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astraphcbia · 8 years ago

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The Big Secret

Peter Parker x Reader (you’re not yourself, it’s fun though) Words: 2,570 words TW: tiny tiny tiny bit of nsfw, kissing, one (1) curse word

After weeks of him hiding and avoiding you, you decided it was time to confront him about what he was certainly hiding from you. You had had enough of passing glances in the hallways, and when it was time to choose a partner for class, he always chose Ned, or anyone else in the classroom but you. He chose Ned, Liz, Michelle, Betty, Flash. Anyone but you and as confident and independent as you were, knowing Peter would rather work with a speck of dirt in the corner than you, stung.

Aunt May was taking a nap after her shift at the hospital, and lay sprawled across the couch in the living room. You could hear her snoring as you crawled in through the fire escape. It made you start to smile when you rounded the couch to see her glasses still on her nose, though haphazardly. You took them off carefully, set them on the table next to her, and put her arm back on the cushion with her so that when she woke up it wasn't asleep. After you give her a quick kiss on the temple, you made your way to Peter's room. It was closed, as always, and you hoped that he was wearing clothes when you took a hold of the handle and turned it sharply. It was locked. Since when did he start locking his door? Aunt May would never approve that.

"Uh... just a sec Aunt May..." you heard him move around, struggling a little to walk toward the door. You heard something that sounded like a thwip and then a door shutting. You crossed your arms, felt your heat starting to rise. He was avoiding you again and he didn't even know it was you.

You opened your mouth to start speaking, "I'm not-!" But you stopped because if he knew it was you, he might never unlock the door and face you.

The lock clicked and as it swung open you saw a shirtless Peter Parker, hair a disheveled mess, eye bags deeper than they'd been in A.P algebra this morning. He was down right chiseled though. Way over developed for someone his age, but when you felt a blush spread you knew you didn't mind it. His eyes went from being the wide, loving gaze he always gave to Aunt May, to the one you'd had to grown accustomed to recently. It was tender, but restricted. He couldn't quite meet your eyes at all, even turned his head down to your shoes. You knew he was hiding something, something big.

"Hey there, Tiger. Have a minute for little ol' me?" Your tone was actually much softer than you'd intended. This was an extraction mission, but at the sight of a new bruise just on his rib, you decided to come at the neighbor boy with gentility, and it felt underwhelming. He nodded and stepped to the side to let you through and into the room that was messy but organized. Like him. Like your Peter. That felt right. Your Peter.

He closed the door behind you, leaving it unlocked. You stopped in front of his work desk and traced your finger over what looked to be Chemistry homework he was surely pouring himself over just seconds before you arrived. You looked at the pictures on his wall and exhaled at the one of you two together. It was front and center in his little collage, and it made you feel even less animosity toward him. He still cared about you.

"To what do I owe this visit?" He said, but it wasn't in a charming tone. It was nearly monotone, rushed. He turned to face you and crossed his arms, which revealed a burn mark on his under arm.

"Peter!" You exclaimed softly. He followed your eyes and moved quickly to put on his midtown high gym shirt.

"It's nothing-" he shook his head. You sighed and crossed your arms. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine..." You eyed him cautiously, tried to get angry at him again for ignoring you. "Are you getting into fights?"

"Not exactly." He mumbled. You leaned back against his desk, tilted your head down to look up at him. Your high ponytail hit the back of your neck. Made you shiver. "I'm fine, really."

"I saw the bruise. The burn. How many other wounds do you have that I can't see?" You urged. He shook his head, took a step away from you. "Peter! How am I supposed to help you if you won't speak to me?"

"You're not. Don't. Just go." His tone was strained, but weak. Like he didn't want to be saying what he was saying, but he had to for some stupid reason.

"Where should I go? Whenever I can't see you I get anxious. I've seen you sleep in computer class. Algebra this morning. You don't eat lunch, or you do but I never see you anymore."

"Things in my life are getting a little tense." He said in a normal, reasonable tone. He actually looked you in the eyes and it made you stand up and take a step toward him. "I don't want to involve you."

"Why not?" Your tone was forceful, demanding, accusing. "From the day we met you know I've had your back, even if we didn't quite click at first. You know that we're meant to be best friends. You know that we're supposed to be there for each other."

"It just can't be like that anymore." He was being honest and hurt. It felt like he'd shoved a tiny dagger into the pit of your stomach. "I don't want it to be like that anymore."

You inhaled sharply, held back the tears, and cursed at yourself because you had known for the past week that something like this was going to happen. That he would tell you to take a hike eventually. You didn't fit in his group of friends anyway. You were outgoing, and artistic, and they were math-minded. Introverted. You had always been the sore thumb. You never thought you'd been one to Peter, but things change. Years don't matter when a person changes who they were when you met.

"What are you saying?" You sucked in a shuddered breath, fought the tears. You could've sworn it had started to rain outside. "I don't want to see you anymore. Not outside of school, not in school. Pretend we never met." He didn't look you in the eyes, you saw that he was trying to hold in the tears too.

"No Peter," you sobbed, tears brimmed over your eyes and down your cheeks in streams. "What did I do wrong...?"

He didn't speak, just glanced up at you with tears pricking at his eyes. He couldn't watch you cry, he couldn't bear the thought of knowing that when you cried tonight it would be his fault. He was breaking your heart and he knew it and it was killing him too. You brought your wrists up to your cheeks to dry your face, cover the red blossoming over your skin. He stepped forward, but stopped himself mid-step. You sobbed.

"I can’t change, Pete-" you spoke softly, tried not to stutter with hiccups. "But you can tell me what I did wrong, Peter. Tell me why."

"Nothing." He cleared his throat, looked at your shoulder as it was all he could manage without looking you in the eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"Then why are you ignoring me?" You kept your voice down to keep from waking up his Aunt. "Why won't you tell me what's happening to you? Why you have bruises and burns and look like-like you haven't slept in weeks."

"I can't tell you."

"Why? Because you don't trust me? I've never told anyone about any secrets you've told me. Any of them." You sucked in a cool breath, it calmed your lungs. You could speak in a regulated tone again, but the tears only slowed down. "You can tell me anything."

"I know that, I know..." he sighed.

"Then why won't you talk to me?" You stepped closer, dipped his chin up so he had to look you in the eyes. The marbled, shiny teary eyes. They glistened. He wiped your cheek softly, cupped it for just a moment while he looked so deeply in your eyes you thought he might kiss you, but he didn't. He dropped his hand and tried to pull away from you, but you persisted. "Peter," your voice broke. "Please talk to me."

"I don't want you to get hurt." He confessed. "I just wish things could be different." He stepped toward the door.

"Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Retract." He shrugged. He did that often. "Because the things I want to say can't be said right now."

"What things?" He opened the door. "What things, Peter?"

"I think you should go." He looked out into the hallway where his aunt was still soundly asleep. She was still snoring, oblivious to the sorrow seeping from his room.

"I won't."

"MJ." He urged.

"I won't! Not until you tell me everything."

"If I tell you everything," he walked toward you, cupped your cheeks in his hands to look you square in the eyes. "If I tell you everything, you will get hurt and/or die and I would give my own life before I let anyone ever harm a hair on your head. Understand me. If you were ever hurt, i- I don't know what I'd do."

"What are you talking about? Why are you so cryptic Peter!" You almost yelled when you spoke. "If you say goodbye to me now we will never speak again. Understand me, Peter. If you make me leave this room, it's the end of this- whatever this was."

"If it means keeping you safe, MJ, keeping you alive, right now? I'll say goodbye forever." But a tear rolled down his cheek when he spoke, and his voice cracked, and his cheeks blushed with the heat of pain. He rubbed his thumbs softly over your cheeks to rub away the tears and to offer some sort of momentary comfort.

"I'll miss my Peter." You whispered, the heat of your breath rolling over his parted lips. You looked up into his deep, dark eyes. Wanted a taste of the darkness he kept locked away from you. "Just one-"

He nodded once before tilting your head and laying a gentle, breath-stealing kiss from you. You wrapped your arms around his torso and let yourself open your mouth for him to delve deeper into the moan he elicited the second he slide his hands down your neck. He moved his arms to your waist and you traded to wrap yours around the back of his neck. He actually lifted you up with ease and it made you gasp with surprised and excitement. He took one and a half step to set you down on top of his homework.

Peter stepped between your legs and leaned forward to have you lean against his wall and it excited you to know that he knew what he was doing even though you knew for a fact this was his second kiss with you and with anyone in fact. This was only your second kiss as well because the first one belonged to a pair of kiss claimed by none other than Spider-Man himself. And when you bit Peter's bottom lip as he started to pull away, the second he leaned back in to steal another breath, you pushed him away and stood up in front of up. He turned beet red and threw his hands down to cover his crotch.

"What's wrong?" He looked concerned, and embarrassed. "Was that your first kiss? Because I know you would've told me if you've kissed someone else. I know you would've shown it on your face like a Halloween mask..."

"Uh... yeah. MJ, yeah. You're my first kiss." You smiled. "What?"

"Was that your first kiss, is the question I asked. Not if I was your first kiss. God, you're so cryptic!"

He sighed, looked across at the wall behind you, looked at the floor, your knees, not your chest of course not, but the second he looked into your eyes you leapt forward and tackled him to the ground. He grunted and you smothered his face with kisses.

"I knew it! I knew it was you!" You exclaimed, tears happily slipping down your cheeks now to replace the sad ones. "Peter Parker, what have you done to yourself?"

"It wasn't my fault! A spider, you know. They bite sometimes. It bit me at Oscorp. On the field trip. I was distracted by, science.... and you kind of. Anyway. I woke up the next day, didn't need glasses, didn't feel like a complete dork. My anxiety quieted for one glorious moment."

"You could have told me." You cuddled him with one arm, head on his chest as you listened to his perfect heartbeat. "I wouldn't have told anyone."

"I am afraid that if you know, then you’ll just become a bigger target. Or you'll change your life for me."

You laughed. "That's awfully bold of you to assume id change my life for you, Parker."

“You’re right, I apologize.” He looked at you with gentle eyes. "I just wouldn't want to stop you from doing what you love."

"You won't. No one can. If anything it’s nice to know you’re my secret guardian, and now that I know you aren't about to toss me aside, can you keep a secret too?"

"Yeah... yeah of course. Anything." Peter nodded ferociously.

You chinned up to feather your lips over his ear, let the heat of your breath pour over his skin. He shivered, and it made you wish you never had to go home again. "Peter Parker, I love you."

He leaned away from you, sat up on his elbows.

"What?" You asked.

"Why are you saying this?" He asked, monotone.

"Because I mean it." You sighed.

"Right, but it doesn't change anything." Then he tensed up again as he spoke.

"What are you talking about?" You sit up too, ready to move in an instant.

"I still can't be seen with you. At school, outside." He took your hand, kissed the top. "I love you too.”

“Then stop talking like that!”

“But we can't be together."

You stood up, straightened your shirt and pulled your ponytail tight. "You know what Peter Parker?"

He didn't speak only swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Fuck you." And instead of leaving out of the fire escape you walked out of the front door and slammed it behind you, ignoring groggy Aunt May, half awake on the couch.

"Peter!" She called. He went running out of his room, wiping away a few tears that's sprung loose. "What just happened? What did you do to Mary-Jane?"

