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"So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.'” (Acts 1:6-11)
The historical narrative of Acts doesn't reveal much of the disciple's personal feelings or emotions at the beginnings of the Christian church but one cannot help but wonder. Was there a lot of excitement, fear, a tremendous amount of joy, puzzlement or plainly stated- a general thinking of 'what the hell is going on?' They had witnessed the Man that they had followed around for 3 years die a horrible death and had experienced the numbing anxiety as He was buried. As is evidenced by their question in verse 6, the disciples still had a strong hope that Jesus would be a political King and usher in a physical, earthly kingdom for Israel. A Messianic figure that would end Roman rule over the Hebrew promised land and restore what the Jewish people had in Old Testament times.
The resurrection, to put the terms in an understated fashion, must have injected the disciples with an uncanny excitement. Jesus had physically risen again and had begun appearing to many of His followers and others. Philip Yancey attempts to capture the perspective and attitude of the disciples on this morning: "This, perhaps, describes the change in the disciples' perspective as they sat in locked rooms discussing the incomprehensible events of Easter Sunday. In one sense nothing had changed: Rome still occupied Palestine, religious authorities still had a bounty on their heads, death and evil still reigned outside. Gradually, however, the shock of recognition gave way to a long slow undertow of joy. If God could do that..." (The Jesus I Never Knew, pg. 220) Perhaps the disciples thought that now would be the time, with a Man who had conquered death, to usurp political power unto Himself and begin the national kingdom anew.
Sometimes, the disciples understanding of "kingdom" is a little baffling to me. Hadn't they been traveling with Jesus for 3 years? Didn't they understand by now what He meant by "kingdom"- that this term was not to mean a nationalistic country but a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of believers? With the loaded terminology of "kingdom" though, I have to tread lightly. Kingdom is a massive word in the domains of theology and sparks much debate as to what is meant by God's kingdom. The disciples may have had similar discussions.
One of the most revealing aspects of what Jesus meant by Kingdom, in my opinion, is found in the gospel of John in Jesus' conversation with Pontius Pilate. John 18:35-36, "Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?' Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.'" Jesus seems to be tipping his hat here at the notion of a spiritual kingdom versus a nationalistic theocracy. Perhaps even in these words is a hint of sadness. Jesus being a Jew has been rejected by his own people, indeed the people that He came to offer hope too. The fact should be noted however that both conservative and liberal scholars date the gospel of John's writing later than the other gospels. The gospel of John contains different accounts from those of the Synoptic gospels and contains a more mature Christology (meaning a more sophisticated view of Jesus being divine and human than the other gospels). This certainly doesn't make certain gospels superior to other gospels, just different and I stand by the Christian conviction that the four gospels are written by human authors and ultimately, inspired by God.
The minefield of the theological understanding of God's kingdom is illustrated further by the modern debates between dispensationalists and covenant theologians. The thrust of the debate lies on the question: is there a physical, earthly kingdom in Israel's future (as in around the time of the second coming)? Or, is some of the terminology of coming kingdom spiritually metaphorical in nature?
For the record, I reject much of dispensationalism which JN Darby introduced in the 1800s and the Scofield Reference Bible of 1909 made popular. Because of Scofield's Bible, many Christians in the 20th century have seemed obsessed and very preoccupied with eschatology and this has also led to the preposterous gibberish that Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have published. Anyways, for me, dispensationalism seems to organize time too neatly. I don't think that this was God's intent with inspiring people to write His Word. The Bible is very honest about human struggle and humanity's interaction with the true God (as well as false gods and idols). God's Word is not primarily or secondarily about organizing time, from Genesis to Revelation, in seven neat and tidy dispensations (some dispensationalists add more "dispensations" of time then seven). I also tend to view Revelation as being full of metaphors that point to a very important fact- that Christ will one day reign and restore His kingdom. This kingdom being a new heaven and new earth without the curse of sin. This general understanding of the second coming is tantamount to the faith and a major tenant of orthodox Christianity.
The one point of dispensationalism that causes me conflict is the central tenant of the theology: Are Israel and the church distinct entities? They are both the people of God, as far as Old Testament Israel and the believers that have embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior. However, what is the relationship between the two? Is the church a spiritual continuation of Israel as God's people or are Israel and the church different and separate entities? I don't have enough time for the complexity of that discussion but it is one that I think about in my studies from time to time. Enough on dispensationalism.
When the disciples ask the question, "Lord, at this time are you restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus answer is perplexing. He says in verse 7: "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority." In a way, Jesus seems to avoid their question. He does not answer "yes" or "no". He doesn't even acknowledge if Israel will be setup as a kingdom of God on earth ever again. He just says that the Father is the only One who knows such things and that the Father only knows the times as to which they will occur (whatever they will look like at that foreordained time).
