"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." 1 John 1:3,4
The bumper sticker reads, 'The Army Way'. The U.S. Army is traditionally considered the oldest branch of the armed forces, and they are proud of their heritage. There is the old slogan that even we civilians understand, "There is the right way, the wrong way, and the army way". Yes, to be in the Army or any other branch of service requires that you do things their way. All good organizations have protocol and procedures that keep the intended mission in focus.
The church is more than an organization; it's an organism but it does have structure. The Apostle John shows his hand here in this sleepy little verse to tell us why he is writing this letter. John says that he is writing "so that you may have fellowship with us". If John had a bumper sticker his would say, "The Apostles Way." Yes, he is writing to make it very clear that to be a part of the organism and organization of the church then they had to follow the teachings of the apostles.
Those teachings were passed on orally and in letters. At the time of John's letter the church was over 50 years old and yet there was no New Testament as we know it. The bishop's main function was to keep the doctrine of the apostles pure, and 1 John will show us what some of the heresies of the day were. We can know through study that the early church was fighting those who taught that Jesus was not truly divine. There were others who taught that He spoke the divine word but he himself was not God. There were those that taught that His shed blood did nothing to bring salvation to man. And there were some who said that only their sect had special knowledge and revelation from God and Jesus was not part of that revelation. Amazingly, it is the stuff that we still hear today.
One can clearly understand why the Apostle's Creed came into existence very early on so that one could succinctly say what the true fundamentals of Christianity were. Just as a reminder, here is The Apostles Creed:
1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy Catholic Church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
11. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.
John was writing this letter from the city of Ephesus after his return from exile on Patmos where he penned Revelation. As the only living original disciple one can only imagine the sense of ownership and concern that he felt for all the churches. John had walked and talked with Jesus. He understood better than anyone else what doctrines were correct regarding Christ and the church.
As I have mentioned in other musings that when one followed Jesus Christ in the "Apostles Way" it could have very well been a death sentence for them. The Creed is recited in numerous denominations on Sundays across America and no harm comes to us, no death threats; but not so in the time of John. The heretics of John's day were not in danger of losing their lives because their teaching was not a threat. To them Jesus was a nice man who taught good things, but not THE Son of God so no one got riled up over that.
Jesus once said to His disciples "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets." Now we do want people to speak well of us when it comes to our integrity, kindness, love, honesty, and morality. Yet we know that just as in John's day Jesus Christ is offensive to some and we should not hide our faith. We do not have to be combative, pushy or arrogant, but we should be quick to give the true answer when someone asks us what we believe.
The great British scholar N.T. Wright tells us the essence of our call; "Evangelism is not simply a matter of bringing individuals to personal faith, though of course that remains central to the whole enterprise. It is a matter of confronting the world with the good, but deeply disturbing news of a different way of living . . . the way of love." And yes John will bring us to the same conclusion, that the Apostle's Way and Christ's Way is ultimately the way of love.
I will gladly, but sadly, confess that I come up short in the area of love again and again; yet I am more committed than ever to assist the Holy Spirit through my obedience to help love reign supreme in me. John, the apostle of love tells us that to have fellowship with him, the church, and the Lord, then correct doctrine lived through a life of love is truly required.
Peace to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Name Dropper Extraordinaire
“That which as from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” I John 1:1,2
Find any gathering of people that lasts more than a few minutes and you are sure to hear someone name drop. That is the phrase we use to accuse someone of boasting that they know or have been with someone of importance. The value of the name is determined by the topic of discussion and those participating in it. I think most of us are guilty of doing this in order to validate a point we are making or to make ourselves feel a little more significant.
John, now writing over 60 years after the death of Jesus, the last of the original twelve, drops the ultimate name. What was his motivation? Remember, all letters and emails have a purpose and John’s purpose was to correct and encourage. John was writing to refute those who said that Jesus was not divine; a heresy that has never gone away. He is making clear the incarnation of Jesus Christ in the first couple of sentences that he writes. His words sound much like the beginning of the Gospel which also bears his name.
In order to validate this doctrine, John reminds his audience that he heard Jesus, saw Jesus, and touched Jesus. He is basically saying, “Hey, I was with him and saw those things that you have heard and read about. I saw the miracles and heard His teaching. I saw Him die and I saw His resurrected body. I was there and I am telling you that this is how it was.” Yes, John could truthfully say, “I walked with Jesus and knew Him well.”
In my Bible, which I have had for some twenty plus years now, I have underlined the words, heard, seen and touched in the opening paragraph of I John. For some reason those three words have been important to me through the years. To me, those words represent the senses that God in His goodness has given to us to interact with our world. We enjoy sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing; and for the most part, we take them for granted on most days.
We can also be assured that God has given to us those senses to interact with Him. God placed us in a physical world; He placed His Son in a physical body so we know that God works through the physical, not just the spiritual. I have said it before that cathedrals move me towards prayer as I see the beauty of the stories told by colored glass, the sounds of chants that remind me to be still, the smell of candles that tell me this should be a sacred place, and even the taste of wine during communion that brings me right to Christ Himself. Our senses help us acquire a readiness for God. Music, communion, flowers, the cross, the candles, and the water of the baptismal; all physical realities that help us cross into the realm of the spiritual.
Even though John is very old, you can almost hear his excitement when he writes, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched.” To John, Christ was a physical reality and he held on to those memories and shared them with anyone who would listen. It was this reality that propelled him to share God’s plan of salvation with others. John said that “we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us”.
The church grew as people heard the message and experienced the reality of knowing God through His Son. The eyewitness accounts, the proof of the resurrection, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the oneness of the church stirred thousands to become followers of Jesus. The most effective evangelism today is still the same as it was in John’s time – the telling of our story!
