When I came to the Lord in 1973 eschatology was a popular subject. Many got into the esoteric symbology of Revelations. Many taught the soon return of the Lord. Many of us made decisions based on the immenant return of the Lord.
It was about 1975 that I was shown some truths that led me to conclude that the pre-trib rapture doctrine was just another doctrine of men and not biblical. After testing many other eschatological views I have come to the preterist view. I find many merits in this view as I will post in a series of posts.
The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is most misunderstood today, and I think is being falsely taught.
Consider this article regarding the time indicators of this prophecy.
This book of prophecy is filled with symbols and allusions that for many are hard to understand. The depth and quantity of these symbols causes many to mis-interpret them and twist them so that the original meaning is lost on the modern reader.
It is my goal to try to make this book easy to understand.This last book of the Bible, and as far as we can determine the last book of the canon of scripture that was penned in the first century AD, is based on earlier prophecies. Many of the symbols are repeats of earlier prophetic symbols, such as the prophecies and interpretations of dreams by Daniel, and the Olivet Discource by Jesus. To understand some of the symbols we must look to these earlier prophecies. Other allusions are to contemporary history and events from the time of the writing of this book. Having a knowledge of those times will shed much light on the meaning of much of this book of prophecy.
I'd like to start with a very misunderstood aspect of this prophecy, the time frame. It has become clear to me the more I study and consider the prophecies of the end times, or eschatology (from the Greek term, meaning last things), that these prophecies were fulfilled in first century AD.
The time indicators of Revelation predict a fulfillment of this prophecy in a short time from when it was penned, and we do find the fulfilling event with in a few short years of when this prophecy was penned. This prophecy was penned about 60AD and the fulfilling event took place from 63-70AD.There are four very clear time indicators in the book of Revelation, that set the fulfillment of this prophecy in a near time frame.
In the first chapter we find;
Revelation 1:1-3 (NIV)
"1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
This opening statement contains two time indicators, "what must soon take place" and "the time is near". These set the time stage for the fulfillment of this prophecy and gives the reason for this book. Jesus wished to warn and prepare the saints for what was to happen to them in the near future. Based on these two time indicators the following word of prophecy is about events that will occur in the short future of when this book was written.
Next note who this book is written to, "4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia". This book was written by John addressed to seven churches in Asia in his day. This book was not like the book of Daniel that was sealed until the end times. No, this book of prophecy was written to John's contemporaries because the events prophecied would be taking place in their day, not some future time period as was true for Daniel.
To understand this book we must try to understand it from the reference point of those to whom it was addressed, the seven churches of Asia in the time of John, or the 60s AD. Looking at the history of that time, will inform us of what this prophecy means. The history of that time period will show us the fulfilling events.
The end of this book again gives us a near time indicator,
Rev. 22:6-7
" "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
Jesus Is Coming 7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." ""...that must soon take place" and "I am coming soon!"
And the angel told John, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near." (Rev. 22:10 )
This is in contrast to the word given to Daniel, to " 4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end." (Daniel 12:4)
This book of prophecy has time indicators that are like the book covers of a book. They show when this prophecy was to be fulfilled. They all clearly show that the time of the fulfillment was to be in the near future from the writing of this book, and not in some distant future time as many today suppose.
To find the fulfilling events we must look at what is past history to us, but was future to the seven churches in Asia at the time of the writing of this book of prophecy. This book of prophecy is congruent with another word of prophecy given by Jesus earlier to his disciples upon the mount of Olives. By looking at these two we can find the historic events that fulfill these prophecies.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Accountability and Submission
Accountability and Submission.
by Kent Secor
Two words in the English language that most Americans take great umbrages with are accountability and submission. Americans take a strong stand on their individuality and freedom to make up their own mind, as well as communicate their own opinion to other citizens in open debate. Many ideas can be debated for decades with no clear resolution, dividing many into differing parties of opinion, each resolute that they are right and the others are wrong.
Within the church these term of accountability and submission are used to call the membership into conformity with the leadership and denomination. And the same party division takes place as in the general American society. We have divisions set up along denominational party lines with each one resolute in their opinions.
These terms have been historically used also to establish and support of monarchical and autocratic forms of government. The king, lord or nobleman was taught as being ordained by God and therefor due submission to. Obedience to their rule was to be unquestioned, no matter how good or bad the ruler was. To disobey God's ordained rulers was considered sin as well as treason.
In the church we have this same God ordained doctrine towards church leadership. Many see their leader or teacher as God's anointed and we are commanded to "not touch God's anointed". They are seen as above reproach, judgment or criticism. They are considered to be spiritual superior, intellectually superior and morally superior.
Many recent public reports in the media has underscored the fact that church leaders are not superior by reason of their position. They fail and fall into sin the same as any other believer. This calls into serious question the doctrine of divine ordaination of leadership in the church. It begs the question of the superiority of leaders in the church. Are pastors, priests, reverends divinly superior or are they simple brethren who serve in a leadership function? This also begs the question regarding the clergy and laity division we find in most denominational doctrine. Is this division right? Being good fundamentalists we must ask is this division biblical? Being good Americans we must ask does this place an undue, unjust and incorrect restraint on our freedom in Christ?
I hold that the normal church doctrine of the clergy's divine right to leadership and the laity's accountability and submission to that leadership to be non-biblical at its very roots. I see it rooted in culture and civil government, and not biblical.
I hold that the only accountability that is biblical is the believer's and assembly's accountability to the Lord Jesus Christ, as God's divinely ordained head of the ekklesia. That this headship was bought at great price by Jesus' sacficial death for the sins of all men in exact obedience to the Father's will.
I hold that biblical submission in the assembly is to be equal and a matter of the loving servant relationship between the two parties and not a matter of position in a church organization.
I see relationship as the basis for assembly submission and accountability. The model for the assembly I find in the New Testament is one of an extended family. Biblically we see the family as the first God ordained institution. God created Adam and Eve, commanded them to be "fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth." This command ordained family as the basic institution from the beginning of mankind. (Genesis 1:28)
God's Ordained Model: The Family
Within the local family unit of father, mother and children there is a natural, organic submission. The father and mother were first husband and wife. They married to join together their two lives into a common life. Their love for each other causes them to submit them selves to each other. They form a relationship of give and take, serving each other. By this loving service to each other they build a depth of loving relationship with each other. In this relationship commands are not needed. If each is serving the other out of love a simple communication of need is addressed by the other as a opportunity for serving them.
