Once There Was A Tree, And Then There Was The End.

I was reading The Harvest by Rick Joyner. He has been making some good points, though I disagree with how he reads scriptures in an almost completely allegorical fashion. Some would say that you must find the moments of metaphor and the moments of literal, but I think we must find out how the two interact, since that is the case 9 times out of 10. He keeps mentioning the tree of knowledge and mentions that it is always bad, though the idea of knowing things can be seemingly good. I am suspicious of this reading. It has to be something more.

Are we talking about knowing facts and intelligence?

Or is there something bigger going on?

I was reading about the tree of knowledge of the good things and the bad things. God placed it in the middle of the garden. His reason is not really explained, but what is known is that God commands man not to eat of this tree, or else, be dead because of that tree, or maybe not. maybe the point is not the fruit of the tree or even the tree itself. Maybe the act of disobedience is more connected to the knowledge of good and evil than the tree itself.

I cannot help but look up the meaning of knowledge in hebrew. One the word yada is very debated sometimes. I think one meaning that is out of the question is a sexual sense. Another would be that it means to notice or observe, but this would not be enough to condemn someone. The few meanings that caught my eye were the following: to find out/experience; to understand; to know; to have insight/judgement.

To have insight into good and evil is plausible, but it’s a big maybe.

To simply know it is even more plausible, but I can see problems with this when thinking in a modern way of knowing (this seems to be connected to Joyner’s reading, though Joyner goes overboard with it).

To understand does not strike me as plausible since that only means you understand the concept of good and evil.

To find out or experience is the one that has me convinced. Let me explain further.

After the command not to eat of the tree of knowledge, God begins to further create the perfect setting for man. It is described by using the relationship between the man and the woman. Some would say that the created order is man over woman, but it is actually egalitarian. Man and woman were actually created equal and there was no higher or lower gender until after the fall. (see Genesis 2:5-3:22) There is more to this knowledge and it can be discovered by reading the rest of Genesis and the entirety of the story of God and man. God seeks to remedy man wanting to find our or experience good and evil. To put it simply, we could call the Tree of Life the Tree of Good and the Tree of Knowledge the Tree of Evil or Rebellion, since the Scriptures present it in such a way.

Now, let’s move to the very end of the world as we know it. And to do that, I will go all the way to the Revelation to John. It’s funny that a tree of life is mentioned once at the beginning and three times at the end. At the beginning, John quotes Jesus as guaranteeing that those who listen to the Spirit and conquer in the way He requires (which is surprisingly connected to doing good works) will get to eat of the Tree of Life. Now go back to the list of meaning for knowledge, and see what it would mean to eat of one of these trees. Maybe knowing is finding out and experiencing life again.

The next three times the tree of life is mentioned are in Revelation 22 (specifically verses 2, 14, and 19). It’s funny that the leaves that are produced heal the nations. That has to be connected to doing works that conform to God’s will. In verse 14, the ones who wash their robes will have the right to the Tree of life. If you have done some text criticism, you will know that there are some ancient sources that “wash their robes and do his commandments.” Considering the context of verse 2:7, I cannot help but think that the supposed addition is an original. The point is that the earliest believers wanted to make sure that works were not separated from loving God. The last mention takes an understanding of what prophecy is. I will not go into too much detail except to say that prophecy, in my opinion, is only the pointing out the wrongs of the people of God and leading them to the right way to live by God’s will.

So the Tree of Knowledge is not about seeking scientific knowledge or mathematical formulas (as Joyner proposes), but about having control over your good and evil. In order to control what you experience, you have to have the control that God was meant to have over your life. If you have that control, then you can do whatever you want, good or bad. You can also choose to have and experience life, which can only come from obedience to God.

The Tree of Knowledge of the Good and the Evil is rebellion and control.

The Tree of Life is obedience and surrender…

to God…

and what He has to offer.

Instead of proving that there were two trees, that there was a garden, that the end times will be ruled by the anti-christ, or that the rapture will happen,

prove that you are experiencing the Life that God has to offer.

