More Changes

I wrote a post back last year on Changes and I find that I am at that point again, but from a more negative position than before. This post is serving as a catharsis so please bear with me.

Less than a week ago I was working in a power plant with a rail road crew that was assembling a train of empty coal hoppers for return to the coal mines in West Virginia. At one point I was asked to turn the van around and pick up one member of the crew and take him to the rear of the train. I scanned the area and made sure that my move was safe, but due to the outcome, I miss judged the stationary nature of the engine or the engineer chose to move, at any rate my van got hit by the train engine and it was totaled. For this I have been dismissed since I did not do "everything possible to avoid an avoidable accident".

No matter a year of employment with no accidents and a 40+ year motor vehicle record that is clear; I am deemed unsafe and now unemployed.

Well, how do I, as a Christian, deal with something of this nature that "seems" unfair. Do I seek to have the dismissal reversed? Do I just accept the ruling as is?

Humanly speaking I feel the call is unjustified due to certain details of the incident, which I won't go into them here. The Company is the authority and has the right to make such decisions they feel are necessary for the continued safety of their clients. Since I claim to be a Christian and I was under their authority as an employee, biblically I am to submit to their decision, no matter how unjust I view the decision.

I admit it is hard to accept this; the flesh wants to fight the decision; yet, did Jesus fight Pilate or the Jews that delivered Him up? No He did not; and since He is my example in life as my Lord, I must follow Him.

In the interest of having the record straight, I did send an email to the head of safety to correct some facts in the memo I received concerning my dismissal, but only that and no claim to have the case reopened.

The job was not a perfect situation, too many hours on the road, too many conflicting orders on service hours and the recording of on time arrivals from higher up management, as well as missing many fellowship opportunities and service opportunities with my home congregation. I felt I was apart of a conspiracy of sorts on one hand and not a part of my fellowship on the other, and was looking for different employment, so possibly this is my answer to the whole situation. However, I dislike the negativity it casts on my work record; something that may have to be explained over and over in the future. I am being carnal again; the spirit is willing but the flesh is so weak.

I find at this juncture that I have to accept responsibility that I was the one driving that van; it was my responsibility. Therefore, I will not seek any redress at this point, but leave it in God's hands by faith. I am grateful that I was not hurt, nor was anyone else. Praise God!

What is the Gospel?

Just what is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Seems to be a rather simple question for those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, yet is it so simple?

It is recorded that Jesus prophesied in the New Testament Gospel according to Matthew 24:14:

"This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

What then is the gospel of the kingdom? Is it the same thing as the gospel of Jesus Christ in my first question?

I read the gospels or listen to them on CD regularly. As a professing disciple of Christ, I want to know what He said to His followers during His ministry on earth. It makes sense to me that I ought to be attentive to what my Lord spoke while in His incarnation; He is the Word made flesh after all. I read the rest of the books of the New Testament more as commentaries on what Jesus taught and accomplished in His sojourn among men.

It is said that, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." Mt 4:23. This kind of statement is repeated over many times throughout the gospels of the New Testament.

• Mt 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
• Mt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
• Mr 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Do a phrase search for "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven". The kingdom of heaven is quite well represented in Matthew's gospel. The kingdom of God is rather well represented throughout the other gospels and epistles of New Testament.

I am wondering if we Christians have lost sight of something concerning the gospel, or good news, that Jesus came to preach. He spoke of a kingdom of God, and on occasion about the kingdom of Heaven, which are apparently synonymous phrases indicating the same concept. In my study of God's Word I am wondering if it is possible that we have lost the true meaning of this "good news" that Jesus came to preach, and have accepted a substituted meaning for just what this gospel represents.

I will confess that these questions haven't come just from my own studies in the Word of God, but have been stirred by another writer that has studied the early history of the Church from the first century until modern times.

In his book, "The Kingdom That Turned the World Up Side Down", David W. Bercot wrote:

"The gospel of the kingdom is basically the historic Christian faith. It's what the Christians of the first few centuries believed and practiced. The Kingdom gospel takes the totality of what Jesus and His apostles say on every subject. It's not built on proof-texts, and doesn't depend on anything outside the Scripture.

