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The Christian Path, Part I

Posted in , , By Nick Smith 0 comments


This post is the beginning of a continuation of my post last week, What is Sin?.  In that post, I shared that it seems that God defines sin differently for Christians and non-Christians.  For Christians, the definition of sin comes from the Holy Spirit.  Sin is doing what the Holy Spirit commands us not to do AND not doing what the Holy Spirit commands us to do.  (Side note: Notice that I said “commands” and not “suggests”.  As maturing Christians, we need to grow to the understanding that God is not a consultant; He is our Lord.)

An obvious problem arises when sin is defined by the Holy Spirit instead of being defined in writing as in the Old Testament.  Sin becomes subjective.  It is up to each person to listen to and follow the Holy Spirit.  But some of us don’t listen very well and some of us don’t follow very well.  And it’s not like God is talking to each of us through burning bushes either.  Learning God’s will is one of the most difficult parts of the Christian lifestyle.

Fortunately for us, there are a few verses scattered throughout the New Testament that let us know what God wants from believers under the New Covenant.  These certainly can’t guide us on day to day specifics (that’s what the Spirit is for), but they do give us an excellent baseline on broader issues.  These are what I will be exploring in the coming weeks.

This week I’ll be looking at what is what is commonly known as the Great Commission.  In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

When you read that, which of the commands seems most important to you?  A good argument could be made that “go” is the most important command.  After all, nothing else can be accomplished if we don’t go first.

Or maybe “baptizing” is the most important of the commands.  We want to see people saved and that happens by their accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  They then demonstrate that belief through baptism.

Perhaps “teaching them to obey” is the most important.  We want to please God, and we do that by accepting His Son and obeying His commands.

Interestingly enough, though, I recently heard a compelling argument that “make disciples” is the most important command.  Apparently, in the original Hebrew text, the grammar lends a slight emphasis to this command.  I unfortunately don’t know Hebrew, but I can understand the argument just by looking at the sentence structure in English.

Let’s start by looking at the first command, “go.”  This is undoubtedly important, but going in itself lacks purpose without a reason for going.  And what is that reason?  To make disciples.  The other two commands then provide details for making disciples.  We are to make disciples by “baptizing” and “teaching.”

Jesus taught us by example the importance of making disciples.  His ministry lasted only three years and yet he changed the world.  How?  He made disciples.  Then they made disciples, their disciples made disciples, and so on.

And Jesus taught us that there is more to discipleship than just “baptizing” or “teaching.”  There is a relationship involved.  Jesus didn’t stop at simply teaching his disciples; he invested in their lives.  He was there when they had questions.  He ate with them, laughed with them, and cried with them.  They were able to learn firsthand how the character of God reacts to different circumstances.

But it might be tempting for us to look at Jesus’ example and feel that we are not called to the same type of discipleship.  After all, He was God.  That’s the only example worth following.

While that logic may be true, it is not the whole truth.  How would you feel if I were to say to you “join with others in following my example”?  Or maybe if I said, “I plead with you, brothers, become like me”?  Would you think I was arrogant?  This is exactly what Paul says in Galatians 4:12a and Philippians 3:17a respectively.  He says this because he understands Jesus’ command to make disciples.  It means leading by example and teaching others to follow that example.

So now here is my challenge – follow Christ’s command.  Make disciples.  Don’t wait until you are perfect because that will never happen.  Paul was not perfect, but he made disciples.  There are people in your life that God has placed there for a reason.  Friends, family, co-workers, etc.  You are ideally placed to reach those people.  You won’t be perfect, but you’ll show those people how God can work through imperfect people.  And God will certainly help you along the way.

Go for it!

Most Viewed of April 2012

Posted in By Hammer on Anvil 0 comments


This month we are starting a new tradition of re-visiting the most viewed posts of the month.  Hammer on Anvil has six regular contributors who each post on a certain day of the week.  Here is each person's most viewed post from April:

Monday - Beware the Connotative Word
Nick Smith discusses the differences between denotative and connotative meanings of words and how that distinction applies to reading the Bible.

Tuesday - Delight Yourself in the Lord
Patty Kennedy shares about the anniversary of a date 22 years ago when her and her husband trusted in the Lord even when times got rough.

Wednesday - Love God, Love Persons
Brett Kelley looks at the church slogan "Love God, Love People" and encourages us to look deeper to see the true Biblical sentiment behind the slogan.

Thursday - Nobody Wants to Die
Mike Johns urges us all to consider what Jesus means when he tells us to take up our cross and follow him.

Friday - Contradiction?
Misti Runyan examines two Biblical verses that appear at first to offer a contradiction about God's character.

Saturday - Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Cheryl Huston encourages us all to get out of our comfort zone and walk with God.

Sunday - Guests Posts
Here's your chance!  Has God placed something on your heart that would benefit the rest of His Church?  We would love to help you share that message!  Hammer on Anvil reserves most Sundays for occasional guest bloggers.  If you would be interested in contributing, just let us know by leaving a comment on this post and a way to contact you.  We hope to hear from you soon!  God bless!