Grace and peace to you all.

 

Third Alternative on Worship in the Church.

There are always conversations on how worship should be done with musical worship in the church. I have seen many different views on it and they have all sounded somewhere between somewhat sane and completely crazy (and that means the bad sort of crazy). I have heard things from bringing in guitars and four piece bands (sane) to having the performers behind a curtain or just a CD (possibly insane). I do understand the value of music in worship and that it has helped many find God in worship. I want to show that the growth of the church has nothing to do with music. There is something more in it. Maybe we should give our congregations more important things to fight for.

God desires mercy over sacrifice (Hosea 6:6, Matthew 9:13, 12:7).

God desires actions over music.

In his book, In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen leads us in a chapter concerning being relevant. He mentions that being relevant in a culture that demands efficiency and results, and not to mention a smile if it pertains to the Church. There is something that seems comforting in going to a service that has been well tailored and makes us lost in emotion and fuzzy butterflies. To be quite honest, I can point to too many of my events while in youth and even a good number in college that were based in this mindset of the current North American church trying to be relevant to a mistaken culture.

What is our place in this world?

Here is another way of viewing things. What if instead of seeking relevance to the mindset of results, we seek to have relationships? What if we abandoned our fake, miserable smiles and spoke true hope from the Gospel of the Christ? I wonder what would happen if we abandoned the music war, and chased things more important (like the move to make the church a multi-ethnic church or serving the people around you better)?

A few more questions:

Why do we think that everyone outside the church values our praise and worship?

Is it possible that many do not care for the new styles that we are trying to push?

Are our messages powerful and do they incite people to action?

I cannot expect music to be the Godly hook, though many use it as a popular hook. I think that there are many important things that we have been forgetting. We must remember again that God desires mercy over sacrifice. Music will not grow a church in the end. It’s surprising that we have spoiled our youth with all new music in worship and when they get to the “big church” they become bored in leave when they are young adults. To be quite blunt, we created a spoiled and bored youth. We may be against partying by binge drinking, drugs, and sex, but is that type of ecstasy so different than going to a youth group for games music and feel-good message? I say that we need to give our people meaning in ministry.

I would back this up with statistics (I might add them later). The last statistic I heard was by ear from a professor in 2007. The Church that grew the most was the Orthodox denomination. The reason for switching to them was most commonly stated to be that God seemed more present in worship.

I end with two questions:

Are you going to church for what you can receive?

Or are you going to the Church for what God requires of you?

Grace and peace to you all.

 

Post on “The Book of Eli” (by request)

One of my friends requested that I post on the my recent viewing of the movie “The Book of Eli.” I was not originally planning this post, but since a friend wanted to see this, I thought it to be in order. Now onto the movie.

I sat down to this movie not knowing what to expect. I have seen movies that looked similar on the trailer and did not like them. The thing that made me unsure was that Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman were in it. I am generally happy with Denzel as an actor and also impressed with Gary Oldman here and there. This movie was not particularly strong on any point except showing of machete skills and only two real gunfights that would impress people. Acting was good. All in all it was a decent movie, but not one I would buy for my own collection.

The points of the movie were more of a sell in my heart and mind. I’ll start with the character development of Denzel’s Character, who is called Eli. Throughout the movie, he is trying to move out west and wants to ignore anything that can distract him from doing just that. The bad part about him having that much focus is that he allows certain things to happen to others that he would be unwilling to allow himself to go through. There is one point where he realizes his fault and decides to save someone’s life. He comes to the realization that the book he was carrying (a King James Bible) was absolutely useless without learning and living what it was teaching you, which is a point well made about scripture and any book, movie, or song. I am not gonna give too much away, but I will say that revelation makes him more comfortable with making a choice that reveals a pretty fun twist at the end of the movie.