"We can't be friends anymore." He walked toward her when she waved him to her as she put her glasses on.

"What happened Peter? I know how much you love her."

He hiccuped as he cried, leaned into his entire weight onto his aunt. "I love her so much, Aunt May, but we can't be together."

"Baby... it's okay. It's okay." She softened his hair and shushed him gently as he sobbed with true pain. This hurt more than the shot to the ribs and a burn on the arm. This felt like someone reached inside his chest and ripped out his heart, and it was all his fault.

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catholiccom-blog · 8 years ago

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Be Honest: Are You Afraid to Evangelize?

In my experience, when Catholics are confronted with the idea of evangelizing, the first reaction is fear—plain, unadulterated fear. You know how they say people most fear public speaking and death? Well, most Catholics would rather give a speech from their grave than evangelize.

That fear usually takes one of two forms (or even a double whammy of both). First, the Catholic fears that he doesn't know enough about his faith to evangelize. He might even fear that his ignorance is so bad he could turn people away from the Faith. The second fear is social rejection. What if my family or friends or co-workers think I'm crazy? Or offensive? I don't want to be the religious freak with no friends.

Many Catholics have rationalized their fears in order to refrain from evangelizing: If I offend Elizabeth it’ll harm our relationship and then I won't be able to be a good witness to her.

Or, I don't think Will is ready to hear that yet. He’ll think I’m judging him and it'll just turn him away from the Church if I talk about it now.

And my personal favorite: St. Francis said we only have to preach the gospel through our actions, so I don't really need to bring up my faith with others. My actions will convert them.

This widespread fear of evangelization has consequences; most importantly, many souls have not heard the gospel proclaimed in all its beauty and fullness. While evangelicals, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses are hitting the streets, Catholics are sitting at home with their mouths shut. The departure of so many people from the Church over the past few decades isn't unrelated to our lack of evangelization. So it's vital that we overcome these fears and work to spread the Faith. Let's look at the two main fears of evangelization and see if we can't make them a little less daunting.

“I don't know enough theology”

Okay, you're not Scott Hahn or Bishop Barron. You can't remember the difference between Transubstantiation and the Transfiguration. So how are you going to spread the Catholic faith? What if a Protestant starts slinging out Bible verses like the cafeteria lady on mashed potato day? Or a heterodox Catholic regales you with stories of women priests in the first century? What should you do?

First of all, such situations will rarely occur. Unless you’re going to Bob Jones University or are a faculty member at Georgetown, you won't typically encounter these types. It’s likely that the person you're talking to will be far more ignorant of Catholicism than you are. Just by being a practicing Catholic you have picked up more information than you realize. Don't be afraid to use it.

What matters most in evangelization is that you are able to tell your story—how Christ impacted your life and why you love being Catholic. (You do love being Catholic, right?) This is the foundation of all good evangelization. You see it with the great evangelist St. Paul: he never tires of telling the story of how Jesus changed him from a Christian-hating Pharisee to the Apostle to the Gentiles. Your story may not be as dramatic as St. Paul's, but it will have a great impact on those around you. If you are living as a Catholic, then you are living counter-culturally, and that will make people curious to know why. What better time to tell them the reason for your joy?

Also, there is nothing wrong with the answer, “I don't know—I'll get back to you on that.” That's why God created Google. When I was first involved in Catholic evangelization in the early 1990's, finding answers to tough questions involved hours at the library or sending away for a set of Catholic Answers tracts (raise your hand if you remember the old pastel-colored CA pamphlets). Today you can go to catholic.com or some other solid site (or book) to find the answer. So if you’re stumped, there’s no excuse to be stumped for long. Find the answer and then get back to your friend.

“I'm afraid of being rejected”

Let's be honest: this is the real fear most people have, and it's also the one most people will deny having. After reading stories of countless martyrs who suffered and died for the Faith, no one wants to admit he’s afraid of not being invited to the next neighborhood barbecue.

Social rejection is a real and legitimate fear. Unless you’re an antisocial freak, no one wants to be rejected by his peers—we all want to be liked. And the risk of being rejected for our Catholic beliefs increases each passing day. Recently, I was on the social network Reddit (which mostly consists of immature and aggressive atheist young men posting memes). Someone posted a story of a state legislature trying to pass a pro-life law. I posted the simple comment that I hoped they were successful. Almost immediately, I was attacked by brigands of pro-abortion advocates downvoting and vilifying me, often with profane language. All for simply saying I hoped a pro-life law passed. Honestly, it made me hesitant to speak up again. And that is the point: anti-Catholics don't have logic behind them, so they look to impose their views by force, often by simply shouting down and verbally attacking any who oppose them.

However, Christ commanded that we evangelize, and he didn't make exceptions for coworkers, neighbors, or Reddit attack brigades. All of the great evangelizers suffered. St. Paul's writings are filled with references to his suffering, and he thanks God for being able to suffer for the sake of Christ. He connects his suffering directly with his evangelization efforts, writing, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1:24).

We will likely face far less suffering than St. Paul, but if we evangelize we will face rejection. Yet we must be willing to tell others about Christ and his Church like Paul did. If we don’t tell our loved ones about Christ, who will?

Overcoming the fear

I’ve often found that our fears are far worse than the reality. When I first organized a door-to-door campaign for my parish I was terrified, and I could tell just about all the other volunteers were as well. We imagined slammed doors, hurled epithets, and growling pit bulls being set loose. But none of that happened. We mostly encountered indifference, but we also met people who were genuinely happy to talk with us. After the campaign was over, all those who participated were energized to continue to evangelize: the fears of our imagination gave way to the grace of sharing our faith with others.

We’ll never completely get rid of our fears. What is needed more than anything among Catholics today, then, is courage. As the saying goes, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the judgment that something is more important than fear.” And what is more important than the salvation of souls? As Catholics, we must pray for the virtue of courage so that we might overcome our fears and boldly spread the faith to those around us, even if we feel inadequate. Even if we feel we'll be rejected.

Eric Sammons is the author of the new book “The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did” from Catholic Answers Press. You can buy the book now at Shop.Catholic.com and listen to his recent guest appearance on Catholic Answers Live.

#Catholic Answers #CAMO #Eric Sammons #The Old Evangelization #Evangelization #Catholic Teaching

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gracewithducks · 5 years ago

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With One Heart (Acts 4:32-37) - Sunday School Stories #11, preached for Commitment Sunday 11/18/19

I once heard a story about a man named Thomas Hearne, who was travelling on an expedition to the mouth of the Coppermine River in Ontario. But a few days into the journey, Thomas and his companions were attacked, and most of their supplies were stolen. In his journal about the incident, rather than bemoaning what was lost, Thomas wrote, “The weight of our baggage being so much lightened, our next day’s journey was more swift and pleasant.”

Lloyd Douglas, one of the most popular American ministers and authors of the early 20th century, reflected on this story, saying, “Hearne was in route to something more interesting and important; and the loss of a few sides of bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant nothing more than an easing of the load. Had Hearne been holed in somewhere, in a cabin, resolved to spend his last days eking out an existence […] the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have worried him almost to death.

Douglas concluded by reflecting, “How we respond to ‘losing’ some of our resources for God's work depends upon whether we are on the move or waiting for our last stand.”[1]

It’s a preacher story, so I don’t know if it’s true – although I do know that making my kids carry their own bags makes them second-guess just how many books and stuffed animals they really need. When we’re sitting still, we can easily surround ourselves with stuff, but when we’re on the move, we reconsider how much it is we really need.

In our scripture today, we are given a glimpse into the life of the very early church. Luke writes, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had… and God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them” (NIV).

It’s a beautiful picture of a community of people living in mutual harmony with one another – but let’s be honest, it sounds a little too Sesame Street, a little too Pleasantville and Pollyanna – just a little too utopian to have ever possibly been real. It makes me wonder, did the early church ever actually live that way? Maybe in those early days, the good news of the resurrection was still so new and exciting that the first Christians just didn’t worry about anything else. Maybe it’s easier to let go of your possessions when you expect Christ to return and usher in the new age at any moment; you don’t have to worry about saving for the future if you don’t think there will be one. Or maybe, even though Luke says, “all the believers were of one heart and mind,” he doesn’t really mean all the believers. Maybe there were small pockets of communal living, which were celebrated and lifted up as models for the rest, or maybe this is the story that the Christians told about themselves, a hopeful image of the kind of community they aspired, in their own faltering ways, to be.

But even if the story really did start here, with sharing everything and no one in need, it didn’t last for long. Just a few verses later, the Gentiles come to the apostles complaining that only the Jewish widows are being cared for, while Gentile widows go hungry (Acts 6:1-7). The early church quickly faced conflict and division over the question of if and how non-Jews could be a part of the new Christian community (Acts 10, 15). And Paul wrote to the Corinthian church admonishing them, because not only were they divided into factions, but the richer members would feast and leave nothing for when their poorer members made it to the table (1 Corinthians 1, 11).

Truly loving one another as we love ourselves – it’s hard. Sharing what we have, generously and without reservation, is hard. Keeping an open mind, keeping an open heart towards people who are different from us, who hold different ideals and different views – it’s hard. And trusting that, if we share, there will be enough to go around – it’s especially hard, when we see around us over and over again that there just doesn’t seem to be enough.

In many ways, the early Christians lived in a different world than we do. Many of us are carrying debt, significant debt, sometimes more than we even imagine or hope to pay back in our lifetimes. And at the same time, far too few of us have any money saved for the future. However, the early Christians also knew about debt and fear for the future; then as now, it takes so little to derail our plans and throw our lives into a tailspin. It’s overwhelming and terrifying to realize that one medical emergency, one mistake, a fire, a downsizing, a disaster – or even just outliving our savings – can leave us begging for help.

Every day we see signs advertising spaghetti fundraisers and posts for go-fund-me accounts, saying: please help this family, please help this friend, with one more heartbreaking story to tell. Even the most heartwarming stories we share – of children raising money to pay off their classmates’ lunch debts, and engineering students crafting medical equipment that insurance won’t cover, celebrities or even churches stepping in to erase medical debt or help someone in need – those stories are beautiful, yes, but they’re also discouraging, because beneath the warm fuzzies is the reality that we live in a world and a nation where fear is woven right into the fabric of our being, where at any time, any one of us could go into a freefall, where school lunch debt and medical bankruptcy aren’t just real but are common and overwhelming – we live in a society where, in our own fear and in our own greed, we’ve lost our sense of responsibility for one another. I remember once hearing a suggestion that, instead of forcing everyone to make a go-fund-me page when they got sick or a tragedy occurred, we could instead all contribute to one great big go-fund-me fund that could be used by anyone in need – you know, like some kind of social safety net? But somehow it’s a crazy, impossible ideal – even though other nations seem to be able to make it work – it’s a crazy, impossible idea to suggest that I’d be willing to pay more in taxes if it means I knew my neighbors wouldn’t go hungry, that when someone got cancer their family could support them without worrying about how to afford the treatment they need – and if it meant knowing that, when our family falls on hard times, there would be a net to catch us and something in place to help us back up.

