We Shall Be Like Him

"For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven." Mark 12:25

We seem to assume that, before the fall in the Garden, Adam and Eve were just like us in every aspect. The only difference was that they wore no clothing to cover themselves. We have a hard time imagining this since, while being naked with your spouse is good, being naked in public is not. Were they merely unclothed, or were they, as our text says, like the angels in Heaven?

Angels in Heaven are not unclothed. We do not know what they wear or if we could even comprehend how they are covered. They do not all have wings, and their appearance often designates their status in God's government. Some think that just as Moses' face shone and as Christ was transfigured, perhaps our ancestors were covered with light and glory. It was their sin that took away their covering and left them traumatized and afraid. Being uncovered was traumatic to them.

Hollywood defiles everything and they have tried to make our original parents out to be free-spirited hedonists, which they most certainly were not.

Adam and Eve share our human DNA, but they, in the beginning, were more like angels than like us. And it seems that in the resurrection we will be restored to the state that was lost to sin. 

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1John 3:2

Few and Evil?

"And Jacob said to Pharaoh, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life...." Genesis 47:9

My life began in Prescott with such a whirlwind of activity. I got saved, I left school, I got married, and I got sent out in a little over three years. I was saved in December of 1973, married in April of 1974, and sent out in June of 1977. My life began with such hope and promise.

As I look back across the pages of my life I feel like Jacob; few and evil seem to describe the years I have been following Christ. After years of trying to be a pastor I finally gave up and wen home to Prescott. I was involved and useful during that time. I had a few failures during that time. I went through the empty nest and the marriage of both of my children. And then my wife died and that changed everything.

I have endure ministry failure, financial collapse, and death. My most recent change was uprooting myself from my home and relocating to this strange place where I now live.

I know that God saves the best for last. I had fainted, had I not believed to see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

Jacob's life was not all doom and gloom. Neither is my life all doom and gloom.  

My Review Of Cafe One80.

 I watched Cafe One80 in Prescott on YouTube. The unplugged concert put on by the over 50 saints, most of whom are no longer involved in the concert ministry. I was excited over the thought of what it could be. I was a little disappointed by what I actually watched.

First, it was not funny. I expected there to be more humor for some reason. But it was just words and drama and music. Boring!

Second, it was the same old format and the some old structure. We have been doing the same thing so long that we have no inspiration for how to do something new.

Third, the music was lame. Too many instruments. Too many amplifiers. I expected that at the least they would sing some old Jesus music from the early days. None of them were around way back then. At least it was not loud.

I was not there to gauge how the audience acted during the show. I was not there to sample the refreshments they served. I was not there to judge and test the spirit in the room. I only saw what the camera showed me.

I guess since I was not there to give input or advice I have no room to criticize. But what if someone who knew nothing about us saw what I saw? Would they be interested enough to come and see more of who we are and what we do?

One Size Fits All?

In Arizona, certain things happen in certain places. You will never see a ponderosa pine tree in the desert. You will never see a saguaro cactus growing in the high mountains. God set up the natural world to thrive in the area where they do best.

In our Fellowship we seem to have a one size fits all approach to ministry. We preach one message to everyone. We do not segregate the disciples striving to get sent out from the pillars who support the vision of church planting. We try to disciple the whole church. This may work when everyone in your church is young and has been saved three years or less. This gets harder to do as a local church grows and matures and develops layers of involvement based on desire and ability. Not everyone in our church can do everything, even if they used to do it all.

Every local church needs to be balanced. We need ministry that helps every person or group of people in the church.

"Jesus said to them, have you understood all these things? They said to him, yes, Lord. Then he said to them, therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." Matthew 13:51-52

"For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock... Acts20:27-28

Jesus had one message to the multitude, and a different, more focused, message to the twelve disciples.

Two final thoughts. Bigger is not always better. And, one size rarely fits everyone. If a local church does not minister to some people, they will leave and find a church where they fit in. Or they will endure to the end in spite of an unbalanced ministry.

 

Woe to him who is alone when he falls.

 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." Eccl.4:9-10

I read this in my devotions this morning and it spoke to me and what I have gone through in my life. Kathy and I felt all alone living in Prescott Valley. We had friends and we had our church, but we spent a lot of holidays, and all of our birthdays, with just the two of us. Christmas as an older couple is almost not worth celebrating. I even called my mother once to ask her what they did for Christmas all by themselves. 

When Kathy died, the crushing weight of loneliness almost did me in. My family was far away. My friends forsook me. I was left to deal with the fallout of the death of my wife all alone. Indeed, as the text says, woe to him who is alone when he falls.

