God was not limited to temples built by men (17:24) and more than that, God is not far off, but in Him, we live and move (17:28).

Consider your life, every moment in the presence of God.  Your mornings, afternoons, evenings and nights.  Your work, social and family times.  When you’re awake and when you’re asleep.  Reflect that God is in both your religious and secular times.  Have you been aware of His presence?  Read these words from Brother Lawrence, “[To] know God, we must think about Him often.  Once we get to know Him, we will think about Him ever more often, because where our treasure is, there also is our heart!” (The Practice of the Presence of God, Kindle Location 327).

Perhaps in the next week, challenge yourself to be aware of God’s presence as often as you can and where ever you are.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

Lawrence, Brother. 1982. The Practice of the Presence of God. New Kensington: Whitaker House.

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