However, coming from our Lord, this is probably the most important point. Jesus coming back to judge the living and the dead is God's business alone. There have been many people who claim the Christian faith down through the ages that have predicted Jesus' second coming. Infamously, the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, a man by the name of Charles Taze Russell, predicted that the final days of the world would come in 1914 after a war between capitalism and socialism broke out. I guess we missed that one. There have, of course, been more orthodox members of Christianity through the ages that have predicted Christ's coming. Hal Lindsay, a television evangelist, is a modern day example and a kook in my book. He has a television show trying to tie current happenings in the middle east with a strict dispensational reading of Revelation.
I hope we realize that upon our Lord's words in Acts 1:7 and also in the gospels related to the Father only knowing when the second coming will happen (see Mark 13:31-33 and Matthew 24:35-36), anyone who claims they know when Jesus will come back is fraudulent in their claim. Any person who preaches that they know the date or time is, in a sense, claiming more knowledge than Jesus because Jesus taught that only the Father knows. This is a particularly boastful arrogance on the part of heretical founders of new religions or televangelists or anyone else who may preach that they know.
The reason as to why Jesus did not want his disciples to have the information about His second coming is perhaps stated in the missiological charge of the next verse. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." This is Jesus' final command before He ascended into heaven. Jesus asks the disciples, and the church down through the ages, to go and spread His gospel message. Matthew 28:18-20 is the Great Commission and contains a similar challenge as does Mark 16:15-16 (although the end of Mark is debated as to whether this is actually Scripture. It is not in the earliest manuscripts we have of the gospel of Mark).
The disciples and future generations of Christians were to carry on Jesus' message of testifying to the truth. The truth about the spiritual kingdom of God that exists in the heart's of all of those who believe. Jesus asks them to start in Jerusalem, their home town. Then He asks them to go to Judea, the larger and outer regions of Jerusalem and on into Samaria. Samaria was important for Jesus to include in his missional mandate. Many Jews hated Samaritans and this was a bigoted racial kind of hatred. Samaritans were ethnically part-Jewish but represented the intermarrying of Israel with other nations. Jesus clearly states that they are not excluded from His gospel message and are equal heirs to His kingdom...if they believe in Him and accept His message. Jesus then commands them to go to the "ends of the earth" taking His message everywhere on this planet. Christian missionaries have been laboring at this task for two thousand years and we still work to translate the Word of God into all the languages of the earth and to preach the good news to every person. This mandate is the central mission statement of the Christian church as far as axiology is concerned.
After giving this command, Jesus ascended into heaven. What an event for those original disciples to see with their own eyes. Jesus is taken out of view by a cloud. A cloud is a striking image in Biblical literature. There are many passages of Scripture which speak of a cloud hiding God's heavenly glory. We may recall a bright cloud enveloped Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration and from this very cloud, the disciple's present there heard God's voice (Matthew 17:5; also see Exodus 40:34-35).
To conclude this glorious scene, two men came and stood by them in white robes- obviously signifying purity. "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven." In other words, don't just look up in awe, get to work on Jesus' commission.
And did the disciples ever get to work! The remainder of Acts is about their early experiences in carrying out Jesus' missiological mandate. They were now Jesus' representatives on the face of the earth, His ambassadors, as we believers are today. Go into all the nations and preach the gospel and make disciples of men!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
My Favorite Movies of 2009
I thought I would share some of my favorite movies that I saw from 2009. Of course, this can only be based on the limited amount of movies that I did see. Feel free to post some of your favorites as well or maybe some flicks that I missed.
Now for my top 7:
7) Sin Nombre- "Sin Nombre" means "without a name". If a viewer sets aside any political ideology that they may have and experience this movie for what it is, they will be moved. Sin Nombre is a stirring drama but the movie also operates as a suspenseful thriller. The story involves two main characters: Sayra who joins her father and uncle in a trek through Guatemala and Mexico to get to the United States. The second character is Willy, nicknamed Casper, involved in gang activity in southern Mexico. Willy finds himself on the wrong side of his gang and seeks to flee to the United States. They ride atop of a train with other hopeful immigrants. This movie is not about what a person in the US should believe about illegal immigration but about why so many people would risk everything (even doing incredibly dangerous things) in order to come here.
6) District 9- In a year of great sci-fi movies, "District 9" stands out. This is a balls out and, at times, gruesome South African parable of apartheid. Newcomer director Neill Blomkamp really has an original take on the story structure. The beginning of the film starts out like a news cast or documentary about extraterrestrial forces over South Africa who are forced to live in a ghetto. Then the movie focuses on Wikus Van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley in a star making performance) as he becomes an advocate for their cause after being exposed to their biotechnology. This is unforgettable stuff.
5) Avatar- James "King of the World" Cameron may have just taken the throne again. This is the visual spectacle of the year but also has a solid story to go along with the ground-breaking effects. Sure, there are some weaknesses: the human characters are very one-dimensional and the theme of an individual from one culture joining another culture has been done before (Dances with Wolves, Pocahontas, etc). However, while a person is watching this movie, there is such a good time to be had that the viewer forgets about those minor flaws. Two and a half hours flies by. Buy the big popcorn and go to the IMAX screening.