Thomas Aquinas wrote, “To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer”. We are preparing to take 29 people with us to Rwanda this fall to proclaim Christ. It my prayer that those people are already proclaiming Christ in their daily lives just as the Apostle John did.
We are so quick to tell people of a celebrity that we have met. My wife Deb loves to tell the story of meeting Clint Eastwood years ago when we were in a restaurant in California. I pride myself in telling people that I had dinner with the late coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry. Oh how fun it is to be a namedropper, but when was the last time we “dropped” the name of Jesus? Are we following in the footsteps of John, proclaiming eternal life to those who will listen?
Peace to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Find any gathering of people that lasts more than a few minutes and you are sure to hear someone name drop. That is the phrase we use to accuse someone of boasting that they know or have been with someone of importance. The value of the name is determined by the topic of discussion and those participating in it. I think most of us are guilty of doing this in order to validate a point we are making or to make ourselves feel a little more significant.
John, now writing over 60 years after the death of Jesus, the last of the original twelve, drops the ultimate name. What was his motivation? Remember, all letters and emails have a purpose and John’s purpose was to correct and encourage. John was writing to refute those who said that Jesus was not divine; a heresy that has never gone away. He is making clear the incarnation of Jesus Christ in the first couple of sentences that he writes. His words sound much like the beginning of the Gospel which also bears his name.
In order to validate this doctrine, John reminds his audience that he heard Jesus, saw Jesus, and touched Jesus. He is basically saying, “Hey, I was with him and saw those things that you have heard and read about. I saw the miracles and heard His teaching. I saw Him die and I saw His resurrected body. I was there and I am telling you that this is how it was.” Yes, John could truthfully say, “I walked with Jesus and knew Him well.”
In my Bible, which I have had for some twenty plus years now, I have underlined the words, heard, seen and touched in the opening paragraph of I John. For some reason those three words have been important to me through the years. To me, those words represent the senses that God in His goodness has given to us to interact with our world. We enjoy sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing; and for the most part, we take them for granted on most days.
We can also be assured that God has given to us those senses to interact with Him. God placed us in a physical world; He placed His Son in a physical body so we know that God works through the physical, not just the spiritual. I have said it before that cathedrals move me towards prayer as I see the beauty of the stories told by colored glass, the sounds of chants that remind me to be still, the smell of candles that tell me this should be a sacred place, and even the taste of wine during communion that brings me right to Christ Himself. Our senses help us acquire a readiness for God. Music, communion, flowers, the cross, the candles, and the water of the baptismal; all physical realities that help us cross into the realm of the spiritual.
Even though John is very old, you can almost hear his excitement when he writes, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched.” To John, Christ was a physical reality and he held on to those memories and shared them with anyone who would listen. It was this reality that propelled him to share God’s plan of salvation with others. John said that “we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us”.
The church grew as people heard the message and experienced the reality of knowing God through His Son. The eyewitness accounts, the proof of the resurrection, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the oneness of the church stirred thousands to become followers of Jesus. The most effective evangelism today is still the same as it was in John’s time – the telling of our story!
Thomas Aquinas wrote, “To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer”. We are preparing to take 29 people with us to Rwanda this fall to proclaim Christ. It my prayer that those people are already proclaiming Christ in their daily lives just as the Apostle John did.
We are so quick to tell people of a celebrity that we have met. My wife Deb loves to tell the story of meeting Clint Eastwood years ago when we were in a restaurant in California. I pride myself in telling people that I had dinner with the late coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry. Oh how fun it is to be a namedropper, but when was the last time we “dropped” the name of Jesus? Are we following in the footsteps of John, proclaiming eternal life to those who will listen?
Peace to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Sunday, August 23, 2009
You’ve Got Mail
I am a confessed email junkie. It’s fast, it’s to the point, it’s portable, and it’s highly efficient. Between my computer at home, at work, and my iPhone, I can keep in touch with more people than I ever could by phone.
Whether you are addicted to email like me, or still gravitate to snail mail, the question is always the same: Who is it from and what do they want? There is always a purpose behind a letter or an email, or even a text message, for that matter.
So you are sitting at home and you decide to grab the Bible and read it for a bit. You thumb through until you find the book of I John and you camp out on the first page. I John is actually a letter, not a book. Because it’s a letter we must ask the same question: Who wrote it and what did the writer want? You might say, well that first question is a stupid one because I John is written across the top of the letter. Yes, but the author did not put it there and the author’s name never appears in the letter. The Gospel of Luke has the same problem; the author’s name is nowhere to be found.
The short answer to the question of who wrote I John and how do we know, is tradition. It is true that in studying the writing style of I John one can see incredible similarities with the Gospel of John. The word usage and sentence structures are very much alike and would tend to make one think that they, indeed, had the same author. However, it is the tradition of the early church that cements this answer for most of us.
This letter by John was probably written around the year 95-96 and circulated throughout Asia Minor, which is now modern day Turkey. The first reference in history that the letter was written by John comes in the year 140 by Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons. Irenaeus was a friend of Polycarp and Polycarp was a direct disciple of John himself. In his writings called Against Heresies, Irenaeus says he is quoting John the disciple of the Lord. Those quotes can be found in John’s Gospel and his first letter, soon to be known as I John.
Later on, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen all attribute that letter to John. From the outset, I John was considered anointed and sacred. When in history the church began to form the New Testament, the book of I John was never in question as to being inspired and sacred. It was Jerome who wrote that I John’s authority was accepted “by all competent men of the church.” Out of the thousands of letters and gospels that were being circulated, the church never questioned the authenticity or the authority of John’s first letter to the churches there in Asia Minor.
Now we come to that second question: Why did John feel the need to write this letter? The church had been in existence approximately 65 years and had spread all over the known world. It had grown though missionary activity and through the powerful testimony of the martyrs. Doctrine was taught and protected through oral tradition (one remembers Apostle Paul using that language), the oversight of bishops, and by the circulation of authoritative letters. These letters would be read in church as part of the service.