Posted in By Cheryl Huston 0 comments


Good morning everyone!!!
Have you ever prayed for something that you wanted God to do for you, but it didn't turn out the way you wanted? What do you do when things don't go your way? Well, I say Hallelujah anyhow!!! I praise God no matter what happens. If everything goes my way, Thank You Lord. If things go comleptely the opposite of my wishes, Thank You Jesus. If I'm going through hard times and don't see an end in site, Praise Him. If things are goingsmoothly in my life, Hallelujah!!! We must learn that God is in control and all He wants us to do is give Him the honor, glory, and praise that He is due!
So, if you are going through a storm, just shout, Hallelujah Anyhow!!!
Have a very blessed day everybody!!!
Cheryl

What's Your Role?

Posted in , By Misti Runyan 0 comments

Judges chapter 4 tells the story of a great battle. The Lord spoke through the prophetess Deborah, who was a judge over Israel in her time. She passed the Lord's message to an army captain named Barak:  he was to take troops to Mount Tabor to defeat the leader of King Jabin's army (Sisera). Barak's response seems almost comical in context to the time. He would not go unless Deborah, a woman, went with him. God turned Barak's lack of faith into a lesson for all time: Sisera was not delivered into Barak's hand, as the Lord had originally said. A woman, Jael, was credited with his death. She was not important under any other circumstances. She was the wife of Heber the Kenite, and according to the customs of the time, she had no value apart from her husband. But the Lord granted her the wisdom to know Sisera needed to be stopped, and the means to do the job.

God uses the most unlikely people in history to change its course. Rahab, a prostitute, was instrumental in getting the Israelites into the promised land. Hosea and Gomer, the most unlikely union between a prophet of God and a prostitute. God used their relationship to send a message to Israel of their unfaithfulness to Him and His unstoppable love that kept coming after them. Paul, a former "bounty hunter" of Christians, became one of the most charismatic and faithful leaders of the early Christian church. Esther, an orphaned Hebrew girl, became queen and saved the entire nation of Israel.

The Bible is full of the stories of people just like these who had no business being in the circumstances they found themselves in, other than as a part of the plan of the Creator. Like us, these ordinary people had no idea the larger role their lives would play in the course of history. Many of them probably experienced moments of insecurity about their value. Surely they wondered if their lives meant anything at all.

As we struggle to find our place in this world and in God's kingdom, we need to remember who has the answers. The Lord is our Creator, and only He has the authority to define us. We can do nothing apart from Him, including decide who we are. Spend some time with the Creator of your soul and find out who He has made you to be. When we live in the center of God's will, we shine, but if we don't take the time to discover what His will is, contentment will elude us.

Psalm 139
1 You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.
 7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.
 13 For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.

That's Just Perfect...

Posted in , , , By Mike Johns 0 comments


Have you ever had something in life that you wanted to achieve but in all of your power, you simply could not do it? 

I wrestled in high school and at the end of each practice we were required to climb ropes.  The ceiling was about 40 feet high.  This was great strength training and exercise.  The thing was that the number escalated as the season went on.  We started with 6, then 9 then 12 and by the end of the season each athlete had to climb 18 times.  Here was the kicker – if you could climb with no feet, it counted as 2.  It became my goal to climb with no feet.  The issue became – once you got about 30 feet in the air… it was a long way to fall.  I could get way up there but every time fear kicked in and I used my feet.

I am in the process of writing and developing a bible study series called “Nobody’s Perfect.”  God has set this standard for us:  “be holy because I am holy.”  Perfection is our Christian standard, and it is much like those 8 ropes that hung innocently on the west side of our wrestling room.  It was something I wanted to do but struggled to accomplish.

We can struggle with a lot of questions when dealing with this lofty expectation.
How can God require something that we cannot attain?
Should we hang our heads in shame at our pitiful attempt at perfection?
Should we be discouraged?
Should we just give up the pursuit of holiness?

The beautiful part of God’s requirement is that He provides what we need.  By grace, by mercy, by love Jesus became our sin and we became His perfection.  

Love God, Love Persons

Posted in , , , By Brett T Kelley 0 comments

You might be a grammar nerd if...
  • you mentally edit what your friends are saying.
  •  you use proper punctuation/capitalization in text messages, instant messaging, etc.
  • your extensive vocabulary confuses those around you.
  • you actually know the rule behind when to use "who" and "whom."
I don't believe I go overboard, but I am a bit of a grammar nerd. In conversation I will (half) jokingly correct a friend that uses "good" when they should have used "well." I leave them there anyway, but I feel a bit guilty for a dangling preposition. More important than the negative side, I find language enjoyable and some of my favorite jokes/puns are play on words.

A friend posted to this to my wall the other day.
Recently, I was talking to a friend that doesn't like poetry that much, not too big a surprise since she is younger. I explained to her the appeal poems have to me in their word use. In a text, we'd probably just say "luv ya" or maybe "i ♥ u." In regular writing or conversation, we'd say "I love you." Poetry is when we let loose and say "I'm enamored be you" "your smile is intoxicating" and so on. Okay, this was a bit of a bunny trail. I like language and grammar because it's enjoyable to me, but also because it matters.