4) Up- The fact seems to be automatic that any movie Pixar releases will be considered one of the best movies of the year, and "Up" is no exception. With the brilliance demonstrated from the first "Toy Story" to "Wall-E", the newest movie seems to be moving Pixar toward an even greater maturity in storytelling. "Up" follows a couple, Carl and Ellie, through their courtship and marriage and life together (done through music and animation with hardly any dialogue). They then make a sad discovery which causes Carl to lose his life's partner and threaten the dreams that they hatched together. He becomes a recluse but through circumstances decides to carry out the couple's dream of going to Paradise Falls. He ties balloons to his house and floats toward Venezuela. The movie seems to set up a strong dichotomy. The grief and pain that come from such a substantial loss contrasted with the magic and awe that the world around us entails. The movie will appeal to kids but its themes are mature enough to match any other movie out there.
3) Inglourious Basterds- Who can get away with blatant historical revisionism involving a group of Jews called "the basterds" striking fear into the heart of the Nazi's during World War II? And get away with portraying these basterds whacking Nazi's with baseball bats, scalping them and carving swastikas into their foreheads? Why...Quentin Tarantino can and no one does revenge like the "Pulp Fiction" director. Here is a film filled with unbelievable performances, Tarantino's intoxicating dialogue, brutal violence and mayhem. Not politically correct by any stretch of the imagination and tapping into a collective anger and sense of justice that people everywhere feel toward the Nazi's. Tarantino's gleeful film has high entertainment value and unexpected humor. Its probably the funniest World War II movie a person could ever watch.
2) Up in the Air- Jason Reitman has done three movies (Thank You for Smoking, Juno) and this is his best. The film is a rebuke of American individualism and voluntary isolation. The story involves Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who indulges in his life of flying around the country as a corporate terminator (he fires people that corporations don't have the guts to fire themselves). On the side, he preaches a commitment-free life and tells his audience to imagine "an empty backpack" with no attachments and little responsibilities. All seems to be going okay until Ryan realizes that the life that he leads, with no commitments or attachments, is the very hell that torments him. The film winds down with a feeling of existential dread and there are surprises waiting along the way. Perhaps most unnerving of all is the timeliness of the sub-plot. America currently stands near 11% unemployment and Bingham fires people around the country according to a corporate script with hardly a thought about it. This movie stings to your soul.
1) The Hurt Locker- While audiences were busy last summer watching Hasbro toy commercials, many missed the best war movie of the decade. There hasn't been a more personal film about men in combat since "Saving Private Ryan". The story follows soldiers in Iraq who have the job of defusing IED bombs. To most of us, this is an unfathomable job. This is about the soldiers and their psychological make-up. Why would men and women would choose a job that puts them in a chaotic life and death situation? Why do some crave these dangerous scenarios to such a degree that it becomes like a drug? Director Kathryn Bigelow shot this apolitical film around Amman, Jordan (which neighbors Iraq). The Jordan military provided security for the film shoot and Bigelow had a hard time finding actors and crew people willing to work in a volatile region. No doubt she had to also fight a Hollywood bureaucracy to get this thing made. If all ends up right, she should become the first female to win the best director prize at the Oscars. She certainly deserves it.
Other good movies I saw: Public Enemies, (500) Days of Summer, Moon, A Serious Man
Now for my top 7:
7) Sin Nombre- "Sin Nombre" means "without a name". If a viewer sets aside any political ideology that they may have and experience this movie for what it is, they will be moved. Sin Nombre is a stirring drama but the movie also operates as a suspenseful thriller. The story involves two main characters: Sayra who joins her father and uncle in a trek through Guatemala and Mexico to get to the United States. The second character is Willy, nicknamed Casper, involved in gang activity in southern Mexico. Willy finds himself on the wrong side of his gang and seeks to flee to the United States. They ride atop of a train with other hopeful immigrants. This movie is not about what a person in the US should believe about illegal immigration but about why so many people would risk everything (even doing incredibly dangerous things) in order to come here.
6) District 9- In a year of great sci-fi movies, "District 9" stands out. This is a balls out and, at times, gruesome South African parable of apartheid. Newcomer director Neill Blomkamp really has an original take on the story structure. The beginning of the film starts out like a news cast or documentary about extraterrestrial forces over South Africa who are forced to live in a ghetto. Then the movie focuses on Wikus Van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley in a star making performance) as he becomes an advocate for their cause after being exposed to their biotechnology. This is unforgettable stuff.
5) Avatar- James "King of the World" Cameron may have just taken the throne again. This is the visual spectacle of the year but also has a solid story to go along with the ground-breaking effects. Sure, there are some weaknesses: the human characters are very one-dimensional and the theme of an individual from one culture joining another culture has been done before (Dances with Wolves, Pocahontas, etc). However, while a person is watching this movie, there is such a good time to be had that the viewer forgets about those minor flaws. Two and a half hours flies by. Buy the big popcorn and go to the IMAX screening.