Since the birth of the church at Pentecost, every generation has had to fight against heresies that threatened to weaken the faith. All of the epistles in the New Testament deal with some type of heresy or doctrinal error. John’s letter also deals with setting things straight for the protection of the church. We do not know exactly who the heretics were in this case, but we do know they were spreading doctrinal and moral errors. In his letter John calls these people “antichrists, deceivers and children of the devil”. Strong language from the Apostle of Love.
Two thousand years later you are reading I John while sitting in your favorite chair, drinking your favorite beverage, and wondering “How does this ancient letter apply to me?” The amazing thing, as with all Scripture, is that it does! I John is a powerful letter written by someone who basically lived with Jesus for 3 years. John was right there with Jesus and understood the words, the spirit, and the intent of all that Jesus taught. John was as close to the Son of God as anyone on earth has ever been, so let us listen carefully to his words over the next few months.
The inbox on my computer says I have some new emails. I now have a choice to make. I have to open it to find out what the message is for me. God is sending something more fantastic than any email; He is sending you a letter with the title of I John. Open it. Read your mail. It’s two thousand years old and millions of brothers and sisters in the family of God have read it before you. However, God has also sent this letter just for you here in 2009 to bless you, teach you, and encourage you.
Blessings to you,
Dan Owens
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded MinistriesMonday, March 9, 2009
Do you have good intentions?
A few days ago the Amgen Tour of California came to our town of Paso Robles. For those of you who might not know what the Amgen Tour is, it’s a professional bicycle race that covers several days and several hundred miles. And, it is quickly gaining fame in the cycling world as many of the Tour de France riders participated again this year.
Since my doctor told me a couple of years ago to start riding a bicycle to keep from becoming a diabetic, I have gained some interest in these professional riders and their races. The longest stretch I have ridden at one time is 62 miles, so when I see these cyclists ride over a hundred miles for several days in a row I am astounded. And, they can ride as fast up a hill as I do on flat land, quite humbling.
As the riders swooped around the corner near our home on their way to the finish line in downtown Paso Robles, I could not help but think of their commitment and discipline. At some point in each of their lives they went from having good intentions (becoming a professional racer) to actually doing something about it. They had to activate their will to start their conditioning and training programs.
We can be filled with good intentions in our walk with Jesus, but at some point the will has to be activated in order for our intentions to count. In the Gospel of Luke we find Jesus informing several would be followers that intentions were not good enough, action had to take place. Jesus was clear from the beginning that it could cost one much to follow Him, and that one should not make a casual commitment. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” These are strong words from our Master, and their implications are great.
Those who walked with Jesus and those who followed His ways in the early church understood that Jesus calls us to detachment. The disciples left everything to follow Jesus and that involved more than just good intentions, it involved their wills. They had homes and families but they were not bound by them, they understood that all was transient.
Polycarp, as we have seen in the past, was the Bishop of Smyrna in what is now Turkey. As a Bishop he laid his hands on other young men, calling them into ministry. There in Smyrna was a man by the name of Andeolus, and Polycarp ordained him a deacon. Polycarp then sent this respected deacon to what is now France as a missionary. There the work of Andeolus prospered as he shared the message of Christ with the people. History shows us that the wise Polycarp did well in sending forth several missionaries from Smyrna to other parts of the world.
The persecution of Christians is well documented during this time of late first century and early second century. Andeolus came to the attention of a Roman ruler riding through that area in about 208 AD. Septimius Severus was a ruler of that region, but at heart he was a soldier. He had been a general before becoming an emperor. He was the first emperor from Africa, from the area that is now Libya. Severus was anti-Christian and enforced the anti-conversion laws of their time. As Andeolus was a missionary, he came in direct conflict with Severus. This conflict culminated in Severus putting a sword through the head of Andeolus and throwing his body in the Rhone River.
At some point Andeolus had good intentions to be a deacon and a missionary, and those intentions had to make their way to his will. He knew that there was a very good chance that his life would end because of his desire to follow Christ, but he was detached from this world. I guess it could be said that he was so attached to Jesus Christ that detachment from this world became easier.
What good intentions are you holding on to that you have yet to act on? How many of those “one day” thoughts are swirling around in your mind that needs to find their way to your will? We often live in a world of good intention without the needed action that would validate those intentions. We think in our minds, one day I will stop charging things I don’t need, one day I will start giving to the Lord’s work, one day I will loose weight, one day I will make things right with my family, one day I will get more serious about my relationship with God, one day I will start a devotion and prayer time, one day I will serve the Lord with my whole heart, one day I will detach myself from this world.
The one day turns into weeks, which turns into months, which turns into years, and the thing that the Lord has placed on our hearts to do has never come about. The problem with many of our churches today is that we stress the intellect over the will. We go to Bible study after Bible study and we listen to sermon after sermon, but we lack the discipline to activate the will. If you read the Gospels and words of Jesus you find quickly that Jesus is looking for us to act, to move out. Belief without action is really not belief at all.
Even though I cannot ride like those professionals that came whizzing by our home, I do have something in common with them – our wills get us on the bikes and cause us to ride. My bike will not do me a bit of good as long as I just look at it; I have to ride it! God has placed something on your heart, now stop thinking about it and do it! And yes it will probably cost you something just as it has been costing our brothers and sisters for 2,000 years; just as it cost Andeolus.
Blessings to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Since my doctor told me a couple of years ago to start riding a bicycle to keep from becoming a diabetic, I have gained some interest in these professional riders and their races. The longest stretch I have ridden at one time is 62 miles, so when I see these cyclists ride over a hundred miles for several days in a row I am astounded. And, they can ride as fast up a hill as I do on flat land, quite humbling.