When it comes to this church slogan, maybe I'm being over critical, but I'll let you decide. I first saw "Love God, Love People" in middle school. It sounds good because it is a succinct way to say the two greatest commandments, but something has changed. "Love God" is the first two words of the Greatest commandment, but "love people" is not. It actually says "Love your neighbor as yourself." I'd encourage you sometime today to read Jesus' discussion on this and the parable following in Luke 10:25-37. It is an easy thing to say that I love all people, but the moment I do not show kindness to an individual (for whatever reason) I show that I don't really love all people. The commandment goes even further than this. On my worst days, I still love myself very much...oh no, I have to show love to that one person in the same way. 

Maybe I'm being overcritical over this slogan, but I think it is important that we not hide behind a cliche slogan. It's hard, but it is what Jesus would have us do. How can you show love/kindness to an individual today?

Brett

In Season and Out of Season

Posted in By Patty Kennedy 1 comments


"Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort--with great patience and instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2).

What exactly does it mean to be prepared "in season and out of season"? We have all probably experienced situations where God opened wide the door to share the gospel with someone, and everything fell into place. That is what Timothy means by "in season" -- conditions are favorable rather than adverse.

"Out of season," then, is the opposite. It means when conditions are not favorable, when it may not be convenient for us, and when hindrances or even embarrassment may deter us from sharing the Word.

In a nutshell, being "in season" means making the most of every opportunity, as Paul exhorts us to do in Ephesians 5:16. It means not compartmentalizing our time into "spiritual" and "non-spiritual." It means being available to God 24/7. There are set times for worship and fellowship, but we must be available for God to use us outside of scheduled times of ministry.

When you're in the grocery line and the cashier appears harried, take the time to smile and ask her how she's doing. If God awakens you in the middle of the night, take the opportunity to pray, instead of being annoyed at being awakened. When you've just put your pajamas on and get a call that someone in your church is in the hospital, don't begrudge having to dress again and drive to the hospital so you can pray with them.

We must never forget that we are not our own; we were bought with the precious blood of Jesus. Our own convenience must be sacrificed on the altar of His eternal purposes.

What is Sin?

Posted in , , , By Nick Smith 0 comments


For several years, I have struggled with a question.  The question – what is the role of Old Testament law in a Christian’s life?    It may seem like an odd question to struggle with, but it is a pivotal question when we want to look at a definition of sin.  After all, I am a gradually maturing Christian who is trying to purge as much sin as possible from my life in order to become more Christ-like.  In pursuing that, it is crucial that I know what sin actually is.  And Paul tells us in Romans 7:7 that, “I would not have known what sin was except through the law” and in Romans 3:30, “through the law we become conscious of sin.”

So, if the law defines sin, why don’t Christians attempt to follow it?  This has been the issue I’ve had so much trouble with.

It’s important to note that I am not talking about earning salvation.  The Bible makes it very clear that we cannot earn salvation by following the law.  (“A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” -- Galatians 2:16a)  Of this I have no doubt.  But now that I have accepted Christ, I want to please him, which means eliminating sin from my life as much as possible.

So what is sin?  I’m afraid I’m still a little hazy on that myself, but I do feel as if I am getting closer to the answer.  Let me give you some preliminary conclusions that I’m coming to.

It seems that there are two definitions of sin – one for non-believers and one for believers.  For non-believers, sin is defined by the law.  This is supported by various New Testament scriptures including Galatians 4:23-24 (emphasis mine), “Before [faith in Jesus Christ] came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.  So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”  In other words, until you are justified by faith (i.e. you accept Christ), you are under the law.

But what about believers?  Paul goes on in verse 25 to say, “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.”  He also offers an illustration/metaphor in Romans 7:2-3 when he talks about marriage: “By law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.”  Paul then compares that to the Christian’s relationship to the law.  Before we accepted Christ, we were “married” to the law.  But once we came to Christ, the law died.  So Christians are no longer bound to the law.

So if, as Christians, we are no longer under the law, where do we get our definition of sin?  This is a tricky one to answer.  A Christian’s definition of sin comes from the Holy Spirit.  Sin is doing what the Spirit commands us not to do AND not doing what the Spirit commands us to do.  Paul says such at several points in Romans, starting with Romans 7:6, “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”  And in Romans 8:4, Paul describes Christians as people who “do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”  The importance of the Spirit is all over Romans 8.  For now, I’ll just share one more part, verses 26-27, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

I find it very interesting that my struggle with this question has enhanced my understanding of the importance of the Holy Spirit.  This is the second time that I have struggled with an issue and come to a better understanding of the Spirit (the first is outlined in my post about predestination).

I know that this doesn’t completely answer the question of the definition of sin for a Christian, but the fact is that there is no definition, only a source – the Holy Spirit.  It is important that we continually work to be sensitive to that Spirit that we may know and follow God’s will.

What do you long for?

Posted in , By Misti Runyan 1 comments



The first few times I heard this song, the message upset me. I used to think, "Is it a good God that punishes us so He can bless us?" It seems a cruel concept that 'a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near.' I envy the people of the Old Testament like Moses, who heard God's voice audibly, because the silence I face and the guessing game I play trying to decide God's will are maddening.