The decision to leave where I was and to move where I am was hard at first. But looking back, I am sure that it was the best decision that I could have made. I still live alone. But I have family and friends here, unlike anything that I had in Prescott.

Two alone is only slightly better than one alone. Thank God, He does not leave us or forsake us in our times of great need.

"And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you; do not fear or be dismayed." Deut.31:8

In Defense of Nicodemus

 I want to speak a word in defense of old brother Nicodemus. The beleaguered leader who came to Jesus by night and to whom the sermon on being born again was spoken. The Jewish leader who we Pentecostals do not understand.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Was he a coward? Or was he smart? Jesus was gaining in popularity and influence and was becoming a public figure. A celebrity you might say. Nicodemus was a rich, powerful, and well know man in Jewish society. If they had met in a public place they would have been thronged by people wanting to see them both. Nicodemus sought to meet with Jesus, and Jesus agreed to the meeting. This seems obvious to me.

Jesus delivered to Nicodemus some of the most profound words in the Bible. We can read them in John chapter three. Yes, Jesus in wisdom dealt with this man and reached out to him. But Nicodemus was not the rich young ruler. He did not go away sorrowful over his wealth. Nicodemus turns up again in the Gospel of John.

We give Nicodemus no credit for seeking out Jesus. We grudgingly give him credit for assisting in Jesus' burial. This just shows that our simplistic theology leaves no room for people who do not fit into our narrow understanding of life. We understand burned out and addicted young people. We do not understand the wealthy and the powerful, who are not like us. That may be why no rich retirees join our churches. We have nothing for them.

Nicodemus is in Heaven with all of the Old Testament saints who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

Maybe, when bible characters do not fit into our mold, we need to enlarge our understanding of God and grace.

A Milestone Missed

 Sunday April 28th would have marked 50 years of marriage for me. Too bad my wife will not be around to celebrate this achievement. Kathy missed this milestone. I also noticed that April 28th is on a Sunday this year. We were married by pastor Mitchell on a Sunday night during a Bob French revival meeting. The evangelist gave Kathy away in our wedding.

Kathy died 10 years too soon. She is where we who are saved want to end up. In Heaven with Christ.

The Loss of Dominion

 "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:28

"So I looked, and behold a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth." Revelation 6:8

Pastor Rubi brought an interesting revelation last night. In the beginning, God gave man dominion over the natural world. To tend, to keep, and to manage it. In the end of time, once sin and darkness take over and the church is gone, that dominion is completely gone. Now the beasts man ought to rule over will rule over man, but only to kill him, not to serve him.

Let your kingdom come, let your will be done. Amen.

Cafe One80 In Prescott

 The Prescott church is trying something new this week. The concert outreach in Prescott has been going on forever. They have facilities for this outreach and so they want to use that space to try something different. So this Friday night, Cafe One80 will begin. This is not just a new version of the music scene. This is more of a coffee house atmosphere reminiscent of the old days. It will be unplugged, so no amplification except for vocals. There will be drama with a theme connected to the rest of the night. There will be tables and chairs for visitors to sit and converse and listen. There will be coffee and snacks. It is still a work in progress, but that is the basic idea.

One big difference is that this will be put on by people who are not disciples and who are not striving for ministry. These will be people who used to be involved or who are too old to be involved but who still have something to contribute. There will be no grind of practices and it will not be every week. And it will not be loud. It will be focused on older folks, not youth. So far there is only one session scheduled. Their idea is to do it once a month. 

I applaud the Prescott church for trying something new, and for not forsaking the older saints who feel left out of our youth oriented music outreaches today. You use what you have, not what you wish you had.

The Shortcoming of Expository Preaching.

I used to wonder why a pastor, when faced with an event or a holiday, had nothing useful to say. To preach a Bible story or Bible person on a modern holiday seemed like a bad fit to me. Expository preaching seems to have very little connection to the modern world. When it comes to a traditional event or modern holiday, some expository preachers have nothing to preach but the Gospel. I have heard evangelistic sermons on big American holidays. It makes me wonder, what was he thinking!

If I were ministering in a memorial service in honor of a saint who had died, I could think of several appropriate topics to cover that would be Bible based and true and comforting to the friends and family in the service.  Thoughts like; they were a good spouse who stayed married, a good parent whose legacy is in their children, and a faithful Christian who stayed saved through it all. There is Biblical backing for all three of those points.

There are many things in the modern world that the Bible says nothing about specifically. We apply doctrine and traditions to guide how we live today. The Bible is a narrative of people living life and God getting involved in their circumstances. We need that same narrative and power at work today.