The children are the outcome of the husband and wife's intimate love for each other. The children are raised with in the loving service relationship of the father and mother. They submit themselves to the father and mother at first out of the basic need for survival. A baby has no choice, he can not live on his own. With out the loving service of his parents, it would soon die of neglect and starvation. The new baby grows in love and submission to his parents. Taking their service and learning obedience to their directions and commands.
Don't touch the fire, make potty in the toilet are early commands he learns. As he grows he comes to understand the reasons for these commands. He learns to obey his parents and give back in service to the family by doing family chores. He learns to serve others, by serving his parents and any other siblings. Eventually he grows into adulthood to find a wife and start a family of his own.
Within the father, mother and children relationship we see submission and accountability taking place. It is founded on love for each other and service to each other. They both give and receive loving service from each other. We all know examples of families that do not operate in love, that do not have deep loving and serving relationships. We call them disfunctional families and hold them up to judgment, scorn and ridicule in our popular plays and television shows. Consider the long run American sitcom "Married with Children" in which the parents are in a relationship of dependency rather than loving service to each other. The children are rebellious and seeking their own ways, rather than seeking to serve the other members of the family.
Thankfully this is not the true norm of our societies. Though it is the norm that we find in public media. As in most cases bad news is good news, and that is what we find prevelant in our news media and represented on many of todays tv shows. Gone are the days when shows like "Daddy knows best", "Leave it to Beaver" and "Ozzy and Harriet Nelson" get center stage.
Now its Ozzie Ozbourne and clan that gets tv shows. Shows like "Two men" and "Grace" which show men and women following after shallow relationships outside of any context of real loving service in a marriage.
God's Model for the Assembly
The ekklesia or assembly of God in Christ Jesus is often referred to as a family in the New Testament scriptures. Relationship is the heart of the assembly. Jesus taught that there is no master, no teacher other than himself. That we all are to be servants of each other ruled by the command to love one another in the same manner that he loved while on the earth. Christ's love led him to sacrifice himself on the cross for the sins of those he loved. His life and sacrifice are the example of our own love and service to one another in the assembly.
Paul said that he felt like the father of the assembly, preparing his daughter to be the bride for an upcoming marriage. Paul functioned in many ways as a spiritual father to the assemblies he formed and planted. In his letters we see the loving council of a father to his children. He rebukes them, he calls them to remember the lessons he taught them in their infacy. He gives himself as an example, calling them to remember his life among them. On the basis of his relationship with them, he continues to instruct them in the way of adult mature life in Christ.
Paul taught that we have one lord, one master and one God. He taught that Christ alone is our head. His instruction to elders in the assemblies was to be a model of Christ, and to protect the assemblies from the wolves in sheep's clothing.
Elders among the assembly, not over them.
The form of leadership we see expressed in the NT is one similar to the family. In the family we have the father and mother in a loving servant relationship, raising children to follow their example. In the NT assembly we see loving servant older mature believers, teaching the younger believers to model their lives in Christ. Out of this loving elder service, the younger believers learn in real and practical ways, what it means to follow Christ. They see how their elders do it, and mimic their actions. Just as little children mimic their parents and learn how to perform the functions of life, so too do the youngers learn from the elders in the NT assembly.
The elders are not over the assembly in some kind of superior way, but among the assembly. The overall rule is that all are to submit to one another out of love for each other. This puts all on an equal level with each other. All are to submit themselves to Christ as the only head of the assembly. In this mutual submission the elders are to be a model of loving service to the others. Their lives should model how to submit themselves to God, and how to live in loving service to the others. By their deeds and words they should model love and service.
If their lives demonstrate the love and sevice of Christ, then their teaching will have the weight of truth and yes, authority because their lives show it to be true. The youngers will submit to their authority because they see the elders are about loving and serving them. To the degree of love and service, to the degree of relationship the youngers will submit themselves to the elders.
Within this loving service to one another, the elders will only need to express their opinions and the youngers out of their love for their elders will consider the elders opinion with more weight than that of others.
There will be no need for statements of adherence or obedience. No need to sign covenant agreements with a leadership. No need for the leadership to claim divine right, or command submission to their assumed authority. These are only necessary when there is no depth of relationship between elders and youngers.
Accountability
As with submission, accountability comes with relationship. Submission is directly addressed in the NT, but accountability is not directly addressed. Accountability is assumed in modern doctrine. It is assumed to be a natural part of submission of the laity to the clergy.
Accountability means that one is accountable to another for their actions and words. We can clearly see in scripture that all men are accountable to their creator. God made us, he has instructed us how he wants us to live, and we are accountable to his judgment of us during our lives and at the end in a final judgment of how we lived our lives. Jesus taught that every idle word would be judged.
The Holy Spirit is God's agency of accountability. Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit is in this world to convict men of sin and convince them of right living and the judgment of God to come. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts of our sin and draws us to the Lord who purchased forgiveness of sin by his atonement work. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to become sons of God, living and growing in Christ's resurrection power and grace. It is the Holy Spirit that calls us to live lives that will earn us a "well done, my good and faithful servant" at the judgment seat of Christ at the end of our days.
We all are accountable to God during our lives and at the end of them.
Within the assembly our mutual submission and the submission of youngers to elders calls us to greater accountability to God. We are only accountable to each other in the context of any commitments we make to each other. We are not generally accountable in all areas of our lives to each other. To say we are generally accountable would imply that we belong or are owned by some other.
In the same way that submission is voluntary and based on loving service to one anther, so too must be accountability. It can not be commanded or coericed. It can not be demanded. It must be given.
If I say on Saturday I will come over and serve you in some way, than by reason of my committment to you, I am accountable to follow through. But you have no reason to demand me be accountable to you to come and serve you. Accountability is associated with obedience. If you have the right to command me to obey you, then I am accountable to you.