My spiritual life has always been somewhat of a roller coaster. I experience wonderful highs and frustrating lows; it's more rare for me to be on an even keel. Recently, I've been experiencing one of those lows. As I've been walking through this time, I've come to appreciate Laura Story's song in a new way.

The key is in the following lyrics: 'the pain reminds this heart that this is not our home'. When we experience dissatisfaction in our lives, when nothing seems to make us truly happy (or gives us lasting happiness) this is God's way of reminding us that we don't belong here. It's His way to say, "Don't get too attached to this place, because I've got something so much more beautiful in mind for you." Think about it: if we were perfectly happy here on earth, what would be our motivation to want to live forever with God? We'd be spending all our time trying to figure out how to cheat death instead of walking in relationship with He who loves us more than humanly possible!


Lousy T-Shirt

Posted in By Mike Johns 0 comments

I have just completed a book that I would like to share with you.

I actually found the book on the dollar rack at Mardel, so I couldn't pass up an opportunity with such a sarcastic title.

Vince Antonucci wrote this book.
He is funny, real, and I found the book very convicting.

Basically he is dealing with his expectations for the Christian life.  As he spent time in the Word, he found that the followers of Jesus didn't look that much like today's followers.

He deals with the discouragement and the disappointment in life and really brings following Jesus to a level we can understand.

If you like a witty author with a satirical look at life with Jesus, you may want to take a look at this one!

A mountain to climb

Posted in By Brett T Kelley 0 comments

For those who claim that all religions are basically the same, an illustration often used is that of a mountain. At the top of the mountain is God or the divine and all the religions are following their respective paths. Same summit/goal, different paths/methods. A nice idea but far from accurate. I will not here try to describe all the significant differences between the major religions, but want to focus on the idea of climbing the mountain.

As Americans and Christians, we are very fond of slogans and catchphrases. Unfortunately this is often accompanied by forgetting the origin and intention or overuse to the point of cliche. How many wore a WWJD bracelet at some point? I'm guilty. Own any of the merchandise parodying another corporation? Another example in my mind now is the "it's not a religion, it's a relationship." It would be better said: it isn't religion but the Gospel.

In reading the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), it is worth noting and somewhat humorous the use of direction/space words. The men gathered to build (goes up) "a tower that reaches the heavens" but even then God had to come down to see what they built. It's humorous because the greatest accomplishment of men was still so small that God had to come down to even get a glance at it. The Tower and the Religion Mountain seem to be related here. Even if all religions are going up different paths on the same mountain toward the same summit, they will all ultimately fail. As Isaiah said, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." So what is the Gospel?

In his book The Reason for God, Tim Keller contrasts religion and the Gospel this way: "Religion operates on the principle 'I obey--therefore I am accepted by God.' But the operating principle of the gospel is 'I am accepted by God through what Christ has done--therefore I obey.'" We cannot on our own effort climb the mountain to him. Instead all we can do is accept what Christ has done with gratitude.

Thoughts?

Oprah's Free TM Commercial

Posted in By Patty Kennedy 4 comments


Since my husband and I have roots in Fairfield, Iowa, we were naturally curious to see Oprah's recent show about TM, which was filmed there. The show was so offensive and so completely void of any objectivity that I knew I had to blog about it.

Oprah has never been accused of being anything even close to a journalist, but I was expecting more than groundless TM propaganda. If I didn't know better, I would think that Maharishi University of Management paid her to do the show.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with TM, it stands for transcendental meditation. It is touted as a "simple, natural, effortless procedure" that is "not a religion, a philosophy, or lifestyle." Really? I beg to differ.

Before I came to know Jesus, I was desperate for peace. When Maharishi University of Management (then called Maharishi International University) moved to Fairfield from Santa Barbara, California, in 1974, I became friends with a girl whose mother taught TM. She assured me that TM was not a religion, and would enhance whatever religious tradition I embraced. I paid a fee and went through the initiation ceremony, where I was given a supposedly unique mantra which I was to repeat throughout my twice daily 20-minute meditation. Since that time, I have learned there are only a handful of mantras, and they are assigned to an individual based on gender and age.

The initiation ceremony was bizarre, but I was willing to go through it so I could get my mantra and begin meditating. I walked into a room illuminated only by candlelight. I was asked to bring a clean white handkerchief and fresh flowers. In the center of the room was what looked to be an altar, with a photo of Guru Dev -- Maharishi's teacher -- prominently displayed.

Probably the weirdest thing, though, is that I was not informed ahead of time that the entire ceremony would be spoken in Sanskrit -- the primary liturgical language of Hinduism. So I just stood there while my friend's mom recited the puja. At one point I was asked to kneel, but I declined. My religious upbringing taught me enough that I felt uncomfortable kneeling in a ceremony in which I didn't understand the language being spoken.

I had been meditating just a few months when I discovered an English translation of the initiation puja. I'm curious like that -- I needed to know what was being said in that ceremony, and I needed to know why it was so secretive.

The puja is, in fact, an invocation to a host of Hindu gods. The truth angered me, and I confronted my friend about it. "How can you tell people this is not a religion?" I asked. It opens with "To Lord Narayana," who is Vishnu, the supreme god in Hinduism. Then "To Brahma the Creator," and the list goes on from there. Guru Dev is lauded as "the glory of Brahma the Creator and Lord Vishnu the Maintainer."

