Archive for February, 2010

23
Feb

Harden Hearts?

By Chris 0 Comments
Categories: Church Plant and Faith

For the New Year and reinforced for Lent, I’ve challenged myself to be a person who listens to the Spirit.  That’s sounds corny, but since we began our lifestyle of living on mission as believers, leading a community of believers in homes, and be intentional in making disciples; I’ve found there is no one to tell me what to do (comical, right!).  We have become much more dependent on God to show us.  I understand more clearly why Jesus’ response was to be at his Father’s business (John 4.34). One most be consistently listening and yielding to God.

I share this because as of recently I’ve understood why God “hardened” the heart of leaders in scripture.  I once questioned why God would someone to make the wrong choice?  Why would He cause someone to choice destruction over peace?  For me I imagined that Pharaoh became more stubborn, resisting God’s will.   But what really happened was much more profound than increased stubbornness.

There are a few Biblical accounts where the Hebrew word “Hazak” is used such as with Pharaoh (Exodus 14.4) and the Canaanite leadership (Joshua 11.20).  This word doesn’t mean harden, which implies increased stubbornness. It means bold, strong, strengthen.  So God actually moved in Pharaoh’s heart in such a way that he became exceeding bold, one might say foolishly bold and aggressive.  Same story during the conquest of the land of Israel under the leadership of Joshua, God “hardened” the hearts of the Canaanites so that they would be destroyed.  Not even one city made peace with the Israelites that day they became foolishly aggressive in opposing Isreal.

So you may be asking how being lead of the Spirit and God hardening one’s heart relate?  To begin it’s recognizing God’s sovereignty and willingness to exercise that sovereignty to accomplish His purpose.  Normally we view sovereignty as above or superior to all others, chief, greatest, supreme dominion or power, you get the point.  But because His sovereign He is complete and inter-connected.  God in every aspect of His Spirit is complete and connected to our life, so when God emboldens and strengthens one’s heart He is not removing the decision from them but giving them self-confidence.  So instead of hesitating to witness God before them, they heed to the false self-sufficiency (Mark 8.17-18).

God’s activities are hidden except to the most discerning, but we often are haphazard in our faith viewing God one dimensional, when He delicately guiding our world to accomplish His purpose (1 Cor 2.16).  Sometimes is easier to be “foolishly aggressive,” at least it was for Pharaoh, than purposeful in being submissive to God’s purpose.  I think Jesus had it right: Do His will(John 6.38), pray His way (Matt 6.9,10), and suffer for his name (Luke 22.42).  Because the end game is clear, only those who do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 7.21) and the will of the Father is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life (John 6.40).

May God not found need to “harden” your heart because you live in step with His Spirit.

17
Feb

Pentecostal Alternative

By Chris 4 Comments
Categories: Faith, Politics and Random

As I begin to write this blog I realize I may get some criticism.  And I don’t wish to cause issue with anyone I’m simply using this space to voice what is playing out in my heart.  My heart is deeply committed to Christ and this assurance has played out extremely Pentecostal (if that means I believe in speaking in tongues).  I believe there are many gifts of the Spirit, but my Christian life has grown in the shadow of charismatic movements and I’ve associated myself with these movements.

I still deeply believe in the Pentecostal view in regard to the Christian faith, because its view of the gifts is to empower believers to be a witness in the world.  I genuinely believe this is the purpose of the empowering Spirit, to be Christ witness.  I’m convinced all the gifts of the Spirit are meant to bring people (body of Christ) closer to Him and outward to others.  The purpose of the gifts is to be agents of change – ushers of the Kingdom of God.  So I think less about the initial physical evidence of tongues as the sign of the Holy Spirit and more of what gifts the mission calls for.

Please understand me.  I have a prayer language and believe it is uniquely from God.  But if I view the language like a walkie-talkie, but never leave home base, then it’s just a two-way radio between me and God.  I view that a little egocentric.  I agree there is much evidence for the initial evidence, but there’s more evidence for suffering.  Maybe we should view the evidence of the Holy Spirit by the amount of suffering one undergoes beginning the day one confessions their faith, because to undergo suffering one would have to be on mission with Christ. And I’m not talking about suffering because you speak in tongues, stump your toe or your guitar string broke.  Biblical suffering: rejected by family, discriminated for faith, unwanted for your commitment to Christ, abandoned because you live so radical that your spouse can’t remain with you.

Just so we’re all clear.  I believe the greater gift is the mission of Christ.  Jesus’ life, message, and prayer (Matt 9.10) was the ushering in of the Kingdom of God (Matt 13.41; Luke 22.30; Rev 1.9; 2 Tim 4.1; Eph 5.5; Rev 11.15).  When we come to faith and obedience we turn to God and become part of this kingdom and its operation. And I desire to be apart of this kingdom. The true power it not in the gifts, but in the kingdom and manifested in the Cross, the Resurrection, and the Ascension, and passed on to all who follow Christ.  We continue the ministry of Jesus as the Church.

This power is not limited to any denomination, institution, buildings, or particular politic but is best understood through imagery such as salt and light (Matt 5.13, 14), concern for the needy (James 1.27, 2.16) and the oppressed (James 5.4-6), the opportunity to influence society, by denouncing unjust laws (Isaiah 10.1, 2) and seeking justice and goodness (Micah 6.8; Amos 5.14, 15).

I’m not denouncing my roots, I’m announcing the kingdom.  I want to be apart of the Kingdom of God that radically changes human personality and life, not just private life.  Through people who recognize its authority and live by its standards, the Kingdom of God invades the stream of history.  That is the kind of kingdom I desire to embrace and participate in and I believe the early Christians agree with me.