Another point to see is the difference between Carnegie (Oldman) and Eli (Washington). One believes that the book can be used to control the people as an opiate of the people (major flaw of certain Christianized or religious nations in the past and present) while the other thinks it truly can save the world if people lived by it (a life changing book to change all the world and history from that moment onward). Christians must believe in the later, since that is what Christ and the New Testament teaches us, and in the Old Testament, by the time we read the prophets, we see the will of God urging people towards the later conclusion.

I would recommend it as a movie that is in my aesthetic sense a mediocre to decent movie. Don’t put your bar too high and you will not be disappointed. Put more of your focus on the themes of the movie and what it teaches, they seem to make some pretty simple yet legitimate points.

On a side note, as far as the world in the “end times”, I tend to divert from certain North American views and think of any future tribulation to be something along the lines of the movie (the movie might actually be an exaggerated view). All tribulation that is possibly future in Revelation is in the end age, which has been going on for about 2000 years now. What I think will happen is that when God returns it will not only be to rescue us, but to re-ignite Eden here, which, in this movie, would be a miraculous healing of a scorched earth and a renewed love of books for beauty and teaching. Also with that would be the swift judgement of those who have been oppressing the helpless and seeking fearful rule.

Grace and peace.

 

A Post on Fasting

I have been looking for a good passage on Fasting for a good while now. I have found some great verses in the past. Jesus has probably been the best about how to go about your daily routine when fasting. But recently I found a very intriguing passage in Isaiah 58. Take some time to read and notice what these people that are being spoken against are doing.

Now let me point out how they were acting in a way that is not much different than American Christians today.

The first point to notice is that many people are not thinking about their actions. In verses 2-3, we see a people who seek to know God and His ways, yet when it comes down to the end of verse 3, the people are really just self serving and are only seeking to feel good about themselves. This must not be the point of fasting. If it was self serving, I highly doubt this chapter would even be in Isaiah.

So, whenever you fast, make it about moving out of yourself and into God AND others.

Now look at the end of verse 3 and on into verse 4. You may think to yourself, “What a messed up group of people!” But are we so different. I have seen so many people seeking to be close to the Lord fight with tooth and nail. It is not pretty, and it usually has to do with either the style of musical worship on Sunday morning or with confrontation due to tensions within the body. I wonder what the people Israel were doing to be called out like this, but I know for certain that the Church in this culture many times deserves this prophecy.

God wants to hear you, but are your action muffling your own voice.

Verses 6 to the first half of verse 9 paints a really nice rhetorical question. I could see the greedy of Israel sulking back after hearing these words, because they must have defied the kind of fasting that the speaker is describing. I wonder how we would react? How much true liberty to we create, encourage, and maintain?

Are you living in God’s freedom, or causing oppression in the world?

In the second half of verse 9 and on into verse 12. There seems to be reference to Israel (or Jerusalem) being in ruins. (Now that sounds like it could be Jerusalem). It occurred to me that this could be a passage written during a time that Jerusalem was destroyed or being destroyed. It would be no small wonder then that everyone was acting selfishly. I began thinking about that and about our recent economic crisis that we are still feeling the effects of. We obviously are not in the situation of being attacked and destroyed in the Ancient times of Israel (which was most unpleasant and probably meant something along the lines of death and slavery), I think that we can understand a portion of the financial panic they might have felt. How powerful is it that Isaiah says that in selfless giving we will be rescued by God. What a testament to the fact that God wants us to act out His will. Sure, he acts in phenomena, but He mostly uses creation and us humans.

So are you seeking to share and rescue humanity, or fighting for what’s yours and destroying humanity.

The final verses really connect loving God and loving people together as the same act. You cannot have one without the other. I have heard that the primary goal of Christians is to simply love God, and in a sense that is true. But it is only true if you consider loving God and loving others the same thing. I keep thinking of the two greatest commandments in the Law as stated by Jesus. Isaiah and Christ seem to be linking together in this thought. I would say that this would be a challenge of a lifetime from God to the American ideal: to accept that to participate in the great rescue of humanity and creation, we must make loving God and loving others the same goal and passion of Christianity.

So, are you seeking God alone, with selfish motives? Or are you hearing God calling you to reach out to those who need you?