Oprah paid for herself and her entire staff to go through the TM initiation, which now costs a whopping $2,500. On the show, she interviewed TM practitioners, and one question she repeated often went something like this: "So Muslims and Jews and Christians can all meditate?" And then she would go on to say how it was so wonderful and had nothing to do with religion. She gushed about how TM enhances relationships because everyone is "centered" and at peace with themselves.

Oprah was irresponsible in presenting such a one-sided "advertisement" for TM. Not once did she interview any of the townspeople who do NOT practice TM -- she wouldn't want to hear their views on what this "university" has done to Fairfield. She also said the population in Fairfield has "increased ten-fold in the past ten years," which is not true. In fact, the population declined more than 3 percent from 2000 to 2009, according to census figures. And she obviously didn't do her homework about TM being a religion.

After watching the show, my husband and I took some time to pray. Oprah's following is unfortunately tremendous, and we prayed for those who would watch this and take her word for it that TM is okay. We prayed for the truth to be exposed.

Paul says we are to be "the sweet smell of Christ" among the lost. If we do our job as believers in Christ, perhaps people won't be lured into false religions like this one.

Beware the Connotative Word

Posted in , , By Nick Smith 3 comments

Did you know that words actually have two meanings? They are denotative and connotative. The denotative meaning is what we normally think of when we consider the meaning of a word. It is what you would find if you looked the word up in the dictionary – its literal meaning.
Then there is the connotative meaning. This is essentially the emotional meaning that we attach to words. The advertising industry pays very close attention to connotative meanings because it affects how we react to an advertisement. The term “Buy 2 and get both at 50% off” means the same thing as “Buy 1 get 1 free,” but the second term gets more buyers. Why? Because we react to the word free. It evokes an emotional response from us that make us feel as if we are getting a good deal. Also, consider the term “used car” as opposed to “pre-owned vehicle.” Which one sounds nicer to you? Used car sounds kind of dirty in the sense of a used tissue. Pre-owned, in contrast, has none of that negative connotation. Using the tissue comparison, it’s like somebody owned the tissue before us, but they didn’t use it, so it is therefore still nice.
A lot of the words in the Bible have strong connotative meanings. The words often play on extremes. For example, God is described as the most high (Psalm 47:2) and king of kings (Revelation 19:16) while Satan is described as the father of all lies (John 8:44) and the ruler of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). You can’t get any higher than most high and you can’t get any lower than the father of all lies. These are extremes.
But extremes aren’t the only words with strong connotative meanings. Consider these words that are common in the Bible: grace, love, peace, righteousness, mercy, freedom, joy, forgiveness, salvation, etc. We look at these words and it can be easy to translate them into a connotative meaning. Good. These things are good. And consider these words that are common in the Bible: persecuted, sin, trials, judgment, suffering, deceitfulness, death, etc. Bad. These words are bad.
So what’s my point?
Good question. I got to thinking about denotation and connotation the other day when I was reading the Bible. You see, I started to zone off when I was reading. I was still reading the words, but they weren’t truly registering. When I zoned back in, it occurred to me that I had been reading only connotatively. That is, I had absolutely no idea what I had just read, but I still had a residual feeling about its connotative meaning.
But the thing is, if I want to truly understand Scripture, I have to get past the connotations. I have to dig deeper into the true meaning of what is being communicated. It can become so temptingly easy sometimes to just gloss over the Word and replace it with connotations. Instead of reading “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a), we translate in our heads to “the fruit of the spirit is good stuff, more good stuff, blah, blah, blah, and more good stuff.” When we do this, we rob the Bible of its meaning. We should be looking at each word and their individual meanings in an effort to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
I say this to hopefully make you aware of something that you may not have even known is happening. All of us who read the Bible probably do this from time to time to some extent. Being aware of it should make you better prepared to confront it the next time it happens.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Posted in By Cheryl Huston 0 comments

Good morning everyone!
We all like to be comfortable. As soon I get home I like to put on my sweats. My nieces take a bath and put on their pjs as soon as we are in for the night, sometimes that is at 4 in the afternoon! Whatever it is, we all like to be comfortable.
Unfortunately, many times, sins are comfortable. Guilty pleasures, such as shows we shouldn't watch, or music that shouldn't be playing in our cars. Gossiping, spreading rumors, relationships that aren't healthy for us, all become comfortable to us.
But we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, ALL things are new and old things are put away. So, what is comfortable, sin, has to go when we begin our relationship with God. We pray for guidence, for God to show us the way He wants us to go. Often times His way is uncomfortable to us. It takes us out of our comfort zones. When this occurs we do one of two things, 1) we revert back to our old ways and try to hide from God or 2) we pray and trust Him completely to guide us in our new walk with Him!
Get out of your comfort zone today and walk in the light, the beautiful light!!!
Have a very blessed weekend everybody!!!
Cheryl

The Power of Music

Posted in By Misti Runyan 0 comments

Music has always been part of my life. Since I was a child, music has marked the important events in my family. So it was no surprise, though certainly still a beautiful picture, to see the following video tagged by a friend. It is a miraculous story of how music affects the human psyche:



God's love reaches our hearts and minds where they are. He touches each of us in exactly the right way to reach deep inside. He made us; He knows us better than anyone, even ourselves. Our Creator understands how to reach us. We only have to be listening for Him, attentive to His call.