Maybe we imagine that we’ll never be the ones in need. Or maybe we just like to be heroes: we like to feel generous, to hear those sad stories for ourselves, to see misery on display, to be appealed to individually, maybe even groveled to and gushed over – it makes us feel good, feel important and powerful, when we choose to give. And God absolutely calls us to step up and help whenever we see someone in need. But just as important – maybe even more so – just as important is the far less glamorous work of consistent giving, of faithful generosity, of giving back a portion of our resources to God. It’s less flashy, less gratifying, but even more powerful in our lives and in the lives of others when we build generosity into the very fabric of our lives.

When God was preparing the people to enter the Promised Land, they first had to learn to trust in God. They learned the lesson of the manna, the miracle of bread from heaven – and the real miracle that, somehow, each person always had enough. And God said, “When you enter the Promised Land, remember how, when you were hungry, my grace kept you fed. When you enter the Promised Land, give back the first and the best parts of our harvest for my work. And build into your society care for others, especially for the hungry and the vulnerable, the strangers and the sick and the poor.”

And when Jesus came to call us back to God’s ways, he said, “Where your treasure is, there is your heart” (Matthew 6:21). And he said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). And he said, “They will know you are my disciples by your love” (John 13:35).

The book of Acts paints a picture of a generous community, the kind of place where people are willing to give everything they have in order to make sure no one else is in need. Not everyone gave everything – and I’m not asking you to give everything today. But it is worth asking: what do we give? Do we bring our best to God, or do we give God the crumbs, the leftovers, after everything else is said and done?

The biblical standard for giving is a tithe, or 10%. Actually, that’s the Old Testament biblical standard; in the New Testament, as we’ve seen, the standard for giving is everything. But on average, most Christians today give about 2.5% of their income to churches.[2] Some give much more, of course, but many give much less. Among the three major religions in our nation – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – Christians aren’t even the most generous, not by a long shot; our friends in the other Abrahamic faiths almost double our giving.[3]

It’s a shame that the religion of the cross and resurrection, of dying to self and rising to Christ, of loving others as we love ourselves – it’s a shame that our faith is no longer know by our generosity, compassion, or grace. The world outside knows us by our judgmentalism, by our hypocrisy, by our worst examples, by our biggest failures, by our exclusion and prejudice and unwritten rules – but how I wish they would know us by our love.

Two and a half percent. Some give more, but many give less. And we can say maybe people are giving to secular charities these days; we can blame church politics and scandals, we can blame the lousy economy – but then again, during the Great Depression, the average for giving was 3.3% - in the season which, for our nation, is the literal epitome of poverty and despair, Christians were more generous than they are now. Maybe it’s because there was a shared sense of struggle; maybe it’s because the suffering was so clear and so prevalent, that more were willing to share so needs could be met. In fact, throughout history, the most generous people aren’t usually the rich – the rich are too far removed from their neighbors – but the most generous people are those who don’t have much to share… but who know their neighbors, and try to love them as they love themselves.[4] While big numbers make the headlines, most giving – whether to churches or to charities – most giving comes from moderate households, from modest and ordinary folks, but when all those smaller gifts are put together, they really add up.

That’s why Jesus doesn’t praise the giving done by the rich, but instead he praises the gift of the widow’s mite (Luke 21:1-4). The one who fed crowds with just a few loafs, who said faith like a mustard seed was enough to move mountains – Jesus knew that it’s not the size of the gift that counts, but the spirit and faith therein (Matthew 14:13-21; Matthew 17:20).

Maybe you really are giving all you can: friends, God sees you. The Lord who knows all the hairs on your head; the one who clothes the lilies and praises the widow’s gift is with you. God sees your heart. And maybe this isn’t a season when you can make a financial commitment or give any more than you already can. But maybe God is inviting you to step up in another way: we have open seats on committees, work areas and ministry teams; you could volunteer at church events, you could commit yourself to calling and checking in with church members, to visiting, to serving at Alpha House, volunteering in the community, praying regularly for our church and our members, brainstorming creative fundraising ideas. Jesus didn’t come to balance budgets; he came to show God’s love. Jesus cares about what you do with your finances, but more than that, Jesus loves you.

And maybe, when a little extra income surprises you – a raise, a bonus, an inheritance, a tax refund, or some other unexpected blessing – remember to share and pass that blessing on.

Many of us are giving all we can. And I honor that; I honor you. But I also know that many of us aren’t giving all we can – not even close. We aren’t giving until it hurts; in fact, we’re barely even feeling it. Maybe you haven’t stepped up your giving in a while. Maybe you give when you think about it, when you happen to come, when you remember to put some money in your pocket on the way out the door. Our church is currently operating at a deficit; we are sustaining many of our ministries thanks to the generous investments of the saints who’ve gone before us. And we are grateful for those gifts, for those investments in the church’s future, for those who made sure their ministry would outlive them – and if you haven’t thought about it yet, what legacy are you going to leave behind you when the day comes? Will you remember the ministries of the church in your estate? Whom will you bless, even after you’re gone?

Friends, I am so grateful for the legacy that brought us this far, and for the generosity of each one of you and of the saints who’ve gone before. But I firmly believe that we are at a crucial moment in our church’s story: and I believe, with all my heart, that God is not finished with us yet.

The question is: do you believe it? And are you willing to commit to the work, to invest in the vision, to support the worship, the discipleship, the fellowship, the missions of this body in this place?

In the future, when they tell our story, will they say: this was the season when the church was afraid; when giving dried up, and they circled the wagons, and anxiously counted the sacks of flour we had left? Or will this be the season when we keep moving, when we trust God enough to lighten the load – to share and use what we have, to dream big and give bigger, to trust that, by God’s grace, there will be more than enough to get us where God is calling us to go?

May they know us by our faith. May they know us by our generosity. And above all, may they know us by our love.

We thank you, God, for the saints who’ve gone before us; we stand in awe of the legacy we’ve inherited – and we also stand in awe of the opportunities you’ve given us. We find ourselves in a crucial moment: will we plan for the future with hope, or with fear? Will we be known for our stinginess, or will we be known for our generosity? We pray, Lord, that the world will know us by our love. We pray that you would make us like the earliest church, people united in heart and mind, a community of people committed to caring for one another and to sharing the good news with the world. Send your Spirit on us, as we make our promises and our pledges for the coming year. Fill us with hope; fill us with courage; fill us with peace. In Christ’s name we pray; amen.

[1] Lloyd C. Douglas, The Living Faith. http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/s/stewardship.htm

[2] https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-statistics/

[3] The average American Christian donates a little over $800/year; Muslims on average donate more than $1300, and Jews $1440. https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/average-church-religion-donation.html/

[4] People with a salary of less than $20K are eight times more likely to give than someone who makes $75K. https://pushpay.com/blog/church-giving-statistics/

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mrlnsfrt · 5 years ago

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For the Sake of the Mission - Part 3

In part 1 of our series For the Sake of the Mission, we explored the importance of having a mission, and that we have a God-given mission to make disciples. In part 2 of our series, we discussed how each one of us is equipped to go about the mission in a different way than someone else. The mission is the same, we are all called to make disciples, be we don’t all go about it the same way. On this post, we will look at how we can make sure that the mission will be a priority in our lives.

Everyone is busy. I am not sure about how it might be where you live, but everyone around me is always super busy. I could safely say that we are currently and constantly too busy. We are too busy to have meaningful relationships, we are too busy to experience intimacy with our spouses, we are too busy to listen and connect with our children, our parents, our loved ones. We hurry and rush and we crash. We are out of control and Satan is happy because busyness keeps us from what’s most important in life.

Though there are many reasons for people to be busy I believe much of it stems from worry. We worry and our worry drives us to try to take care of everything which never works out because so many things are beyond our control. We can only do so much. Being busier is not the answer, the answer is making time for what is most important, and when necessary leaving things of lesser importance undone. Sometimes we are struggling to become better at doing what does not need to be done at all. The tricky part is identifying your priorities and setting aside resources accordingly.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. - Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV (bold mine)

Jesus makes it very clear. Focus on God and everything else will fall into place. As you focus on God you realize that He is calling you to partner with Him in salving and blessing those around you. so what do you say? Are you willing to be sued by God to bring salvation to others? Are you willing to spread the blessings you receive from God? Are you willing to create value in the lives of others? To invest in people? Then you have to make your connection with God a priority.

You probably feel like everything you do is important and must be done and nothing can be left undone, but is that really the case? Is checking the news as important as reading the Bible? Is checking social media as important as praying? Is that YouTube video as important as giving your child your undivided attention? Do you really need to check your email constantly throughout the day? There is always just one more thing that “needs” to be done, one more thing begging for your attention, but ultimately you decide what you will pay attention to, what you will spend your money on, and what you will dedicate your very precious time to.

Everyone around you would love to set your priorities. Your kids, your spouse, your boss, your co-workers, your friends, your classmate, your teacher/professor, etc. Everyone has an idea of what your priorities should be. When I turn to God He also has clear priorities for me. Jesus said I should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So God must come first, and out of my relationship with God will flow my other priorities.

Allow me to share with you my current top priorities and the rationale behind them.

First and above all comes my personal relationship with God. This is probably the hardest priority to keep. I know you’re shocked right? I’m a pastor, my full-time job is to be connected with God, but God does not call, text, or email me. If I fail to spend time with Him He does not complain or look at me funny. Actually, I don’t see Him with my eyes. I don’t hear Him with my ears. When I am busy and stressed and don’t take time to slow down and seek Him, like everyone else I go about my life trying to save myself and those around me with my own strength. I fail to listen to the still small voice.

It is interesting how everyone wants me to be available whenever they call, and I do my best to be, but everyone also expects me to be spending time in my personal devotion to God. I must be available whatever time of night, and I am willing to answer the phone and talk and meet. I don’t mind. But the next morning it becomes difficult to get up extra early for that personal time with God, and it is easy to just hit the ground running and neglect my number one priority. This top priority is the most important, to fail to seek God first, and to place Him as my top priority, is to fail at life, because without God I can do nothing (John 15:5).

So God is my top priority.

Second, comes my wife. The day I married her I vowed to be by her side, to love and cherish her ‘til death do us part. Only God can come between my wife and me, no other human being can take the place of my wife in my priority list. I often wrestle with the practical applications of this as well. but having the priority established helps me navigate the practical application. Also, I have learned with my wife by my side it is a lot easier to face life and whatever this world throws at me. Life, ministry, work, everything is easier when things are going well between my wife and I, so investing in my personal relationship with her is definitely a worthwhile investment.

My third priority is my children. They did not ask to be born, that was my decision. My children are dependent on me. God has also entrusted them to me. My children are my responsibility first, but I also benefit from the help of my family, both my blood family and my church family.

Now comes my physical health. This includes eating, resting, and exercising. When I am healthy I can better serve all who are around me. God, my wife, my kids, my church members, all benefit from me being healthy. So my health must remain a top priority.

Finally comes ministry. You could argue that how I treat my wife and kids are part of my ministry and you would be right. How could I minister to you, to my church members, to my friends and neighbors if I am unable to minister to my own immediate family? On the same note, I cannot sacrifice my family or my health in the altar of ministry. I cannot make ministry my god. Ministry is what I do, and I do it best when my relationship with God, my spouse, and my kids are healthy. My relationship with God dictates what my relationship with all others should look like, and I make time for these relationships because God calls me to.