4) Up- The fact seems to be automatic that any movie Pixar releases will be considered one of the best movies of the year, and "Up" is no exception. With the brilliance demonstrated from the first "Toy Story" to "Wall-E", the newest movie seems to be moving Pixar toward an even greater maturity in storytelling. "Up" follows a couple, Carl and Ellie, through their courtship and marriage and life together (done through music and animation with hardly any dialogue). They then make a sad discovery which causes Carl to lose his life's partner and threaten the dreams that they hatched together. He becomes a recluse but through circumstances decides to carry out the couple's dream of going to Paradise Falls. He ties balloons to his house and floats toward Venezuela. The movie seems to set up a strong dichotomy. The grief and pain that come from such a substantial loss contrasted with the magic and awe that the world around us entails. The movie will appeal to kids but its themes are mature enough to match any other movie out there.
3) Inglourious Basterds- Who can get away with blatant historical revisionism involving a group of Jews called "the basterds" striking fear into the heart of the Nazi's during World War II? And get away with portraying these basterds whacking Nazi's with baseball bats, scalping them and carving swastikas into their foreheads? Why...Quentin Tarantino can and no one does revenge like the "Pulp Fiction" director. Here is a film filled with unbelievable performances, Tarantino's intoxicating dialogue, brutal violence and mayhem. Not politically correct by any stretch of the imagination and tapping into a collective anger and sense of justice that people everywhere feel toward the Nazi's. Tarantino's gleeful film has high entertainment value and unexpected humor. Its probably the funniest World War II movie a person could ever watch.
2) Up in the Air- Jason Reitman has done three movies (Thank You for Smoking, Juno) and this is his best. The film is a rebuke of American individualism and voluntary isolation. The story involves Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who indulges in his life of flying around the country as a corporate terminator (he fires people that corporations don't have the guts to fire themselves). On the side, he preaches a commitment-free life and tells his audience to imagine "an empty backpack" with no attachments and little responsibilities. All seems to be going okay until Ryan realizes that the life that he leads, with no commitments or attachments, is the very hell that torments him. The film winds down with a feeling of existential dread and there are surprises waiting along the way. Perhaps most unnerving of all is the timeliness of the sub-plot. America currently stands near 11% unemployment and Bingham fires people around the country according to a corporate script with hardly a thought about it. This movie stings to your soul.
1) The Hurt Locker- While audiences were busy last summer watching Hasbro toy commercials, many missed the best war movie of the decade. There hasn't been a more personal film about men in combat since "Saving Private Ryan". The story follows soldiers in Iraq who have the job of defusing IED bombs. To most of us, this is an unfathomable job. This is about the soldiers and their psychological make-up. Why would men and women would choose a job that puts them in a chaotic life and death situation? Why do some crave these dangerous scenarios to such a degree that it becomes like a drug? Director Kathryn Bigelow shot this apolitical film around Amman, Jordan (which neighbors Iraq). The Jordan military provided security for the film shoot and Bigelow had a hard time finding actors and crew people willing to work in a volatile region. No doubt she had to also fight a Hollywood bureaucracy to get this thing made. If all ends up right, she should become the first female to win the best director prize at the Oscars. She certainly deserves it.
Other good movies I saw: Public Enemies, (500) Days of Summer, Moon, A Serious Man
Monday, January 4, 2010
Three Decades of Life
The hippies used to say that "you can't trust anyone over 30". By this revelation, I'm no longer to be trusted. Recently, I have been contemplating turning the big 3-0. Growing up, 3-0 seemed a long ways away and now, the arbitrary number is right at my doorstep. Hopefully I was an adult in my twenties but now I feel like I really have to be a full on grown up with the oncoming third decade. Maybe all of this doesn't matter. A birthday is just another year and just one more number.
At any rate, I've been thinking about life goals that I have. Here are 30 of them. A lot of them involve traveling and hiking. Feel free to give me other good ideas or great experiences that you have had. Here is to another year of God's goodness and faithfulness.
1) Visit all 50 States (I have not been to: Alaska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). If anyone can think of a solid reason to visit North Dakota, I'm all ears.
2) Stand on the Great Wall of China
3) Attempt surfing
4) Read the fictional literary greats (I'm currently researching lists and trying to compile ones that I should read. Anyone have any other suggestions?)
5) Hike down into the Grand Canyon/ and separately, taking a rafting trip down the Colorado River
6) Tour Greece and Israel
7) Attend a Radiohead show for the first time
8) Hike up to Machu Picchu
9) Be involved in some kind of massive, peaceful protest
10) Watch all of the 100 movies on the American Film Institutes 100 best movies lists (there are actually two lists...one in 1998 and one in 2007 which was updated. I've seen 46 of these movies so far.
11) Visit the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt
12) Relax on a beach in Thailand (I hear they have the best beaches in the world).
