Blog
Standing under perpetual grace.
It hasn’t been an aim of mine to focus on homosexuality in my posts in the last few weeks–but there have been several things which have presented themselves, and seemed helpful, so I’m going with it. Along those lines, over the next few days I’m going to post a series of passages from Robert Gagnon’s book, The Bible and Homosexual Practice. They deal specifically with looking at how Jesus related to people who, in His day, were especially considered “sinners.” There’s a lot to learn here for all of us, from all walks of life, about relating in a Christlike way to others from all walks of life:
The Pharisee had forgotten that, despite all his righteous acts, he was still wholly dependent on God’s ongoing mercy. Because he trusted in his own righteousness, he lacked the requisite humility for responding to sinners with compassion rather than contempt (see Luke 18). All had lost the sense of gratitude and humility that flows from an awareness of standing under perpetual grace. They could only begrudge a generous response to others less deserving than themselves. There sin was not that of expecting repentance from others but rather that of setting up barriers to thwart that repentance.
What was distinctive about Jesus’ ministry was not that he refused to make judgments about the conduct of others, or even that he lowered his moral standards. What was distinctive was his incredibly generous spirit even toward those who had lived in gross disobedience to God for years. He expended enormous effort and exhibited great compassion in the search for the lost. Jesus did not wait for the lost to come to him. He went looking for them. He invited them to participate in God’s gracious kingdom, extended to them his powers of healing, and entered their homes for table fellowship. He did not approach sinners with contempt or condescension.
When sinners responded favorably to his message, they were not treated as second-class members of God’s people but welcomed without reservation to the banquet. Jesus joyously welcomed the penitent as if their life had always been characterized by faithful service. There was no probationary period or recrimination for past wrongs and no suspicions about the genuineness of their repentance. Instead, he threw a party for them which celebrated their return. Their mere humble “yes” to Jesus was enough to put their past behind them. In effect, Jesus was declaring a national amnesty from past offenses for all those who followed him. To many observers Jesus had made matters all too easy for the reprobate.
All of this should serve as a wake-up call to those in the church on both sides of the theological aisle. For liberals who think that an aggressive outreach to those on the margins of society entails acceptance without transformation and a diminishment of the church’s moral standards, Jesus’ ministry provides incontrovertible proof that the church can practice radical love without sacrificing “one iota or one letter stroke” from God’s demands for righteous conduct. For conservatives who think that upholding holiness means complete separation from and contempt for the wicked of the world, Jesus’ ministry demonstrates that righteousness can be wed with love. When either love or righteousness is sacrificed, the church proclaims a truncated gospel.
As regards the church’s response to practicing homosexuals, there must be a willingness to fraternize with them in a spirit of humility and to offer God’s forgiveness merely on the basis of a penitent spirit. Such a posture toward practicing homosexuals has nothing to do with changing the church’s assessment of homosexual practice as a perversion of the created order. Indeed, it demands such an assessment as a necessary precondition to finding and healing the homosexual. Jesus did not confuse love with toleration of all behaviors and neither should the church.
–Robert Gagnon, The Bible and Homosexual Practice, p.212-213
Faithfulness in Following Through: Notes from Last Night
Last night we continued our look at God’s wisdom for our relationships by finishing our study of the book of Ruth. Also, if you want more thoughts on all this, you might want to check out the notes for two other studies we did in the last year; one on the true meaning of Love in 1 John, and one on how Christ is Lord of Our Dating.
Here are the notes from last night:
3:14 Righteousness over temptation
They could have sinned, but they didn’t. waiting & purity
They trust God by “doing it right.”
They are better models than our culture. (like Joseph)
So, here’s one way to know our relationship is God’s will: Are we able to (and do we) prioritize righteousness in the relationship?