As the riders swooped around the corner near our home on their way to the finish line in downtown Paso Robles, I could not help but think of their commitment and discipline. At some point in each of their lives they went from having good intentions (becoming a professional racer) to actually doing something about it. They had to activate their will to start their conditioning and training programs.
We can be filled with good intentions in our walk with Jesus, but at some point the will has to be activated in order for our intentions to count. In the Gospel of Luke we find Jesus informing several would be followers that intentions were not good enough, action had to take place. Jesus was clear from the beginning that it could cost one much to follow Him, and that one should not make a casual commitment. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” These are strong words from our Master, and their implications are great.
Those who walked with Jesus and those who followed His ways in the early church understood that Jesus calls us to detachment. The disciples left everything to follow Jesus and that involved more than just good intentions, it involved their wills. They had homes and families but they were not bound by them, they understood that all was transient.
Polycarp, as we have seen in the past, was the Bishop of Smyrna in what is now Turkey. As a Bishop he laid his hands on other young men, calling them into ministry. There in Smyrna was a man by the name of Andeolus, and Polycarp ordained him a deacon. Polycarp then sent this respected deacon to what is now France as a missionary. There the work of Andeolus prospered as he shared the message of Christ with the people. History shows us that the wise Polycarp did well in sending forth several missionaries from Smyrna to other parts of the world.
The persecution of Christians is well documented during this time of late first century and early second century. Andeolus came to the attention of a Roman ruler riding through that area in about 208 AD. Septimius Severus was a ruler of that region, but at heart he was a soldier. He had been a general before becoming an emperor. He was the first emperor from Africa, from the area that is now Libya. Severus was anti-Christian and enforced the anti-conversion laws of their time. As Andeolus was a missionary, he came in direct conflict with Severus. This conflict culminated in Severus putting a sword through the head of Andeolus and throwing his body in the Rhone River.
At some point Andeolus had good intentions to be a deacon and a missionary, and those intentions had to make their way to his will. He knew that there was a very good chance that his life would end because of his desire to follow Christ, but he was detached from this world. I guess it could be said that he was so attached to Jesus Christ that detachment from this world became easier.
What good intentions are you holding on to that you have yet to act on? How many of those “one day” thoughts are swirling around in your mind that needs to find their way to your will? We often live in a world of good intention without the needed action that would validate those intentions. We think in our minds, one day I will stop charging things I don’t need, one day I will start giving to the Lord’s work, one day I will loose weight, one day I will make things right with my family, one day I will get more serious about my relationship with God, one day I will start a devotion and prayer time, one day I will serve the Lord with my whole heart, one day I will detach myself from this world.
The one day turns into weeks, which turns into months, which turns into years, and the thing that the Lord has placed on our hearts to do has never come about. The problem with many of our churches today is that we stress the intellect over the will. We go to Bible study after Bible study and we listen to sermon after sermon, but we lack the discipline to activate the will. If you read the Gospels and words of Jesus you find quickly that Jesus is looking for us to act, to move out. Belief without action is really not belief at all.
Even though I cannot ride like those professionals that came whizzing by our home, I do have something in common with them – our wills get us on the bikes and cause us to ride. My bike will not do me a bit of good as long as I just look at it; I have to ride it! God has placed something on your heart, now stop thinking about it and do it! And yes it will probably cost you something just as it has been costing our brothers and sisters for 2,000 years; just as it cost Andeolus.
Blessings to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Pavement of Transparency
The following is an excerpt from Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't.
The Pavement of Transparency
Somehow we Christians have convinced ourselves that everything has to be perfect. Anything less is failure before a watching world. That's incredible pressure, isn't it? But actually as we love people, we can honestly let them know where we hurt, what we don't know, or what we're just not good at.
A pastor preaching to his congregation about temptation risked his reputation when he told them that several weeks earlier a member had given him a $100 bill after the service, telling him to include it with the morning offering. The pastor stuck the bill in his pocket and then forgot about it until he got home later that day.
Finding the bill, he absentmindedly tossed it on his dresser, intending to take it to church the next day. A day turned into several weeks, and still the bill remained on his dresser. Then he made up all kinds of excuses why he should just keep the bill and not turn it into the church. He shared all the temptations and rationalizations he faced as that $100 bill lay on his dresser.
I thought to myself as he was preaching, Wow! That's what you call transparency! Do you think he had everyone's attention as he confessed that he was tempted? His openness resulted in greater ministry.
If we expect people to trust us and open their lives to us, we can't pretend to be too good to be true.
If someone asked me, "Dan, do you have family devotions with your wife and kids?" I'd have to say, "Yes and no." Sometimes we are all together and can fit it in; sometimes we are all going different directions and we can't.
"Do you pray with your kids?"
"Well, yes and no." If you mean, do I have a set time every day when we sit down together and pray as a family, no. But we pray when there is a need, and we pray when there's a hurt. We pray when we are happy and we want to thank the Lord, and we pray when we are sad and need His comfort.
We talk about the Lord and His work when we drive to the mall and when we watch TV and when we sit down to eat together. God is very much a part of our family.
When we are upset or angry, we don't hide it just so others will be impressed with our spirituality. If I am upset with my wife, why not get it out and get things fixed up again rather than hiding my anger? We have to be transparent with those who see us day in and day out because when we put on masks, sooner or later they slip and the truth is obvious to everyone.
If you are building a relationship with someone and you are going through a difficult time, why hide it? I'd rather say, "I'm hurting right now, but I'm so glad I have the Lord. I know He's near me and He always gives me just when I need to make it through."
Someone might say, "God must be your crutch." You bet He is. Sometimes I can't keep walking, and I'm glad He's there to hold me up!