13) Film an original movie with some friends
14) Visit Tokyo, Japan and Mt. Fuji (which is mostly inspired by the two years of Japanese I took in high school. Don't remember much though)
15) Hike the Kukui Trail in Kauai, Hawaii
16) Read through "Institutes of Christian Religion" by John Calvin (among many other theology classics but this is at the top of the list)
17) Out to sea on a Mediterranean cruise
18) Visit 6 continents (I'm leaving out Antarctica)
19) Ride on a cable car in San Francisco
20) Author a book with a topic probably relating to theology
21) Go to a jazz club in New Orleans and have dinner
22) Read the best biography I can find on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln
23) Go on a snowmobiling trek.
24) Spelunking in New Mexico caves (Carlsbad Caverns)
25) Going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Kidding. The falls would be nice to take in from the shore however. All the topic of New York, I would also like to go to the statue of Liberty.
26) While riding in a limo through a big city, I want to stand up through the sun roof. Bring on the fine!
27) Safari through the outback in Australia
28) As long as they don't get too "friendly", too one day swim with dolphins somewhere.
29) To watch the entire series of "The West Wing". I've actually never seen an episode but hear that the show was really good.
30) In my life, to continually follow Christ and grow in my faith for however many days that I have.
My 30 goals. I share these with you in hopes that some of you will help me accomplish some of these. So, yeah, let's do this.
At any rate, I've been thinking about life goals that I have. Here are 30 of them. A lot of them involve traveling and hiking. Feel free to give me other good ideas or great experiences that you have had. Here is to another year of God's goodness and faithfulness.
1) Visit all 50 States (I have not been to: Alaska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine). If anyone can think of a solid reason to visit North Dakota, I'm all ears.
2) Stand on the Great Wall of China
3) Attempt surfing
4) Read the fictional literary greats (I'm currently researching lists and trying to compile ones that I should read. Anyone have any other suggestions?)
5) Hike down into the Grand Canyon/ and separately, taking a rafting trip down the Colorado River
6) Tour Greece and Israel
7) Attend a Radiohead show for the first time
8) Hike up to Machu Picchu
9) Be involved in some kind of massive, peaceful protest
10) Watch all of the 100 movies on the American Film Institutes 100 best movies lists (there are actually two lists...one in 1998 and one in 2007 which was updated. I've seen 46 of these movies so far.
11) Visit the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt
12) Relax on a beach in Thailand (I hear they have the best beaches in the world).
13) Film an original movie with some friends
14) Visit Tokyo, Japan and Mt. Fuji (which is mostly inspired by the two years of Japanese I took in high school. Don't remember much though)
15) Hike the Kukui Trail in Kauai, Hawaii
16) Read through "Institutes of Christian Religion" by John Calvin (among many other theology classics but this is at the top of the list)
17) Out to sea on a Mediterranean cruise
18) Visit 6 continents (I'm leaving out Antarctica)
19) Ride on a cable car in San Francisco
20) Author a book with a topic probably relating to theology
21) Go to a jazz club in New Orleans and have dinner
22) Read the best biography I can find on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln
23) Go on a snowmobiling trek.
24) Spelunking in New Mexico caves (Carlsbad Caverns)
25) Going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Kidding. The falls would be nice to take in from the shore however. All the topic of New York, I would also like to go to the statue of Liberty.
26) While riding in a limo through a big city, I want to stand up through the sun roof. Bring on the fine!
27) Safari through the outback in Australia
28) As long as they don't get too "friendly", too one day swim with dolphins somewhere.
29) To watch the entire series of "The West Wing". I've actually never seen an episode but hear that the show was really good.
30) In my life, to continually follow Christ and grow in my faith for however many days that I have.
My 30 goals. I share these with you in hopes that some of you will help me accomplish some of these. So, yeah, let's do this.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thoughts and Acts: Acts 1:1-5
"In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. To them He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during the forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, 'you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'" (Acts 1:1-5)
The sequel begins with a recap just like so many of the current television series that have continuing story lines and often end on cliffhangers. The gospel of Luke seemed to have a solid ending with Jesus ascending into heaven (Luke 24:50-53) but still left the vital question as to what His followers would do with His ever-important message of good news. "The Acts of the Apostles", as it is traditionally called, briefly recounts the history of the ascension of Christ and the basis of the gospel message before launching into the history of the very earliest Christian church.
Luke tells Theophilus (meaning "friend of God") that in his first book, "I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up". Luke, the educated physician, investigated the matters of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection with considerable detail according to his gospel, "...just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:1-4). He now brings his careful analysis to church history in its infant stage. Luke was probably an eyewitness himself to many of the events that transpired in Acts and certainly had access to the people of whom the events happened too.
In verse 2, Luke mentions the ascension of Christ and the commands that Christ taught before being taken up into the sky. The treatment of the ascension of Christ is interestingly handled by the various gospel writers. Here are snippets of the handling (or lack) of the ascension of Christ:
-Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV), "Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." No mention directly of an ascension but it does seem implied. Jesus is giving the disciples what seem to be final instructions and He did have them meet on a mountain in Galilee.
