It's Christmas time again. Believers and non-believers tend to focus a little more of their time on Jesus Christ. While some will deny his existance, others will steadfast teach that he actually was born at this time, yet others will say “Jesus is the reason for the season”, and still others will just focus on getting to know him and his love for us.
So, who is Jesus? I could open up my Bible and start typing all the quotes about Jesus, but then, as John wrote, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25 NIV) Or, you can read 98% of the New Testament and get to know who Jesus is. So, I decided to let others tell you: Who is Jesus?
... that people often say about Him: “I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. - C S Lewis.
Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophest had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. -Flavius Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews Book 18 chapter 3)
The divinity of Christ should never be questioned. The divinity of the pope must be questioned. -Voltaire
I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. –Napoleon
Jesus cannot be the only way to Heaven. -Oprah Winfrey
I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.--H.G. Wells
Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: "a virgin's womb and an empty tomb". Jesus entered our world through a door marked,"No Entrance" and left through a door marked "No Exit." --Peter Larson
Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair. –Blaise Pascal
You cannot go outside of A and Z in the realm of literature; likewise Christ Jesus is First and Last of God's new creation, and all that is in between; you cannot get outside of that. --T. Austin Sparks
The message of Christ is not Christianity. The message of Christ is Christ. --Gary Amirault
God will answer all our questions in one way and one way only. Namely, by showing us more of his Son. -- Watchman Nee
If I might comprehend Jesus Christ, I could not believe on Him. He would be no greater than myself. Such is my consciousness of sin and inability that I must have a superhuman Saviour. --Daniel Webster
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity. If the resurrection did not take place, then Christianity is a false religion. If it did take place, then Christ is God and the Christian faith is absolute truth. --Henry Morris
I searched through many quotes and tried to get quotes from non-believers as well as believers. These quotations show what is in the hearts of these people, whether it be good or bad towards Jesus. There heart shows the profound effect that Jesus has had on their lives.
Have a blessed and Merry Christmas
Daniel V
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Karma or God
On September 9th, 2007, a football players life changed forever. Kevin Everett, of the Buffalo Bills was injured on a play that damaged his spinal cord. A life threatening injury, some speculated he could have died from the injury, or at best, be a paraplegic. A horrible tragedy had befallen a family, a team, a whole league. But, where was God throughout all this?
A couple days later, a talk show suggested that if you don’t believe in “Karma” then these events should open your eyes to “Karma”.
Kevin Everett played football at the University of Miami. The University of Miami has in their School of Medicine the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. One of the fundraisers for the Miami Project is The Buoniconti Fund. One of the major contributors to the Fund is Ralph Wilson. Ralph Wilson is the primary owner of the Buffalo Bills. Kevin Everett plays of the Buffalo Bills. So, is that all “Karma” or did God move throughout all this. “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14b).
In today’s society, we are quick to dismiss God and His ability, but easily grab onto something (someone) else that we have an even harder time trying to explain. How hard would it have been for the talk show host to say, “See how God moved in this situation.” ? Evidently it would have been excruciatingly painful. It would mean that he would have to acknowledge a force greater than he is.
There is no such thing as coincidence when God moves. When we look at the book of Esther, we see how God used all the situations around to lift up an “unknown” woman to save the Jewish nation from eradication. When you look at the situations going on in Esther, you see how everything lined up perfectly for God to move. When you look at Kevin Everett’s situation through the eyes of God, you see how everything lined up perfectly for God to move.
Let’s look at another situation where God used the means of the day, to get accomplished what He wanted accomplished. The known world was strictly under one rule. There was one language, one economic system, one written language, and one law. There were well maintained and protected traveling routes. When the ruling nation would conquer new nations, they were allowed to keep certain religious worshipping, and doctrines. There were spread out among the world the Jewish culture.
God looked at the day and determined that would be a great time to get accomplished His greatest plan. He sent His son to take away the sins of the world. Those that he came to redeem, rejected him. Those that didn’t know he existed, came to know him and be saved. God used the roads, the language, the laws to spread the message of Jesus Christ. He used people that would effectively spread the message in the most efficient manner possible.
Imagine if these people would have refused God’s call to them. What would He do? He would lift up another person to accomplish what He needs done, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place” (Esther 4:14a)
What happened to Kevin Everett is a tragedy and may not be in God‘s plan. But what has happened afterwards, is God’s plan. Everything lined up for God to move. It’s time we call it what it is, God moving for the benefit of all mankind, and not what it isn’t “Karma”.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
Just a short news article on Kevin Everett from yahoo news
Kevin Everett will be transferred Friday morning to a Houston hospital to begin the next phase of his rehabilitation, less than two weeks after the Buffalo Bills tight end sustained a life-threatening spinal cord injury.
And doctors said Thursday they believe he will be walking within weeks -- perhaps sooner.
"Soon ... they're going to stand him up," Dr. Barth Green told The Associated Press, shortly after discussing Everett's condition with Bills orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Cappuccino. "They're very confident he'll be walking very soon ... in the next days or weeks, not months."
Praise God
December 7th: Kevin Everett is now walking http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Akhu2o4p6uO1zNEcqMclPIRDubYF?slug=ap-bills-everettwalking&prov=ap&type=lgns
Praise God for the healing
A couple days later, a talk show suggested that if you don’t believe in “Karma” then these events should open your eyes to “Karma”.
Kevin Everett played football at the University of Miami. The University of Miami has in their School of Medicine the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. One of the fundraisers for the Miami Project is The Buoniconti Fund. One of the major contributors to the Fund is Ralph Wilson. Ralph Wilson is the primary owner of the Buffalo Bills. Kevin Everett plays of the Buffalo Bills. So, is that all “Karma” or did God move throughout all this. “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14b).
In today’s society, we are quick to dismiss God and His ability, but easily grab onto something (someone) else that we have an even harder time trying to explain. How hard would it have been for the talk show host to say, “See how God moved in this situation.” ? Evidently it would have been excruciatingly painful. It would mean that he would have to acknowledge a force greater than he is.
There is no such thing as coincidence when God moves. When we look at the book of Esther, we see how God used all the situations around to lift up an “unknown” woman to save the Jewish nation from eradication. When you look at the situations going on in Esther, you see how everything lined up perfectly for God to move. When you look at Kevin Everett’s situation through the eyes of God, you see how everything lined up perfectly for God to move.
Let’s look at another situation where God used the means of the day, to get accomplished what He wanted accomplished. The known world was strictly under one rule. There was one language, one economic system, one written language, and one law. There were well maintained and protected traveling routes. When the ruling nation would conquer new nations, they were allowed to keep certain religious worshipping, and doctrines. There were spread out among the world the Jewish culture.
God looked at the day and determined that would be a great time to get accomplished His greatest plan. He sent His son to take away the sins of the world. Those that he came to redeem, rejected him. Those that didn’t know he existed, came to know him and be saved. God used the roads, the language, the laws to spread the message of Jesus Christ. He used people that would effectively spread the message in the most efficient manner possible.
Imagine if these people would have refused God’s call to them. What would He do? He would lift up another person to accomplish what He needs done, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place” (Esther 4:14a)
What happened to Kevin Everett is a tragedy and may not be in God‘s plan. But what has happened afterwards, is God’s plan. Everything lined up for God to move. It’s time we call it what it is, God moving for the benefit of all mankind, and not what it isn’t “Karma”.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
Just a short news article on Kevin Everett from yahoo news
Kevin Everett will be transferred Friday morning to a Houston hospital to begin the next phase of his rehabilitation, less than two weeks after the Buffalo Bills tight end sustained a life-threatening spinal cord injury.
And doctors said Thursday they believe he will be walking within weeks -- perhaps sooner.
"Soon ... they're going to stand him up," Dr. Barth Green told The Associated Press, shortly after discussing Everett's condition with Bills orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Cappuccino. "They're very confident he'll be walking very soon ... in the next days or weeks, not months."
Praise God
December 7th: Kevin Everett is now walking http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Akhu2o4p6uO1zNEcqMclPIRDubYF?slug=ap-bills-everettwalking&prov=ap&type=lgns
Praise God for the healing
Monday, August 20, 2007
Be Holy
These are the words of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died at the beginning of the twelfth century: "If I should see the shame of sin on the one hand, and the pain of hell on the other, and must of necessity choose one, I would rather be thrust into hell without sin than go into heaven with sin."
Holiness. What is holiness? Is it important to be holy? Is it a suggestion or a command? How can you live a holy life, in a world of degradation?
Holiness is defined as: n. [from holy.] The state of being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin; sanctity. Applied to the Supreme Being, holiness denotes perfect purity or integrity of moral character, one of his essential attributes. 1. Applied to human beings, holiness is purity of heart or dispositions; sanctified affections; piety; moral goodness, but not perfect. (Webster’s Dictionary)
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states "The distinctive feature of the New Testament idea of holiness is that the external aspect of it has almost entirely disappeared, and the ethical meaning has become supreme. . . But it is especially in its application to Christians that the idea of holiness meets us in the New Testament in a sense that is characteristic and distinctive. Christ's people are regularly called "saints" or holy persons, and holiness in the high ethical and spiritual meaning of the word is used to denote the appropriate quality of their life and conduct."
Holiness is not defined by our outward appearance nor our outward acts, holiness is defined by your thoughts, and your attitudes, which in turn, will affect your outward appearance and acts.. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (I Peter 1:13 NIV) Holiness begins with your mind, which shapes your attitude, your attitude then shapes your actions. What should your attitude be like? It is written in Philippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."(NIV) Your attitude should therefore reflect Jesus Christ. You should think, act, and have the appearance of Jesus.
Holiness is a very important aspect of being a Christian. Holiness is a command from God, "For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'" (I Peter 1:16 NLT). You must be holy. The word must denotes a command, not a suggestion. How do you live a holy life? "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. . . Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." (I Peter 1:14, 2:1-3 NIV) The first step is not to conform to the evil desires you had before you accepted Jesus as your Savior. You are no longer that person, but you are a new creation in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Cor 5:17 NIV) You can no longer live as you once did. You can no longer use ignorance as an excuse. You have been washed clean from your past, and you are now a new creation, the old you is dead. Just like the alcoholic, when he admits he has a problem and finished the "12 step program", he doesn’t go back to drinking. A sinner, who admits he has a problem, and accepts Christ, knows he can’t go back to living the life that he once had.