We've all seen the self-made man or woman who suddenly is faced with a disaster-perhaps being diagnosed with cancer. The arrogance evaporates. We all need someone to care about us when we hit the hard times, and it is a lot easier to find people who will care if we haven't tried to live life alone.
We are all imperfect and weak, and that will become evident to all who know us-even our friends who don't know the Christ who supplies our strength to endure. Don't set yourself up for a great unveiling later on. Be real.
I am impressed by the transparency of the apostle Paul. People could see Jesus in Paul precisely because of his weaknesses and his refusal to hide them:
But we have this treasure [the Gospel] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. -2 Corinthians 4:7-12
If we walk with the Lord daily, people will see Jesus in the midst of our hardships, not apart from them. Then when they fall on hard times, they will listen to us because we have first listened to Him.
Max Lucado, one of my favorite authors, is adept at bringing out the humanness of Jesus' disciples. They were terrified at times; sometimes they were cowards; in between they were discouraged or depressed. They had a full range of human emotions, but we act as if we should be above all that. "I'm a Christian. I'm supposed to be godly all the time." Only God can make us godly, and He does so as we allow Him to do His work in us. But that transformation is a process, and none of us has arrived yet. We are being changed, but en route to our destination the people around us will appreciate us so much more and listen to our message more intently if we will be honest with them.
* * * * *
Order your copy of Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't and learn how to develop your own personal evangelism style.
Consider having Dan Owens come to your church or event for his seminar Building Bridges For Eternity.
Call Eternity Minded Ministries at 805-460-0561 for more information or go to http://www.eternityminded.org/seminar.htm.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, February 9, 2009
Whatcha Readin?
I have been to many places in Africa, but I have yet to travel to North Africa, which I would dearly love to do. Remember those scenes in the first Indiana Jones movie where they are digging for the Ark of the Covenant in Tanis, North Africa? North Africa is a place of amazing history and significance in our spiritual genealogy. Carthage, or what is now called Tunis, in Tunisia is one of the places I would like to visit. The Christian faith spread across all of North Africa and the Christians of Carthage were a powerful testimony in the second century. Even now their lives inspire me to a more committed life to the Lord.
We know by reading history that the Christian's desire in much of North Africa was to lead quiet, humble, and moral lives; in other words, they were model citizens. They paid their taxes to the Roman government and gave respect to those in authority. They worked hard, raised their families, and worshipped peaceably. Their phlegmatic personality should not be taken as weakness, however. They would stand with backs of steel in defending the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In 180 AD twelve Christians from a village (Scillitan) outside of Carthage were brought before the Pro-consul Vigellius Saturninus who was the first persecutor of Christians in North Africa. These twelve have been called The Scillitan Martyrs and the account of their demise is thought to be the earliest documented case of martyrdom in North Africa. Amazingly, their trial was recorded and has been passed down through history.
Seven men and five women were executed by the sword on July 17, 180 AD without any resistance on their part. At their trial they were given 30 days to return to their village and think about their decision in hopes that they would recant, but they did not. It appears in reading the trial account that Speratus was the spokesman for the group of twelve. When he was called upon to swear allegiance to Caesar and deny the Lord, he said, "I do not recognize the empire of this world; but rather do I serve God whom no man hath seen, nor with these eyes can see." He was then asked what he was carrying in his satchel and he responded, "Books and letter of Paul, a just man."
It is safe to say that you are not facing death by sword today, but you are facing other hardships. I find it very interesting that these twelve had in their possession at the time of their trial the writings of Paul. They not only found doctrine in those letters, but they found comfort and courage and they knew they needed both. Doctrine told them they would be with the Lord soon, and comfort told them that God would go with them through the "Valley of the Shadow of Death." The twelve would have been happy to continue living quiet and devout lives for the sake of others, but now they were being called upon to be a dying testimony for the Lord.
So I think of my own life this week, in light of the economy it would not take much for me to lose my home, my car, and all my life's savings. It just would not take very long for me to be totally wiped out financially. Now the question is, "How would I react?" As the saying goes, talk is cheap and it is easy to talk about faith and trust when all things are well, but what about when all things are not well? How hard is it for me to have a smile on my face and peace in my heart when things are going my way? The Christian's most powerful testimony has always shown forth in the darkest times. Eighteen hundred years later we still know of the Scillitan Martyrs because they stood strong in very dark times.
Maybe the twelve held on to the words of St. Paul when he wrote, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." Paul's admonition for us is to stay awake and be people of courage. Paul's words somewhat echo the word of the Lord to Joshua when the time had come for the Israelites to go in and take the land that the Lord had promised them: "Be strong and courageous." In fact, the Lord says this phrase to Joshua twice in the same conversation. The second time He adds the word 'very' before the word 'courageous': "Be strong and very courageous."
None of us have any idea what life will throw at us this next year. We may lose more than we ever dreamt possible; yet how we react will speak volumes about the true condition of our faith. For about two thousand years brothers and sisters in Christ have brought more people to Christ by displaying peace during persecution than by evangelists like me. The twelve were close to the scriptures, which is where they found conviction, comfort, and courage. I would highly recommend that in these times of uncertainty that your Bible be very close to you. You should take it to work, keep it in your car, keep one in the kitchen and by all means, if you travel like I do, keep one in your briefcase. You and I both know that in this amazing meltdown of American finance, only the Lord can bring comfort to our lives. Maybe that is why this is all happening in the first place!
With Eternity in Mind,
Dan Owens
P.S. I want to add that because of God's amazing grace, Eternity Minded Ministries continues to move forward because of the generosity of our friends.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, February 2, 2009
Jesus: The Creative Word
The following is an excerpt from Who Is This Jesus?
by Daniel Owens
Jesus was involved in creation. God was the Creator, but Jesus, the Word, was his agent. Romans 1:20 states, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Even nature reveals God's existence and power.