Finding time is perhaps our biggest challenge. It is interesting, however, how time is there, we all have it, everything we do is a matter of time management and prioritizing. I would like to begin with sleep. There is so much to be said about sleep and I strongly recommend you read up on it. For now, I’ll just say that if you’re getting less then 7 hours consistently you’re hurting yourself. There’s a really interesting TED talk entitled Sleep is your superpower. Therefore I am not suggesting that you take time away from sleep. Please do your best to get 8hrs of sleep, at least shoot for that.

Work varies a lot from person to person. In the US the average person seems to work about 8hrs per day. But whatever your case is, you have to work, if you’re a student, studying counts as your job.

So if we separate 8 hours for sleep and 8 hours for work we still have 8 hrs left for other activities. These last 8 hours is where the magic happens. This is the time that would be more under your control. This is when you run errands, clean, fix things, socialize, etc.

I would like to recommend you write out what your day looks like and what your week looks like, then your month. How many hours are you dedicating to different activities? How do those activities contribute to your mission? To the mission that God has called you to?

Many of us can work in such a way that during work we are also fulfilling our mission. You can treat those around you with dignity and respect. You can be kind, honest, dependable, and make that part of your testimony. You can preach about the love of God by being loving to those around you. As opportunities manifest themselves you can share a bit of what God has done for you. Your love for God should shape all your interactions, and in this way, in every interaction, you are making disciples, by setting an example of what a Christ-follower should do. Of course, you will only be able to do this if you are in seeking God daily and learning from Him how to live and treat others.

As far as sleep is concerned, make sure to get your 8 hours. It will help you have the health, patience, and alertness you need to succeed in the mission. It is hard to read the Bible when you’re falling asleep, and it is impossible to be loving and patient when you’re exhausted. So, please, take care of yourself for the sake of those around you, for the sake of those you love.

Now we come to those other 8 hours. The ones that you’re not sleeping or at work. How much of that time are you dedicating to the mission God has called you to do? Passively attending a church service for 45 minutes once a week will be barely enough to guarantee a miserable spiritual life. You need more than just listening to a pastor speak. You need a personal connection with God and a clear mission. We spent time on your personal mission on part 2 of this series. So I will assume you have some clarity of what God is calling you to do. The question now becomes how much time will you dedicate to it. You will not experience joy and fulfillment and significant spiritual growth without making a conscious and dedicated effort, without dedicating time and resources to it.

Look at your day, look at your week. How much time do you dedicate to your mission? How much of your time do you dedicate to seeking the kingdom of God and to expanding it? How much time do you dedicate to learning about God, and to sharing what you learned? How much time do you dedicate to creating value in the lives of others?

Listen, connect, share, fix, build, heal, help, encourage, teach, do something for the benefit of another because of your great love for God. As a response to God’s great love for you.

Being a Christ-follower is not about church attendance. Being a Christ-follower is about the mission, and the mission is to make disciples, and you need to discover what God is calling you to do, how are you to use what you have to make disciples, then use it! Start with time, I find that when you dedicate time, your other resources will follow. When you believe in the mission, when God breaks your heart for the life of those around you, you will dedicate your time and resources to extend God’s blessing to that person. In fulfilling God’s mission for you, you create value in the life of others, you help them experience a little bit of what the kingdom of God is all about. I know this is God’s will for you. Jesus died on the cross that we might live, He gives us life and everything we need to accomplish the mission, we just have to turn to Him and receive His help and be willing to go.

Pray, research, network. You will not accomplish your mission passively. You cannot just sit on the pews. Listen to God, make time to listen to Him, and move, do something.

Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. You will be waiting for your whole life. Look at what you have, begin where you are, and watch God take you to places you never dreamed of. God will bless you and make you a blessing, and it will all be for His honor and glory.

#priorities #mission #life #practical

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johnchiarello · 6 years ago

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Romans 11-13

ROMANS 11-13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZVN_AIvVpg

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMhSdOBHOVib2Za3Vx

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AtfMT4nSffEMcscGjripNTcBPc1wqcuk/view?usp=sharing

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/3-12-15-romans-11-13.zip

[note- there’s much more on the video than the post]

.ROMANS 11

.ROMANS 12

.ROMANS 13

Blog- www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

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[Links to all my sites at the bottom of this post]

NOTE- Every so often some of my sites think I am Spam- or a Bot- I am not. My name is John Chiarello and I post original content [all videos and text are by me]. I do share my past posts from my other sites- but it is not spam- Thank you- John.

END NOTES-

.What effect did the Renaissance have on the Reformation?

.How did Erasmus differ from Luther?

.Do Catholics exalt Tradition over Scripture?

.Renaissance artists.

.Do Catholics believe in Justification by Faith?

.Catholic teaching on Civil Authorities [Romans 13].

.What does ‘AdFontes’ mean- and how does it relate to the Renaissance/Reformation?

Romans 11

.Was Paul a full time preacher- paid?

.Is he teaching universalism here?

.Elijah was not alone.

(861)Romans 11:13- ‘For I speak to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office’. Let me just make a few comments today. How is Paul ‘exercising’ his apostolic authority over the Gentiles in Rome? We know he hasn’t been there yet [since becoming a follower of Jesus]. He did not have some type of relationship with them where they contributed to him. He was holding no ‘church services’. He exercised it by speaking into their lives and caring for their welfare. He did this by WRITING THIS LETTER! Recently there has been some discussion on ‘Gods government’ and the apostles ‘bringing things into alignment’ [dealing with the mistakes at Lakeland]. Lots of talk that I am familiar with. What is Gods government? In the world we have 2 competing ‘world views’- systems or modes of operation. You have God’s kingdom, and then the worlds system. When the apostle John said ‘love not the world, neither the things that are in the world’ he was referring to this system of lies and pride and sin. In Gods kingdom you operate under his laws ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart… and your neighbor as yourself’. In this family [children of God] you have different types of ‘gifts’. Some are apostles, others prophets, etc. All these gifted ones are given for the singular purpose of building you up so you can have a mature faith grounded in Christ and be the ‘glorious temple’ of God in the earth. Paul was playing his part by communicating Jesus to these Roman Gentiles. He did not have some type of a corporate relationship with them where he said ‘commit to my authority over you. Either I will be your ‘covering’ or someone else!’ These are mans ideas. Now, we often say ‘Paul didn’t receive money from the Corinthians, but he did from the other churches’. I have said this myself. Paul did receive support from the Philippians, but that was support for his traveling ministry. To get him to the next place. If you read carefully you will see Paul telling the Thessalonians ‘when I was with you I did not eat, or take stuff for free. My hands ministered to both me and those that were with me’ I think he even said he worked night and day. When he spoke to the Ephesians elders in the book of Acts, he also said ‘I labored when I was with you, I did not take support from you when I was there. I did this to leave you ELDERS an example’. Now, the point I want to make is it seems as if Paul did not take money when he was actually living among the saints. It seems he took it only for traveling expenses [and of course for his ministry to the poor saints at Jerusalem]. Now, I believe and teach that it is scriptural to meet the needs, financially, of laboring elders. The reason I mention this is to show you that being an ‘apostle’ or any other gifted minister in the church simply means you bear extra responsibility to bring Gods people to maturity. It was not some type of office where you were a ‘professional minister’. When I hear all the talk of ‘Gods apostles are bringing Gods government back into alignment’ for the most part these are men’s ideas being applied to an American corporate 501c3 ministry. Gods ‘government’ operates along different lines. So in this example Paul said ‘I magnify my office’ he was simply imparting some truth to them for the purpose of their own edification. Paul did not see them coming under ‘his covering’.

(862)ROMANS 11- let me make a note on the previous entry. Over the last few years, as well as many years of experience with ‘ministry/church’, I have seen how easy it is to fall into the well meaning mindset of ‘I am going into the ministry, this is my career choice. My responsibility is to do ‘Christian stuff’ and the people’s role is to support me’[ I am not taking a shot at well meaning Pastors, I am basically speaking of the many friends I have met over the years who seemed to think ministry was a way to get financial support]. In the previous entry I mentioned how Paul seemed to have a mode of operation that said ‘when I am residing with a community of believers, I refuse to allow them to support me. I will work with my own hands to give them an example, not only to the general saints, but also to the elders. I am showing you that leadership is not a means to get gain’. It does seem ‘strange’ for us to see this. Of course we know Paul also taught the churches that it was proper and right to support those who ‘labor among you’. I have taught all this in the past and I don’t want to ‘re-teach’ it all again. The point I want to make is we ‘in ministry’ really need to rethink what we do. How many web-sites have I gone to that actually have icons that say ‘pay me here’. The average person going to these sites must think ‘pay you for what’? Paul did not teach the mindset of ‘pay me here, now’. Also in this letter to the Romans we are reading Paul’s correspondence to the believers at Rome. He often used this mode of ‘authority’ [writing letters] to exercise his apostolic office. Of course he also traveled to these areas [Acts] and spent time with them. And as I just showed you he supported himself on purpose when he was with the saints. Basically Paul is carrying out the single most effective apostolic ministry of all time [except for Jesus] and he is doing it without all the modern techniques of getting paid. He actually is doing all this writing and laboring at his own expense. He told the Corinthians ‘the fathers [apostles] spend for the children, not the children for the fathers’. So in todays talk on ‘apostles’ being restored. God ‘bringing back into alignment apostolic government’ we need to tone down all the quoting of verses [even the things Paul said!] that seem to say to the average saint ‘how do you expect us to reach the world if you do not ‘bring all the tithes into the storehouse’! When we put this guilt trip on the people of God we are violating very fundamental principles of scripture. Now, let’s try and finish up chapter 11. Paul is basically telling Israel and the Gentiles that God’s dealings are beyond our understanding [last few verses]. God is using the ‘unbelief’ of Israel as an open door to the Gentiles. He is also using the mercy that he is showing to the Gentiles as an ‘open door’ to Israel! He will ‘provoke them to jealousy’. There are a few difficult verses that would be unfair for me to skip over. ‘All Israel shall be saved’. Paul uses this to show that God’s dealings with natural Israel as a nation are not finished. Who are ‘all Israel’? Some say ‘the Israel of God’ [the church]. I don’t think this fits the text. Some say ‘all Israel that will be alive at the second coming’ I think this is closer. To be honest I think this can simply mean ‘all Israel’ all those who are alive and also raised at the return of the Lord. Now, this would be a form of universalism [all people eventually being saved]. I am not a Universalist, but I don’t want any ‘preconceived’ mindset [even my own!] to taint the text. I think God has the ability to reveal himself to the whole nation of Israel in such a way that ‘they all will be saved’. If I were a Jewish person I wouldn’t wait for this to happen! Just like the Calvinists argument of ‘why witness’? Because God commands it. So even though you can make an argument here for a type of universal redemption at Christ’s revealing of himself to Israel at the second coming [which is in keeping with this chapter, as well as other areas in scripture; ‘they will look upon him whom they have pierced’ ‘God will pour out the spirit of mourning and supplication on Israel at his appearing’. Which by the way would fit in with ‘whoever calls on the Lord will be saved’ which I taught in chapter 10. This is a futurist text implying a time of future judgment and wrath’]. So God’s dealings with Israel are not finished. Paul also warns the Gentiles ‘don’t boast, if God cut out the true branches [Israel] to graft you in. He can just as quickly cut you out too’! It would be dishonest for me [a Calvinist] to simply not comment on this. You certainly can take this verse in an Arminian way. Or you can see Paul speaking in a ‘nationalistic sense’. Sort of like saying ‘if Germany walks away from the faith, they will be ‘cut out’. [France would have been a better example! Speaking of the so called ‘enlightenment’ and the French Revolution]. In essence ‘you Gentiles, don’t think “wow, look at us. God left Israel and we are now special!”’ Paul is saying ‘you Gentiles [as a whole group] stand by faith. God could just as quickly ‘cut you out’ and replace you with another group’. I also think the Arminians could use this type of argument for the previous predestination chapter [9]. But to be honest I needed to give you my view. One more thing, Paul quotes Elijah ‘lord, I am the only one left’. He uses this in context of God having a remnant from Israel who remained faithful to the true God. God told Elijah ‘there are 7 thousand that have not bowed the knee to baal’. Paul uses this to show that even in his day there were a remnant Of Jews [himself included] who received the Messiah. An interesting side note. The prophetic ministry [Elijah] seems to function at a ‘popular level’. Now, I don’t mean ‘fame’, but Elijah was giving voice to a large undercurrent that was running thru the nation. If you read the story of Elijah you would have never known that there were ‘7 thousand’ who never bowed the knee! Often times God will use prophetic people to ‘give voice’ or popularize a general truth that is presently existing in the ‘underground church’ at large. Sort of like if Elijah had a web site, the 7 thousand would have been secretly reading it and saying ‘right on brother, that’s exactly what we believe too’!