Here's a little sample of the music I'm into right now. Thanks goes out to my daughter for introducing me to this.




How has God spoken to you lately? If you can't answer, maybe you've just gotten so busy you've forgotten to pay attention.

Nobody Wants To Die

Posted in By Mike Johns 0 comments

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."

A life of following Jesus is a life of taking up your cross. In Jesus day, who took up a cross? The answer - a person who was on his way to a crucifixion... a person set to die. Criminals convicted of crimes were forced to carry their cross to the place of death.

Jesus is saying here that to choose Him is to choose self-execution. Following Him is choosing death?

This has been a hard challenge for me for a long time.

We must crucify our selfish desires so that we can live for God and others.

Moment by moment, choice by choice, we must die to self so we can live far better.

We live in a culture where we grasp at life... the call of Jesus is to grasp at death.

Lord, let my desires be your desires. May I die to my selfish desires and live for you.

Pass the bubblewrap

Posted in By Brett T Kelley 1 comments

What's the difference between being childlike and acting childish? Often we view being child-like as a good thing, but acting childish is often used as a criticism of someone; typically associated with "act your age." Though I'm 24, every so often these phrases are directed at me (luckily childlike more than childish). My interaction with children is almost as a peer instead of an adult. The pranks I pull and jokes I laugh at are often childish. Yes, I'll laugh at a fart, a pun, cartoons, or popping bubble wrap. I'm easily amused with a hackeysack or spinning quarters on a table to entertain me and another kid. I'm comforted in my "lack of maturity" by Matt. 18:3, I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Also by the following quote of Willy Wonka (author: Roald Dahl) "A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men."


Like most times when I share stuff, I get asked what's my point. For all my childlike-ness in being easily amused, I'm concerned with how easily I'm satisfied. The problem here is a far more dangerous and subtle difference. While a child is easily amused by something simple and wants it over and over and over and over and over (once more) and over again, this is a far cry from an adult's satisfaction with how things are, how we are. What about continuing to search, explore, grow? Where's the curiosity, the adventure, the wonder? These are the questions I've been asking myself lately. Have I grown up too much in some ways?
Wonder is a strange and elusive state of mind. We know it when we have it. We talk about it as if we all know what we mean. We wish we could hold on to it forever. yet we have consigned nostalgia to the days of childhood and fairy tales. The world then was one to be conquered. We were going to soar to heights and breathe new air...Fatigue, care, worry, mistakes recognized, and yes, even farewells now evict the marvel of what we once envisioned. ---Ravi Zacharias, Recapture the Wonder
Thoughts?

"LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known"

Delight Yourself in the Lord

Posted in , By Patty Kennedy 2 comments


Yesterday marked a special anniversary for my husband and me -- not of our wedding, but of a time in our lives when we saw the Lord do wondrous things.

My husband is a journalist, and 22 years ago he was fired from his job on a small-town newspaper. Though both the editor and publisher said John's work record was impeccable, he was fired. Why? Because we started a right-to-life group.

A handful of townspeople met on a Saturday afternoon to start our group, and our public relations representative took a press release to the local newspaper Monday morning. We wanted people to know our group was starting so they would be informed, and could join us if they desired. That afternoon, John was called into the publisher's office and was told he had two options: quit his job, or quit the group. He declined to do either, and was fired on the spot.

At the time, I was working as a church secretary three mornings a week, and brought in a little less than $40 per week. We had three small sons, ages 3, 6 and 7. When the ax fell, though, we experienced a surreal peace about the whole thing. John had taken a stand for righteousness, and we knew God would take care of us.

When the firing happened, the Des Moines Register picked up the story. From there, the Associated Press got it, and it went nationwide overnight. The article appeared in USA Today, the AFA (American Family Association) Journal, and Moody Monthly magazine, as well as countless other newspapers.

What happened next gives me goosebumps to this day: we started receiving money in the mail from all over the country. People whom we had never met wrote to us, saying they were praying for our family. For a brief time, we went on a speaking circuit, as churches contacted us and asked us to come share our testimony.

An attorney in our church contacted The Rutherford Institute, a religious liberties organization that we had never heard of. We were encouraged to sue the newspaper. Though John and I were not out for money, our attorneys said it would set a dangerous precedent if we did nothing. It would mean you can get fired in this country if you act on your religious convictions. We agreed to pursue legal action.

In the meantime, an urban newspaper editor in California had read our story, and said he wanted John to come work for him. God subsequently made it clear that Sacramento was where we were to go.

Two years after the firing, we were preparing to fly back to Iowa for the court case, when we received a phone call, saying the newspaper had decided to settle out of court. The newspaper agreed to sign a written statement saying they had violated John's religious convictions. Our attorney said that, had we gone to court, no judge would have made the newspaper sign such a document.