You must not conform to what society says is all right. "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect." (Rom 12:2 GNB). To be holy, you must allow God to transform you. You can’t transform yourself. Just like the caterpillar, who one day decides to transform into a beautiful butterfly, yet must build a cocoon and allow God to transform the caterpillar, you must allow God to transform you. Notice though, the transformation is not physical, but an inward transformation. It is a transformation by a complete change of mind. You will then know the will of God, that which is pleasing unto Him. You must therefore, rid yourself of all types of sin, beginning with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. These sins are attitudes of the heart, attitudes based on selfish desires to be above others. You must therefore, remove your own ego about yourself and focus wholly on what is good and God centered. Your life is like a glass full of water. In order to be filled completely by God, you must completely empty yourself from it. You must pour out all of your water, and allow God then to fill your glass back up. Remove your carnal desires and focus on God and the gifts He will bestow upon you. When that is done, you will be like a little child. As a child you will crave sustenance, and that sustenance should be a spiritual milk. By being fed early with the word of God and the Truth of God, you will grow in God. This is accomplished by many ways.
You must read scripture daily. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16,17 NIV) You will grow by getting into the word of God.
You must test everything and avoid evil. "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." (I Thes 5:21,22 NIV) You must be willing to be taught and to learn.
You must pray often. "Pray continually" (I Thes 5:17 NIV). Prayer is a powerful tool in the hands of believers. I am reminded of this story:
A man dreamed, while traveling, that he came to a little church. On the roof was a devil fast asleep. He went along farther and came to a log cabin which was surrounded by devils all wide awake. He asked one of them what it meant. Said the devil, "I will tell you. The fact is that the whole church is asleep, and one devil can take care of all the people; but here are a man and a woman who commune with God in prayer, and they have more power than the whole church.
You must not forsake other believers. "Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." (Heb 10:24,25 MSG) Satan loves to take the small, the weak, and the independent. By remaining united, it is harder to stumble, fall, or even be broken. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three stands is not quickly broken." (Eccl 4:12 NIV). Surround yourself with Christian friends, and have a couple of trustworthy accountability partners, to help you maintain a holy lifestyle. Holiness is a command by God. On the surface, it appears to be very difficult and almost impossible to achieve. Without God’s intervention and help, it is impossible to achieve, yet, rely on God to fully transform your mind, and holiness can and will be achieved.
Holiness. What is holiness? Is it important to be holy? Is it a suggestion or a command? How can you live a holy life, in a world of degradation?
Holiness is defined as: n. [from holy.] The state of being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin; sanctity. Applied to the Supreme Being, holiness denotes perfect purity or integrity of moral character, one of his essential attributes. 1. Applied to human beings, holiness is purity of heart or dispositions; sanctified affections; piety; moral goodness, but not perfect. (Webster’s Dictionary)
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states "The distinctive feature of the New Testament idea of holiness is that the external aspect of it has almost entirely disappeared, and the ethical meaning has become supreme. . . But it is especially in its application to Christians that the idea of holiness meets us in the New Testament in a sense that is characteristic and distinctive. Christ's people are regularly called "saints" or holy persons, and holiness in the high ethical and spiritual meaning of the word is used to denote the appropriate quality of their life and conduct."
Holiness is not defined by our outward appearance nor our outward acts, holiness is defined by your thoughts, and your attitudes, which in turn, will affect your outward appearance and acts.. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (I Peter 1:13 NIV) Holiness begins with your mind, which shapes your attitude, your attitude then shapes your actions. What should your attitude be like? It is written in Philippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."(NIV) Your attitude should therefore reflect Jesus Christ. You should think, act, and have the appearance of Jesus.
Holiness is a very important aspect of being a Christian. Holiness is a command from God, "For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'" (I Peter 1:16 NLT). You must be holy. The word must denotes a command, not a suggestion. How do you live a holy life? "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. . . Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." (I Peter 1:14, 2:1-3 NIV) The first step is not to conform to the evil desires you had before you accepted Jesus as your Savior. You are no longer that person, but you are a new creation in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (2 Cor 5:17 NIV) You can no longer live as you once did. You can no longer use ignorance as an excuse. You have been washed clean from your past, and you are now a new creation, the old you is dead. Just like the alcoholic, when he admits he has a problem and finished the "12 step program", he doesn’t go back to drinking. A sinner, who admits he has a problem, and accepts Christ, knows he can’t go back to living the life that he once had.
You must not conform to what society says is all right. "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect." (Rom 12:2 GNB). To be holy, you must allow God to transform you. You can’t transform yourself. Just like the caterpillar, who one day decides to transform into a beautiful butterfly, yet must build a cocoon and allow God to transform the caterpillar, you must allow God to transform you. Notice though, the transformation is not physical, but an inward transformation. It is a transformation by a complete change of mind. You will then know the will of God, that which is pleasing unto Him. You must therefore, rid yourself of all types of sin, beginning with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. These sins are attitudes of the heart, attitudes based on selfish desires to be above others. You must therefore, remove your own ego about yourself and focus wholly on what is good and God centered. Your life is like a glass full of water. In order to be filled completely by God, you must completely empty yourself from it. You must pour out all of your water, and allow God then to fill your glass back up. Remove your carnal desires and focus on God and the gifts He will bestow upon you. When that is done, you will be like a little child. As a child you will crave sustenance, and that sustenance should be a spiritual milk. By being fed early with the word of God and the Truth of God, you will grow in God. This is accomplished by many ways.
You must read scripture daily. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16,17 NIV) You will grow by getting into the word of God.
You must test everything and avoid evil. "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." (I Thes 5:21,22 NIV) You must be willing to be taught and to learn.
You must pray often. "Pray continually" (I Thes 5:17 NIV). Prayer is a powerful tool in the hands of believers. I am reminded of this story:
A man dreamed, while traveling, that he came to a little church. On the roof was a devil fast asleep. He went along farther and came to a log cabin which was surrounded by devils all wide awake. He asked one of them what it meant. Said the devil, "I will tell you. The fact is that the whole church is asleep, and one devil can take care of all the people; but here are a man and a woman who commune with God in prayer, and they have more power than the whole church.
You must not forsake other believers. "Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." (Heb 10:24,25 MSG) Satan loves to take the small, the weak, and the independent. By remaining united, it is harder to stumble, fall, or even be broken. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three stands is not quickly broken." (Eccl 4:12 NIV). Surround yourself with Christian friends, and have a couple of trustworthy accountability partners, to help you maintain a holy lifestyle. Holiness is a command by God. On the surface, it appears to be very difficult and almost impossible to achieve. Without God’s intervention and help, it is impossible to achieve, yet, rely on God to fully transform your mind, and holiness can and will be achieved.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Remember Me
Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a day of remembrance for those that have passed on. Many veteran groups use this day to honor and commemorate the fallen soldiers. Families use this day to remember the loved ones that have gone on before us. It is a day to remember those that have had an impact on our lives. It is also a day to remember those that didn’t get a chance to have an impact on our lives, or those that we have ignored their impact.
On January 22, 1973, the United States government legalized murder to a group of human beings that can not protect themselves, that can not speak out, and that can not show the pain that they are suffering. Humans that do not choose the life that they are given, a life that, to say loosely, they are born with. They don’t make a choice that can bring unfair and unwarranted discrimination upon them. They are considered to be a lesser type of human being.
What caused this discrimination? Is it their skin color? The United States has had a history of racial intolerance, but this isn’t based on their melanin. Is it their gender? This murder can happen to either male or female. Is it their religion? Again, this murder can invade all types of religions and faiths. Unfortunately, certain Christian denominations and Islamic sects have even supported this murder. Is it their socio economic status? Rich or poor, this form of murder is indiscriminate. Is it their lifestyle? These humans that are murdered daily, haven’t had the time to gain their sexual identity. So it is unclear if they have chosen the homosexual lifestyle or not.
What is this murder that affects all types of people, yet only discriminates against on certain type of person. This murder is simply known as Legalized Infanticide. Or in a more popular politically correct term: Abortion.
A couple of years ago, on Focus on the Family, Dr Dobson had a guest who spoke on abortion. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the guest, but I do remember the acronym that he gave: SLED. It is an acronym used to debate the merits of abortion by using the definitions that abortionists used to support their cause. Size, Location, Environment, and Level of Dependency. Please check out this site to get a better understanding. http://www.frontlinemin.org/abortion.asp
My primary argument against abortion is using the reverse method of death. I approached a doctor when I was still in high school and was greatly troubled by the abortion laws. I asked him what determines if a person is dead. Is it the heart stops beating? No. Is it the lungs, kidneys, and other organs don’t work? No. What determines when a person is legally dead? His answer: When there is no more brain activity, the person is no longer considered living. Therefore, brain activity determines life. If there is brain activity, there is life. Machines can help keep everything else going, and even substitute for other organs that have failed. Machines can not keep the brain going. Simply put, brain activity = life, no brain activity = death.
This memorial day, let us remember the 43 million plus humans that have been murdered since 1973.
Who is the other person we should remember? Who has had an impact on our lives, that we have seemed to ignore, or forget? That person is Jesus Christ.
Even though this isn’t Christmas or Easter, we must remember the sacrifice laid down by Jesus Christ. He did more for humanity than any other person in existence. He may not have been the one that invented penicillin, the wheel, or slice bread. He may not have invented the automobile, telephone, or the internet, but what he did is more great than any of those things. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus gave us the way to righteousness. He took upon himself the sin of the world, so that we can have communion with God, without having to go through a multitude of mediators.
It is through Jesus that we get eternal life. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
We have to confess that Jesus is our Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9)
When we confess that Jesus is Lord, t hen we must obey his commands, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)
Let us remember what Jesus has done for us. He has granted us the way to eternal life, through his death and resurrection.
Have a blessed Memorial Day and a blessed week
On January 22, 1973, the United States government legalized murder to a group of human beings that can not protect themselves, that can not speak out, and that can not show the pain that they are suffering. Humans that do not choose the life that they are given, a life that, to say loosely, they are born with. They don’t make a choice that can bring unfair and unwarranted discrimination upon them. They are considered to be a lesser type of human being.
What caused this discrimination? Is it their skin color? The United States has had a history of racial intolerance, but this isn’t based on their melanin. Is it their gender? This murder can happen to either male or female. Is it their religion? Again, this murder can invade all types of religions and faiths. Unfortunately, certain Christian denominations and Islamic sects have even supported this murder. Is it their socio economic status? Rich or poor, this form of murder is indiscriminate. Is it their lifestyle? These humans that are murdered daily, haven’t had the time to gain their sexual identity. So it is unclear if they have chosen the homosexual lifestyle or not.