An employer has a limited right in the scope of the job requirements to command his employees. That is the funciton of supervision. As your employer I need a certain job performed, and I command you, my employee to perform the required work and complete that job. You as my employee are accountable to me to complete that job. But you are not accountable to me outside the scope of that job. I can not command you to live the way I want you to, outside the job.
Accountability is tied to function. Submission is tied to relationship. In the job example, an employee submits himself to the employer and is accountable to perform his work in accordance to the commands of the employer. This accountability lasts for the term of employment under that employer.
Most churches today use a corporation or business model for their organzation. So the submission and accountablity model they use is that of employer and employee. Under most denominations doctrines you are called to submit to the management representatives with obedience. The clergies are to be obeyed by the laity. The clergy management employers command the laity emmployees in their church work.
Conclusion
This was not the NT model, and not how the NT assemblies functioned. Submission was a far different thing than what we find in most of our modern denominations today. The NT model was one of an extended family based on loving service to one another, with all being equally submitted to the only head, Jesus Christ.
by Kent Secor
Two words in the English language that most Americans take great umbrages with are accountability and submission. Americans take a strong stand on their individuality and freedom to make up their own mind, as well as communicate their own opinion to other citizens in open debate. Many ideas can be debated for decades with no clear resolution, dividing many into differing parties of opinion, each resolute that they are right and the others are wrong.
Within the church these term of accountability and submission are used to call the membership into conformity with the leadership and denomination. And the same party division takes place as in the general American society. We have divisions set up along denominational party lines with each one resolute in their opinions.
These terms have been historically used also to establish and support of monarchical and autocratic forms of government. The king, lord or nobleman was taught as being ordained by God and therefor due submission to. Obedience to their rule was to be unquestioned, no matter how good or bad the ruler was. To disobey God's ordained rulers was considered sin as well as treason.
In the church we have this same God ordained doctrine towards church leadership. Many see their leader or teacher as God's anointed and we are commanded to "not touch God's anointed". They are seen as above reproach, judgment or criticism. They are considered to be spiritual superior, intellectually superior and morally superior.
Many recent public reports in the media has underscored the fact that church leaders are not superior by reason of their position. They fail and fall into sin the same as any other believer. This calls into serious question the doctrine of divine ordaination of leadership in the church. It begs the question of the superiority of leaders in the church. Are pastors, priests, reverends divinly superior or are they simple brethren who serve in a leadership function? This also begs the question regarding the clergy and laity division we find in most denominational doctrine. Is this division right? Being good fundamentalists we must ask is this division biblical? Being good Americans we must ask does this place an undue, unjust and incorrect restraint on our freedom in Christ?
I hold that the normal church doctrine of the clergy's divine right to leadership and the laity's accountability and submission to that leadership to be non-biblical at its very roots. I see it rooted in culture and civil government, and not biblical.
I hold that the only accountability that is biblical is the believer's and assembly's accountability to the Lord Jesus Christ, as God's divinely ordained head of the ekklesia. That this headship was bought at great price by Jesus' sacficial death for the sins of all men in exact obedience to the Father's will.
I hold that biblical submission in the assembly is to be equal and a matter of the loving servant relationship between the two parties and not a matter of position in a church organization.
I see relationship as the basis for assembly submission and accountability. The model for the assembly I find in the New Testament is one of an extended family. Biblically we see the family as the first God ordained institution. God created Adam and Eve, commanded them to be "fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth." This command ordained family as the basic institution from the beginning of mankind. (Genesis 1:28)
God's Ordained Model: The Family
Within the local family unit of father, mother and children there is a natural, organic submission. The father and mother were first husband and wife. They married to join together their two lives into a common life. Their love for each other causes them to submit them selves to each other. They form a relationship of give and take, serving each other. By this loving service to each other they build a depth of loving relationship with each other. In this relationship commands are not needed. If each is serving the other out of love a simple communication of need is addressed by the other as a opportunity for serving them.
The children are the outcome of the husband and wife's intimate love for each other. The children are raised with in the loving service relationship of the father and mother. They submit themselves to the father and mother at first out of the basic need for survival. A baby has no choice, he can not live on his own. With out the loving service of his parents, it would soon die of neglect and starvation. The new baby grows in love and submission to his parents. Taking their service and learning obedience to their directions and commands.
Don't touch the fire, make potty in the toilet are early commands he learns. As he grows he comes to understand the reasons for these commands. He learns to obey his parents and give back in service to the family by doing family chores. He learns to serve others, by serving his parents and any other siblings. Eventually he grows into adulthood to find a wife and start a family of his own.
Within the father, mother and children relationship we see submission and accountability taking place. It is founded on love for each other and service to each other. They both give and receive loving service from each other. We all know examples of families that do not operate in love, that do not have deep loving and serving relationships. We call them disfunctional families and hold them up to judgment, scorn and ridicule in our popular plays and television shows. Consider the long run American sitcom "Married with Children" in which the parents are in a relationship of dependency rather than loving service to each other. The children are rebellious and seeking their own ways, rather than seeking to serve the other members of the family.
Thankfully this is not the true norm of our societies. Though it is the norm that we find in public media. As in most cases bad news is good news, and that is what we find prevelant in our news media and represented on many of todays tv shows. Gone are the days when shows like "Daddy knows best", "Leave it to Beaver" and "Ozzy and Harriet Nelson" get center stage.
Now its Ozzie Ozbourne and clan that gets tv shows. Shows like "Two men" and "Grace" which show men and women following after shallow relationships outside of any context of real loving service in a marriage.
God's Model for the Assembly
The ekklesia or assembly of God in Christ Jesus is often referred to as a family in the New Testament scriptures. Relationship is the heart of the assembly. Jesus taught that there is no master, no teacher other than himself. That we all are to be servants of each other ruled by the command to love one another in the same manner that he loved while on the earth. Christ's love led him to sacrifice himself on the cross for the sins of those he loved. His life and sacrifice are the example of our own love and service to one another in the assembly.
Paul said that he felt like the father of the assembly, preparing his daughter to be the bride for an upcoming marriage. Paul functioned in many ways as a spiritual father to the assemblies he formed and planted. In his letters we see the loving council of a father to his children. He rebukes them, he calls them to remember the lessons he taught them in their infacy. He gives himself as an example, calling them to remember his life among them. On the basis of his relationship with them, he continues to instruct them in the way of adult mature life in Christ.