I highly recommend studying this yourself.

Grace and peace to you guys.

 

Thoughts on Haiti

I am looking at the statistics for Haiti at this point and I am surprised at the numbers. I thought it would be good to post on this matter since there are some who are saying things that do not reflect the hope they offer (I am referencing Pat Robertson here, and Don Miller gives an excellent response to it in his blog). I am not sure where his quote is from, but I have a hard time seeing the claim that the Haitians made a pact with the Devil being substantiated.

This disaster has been named the most tweeted disaster so far in the twitter era. It is the most talked about and the most tagged. It ranges from merely mentioning it, to praying about it, to offering ways to help. Some people say very good things that make people want to help, yet I think that we should be careful to not say things that make people judge people.

I heard Rob Bell preach about Matthew 7 and how the Christ says not to judge. He came to the conclusion that judging is not about a court case or just making your decisions for the day. He says that it is about determining the inner essence of a person. He goes onto say that that is God’s job not ours.

And if we’re not careful, God might look at us and say, “I can do it better, and I’m using you as exhibit A.”

I would say that those who say things like Mr. Robertson said, though they probably did not mean for it to completely judge the Haitians, must be careful that they are not sticking a label on the inner beliefs, thoughts, passions, and intents of others.

As Mr. Bell might say, “Let go of the desire to control them.”

Another thing I think could be a problem is looking for someone to blame. I would say that this is wrong. I beg of you, the readers, to consider letting that pursuit go. I looking the death penalty the same way. So many have looked at the crime and said, “Send him to the chair!!!” only to find that the man was innocent or that there was a perfectly understandable explanation as to why that committed the crime. Some would actually blame God, but for those of us who want to believe in a God who is our Lord, we cannot do that, and so we blame the Haitians. It’s too much like the disaster of Katrina (Donald Miller covers that in his blog in a way that makes the blame game a losing game for everyone) or the other major disasters of the decade.

Remember September 11th? I wonder how many of us paid attention to the people who make the insane comments and contribute to causes like godhatesfags.com (which calls to question the idea that they oppose the president who hasn’t made gay marriage federally recognize, hmmm)? And if you did hear that God was judging America for how immoral it was, then I wonder how we felt when we heard of family and friends who died in those towers (Compared to some of our past, Roman History, and British History, we are actually in an era that is not quite that bad, though we have some major issues still) ? I’m sure that there were great men and women of God in that building. I’m sure God wishes that never happened.

I ask you to consider not actually labeling someone as a rebel against Christ, but offering them Christ. That way, when it comes time to speak the gospel marriage, they will not trample our pearls and turn around and tear us into pieces. And keep up with the good works that Christ has commanded of you, because that is just as important as confessing Jesus Christ as Lord.

Grace and peace to you all.

 

Response to Christianity Today

I read “The Village Green” section of the January, 2010, issue of Christianity Today. I was quite intrigued by the talk about sexuality and how to encourage people to wait until marriage. I had mixed response to them, though there conclusions were not all bad, except for the last one, in which I saw a slight weakness. There were three total articles and will address in the order they are found in the magazine.

On page 60, we begin with Mark Regnerus’ article “Focus on Calling.” I am intrigued that he used this focus to answer the problem sex outside of the institution of marriage. He did an excellent job pointing to evangelicals taking a strictly legalistic approach to defying non-marital sex. He also states that sex has a way of bonding that always works. He seems to focus on the Christian ideal of marriage as proposed by God. I liked how he approaches it as not a light switch, but a journey, which is sometimes quite long and arduous.

It takes work.

I think that his point was to focus on the healthy relationship. Is it about you fulfilling the two great commandments of Christ, or is it about getting what you “deserve?” Is it about selfishness, or sacrifice?

I do question his biblical reference that marriage was not the domain of the state. It actually, from my study, was from an Old Testament perspective. The New Testament writers were the ones revolutionary in marriage philosophy. Paul is explicit in saying that marriage is optional and not necessary, which calls to question his point of calling marriage or singleness a calling. I would call it an allowance before a calling. I’m not saying he is wrong. I am just wishing that he started with it being an allowance. However, his focus on making marriage a part of self-actualization in reference to sex is spot on.