What is this murder that affects all types of people, yet only discriminates against on certain type of person. This murder is simply known as Legalized Infanticide. Or in a more popular politically correct term: Abortion.
A couple of years ago, on Focus on the Family, Dr Dobson had a guest who spoke on abortion. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the guest, but I do remember the acronym that he gave: SLED. It is an acronym used to debate the merits of abortion by using the definitions that abortionists used to support their cause. Size, Location, Environment, and Level of Dependency. Please check out this site to get a better understanding. http://www.frontlinemin.org/abortion.asp
My primary argument against abortion is using the reverse method of death. I approached a doctor when I was still in high school and was greatly troubled by the abortion laws. I asked him what determines if a person is dead. Is it the heart stops beating? No. Is it the lungs, kidneys, and other organs don’t work? No. What determines when a person is legally dead? His answer: When there is no more brain activity, the person is no longer considered living. Therefore, brain activity determines life. If there is brain activity, there is life. Machines can help keep everything else going, and even substitute for other organs that have failed. Machines can not keep the brain going. Simply put, brain activity = life, no brain activity = death.
This memorial day, let us remember the 43 million plus humans that have been murdered since 1973.
Who is the other person we should remember? Who has had an impact on our lives, that we have seemed to ignore, or forget? That person is Jesus Christ.
Even though this isn’t Christmas or Easter, we must remember the sacrifice laid down by Jesus Christ. He did more for humanity than any other person in existence. He may not have been the one that invented penicillin, the wheel, or slice bread. He may not have invented the automobile, telephone, or the internet, but what he did is more great than any of those things. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus gave us the way to righteousness. He took upon himself the sin of the world, so that we can have communion with God, without having to go through a multitude of mediators.
It is through Jesus that we get eternal life. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
We have to confess that Jesus is our Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9)
When we confess that Jesus is Lord, t hen we must obey his commands, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)
Let us remember what Jesus has done for us. He has granted us the way to eternal life, through his death and resurrection.
Have a blessed Memorial Day and a blessed week
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Resurrection Day
"In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" (Luke 24:5,6 NIV)
With those words, all mankind was forever changed. Jesus was alive, not dead. He has risen! What a glorious announcement, at a dark time.
What's so important about Jesus' resurrection? It is the way to eternal life. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9 NIV) The emphatic will, not should, or might, but WILL be saved.
Confess that Jesus is Lord. What is a lord? A lord is one who holds dominion over someone or something. A lord is one who is ,in essence, the boss. If you say that Jesus is your Lord, you will do what He commands. If you do not do what He commands, is he truly your Lord? He is to have all authority over you. That is a tough order in today's democratic society, where we can do what we want to do, and not worry about the consequences. But I tell you this, if Jesus is your Lord, you will do what He commands. If you do not do what He commands, is he truly your Lord? "If you love me, you will obey what I command. . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey by teaching. These words you hear not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:15,23-24 NIV)
Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. With this belief comes knowledge. You will absolutely know without question that God raised Jesus from the dead. There will be know doubts running amok in your heart. By knowing that God has the power over death, you know that He will raise you also from death, to spend eternity with Him. "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Rom 10:10 NIV)
Your heart is important when dealing with sin. Most sins start out in the thoughts of the person. Hatred, lust, coveting, etc. these sins start out in the heart. Therefore, it is also your heart that is made pure in thought. It is your heart that justifies your beliefs. Talk to any person and you will find their hearts passions, for it is the driving force behind their motives and their actions. Therefore, do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, or are you just going through the motions. Going to church, singing the hymns, shaking hands, giving your tithes and offerings, only to live sinfully in the world, forgetting (or not even acknowledging) Sunday.
Salvation can be summed up in a three step ABC process. Admit. Believe. Confess.
Admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Believe that Jesus died on the cross, and was raised back to life by God. Confess that Jesus is Lord. You will be saved. Now the hard part. LIVE IT!! Obey the commands of Jesus.
What I like best about the this account is the question that was posed to the women. 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?' Jesus is not dead. It is not a Christians responsibility to prove the Jesus lived 2000 years ago. It is a Christians responsibility to show the Jesus is alive today.
Have a blessed Easter
Daniel G Vandenburg
ps Listen to Newsong's "Arise My Love"
With those words, all mankind was forever changed. Jesus was alive, not dead. He has risen! What a glorious announcement, at a dark time.
What's so important about Jesus' resurrection? It is the way to eternal life. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9 NIV) The emphatic will, not should, or might, but WILL be saved.
Confess that Jesus is Lord. What is a lord? A lord is one who holds dominion over someone or something. A lord is one who is ,in essence, the boss. If you say that Jesus is your Lord, you will do what He commands. If you do not do what He commands, is he truly your Lord? He is to have all authority over you. That is a tough order in today's democratic society, where we can do what we want to do, and not worry about the consequences. But I tell you this, if Jesus is your Lord, you will do what He commands. If you do not do what He commands, is he truly your Lord? "If you love me, you will obey what I command. . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey by teaching. These words you hear not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." (John 14:15,23-24 NIV)
Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. With this belief comes knowledge. You will absolutely know without question that God raised Jesus from the dead. There will be know doubts running amok in your heart. By knowing that God has the power over death, you know that He will raise you also from death, to spend eternity with Him. "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Rom 10:10 NIV)
Your heart is important when dealing with sin. Most sins start out in the thoughts of the person. Hatred, lust, coveting, etc. these sins start out in the heart. Therefore, it is also your heart that is made pure in thought. It is your heart that justifies your beliefs. Talk to any person and you will find their hearts passions, for it is the driving force behind their motives and their actions. Therefore, do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, or are you just going through the motions. Going to church, singing the hymns, shaking hands, giving your tithes and offerings, only to live sinfully in the world, forgetting (or not even acknowledging) Sunday.
Salvation can be summed up in a three step ABC process. Admit. Believe. Confess.
Admit that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Believe that Jesus died on the cross, and was raised back to life by God. Confess that Jesus is Lord. You will be saved. Now the hard part. LIVE IT!! Obey the commands of Jesus.
What I like best about the this account is the question that was posed to the women. 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?' Jesus is not dead. It is not a Christians responsibility to prove the Jesus lived 2000 years ago. It is a Christians responsibility to show the Jesus is alive today.
Have a blessed Easter
Daniel G Vandenburg
ps Listen to Newsong's "Arise My Love"
Restoring the Church From Within Pt III: Ignore Negativity
But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple's foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy (Ezra 3:12 NLT)
I don’t like the way that is done. It won’t work. We don’t need to change anything, they way we are doing it works. What do these sentences have in common? These sentences are opposed to change. When we attempt to restore the church from within, there is going to be changes made, whether it be physical or spiritual. There will be opposition, even from the believers. The most important thing to do when restoring the church from within: Ignore the negativity.
When a church family is on a downward growth trend, the focus tends to be in the past. In order to restore the church to it’s once former glory, changes need to be made. Whether the change comes from a physical standpoint (replacing pews with chairs, repainting the sanctuary, changing the style of music, or an assortment of other things) to spiritual (the methods used to deliver the message), an honest assessment must be made. Therefore, there will also be attacks from those within the church that find these changes as unnecessary and Anti-Christian.
There are seven words that when uttered, signify a dying or dead church. Those seven words are: We’ve never done it that way before. When those words are uttered, growth will cease and a decline will happen. Why? Times change, attention spans change, what people notice change, attitudes change. Because society changes, the church needs to change the methods to suit the society. If you want to attract teens to the church, have things that will excite them. If you want to attract young families to church, again have something that will pertain to them. What worked in the fifties, will not work now. What worked in the seventies will not work now. What worked in the nineties, will not work now. You need to know who you’re wanting to attract, and what they want. You need to assess why the person isn’t attending church, and if that is something you can fill. The methods will need to change, but the message must remain the same.
In order to ignore the negativity, you must refuse to be intimidated. Peter and John were standing before the Sanhedrin, they were intimidated with death and were commanded not to invoke the name of Jesus. "Then they (Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.’" (Acts 4:18,19 NIV) They stood up to the ruling council, knowing they were risking their lives, and said "No, we will not listen to man, but we will listen to God." They were willing to risk their lives, for the sake of the Gospel. Are you?
Aside from risking your life, what about your job? Is your job more important than God? Do you not think that God will provide for you if you stood up to your boss and said, "I will listen to God over you." I’m not saying march into your bosses office and give them the one fingered salute and demand that you preach every morning to the workers. I am saying, don’t let fear of losing your job hinder the spread of the Gospel to those that are hurting. Think about this: If people are willing to die for the Gospel, are you willing to lose your job? One can be replaced, the other can not. (Before I get put on the spot with questions. . . yes I have stood up to my bosses and quoted that bit of scripture. I don’t challenge someone to do something, if I’m not willing to do it myself.)
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let what other non-believers think hinder you. In our society, we are so concerned that we might offend someone, that we would rather remain PC and not spread the Gospel message to anyone. Greg Laurie, once said, (misquoted by me) "Who would you rather offend, man or God." If you’re afraid that you will offend someone by not spreading the Gospel to them, and they die never knowing the hope of salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ, and then you stand before the Father in heaven, are you going to say, "I didn’t want to offend him." What do you think God’s response will be? We should not be here to please man. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10 NIV)
Don’t let the fear of what other believers might think stop you also.. If it is from God, stand up for it, even if you are the only one standing. When the Sanhedrin were discussing the fate of Paul and John, there were given a warning by a highly esteemed teacher, Gamaliel. "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5:38,39 NIV)
The other way to restore the church from within, is for you, yourself to avoid criticism. Be a leader by example. Avoid using words like, "I don’t like that. It won’t work. That’s stupid. We’ve never done . . ." Be a positive person. Use words that will only build up, not tear down. "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph 4:29) Support those who have ideas, that may not mesh with yours, but will benefit the church. Most of the times, the best ideas come from other people.
When restoring the church from within, it is important to have these three qualities. You must include God, invite others, and ignore the negativity.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
I don’t like the way that is done. It won’t work. We don’t need to change anything, they way we are doing it works. What do these sentences have in common? These sentences are opposed to change. When we attempt to restore the church from within, there is going to be changes made, whether it be physical or spiritual. There will be opposition, even from the believers. The most important thing to do when restoring the church from within: Ignore the negativity.