You've probably heard of the "Roman's road to salvation." Well, in a sense, the gospel of the kingdom is the Jesus road to salvation. Its foundational beliefs are the direct teachings of Jesus Himself--not the writings of Paul. To be sure, Paul's writings are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are therefore inerrant and true. But Paul was building on the foundational teachings of Jesus. He wasn't starting a whole new gospel. In contrast, popular theology today--the gospel of easy-believism--begins with Paul. And, ignoring the context of Paul's letters, it interprets Paul in a way as to make Jesus' teachings heretical." Chapter 17, p. 131.

If Bercot's understanding of this gospel of the kingdom is correct then there is much concerning salvation that we currently hold in error. Thus we need to know the essence of this gospel which Jesus came preaching in order to fully understand salvation as it is accomplished in the kingdom of God.

Also, we have to decide on the nature of the kingdom of heaven; is it a reality now or is it strictly a future event/reality as some hold it to be?

Lots of questions, more later. Meanwhile, you can acquire a copy of Bercot's book from Scroll Publishing.

Burn Out?

Have you ever reached the point that something isn't as exciting or as important as it once was? I may be in the early stages of burn out, so I am ready to make some decisions about my online footprint.

When I first "discovered" the internet, after learning late in life how to use a computer, I became fascinated with the concept of internet communications, especially within the Christian context of sharing the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God around the world from my personal computer. This was a very simplistic approach on my part overall, based on my own uninitiated and very pollyannish understanding of the process, nor comprehended the vastness of existing "Christian" and other religious and secular sites already on line and being added daily.

Well, hopefully I have learned a bit since those glorious days of the uninitiated; I have made many friends along the way by surfing the innumerable blogs and forums available that are Christian of one flavor or another, seen some go and new ones come on the scene. Eventually I found a place at one forum that has become home to me on line, and has taken me away from these original blog sites of my early days, as well as from Worthythinking.

So, I find myself at a point of decision; what to keep and what to let go.

I have decided to keep this site open for now and make it more of a journal of my ongoing Christian journey and hopefully in the process bring some light into my ramblings along the way. I may still impart some of my simplistic notions for I am of the opinion that theology is made way too complicated by our finite abilities to fathom an infinite Creator, so please allow me some grace in this case.

By the way, that forum that became my on line home is MennoDiscuss; feel free to stop in and visit there too. Also, I will be changing some of the links listed on this site, some on here have left the blogosphere or changed their site name or address. I have got to do some housekeeping as I have time.

Thanks to all that have continued to visit this site; I hope to reduce my tendency towards procrastination and post more often.

Changes

Changes in life are interesting occurrences; they can be an improvement, or not, depending on ones view of them. However, I believe if we allow God to use them as He desires, they can help us grow more spiritually.

When I first established this blog, I had no idea where my path would lead me on my journey within the world of the internet. I rather simplistically initiated this blog as my outlet for witness to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the internet, but along the way found other outlets for my time and attention; i.e. other blogs at first, and then on an internet forum of which I eventually became a moderator. Thus, this site has languished due to my neglect to the point that I had to work a bit to re-establish my identity to enter and publish again, since much has changed in the management of Blogspot.com.

Well what to do with this site? I have decided, for now, to take it more in the direction of publishing changes in my thinking as a Christian since coming to the internet; primarily in the changes of how I work through issues and concepts that challenge me now, which were very much non-existent when I first established Worthythinking, and to analyze these changes as to how they will effect my witness of Christ; especially to those with whom I now work alongside who come from vastly different situations in life than I have previously known.

A primary area of change that has affected me in the last several years is in the area of employment. I have gone from being a self-employed individual in the heating, cooling, and refrigeration contracting business to un-employed due to changes in my physical inability to do hard labor. This process was a slow one from self-employed to being employed in the retail sector, and two occasions of un-employed time leading to my current low paying job as an on call "taxi" driver for railroad train crews at night. I am investigating other avenues of employment constantly, but at present this is what has been opened to me so I do it since I need whatever income I can earn as I look for a better position.

I do view this current employment as God's answer to prayer. It is not the answer I would have expected, or preferred to have had for my prayers, and those on my behalf which my brothers and sisters in Christ have offered, but I find that perhaps God is working through this experience to teach me several lessons in life including that I can survive on less as long as I look to Him for what I/we need. I will also note that employment for my wife has gone the other way and improved greatly in the field of private nursing. Interesting how this has reversed the "normal" route of the man being the bread winner and the wife as home maker and supplemental income producer in our home.