ROMANS 12

.ARE SOME GIFTS BETTER THAN OTHERS?

.HOW SHOULD THEY FUNCTION IN THE ‘BODY’?

. HOW SHOUD WE GIVE OFFERINGS- DID PAUL TEAHC TITHING?

.HOT COALS ON THEIR HEADS- HUH?

(864)ROMANS 12:1-8 ‘I beseech you by the mercies of God to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service [spiritual worship]’. Most times we see ‘by the mercies of God’ as a recap of all that Paul has taught from chapters 1 thru 12. This is true to a degree. I think Paul is honing in on the previous chapters that dealt with the purpose of God specifically seen in the resurrection of the body. As we read earlier ‘for we are saved by hope’ [the hope of the resurrection]. Basically I see Paul saying ‘because of what I showed you concerning Gods redemptive purpose for your body, therefore present your body now, in anticipation of it’s future glorious purpose, as a living sacrifice ‘holy and acceptable unto God’. Why? Because you are going to have that thing [body] forever! [in a new glorified state] Paul exhorts us to be changed by the renewing of our mind, the way we think. I have mentioned in the past that this renewing is not some type of legalistic function of ‘memorizing, muttering the do’s and don’ts all day long’. But a reorganizing of our thoughts according to this new covenant of grace. Seeing things thru this ‘new world’ perspective. A kingdom view based upon grace and the resurrection of Jesus. This resurrection that is assured to us because we have the deposit of the Spirit which is our guarantee that God will complete the work that he has begun in us. And Paul will jump into one of his ‘Body of Christ’ analogies which he uses often to describe the people of God. Because we are all one body, we should think soberly about our different gifts and purposes. God gave some ‘better’ [or more noticeable] gifts for the overall edifying of the body. So don’t boast about it. All have varying gifts, freely given. Administrate them with much grace. Do it with humility and cheerfulness. We are simply children thru whom Gods Spirit manifests himself in different ways. Don’t boast that ‘Wow, daddy gave me a bike’. Or look, I got a more expensive Christmas present than you. Daddy distributes the gifts freely as he wills. They are for everyone’s benefit. Don’t use this grace gift as a means of self importance or prestige. It would be like ‘prostituting’ a gift for self-aggrandizement. People have done it, but it displeases the giver of the gift.

(865)ROMANS 12: 13 Paul continues to give some basic guidelines on practical Christian living. Notice his teaching on financial giving ‘distribute to the necessity of the saints’. This basic Christian doctrine from Jesus teachings has become the premier act of giving for the New Testament saint. The reason I have stressed this teaching as opposed to the more popular view of tithing, is because the scriptures place such a high priority on Christian charity. As I have mentioned before, Jesus even uses this basic description to describe those who ‘are righteous’ or ‘unrighteous’. He teaches the final judgment will be based on this outward identifier of ‘what we did to the least of these’. If you read carefully the New Testament epistles you will see a picture of ‘local church’ as a caring community of people who show their love for one another thru these acts of kindness and compassion. None of the New Testament letters teach a type of financial giving that focuses on ‘support the ministry/institution’ as being ‘the new testament church’ that replaced the ‘old testament temple’. For example a tithe system that supports the ‘pastor/priest’ in the same way the Levitical priests were supported under the law. It’s so vital for us to see and understand this. Because the average believer is taught thru out his life that his primary expression of giving is to ‘bring the tithe into the storehouse’ in such a way that it violates the actual primacy of giving as taught in the New Testament. Which is to regularly give to meet the needs of those around you. The fact that there were instances in the book of Acts or the letter to the Corinthians where believers gave an offering in a corporate way [the collection for the poor saints- 1st Cor. 15, or the laying of the money at the apostles feet in Acts] does not excuse the believer from the teaching that we should all regularly give to meet the needs of those around us. This is flatly taught as a regular part of the Christian experience. The other fact that Paul never once teaches the tithe as a function of giving for the Gentile churches should cause us all to take another look at the way we teach giving in the church today.

(866)ROMANS 12:14-21 Notice how Paul puts such a high priority on the principles of Jesus. He exhorts the saints to live by the precepts of the great ‘sermon on the mount’. Often times believers try and make a division between Paul’s revelation of justification by faith and the ‘liberal moral teachings of Jesus’. I see no division here. Paul actually quotes Jesus ‘if you’re treated badly, respond in love. By not getting even you heap “coals of fire on your enemies head”’. Actually, I remember how a few years back, when everybody was coming up with their ‘new revelation knowledge’ ideas on scripture. Things like ‘the camel going thru the eye of the needle’. Some taught Jesus was not really rebuking wealth, he was simply talking about a ‘low gate’ thru the wall of the city that was called the ‘eye of the needle’ and the camels had to crouch a little to get thru, true silliness! This verse ‘coals on the head’ was taught as saying Jesus was simply saying you were helping your enemy on cold nights by ‘keeping his head warm’! Sad. Jesus said don’t avenge yourselves, God will avenge you. Doesn’t sound like the lord is talking about ‘head warmers’! Look at these verses carefully. Paul incorporates the teachings of Christ as having a very high priority for the believer. We are often inundated with modern concepts of ministry. How to raise funds [or amass wealth]. Paul ‘locates’ the important thing as being centered on Christ. He knew if the churches [believing communities] of the first few centuries would follow this idea, that they would truly turn their world upside down for the cause.

ROMANS 13

.SHOULD WE OBEY WICKED RULERS?

.IS IT EVER RIGHT TO ‘NOT OBEY’ [Civil Disobedience].

.TAXES AND THE TITHE.

(867)ROMANS 13:1-6 Paul teaches that believers should ‘be subject’ unto human government. He shows us that ‘the powers that be are ordained of God’. All human leaders are given their position of authority, ultimately, from God. What about Hitler? Or evil Pharaoh? Did God ‘put them there’? If God is sovereign [which he is!] then he permits all things to transpire, that actually transpire! He does not ‘ordain evil’ in the sense that he initiates unrighteous things. But because he has the power to prevent anything from happening, if ‘it happens’ that a wicked ruler is in authority, then he in that sense ‘ordained it’. Understand Paul is writing this at a time in Roman history where the leaders were quite wicked. They worshipped false gods, and even claimed to themselves the title of ‘a god’. For Paul to use this language in this chapter, he even says ‘they are the ministers [servants] of God to thee for good’ is strong. Paul is also not teaching that there is never a cause for civil disobedience, in the sense of ‘whatever the government says, we will do’. In the New Testament we have Peter resisting the order to ‘not teach or preach in Jesus name’ [Acts]. He even says ‘should we obey God or man’ in his defense. Of course today we have legalized abortion, and in the case of later term abortions, the practice is equal to infanticide. We should do all that is in our legal power to stop the murder of unborn children. This law violates Gods law, from whom all human government is derived.

(868)ROMANS 13:7-14 ‘For this cause pay your taxes also, for they are Gods ministers’ I noted earlier how Paul taught ‘give to those around you that are in need’ [chapter 12] and here he teaches the importance of ‘paying taxes’. Where is the exhortation to ‘pay tithes’? In the ecclesiology of Paul, the ‘corporate community of people’ are the ‘new testament temple of God’. Therefore you see the need to ‘pay tribute’ to only two ‘institutions’. One being the ‘local church’ [as seen in simple giving to the needs of the community around you] and the other being ‘the government’. Paul sees no 3rd ‘institution’ that is called ‘the local church’ to which the tribute of the tithe belongs. To correctly apply the verse in Malachi [if you were going to use it at all. It is obvious that the prophet is directing the rebuke towards natural Israel] you would simply see the ‘bring all the tithes into the storehouse’ as ‘give to meet the needs of the community [Gods new testament storehouse] around you’. Now Paul teaches the primacy of the law of love for the believer. If we walk in Jesus command to love, we fulfill the law. And again Paul uses the language of ‘fluent soteriology’ [salvation]. He says ‘now is our salvation nearer than when we believed’. Paul comfortably jumps in and out of ‘being saved’ and ‘will be saved’. It is this free use of the term that we need to become familiar with. The New Testament clearly teaches a future salvation. And it is not as simple as ‘My spirit is saved, my mind [soul- which is really a very weak translation for soul. The soul is much more than the mind, emotions and intellect!] is ‘being saved’ and my body will be saved’. It is not this cut and dry. Your spirit is saved, your spirit will be saved and is being saved [he ever lives to make intercession to God for us- this ongoing intercession deals with all aspects of the humans salvation. Not just the body!]. All 3 modes of salvation [past, present and future] can apply to ‘all of you’ [spirit, soul and body]. Don’t think future salvation only deals with the ‘salvation of the body’.

END NOTES- I’m adding portions of the Catechism at the bottom to show my Catholic [and Protestant] friends the official teaching of the church.

Some of my Catholic readers who are following along in this study- I want you to know that these doctrines are indeed in line with your faith.

RENAISSANCE STUFF –

The renaissance was the 13-14th century revival of culture and learning that was lost for centuries- It began in Florence Italy.

The catch phrase for it was ‘Ad Fontes’ meaning ‘back to the sources’- both in philosophy- as well as in Christian learning.

This began a revival of studying the Greek New testament again from its original language.

The Catholic Humanist- Desiderius Erasmus [15-16th century] – re introduced the New Testament in the Greek version [He was referred to as a Dutch renaissance Humanist- as well as a Catholic Priest and scholar]

Now- Erasmus was a critic of the Church- like Luther- but chose a ‘middle road’- he did not join the breakaway Protestant Reformers- but chose to stay within the fold of Rome- while speaking out against the abuses he saw.

But his first Greek translation of the New Testament did indeed set a spark- because it allowed the Priests to see the bible in its original language.

And Luther was actually teaching this book of Romans to his students in Germany when the Reformation began.

Today the Catholic Church [as you can see in the official Catechism that I have been posting] does indeed teach the bible as God’s Word.

The divisions between Protestants and Catholics are many- but they did agree that the bible was the Word of God.

Some Protestants do not know this- they think the church holds Tradition higher than the bible.