Paul writes that nothing could have existed without Jesus. "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Col. 1:16-17).
I recently watched a special television program about the Orion Nebula. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and look carefully at the winter sky, you'll see the constellation of Orion, "the hunter." Orion has a belt made out of three stars close together. Another three stars seem to hang down from that belt. They represent his sword. If you view those three stars through binoculars or a telescope, you'll notice that the middle one appears to be a little on the fuzzy side. The reason? It's a nebula-the Orion Nebula.
After watching this program, I logged onto the Internet and found a picture of the Orion Nebula. It awed and amazed me to realize I could see something that is two thousand light-years away from my own driveway. It must be huge!
The creation of those amazing stars is just one activity in which God was involved when he created our planet. And John says that the Word was with God. That means Jesus also was involved in creation.
Not only that, but our Savior is not some long-dead individual who lived two thousand years ago and who today doesn't have a clue what you or I may be going through. Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus was "tempted in every way, just as we are." This Savior knows you very well. This Savior is intimately acquainted with all of your ways. David describes this knowledge in Psalm 139:
O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord . . . .
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
(vv.1-4, 13)
This Savior knows what causes you pain and what brings you joy. He knows the sorrow you're dealing with right now, and he knows your plans for tomorrow. He's not impersonal or uncaring-he wants to communicate with us, to share with us, to lead and guide us.
Jesus is the creative Word who created everything we see, and he wants to experience tender intimacy with his creation.
Blessings to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
by Daniel Owens
Jesus was involved in creation. God was the Creator, but Jesus, the Word, was his agent. Romans 1:20 states, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Even nature reveals God's existence and power.
Paul writes that nothing could have existed without Jesus. "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Col. 1:16-17).
I recently watched a special television program about the Orion Nebula. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and look carefully at the winter sky, you'll see the constellation of Orion, "the hunter." Orion has a belt made out of three stars close together. Another three stars seem to hang down from that belt. They represent his sword. If you view those three stars through binoculars or a telescope, you'll notice that the middle one appears to be a little on the fuzzy side. The reason? It's a nebula-the Orion Nebula.
After watching this program, I logged onto the Internet and found a picture of the Orion Nebula. It awed and amazed me to realize I could see something that is two thousand light-years away from my own driveway. It must be huge!
The creation of those amazing stars is just one activity in which God was involved when he created our planet. And John says that the Word was with God. That means Jesus also was involved in creation.
Not only that, but our Savior is not some long-dead individual who lived two thousand years ago and who today doesn't have a clue what you or I may be going through. Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus was "tempted in every way, just as we are." This Savior knows you very well. This Savior is intimately acquainted with all of your ways. David describes this knowledge in Psalm 139:
O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord . . . .
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
(vv.1-4, 13)
This Savior knows what causes you pain and what brings you joy. He knows the sorrow you're dealing with right now, and he knows your plans for tomorrow. He's not impersonal or uncaring-he wants to communicate with us, to share with us, to lead and guide us.
Jesus is the creative Word who created everything we see, and he wants to experience tender intimacy with his creation.
Blessings to you,
Dan
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, January 19, 2009
Asking for Wisdom
The following is an excerpt from A Faith That Is Real.
Asking for Wisdom
James 1:5-8
In verse 5 James says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." The Greek word translated ask in this verse implies that we are to keep on asking. Wisdom should be asked for on a regular basis. God doesn't tire, and neither should we. Asking for wisdom is a habit that is formed by constant use.
When you are in a trial, to whom do you go first-to a friend, to your family, to your coworkers? Remember, the trials James is speaking of here are not trials you have created, but trials that God has allowed to come into your life. God wants you to go to him first. He is waiting for you to open up your heart and listen.
The question is not about how great your desire is to know God's will, but how great your desire is to do it. Are you asking God to give you advice, or wisdom? Are you really saying, "God, tell me what you want me to do, and if I like it, I'll do it"? We have all become so used to making decisions based on our own preferences and opinions that we don't really seek God's wisdom and direction. Do we really want what God wants for us; do we really want God's will in our lives?
While I was doing ministry work in India, I heard a story told of Gandhi. One day someone came to Mahatma Gandhi and said, "I want to know God." Gandhi walked him over to the edge of the river and said, "Let's get into the water." Once they were in, Gandhi took the man's head and held it under water. Gandhi continued to hold on while he struggled, then, just as the man was about to give up, Gandhi lifted his head up out of the water and said, "When you want to know God as desperately as you wanted to breathe just now, then you will find him."
Do you desire God in your life? Do you desire his wisdom? Or do you already have your life planned out? Your heavenly Father is waiting for you-but do you really want him?
God bless you,
Dan
Order your copy of A Faith That Is Real and be challenged to embrace a more authentic faith.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Asking for Wisdom
James 1:5-8
In verse 5 James says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." The Greek word translated ask in this verse implies that we are to keep on asking. Wisdom should be asked for on a regular basis. God doesn't tire, and neither should we. Asking for wisdom is a habit that is formed by constant use.
When you are in a trial, to whom do you go first-to a friend, to your family, to your coworkers? Remember, the trials James is speaking of here are not trials you have created, but trials that God has allowed to come into your life. God wants you to go to him first. He is waiting for you to open up your heart and listen.
The question is not about how great your desire is to know God's will, but how great your desire is to do it. Are you asking God to give you advice, or wisdom? Are you really saying, "God, tell me what you want me to do, and if I like it, I'll do it"? We have all become so used to making decisions based on our own preferences and opinions that we don't really seek God's wisdom and direction. Do we really want what God wants for us; do we really want God's will in our lives?
While I was doing ministry work in India, I heard a story told of Gandhi. One day someone came to Mahatma Gandhi and said, "I want to know God." Gandhi walked him over to the edge of the river and said, "Let's get into the water." Once they were in, Gandhi took the man's head and held it under water. Gandhi continued to hold on while he struggled, then, just as the man was about to give up, Gandhi lifted his head up out of the water and said, "When you want to know God as desperately as you wanted to breathe just now, then you will find him."
