Indagatio Veri

Oh worship, what a magnificent thing, but unfortunately a practice that is complicated by religious tradition and obligation.  In the last blog I simplified in some ways the concept of what the church is, in other ways its' simplification left it in greater mystery than before.  Worship too will fade almost until it is unattainable, while at the same time it will stand out in renewed clarity. Worship, the very idea elicits images of people in pews singing from hymnals, the sound of voices mixed in harmony, and the utilization of words and phrases that are intended to teach the singer and hearer about who God is.  Worship is not singing, although you can sing in a worshipful way, it is not the words you speak, although words will give voice to the true intent of expression. Worship is not something that God wants us to do out of obligation, nor is it something that we can just conjure up in our own will power. Worship is merely an expression of affection of God, to God...

What is the church, what is prayer, what is worship? So many times our perspective and practice of these things are skewed from years of routine, dead tradition, and performance mentalities.  Let us define these together; I want these explanations to be deep but simple, challenging but hopeful,  understandable and yet insightful. Out of these 3 areas, the church is the first one we must tackle; and before we get started I want to say that I love the church.  I love God's people, and the Holy Spirit is alive and at work even when we don't see it.  There are many communities that honor each other well, who obey the Father's voice, who know who Jesus is, and live from His victory.  There are communities and leaders that I respect, that I know are Godly, and that cultivate genuine and intentional interaction with each other and with the Lord. I also recognize God's ability to work with all of us in the midst of our misunderstanding, our stupidity, and our inabil...

Read this out-loud to yourself. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed me in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as HE chose me in Him before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and blameless before Him.  In love HE predestined me for adoption as a son through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of HIS will, to the praise of HIS glorious grace, with which HE has blessed me in the beloved.  In HIM I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses, according to the riches of HIS grace, which HE lavished upon me, in all wisdom and insight making known to me the mystery of HIS will, according to HIS purpose, which HE set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in HIM , things in heaven and things on earth. In HIM  I have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of HIM  who works all things ac...

'These signs will follow those who believe. . . (Mark 16:17)' 'He confirmed His word with the signs that accompanied it. . . (Mark 16:20)' 'You will do even greater things than I have done. . .  (John 14:12)' 'Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons; freely you have received freely give. . (Matthew 10:8) The very idea of God revolves around the understanding that there is something, or someone, supernatural (above nature).  Jesus, the incarnate God, is supernatural intervention itself. His life was marked by the miraculous because He was a walking miracle; God in human form. In the verses above, Jesus commissions His disciples to walk in the miraculous power of God.  In fact, when He ascended back into heaven He instructs them to 'wait until you have been imbued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).' Here is the principle; miracles will always be where God is simply because He is 'super'natural' himse...

April fools day, the 1 st day of the month of April, is a day where practical jokes are not only expected but encouraged. It is where you try to outwit, mess with, and prank those around you. Of course the best pranks are those that you don't see coming. In order to truly make a fool out of someone, your prank needs portray them as silly, incompetent, or stupid. . . at least that is how we traditionally view it. Some classic April Fools jokes include, but are not limited to, the rubber band on the spray nozzle, a bucket of water above the door, rearranging a room, or saran wrap on the toilet seat. Yet there is something, or someone, that has made the population of the world over look like an even bigger bunch of fools. The greatest April's fools joke of all time is still offending the proud and overly serious to this day. Besides April Fools, the month of April is also when we celebrate Easter, the death and resurrection of our Lord! Some of you may be calling me to stop...

It is the kindness of the Lord that renews our minds, the forgiveness of God in the face of our self-condemnation that ultimately sets us free. God passed all judgement to the son who came not to judge the world but to save the world. We are saved by grace so that no one may boast. The only way to miss out on the eternal party is to hold steadfastly to the idea that you can somehow dictate your s tance before God. The Gospel is offensive; it offends every religious idea of self-ascension, good living, and winning in this life. Jesus came to save the broken, the losers, the sinners, in fact He died for us while we were still sinners. It is not those who are broken that get left behind but those who cling to the idea that they can fix themselves up. There is restoration but it comes in a way that we don't expect, in fact it has nothing to do with us at all. Life out of death, strength out of weakness, wisdom out of foolishness (1 Cor. 1). Trying to grasp onto life, to make something ...

The promise to Abraham, the liberation of the Israelites, the writing of the Law, and the prophets were all signs that pointed towards Jesus. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until haven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished (Matthew 5:17-20)." John the Baptist was the last of these signposts; his life was devoted to proclaiming in the wilderness, 'prepare ye the way of the Lord.'  He recognized that a new era was at hand and that there was going to be a shift from the new to the old. "Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.  He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30)." John baptized with water for repentance while Jesus was to come with power, baptizing with the Holy Spirit and Fire. Something was changing with Jesus, a lifestyle that was going to be released that exceeded tha...