When a church family is on a downward growth trend, the focus tends to be in the past. In order to restore the church to it’s once former glory, changes need to be made. Whether the change comes from a physical standpoint (replacing pews with chairs, repainting the sanctuary, changing the style of music, or an assortment of other things) to spiritual (the methods used to deliver the message), an honest assessment must be made. Therefore, there will also be attacks from those within the church that find these changes as unnecessary and Anti-Christian.
There are seven words that when uttered, signify a dying or dead church. Those seven words are: We’ve never done it that way before. When those words are uttered, growth will cease and a decline will happen. Why? Times change, attention spans change, what people notice change, attitudes change. Because society changes, the church needs to change the methods to suit the society. If you want to attract teens to the church, have things that will excite them. If you want to attract young families to church, again have something that will pertain to them. What worked in the fifties, will not work now. What worked in the seventies will not work now. What worked in the nineties, will not work now. You need to know who you’re wanting to attract, and what they want. You need to assess why the person isn’t attending church, and if that is something you can fill. The methods will need to change, but the message must remain the same.
In order to ignore the negativity, you must refuse to be intimidated. Peter and John were standing before the Sanhedrin, they were intimidated with death and were commanded not to invoke the name of Jesus. "Then they (Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.’" (Acts 4:18,19 NIV) They stood up to the ruling council, knowing they were risking their lives, and said "No, we will not listen to man, but we will listen to God." They were willing to risk their lives, for the sake of the Gospel. Are you?
Aside from risking your life, what about your job? Is your job more important than God? Do you not think that God will provide for you if you stood up to your boss and said, "I will listen to God over you." I’m not saying march into your bosses office and give them the one fingered salute and demand that you preach every morning to the workers. I am saying, don’t let fear of losing your job hinder the spread of the Gospel to those that are hurting. Think about this: If people are willing to die for the Gospel, are you willing to lose your job? One can be replaced, the other can not. (Before I get put on the spot with questions. . . yes I have stood up to my bosses and quoted that bit of scripture. I don’t challenge someone to do something, if I’m not willing to do it myself.)
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let what other non-believers think hinder you. In our society, we are so concerned that we might offend someone, that we would rather remain PC and not spread the Gospel message to anyone. Greg Laurie, once said, (misquoted by me) "Who would you rather offend, man or God." If you’re afraid that you will offend someone by not spreading the Gospel to them, and they die never knowing the hope of salvation that is offered through Jesus Christ, and then you stand before the Father in heaven, are you going to say, "I didn’t want to offend him." What do you think God’s response will be? We should not be here to please man. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10 NIV)
Don’t let the fear of what other believers might think stop you also.. If it is from God, stand up for it, even if you are the only one standing. When the Sanhedrin were discussing the fate of Paul and John, there were given a warning by a highly esteemed teacher, Gamaliel. "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5:38,39 NIV)
The other way to restore the church from within, is for you, yourself to avoid criticism. Be a leader by example. Avoid using words like, "I don’t like that. It won’t work. That’s stupid. We’ve never done . . ." Be a positive person. Use words that will only build up, not tear down. "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph 4:29) Support those who have ideas, that may not mesh with yours, but will benefit the church. Most of the times, the best ideas come from other people.
When restoring the church from within, it is important to have these three qualities. You must include God, invite others, and ignore the negativity.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Restoring the Church From Within Pt II: Invite Others
"Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia." (Ezra 3:7)
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken." (Ecc 4:9,12 NIV)
Rarely does anyone accomplish something on their own. Columbus took three ships when he accidently found the New World. Magellan never circumnavigated the world, yet he is credited with being the first to do so. Neil Armstrong never would have made it to the moon without the help of others on the ground, and "Buzz" Aldrin with him in the capsule. Moses led the Hebrew people out of Egypt with the help of his brother Aaron. Daniel had three friends to help him out. Paul had Barnabas and later Silas. Jesus knew the importance of having another person with you, "Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits." (Mark 6:7 NIV). When it comes to restoring the church from within, we must invite others.
The first step to inviting others is to invite them to church with you. The people that you want to invite to church are those that are unchurched and those that are unbelievers. You want to avoid proselytizing. If they attend a church, don’t reshuffle the deck, but there is something for you to invite them to do, and that will be addressed later. Our competition is not with the other church down the street. Our competition is with Satan, and winning people’s lives to Christ.
Who are the unchurched? The unchurched are those that have at one time or another, experienced attending a church. Your responsibility then is to figure out why they no longer attend church. They will give you a plethora of excuses, and realize that is what they are. All the church asks for is money. The music is too slow. The music is too loud. They’re all hypocrites. The pastor wears purple too much. As a believer, you must somehow tear down those excuses. When dealing with unchurched people, it is still best to use scripture. Unchurched people, know that believers use the Bible, and most unchurched people still read the Bible.
One of the first scriptures you point to them is Hebrews 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (NIV) Break that passage down for them. "Let us not give up meeting together." It is a good idea to continue to meet with fellow Christians. Why? It comes down to the strength of a group opposed to the strength of a single person. Satan is like a lion looking for the weak to devour. He seeks out those that are alone, to lead them to destruction. "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8 NIV)
"As some are in the habit of doing." Others have already given up meeting together. They have fallen from the faith and are floundering. They have become weakened, because the cord they use is not strong. They have given into (conformed) to the world’s standards and have been tempted away by Satan. They may believe that they are saved, but does their lifestyle show it.
"Let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." One of the biggest misconceptions of church is that the church is full of discouragement. Church should be one of encouragement. Many other times, scripture refers to the encouraging of others, not the discouraging of others. As brothers and sisters of faith, we must encourage each other. Help them with their problems, help them out of their jams. God did not put us on this planet to be islands, but he created us to be needful of each other.
Will all of this convince the unchurched people to attend church? If you go with God’s leading, yes it will. If you do it on your own, they may possibly show up for a while, but when something goes wrong, their logic will state, this church isn’t better than any of the other churches. The biggest thing to do, is to continually encourage one another.
I believe (I may be wrong, but this is just my opinion, based on my own experiences) it is easier to invite a nonbeliever to church than an unchurched person. Who is a nonbeliever? A nonbeliever is a person that has rarely or never heard the gospel message. They may have heard of Jesus in passing, but they have 1. Never set a foot in church. 2. Never accepted Jesus as their savior. With nonbelievers, you just have to break down their walls of ignorance. When dealing with a nonbeliever, it is best to use your own testimony. Most of the time, scripture won’t work. They don’t believe in the power of scripture, so avoid using it if you are able too. No matter how hard their heart is toward God, the one thing they can’t deny is what God has done for you. They may not accept it, but God and you know, you opened the truth to them. You planted a seed, and pray that someone will come along and water it.
What to do with other believers that attend a church somewhere? You still invite them. You may not invite them to church, but you invite them to help with the restoration. How? You invite them to help restore. There are two ways to help restore the church from within. Spiritual and physical.
Spiritually, you can invite them to pray for the church. They can pray individually for the church, or as a congregation, they can pray for the church. As Christians, if we lift up and honor other people of God, then God will bless us for glorifying His family. If we put aside our doctrinal differences and pray for the church down the street, God will not only bless our family, but He will open our hearts and our eyes to the plight of other families of God. As stated earlier, our competition is not with the church down the street, our competition is with Satan.
Physically, you can invite them to help with the changes within the building. I know a small congregation that repainted the sanctuary and removed the pews to put in chairs. The congregation would have been unable to do it, if they wouldn’t have invited another church family to come help with the remodeling process. So, one Saturday about 20 capable people, removed 16 pews, of a length of 15 feet, weighing approximately 500 pounds each. This congregation, could not have done it without the help of the other church. In turn, if a church asks for your help, either by praying or by physical labor, don’t turn them down because they aren’t your denomination. Put that aside, and help because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
When restoring the church from within, it is best to invite others. Whether it is in prayer, or rebuilding, invite others to help. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matt 18:19)
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken." (Ecc 4:9,12 NIV)
Rarely does anyone accomplish something on their own. Columbus took three ships when he accidently found the New World. Magellan never circumnavigated the world, yet he is credited with being the first to do so. Neil Armstrong never would have made it to the moon without the help of others on the ground, and "Buzz" Aldrin with him in the capsule. Moses led the Hebrew people out of Egypt with the help of his brother Aaron. Daniel had three friends to help him out. Paul had Barnabas and later Silas. Jesus knew the importance of having another person with you, "Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits." (Mark 6:7 NIV). When it comes to restoring the church from within, we must invite others.
The first step to inviting others is to invite them to church with you. The people that you want to invite to church are those that are unchurched and those that are unbelievers. You want to avoid proselytizing. If they attend a church, don’t reshuffle the deck, but there is something for you to invite them to do, and that will be addressed later. Our competition is not with the other church down the street. Our competition is with Satan, and winning people’s lives to Christ.
Who are the unchurched? The unchurched are those that have at one time or another, experienced attending a church. Your responsibility then is to figure out why they no longer attend church. They will give you a plethora of excuses, and realize that is what they are. All the church asks for is money. The music is too slow. The music is too loud. They’re all hypocrites. The pastor wears purple too much. As a believer, you must somehow tear down those excuses. When dealing with unchurched people, it is still best to use scripture. Unchurched people, know that believers use the Bible, and most unchurched people still read the Bible.
One of the first scriptures you point to them is Hebrews 10:25 "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (NIV) Break that passage down for them. "Let us not give up meeting together." It is a good idea to continue to meet with fellow Christians. Why? It comes down to the strength of a group opposed to the strength of a single person. Satan is like a lion looking for the weak to devour. He seeks out those that are alone, to lead them to destruction. "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8 NIV)
"As some are in the habit of doing." Others have already given up meeting together. They have fallen from the faith and are floundering. They have become weakened, because the cord they use is not strong. They have given into (conformed) to the world’s standards and have been tempted away by Satan. They may believe that they are saved, but does their lifestyle show it.
"Let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." One of the biggest misconceptions of church is that the church is full of discouragement. Church should be one of encouragement. Many other times, scripture refers to the encouraging of others, not the discouraging of others. As brothers and sisters of faith, we must encourage each other. Help them with their problems, help them out of their jams. God did not put us on this planet to be islands, but he created us to be needful of each other.
Will all of this convince the unchurched people to attend church? If you go with God’s leading, yes it will. If you do it on your own, they may possibly show up for a while, but when something goes wrong, their logic will state, this church isn’t better than any of the other churches. The biggest thing to do, is to continually encourage one another.