Do you desire God in your life? Do you desire his wisdom? Or do you already have your life planned out? Your heavenly Father is waiting for you-but do you really want him?
God bless you,
Dan
Order your copy of A Faith That Is Real and be challenged to embrace a more authentic faith.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wisdom! Who Needs It?
The following is an excerpt from A Faith That Is Real.
Wisdom! Who Needs It?
James 1:5-8
A bride and groom have just returned from their honeymoon. The bride excitedly prepares her first meal for her husband, a beautiful candlelit dinner. She has informed him that there are two things she cooks very well-apple pie and vegetable lasagna. He takes a bite, chews thoughtfully, and asks, "Which is this?"
. . . Now we will look at the need for wisdom in going through these trials, and the need to understand our trials from God's perspective.
Wisdom in Trials
What is wisdom? Wisdom is the practical use of knowledge. It is not only having knowledge, but also knowing how to use it. Wisdom is an incredibly powerful force that helps us to make right decisions and keeps us from failures that would destroy us.
When do we need wisdom? James instructs us to ask God for wisdom when we are going through a trial. In the midst of a difficult situation, we can simply cry out to the Lord.
Wisdom is quite different from advice. When we ask for advice, we have usually already made up our minds and are just looking for someone to validate our decisions. If a person doesn't give the advice we are looking for, we just ignore it. In the same way, we rarely go to God and say, "Lord, I really don't care how this decision will affect me, or how much stress and suffering it may cause, I just want to do what you want me to do." Rather, we have usually already figured out in our heads what we are going to do, and what we are really thinking is, "God, here's the path I'm going to take. Will you bless my choice and help me as I go?
What God desires from us is that emptiness that genuinely seeks out his wisdom. We can read the Bible until we are blue in the face and memorize hundreds of verses, but unless we recognize the will of God and do it, it won't make us wise.
One time my dad said to me, "I wish all these books on raising kids had been around when I was raising you." True, there are more books today on raising children; however, reading a parenting book every day will not make us wise parents. We have to take knowledge and apply it to our situations. That is the kind of wisdom James is talking about-the wisdom that allows us to take information and process it in a way that is beneficial and useful.
Wisdom is taking knowledge and knowing how to apply it to our lives. The Bible commands us to pursue wisdom, to seek it out (see Proverbs 4:5-7). Each one of us needs wisdom. Wisdom centers our lives. That doesn't mean we are going to have all the answers, but it does allow us to focus on who God is and what he is doing in our lives-which is molding us into the people he wants us to be. . .
God bless you,
Dan
Order your copy of A Faith That Is Real and be challenged to embrace a more authentic faith.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Wisdom! Who Needs It?
James 1:5-8
A bride and groom have just returned from their honeymoon. The bride excitedly prepares her first meal for her husband, a beautiful candlelit dinner. She has informed him that there are two things she cooks very well-apple pie and vegetable lasagna. He takes a bite, chews thoughtfully, and asks, "Which is this?"
. . . Now we will look at the need for wisdom in going through these trials, and the need to understand our trials from God's perspective.
Wisdom in Trials
What is wisdom? Wisdom is the practical use of knowledge. It is not only having knowledge, but also knowing how to use it. Wisdom is an incredibly powerful force that helps us to make right decisions and keeps us from failures that would destroy us.
When do we need wisdom? James instructs us to ask God for wisdom when we are going through a trial. In the midst of a difficult situation, we can simply cry out to the Lord.
Wisdom is quite different from advice. When we ask for advice, we have usually already made up our minds and are just looking for someone to validate our decisions. If a person doesn't give the advice we are looking for, we just ignore it. In the same way, we rarely go to God and say, "Lord, I really don't care how this decision will affect me, or how much stress and suffering it may cause, I just want to do what you want me to do." Rather, we have usually already figured out in our heads what we are going to do, and what we are really thinking is, "God, here's the path I'm going to take. Will you bless my choice and help me as I go?
What God desires from us is that emptiness that genuinely seeks out his wisdom. We can read the Bible until we are blue in the face and memorize hundreds of verses, but unless we recognize the will of God and do it, it won't make us wise.
One time my dad said to me, "I wish all these books on raising kids had been around when I was raising you." True, there are more books today on raising children; however, reading a parenting book every day will not make us wise parents. We have to take knowledge and apply it to our situations. That is the kind of wisdom James is talking about-the wisdom that allows us to take information and process it in a way that is beneficial and useful.
Wisdom is taking knowledge and knowing how to apply it to our lives. The Bible commands us to pursue wisdom, to seek it out (see Proverbs 4:5-7). Each one of us needs wisdom. Wisdom centers our lives. That doesn't mean we are going to have all the answers, but it does allow us to focus on who God is and what he is doing in our lives-which is molding us into the people he wants us to be. . .
God bless you,
Dan
Order your copy of A Faith That Is Real and be challenged to embrace a more authentic faith.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, January 5, 2009
What's Holding You Back?
The following is an excerpt from Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't.
What's Holding You Back?
I remember one of the first times I shared my faith with someone. I was a fairly new Christian attending Liberty University, a Christian college in Virginia. As a member of the football team, I was required to go door to door witnessing (a prerequisite for anyone who wanted to play sports).
One Saturday I went door to door with Randy, a pastor's son and a junior in college who had done this sort of thing many times before. By the time we reached the fourth house Randy turned to me and said, "Okay Dan, the next one is yours."
I was so scared, I tried to refuse; but Randy insisted. We walked to the house and knocked on the door. When an elderly woman opened the door, I began my speech, telling her that we were going from house to house to talk to people about the Lord. When she heard that, to my surprise and fright, she invited us in, sat us down, and brought her husband to us.