Paul taught that we have one lord, one master and one God. He taught that Christ alone is our head. His instruction to elders in the assemblies was to be a model of Christ, and to protect the assemblies from the wolves in sheep's clothing.
Elders among the assembly, not over them.
The form of leadership we see expressed in the NT is one similar to the family. In the family we have the father and mother in a loving servant relationship, raising children to follow their example. In the NT assembly we see loving servant older mature believers, teaching the younger believers to model their lives in Christ. Out of this loving elder service, the younger believers learn in real and practical ways, what it means to follow Christ. They see how their elders do it, and mimic their actions. Just as little children mimic their parents and learn how to perform the functions of life, so too do the youngers learn from the elders in the NT assembly.
The elders are not over the assembly in some kind of superior way, but among the assembly. The overall rule is that all are to submit to one another out of love for each other. This puts all on an equal level with each other. All are to submit themselves to Christ as the only head of the assembly. In this mutual submission the elders are to be a model of loving service to the others. Their lives should model how to submit themselves to God, and how to live in loving service to the others. By their deeds and words they should model love and service.
If their lives demonstrate the love and sevice of Christ, then their teaching will have the weight of truth and yes, authority because their lives show it to be true. The youngers will submit to their authority because they see the elders are about loving and serving them. To the degree of love and service, to the degree of relationship the youngers will submit themselves to the elders.
Within this loving service to one another, the elders will only need to express their opinions and the youngers out of their love for their elders will consider the elders opinion with more weight than that of others.
There will be no need for statements of adherence or obedience. No need to sign covenant agreements with a leadership. No need for the leadership to claim divine right, or command submission to their assumed authority. These are only necessary when there is no depth of relationship between elders and youngers.
Accountability
As with submission, accountability comes with relationship. Submission is directly addressed in the NT, but accountability is not directly addressed. Accountability is assumed in modern doctrine. It is assumed to be a natural part of submission of the laity to the clergy.
Accountability means that one is accountable to another for their actions and words. We can clearly see in scripture that all men are accountable to their creator. God made us, he has instructed us how he wants us to live, and we are accountable to his judgment of us during our lives and at the end in a final judgment of how we lived our lives. Jesus taught that every idle word would be judged.
The Holy Spirit is God's agency of accountability. Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit is in this world to convict men of sin and convince them of right living and the judgment of God to come. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts of our sin and draws us to the Lord who purchased forgiveness of sin by his atonement work. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to become sons of God, living and growing in Christ's resurrection power and grace. It is the Holy Spirit that calls us to live lives that will earn us a "well done, my good and faithful servant" at the judgment seat of Christ at the end of our days.
We all are accountable to God during our lives and at the end of them.
Within the assembly our mutual submission and the submission of youngers to elders calls us to greater accountability to God. We are only accountable to each other in the context of any commitments we make to each other. We are not generally accountable in all areas of our lives to each other. To say we are generally accountable would imply that we belong or are owned by some other.
In the same way that submission is voluntary and based on loving service to one anther, so too must be accountability. It can not be commanded or coericed. It can not be demanded. It must be given.
If I say on Saturday I will come over and serve you in some way, than by reason of my committment to you, I am accountable to follow through. But you have no reason to demand me be accountable to you to come and serve you. Accountability is associated with obedience. If you have the right to command me to obey you, then I am accountable to you.
An employer has a limited right in the scope of the job requirements to command his employees. That is the funciton of supervision. As your employer I need a certain job performed, and I command you, my employee to perform the required work and complete that job. You as my employee are accountable to me to complete that job. But you are not accountable to me outside the scope of that job. I can not command you to live the way I want you to, outside the job.
Accountability is tied to function. Submission is tied to relationship. In the job example, an employee submits himself to the employer and is accountable to perform his work in accordance to the commands of the employer. This accountability lasts for the term of employment under that employer.
Most churches today use a corporation or business model for their organzation. So the submission and accountablity model they use is that of employer and employee. Under most denominations doctrines you are called to submit to the management representatives with obedience. The clergies are to be obeyed by the laity. The clergy management employers command the laity emmployees in their church work.
Conclusion
This was not the NT model, and not how the NT assemblies functioned. Submission was a far different thing than what we find in most of our modern denominations today. The NT model was one of an extended family based on loving service to one another, with all being equally submitted to the only head, Jesus Christ.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Denominations & Ordination: A Crock of Baloney?
Mike Morrell on his blog, Zoe Carnate posted an article titled,
My response to Mike is below.
>>>
Mike,
Thanks for the discussion. I find Tony's remarks interesting, and relevant to the present situation in Christian church society.
I also agree with you.
As one who has come out of the big box structure of church, I at first was very anti-anything that had to do with structure and organization. I find that many house church folk are in that very mode.
After 10 years or so in this mind set, or paradigm. I have come to the understanding that this life in Christ is nothing at all to do with one's chose method of gathering or meeting.
One of the things I have thought and spoken since I started on this HC part of my journey in Christ, is that it is not about HC. Now I add it is not about any form of church! And yet, it is all about the community of believers.
I too have come to a "and" view of church. To my present understanding, we are to be about building the body of Christ, building and advancing the kingdom of God and Christ. We are not to be about building our old and present denominational divisions and walls.
In some ways I appreciate Watchman Nee's idea of the local church, and not leaving one's locality to "attend church" in a different locality. Though in the past I took Nee's ideas to be too legalistic, I am starting to understand better what he was trying to communicate.
I see a fault in people seeking the "right church" or trying to find a church they fit into to. Most often people are not seeking the Lord or following his leading in their choices, instead they use some base idea of what church "should be" and seek one that meets their ideal.
Whether an ideal of liturgical practice, building structure, pastoral or teacher ability, doctrinal positions, denominational alignment, congregational services available, ...etc. People use many different criteria in choosing the "right church".
I believe that all these ideals miss the whole point of a fellowship of believers. I see the goal of a fellowship of believers is to be able to be involved in each other's lives, in real and practical ways. Daily as much as is possible in this busy world. (But then when has anyone's world not been busy?)