We need pastors who are good stewards of the manifold grace of God. That's many faceted, for you Bible scholars. We still need a word fitly spoken for today. Amen.

Awe and Wonder or Science

 "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, ..." Psalm 8:3

I wonder if science has robbed us of the wonder of the natural world? By seeking to understand how things work, we forget to take a step back just to take it all in. People used to be amazed at nature, especially the heavens above us. The awesomeness of God who created it all. Science, in its war against God, tries to minimize the natural world by proclaiming to understand it all; the big bang, light years, the age of the universe, black holes, eclipses, etc. Theory has overthrown faith in our schools. Scientific theory has taken the wonder out of nature.

Any honest scientist will come to the logical conclusion that the natural world is not an accident of evolution. But faith has moral conditions attached to it and that it the sticking point for secular humanists.

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:19

The hubris of science is that by determining how something works, in theory, they think they understand why it works. They are mere men, not God.

When they discover a "new" star, they should ask God what it's name is.

"He counts the number of the stars; he calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; his understanding is infinite." Psalm 147:4-5

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you in due time." 1Peter 5:5-6

This partly explains why revival seems to favor the poor and common people. They believe without understanding. The proud cannot do that.

Aging Challenges

 "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Eccl.1:2

I have reached a point in my life where there is not much left on my bucket list of things that I would like to do, or at least try. Everything that I currently do I have done before. I have heard so many sermons that it is rare, for me, to hear something new. I am happy to do my part, to help where I can, in church or with my family and friends. I am grateful to be where I am in life, even if I have been here before.

Why does middle age drive us to try new things? Men try new hobbies, or new careers, or new wives. But the harsh reality of life is everything new becomes old in time. The thrill of the new becomes the routine of the familiar. Leaving your wife is hard the first time, not so hard the second time, and easier every time after that. The grass is may be greener in the next pasture, but it is still just grass.

Even old king Solomon thought that new relationships would ease his weary mind, so he amassed wives and concubines trying to find peace and happiness. He tried new religions. He tried new experiences. A life spent looking for new things is an empty life.

I suppose the best thing in life is to be content where we are and with those whom God has joined us together with. Be grateful not to be alone, or not to live in isolation. If you have new things to try, have fun trying them. And when the dust settles and you find you are not further along than you were, well, I told you so!

Pastor Mitchell seemed to spend the last years of his life just doing over and over what he knew to do. His life was pretty routine toward the end. And so will our lives be, no matter how hard we try to change that.

This is a part of aging that no one prepared me for.

Social Media Thoughts

 For a long time it seemed that the answer to a successful Christian life was not going to movies or watching television. Looking back, I think we were treating the symptoms, not the problem.

Someone once told me that the best internet filter was me. No content filter was good enough to filter out everything. Only a heart full of God that did not desire to take in all that the internet provided was strong enough to prevail.

Social media is not ruining this generation. Social media is exploiting the lack of strength and good character that this generation already has. All entertainment media is simply very smart people exploiting weak human nature for financial gain. The love of money is still the root of all kinds of evil.

What movies were and television was in times past, Facebook and Instagram are today. They are means, not to reflect, but to influence, society. 

The answer is not to turn off your TV or get a dumb phone. The answer if to be full of God, a partaker of the Divine Nature. Go to church, read the Bible, pray without ceasing, and love your neighbor.

Do not get married just to get sent out. You will still be married whether you go or stay or come back. Marriage is a stand alone relationship. It is not good for a man to be alone. Marriage was before the fall and long before the cross. Marriage is fundamental to a good life.

God bless us, everyone.

Men's Discipleship With Pastor Greg

It was great to have pastor Greg Mitchell here for a men's discipleship last night. His preaching was like a breath of fresh air for me. I felt encouraged to know that topical preaching was not dead in our Fellowship. I hear expository sermons three times a week here and it gets tiresome to someone whose ear has been tuned by years of hearing topical preaching.

Topical preaching is taking an idea or a revelation and, if it aligns with the Bible, using scripture to make your point. Expository preaching tells the Bible story and uses the Bible to validate the Bible. No matter how many time you read it, the Bible narrative always comes out the same. Jesus preached about God and about scripture using illustration from real life. His audience understood what he was saying by how he said it.

I go to church to worship, and to hear what the Lord has to say to my life. A sermon can apply Biblical truth to real life. A sermon ought not to be a theological interpretation or just retelling an ancient story. Make the Bible come to life by applying it to real life people and events.

It seems that a problem with success is that you begin to work to conserve what you have and spend little time becoming better.