3:15-18
They avoiding even the appearance of Evil
Boaz keeps providing / Naomi knows he’ll follow through…He won’t lag. Once they know they can move forward, they don’t wait too long
Boaz knows what he needed to know about Ruth (they had 3 months together, and there’s her town-wide reputation he mentions in 3:11)
He was fully able to marry her. (Job, Income, Responsibility, etc…)
4:1-6
They leave it in God’s hands by pursuing righteousness
v.6 Boaz loves the person (Ruth), not just the things (the land)
4:13
Only two direct acts of God mentioned in the book: here (conception) and in 1:6 (giving food). God provides whatever we need.
Verses for dating and moving towards marriage: Romans 13:8-14; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:17-5:12. Though these passages weren’t written specifcally with 21st century dating relationships in mind, they have all kinds of direction for us to apply to our situations.
So what does Ruth’s Story show us? God guides, God provides. Even when we can’t see it, God is constantly guiding our lives in order to provide what He knows we need. Yielding to that guidance, cultivating our knowledge of Him and actively living out his commands are the surest ways to see His plan come to pass. His timing is the best timing, and in the End, we will praise Him for what He did with our lives.
The antidote for doubt
Found this the other day from a guy who wrote a great book I once recommended. Check out the profound thought and challenge in this short paragraph (by Mark Thompson):
“It is frighteningly easy to be bewildered by the pressure to second guess the teaching of Scripture or to cast it aside as irrelevant to the men and women of the twenty-first century.
“Careful attention to what the Bible actually does say is the only effective antidote.
“What God has to say is good. God’s word nourishes life, strengthens relationships and builds churches towards maturity.”
Did you catch that? The only antidote to that pressuring doubt of God’s Word is to read the written Word–and just to read what it actually says. When we need God’s help fighting doubt, or when we need answers to the questions that dog us, sitting with Him and letting Him speak in the pages of Scripture is the surest way back home.
“While the nearer waters roll…”
A hymn by Charles Wesley:
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.
Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.
Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.
A Prayer to the Trinity
Praise and thanksgiving be unto you, O God,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ
and set him at your right hand in the kingdom of glory.
Praise and thanksgiving be unto you, O Lord Jesus Christ,
you Lamb of God who has redeemed us by your blood,
you heavenly Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us,
you eternal King who comes again to make all things new.
Praise and thanksgiving be unto you, O Holy Spirit,
who has shed abroad the love of God,
who quickens us together with Christ,
and makes us to sit with him in heavenly places,
and to taste the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come.
Blessing and glory,
and wisdom and thanksgiving,
and honour and power and might,
be unto you our God for ever and ever. Amen
– Thomas F. Torrance.
Rock Ministry Outreach
On Monday Night we announced that we are going to being partnering with the Rock Ministries in Kensington in their outreach to prostitutes. We’re going to begin doing this by putting together hygiene bags for them. Below is the list of items that we need to gather in order to make the bags.
Hygiene Bag List
– Band-Aids
– Sanitizing Wipes (individually package)
– Panty Liner
– Feminine Napkins
– Granola Bar
– Little Water Bottle (the small 8 oz. kind)
– Toothbrush
– Toothpaste (travel sizel)
– Small Tissue Pack
– Chapstick
Below is a great post that Tiffany Doran wrote regarding this ministry:
El Roi. It’s truly one of my top favorite names that God chose to reveal to people in the Bible. The God who sees. The Rock Ministries down in Kensington is an incredible church that is being led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit to minister in one of the darkest strongholds in Philadelphia. The Lord has provided the means for them to mentor and disciple kids and men and women through their boxing ministry and their after school programs and tutoring clubs. They serve the homeless, proclaim the victory in Jesus Christ to those battling addiction, and above all they teach the word of God and preach the truth of the gospel to the lost and hurting of the city. That’s only a smidgen of what I know is going on down there. Recently the Rock got a building down there. It’s going to be called the Lost Coin. The hope and vision is for the church to be able to house and disciple women who want to get out of prostitution. My young adults group is prayerfully getting involved in this ministry. Right now all we are doing is praying and collecting items for toiletry bags. These toiletry bags will be distributed on the streets to women who are selling