The goal should be to encourage one another, serve one another, bear up each other..and in all ways seek to fulfill the law of Christ, which is to love one another as he loved us.
With this base goal in mind as our ideal, I can see this happening in any historic church or communion. What I see happening in reality is that some churches and pastors get this, and try to implement it in their church. Others find that the "leaders" limit how far real community can take place, or church functions actually make it hard for the congregation to function fully as a community in some way. Hard to serve one another if all your time is devoted and consumed with keeping the machinery of the church organization working.
Many lose their lives in "church work" only to lose the soul of a believer's community. Some lose their own families, while "serving" at and for the Church.
I have found in house church, some of this reality of community. In our HC we still were driving across town to gather, and the distance between us did limit how often we could be with each other on a daily basis. Some weeks we only saw each other face to face at our meetings. Other weeks some of us might be involved together with other activities.
When a need arose we met it for each other, like an extended family would.
From my present view, I think we find the right ideal at work, in local neighborhood fellowships, whether in a historic type of church (IC) or one of the modern modes of HC or emerging church (EC).
I know of small town churches (one with a town population of 2,000) of the historic or IC type, that have the community ideal at work. The congregation has history together, many of them growing up in that town, and in that church body. Most know each other and each others family. They see each other outside the walls of the church building during the week. Many work for each other or with each other. They take care of each other when they are sick, bring over food, clean the house, harvest the back 40, and such. When there is a need someone takes care of it, without fanfare, it just gets taken care of.
This to me represents what can be good and right in a denominational IC setting.
So Mike I too have come to an "and" view of church. I'm not ready to accept lots of liturgy in my gatherings. But I can accept those who do, as equal brothers in Christ.
I think we need to spend our time encouraging what is right, more than criticizing all that is wrong with the church. Positive encouragement does a lot more in getting people to do the right thing (can we say orthoproxy?), then criticising them for all their wrong ways. When we criticise too much, people just get defensive, then the walls go up. They stop listening to us, and start to plan their defenses.
When we come to them with loving service, and speak gently words of encouragement, so as to spur them on to love and good deeds out of a pure heart. Just to do the next thing, the next step. At some point we find them walking besides us, less concerned with the historic church function and more concerned with expressing Christ with the other brethren in their locality, and after all isn't that one of our true goals? Not just being right (orthodox) but living right (orthoprox).
Matt 25:40 "As you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
Denominations & Ordination: A Crock of Baloney?
He is discussing a series of blogs by Tony Jones, who is discussing the idea of ordination in today's Church. He has some provacative ideas regarding ordination, it's worth reading.My response to Mike is below.
>>>
Mike,
Thanks for the discussion. I find Tony's remarks interesting, and relevant to the present situation in Christian church society.
I also agree with you.
As one who has come out of the big box structure of church, I at first was very anti-anything that had to do with structure and organization. I find that many house church folk are in that very mode.
After 10 years or so in this mind set, or paradigm. I have come to the understanding that this life in Christ is nothing at all to do with one's chose method of gathering or meeting.
One of the things I have thought and spoken since I started on this HC part of my journey in Christ, is that it is not about HC. Now I add it is not about any form of church! And yet, it is all about the community of believers.
I too have come to a "and" view of church. To my present understanding, we are to be about building the body of Christ, building and advancing the kingdom of God and Christ. We are not to be about building our old and present denominational divisions and walls.
In some ways I appreciate Watchman Nee's idea of the local church, and not leaving one's locality to "attend church" in a different locality. Though in the past I took Nee's ideas to be too legalistic, I am starting to understand better what he was trying to communicate.
I see a fault in people seeking the "right church" or trying to find a church they fit into to. Most often people are not seeking the Lord or following his leading in their choices, instead they use some base idea of what church "should be" and seek one that meets their ideal.
Whether an ideal of liturgical practice, building structure, pastoral or teacher ability, doctrinal positions, denominational alignment, congregational services available, ...etc. People use many different criteria in choosing the "right church".
I believe that all these ideals miss the whole point of a fellowship of believers. I see the goal of a fellowship of believers is to be able to be involved in each other's lives, in real and practical ways. Daily as much as is possible in this busy world. (But then when has anyone's world not been busy?)
The goal should be to encourage one another, serve one another, bear up each other..and in all ways seek to fulfill the law of Christ, which is to love one another as he loved us.
With this base goal in mind as our ideal, I can see this happening in any historic church or communion. What I see happening in reality is that some churches and pastors get this, and try to implement it in their church. Others find that the "leaders" limit how far real community can take place, or church functions actually make it hard for the congregation to function fully as a community in some way. Hard to serve one another if all your time is devoted and consumed with keeping the machinery of the church organization working.
Many lose their lives in "church work" only to lose the soul of a believer's community. Some lose their own families, while "serving" at and for the Church.
I have found in house church, some of this reality of community. In our HC we still were driving across town to gather, and the distance between us did limit how often we could be with each other on a daily basis. Some weeks we only saw each other face to face at our meetings. Other weeks some of us might be involved together with other activities.
When a need arose we met it for each other, like an extended family would.
From my present view, I think we find the right ideal at work, in local neighborhood fellowships, whether in a historic type of church (IC) or one of the modern modes of HC or emerging church (EC).
I know of small town churches (one with a town population of 2,000) of the historic or IC type, that have the community ideal at work. The congregation has history together, many of them growing up in that town, and in that church body. Most know each other and each others family. They see each other outside the walls of the church building during the week. Many work for each other or with each other. They take care of each other when they are sick, bring over food, clean the house, harvest the back 40, and such. When there is a need someone takes care of it, without fanfare, it just gets taken care of.
This to me represents what can be good and right in a denominational IC setting.
So Mike I too have come to an "and" view of church. I'm not ready to accept lots of liturgy in my gatherings. But I can accept those who do, as equal brothers in Christ.
I think we need to spend our time encouraging what is right, more than criticizing all that is wrong with the church. Positive encouragement does a lot more in getting people to do the right thing (can we say orthoproxy?), then criticising them for all their wrong ways. When we criticise too much, people just get defensive, then the walls go up. They stop listening to us, and start to plan their defenses.