No- the church does believe that God speaks both thru tradition- and scripture.

They see the tradition of the church as simply another means by which God uses the church [Magisterium] to explain scripture- but the Catholic Church does not elevate tradition over the bible.

And indeed- it was a catholic scholar- Erasmus- who introduced the first Geek version of the New Testament.

NOTE- Erasmus disagreed with Luther on the doctrine of Predestination- which I covered in the last video. Luther was for it- Erasmus was what we would call ‘Free Will’.

In his writings- which were very influential- he wrote in Greek and Latin- the language of the elites.

He did this on purpose- for his target was the influential leaders of the Church.

He rejected offers of money- because he did not want to align himself with any particular movement- so he could be an independent writer with no strings attached.

He had many criticisms of the Catholic Church- and was very influential for the later reforms- those we see at the Council of Trent [Though the church criticized him- they said he ‘Laid the egg that hatched the Reformation’].

He taught that the church/priests/popes should be the servants of the people-

He rejected the idea that the Priests/leaders made up the ‘whole of the church’- but he believed all believers made up the true church.

Erasmus was a firebrand in his own way- rejecting the language that Luther and some of the reformers used [they were vulgar at times]-

Luther respected the works of Erasmus- he thanked Erasmus for debating with him on the nature of Justification by Faith-

He disagreed in the end- but said this debate was at the heart of the gospel- and was glad that Erasmus was willing to engage.

RENAISSANCE ARTISTS-

The famous renaissance artists- DaVinci- Michelangelo- Raphael- used their artwork as a form of knowledge- the images taught things- they were not just paintings.

DaVinci’s most famous work was his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel in the Vatican.

It took him 4 years to complete.

The renaissance period- from about the 13/14th century to the 17th– [though there was a sort of Renaissance that took place- yes- in the Islamic world before the European Renaissance] was marked by what we term Humanism.

Today we associate this term with ‘secular Humanism’ which often has a bad connotation- especially among Christians.

But it meant something different back then.

It was a new focus on breaking the limits off of man- and for man to excel in knowledge and skill- and to see man as having value.

There was somewhat of a break away from the church in a sense- in that the church and its teachings were not the only source of wisdom for man.

But- Jesus himself taught that ‘the Sabbath was made for man- not man for the Sabbath’- so- the Humanist spirit- elevating the value of man- does have a Christian basis in my view.

Leonardo daVinci [15/16th century] was what we refer to as a true Renaissance man- meaning his knowledge was in many fields- not just art.

He actually considered himself a sculptor first- then an artist- though he is most famous for his Fresco mentioned above.

1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”38 Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. “Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.”39 (1427)

1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God’s merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals. (1446, 1733)

1991 Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or “justice”) here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us. (1812)

1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:40 (617, 1266, 294)

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.41

1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God’s grace and man’s freedom. On man’s part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent: (2008, 2068)

When God touches man’s heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God’s grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God’s sight.42

1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God’s love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that “the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth,” because “heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect… will not pass away.”43 He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy. (312, 412)

1995 The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the “inner man,”44 justification entails the sanctification of his whole being: (741)

Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification…. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.45

1. Grace

1996 Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.46 (153)

1997 Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life: by Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the Head of his Body. As an “adopted son” he can henceforth call God “Father,” in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes charity into him and who forms the Church. (375, 260)

1998 This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature.47 (1719)

I added these below for commentary on Romans 13- Civil authorities. In our world today- there are many governmental authorities- and some are changing ‘overnight’- with much instability in the world. So you have cases where one group- government- is in charge- to be ‘obeyed’- but yet- that group is ousted some times in a day. Then do you view the new government- and all the new courts- judges- etc. – as illegitimate? Because they did not submit to the former group?

I find lots of confusion among Christians about our right relationship to civil government- many do not seem to understand that when we in the U.S. rebelled against British/English rule- we too were not ‘obeying’ the authority. We formed a new government- with courts- judges- etc.

So- this portion below shows us that there are indeed times when government loses the authority to govern- given to them by God.

1902 Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a “moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility”:21

A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason, and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason it is said to be an unjust law, and thus has not so much the nature of law as of a kind of violence.22

1903 Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience. In such a case, “authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse.”23

ROMANS 14-16

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/3-28-15-rom14-16.zip

CHAPTER 14

.CAN WE WEAR SHORT, SHORTS?

.THE ATHEIST KNEW

NEW NOTES BELOW-

. ON EATING MEAT [I wrote this commentary years ago- so I added some recent notes below].

.DAVID KORESH- KING CYRUS?

[END NOTES-

.RETHINKING HOMELESS MINISTRY.

.TIMOTHY CHAPTER 6]

(869)ROMANS 14:1-9 Paul discusses Christian convictions. Things that are personal habits of discipline where the scripture is silent on. Some believers abstain from certain types of food. Others see certain days as ‘more special’ than the others. It’s important to see that in this discussion Paul is not concerned with ‘who is right’. Though he will describe the legalistic believers as ‘weak in the faith’. And he himself will say he is convinced that ‘nothing is unclean in and of itself’. He is speaking about the convictions mentioned above. When I first became a believer I attended a good church. It was a Fundamental Baptist church that was a little legalistic in these areas. I remember a funny story, some of the brothers went on a canoe trip. We had a blast. One of the guys was wearing these old cut off shorts that looked like ‘blue jean hot pants’ [who wears short shorts, we wear short shorts!] the pants were old and the ‘fly’ kept unzipping. We told the brother ‘hey James, your gonna get us arrested or something if you can’t keep your shorts on!’. He got mad and called us a bunch of legalists! As you can see there are times where this accusation can simply be an excuse. But seriously the church was old fashioned [though well meaning]. I had another friend of mine that I led to the Lord and he asked ‘what’s wrong with the Christian rock, I like it’? He had heard some songs from the group Petra and he thought they were great. He also questioned why it was wrong for his boys to play mixed sports in public school. He was taught that the boys and girls wearing shorts in mixed company was wrong. So things like this are personal convictions that believers should not use to judge others. I want to stress that Paul does not condemn the more legalistic brothers, but he does make it clear that this is a sign of ‘weaker faith’. A faith that looks at the insignificant things and makes them significant. Many ‘Emergent’ church folk [of which I am one to a degree] seem to have had this type of background. Or at least are familiar with the classic evangelical message and preaching. Some have found a revolution in their thinking by re-organizing their lives around the actual lifestyle and teachings of Christ [which is a very good thing!]. But some seem to despise the older type churches and expressions of Christianity that they experienced while growing up. Some even cast away the good with the bad! Though many of the more legalistic churches practiced this type of Christianity, yet I commend them on spreading the gospel of Gods grace. Taking seriously their faith in the Lord. And being historic defenders of the faith at a time when the more liberal universities were throwing out the baby with the bathwater [the 20th century fundamentalist movement].

(870)ROMANS 14: 10-23 ‘As I live…every knee shall bow and every tongue confess’. Paul teaches that we will all give an account of ourselves to God. He shows that one of the proofs that ‘he lives’ rides on this fact. How? The context of every one giving an account of his life is speaking of a future judgment day. But we also see the reality of Gods existence in the fact that most people [even atheists!] have at one time or another ‘spoken to God’. I was listening [or reading?] a testimony of a woman who was an atheist. Her child became critically ill and as the days went by in the hospital she had a conversation that went like this ‘I cant pray to God now. I would be a hypocrite. I have denied him my whole life’. The point is she actually knew that in time of need you should pray to God. This universal reality that most people on the planet have at one time or another ‘confessed to God’ is proof of his existence. Paul says because of this fact that we all will give an account to God, therefore don’t judge other people [motives] before the time. If you have the freedom to ‘eat meat’ [less legalistic] then by all means do so. But if this freedom causes another to stumble, then your first priority as a Christian is to live your life in an unselfish way for the benefit of others. So do not let your freedom become an offence to those who have ‘weaker faith’. Do all things with the benefit of others in mind. When Paul says ‘don’t judge your brother’ he is not saying there is never a time for correction and reproof. Paul used very harsh language when dealing with the Judaizers. These Jewish legalists did believe in Christ, they just mixed the law in with the gospel. Paul rebuked them harshly [just like Jesus and the religious leaders of his day]. But when dealing with new believers, those who are ‘weaker in the faith’ you don’t want to overload them with too much stuff. You want them to grow and mature in the proper time. If you used to be legalistic [not going to movies, not eating pork, all types of stuff] and now are more mature in your thinking [though some movies are bad and pork isn’t real good for you!] you should not despise those who still see the practice of their faith thru this lens. Paul said ‘he that eats, eats unto the Lord. He that abstains does it also to the lord’. In these less important restrictions that some believers abide by, most of the times their motives are pure. We shouldn’t demean them. We should try to live peaceably with all men as much as possible, we will all give an account some day.

NEW NOTES-

IS EATING MEAT OK?

The question of food and Holy Days are a subject that the Apostle Paul deals with more than one time in his letters to the churches.

For us today- it might not seem like a big issue- but for various reasons it was an issue for the 1st century church.

When he wrote the church at Corinth- their issue was whether or not it was ok to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

Corinth had a tradition [non-Christian that is] where the town folk would sacrifice animals to various ‘gods’.

Now- the priests who dealt in this trade- would take the leftover meat from the animal- and either eat it- or sell it to the local ��butcher’.

These sacrifices were to false gods [also understood to be demon entities by the 1st century Jewish/Christian communities].

So- the question was- is it ok to eat the meat?

The apostle Paul tells them that we know there are no other gods but the true God- and meat in general is ok for us living under the New Covenant [he also says in the End Times some will command to not eat meat- and that God gave us all animals to be received with thanksgiving].

So- in general- the meat was fine.

But- if doing it offends a weaker brother- then don’t eat it.

Meat also played a big role in another sense- the Jewish converts to Christianity were indeed taught kosher rules for food/meat.

Were these converts not to obey their old religious rules about food?

We read of this type of debate all thru the New testament- not just about meat- but about the whole transition of the Jewish believers- and their relationship to the Old Law.

In Acts chapter 13- and 15 you can get a good feel of this debate.

There are Christians today who still struggle with the Old Law- and how we today should relate to it.

Paul says he is persuaded that there is nothing unclean in and of itself [here talking about food- not things like adultery- which some of my friends think is ok- I can’t stress enough that when the bible says ‘nothing is unclean in and of itself’- it is NEVER TALKING ABOUT BREAKING THE 10 COMMANDMENTS].

So- in the end- if in areas of what we call Christian convictions- it’s simply a matter of choice-

If the bible is silent on an issue- then lean towards grace-

But- if your freedom hurts your brother- because he thinks it’s a bad thing- then be willing to abstain from it- like eating the meat that was sacrificed to the idol- at least while their around.

Some see a contradiction in Paul’s teaching- at one point he says ‘meats ok- even if part of it was used as a sacrifice to idols’- yet he also says ‘don’t eat at THE TABLE with devils [demons]’.

Ok- one of the practices at the city of Corinth was you ate in a sort of ‘demonic’ Eucharist- those who worshiped false gods had a sort of meal like Christians celebrated- which we call Holy Communion.

These idol worshippers did sort of the same thing- they ate together at their own TABLE_ in a sort of celebration of their gods-

So- Paul did forbid this practice- he told the church at Corinth you cannot eat at the table of the Lord and the table of devils-

If you were actually participating at the Table- eating the meat there- in celebration of the false god- then it’s wrong.