We were only in California two-and-a-half years, when John got a job as news editor for Christianity Today magazine. When he applied, he did it a bit halfheartedly; he said he didn't think he'd get a job like that in a million years. It was his dream job; the kind you think you'll never get.

He did get his dream job. It turns out that the job he had in California provided him with the religion writing and editing experience he needed to be hired at Christianity Today -- and it was experience he never would've gotten at that small-town newspaper.

I reminded him then of Psalm 37:4: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." He had honored God by being willing to lose his very livelihood, and now God was blessing him.

Be assured that when you delight yourself in the Lord -- when you seek first His righteousness -- He will give you all that you need.

Intangible Holiness

Posted in , By Nick Smith 0 comments

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the words that we use to describe God and the word “Holy” seems to stand apart from all other descriptions. Let me explain…

Perfect is one of the first words that come to mind for me when describing God. God is perfect. It seems simple enough as well as accurate. But perfect is a word that requires a criterion or paradigm to conform to. For example, we would not know how to identify or create a perfect circle if we did not first know what a circle IS. The definition makes it possible for perfection to be attained. Anyone can be perfect simply by defining what it is that they are perfect at. Me? I’m perfect at making baskets in the trash can every time I am less than two feet away, there is no wind, and there are no obstructions between me and the trash can. Under those circumstances, I make a basket EVERY time. I am perfect in that regard.

When we look at perfection in this light, we can see that perfection in itself isn’t all that impressive; it is WHAT is perfect that matters. And there are so many other adjectives that describe God that he is perfect at: Loving, Powerful, Forgiving, Consuming, Comforting, Providing, Reliable, Required, Inspiring, Creative. For each of these words, I could provide several verses that demonstrate God’s perfection.

But Holiness stands apart. It is a truly unique word. For each of the other words, I can define it and I can usually recognize it when I see it. I can use those words to describe God. God is loving. God is powerful. God is forgiving. The words convey qualities that are independent of God (because they can describe more than just God). I can recognize the qualities of the word in God and then use the word to describe Him.

But that doesn’t work with holy. Sure, you can obviously say God is Holy, but that wouldn’t be an accurate description. A better description would be Holy is God. You see, holiness has no meaning without God. You can’t recognize qualities of holiness in God and then use the word to describe Him. It is that intangible quality of God that we know is there but our minds just can’t grasp it. It’s bigger than we can comprehend. All of the other adjectives are simply our attempt at describing holiness when we see it. Holy is all of those qualities plus an infinite number of qualities that we don’t even have words for.

And God is perfect at being Holy. That is something that no man can claim for himself.

Here is a song by one of my favorite bands, Addison Road, that does a great job of conveying the intangible quality of holiness in a beautiful way.

His Night In Hell

Posted in By Cheryl Huston 0 comments

Good evening everyone!
Easter Eve! People are cooking, doing hair, ironing clothes in preparation for Easter Sunday. Yesterday was Good Friday, the day of our Lord and Savior's Crucifixion. We focus our attention to His death and resurrection. But what did He do on the day in between, he went to Hell.
Jesus went down into the depths of Hell to reclaim the souls that belonged to Him. Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, all those souls of the old testament were raised with Him and taken on home to glory.
I look forward to that day when He returns. The dead in Christ shall rise and be caught up in the air with those who are left alive here on Earth.
I'm so glad Jesus conquered death, Hell and the grave with His blood. It was not easy for Him, but it was what God the Father required of Him. So with deep love and compassion for us, Jesus died the worst death ever and faced the worst place ever and won!!! Praise His Holy Name!!! Thank You Jesus!!!
Happy Easter everybody! Have a very blessed day!
Cheryl

Contradiction?

Posted in , By Misti Runyan 0 comments

The Lord said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry I have made them. Genesis 6:7

For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

Confused? Looking at these two passages, one from the Old Testament, the other from the New, it seems difficult to reconcile the very different images of God that are portrayed. How could a loving God who came to earth as a man, healed the sick, raised the dead, and died for us because of love be the same God who burned the sons of Aaron, made the Israelites wander 40 years in the desert, and placed them in captivity again and again?

We talk so much about God's love for us. We experience His love personally in our lives in the forms of peace and joy that transcend circumstances. As we grow to know Him more, our capacity to understand His love also grows. In reality, all this talk of God's love is very true: God did love the world so much that He sent Jesus to take our place and conquer the grave. He wants us to love Him in return and to desire to spend eternity with Him.

In the modern church, we spend a lot of time talking about God's love. And it's no wonder we do: so many people are wandering without a hope, dying for someone to love them and accept them regardless of what they've done. As Christians, it is our duty and privilege to offer this to them. Sometimes, though, I think we miss so much of God's character; to our ultimate detriment.

God is love. 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a perfect picture of that. But God is also just. He is righteous. He is holy--set apart. He is sovereign and He is Lord of our lives. God cannot abide sin. Like a High Judge, He must proclaim judgement on sin in our lives. 'Jesus sacrifice takes the punishment for our sins,' you say. This does not absolve us and make it okay to do whatever, whenever.