Since we are "empty nesters" and are coming closer to the Social Security years, our needs, which are primarily medical, are more in focus and we are learning to curb our "wants"; although not with relish. One effect of these changes, which is major for us, is the drop in church fellowship that our current job schedules demand. Evening services are not open to me with my current work schedule; and the schedule my wife is working allows for no Sunday morning worship. However, she can sometimes make an evening meeting, although arrive a bit late due to the timing of work and meetings. Along with this is the loss of the ability we formally had to "take off" and visit our children and grand children, along with other extended family members and friends. This is possibly the most frustrating "change" that we have faced.

This job is also teaching me are that many people survive with much less in life than I have been blessed with over the years. I am seeing a side of living that I was distanced from previously with the income, and free time, we previously enjoyed as a family. I am also realizing that poor financial planning on my part is also a lesson in this situation, and that reality is painfully sobering as well, yet not one that God cannot help us learn from as we look to Him and strive to live within our current means.

Well, I hope this is a beginning. I plan, as the Lord and schedule allows, to ruminate more on these changes in life and how they are reshaping our little part of the world as they shape us as Christians. I doubt if the postings will be all that profound, but hopefully a way of sharing what I am learning and to focus my own thinking as I go through the process of change.

Good Bye to the Old Year and Hello to 2007

We bid 2006 good bye, and we welcome 2007 as a gift from God. I pray that we all have a wonderful and joyous New Year ahead. May God receive all the glory for His wonderful works to the children of men thoroughout this past year! I look forward to His blessings in this New Year as well! May His name be glorified!

Our family has been granted many blessings this last year. Among these blessings, one has survived breast cancer, and two new beautiful grand daughters joined the family this past year.

Although we experienced grief over the passing of loved ones, we rejoice that they were prepared to meet God through His grace provided through Christ's shed blood.

May God show Himself strong among His children throughout this year, and may the Peace of God truly become a reality for all.

Maranatha!

About Time to Post

I apologize to my faithful readers, I have been involved in a discussion forum rather intensively and I am assuming a deeper commitment there from here on as Head Moderator. Please come and check out our many discussions and the sometimes painful learning process of interpersonal relationships in things pertaining to the Christian life from a Christian Anabaptist view point. We welcome all individuals regardless of Christian affiliation. You can go here and access the site.

As I said, there are many learning experiences to be gained in participating in such sites, some are pleasant and some are not so pleasant, but then so it is with life. We are challenged at many turns in our lives with choices which will set us on paths that may bring joy or grief; hopefully, we learn from both sides of that experience.

The Christian life is not a cut and dried existence. Salvation in Jesus Christ is a dynamic work in progress as the Holy Spirit abides within us and empowers us in the work of sharing God's Kingdom and the call to salvation within the lives of those around us. We bring nothing to God when we come to Christ, only our desire to worship and serve Him as the Spirit of God directs us. Christ said, "ye can do nothing without me." In and of our own strength we are unable to please God nor do anything toward our salvation. However, as we yield to the calling of God's Spirit by the hearing of the Word of God, we can choose to believe in God. For we must come to Him believing that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that seek Him, Hebrews 11:6. We come through the Door of His Son (John 10:9) who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) the only One to which we can come and be able to stand before the Father and find acceptance by Him.

Salvation is at first a personal and individual experience. The relationship is one we maintain by abiding in the Person who is our Lord in life and the personification of our Salvation, Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God (John 15:1-11). Faith is the straight and narrow path of abiding in God, and is available by the Grace of our Father in accepting His Son's atonement for our sins. Ephesians 2:9-10. We live life by the power of God and enter into the joys of fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ, in the power and direction of the Holy Spirit which brings us life eternal. Beyond this individual experience is a relationship in the Church, the living Body of which Christ is the Head. We are lively stones which God uses to construct the Church of Jesus Christ. Coming together, in many ways, we fellowship with one another and worship our Lord and God. Such is the nature of our individual local church fellowships which we each attend. So too, are sites like Menno Discuss where thoughts and ideas are shared on the many issues of understanding Scripture and living according to its precepts and commandments.

I hope to return on a more regular schedule of posting. Thank you for your patience in my absence. I hope to bring a few pearls from our Forum and share them here as I am able.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day before our God, and look forward to the rememberance of the birth in His Son soon. God be with all who seek salvation in faith through our Lord Jesus Christ by the Abundant Grace of Almighty God.