I believe (I may be wrong, but this is just my opinion, based on my own experiences) it is easier to invite a nonbeliever to church than an unchurched person. Who is a nonbeliever? A nonbeliever is a person that has rarely or never heard the gospel message. They may have heard of Jesus in passing, but they have 1. Never set a foot in church. 2. Never accepted Jesus as their savior. With nonbelievers, you just have to break down their walls of ignorance. When dealing with a nonbeliever, it is best to use your own testimony. Most of the time, scripture won’t work. They don’t believe in the power of scripture, so avoid using it if you are able too. No matter how hard their heart is toward God, the one thing they can’t deny is what God has done for you. They may not accept it, but God and you know, you opened the truth to them. You planted a seed, and pray that someone will come along and water it.
What to do with other believers that attend a church somewhere? You still invite them. You may not invite them to church, but you invite them to help with the restoration. How? You invite them to help restore. There are two ways to help restore the church from within. Spiritual and physical.
Spiritually, you can invite them to pray for the church. They can pray individually for the church, or as a congregation, they can pray for the church. As Christians, if we lift up and honor other people of God, then God will bless us for glorifying His family. If we put aside our doctrinal differences and pray for the church down the street, God will not only bless our family, but He will open our hearts and our eyes to the plight of other families of God. As stated earlier, our competition is not with the church down the street, our competition is with Satan.
Physically, you can invite them to help with the changes within the building. I know a small congregation that repainted the sanctuary and removed the pews to put in chairs. The congregation would have been unable to do it, if they wouldn’t have invited another church family to come help with the remodeling process. So, one Saturday about 20 capable people, removed 16 pews, of a length of 15 feet, weighing approximately 500 pounds each. This congregation, could not have done it without the help of the other church. In turn, if a church asks for your help, either by praying or by physical labor, don’t turn them down because they aren’t your denomination. Put that aside, and help because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
When restoring the church from within, it is best to invite others. Whether it is in prayer, or rebuilding, invite others to help. "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matt 18:19)
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
Monday, March 19, 2007
Restoring the Church From Within Pt I: Include God
"Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offering on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices." (Ezra 3:2,3 NIV)
Throughout our life, we have our ups and downs. There are some points that are really good for us and then there are the points that are really bad for us. The excitement of birth, the pain of death. The joy of victory the agony of defeat. We go through wonderful and glorious times in relationships and then we suffer through broken engagements, only to repeat the cycle, hoping that at some point the next one will be the last one. It is when we are down and our souls are weary, when trouble comes and our heart is burdened, then, it is time for a restoration.
What is restoration? According to Noah (Webster that is) restoration is: 1.the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment. 3.a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. Restoration is therefore, the restoring or reestablishment of something (or someone) to a former unimpaired condition. If we are going to restore the church from within, we have to begin by restoring ourselves. How do we go about restoring ourselves?
The first step of restoration is to include God. We must include God in everything that we do. How do we include God in everything? The first thing is to reestablish our relationship with Him. We accomplish that by repenting ( read earlier blog) and releasing our burdens upon Him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 12:28 NIV). Release what you are burdened with and give it to God. Get on your knees, or raise your head, or do whatever you do when you pray and say something like, "God, I have problems, I have burdens, take them from me and You deal with it." It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be easy to ask for help. God is waiting for you to come to Him so He can give you rest from your burdens.
When we repent and hand our burdens over to him, we move into the second step. We must recommit to Him. We must make a commitment to serve Him, and to accept Jesus as our savior. We must commit everything in our lives to Him. "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will not fail." (Prov 16:3) We commit all phases of our lives to Him. Whether it be at work, play, (I know a softball team that before they take the field, will pray and commit the game to God) and especially in your relationships, make sure God is involved. Regardless how trivial you may think the thing may be, if you commit it to God and commit your life to God, everything that is done will help with the restoration process.
When we commit to God, we must put God first in everything. God has to be first, not second, not third, and definitely not 9,736,471. God must be first above your work, play, and your family. I know that’s a tough one to swallow, have God ahead of your spouse, and your children, for some, above your work. If you commit to God everything, first and foremost, all of your needs will be given unto you. People say, "Don’t let anything or anyone come between you and your spouse." I say, "There is one person that needs to be between you and your spouse, God." To give you an analogy (one that may appear to contradict my "put God first" statement, but doesn’t when you actually apply it) (Thanks Pa). If you put your spouse between you and God, He can reach His arm around your spouse and rest His hand on your shoulder. If you put you between your spouse and God, He can reach His arm around you and rest His hand on your spouses shoulder. If you put God between you and your spouse, He can put one arm around each of you and bring you together. Because God is between you and your spouse, He is placed higher than your spouse. Yet, God will not do anything to destroy your marriage covenant, for He established marriage.
Once you recommit and place God as your primary commitment, you must refocus your life. The primary thought process in refocusing your life is this statement from Max Lucado, "It’s not about me, it’s about Him." (Which is also the title of a blog entry of someone absolutely special to me - one who knows what patience (patients) is all about). Realize that what you do is to glorify God and not bring glory to yourself. One example of doing what would appear to be God’s will and only ends up glorifying yourself is: Protesting the closing down of a pornographic adult store, while demanding that your picture be taken, placed on the front page of the newspaper, with your name and everyone else who protests with you, so the whole county will know who is against it. The focus isn’t on God, it’s on yourself. While protesting against sin is something God wants us to do, to do it and to boast on yourself, so others know you’re doing it, is wrong. "Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matt 6:1 NIV). Remove the glory from you and give the glory to God.
The Israelites knew the importance of having a restored relationship with God. When they were allowed to return to Jerusalem, from captivity, the first thing they did when rebuilding the temple was to rebuild the altar. They built the altar, before they began to build the Temple. In today’s society that is the equivalent of building the pulpit, and then build the church around the pulpit. They wanted to have communion, with God. They wanted to feel the presence of God. So before they began any rebuilding of the Temple, the first thing they did, was to restore their relationship with God. They knew that in order to restore their "church" they needed to include God in all that they did. Let us learn from them. Before we begin anything, let us include God in all that we do.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
This is a 3 part series of the message that I gave in a Sunday morning worship service on March 4th.
Throughout our life, we have our ups and downs. There are some points that are really good for us and then there are the points that are really bad for us. The excitement of birth, the pain of death. The joy of victory the agony of defeat. We go through wonderful and glorious times in relationships and then we suffer through broken engagements, only to repeat the cycle, hoping that at some point the next one will be the last one. It is when we are down and our souls are weary, when trouble comes and our heart is burdened, then, it is time for a restoration.
What is restoration? According to Noah (Webster that is) restoration is: 1.the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment. 3.a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. Restoration is therefore, the restoring or reestablishment of something (or someone) to a former unimpaired condition. If we are going to restore the church from within, we have to begin by restoring ourselves. How do we go about restoring ourselves?
The first step of restoration is to include God. We must include God in everything that we do. How do we include God in everything? The first thing is to reestablish our relationship with Him. We accomplish that by repenting ( read earlier blog) and releasing our burdens upon Him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 12:28 NIV). Release what you are burdened with and give it to God. Get on your knees, or raise your head, or do whatever you do when you pray and say something like, "God, I have problems, I have burdens, take them from me and You deal with it." It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be easy to ask for help. God is waiting for you to come to Him so He can give you rest from your burdens.
When we repent and hand our burdens over to him, we move into the second step. We must recommit to Him. We must make a commitment to serve Him, and to accept Jesus as our savior. We must commit everything in our lives to Him. "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will not fail." (Prov 16:3) We commit all phases of our lives to Him. Whether it be at work, play, (I know a softball team that before they take the field, will pray and commit the game to God) and especially in your relationships, make sure God is involved. Regardless how trivial you may think the thing may be, if you commit it to God and commit your life to God, everything that is done will help with the restoration process.
When we commit to God, we must put God first in everything. God has to be first, not second, not third, and definitely not 9,736,471. God must be first above your work, play, and your family. I know that’s a tough one to swallow, have God ahead of your spouse, and your children, for some, above your work. If you commit to God everything, first and foremost, all of your needs will be given unto you. People say, "Don’t let anything or anyone come between you and your spouse." I say, "There is one person that needs to be between you and your spouse, God." To give you an analogy (one that may appear to contradict my "put God first" statement, but doesn’t when you actually apply it) (Thanks Pa). If you put your spouse between you and God, He can reach His arm around your spouse and rest His hand on your shoulder. If you put you between your spouse and God, He can reach His arm around you and rest His hand on your spouses shoulder. If you put God between you and your spouse, He can put one arm around each of you and bring you together. Because God is between you and your spouse, He is placed higher than your spouse. Yet, God will not do anything to destroy your marriage covenant, for He established marriage.
Once you recommit and place God as your primary commitment, you must refocus your life. The primary thought process in refocusing your life is this statement from Max Lucado, "It’s not about me, it’s about Him." (Which is also the title of a blog entry of someone absolutely special to me - one who knows what patience (patients) is all about). Realize that what you do is to glorify God and not bring glory to yourself. One example of doing what would appear to be God’s will and only ends up glorifying yourself is: Protesting the closing down of a pornographic adult store, while demanding that your picture be taken, placed on the front page of the newspaper, with your name and everyone else who protests with you, so the whole county will know who is against it. The focus isn’t on God, it’s on yourself. While protesting against sin is something God wants us to do, to do it and to boast on yourself, so others know you’re doing it, is wrong. "Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matt 6:1 NIV). Remove the glory from you and give the glory to God.
The Israelites knew the importance of having a restored relationship with God. When they were allowed to return to Jerusalem, from captivity, the first thing they did when rebuilding the temple was to rebuild the altar. They built the altar, before they began to build the Temple. In today’s society that is the equivalent of building the pulpit, and then build the church around the pulpit. They wanted to have communion, with God. They wanted to feel the presence of God. So before they began any rebuilding of the Temple, the first thing they did, was to restore their relationship with God. They knew that in order to restore their "church" they needed to include God in all that they did. Let us learn from them. Before we begin anything, let us include God in all that we do.
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
This is a 3 part series of the message that I gave in a Sunday morning worship service on March 4th.
Friday, February 23, 2007
REPENTANCE: Just Feeling Sorry?
Independence Day, Deep Impact, Strange Days, even Superman. What do these movies have in common? At some point in the movie, some poor fellow is running around with a sign that reads "The end is near". In other movies, they portray a "Christian" with the same sign with one little change, the sign will read, "Repent, the end is near." REPENT.