The next article is by Richard Ross, titled “Make a Promise to Jesus.” I do have to commend the one side he chooses in his approach. I do think he is objective in how he supports his cause, but he seems to make the commitment to God the only thing necessary. I agree that God needs to be a major part of this decision. Better yet, I think that we must make His desire our desire. However, I think risk avoidance should be included. I didn’t graduate with a Psychology degree, but I took enough psychology to understand that the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala he talks about has no set age of development, much like puberty or weight and height. As a matter of fact, psychological development has a range of ages per level. One can be 25 and have the development of a 13 year old in psychologically, and the same vice versa.

To better understand God’s desires, we must always be willing to learn why God says things. We do not understand everything, in which case we must trust our God and our Savior Jesus Christ and do as He says. We must commit to the desires of our God and make them our own, but let’s never forget that the second command that sums up the law is just as important as the first, “To love our neighbor as we love ourselves.”

The third article is the one I didn’t like as much. Donna Freitas’ article “Stop Talking Marriage” seems to focus a bit much on self-actualization, even though it’s focus seems to be not just on Christians, but on non-Christians as well. I do agree that we have to do a much better job on not making sex a major part of our lives. But this entire article seemed to make a selfish approach to a biblical principle. The Bible teaches that we are to make decisions that benefit God and others in our community, and to make a decision the benefits ourselves over God and community is not a good idea if you are a Christian. Her actual proposition is okay in that it says that we should offer abstinence as a sexual option and to be careful since it may seem impossible and deter those who initially wish to try it.

The point is that our motives can define how good or evil something is. Selfish motives are always bad. Just look at the story of Tamar and Judah (know that it is traditionally read in light of Tamar being good and Judah acting in evil intent). Make your decisions based on more than yourself. That is a Christian battle cry.

I hope you have had fun reading this. I would love to hear some input

Grace and peace to you all.

 

Top 10 movies for this decade (so far)…

I thought I would be nostalgic and mention my favorite movies in the 2000’s, so here we go.

2000: “Gladiator”. A good mix of action and adventure without suffering from an absence of a plot. Really good depiction of the state of Roman affairs on a basic level. I enjoy the interaction between Crowe and Pheonix as enemies. Very well done.

2001: I have to say “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” Jackson does a superb job directing and the cast does a very good job acting as well. I had to give it to this instead of “A Beautiful Mind” even though Crowe did better that year than he did in “Gladiator” the year before. LoR 1 is a must for all who love the books and those who have not even read a book in their lives.

2002: A tough choice between “Gangs of New York,” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” I give this one to LoR 2. I love Daniel Day-Lewis, but Jackson continues in superb fashion. Some would say that this movie felt so unfulfilling. I think of it as the point since it is the middle of a trilogy. You need to feel unfulfilled to want to come back for resolution.

2003: “Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King” wins, though I give honorable mentnion to “Mystic River” and “Finding Nemo.” This was not a bad year for movies since I actually like half the ones I saw that year. Kudos to Jackson to winning my heart 3 years in a row.

2004: I didn’t enjoy movies in 2004. They seemed a little disappointing compared to the previous year. I’m going to shock vote in favor of “Finding Neverland.” The performance by the entire cast is enjoyable and it has emotional appeal. “Sideways” and “Ray” were not half bad as well.

2005: I think too many people gave too much credit to “Crash” and “Brokeback Mountain” that year. Both were well done from a movie critic point of view, but my eyes were drawn to “Good Night, and Good Luck,” even above “Munich.” I seriously think it did not get the attention it deserved.

2006: This was not a bad year for movies. I was stuck between “The Departed” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” I have to say “Little Miss Sunshine” was better. It gives perfectly diverse characters with their own small stories, yet it ties the stories together in a way I liked better than “The Departed.”