Freedom

What is freedom?

Paul the Apostle had a conversation with a Roman soldier who was about to scourge him in order to find out who he really was and why he was causing such a public tumult in Jerusalem. The Word of God records it thus:

Ac 22:24 The chief captain commanded him (Paul) to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. (KJV)

We observe a very interesting account of the reality of Paul’s earthly citizenship and how it came to his aid; by Paul asking a simple question. Paul was free born within the Roman Empire, therefore, with Roman citizenship he was free, and it was forbidden to scourge a Roman citizen unless they had already been condemned. The actions of the Romans indicate that they feared that this may bring them under condemnation, for they had already bound him.

God has given us all an earthly citizenship as it has pleased Him. Paul could have been born somewhere else than Tarsus. Paul made use of his Roman citizenship on this occasion and on other occasions as well. He had that privilege by birth.

Paul enjoyed another birth blessing which he described in his letter to the Philippians:

Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (KJV)

Quite a pedigree, however, notice how he finishes this rehearsal of his heritage:

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (KJV)

It is apparent that his Roman citizenship was of more use to him with the Romans than his Hebrew faith/nationality. Paul was a dual citizen; a Roman and a Hebrew. I find this interesting that God would give such a mixed citizenship to one like Saul who became known as Paul, for the two are so opposite each other. But there is the crux of the issue, we see through human eyes and God sees the end from the beginning of time, and God gave Saul/Paul exactly what he needed to be His servant and builder of Christ’s church among the gentile nations. Paul inherited the wisdom of a Hebraic identity and education along with a Roman citizenship that allowed him to freely travel within the Roman Empire. Paul was free; or was he?

Paul also had another reality gained by birth, he was a sinner. Paul even mentions this fact in one of his letters to his spiritual son, Timothy.

1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (KJV)

Saul was a dedicated Hebrew Pharisee; trained at the feet of Gamaliel the greatest Rabbi of his day. Yet, Saul was also lost to God “in unbelief” not accepting the witness of Jesus Christ, or the prophecies about Him. This lack was literally illuminated to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) as Saul traveled to imprison and kill more followers of Christ. Saul was a sinner, and by his own testimony, the chief of sinners.

What does all of this have to do with freedom? After coming to salvation in Christ, Saul, now called Paul, found true freedom for the first time in his life. Try to grasp this situation; Paul is a man who possessed the single most desired citizenship in his day, he had Roman citizenship and gained it by being free born to its possession. The Roman chief captain came to Paul and noted that Roman citizenship had cost him a “great sum” of money, but Paul was free born. However, Paul was not “free” in truth; Paul was under bondage to sin. Neither his Hebrew heritage, nor his Roman citizenship made him truly “free.” The only freedom Paul had, before coming to Christ, was freedom to sin; he enjoyed no righteousness apart from his obedience to the Law and he wrote later:

Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law..............for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (KJV)

Paul’s earthly citizenships, Jewish and Roman, were only tools for the spread of the gospel of Christ, a provision from God. Beyond that, Paul’s citizenships were but fleshly realities which Paul gained by no merit of his own.

We Americans celebrated our Independence Day today. A day we set aside to remember our nation being separated from the British Crown in 1776. In that declaration our founding forefathers proclaimed to be “free” from the ruler ship of the King of England. Free from England we became in fact; but were/are we truly “free?” Do we truly have true “freedom” and/or “liberty?”

In a secular sense we do, we have the right of assembly, free use of speech, religion, use of the press (media), and other rights most of us take for granted. In all of this we are still in bondage; no citizenship apart from a heavenly citizenship will ever bring true freedom.

How does one obtain this heavenly citizenship and true freedom? Jesus Christ read this passage from Isaiah in a synagogue about His ministry:

Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel (good news of salvation) to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (KJV)

Christ came that we may truly be at liberty, whether as a free man or a slave, no matter nationality or gender, all that come to Christ can be truly “free”.

Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (KJV)

Free to live and serve God, free to inherit eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ; free of the curse of sin, truly and actually free.

Ga 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Ga 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;

I return to Paul as he continues his statement in Philippians chapter 3:

Php 3:9 And be found in him (Christ), not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (KJV)

No matter our citizenship in this world, we can be free and have our eternal citizenship in heaven through Christ.

Ac 16:30 And (the jailer) brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (KJV)