-The ascension in the gospel of Mark is a handful to discuss. The Great Commission here is preached to the eleven while they recline at a table (chapter 16 verse 14). There is no mention about being on top of a mountain. He also gives rather odd instructions about handling snakes and drinking deadly poisons but having these things not hurt the disciples. The words Jesus' preaches is certainly different from Matthew's gospel account. Verse 19 then continues, "So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." An important note about this last section of Mark however may be that this ending portion is not Scripture. The earliest Greek manuscripts that we have do not contain Mark 16:9-20. A considerable amount of external and internal evidence suggest that this ending was not originally a part of Mark's gospel and was not written by the same author. Furthermore, fourth century church fathers Eusebius and Jerome note in their writings that the manuscripts that were available to them do not have verses 9-20.
-Luke 24:50, "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen." Bethany is a place on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, the site of Jesus' ascension.
-The gospel of John is silent on the ascension.
As Luke records history in this beginning section of Acts, we find the disciples actively worshiping Jesus and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. An excitement was in there air for sure and as Luke records in his gospel, they were filled with "great joy" (24:52) They had heard or seen of their Lord being flogged and crucified (Luke records these passion week events in Luke 22:47-23:49) but then they had witnessed the greatest episode of history, Jesus rising from the grave. Luke writes in Acts, "To them He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God." (Verse 1:3)
Here are the appearances of Christ, post-resurrection, that we have recorded in the Bible:
1) The women at the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10)
2) Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18)
3) Two men on Emmaus (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32)
4) Peter in Jerusalem (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
5) Ten Disciples (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23)
6) Eleven disciples (John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
7) Seven disciples fishing in Galilee (John 21:1-23)
8) Eleven disciples in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-18)
9) Five hundred persons (possibly in Galilee; 1 Corinthians 15:6- Paul's writing on the resurrection)
10) James, the brother of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:7)
Jesus offered many eyewitness accounts to His followers and potentially more that we do not know about. Luke also states that He spoke of the "Kingdom of God". Luke's gospel has more than thirty occurrences of the "kingdom of God". By contrast, Matthew's gospel has atleast 50 uses of the "kingdom of heaven (or God)". There is much theological debate about exhaustively defining what the kingdom of God is but a good succinct definition is that the kingdom of God exists in the hearts of believers.
Jesus, while here on earth as God Incarnate, inaugurated a spiritual kingdom that exists to change the hearts of people. For if the hearts of people are changed, their outward actions will change as well. Jesus' help with the believer's change of heart is found in the promise of the Holy Spirit. Believers, in the start of the book of Acts, look to be baptized by the Spirit as an inward mark that they belong to Jesus' kingdom.
Jesus identified the promise of the Father in verse 4, "...for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." John the Baptist, the forerunner of announcing the coming kingdom, baptized people with water. Water baptism was a declaration of repentance and a symbol of the washing away of sins. "I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (fire being a symbol of judgment for sins)." (Matthew 3:11)
The spiritual kingdom is carried on by the Holy Spirit's indwelling work in the hearts of believers. The kingdom is also carried on (and has been for two thousand years) by the church's proclamation of the news that Jesus asked us to preach to all people. The message that they can be disciples of Jesus and become a part of His spiritual kingdom.
The task at times seems daunting but believers have the Holy Spirit (recognized as the third member of the Trinity) inside of them. The power of God, to do His will, readily available as God is immanent.
A FINAL NOTE: Verse 1:4 says, "And while staying with them, He (Jesus) ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father..." With this writing of Luke, some may wonder why the disciples went to Galilee as Matthew tells us in Matthew 28:10, 16. In both of Luke's writings (Luke 24:49 and here in Acts 1:4), the disciples are commanded to wait in Jerusalem. Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe have a couple of proposed solutions: "First, it is possible that the command was not given until after they had been in Galilee. In this event there would be no conflict whatsoever. Furthermore, the command to 'tarry' simply meant to make Jerusalem their headquarters. It did not preclude taking short trips elsewhere. Jerusalem was the place they were to receive the Holy Spirit and to begin their work." (When Critics Ask, pg. 400)
The sequel begins with a recap just like so many of the current television series that have continuing story lines and often end on cliffhangers. The gospel of Luke seemed to have a solid ending with Jesus ascending into heaven (Luke 24:50-53) but still left the vital question as to what His followers would do with His ever-important message of good news. "The Acts of the Apostles", as it is traditionally called, briefly recounts the history of the ascension of Christ and the basis of the gospel message before launching into the history of the very earliest Christian church.
Luke tells Theophilus (meaning "friend of God") that in his first book, "I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up". Luke, the educated physician, investigated the matters of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection with considerable detail according to his gospel, "...just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:1-4). He now brings his careful analysis to church history in its infant stage. Luke was probably an eyewitness himself to many of the events that transpired in Acts and certainly had access to the people of whom the events happened too.
In verse 2, Luke mentions the ascension of Christ and the commands that Christ taught before being taken up into the sky. The treatment of the ascension of Christ is interestingly handled by the various gospel writers. Here are snippets of the handling (or lack) of the ascension of Christ:
-Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV), "Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." No mention directly of an ascension but it does seem implied. Jesus is giving the disciples what seem to be final instructions and He did have them meet on a mountain in Galilee.