But- if you simply bought some of the left over meat- at the local butcher- that was fine.

See?

No contradiction at all.

KING CYRUS- DAVIVD KORESH?

Paul uses a quote from Isaiah 45 ‘every knee shall bow- tongue confess’ – talking about God using a pagan king- King Cyrus- to restore Israel to their land.

We read about him in the book of Ezra and Daniel-

He gave the famous decree for God’s people to return to their land [2nd Chronicles 36, Ezra 1].

Josephus the historian indicates that Cyrus was shown the prophecy about him [written by Isaiah about 150 years before].

It’s possible that Daniel himself showed this to Cyrus- being he held a high position in the Persian empire- at this time.

David Koresh- the infamous leader of the branch Davidians [a breakaway sect from the 7TH day Adventist church] took his name from Cyrus-

Koresh is the Persian name for Cyrus the Great.

CHAPTER 15

.IS THIS ABOUT US GETTING STUFF?

.WHO ‘RAN’ THE CHURCH?

.WHAT WAS PAUL’S SERVICE TO THE CHURCH?

(871)ROMANS 15:1-7 ‘we then that are strong [more mature] ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not please ourselves’. In Philippians we have the ‘KENOSIS’ the act of Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not something to be used for his own advantage. He did not see his purpose in the kingdom as one of ‘let’s find out our rights in the covenant and posses what’s rightfully ours’. A few years back it was common to hear ‘God told me his people don’t have a problem with giving [oh really?] but they need to learn how to receive’. While there might be a ‘speck’ of truth in this, the overall ethos of the kingdom [according to Jesus and Paul] is ‘we are not here to please ourselves, but give up our rights and blessings for the purpose of pleasing others’ [building them up, edifying them]. Paul makes this statement right after the chapter on Christian convictions. He shows us that even if we are right on a particular issue, it is ‘more right’ to not offend or put a stumbling block in our brother’s path. It is possible to ‘be right’ in a particular doctrine or truth, and yet ‘be wrong’ in that we might have used it in a way that destroyed the purpose of God in building others up. Many in the church [at large!] have unwittingly ‘tore down’ the poor and oppressed by seeking ‘their own pleasure’. Many overseas countries have been hurt by the amount of pleasure seeking doctrines that went into their countries. Many 3rd world Pastors gave sacrificially out of their extreme poverty to rich American ‘pleasure seekers’ and their poor people suffered greatly when they did not get a literal 100 fold return as was promised. Paul said ‘we that are strong ought to help the weak, and not please ourselves’.

(872)ROMANS 15: 8-14 Paul freely quotes from Psalms and Isaiah [the 2 most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament] and shows how God always had a future plan to include the Gentiles. In the first century mindset, ‘salvation’ was seen more in a nationalistic sense than an individual ‘me and Jesus’ type thing. The messianic promises were for the ‘commonwealth’ of Israel. As the gospel would expand into the Gentile nations, Peter would call us ‘a holy nation’. Still couching the purposes of God and his kingdom in a nationalistic way [not human ‘nations’ but Gods people]. So for Paul it is significant to show how King David [the greatest king Israel ever had] actually prophesied [Psalms] of the future inclusion of the Gentiles into the corporate ‘nation of God’. Also Paul says ‘you are able to admonish one another’. A theme in Paul’s writings is the ability of the ‘local believers/church’ to have within them a corporate ability for self edification. He teaches an idea that says ‘you are all able members of Christ’s Body, therefore build each other up’. Notice how Paul is not speaking into the modern day concept of ‘the Pastor’ who is usually seen as the main ‘builder’. In all of Paul’s letters he addresses the entire body to carry out the function of the church. He tells the Corinthians ‘when you are all gathered together, commit the unrepentant believer over to satan for the destruction of the flesh’. He gave this very heavy charge to the church. He did not see it as something that was to be carried out by a singular office [Bishop or Pastor]. So here we see Paul admonish the local believers to build each other up.

(873)ROMANS 15: 15-20 Paul appeals to his apostolic authority as ‘the apostle to the Gentiles’ in defense of his strong letter. He also says ‘I dare not use any thing that Christ has not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient’. Was Paul saying he would not speak about his past testimony and struggles with sin? I don’t think so. He already spoke of these struggles in this letter [chapter 7]. If you keep reading he says ‘thru mighty signs and wonders, by the power of Gods Spirit’. If you read Galatians, Paul says ‘how did you receive the Spirit, by the works of the law or the hearing of faith’ [P.S. for those still stuck on chapter 10 of Romans, see here how Paul saw the passive hearing as the only outward sign of receiving the Spirit- not calling!] here Paul appeals to the Galatians and says they received the Spirit and God wrought miracles among them [mighty signs and wonders] thru faith. In Acts we saw how the primary purpose of the charismatic signs and wonders was for the proclaiming of the gospel. The signs testify of Jesus being the Messiah. So here in Romans I think Paul is simply saying ‘I will not resort to the preaching of the law’, the main tool used by the Judaizers to try and gain ‘obedience’ among the Gentiles in order to make the Gentiles obedient [these are the things that Christ has not wrought by him. They represented Paul’s past experience in Judaism]. But instead he will declare the gospel of God’s grace. He will lean on the Cross of Christ as the functional tool to ‘bring obedience to the Gentiles’.

(874)ROMANS 15: 20-33 ‘Now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints’ ‘my service to them’. Paul tells the Romans that he is going to ‘minister’ and have ‘service’ towards the Jerusalem saints. How would you take it if I said ‘I am going to New York to minister, hold a ‘service’ in the church’. You would see me as saying I was going to preach in a building, do my best to encourage the people. And before I left I was going to receive an offering. Paul is saying nothing of the sort! His ‘ministry and service’ are speaking of his charitable work among the poor. He received gifts from the churches for the sole purpose of meeting the needs of the poor. He even says ‘if you Gentiles have been made partakers of their blessings, you should help them out financially’. We are familiar with this terminology when Paul uses it to speak of meeting the needs of Elders, but we very rarely apply it to the meeting of the needs of the poor. Paul had a ‘service’ for the saints, and he was not speaking in terms of going to some town and preaching a message and taking an offering. Service in the first century context was giving of your time and resources for the benefit of others. Doing things at your own expense, not always receiving a recompense yourself. I wonder where they got such an ‘unbiblical idea’. It reminds me of the time when Jesus put on a towel and washed the disciples feet. Another one of those strange passages that seem to teach that leadership is here to serve, not be served. These kingdom precepts do not fit in with the modern idea of ‘ministry/service’.

CHAPTER 16

.HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE?

.DID THE EARLY CHURCH BELIEVE THE RAPTURE?

.SHOULD WE ‘PREACH’ AT ALL?

(875)ROMANS 16- Some debate the ‘canonicity’ of this chapter. They feel that all the personal greetings from Paul are too personal. Let’s talk a little about the Canon [inspiration of the scriptures]. First, I am a ‘bible believing Christian’ who holds to the historic doctrine of scripture. But you do have varying views on what the historic doctrine is. I hold to the idea that God never intended for the letters that were written in the first century, which have become our New Testament, to be writings that were pulled out of time. That is the writers had to have been writing with a contextual purpose in mind. The recipients of the letters had to have had some type of practical instructions that they could wrap their minds around. So for John to say something to the seven churches in Asia Minor [Revelation] it was just common sense that the actual recipients of the letters would expect something practical for their day. This of course does not mean there are no further applications or instructions for us today, but we need to have a more personal understanding of the give and take between the Apostles and the people they were writing to. So this is how I think we should view the personal stuff in the Canon. This also needs to be understood when interpreting scripture. I have made the argument before for the 1st century belief in Christ’s literal second coming. I have also taught how the early church had no concept of a Rapture that was separated from the return of Christ. The event spoken of by Paul in Thessalonians chapter 4 is a real thing that takes place at Christ’s return. We get ‘caught up to meet him in the air’. Now how confusing would it be for the first century readers of Paul’s letters, to have one letter that speaks of a second coming, and another that spoke of a rapture? It would be next to impossible to have any coherent view of scripture if they did stuff like this. You could then make an argument for any doctrine. There would be no coherent thinking if you were living in Thessalonica and read a letter from Paul that used the same terminology about the return of Christ as he used in a letter to the Corinthians. And if you relocated to Corinth and said ‘Oh, yes. Paul wrote to us about the resurrection and return of Jesus. But when he wrote to us he was speaking of the rapture, but when he wrote to you he was talking about a different event called the second coming’. This type of thinking would have been disastrous for the early church. They were all receiving letters from Paul that contained basic truth. The fact that these letters were not included in an entire collection [as we have today] leads us to believe that the basic message had to stay the same in all of these letters, or else you would have had havoc in the early church.

(876)ROMANS 16- CONCLUSION Okay, lets try and finish up Romans. We do see some good stuff in this last chapter. We see Paul addressing women as functional ministers in the church. Phoebe is a deaconess, Junia an apostle! I still believe that Elders were only men, but women did function in the first century Ecclesia’s. Paul also says ‘mark those which cause divisions contrary to the doctrine you have learned and avoid them’. Now, I have heard the strict Baptists use this against the Pentecostals, and it did put the fear of God in you! But then I heard the Pentecostals use it against the strict Baptists, and it also put the fear of God in you! [maybe another fear?] The point being you could use this to defend any doctrine you ‘have been taught’ by well meaning men. Here Paul is warning against those who were early on departing from the faith [the basic elements of the gospel and Gods grace]. The apostle John addresses those who ‘went out from us, but were not of us’ ‘whoever rejects Christ as come in the flesh is anti christ’ [1st John]. You did have those who rejected the basic elements of the gospel and the incarnation of Jesus. Paul warned the Corinthians not to depart from the reality of Christ’s resurrection [1st Corinthians 15]. And of course Paul openly rebuked the Judiazers for trying to put the gentile believers under the restrictions of the Mosaic law. So even though these types of verses seem to fit in to our present day controversies and differences among various denominational groups, yet in context they refer to those who were rejecting the basic tenets of the faith. Paul also encourages ‘God will crush satan under our feet shortly’ ‘God is able to establish us thru the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ’. Let me defend the concept of ‘old fashioned preaching’ a little. While I and many others have publicly taught a type of new testament ecclesiology that is absent the ‘weekly pulpit Pastoral office’. Yet there is biblical precedent for the preaching of the Word. Paul taught in chapter 10 ‘how can they hear without a preacher, and how can they preach unless they are sent’? God strengthens believers thru the preaching of Gods Word. While it is wrong for the average believer to depend solely on this preaching to become educated in the things of God, yet there is a strengthening that God gives to the believer when he comes under the pure preaching of Christ. As we end Romans, I want to re emphasize the major doctrine of justification by faith. The reformation of the 16th century did not happen in a vacuum. God restored a very vital truth back to the people of God. All Christians should be grounded and well versed in the reality of God freely accepting us based on simple faith in Jesus Christ. Now, I realize that many are returning to a more ‘sermon on the mount’ orientation of the Christian lifestyle. As I have taught before I think this is a good thing. A ‘re-focusing’ on the teachings and instruction of Jesus. But I think we also need to emphasize the many statements from Jesus himself on those who believe having everlasting life [John’s gospel]. Romans is a masterpiece letter from Paul, one of his main points was justification by faith. God wants believers to be grounded in this truth.