Repentance is not something new to Christians. John the Baptist (or Baptizer, depending on the teaching that you received) was preaching repentance, "And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." (Mark 1:4 NIV) So what is repentance?
Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. Repentance is also the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God. Repentance, therefore, is a relinquishment of any sinful practice through a change of mind resulting from a conversion from sin and into a life, living for God. The Greek word that is used in this passage is metanoia which means (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision): - repentance. A reversal of ones decisions. It is a reformation, a turning away a reversal of ones decisions. (Strong’s Concordance #G3341)
What then, are we repenting from? Sin. What is sin? Sin is disobedience to God. Sin is doing things that we should not be doing. As it is written in I John 3:4, "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." (NIV). Who’s law? God’s law. If God said it was a sin 2000 years ago, it is still a sin today. If God said something is detestable to Him, it’s still detestable to Him. Sin is also not doing what must be done. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins." (James 4:17 NIV). In essence, breaking God’s law and not doing what is right, is sin.
When we look at repentance and what is true repentance, we find some misunderstandings to the repentance. Some people are taught that repentance is just feeling sorry for what they did. That’s sort of right. Are you sorry that you got caught and subsequently punished? That’s not repentance, that’s a fear of punishment. Are you sorry for the pain that you caused other people? That’s not even repentance. When repenting it starts with a degree of sorrow, a deep mournful sorrow, for the pain that was caused to the heavenly Father. Then, the promise not to do it again. Ever. That’s what leads to repentance. That in a nutshell is repentance. The promise to God not to do it again.
Jesus when forgiving sins, He would say in one form or another, "Don’t do it anymore." "Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’" (John 5:14) "Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you.?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’" (John 8:10-11 NIV).
Repentance begins with acknowledging our sin. True repentance comes from not doing it anymore, and forgiveness comes from repentance. "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of his offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live." (Ezekiel 18:21,22 NIV) Following those verses is a warning, if you don’t truly repent and return to wickedness, "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable thing the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die." (Ezekiel 18:24 NIV)
The myth that Christians can go to a member of the clergy, whether it be a priest, pastor, or any leadership person, and then say a few prayers of forgiveness and then go back and do it again, and be forgiven, is false. When one truly repents, they will not purposely do it again.
Today is a good day to repent and to turn to God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
Repentance is not something new to Christians. John the Baptist (or Baptizer, depending on the teaching that you received) was preaching repentance, "And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." (Mark 1:4 NIV) So what is repentance?
Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. Repentance is also the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God. Repentance, therefore, is a relinquishment of any sinful practice through a change of mind resulting from a conversion from sin and into a life, living for God. The Greek word that is used in this passage is metanoia which means (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision): - repentance. A reversal of ones decisions. It is a reformation, a turning away a reversal of ones decisions. (Strong’s Concordance #G3341)
What then, are we repenting from? Sin. What is sin? Sin is disobedience to God. Sin is doing things that we should not be doing. As it is written in I John 3:4, "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." (NIV). Who’s law? God’s law. If God said it was a sin 2000 years ago, it is still a sin today. If God said something is detestable to Him, it’s still detestable to Him. Sin is also not doing what must be done. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins." (James 4:17 NIV). In essence, breaking God’s law and not doing what is right, is sin.
When we look at repentance and what is true repentance, we find some misunderstandings to the repentance. Some people are taught that repentance is just feeling sorry for what they did. That’s sort of right. Are you sorry that you got caught and subsequently punished? That’s not repentance, that’s a fear of punishment. Are you sorry for the pain that you caused other people? That’s not even repentance. When repenting it starts with a degree of sorrow, a deep mournful sorrow, for the pain that was caused to the heavenly Father. Then, the promise not to do it again. Ever. That’s what leads to repentance. That in a nutshell is repentance. The promise to God not to do it again.
Jesus when forgiving sins, He would say in one form or another, "Don’t do it anymore." "Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.’" (John 5:14) "Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you.?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’" (John 8:10-11 NIV).
Repentance begins with acknowledging our sin. True repentance comes from not doing it anymore, and forgiveness comes from repentance. "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of his offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live." (Ezekiel 18:21,22 NIV) Following those verses is a warning, if you don’t truly repent and return to wickedness, "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable thing the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die." (Ezekiel 18:24 NIV)
The myth that Christians can go to a member of the clergy, whether it be a priest, pastor, or any leadership person, and then say a few prayers of forgiveness and then go back and do it again, and be forgiven, is false. When one truly repents, they will not purposely do it again.
Today is a good day to repent and to turn to God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
Monday, January 22, 2007
Three Aspects of Forgiveness
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 2:1,2 NIV)
It is written that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23 NIV). Knowing that we all have sinned, what then must we do to correct the problem? How do we seek forgiveness and from whom do we seek forgiveness? What must de done to seek the forgiveness? What type of penance must we pay for forgiveness? I will attempt to answer these questions and maybe a few more that pop up into the article.
When we are living a life of lawlessness, we are sinning, for sin is lawlessness. When we disobey the commands of God, we have sinned and we must seek forgiveness. What is one of the first step towards seeking forgiveness? First is to recognize the sin and to repent from it. Repentance is something that many people tend to stumble over. Repent by definition means to turn completely away from. Figuratively it means to do a 180 degree turnaround, to go in the opposite direction. When we are able
to recognize that we have sinned, we stop, turn around, and walk away from it. Repentance is not feeling sorry that you were caught, it is feeling sorry that you did it. I believe (and this is just me, I haven’t heard anyone else express this thought) that what we call our conscience is actually the Holy Spirit working within us to convict us of the wrong that we are doing. Once we repent, we ask for forgiveness, and this is what leads us to the three aspects of forgiveness.
GOD’S FORGIVENESS
What is forgiveness? The dictionary defines forgiveness (forgive) v 1. To grant pardon for or remission of (something); cease to demand the penalty for. 2. To grant freedom from penalty to (someone) 3. To cease to blame or feel resentment against.1 (Emphasis mine) What is the penalty of sin? Death!
When God forgives us, we are no longer bound to the penalty of death. This death is not a physical death, but a spiritual death. When we recognize that we have sinned, we need to confess the sin to God, and He will forgive us. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9 NIV)
The real beauty of God’s forgiveness, is that once He forgives us, He will no longer remember the sin that we committed. "‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’" (Heb 10:16-17 NIV) My favorite analogy is this: Your life is always being captured on a VCR tape. Everything you do, everything you say, everything you think, is being recorded. When you sin, it’s caught on tape. When you confess your sin to God, He erases that part of the tape. Once it is erased, it can no longer be brought back. For further insight, open your Bible to Ezekiel 18 and read the entire chapter.
Knowing that God is just to forgive our sins, does this mean that we can continue on sinning? By no means! "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Rom 6:1,2 NIV) It is an insult and borderline blasphemy to deliberately sin against God, with the foreknowledge that He will forgive you. Again, focus on Ezekiel 18.
FORGIVENESS FOR OTHERS
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent’, forgive him." (Luke 17:3b-4 NIV) As humans, we will fail against our fellow human. When someone sins against us, and they repent, and ask for forgiveness, we are to forgive them. Is it easy? No, it’s not. Our own instinct is to do something in return. To make them pay for the pain and anguish they caused us. We want revenge. Yet, Jesus commanded that we are to forgive them. Part of the "model prayer" states that we are to forgive others, so that we also can be forgiven (read Matthew 6:9-15).
If we don’t forgive the person, we end up carrying a burden that we can’t get rid of. We struggle through life, unaware of what is wrong. Every time we see the person, the anger that we carry, resurfaces. Our stress levels rise, and we tend to lose all sense and sensibilities with that person. That comes from not forgiving the person.
When we forgive the person, we have to no longer blame the person for what they have done. We have to cease to blame them. I know it’s tough, but it is something that has to be done. Forgiving the person means not harboring ill feelings towards them, and not bringing up the incident in a heated argument four years later. When we forgive the person, we cease to blame them for their actions. The four steps to forgiving the person is; 1. Talk it Out, 2. Work it Out, 3. Gossip Never, 4. Friends Forever. Talk to them, explain how much you were hurt. Work on the solution to the problem. Don’t talk to other people and don’t bring it up at a later time to the person. (In other words, don’t throw it back into their face the wrongs that they have done). By doing this, you will have enhanced the Kingdom of God and you will have a friend forever. Is it easy, not at all. But, it must be done.
FORGIVENESS OF YOURSELF
A couple of months ago, I had to stand before the District Board of Ministerial Development. I had to discuss everything about my call into the ministry, my strengths, my weaknesses, and my past. While discussing everything, one of them asked me the same question my dad has asked me, "Have you been able to forgive those that have sinned against you in the past?" My answer was a resounding, Yes! He looked at me and said "Good, now have you forgiven yourself for what has happened?" That question had hit me hard. Had I forgiven myself? By the time I was standing before them, I had. If I was before them, two years earlier, I could have easily said "No".
Once we have acknowledged that we are sinners and that we have disobeyed God, the feeling of disappointment, will overcome us. We now feel "unworthy" of God’s love, because we are not perfect. We start to analyze all that we had done wrong, and carry it with us. God has forgiven you, it is now time that you have forgiven you.
If you carry unforgiveness for yourself, you will find it hard to forgive others. You will find it hard to understand how others can forgive you. You will carry a burden that will weigh you down, and it will deny you the opportunity to fully understand God’s grace and forgiveness.
When God forgives us, He throws those memories in the Ocean of Forgetfulness. Why then are we rowing our boat into the middle of it, trying to dredge up the memories. We must be able to forgive ourselves of our shortcomings or we will never be able to forgive those that have sinned against us.
Forgiveness will lead us into a closer relationship with God. By asking for forgiveness, by granting forgiveness to others, we grow closer to one another and to God. When we repent from our sins, we are a new creation. The old has passed the new has come to life. Once we commit our lives to Christ, it’s time we started living like it and not like the old ways.
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matt 6:14,15 NIV)
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
1. Funk and Wagnalls New International Dictionary of the English Language, Comprehensive Edition Library Guild World Publishers 1987
It is written that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23 NIV). Knowing that we all have sinned, what then must we do to correct the problem? How do we seek forgiveness and from whom do we seek forgiveness? What must de done to seek the forgiveness? What type of penance must we pay for forgiveness? I will attempt to answer these questions and maybe a few more that pop up into the article.