When we come to them with loving service, and speak gently words of encouragement, so as to spur them on to love and good deeds out of a pure heart. Just to do the next thing, the next step. At some point we find them walking besides us, less concerned with the historic church function and more concerned with expressing Christ with the other brethren in their locality, and after all isn't that one of our true goals? Not just being right (orthodox) but living right (orthoprox).
Your fellow servant in Him,
Kent, IHMS
Kent, IHMS
in Cape Coral, FL
Matt 25:40 "As you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Great Eternal Romance, part 2
Brethren,
You who have been called according to His purposes, washed by the sanctifing water of his words, the words that speak to us of his great love. It is to you I write.
Consider that great love epic that is recorded in our scriptures. That work called the Song of Solomon. What a beautiful piece of erotic literature.
"What?" you ask, "Erotic literature in the Bible?"
"Yes," I answer, "Erotic literature in our Bible, God's Word."
We have a piece of most wonderful and unfilthy erotic literature in our Bible. And you trust your children with it and allow them to read it all they want to, don't you? The Song of Solomon has many erotic images in it. True, and pure images. Only the sinful and vulgar make of it something impure and vulgar.
I challenge you married couples to read it outloud to each other. Send the children off to grandma's or aunties house. Go into your bedroom, shut the door and husbands read the Solomons part, while looking your wife in her eyes. Think of her as Solomon thought of his new bride. Wives, read the bride's part and look into your husband's eyes and think of him as the bride did of Solomon. You will find the undefiled eroticism of this writing.
Now, I give you a mystery. This piece is about Christ and the church!
Think about that for a minute or two. Meditate upon it for a week or a month and you will see it!
Christ has the same passionate love for his bride as Solomon did for his. CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH, PASSIONATELY! I can't write that loud enough!
Christ loves the sight of her. Loves the sound of her voice. Loves the scent of her. Loves her body. Loves her soul. Loves her spirit.
Before you get away from me, realize that no one of us individually are the church. This is not about you and Jesus. It is about US and JESUS. It takes a group of us to express the bride of Christ. In any given locality, any given fellowship of believers, any given local church, you find the bride of Christ. And Jesus loves you passionately!
With all our problems, with all our faults, with all our rebellious ways. Jesus passionately loves the church!
He pursues her, her gifts her with so many great blessings, all to win her! He gave all, even to his very life's blood to win her. In fact his death, was a part of the bride price that Jesus to obtain his bride.
Jesus could not enter into the bridle chamber with his perfect bride, until that terrible price was paid. And he paid it most willingly. For the thought of the prize laid before him, he sacrificed his own life to redeem his bride, to purchase us for his own.
The beloved of God, His most precious son, gave his life to purchase a bride, a beloved for himself. CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH MOST PASSIONATELY!!!
That is the mystery of the ages. There is now no Jew, no Gentile. There is only the bride! Of two peoples God made one, one bride! One beloved!
Brethren let us now love one another, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her! Passionately! let us love one another. Preferring one another in love.... may the Lord bless you with peace and grace as you bask in the light of his great love!
You who have been called according to His purposes, washed by the sanctifing water of his words, the words that speak to us of his great love. It is to you I write.
Consider that great love epic that is recorded in our scriptures. That work called the Song of Solomon. What a beautiful piece of erotic literature.
"What?" you ask, "Erotic literature in the Bible?"
"Yes," I answer, "Erotic literature in our Bible, God's Word."
We have a piece of most wonderful and unfilthy erotic literature in our Bible. And you trust your children with it and allow them to read it all they want to, don't you? The Song of Solomon has many erotic images in it. True, and pure images. Only the sinful and vulgar make of it something impure and vulgar.
I challenge you married couples to read it outloud to each other. Send the children off to grandma's or aunties house. Go into your bedroom, shut the door and husbands read the Solomons part, while looking your wife in her eyes. Think of her as Solomon thought of his new bride. Wives, read the bride's part and look into your husband's eyes and think of him as the bride did of Solomon. You will find the undefiled eroticism of this writing.
Now, I give you a mystery. This piece is about Christ and the church!
Think about that for a minute or two. Meditate upon it for a week or a month and you will see it!
Christ has the same passionate love for his bride as Solomon did for his. CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH, PASSIONATELY! I can't write that loud enough!
Christ loves the sight of her. Loves the sound of her voice. Loves the scent of her. Loves her body. Loves her soul. Loves her spirit.
Before you get away from me, realize that no one of us individually are the church. This is not about you and Jesus. It is about US and JESUS. It takes a group of us to express the bride of Christ. In any given locality, any given fellowship of believers, any given local church, you find the bride of Christ. And Jesus loves you passionately!
With all our problems, with all our faults, with all our rebellious ways. Jesus passionately loves the church!
He pursues her, her gifts her with so many great blessings, all to win her! He gave all, even to his very life's blood to win her. In fact his death, was a part of the bride price that Jesus to obtain his bride.
Jesus could not enter into the bridle chamber with his perfect bride, until that terrible price was paid. And he paid it most willingly. For the thought of the prize laid before him, he sacrificed his own life to redeem his bride, to purchase us for his own.
The beloved of God, His most precious son, gave his life to purchase a bride, a beloved for himself. CHRIST LOVES THE CHURCH MOST PASSIONATELY!!!
That is the mystery of the ages. There is now no Jew, no Gentile. There is only the bride! Of two peoples God made one, one bride! One beloved!
Brethren let us now love one another, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her! Passionately! let us love one another. Preferring one another in love.... may the Lord bless you with peace and grace as you bask in the light of his great love!
The Great Eternal Romance
The Great Romance, an Eternal Story
By Kent Secor, with respects to Devern Fromke and Frank Viola and many others.
There has been a story that caught my attention for the first time about 30 some years ago. Though other ideas and stories have carried my attention away from time to time I keep getting drawn back to this one.
At times I could only catch a small window sized glimpse of it, other times it was as though someone opened the whole horizon to me. It is more breathtaking then the most beautful of sun rises or sun sets. More stunning then the most gorgeous of brides. More precious then the most precious of babies.
It begins in eternity past. If eternity can have a past, being a state of being without any measure of time. But for our story it was in eternity past.
There is only one being there, God, who would reveal himself to a man of a nation as I who AM!