2007: An astounding year for movies. I was torn among “No Country for Old Men,” “Juno,” “Michael Clayton,”"There Will Be Blood,” and “Persepolis.” The vote goes to “There Will Be Blood.” Even where “No Country for Old Men” was groundbreaking for the decade in that it left out music while still keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, I thought “There Will Be Blood” was better in the story part. All the movies that year were excellent (except for Ratatouille and Surf’s Up, which were good, but not exceptional in my opinion.)

2008: This was another great year for movies. I choose like the awards that year and give my top TWO movies to “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Wall-E.” The first (which I must say is not a minority movie like one of my friends says) is very interesting and different. “Wall-E” was just flat out amazing (which is not uncommon for Pixar)

2009: So far, I give this to “Invictus.” This is open to change however. I have not “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” yet, along with some others I should see. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT AVATAR! It was okay at best, but it let the special effects get in the way of making a quality movie. We’ll see.

2010: We’ll see about this upcoming year.

You can let me know some of your favorites if you like. Let me know what you think.

Grace and Peace.

 

Christmas 2009

I started really thinking about Christmas for a little while. I couldn’t help but really pour into reflection on this holiday. I would like to really point out some points about the Christ child and how we should perceive Him. I will start with the Child.

Jesus was born a Jew. I think I should get that out of the way. I can’t help but be sad when people treat the term “happy holidays” as a war on Christmas. The first thing we should see is that logically, it includes Christmas. Secondly, since Christ was a Jew, he celebrated holidays like Hanukkah. Maybe we should be kinder. Instead of seeking how to make Christianity’s Christmas exclusive in America, maybe we should focus on our celebration and honoring the Christ and realizing “Emanuel” (“God with us”). We are the ones who know that Christ is Lord. Since the star appeared overhead (my comrade Benji has said some interesting stuff on his weblog concerning the political nature of the star) we have seen that Christ actually challenges all governments of the world and makes himself Lord of the Church and the followers of God. So let’s focus when as we celebrate Christmas. Are you adamant about the sanctity or worshiping God or the sanctity of being right? It’s your choice.

I also recall also that Christ came into a time of troubled thoughts on the coming of the King. Everyone thought God would send His servant to enter in and conquer. They also that God would literally sent enthroned on Mount Zion. Christ did not defy that in some ways, but he fulfilled promise differently than most specified at His time. I challenge people to start thinking eschatology as they enter into Christmas. This isn’t just about the first coming, though we look back at something that has already happened. It is also about a future coming when God will rule on an entirely new level that is fuller than He rules now. (One of my comrades named Chad also comments on this idea). I hope you consider this as you enter celebrating what has already happened. Let the Spirit exist on you in hope as well as faith and love. One of my professors, Dr. Mulholland, said it perfectly when he said, “Revelation looks back on what Daniel looks forward too.” Daniel looks forward to what we know as the first advent (Christ’s birth so long ago). But what Revelation adds is something of a return as we enter a ultimate time of peace that will end the strife of the current age.

I then challenge you with a new idea. Most of you will celebrate with family. You will buy things over the holidays. I challenge you to buy in such a way that brings honor and dignity to those who produce your gifts and feasts. All the prophets, Christ, and the early Fathers would have said that. This can be a form of ministry. I say that to know financial well being in the basic sense of survival is one step closer to experiencing God in this world. When Christ returns, all the troubles of desiring survival in the midst of the possibility of not surviving will be eradicated and we will ALL HAVE ENOUGH!!! I challenge you to read the beginning of Luke and Matthew and then to read the last two chapters of Revelation. As an old commercial once said, “Something’s Up.”

 

Finally, a Post.

So I haven’t posted in a good long while. Sorry about that. You’ll be amazed how busy you get sometimes. It’s called prioritizing. Anyways, I have been processing a few things here and there, so I’ll just share those things with you.

I am still very aware of the slavery issue. You would be surprised how rampant it is even in the U.S. I found this sight which labels reports of slavery across the world. The funny thing is that slavery is illegal here. If these are the reported incidents of slavery in our country, how many have NOT been reported. Just a thought and a way for you to be informed.