When we are living a life of lawlessness, we are sinning, for sin is lawlessness. When we disobey the commands of God, we have sinned and we must seek forgiveness. What is one of the first step towards seeking forgiveness? First is to recognize the sin and to repent from it. Repentance is something that many people tend to stumble over. Repent by definition means to turn completely away from. Figuratively it means to do a 180 degree turnaround, to go in the opposite direction. When we are able
to recognize that we have sinned, we stop, turn around, and walk away from it. Repentance is not feeling sorry that you were caught, it is feeling sorry that you did it. I believe (and this is just me, I haven’t heard anyone else express this thought) that what we call our conscience is actually the Holy Spirit working within us to convict us of the wrong that we are doing. Once we repent, we ask for forgiveness, and this is what leads us to the three aspects of forgiveness.
GOD’S FORGIVENESS
What is forgiveness? The dictionary defines forgiveness (forgive) v 1. To grant pardon for or remission of (something); cease to demand the penalty for. 2. To grant freedom from penalty to (someone) 3. To cease to blame or feel resentment against.1 (Emphasis mine) What is the penalty of sin? Death!
When God forgives us, we are no longer bound to the penalty of death. This death is not a physical death, but a spiritual death. When we recognize that we have sinned, we need to confess the sin to God, and He will forgive us. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9 NIV)
The real beauty of God’s forgiveness, is that once He forgives us, He will no longer remember the sin that we committed. "‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’" (Heb 10:16-17 NIV) My favorite analogy is this: Your life is always being captured on a VCR tape. Everything you do, everything you say, everything you think, is being recorded. When you sin, it’s caught on tape. When you confess your sin to God, He erases that part of the tape. Once it is erased, it can no longer be brought back. For further insight, open your Bible to Ezekiel 18 and read the entire chapter.
Knowing that God is just to forgive our sins, does this mean that we can continue on sinning? By no means! "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Rom 6:1,2 NIV) It is an insult and borderline blasphemy to deliberately sin against God, with the foreknowledge that He will forgive you. Again, focus on Ezekiel 18.
FORGIVENESS FOR OTHERS
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent’, forgive him." (Luke 17:3b-4 NIV) As humans, we will fail against our fellow human. When someone sins against us, and they repent, and ask for forgiveness, we are to forgive them. Is it easy? No, it’s not. Our own instinct is to do something in return. To make them pay for the pain and anguish they caused us. We want revenge. Yet, Jesus commanded that we are to forgive them. Part of the "model prayer" states that we are to forgive others, so that we also can be forgiven (read Matthew 6:9-15).
If we don’t forgive the person, we end up carrying a burden that we can’t get rid of. We struggle through life, unaware of what is wrong. Every time we see the person, the anger that we carry, resurfaces. Our stress levels rise, and we tend to lose all sense and sensibilities with that person. That comes from not forgiving the person.
When we forgive the person, we have to no longer blame the person for what they have done. We have to cease to blame them. I know it’s tough, but it is something that has to be done. Forgiving the person means not harboring ill feelings towards them, and not bringing up the incident in a heated argument four years later. When we forgive the person, we cease to blame them for their actions. The four steps to forgiving the person is; 1. Talk it Out, 2. Work it Out, 3. Gossip Never, 4. Friends Forever. Talk to them, explain how much you were hurt. Work on the solution to the problem. Don’t talk to other people and don’t bring it up at a later time to the person. (In other words, don’t throw it back into their face the wrongs that they have done). By doing this, you will have enhanced the Kingdom of God and you will have a friend forever. Is it easy, not at all. But, it must be done.
FORGIVENESS OF YOURSELF
A couple of months ago, I had to stand before the District Board of Ministerial Development. I had to discuss everything about my call into the ministry, my strengths, my weaknesses, and my past. While discussing everything, one of them asked me the same question my dad has asked me, "Have you been able to forgive those that have sinned against you in the past?" My answer was a resounding, Yes! He looked at me and said "Good, now have you forgiven yourself for what has happened?" That question had hit me hard. Had I forgiven myself? By the time I was standing before them, I had. If I was before them, two years earlier, I could have easily said "No".
Once we have acknowledged that we are sinners and that we have disobeyed God, the feeling of disappointment, will overcome us. We now feel "unworthy" of God’s love, because we are not perfect. We start to analyze all that we had done wrong, and carry it with us. God has forgiven you, it is now time that you have forgiven you.
If you carry unforgiveness for yourself, you will find it hard to forgive others. You will find it hard to understand how others can forgive you. You will carry a burden that will weigh you down, and it will deny you the opportunity to fully understand God’s grace and forgiveness.
When God forgives us, He throws those memories in the Ocean of Forgetfulness. Why then are we rowing our boat into the middle of it, trying to dredge up the memories. We must be able to forgive ourselves of our shortcomings or we will never be able to forgive those that have sinned against us.
Forgiveness will lead us into a closer relationship with God. By asking for forgiveness, by granting forgiveness to others, we grow closer to one another and to God. When we repent from our sins, we are a new creation. The old has passed the new has come to life. Once we commit our lives to Christ, it’s time we started living like it and not like the old ways.
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matt 6:14,15 NIV)
Have a blessed week
Daniel G Vandenburg
1. Funk and Wagnalls New International Dictionary of the English Language, Comprehensive Edition Library Guild World Publishers 1987
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
A New Creation: A Testimony
"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:16,17)
All scripture is from the New International Version, unless otherwise stated.
With the coming of a new year, most people make a promise to better themselves (resolutions). One study showed after the first week 25% of the people have failed at their resolution. After one month 36% of the people fail. After 6 months more than 50% of the people have failed at their resolution (http://www.proactive-coach.com/resolutions/keeping.htm). Why is that? Is it that they set unreasonable goals ( I will lose 2350 lbs), have unrealistic expectations (I will save a gabazillion dollars), or have a certain weakness ( I will limit my Pepsi consumption to only 20 cans a day).
Not to brag, but I would throw off all those studies. When I have made a resolution, I have managed to keep it, not just for that year, but for a long time after. I think the last resolution I made was: I will not buy a hunk of cheese and sit down and eat it. As I am trying not to break my arm patting myself on the back, I have not bought a hunk a cheese, or any type of cheese, and sat down unwrapped it and ate it. Now, those who don’t know me, I can’t eat cheese, therefore, I have kept that resolution. I set resolutions I know I don’t do so I don’t fail.
But, why do people tend to fail. For me, the answer is simple, they do it without Jesus. We try to make ourselves better without the one who can make us better- Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as our savior we become a new creation. The old person is dead, the new is alive. To give you an example, I will give a brief testimony of my life. For the first time, I will become vulnerable to all my readers (all 8 of you).
I was born September 17, 1971 to my parents Robert (Jack) and Trudy Vandenburg. (She’ll be happy I didn’t use her full name), in a small unknown town in Kansas. (Abilene, home of President Dwight Eisenhower and the Greyhound Hall of Fame). My parents later divorced and my pa moved to Missouri, where I would visit him and my stepmother Mary and brother David during the summers in my early childhood. I grew up with a church of Christ upbringing and Baptist upbringing in the summers.
Some studies show that if you watch a child when they are between the ages of 3 and 5, you will get a good idea on what they want to be when they grow up. When we would get home from church on Sundays, I would round up about 15-20 stuffed animals and give them a sermon. Most of the time it was the same sermon over and over, about God’s love to Daniel (imagine that) when he was in the lions den. I have always been interested in God’s word, and anytime I was at a book sale, I would inevitably find a Bible to purchase. I grew up knowing about Jesus, but not knowing Jesus.
In high school many of my friends and acquaintances assumed I was a Christian. I was always going to various church youth group activities and constantly talking to people about Jesus. I had close friends go into the ministry right out of high school. These same friends felt I should have entered into a seminary for ministerial training. This happened every year of my high school career, "Daniel, you should go to (insert name of Christian school here) and become a preacher" Even at graduation, I was given a Michael W Smith cassette. (Alisa, I still have that cassette, thanks) But I never felt the call, I knew the right words, I didn’t know the right attitude.
On the night of October 31st 1995, I went to bed. An hour and fifteen minutes after midnight I had "The Dream". I was surrounded by an army of demons and fighting them off with a staff. I would push a couple back and more would take their place. After a couple of minutes of this endless fight, a demon three times the size of the others pushed its way through the others. It knocked the staff out of my hands and thrust its hand into my chest. It grabbed my heart and started to squeeze it. While doing this, I heard a booming voice from above declare, "Change your ways or you will be dead in a year."
I immediately woke up, sweat soaked my sheets, I was breathing heavy, and my heart was racing. As I sat up, a white misty figure appeared at the corner of my bed and said, "Relax my son, I am with you now." Suddenly a wave of peace enveloped me, and I lay back down and fell asleep.
When I went to work (I worked at Hardee’s at this time), the woman I was dating at that time approached me and asked me if anything was wrong. I casually asked her what she meant, and she answered, "Daniel, you’re white as a sheet, there appears something is different." She wasn’t the only one that asked, most of the employees asked me if something was wrong, because I wasn’t my usual self. Since I was the shift supervisor that day, I sat in the office, most of the afternoon and early evening. Thankfully, the crew realized something was wrong and worked their tails off while I was struggling.
At 8 o’clock that night, I called Ken Mostue, then pastor of the Abilene Wesleyan Church, and I asked him if he was busy the next day, I had it off and wanted to talk to him. He said he didn’t have anything going on the next day and asked what it was about. I said, "I had a rough night last night and I wanted to talk to you about it, and I want to talk about Jesus and dedicating my life to Him." Ken answered, "I’ll be up right now, this is too important to wait." So I sat out in the lobby of Hardee’s from 8 until 10:30 talking about Jesus and committing my life to Him.
That night, I went to bed and had "The Dream Pt 2". Instead of fighting off demons, I was standing at a pulpit in a church. I was giving a sermon to a multitude of people. Again I heard a voice, the same as the night before, "Job well done, now I want you to lead my family." I had a restful sleep, but was at a loss of what to do. I was later baptized, and a woman in the church approached me and told me when I went under, she prayed to God to show her what He wanted for me, and she had a vision of me preaching in a church. I never told her or anyone about the other dream; that became public affirmation #1.