God was alone with himself. But not alone, for he had a beloved with him. Yet God was alone and desired a mate. God at the core of his being is a lover, so much so that it is truth to say that God is love itself. As the great eternal lover he had a desire, one to love. God is the beloved, and as the beloved desired with the greatest depth of passion the lover.
Now we spring forward. Time now is. Time a part of the creation that God created for the express purpose of placing his loved one in.
We see a garden, we see God creating the first man, Adam. Adam made in the image of God the beloved. Adam made to love God and another. God places man, Adam into the perfect garden he created in the perfect world he created.
Adam sees all the animals that God created. God calls them all to pass before the king of the world, and asks Adam to name them. Each pair of animals passes before God and Adam. Adam names each one, and sees that each one has a mate. He comes to know that he alone of all the creatures of creation is alone. He has no "other" to know, to love.
God sees that Adam knows, and tells Adam, "It is not good for you, man, to be alone." God places Adam into a great sleep, opens up his side, removes a rib, and from that rib fashions Adam a mate. This first woman is also Adam. Together they form the first man, "male and female created He (God) them, and He called them Adam."
The first created lover, has his beloved. She is bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. He is completely enraptured with her. His full desire is for her alone. He has no eyes for any other, for there is no other to look at. And if there were and when there will be, he still will want her and her alone.
She is the crowning acheivement of all of God's creation. Last made and most beautiful of all. Next to Adam, the perfect created man, she shines like a jewel. She is Adam's glory, shining forth with grace and beauty. Truth, intelligence, love, beauty, all are hers. And she is completely enraptured and in love with her mate, Adam. She has only eyes for him
They drink in each other. They smell each other. They taste each other and experience each other in the deepest depths of passion.
And God looked upon them and said "IT IS GOOD"!
I tell you a mystery brethren, I speak here not about man and wife, but about Christ and the church.
Christ is the second Adam. He came into the world to redeem his bride. To set her free, to empower her to be his bride. And his bride is radiant to him. To him his bride is worth his everything, even his own life. That is the bride price that Christ paid, even his own blood.
Brethren, we are that bride. You are a member of her, if you belong to Christ and not just some religious organization. And he is totally, deeply, passionately in love with us all.
The Great Eternal Romance was all about God giving his beloved Son a bride. He is still forming that bride. Each new believer helps to form her.
More later...
By Kent Secor, with respects to Devern Fromke and Frank Viola and many others.
There has been a story that caught my attention for the first time about 30 some years ago. Though other ideas and stories have carried my attention away from time to time I keep getting drawn back to this one.
At times I could only catch a small window sized glimpse of it, other times it was as though someone opened the whole horizon to me. It is more breathtaking then the most beautful of sun rises or sun sets. More stunning then the most gorgeous of brides. More precious then the most precious of babies.
It begins in eternity past. If eternity can have a past, being a state of being without any measure of time. But for our story it was in eternity past.
There is only one being there, God, who would reveal himself to a man of a nation as I who AM!
God was alone with himself. But not alone, for he had a beloved with him. Yet God was alone and desired a mate. God at the core of his being is a lover, so much so that it is truth to say that God is love itself. As the great eternal lover he had a desire, one to love. God is the beloved, and as the beloved desired with the greatest depth of passion the lover.
Now we spring forward. Time now is. Time a part of the creation that God created for the express purpose of placing his loved one in.
We see a garden, we see God creating the first man, Adam. Adam made in the image of God the beloved. Adam made to love God and another. God places man, Adam into the perfect garden he created in the perfect world he created.
Adam sees all the animals that God created. God calls them all to pass before the king of the world, and asks Adam to name them. Each pair of animals passes before God and Adam. Adam names each one, and sees that each one has a mate. He comes to know that he alone of all the creatures of creation is alone. He has no "other" to know, to love.
God sees that Adam knows, and tells Adam, "It is not good for you, man, to be alone." God places Adam into a great sleep, opens up his side, removes a rib, and from that rib fashions Adam a mate. This first woman is also Adam. Together they form the first man, "male and female created He (God) them, and He called them Adam."
The first created lover, has his beloved. She is bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. He is completely enraptured with her. His full desire is for her alone. He has no eyes for any other, for there is no other to look at. And if there were and when there will be, he still will want her and her alone.
She is the crowning acheivement of all of God's creation. Last made and most beautiful of all. Next to Adam, the perfect created man, she shines like a jewel. She is Adam's glory, shining forth with grace and beauty. Truth, intelligence, love, beauty, all are hers. And she is completely enraptured and in love with her mate, Adam. She has only eyes for him
They drink in each other. They smell each other. They taste each other and experience each other in the deepest depths of passion.
And God looked upon them and said "IT IS GOOD"!
I tell you a mystery brethren, I speak here not about man and wife, but about Christ and the church.
Christ is the second Adam. He came into the world to redeem his bride. To set her free, to empower her to be his bride. And his bride is radiant to him. To him his bride is worth his everything, even his own life. That is the bride price that Christ paid, even his own blood.
Brethren, we are that bride. You are a member of her, if you belong to Christ and not just some religious organization. And he is totally, deeply, passionately in love with us all.
The Great Eternal Romance was all about God giving his beloved Son a bride. He is still forming that bride. Each new believer helps to form her.
More later...
Saturday, February 07, 2009
A Solution for these Depressive Times.
A meditation on Psalm 77.
In these difficult times men's hearts are failing them for fear. Fear of losing their jobs, fear of noo finding a job, fear of losing their homes, fear of being unable to support their families.
Many are in depression over their situation. The writer of Psalm 77, Asaph, was also depressed over his situation. We can find the same solution to our depressive mood today as he did in his day.
Psalm 77 (NIV)
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Selah
10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah
16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Look at the Asaph's condition in his situation. He was "in distress...my soul refused to be comforted...I mused, and my spirit grew faint...I was too troubled to speak."
Today we might term this a low level depression. Consider that this righteous soul was calling to God for help, he was seeking the Lord. Yet as he remembered, he "groaned; I mused in my spirit and grew faint." This is not a statement of faith, but of doubt. He is considering his circumstances and groaning over them, he calls out to God in this doubt.