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dmmowers · 8 years ago

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Mercy calling A sermon for Trinity Episcopal Church, Baraboo, Wis. Transfiguration Sunday | Year A, Track 2 | August 6, 2017 Exodus 34:29-35 | Psalm 99 | **Romans 9:1-8, 30-33 | Luke 9:28-36 **second reading modified with permission of diocesan bishop to allow for continuous preaching of Romans on Sundays this summer

“Master, it is good for us to be here.” He said this not knowing what he said.

Lots of people in our culture have the mistaken idea that faith in Jesus Christ is a self-help program, a way in which we strive to make ourselves better Christians so that we can become better people. In a previous parish, I sent a survey around to parents of young adults, asking them why they felt it was important that their child was involved in church. Most of them responded with something like, "We want our child to learn sound ethical values so that they can grow up to be moral people." Now, don't get me wrong, I want my children to grow up to be moral people, but let's be clear: Christianity has nothing to do with our efforts to make ourselves better. The story of Christianity is summed up by the story just read in our gospel reading this morning as we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, where the disciples are going up a mountain with Jesus, an ordinary day. And suddenly, through no effort or desire of their own, they see the glory of God: Jesus transfigured, with lightning and clouds swirling around him, with Moses -- representing the Jewish Law -- and Elijah -- representing the Jewish Prophets -- showing up to talk with him. Simon Peter, struck dumb at what he was seeing, says, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Luke helpfully adds that Peter said this, "without knowing what he said."

Maybe you've heard a sermon before on the transfiguration where the preacher says that Peter says all sorts of silly things throughout the New Testament, and this is another silly thing. Then the preacher says that what matters isn't being on the mountaintop with Jesus, what matters is what we do with that vision of Jesus once we come back down the mountain. We've seen the glory of the Lord, the preacher says, and now we have to go and share it with other people. I can't say for sure, but I might have preached that sermon before. And if I did, that's one more of a thousand examples why it's sometimes a bad idea to listen to your preacher. Simon Peter has it right: it is good for us to be here, on this mountain, surprised and struck dumb by the glory of God. We didn't plan to be here, we didn't know this was going to happen. We were just going up the mountain, not people who were especially holy or noteworthy, just garden-variety people who were suddenly transfixed by the vision of Jesus Christ in all his glory. It is good for us to be here, not out of any kind of hope that we might improve ourselves, or that we might become more moral people, but only because the beauty of this sight takes our breath away.

This vision given to the apostles on the mountain is a vision that St. Paul desperately hopes would be given to his Jewish friends and relatives in our letter to the Romans today. One would think with this kind of rousing endorsement by Moses and Elijah, the Jews of St. Paul's day would have been tripping over each other to come to faith in Jesus Christ faster than their neighbors. But it was not the case. Only a very few former Jews accepted the message of Jesus as Messiah. Paul explains further: They are the Israelites, he writes. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises, to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. The Israelites were God's chosen people, and yet most of God's chosen people rejected the Messiah who had been sent to redeem them from the Power of Sin.

So Paul writes that he has great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart because his people do not see the vision of the Transfigured Jesus. The cannot see Moses and Elijah appearing around Jesus; they cannot see all the Jewish Law and the prophets pointing to a Messiah who would suffer and die to break the power of sin over our world. They do not worship Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, as the God who delivered Israel from Egypt come down to earth in human form. If it would do any good, Paul wishes that he could be cut off from Christ – cursed, condemned to hell – so that his Jewish people might come to see Jesus in all his glory. But life doesn’t work that way.

II.

Now, I see some of you looking a little bored. It was easier to pay attention last week; I can see you just silently wishing for me to talk about the Cubs again, aren't you? It’s easy to think that this story about Jews and Jesus in shiny clothes are just old Bible stories with little applicability to Baraboo, Wisconsin in the 21st century.

These are old stories, yes, but they are stories we find ourselves in. We were the followers of Jesus going about ordinary days, not realizing what we were about to witness, when suddenly the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to us and showed us his glory. Some of us saw Jesus in dreams or visions. Some of us were listened to a sermon when we felt Jesus himself cut through the words of the preacher and spoke directly to our hearts. Some of us looked deeply into the eyes of a child, of a lover, of a parent, and we knew that the Lord Jesus Christ was calling to us through this other person. So the story of the Transfiguration is our story.

And so is the story of the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews of St. Paul's day were the religious insiders. They went to synagogue every Saturday. They marked every religious holiday by going to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. They learned what they could about the Torah so that they knew how God was calling them to live. The Jews of St. Paul's day were the nice Episcopalians, the members of the Vestry, the Christians who were serious about their faith. Everybody else was a Gentile. If you weren't a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you were a Gentile. You weren't a part of the chosen people of God. Not only were you not an every Saturday synagogue-goer, you couldn't even get into the Temple if you tried. The Jews looked down their noses at you, because they were chosen and you weren't.

If we here this Sunday looking around this room are like the Jews, there are a lot of us who have people we love who are like the Gentiles, lots of people who are not people of faith, who are not church-insiders. We wish they were. Some of them were here with us once, for a while. Lots of us have children who we took care to raise in the church, teaching them that Jesus loved them. We told them about those moments in our lives where we looked around and saw the glory of God, where we saw Jesus Christ transfigured in all his wonder and glory. Lots of us have spouses who are very happy to let us come to church and be faithful to this community, but they choose not to be here or in any church for one reason or another. We might be nice Episcopalian Israelites, but we know some of these Gentiles. We love some of these Gentiles. We long for these Gentiles to come to know Jesus Christ the way that we know Jesus Christ. I invite you, as these people come to mind today and over the next few days, to ask the Lord Jesus to show himself to them, the way that he did on that first Transfiguration to Peter and his companions. What you might find is that Jesus shows up to this other person through your life and your care.

III.

Some of us might look at the people we love who aren’t Christians or who aren’t church people and think that the Word of God has simply failed. That the Word of God is not powerful enough to reach the Gentiles that we love. But hear what St. Paul writes in chapter 9 verse 6: "It is not as though the Word of God has failed." He goes on to say that not every descendant of Israel is a part of the chosen people of God. Descendants of Isaac are chosen, descendants of Ishmael are not. Descendants of Jacob are chosen, descendants of Esau are not. Paul explains this simply in verse 16, which we did not read today. "So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy."

Whether the Jewish people accepted Jesus as their Messiah didn't have anything to do with their being born into the people of Israel. The only thing that brings people to accept Jesus as the Messiah is God himself calling to them. The only thing that brings people to Jesus is that moment when they go up the mountain, minding their own business, thinking that they're in the middle of an ordinary day where nothing extraordinary happens. And then Jesus Christ, transfigured by lightning, Moses and Elijah alongside, shows up, and we realize that today is not an ordinary day at all. That today something has happened to us that we will tell our children and our grandchildren about for the rest of our lives. Today, Jesus Christ has called to us. Today, Jesus Christ has shown us his beauty. We are reduced to stammering: it is good for us to be here. And of course, it is good for us to be here. But we didn't do anything to put ourselves here. God has done this. God has done all of this. All that is left to us is the realization that morality and values and ethics and self-help wither away from the glare of the light which comes from Jesus Christ. Christianity is not about making us moral people. It's not about making us good people. It's not about taking us on a journey of faith. Christianity is not the story of us finding God, it is the story of God finding us. Our response is not to go out and make ourselves better, or to work harder, or even to make the world a better place. Our response is: Lord, it is good for us to be here.

And now, Paul scandalously suggests, this Jesus Christ has begun revealing himself not only to Jews, but also to Gentiles. The Jews were -- and still are -- God's chosen people, and yet most of them did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. And so now God has begun to call the unwashed Gentiles like you and I to be his followers. His mercy calls to all people, not only to the descendants of Abraham. He has not rejected the Jews: in in chapter 11 verse 29 that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, meaning that the Jews, in spite of the fact that they did not believe in Jesus, are indeed still God's chosen people. But God is now calling to the Gentiles so that the vision of the glory of Jesus they receive would be a blessing to the very Jewish people who would not accept Jesus as Messiah. He has called the pagan Gentiles so that the Jews who rejected Jesus might yet see the glory of the Risen Jesus.

IV.

God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he might be merciful to all. God imprisoned the Jews, whom Paul loved, in disobedience so that he could come to them apart from their own performance. God imprisoned the Gentiles in disobedience so that he could come to all of us who were not born as descendants of Abraham us and make us a part of his chosen people. And God still shows himself to Gentiles. Jesus Christ still reveals himself in all his glory to the unlikeliest people. God calls spouses who have been atheists all these long years. God calls children who have long ago grown up and left him behind but who now suddenly encounter him. God calls people like Nicole Cliffe, editor of the now defunct humor website The Toast. Cliffew was a Harvard graduate and a happy young adult atheist who was surprised to find herself “cracked open to the divine. I read books that I would have laughed at before the cracking, and the stars lined up and there was God. And then I knew. And then I said it out loud to a third party. And then I giggled.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/june/nicole-cliffe-how-god-messed-up-my-happy-atheist-life.html)

When Paul says in Romans 11:32 that all have been consigned to disobedience so that he might be merciful to all, some have taken this to mean literally every person - a Christian universalism, that says that every person will come to faith in Jesus Christ. But the gospels have plenty of judgment imagery which definitely makes it seem like God will in fact not have mercy on all. So I don't think we can know what Paul means by "all" here. Here's what I do know. I do know that we will all one day stand before the judgment of God to answer for what we have done and what we have left undone. And I also know that we need not fear being damned for the glory of God, because the one who judges us on that final day of judgment is the one who has revealed his glory to us without our asking for it. He appears not only as our judge, but at our side as our defense attorney. The one who judges us is the one who was already judged for the sins of the world.

So for our children, our spouses, our friends: the figurative Gentiles among us who say they cannot believe in God, that they cannot come to church: we entrust them to the mercy of God. When Jesus Christ meets them on an ordinary hill in the midst of an ordinary day and suddenly, they see the beauty of Jesus Christ in all his transfigured glory, they will come to him. For some of them, it seems unlikely. But it seemed unlikely to St. Paul and St. Peter that the Lord Jesus would reveal himself to Gentiles at all. The Jewish people were and are God's chosen people, but thanks be to God, the Lord Jesus now calls Gentiles too so that none of us can boast that it was our status or our actions that led Jesus to call us - it was only his mercy that calls to us.

We are here today to worship the God whose glory we Gentiles have seen revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, and, having seen his beauty, we giggled at the fact that God has chosen to reveal himself even to us. We are here to hear the Word of God speak to us, to remember all of those loved ones and friends who are figurative Gentiles today, who need to be encountered by the Risen Christ. We are here to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, to experience again in our very bodies the mercy of Jesus showing himself to us. Thanks be to God, God has consigned all to disobedience so that he might have mercy upon all, even upon us who say silly things, who don’t realize what’s about to happen, who aren’t able to journey to find God. In Jesus Christ, God has come to find us.

I was assisted in my thinking for this sermon by the Rev. Fleming Rutledge's sermon "The Clue on the Beach" published in Not Ashamed of the Gospel: Sermons from Paul's Letter to the Romans, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2007), 273-279.

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