I became involved with various ministries throughout the church and community: Board member and later Vice President of Youth for Christ, youth leader of the Wesleyan church, voting Delegate to the General Conference, small group study leader, and various other things. I became proud and haughty. And then I had "The Fall"
In 1999, I opened my big fat mouth and inserted my foot, leading to a collapse of my spirituality. An elder in the church, was using the story of Cassie Bernall as a teaching tool. He said he wasn’t sure if he was faced with the decision she had if he would answer the same way. I stuck out my scrawny spiritual chest and said, "I would never deny Christ, I would answer yes." That was the start of the decline. After that day, my words may not have denied Christ, but my actions did. I did everything imaginable that went against Jesus’ teachings. The end result was my turning my back on God’s call and the receiving of a daughter. I felt I was no good as a minister, and useless to God. I had entered into the belly of the whale.
In 2002, I was working for the local newspaper. I was driving in the country listening to the radio station (KJRL at that time, now KJIL), I was having a rough day, everything on the radio kept making me feel worse about my situation. I kept thinking about the things I threw away, how God didn’t want me anymore, how everything was crumbling around me. Then a song on the radio came on and turned everything around for me. Richard Hayes announced the Mark Schultz song "Back In His Arms Again". After hearing it, I pulled over to the side of the road and wept. I poured out my transgressions to God and received His forgiveness. God used that song to bring me back to Him. I may have turned my back on Him, but He never turned His back on me. That night, I was talking to the woman I was involved with at that time about it, and she hunted down the CD and bought it for me, and then bought one for herself.
Throughout my journey, I have sinned against many people. I pray that they will find it in their hearts to forgive me, just as I have forgiven those that have sinned against me. I have forgiven myself for my transgressions, and I know God has forgiven me. I am now currently in classes for training as a pastor. God has blessed me greatly. If I boast now, let it be in Christ and not about me. It’s not about me anymore, it’s about Him.
I write all of this, so 1 you who read will know where I come from, 2 regardless of your paths in life, God wants to be in it and wants you to follow Him. 3 There is no such thing as sinning too much, God has a plan for you, stop doing things by yourself and turn to Him for help. And 4 God is just to forgive your sins when you truly repent and turn to Him.
I am a new creation. The old Daniel is dead. I am not the same as I was in 1971, 1987, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2006. I am constantly growing and learning. The Daniel of 1995 no longer exists. The Daniel of 2002 no longer exists. I am the Daniel of 2007.
If you have not yet made the decision to have Jesus as your savior, I urge you to make that your new years resolution. Resolve to make Jesus your personal savior, the sooner the better. Scripture is clear: We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) and The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23). The first couple of steps are simple believe and confess. "But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart’, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’" (Rom 10:8-11) Once you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it’s time to start living like it. Don’t rely on yourself to conquer your addictions and problems, ask God to help you with them. Don’t be afraid to contact a local pastor, a local believer, or even me, I am here to help.
Jesus is Lord
Have a blessed and wonderful year
Daniel G Vandenburg
All scripture is from the New International Version, unless otherwise stated.
With the coming of a new year, most people make a promise to better themselves (resolutions). One study showed after the first week 25% of the people have failed at their resolution. After one month 36% of the people fail. After 6 months more than 50% of the people have failed at their resolution (http://www.proactive-coach.com/resolutions/keeping.htm). Why is that? Is it that they set unreasonable goals ( I will lose 2350 lbs), have unrealistic expectations (I will save a gabazillion dollars), or have a certain weakness ( I will limit my Pepsi consumption to only 20 cans a day).
Not to brag, but I would throw off all those studies. When I have made a resolution, I have managed to keep it, not just for that year, but for a long time after. I think the last resolution I made was: I will not buy a hunk of cheese and sit down and eat it. As I am trying not to break my arm patting myself on the back, I have not bought a hunk a cheese, or any type of cheese, and sat down unwrapped it and ate it. Now, those who don’t know me, I can’t eat cheese, therefore, I have kept that resolution. I set resolutions I know I don’t do so I don’t fail.
But, why do people tend to fail. For me, the answer is simple, they do it without Jesus. We try to make ourselves better without the one who can make us better- Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as our savior we become a new creation. The old person is dead, the new is alive. To give you an example, I will give a brief testimony of my life. For the first time, I will become vulnerable to all my readers (all 8 of you).
I was born September 17, 1971 to my parents Robert (Jack) and Trudy Vandenburg. (She’ll be happy I didn’t use her full name), in a small unknown town in Kansas. (Abilene, home of President Dwight Eisenhower and the Greyhound Hall of Fame). My parents later divorced and my pa moved to Missouri, where I would visit him and my stepmother Mary and brother David during the summers in my early childhood. I grew up with a church of Christ upbringing and Baptist upbringing in the summers.
Some studies show that if you watch a child when they are between the ages of 3 and 5, you will get a good idea on what they want to be when they grow up. When we would get home from church on Sundays, I would round up about 15-20 stuffed animals and give them a sermon. Most of the time it was the same sermon over and over, about God’s love to Daniel (imagine that) when he was in the lions den. I have always been interested in God’s word, and anytime I was at a book sale, I would inevitably find a Bible to purchase. I grew up knowing about Jesus, but not knowing Jesus.
In high school many of my friends and acquaintances assumed I was a Christian. I was always going to various church youth group activities and constantly talking to people about Jesus. I had close friends go into the ministry right out of high school. These same friends felt I should have entered into a seminary for ministerial training. This happened every year of my high school career, "Daniel, you should go to (insert name of Christian school here) and become a preacher" Even at graduation, I was given a Michael W Smith cassette. (Alisa, I still have that cassette, thanks) But I never felt the call, I knew the right words, I didn’t know the right attitude.
On the night of October 31st 1995, I went to bed. An hour and fifteen minutes after midnight I had "The Dream". I was surrounded by an army of demons and fighting them off with a staff. I would push a couple back and more would take their place. After a couple of minutes of this endless fight, a demon three times the size of the others pushed its way through the others. It knocked the staff out of my hands and thrust its hand into my chest. It grabbed my heart and started to squeeze it. While doing this, I heard a booming voice from above declare, "Change your ways or you will be dead in a year."
I immediately woke up, sweat soaked my sheets, I was breathing heavy, and my heart was racing. As I sat up, a white misty figure appeared at the corner of my bed and said, "Relax my son, I am with you now." Suddenly a wave of peace enveloped me, and I lay back down and fell asleep.
When I went to work (I worked at Hardee’s at this time), the woman I was dating at that time approached me and asked me if anything was wrong. I casually asked her what she meant, and she answered, "Daniel, you’re white as a sheet, there appears something is different." She wasn’t the only one that asked, most of the employees asked me if something was wrong, because I wasn’t my usual self. Since I was the shift supervisor that day, I sat in the office, most of the afternoon and early evening. Thankfully, the crew realized something was wrong and worked their tails off while I was struggling.
At 8 o’clock that night, I called Ken Mostue, then pastor of the Abilene Wesleyan Church, and I asked him if he was busy the next day, I had it off and wanted to talk to him. He said he didn’t have anything going on the next day and asked what it was about. I said, "I had a rough night last night and I wanted to talk to you about it, and I want to talk about Jesus and dedicating my life to Him." Ken answered, "I’ll be up right now, this is too important to wait." So I sat out in the lobby of Hardee’s from 8 until 10:30 talking about Jesus and committing my life to Him.
That night, I went to bed and had "The Dream Pt 2". Instead of fighting off demons, I was standing at a pulpit in a church. I was giving a sermon to a multitude of people. Again I heard a voice, the same as the night before, "Job well done, now I want you to lead my family." I had a restful sleep, but was at a loss of what to do. I was later baptized, and a woman in the church approached me and told me when I went under, she prayed to God to show her what He wanted for me, and she had a vision of me preaching in a church. I never told her or anyone about the other dream; that became public affirmation #1.
I became involved with various ministries throughout the church and community: Board member and later Vice President of Youth for Christ, youth leader of the Wesleyan church, voting Delegate to the General Conference, small group study leader, and various other things. I became proud and haughty. And then I had "The Fall"
In 1999, I opened my big fat mouth and inserted my foot, leading to a collapse of my spirituality. An elder in the church, was using the story of Cassie Bernall as a teaching tool. He said he wasn’t sure if he was faced with the decision she had if he would answer the same way. I stuck out my scrawny spiritual chest and said, "I would never deny Christ, I would answer yes." That was the start of the decline. After that day, my words may not have denied Christ, but my actions did. I did everything imaginable that went against Jesus’ teachings. The end result was my turning my back on God’s call and the receiving of a daughter. I felt I was no good as a minister, and useless to God. I had entered into the belly of the whale.
In 2002, I was working for the local newspaper. I was driving in the country listening to the radio station (KJRL at that time, now KJIL), I was having a rough day, everything on the radio kept making me feel worse about my situation. I kept thinking about the things I threw away, how God didn’t want me anymore, how everything was crumbling around me. Then a song on the radio came on and turned everything around for me. Richard Hayes announced the Mark Schultz song "Back In His Arms Again". After hearing it, I pulled over to the side of the road and wept. I poured out my transgressions to God and received His forgiveness. God used that song to bring me back to Him. I may have turned my back on Him, but He never turned His back on me. That night, I was talking to the woman I was involved with at that time about it, and she hunted down the CD and bought it for me, and then bought one for herself.
Throughout my journey, I have sinned against many people. I pray that they will find it in their hearts to forgive me, just as I have forgiven those that have sinned against me. I have forgiven myself for my transgressions, and I know God has forgiven me. I am now currently in classes for training as a pastor. God has blessed me greatly. If I boast now, let it be in Christ and not about me. It’s not about me anymore, it’s about Him.
I write all of this, so 1 you who read will know where I come from, 2 regardless of your paths in life, God wants to be in it and wants you to follow Him. 3 There is no such thing as sinning too much, God has a plan for you, stop doing things by yourself and turn to Him for help. And 4 God is just to forgive your sins when you truly repent and turn to Him.
I am a new creation. The old Daniel is dead. I am not the same as I was in 1971, 1987, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2006. I am constantly growing and learning. The Daniel of 1995 no longer exists. The Daniel of 2002 no longer exists. I am the Daniel of 2007.
If you have not yet made the decision to have Jesus as your savior, I urge you to make that your new years resolution. Resolve to make Jesus your personal savior, the sooner the better. Scripture is clear: We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) and The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23). The first couple of steps are simple believe and confess. "But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart’, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’" (Rom 10:8-11) Once you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it’s time to start living like it. Don’t rely on yourself to conquer your addictions and problems, ask God to help you with them. Don’t be afraid to contact a local pastor, a local believer, or even me, I am here to help.
Jesus is Lord
Have a blessed and wonderful year
Daniel G Vandenburg
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