He writes, "Where are you God? Will you reject me forever? Will you never show your favor again? Has your unfailing love vanished forever? Has your promise failed? Are you no longer merciful? Are you so angry at me that you have withheld your compassion from me?"
Asaph in the midst of his depressive groaning can only see his troubles and has turned from faith in God. His thoughts are on the "former days, the years long ago; I remember my songs in the night." He was thinking about the "good ole days" of the past comparing them to the present " bad days".
Many today are doing the same thing. We think that in former days we had jobs, we had a secure mortgage, we were assured our company would continue to employ us, not down size and lay us off, and we partied, singing our songs of joy into the night. We think on those days and compare them to today and our spirits grow faint within us. We cry out to the Lord, "Why me God? Why did you allow me to lose my job? Why God, is my house being foreclosed on? Why is my company downsizing? Where are you God in all my distress?
Asaph finally finds the solution to his depressive mood. "Then I thought, to this I will appeal." He is kind of saying to himself, "Wait! Stop this foolish musing and groaning! I have an appeal, a hope, a light at the end of this dark tunnel!"
What was the hope of Asaph? The goodness and great deeds of the Lord.
"To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." The "right hand of the Lord" or Most High, is used to express the goodness and blessings of God. Asaph goes on to remember the former days when the Lord did great miracles for Israel.
"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
Now Asaph is thinking in faith. He has stopped musing over his present situation and comparing it to the good ole days. Now he is thinking of the faithful deeds of the Lord.
Instead of crying out, "Will the Lord reject forever?" He says, "Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph."
Asaph goes on to recount the display of God's great power in the parting of the Red Sea, and how God led Israel through the Sea as a shepherd leads his flock.
Let me recommend this same solution to us today. Instead of musing over our present difficulties, let us remember the might deeds and miracles of our Lord. Let us trust in Him who has shown Himself faithful in the past. Instead of meditating on our problems, let us meditate on all of God's works.
Meditate on God delivering Israel out of four hundred years of bondage in Egypt. Meditate on God's great deeds as recorded in all the history of Israel. Consider that if God kept them in all their difficulties, he can keep us in these present difficult times.
Let us meditate on the miracles of Christ and his great works of redemption for us.
Let us meditate on the great works of God in our own lives and those we know. Let us consider that as God has carried us through our own past difficulties, He will carry us through these present times as well.
This is a good spiritual discipline, an exercise that will build our faith in God and can relieve our depressive mood. When we think on our present difficulties, let us remind ourselves of the goodness of God and trust in Him.
By meditating on the miracles and mighty deeds of God, we will better be able to face these days, with a strong faithful trust in God, rather than depressive musings.
May the Lord bless you and keep you in peace in your inward man, and pour out his grace on you that you may trust Him in all your ways.
In these difficult times men's hearts are failing them for fear. Fear of losing their jobs, fear of noo finding a job, fear of losing their homes, fear of being unable to support their families.
Many are in depression over their situation. The writer of Psalm 77, Asaph, was also depressed over his situation. We can find the same solution to our depressive mood today as he did in his day.
Psalm 77 (NIV)
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Selah
10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah
16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Look at the Asaph's condition in his situation. He was "in distress...my soul refused to be comforted...I mused, and my spirit grew faint...I was too troubled to speak."
Today we might term this a low level depression. Consider that this righteous soul was calling to God for help, he was seeking the Lord. Yet as he remembered, he "groaned; I mused in my spirit and grew faint." This is not a statement of faith, but of doubt. He is considering his circumstances and groaning over them, he calls out to God in this doubt.
He writes, "Where are you God? Will you reject me forever? Will you never show your favor again? Has your unfailing love vanished forever? Has your promise failed? Are you no longer merciful? Are you so angry at me that you have withheld your compassion from me?"
Asaph in the midst of his depressive groaning can only see his troubles and has turned from faith in God. His thoughts are on the "former days, the years long ago; I remember my songs in the night." He was thinking about the "good ole days" of the past comparing them to the present " bad days".
Many today are doing the same thing. We think that in former days we had jobs, we had a secure mortgage, we were assured our company would continue to employ us, not down size and lay us off, and we partied, singing our songs of joy into the night. We think on those days and compare them to today and our spirits grow faint within us. We cry out to the Lord, "Why me God? Why did you allow me to lose my job? Why God, is my house being foreclosed on? Why is my company downsizing? Where are you God in all my distress?
Asaph finally finds the solution to his depressive mood. "Then I thought, to this I will appeal." He is kind of saying to himself, "Wait! Stop this foolish musing and groaning! I have an appeal, a hope, a light at the end of this dark tunnel!"
What was the hope of Asaph? The goodness and great deeds of the Lord.
"To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High." The "right hand of the Lord" or Most High, is used to express the goodness and blessings of God. Asaph goes on to remember the former days when the Lord did great miracles for Israel.
"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."
Now Asaph is thinking in faith. He has stopped musing over his present situation and comparing it to the good ole days. Now he is thinking of the faithful deeds of the Lord.
Instead of crying out, "Will the Lord reject forever?" He says, "Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph."
Asaph goes on to recount the display of God's great power in the parting of the Red Sea, and how God led Israel through the Sea as a shepherd leads his flock.
Let me recommend this same solution to us today. Instead of musing over our present difficulties, let us remember the might deeds and miracles of our Lord. Let us trust in Him who has shown Himself faithful in the past. Instead of meditating on our problems, let us meditate on all of God's works.
Meditate on God delivering Israel out of four hundred years of bondage in Egypt. Meditate on God's great deeds as recorded in all the history of Israel. Consider that if God kept them in all their difficulties, he can keep us in these present difficult times.
Let us meditate on the miracles of Christ and his great works of redemption for us.
Let us meditate on the great works of God in our own lives and those we know. Let us consider that as God has carried us through our own past difficulties, He will carry us through these present times as well.
This is a good spiritual discipline, an exercise that will build our faith in God and can relieve our depressive mood. When we think on our present difficulties, let us remind ourselves of the goodness of God and trust in Him.
By meditating on the miracles and mighty deeds of God, we will better be able to face these days, with a strong faithful trust in God, rather than depressive musings.
May the Lord bless you and keep you in peace in your inward man, and pour out his grace on you that you may trust Him in all your ways.
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