their bodies for money. Our hope and prayer is that these bags will give us an open door to love on these women practically and to share the hope that Jesus Christ has to offer them. And the cry of our hearts is for them to accept that love and to accept the door we are offering through the Lost Coin to give them a way out of their lifestyle and to have a future of freedom in Christ. We were praying last night for this ministry and while we were praying I was reminded of the Lord’s ability to reveal Himself to people. He’s so able. He is the God who sees. He sees these women. He loves these women. In the Old Testament there was a servant girl named Hagar. An Egyptian slave girl. She was taken from her home and lived with an elderly couple who had no children. One day her master took her and sexually used her and got her pregnant. Then her master’s wife hated her and treated her so cruelly that she ran away. Oh yeah, and her master and mistress? Yeah, they were followers of God. So pregnant, alone, and thirsty she ends up by a spring in the wilderness. And there God meets her. He reveals Himself to her there. Yes, she had been used and abused and hurt. But when God Himself showed up in her life, she didn’t need Reasons for why her life had ended up that way. She didn’t need to understand how people who were supposed to lead her to The Lord could hurt her like that. She didn’t need to know how God was going to fix everything in her life if she obeyed Him (and He was calling her to go back to her master and mistress). She just needed to know God saw her. That He was a God who wanted to have a relationship with her. That He wasn’t afar off. And He showed Himself to her. And Hagar just reminded me that God is able to reveal Himself to these women. That whatever barriers I can imagine that there will be to them receiving the gospel He is able to break down. I don’t have to do anything but be a vessel. To be a vessel to show them they are not forgotten, forsaken, or unloved by someone why knows everything about them and the depths of their heart and their sin and their pain and loves them unconditionally. Anyway if you think of it, pray for this ministry. And read Genesis 16 if you want to know more about Hagar.
Four questions everyone answers.
I found these thoughts online a while ago, and I think they’re helpful to remember for all kinds of conversations. If you find yourself wondering if you are able to adequately explain the answers Christians give to the big questions of life, it may help to remember that we aren’t the only ones attempting to give answers. Everyone, everywhere tries too:
Everyone has their own version of the ‘gospel’ story.
Creation – Who I am, and who should I be?
Fall – What’s wrong with me, and with the world?
Redemption – What’s the solution?
Consummation – What do I hope for?
When we hear people expressing their version of creation, fall, redemption or consummation, we can talk about the gospel story. Talking about Jesus begins with listening to other people’s stories and sharing our own story of Jesus.
In other words, asking people questions to find out how they answer these questions can be a very fruitful avenue of conversation. Who do they think they are, as a person? What do they think they should be, and why do they hold that standard up for themselves? What do they think is wrong with the world (or with them as an individual)? What is needed to fix the world? Will it actually happen? How? What do they personally hope for in life? Have they thought through their answers to these questions? Do their answers, when taken all together, actually work? And how did they arrive at the answers they have? Do they live by the answers they give? There’s enough there to fill up many hours of back and forth.
As believers, we will find that, as God gives us opportunities, we will be able to give answers to these questions that do more to connect the dots, explain everything, bring healing, and introduce people to God, than any other answers out there.
Wisdom in Relationships (Ruth 3): Notes from Last Night
Last night we continued our look at God’s wisdom in our relationships by studying through chapter 3. Here are the notes:
3:1-6 About three months pass… Naomi/Ruth take initiative. Ruth listens to her mother-in-law. Ruth puts Naomi’s need for an heir first. Ruth makes her move
Note, though we live believing God is sovereign, we can still plan and act. In fact, we should…
3:7-8 Something Culturally unique, but relatable… Ruth is working within: 1. God’s provision (the Goel) 2. Her Parents/community’s council
3:9 Ruth’s offer… She asks him to “redeem” her – that is, marry her to raise up an heir to her dead husband/father-in-law. “Spread your garment/ wings” – “Did I read you right?–become the answer to your prayer in 2:12”
Note: There were negatives that could have ruined this relationship.(He is older than her (3:10). Would she be interested?; She is a Moabite. She is a widow. She is poor. Would he be interested?)
But they were open to God’s leading and made themselves available.