-The ascension in the gospel of Mark is a handful to discuss. The Great Commission here is preached to the eleven while they recline at a table (chapter 16 verse 14). There is no mention about being on top of a mountain. He also gives rather odd instructions about handling snakes and drinking deadly poisons but having these things not hurt the disciples. The words Jesus' preaches is certainly different from Matthew's gospel account. Verse 19 then continues, "So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." An important note about this last section of Mark however may be that this ending portion is not Scripture. The earliest Greek manuscripts that we have do not contain Mark 16:9-20. A considerable amount of external and internal evidence suggest that this ending was not originally a part of Mark's gospel and was not written by the same author. Furthermore, fourth century church fathers Eusebius and Jerome note in their writings that the manuscripts that were available to them do not have verses 9-20.
-Luke 24:50, "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen." Bethany is a place on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, the site of Jesus' ascension.
-The gospel of John is silent on the ascension.
As Luke records history in this beginning section of Acts, we find the disciples actively worshiping Jesus and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. An excitement was in there air for sure and as Luke records in his gospel, they were filled with "great joy" (24:52) They had heard or seen of their Lord being flogged and crucified (Luke records these passion week events in Luke 22:47-23:49) but then they had witnessed the greatest episode of history, Jesus rising from the grave. Luke writes in Acts, "To them He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God." (Verse 1:3)
Here are the appearances of Christ, post-resurrection, that we have recorded in the Bible:
1) The women at the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10)
2) Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18)
3) Two men on Emmaus (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32)
4) Peter in Jerusalem (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
5) Ten Disciples (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23)
6) Eleven disciples (John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
7) Seven disciples fishing in Galilee (John 21:1-23)
8) Eleven disciples in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-18)
9) Five hundred persons (possibly in Galilee; 1 Corinthians 15:6- Paul's writing on the resurrection)
10) James, the brother of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:7)
Jesus offered many eyewitness accounts to His followers and potentially more that we do not know about. Luke also states that He spoke of the "Kingdom of God". Luke's gospel has more than thirty occurrences of the "kingdom of God". By contrast, Matthew's gospel has atleast 50 uses of the "kingdom of heaven (or God)". There is much theological debate about exhaustively defining what the kingdom of God is but a good succinct definition is that the kingdom of God exists in the hearts of believers.
Jesus, while here on earth as God Incarnate, inaugurated a spiritual kingdom that exists to change the hearts of people. For if the hearts of people are changed, their outward actions will change as well. Jesus' help with the believer's change of heart is found in the promise of the Holy Spirit. Believers, in the start of the book of Acts, look to be baptized by the Spirit as an inward mark that they belong to Jesus' kingdom.
Jesus identified the promise of the Father in verse 4, "...for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." John the Baptist, the forerunner of announcing the coming kingdom, baptized people with water. Water baptism was a declaration of repentance and a symbol of the washing away of sins. "I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire (fire being a symbol of judgment for sins)." (Matthew 3:11)
The spiritual kingdom is carried on by the Holy Spirit's indwelling work in the hearts of believers. The kingdom is also carried on (and has been for two thousand years) by the church's proclamation of the news that Jesus asked us to preach to all people. The message that they can be disciples of Jesus and become a part of His spiritual kingdom.
The task at times seems daunting but believers have the Holy Spirit (recognized as the third member of the Trinity) inside of them. The power of God, to do His will, readily available as God is immanent.
A FINAL NOTE: Verse 1:4 says, "And while staying with them, He (Jesus) ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father..." With this writing of Luke, some may wonder why the disciples went to Galilee as Matthew tells us in Matthew 28:10, 16. In both of Luke's writings (Luke 24:49 and here in Acts 1:4), the disciples are commanded to wait in Jerusalem. Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe have a couple of proposed solutions: "First, it is possible that the command was not given until after they had been in Galilee. In this event there would be no conflict whatsoever. Furthermore, the command to 'tarry' simply meant to make Jerusalem their headquarters. It did not preclude taking short trips elsewhere. Jerusalem was the place they were to receive the Holy Spirit and to begin their work." (When Critics Ask, pg. 400)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Black Friday Blues
The mere mental image of crazy-eyed shoppers rushing into a retail store to feast upon the sales of their various outlets during the traditional fiasco of Black Friday is a rather sad picture to me. As far as I can remember, I have never been shopping on Black Friday and don't plan on going any time soon. Call me a cranky ole shopping Scrooge. I'm sure that this evening, the news will be filled with stories of assaults and customers cussing out the employees of retail shops (stuck in a level of hell for their respective shifts). Remember last year, the tragic news story of a person being trampled to death in a Walmart store in Long Island, New York.
After the Thanksgiving holiday (put into place as a federal holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln), many Americans begin to think about the coming holiday and getting into "spirit" for Christmas. Christmas, as far as my understanding, has to do with such glorious ideas as peace and giving gifts to other people and sharing lives with family and above all else, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago. The latter being the very greatest gift of all, a God who would come as a human being to die in our place for our sins upon the cross.