Any woman who has read Proverbs 31 knows how high God's expectations are. Any married person who has read Ephesians 5:22-30 knows that God's calling is beyond our capability. 'Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord." v22 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself up for her." v25 God's standards are impossible to live up to by our own strength. Trying to live by these rules by ourselves only leads to sin. Which is why we need Him. After all, what is sin but failing to live inside a relationship with the Lord?

Culture has deceived us into believing we are the masters of our own destiny. It has bestowed rights upon us that are a complete illusion. "You're worth it." "You deserve a break today." The more we buy into this, the more selfish we become. As parents, we fail to do our best at raising our children because it gets in the way of our dreams. As spouses, we refuse to accept our God-given roles because they are "anti-equality". As Christians, we fail to look to Christ as our example because He had no possessions, no ambition to power and He didn't care what the affluent people thought of Him.

I read an article today chronicling the top 5 reasons why Jesus would be fired from a youth minister's position in church. Check out the article on page 11. The first and most important, according to the author's view, is that He would shrink the group before He would grow it. I agree very strongly with this. I believe that Christ would shrink His youth group because He would challenge the status quo. He would 'burn away the chaff', so to speak, of those whose hearts were not in it. He would push those committed few to new levels of devotion to God. He would anger some people by calling out their 'lukewarm' tendencies.

God has great things in store for us because of His love. Great things don't come easy, though. We have to accept His great expectations of us in order to capture His best plan for our lives.

Change

Posted in By Mike Johns 0 comments

I like to meet with other people who work with students. It has been something I have done for years. I was sitting in a meeting with other youth leaders and one of the guys gave us a powerful quote and then a question that still resonates today. I will butcher the quote, and do not know who to credit for it anyhow... but here goes


He said “one of the distinctive characteristics of aChristian is the ability to control certain appetites in life, and through Godto change behavior to look more like Jesus.”

I loved that... I totally agreed with that but then thequestion came… what has changed recently in your life? What sin have you recently put aside? What has changed in your life? Imean if that is true and I believe it is, then what has changed? Am I living on what changed many years ago whenI came to know Christ?

This life is a journey and we are on task to give glory to God.
What are you putting away today for His glory?

God is dead

Posted in By Brett T Kelley 0 comments

"God is dead. And remains dead. And we have killed him.
--Friedrich Nietzsche

For some time I have been thinking on my belief in God and how all my beliefs hinge on it. This became even more poignant in my mind when I re-discovered "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) It's not just God's existence though that is imperative, his character is just as important. It'd be a small victory to prove beyond doubt that God exists but that he is one that wants nothing to do with man. The quote I shared in my previous post expresses this well: "For what we need to know, of course, is not just that God exists...but that there is a God right here in the thick of our day-by-day lives...It is not objective proof of God's existence that we want but the experience of God's presence." And this he has and will give us.

This desire for God's presence in the here-and-now is answered in the person of Jesus. Many of us learned and memorized John 3:16 as children. Romans 5:8, puts it this way: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This verse shows us the character of God (loves mankind), his presence on earth in the person of Jesus, and the sacrifice he made. It is Holy week with Good Friday coming up, the day Jesus was crucified on the cross. I don't pretend to understand all that Nietzsche might have meant in his quote, but I find it interesting because this week we do celebrate the death of God. Yes, Jesus died, and it was we who caused him to die. But he did not remain so and an empty tomb showed on Resurrection Sunday.

As Good Friday and Easter Sunday are coming up I encourage you to read the Gospel accounts and think about what this weekend means.

Brett
"Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said."

What's Your Bible?

Posted in , , By Nick Smith 0 comments

Most of us have, at some point in our lives, been handed a document of some sort and told, “This is your Bible.” This happened to me recently when I purchased a copy of the Federal Aviation Regulations and my flight instructor told me that very thing. Obviously she didn’t mean that it is a literal Bible. Her point was that I should read it, study it, and learn it very well.
This saying is so common in American culture that it has become a cliché. But when my instructor said this, something occurred to me. We know what it means to treat something as our Bible, but how often do we treat THE Bible as our Bible? Oh sure, we all know somewhere deep down that we probably should, but our conviction stops there. We have our reasons. We’ll read it when things aren’t so hectic. We already know what it says (we think). And I have a personal theory that all of us have a subconscious fear of encountering the Word of God because we know that it will make us feel convicted and make us want to change. We’re afraid because we like being in control and reading the Bible is one step towards ceding control. But making THE Bible YOUR Bible is an essential part of a Christian’s walk with God.
Essential – Adjective. Absolutely necessary; indispensable.
Here’s what the Bible has to say about itself: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
I love the description of “living and active.” How often do we desperately want God to speak to us? Maybe we just need to make the time and effort to read what He is saying right now.
Also, in his “armor of God” metaphor, Paul describes the Word of God as “the sword of the spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). It is the Christian’s one and only offensive weapon. Without a sword, we are just standing in the midst of a battle allowing ourselves to be battered. I wouldn’t call that a useful soldier.

I’m not saying we all need to stop everything and read the Bible to the exclusion of doing anything else. But you’d be surprised how much God can speak when you read His Word just 15-30 minutes a day. Make the time. Make the effort. Get to know God.
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