Boaz – by communicating his affection in the way he could… (kindness, thoughtfulness, honoring)
Ruth – by picking up clues and showing herself to be available…
Both – by demonstrating godliness in observable ways… (Ch. 2; 3:11)
In other words, they had both shown that they were the kind of person a godly person would want to marry.
3:10-11 Boaz Responds… She could have gone after “young men” (Ps 34:10) but instead she makes her choice based on greater good. She shows hesed to Naomi and Boaz. Larger concerns in life can shape who you love…
3:12-13 Acting…while leaving it in God’s hands. At this point, they could have taken matters into their own hands. But they leave it in God’s hands, so that righteousness can be worked out. This is how you know you’re really trusting God, even while you do things.
The model they present for us: Daily godliness, trusting God’s governing of their lives, while do what needs to be done, and leaving the results in His hands by prioritizing righteousness in everything.
Islamic evangelism opportunity
I got this from a friend of mine the other day, and wanted to pass it along. It sounds like a great opportunity for evangelism(amd learning). Let me know if you want to jump in and I’ll get you contact info.
“The Muslim ministry group that I pray with on Tuesdays has another interfaith meeting at the Islamic center in North Philly on Saturday, February 23rd. It’s usually around 5:30 or 6 lasting for a couple of hours. The imam will usually teach for 30 minutes on a topic and then someone from our group will teach for 30 minutes. This is followed by Q and A from both sides. It’s designed as a dialogue not a debate but the Muslims don’t usually respect that. Sometimes the Q and A session prompts some interesting questions from the Muslims, especially the women. Afterward we share a meal and this is usually where there is more opportunity for one on one discussion/evangelism. This month the topic is prayer, the Muslims speaking on Muhammad and his prayers and the Christian side will teach on John 17. I just wanted to throw it out to you as an opportunity to invite as many you g adults who wanted to attend. It would be a good setting to introduce them to numerous Muslims as well as one of the largest mosques in Philly.”
Get Trained to Minister in Disaster
As we announced on Monday night, we have a series of training opportunities coming up at church for anyone who would like to get some training to be able to serve whena disaster hits.
I: Introduction to Chaplaincy Ministry
Saturday, February 2nd, 9am to Noon.
Jerry Paradise will give an overview of the Chaplaincy Ministry. This will be a base instruction course giving the individual a sense of what is involved in being a Chaplain and if this is a ministry for them. There is no charge but please register by informing Mary Thompson that you’ll be coming by emailing her at mthompson@ccphilly.org or calling (215) 969-1520. Anyone interested in the Chaplaincy Ministry must attend the training in February.
II: Sharing Hope in Crisis
Saturday, March 9th, 8:30am (registration 8 am) to 4 pm.
This seminar taught by the Billy Graham Association will prepare you to provide effective and appropriate emotional and spiritual care for people experiencing tragedy. Learn practical skills to share God’s love and comfort to people in crisis. This course is required to become a Chaplain with the Rapid Response Team of the Billy Graham Association. Registration cost is $35, and can be done through our website at www.ccphilly.org/RRT
III: Two CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) Courses:
- Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support
- Suicide Prevention, Intervention & Postvention
Tuesday, April 2nd through Friday April 5th, from 8 am to 4 pm.
Dr. Mark Maggio will present these two ICISF (International Crisis Incident Stress Foundation) CISM courses for those interested in ministering to individuals who have been victimized by some critical incident. Each CISM course is approximately 13 hours and is accredited by the University of Maryland for CEU’s. The first course, Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support will be offered Tuesday 4/2 & Wednesday 4/3. The second course, Suicide Prevention, Intervention & Postvention will be offered Thursday 4/4 & Friday 4/5. The cost for each 2 day course is $40. Registration is through our website at www.ccphilly.org/CISM. For more than 25 years, Dr. Mark Maggio has served as a national and international trainer and consultant in the field of disaster mental health and Critical Incident Stress Management for groups such as federal, state and local law enforcement and emergency services personnel, the federal courts, the World Bank, and private industry.