These ideas seem completely lost today overwhelmed by a sickening tidal wave of greed and a sense of utter narcisim. If the mentality for a holiday celebrating Christ's birth has turned into a "I will get this sales deal before anyone else and trample any damn person who gets in my way", we have clearly crossed a threshold into a realm of complete stupidity and a drunken self-consumption.
Many people, no doubt, will blame the big corporations for this madness but I would like to quickly add that the shoppers who go and spend money are the reasons why Black Friday has traditionally been successfully. That is one of the noble things about capitalism (though filmmaker Michael Moore would never admit it), with our time and dollars, we "vote" for what we want or need as far as goods or services. Therefore, Black Friday is the doing of the big corporations to meet the demands of the swarming consumers.
I'm certainly not against buying family and friends gifts or celebrating this season. I just think all of us (including myself) need a real change of perspective in our hearts. Yesterday, during Thanksgiving dinner, my friend remarked that we had Christmas all wrong. He thought maybe we should serve at a soup kitchen or give gifts to homeless children. I'm exicted that the company I work for, Balcos Insurance, has decided to sponsor a toy drive for foster children this season. Wouldn't activities like these be so much more rewarding than getting a bunch of wrapped gifts that, if we are honest, is probably some stuff that we don't really need? Another lady at our Thanksgiving table remarked that a child that she knew got so many gifts for Christmas last year, that the child actually got sick of opening presents. A good question to remind ourselves of and to reflect on: what is Christmas for and to whom is it for?
Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (who was loose inspiration for the character of Santa Claus) lived from 270-346AD and used to give gifts anonymously to the poor especially children in poverty. I'm assuming he was influenced by Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount: " Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-4, NIV)
But who is this Christmas season for...it is about Jesus. Jesus is the gift of God to a lost and broken world. "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man (Adam), how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."
There is nothing wrong with shopping for gifts and there is not even something wrong with shopping on Black Friday necessarily. Wrongness only comes to the surface as an expression of the status of our hearts. When we shop, are we thinking about Jesus and other people? Are we madly trying to climb over people and stomp on their dignity as a human being in order to save a few bucks on a sale? The idea of the Christmas season needs to be redeemed in our culture and it is up to us to share the very important event and spirit that characterizes the meaning of Christmas as our hearts are prayerfully changed to reflect it.
After the Thanksgiving holiday (put into place as a federal holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln), many Americans begin to think about the coming holiday and getting into "spirit" for Christmas. Christmas, as far as my understanding, has to do with such glorious ideas as peace and giving gifts to other people and sharing lives with family and above all else, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago. The latter being the very greatest gift of all, a God who would come as a human being to die in our place for our sins upon the cross.
These ideas seem completely lost today overwhelmed by a sickening tidal wave of greed and a sense of utter narcisim. If the mentality for a holiday celebrating Christ's birth has turned into a "I will get this sales deal before anyone else and trample any damn person who gets in my way", we have clearly crossed a threshold into a realm of complete stupidity and a drunken self-consumption.
Many people, no doubt, will blame the big corporations for this madness but I would like to quickly add that the shoppers who go and spend money are the reasons why Black Friday has traditionally been successfully. That is one of the noble things about capitalism (though filmmaker Michael Moore would never admit it), with our time and dollars, we "vote" for what we want or need as far as goods or services. Therefore, Black Friday is the doing of the big corporations to meet the demands of the swarming consumers.
I'm certainly not against buying family and friends gifts or celebrating this season. I just think all of us (including myself) need a real change of perspective in our hearts. Yesterday, during Thanksgiving dinner, my friend remarked that we had Christmas all wrong. He thought maybe we should serve at a soup kitchen or give gifts to homeless children. I'm exicted that the company I work for, Balcos Insurance, has decided to sponsor a toy drive for foster children this season. Wouldn't activities like these be so much more rewarding than getting a bunch of wrapped gifts that, if we are honest, is probably some stuff that we don't really need? Another lady at our Thanksgiving table remarked that a child that she knew got so many gifts for Christmas last year, that the child actually got sick of opening presents. A good question to remind ourselves of and to reflect on: what is Christmas for and to whom is it for?
Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (who was loose inspiration for the character of Santa Claus) lived from 270-346AD and used to give gifts anonymously to the poor especially children in poverty. I'm assuming he was influenced by Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount: " Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:1-4, NIV)
But who is this Christmas season for...it is about Jesus. Jesus is the gift of God to a lost and broken world. "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man (Adam), how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."
There is nothing wrong with shopping for gifts and there is not even something wrong with shopping on Black Friday necessarily. Wrongness only comes to the surface as an expression of the status of our hearts. When we shop, are we thinking about Jesus and other people? Are we madly trying to climb over people and stomp on their dignity as a human being in order to save a few bucks on a sale? The idea of the Christmas season needs to be redeemed in our culture and it is up to us to share the very important event and spirit that characterizes the meaning of Christmas as our hearts are prayerfully changed to reflect it.
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