Another thing is my thoughts on the Word of God. I am still in the middle of processing this, so no one needs to get there panties in a bind yet. So many people say the “Word of God” and immediately hold up the Holy Writ. I can’t help but question this. The Word of God is so much more in scripture. In creation, God speaks his Word of power. Through the prophets he speaks Word of instruction. Even in John, the Word is the Christ. It makes you think. Now, granted, I still am quite conservative in viewing the Bible as final and a great way to judge our callings and actions, but I think that there is something crazy going on when Scripture uses “Word of God” or “the Lord says.” The sometimes do not refer themselves as the Word of God, but record the Word of God. It’s weird. Since we are not really under the Old Covenant there is something strange in this term, but since even Paul says that the Scriptures (the Old Testament in his mind) is good for the community of God even after Christ’s death, I think it’s still good to refer to the Bible as the Word of God, or at least the recording of God’s Word.

Also, I am still struggling with the idea of missions. I could uses prayer for this one. I have many ideas on how to go about this, but I am still trying to see how this flower is blossoming. Only time will tell, and only the Spirit can take to where it needs me.

Anyways, that is the update. I hope you guys have enjoyed the Thanksgiving holidays, unless you are from a place that does not celebrate that holiday, in which case, I wish you the Spirit’s gifts as you live out the Spirit’s fruits.

Grace and peace to you all.

 

Thoughts on gifts and fruit of the Spirit

I can’t help but be drawn to the charismatic/evangelical movement at times. I understand that side of Christianity has made its share of mistakes, but I am overjoyed to know them. In case you wonder, not all of them are the crazy people you might think they are. I was listening in my class studying Galatians, where my professor, Dr. Witherington, mentioned the fruit as opposed to the gifts, and I got to preview Gordon Fee’s Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God. He mentions the idea of gifts and how he thinks the idea is portrayed in 1 Corinthians.

I really enjoyed Fee in that he stated that the “gifts” or “manifestations” are not a systematic listing at all and does not cover every base. I can’t help but cringe at the idea of a spiritual gifts assessment (this is more general evangelical as I do not want to put this on the Charismatics) in that most of them are limited and some do not allow for these things to be manifestations of God’s Spirit to His people. It’s hard to define a list of gifts because the lists in the letters are never exactly alike. It must be known that God does not always work in the same way and that he might shell shock our preconceptions of how God gives gifts to His people through His Spirit. Needless to say, Paul would be confused.

Realize that it is not about us having a gift as if it is our own…

but that. supernaturally, it is about God showing us that He is here…

IN POWER…

BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGININGS!!!

We get prepared to live out the future reality in this present age.

The other thing to remember is that Galatians 5 shows us the fruit of the Spirit and not the gifts. There is a distinct difference. The gifts are what are given to encourage and prepare us, but the fruit is what is produced by the presence of the Spirit. Paul’s community ethic under the Spirit would have put so much emphasis on the fruit and the gifts have to be secondary and subject to the existence of the fruit. Read the difference. Where one is about the supernatural happenings and the things that are given in affirmation, the fruit is about the life of the community, which is what the letters of Paul are quite repetitive about.

If we forget the fruits of bringing true blessings of God’s love to the community, then the gifts will not matter. “If I do not have love, I am just a clanging cymbal.”

I heard a story once of a woman who led in a ministry. Many were blessed by her musical gifts and she loved what she was doing. She was married to a man, but happened to find romance with another man who was not her husband. She asked her pastor, “Would this require me to give up my musical gifts in this ministry?” The pastor replied with compassion, “Daughter, it is not your gifts that are in question, but your character that is in jeopardy.”

Remember to tend to the fruit (your character) and the gifts will be given to you. And be ready if you live this out. God may give  you a gift that was never in your community before.

And to close, all are gifted.

I say that again with greater emphasis added…

ALL are TRULY gifted BY GOD’S SPIRIT.

Grace and peace to you all.