To this day I don't know what I said. All I know is, when I finished I asked, "Would you like to open your heart to Christ?" To my shock, the elderly man said yes, so we prayed together.
As we were leaving, the woman pulled me aside, put her arm around me and said, "I've been praying for years for my husband to come to Jesus, but he's had no interest whatsoever. Today you came by and my husband to Christ. Thank you!"
I'll never forget that experience. Of course, Randy was a bit shocked and even impressed that the Lord used me, but no more than I was. If it hadn't been for Randy's persistence, I would have missed out on leading someone to the Lord-solely because of fear.
Afraid to Evangelize
Why is sharing our faith so difficult? What makes it so hard to give our testimony to somebody, to quote a few Bible verses to him or her?
What scares many people is the idea that we have to go down on the street corner, confront someone with the Gospel presentation, and keep prompting her until he or she prays the sinner's prayer.
Confrontation evangelism works for some people, but most of us are relational. That's why I like to do what I call conversational evangelism-establishing friendships, developing relationships with others, building bridges into other people's lives.
Still, we're all generally cowards when it comes to sharing our faith, even with those we know. I consider myself the Number One Chicken. Why are we afraid? Five reasons come to mind . . .
1. Fear of Failure
2. Fear of Rejection
3. Fear of Contamination
4. Lack of Skill
5. Not Seeing the Need
. . . Possibilities for building bridges exist all around us if we are willing to conquer our fears and allow a love for God and a love for people to flow through us . . .
* * * * *
Order your copy of Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't and learn how to develop your own personal evangelism style.
Consider having Dan Owens come to your church or event for his seminar Building Bridges For Eternity. Call Eternity Minded Ministries at 805-460-0561 for more information or go to http://www.eternityminded.org/seminar.htm.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
What's Holding You Back?
I remember one of the first times I shared my faith with someone. I was a fairly new Christian attending Liberty University, a Christian college in Virginia. As a member of the football team, I was required to go door to door witnessing (a prerequisite for anyone who wanted to play sports).
One Saturday I went door to door with Randy, a pastor's son and a junior in college who had done this sort of thing many times before. By the time we reached the fourth house Randy turned to me and said, "Okay Dan, the next one is yours."
I was so scared, I tried to refuse; but Randy insisted. We walked to the house and knocked on the door. When an elderly woman opened the door, I began my speech, telling her that we were going from house to house to talk to people about the Lord. When she heard that, to my surprise and fright, she invited us in, sat us down, and brought her husband to us.
To this day I don't know what I said. All I know is, when I finished I asked, "Would you like to open your heart to Christ?" To my shock, the elderly man said yes, so we prayed together.
As we were leaving, the woman pulled me aside, put her arm around me and said, "I've been praying for years for my husband to come to Jesus, but he's had no interest whatsoever. Today you came by and my husband to Christ. Thank you!"
I'll never forget that experience. Of course, Randy was a bit shocked and even impressed that the Lord used me, but no more than I was. If it hadn't been for Randy's persistence, I would have missed out on leading someone to the Lord-solely because of fear.
Afraid to Evangelize
Why is sharing our faith so difficult? What makes it so hard to give our testimony to somebody, to quote a few Bible verses to him or her?
What scares many people is the idea that we have to go down on the street corner, confront someone with the Gospel presentation, and keep prompting her until he or she prays the sinner's prayer.
Confrontation evangelism works for some people, but most of us are relational. That's why I like to do what I call conversational evangelism-establishing friendships, developing relationships with others, building bridges into other people's lives.
Still, we're all generally cowards when it comes to sharing our faith, even with those we know. I consider myself the Number One Chicken. Why are we afraid? Five reasons come to mind . . .
1. Fear of Failure
2. Fear of Rejection
3. Fear of Contamination
4. Lack of Skill
5. Not Seeing the Need
. . . Possibilities for building bridges exist all around us if we are willing to conquer our fears and allow a love for God and a love for people to flow through us . . .
* * * * *
Order your copy of Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't and learn how to develop your own personal evangelism style.
Consider having Dan Owens come to your church or event for his seminar Building Bridges For Eternity. Call Eternity Minded Ministries at 805-460-0561 for more information or go to http://www.eternityminded.org/seminar.htm.
Copyright 2009 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, December 29, 2008
Develop a Love for the Lost
The following is an excerpt from Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't.
Develop a Love for the Lost When I came to the Lord, I desired to love the world like God does. But I soon realized that you can't create a love for people on your own. It's easy to get worked up about the condition of the unsaved and feel love for them-until we get on the freeway and some car cuts us off. Then our love for the lost flies out the door as we shake our fist at the unskilled driver.
A love for the lost has to come from God. We can't fake it or create it. I remember wrapping my arms around a globe we used to have in our house and praying, "God, give me a love for the lost. I want to have a love like Yours for the world."
Evangelism is a normal expression of our Christian faith. So if a desire to witness is lacking, we need to cultivate our relationship with God.
Have you ever tried to share Christ with someone when absolutely nothing is happening in your spiritual life? I was sitting on a plane one time talking with a fellow passenger, and the perfect opportunity arose to talk about the Lord. But I had nothing to share because my life right then was so dead spiritually.
Psalm 63:8 (KIV) says, "My soul followeth hard after thee." This implies an intense desire to know God, which is what we need if we are going to be effective in our witness for Christ. Knowing God takes strenuous exertion or discipline. Spend time getting to know Him through reading and studying the Bible. Knowing God also takes perseverance. Don't follow Him sporadically, but keep on following even when you don't feel like it.
We sometimes get in the habit of only "using" God in an emergency. But God is not like a spare tire that we put on when nothing else works, then take off when life returns to normal. God can't be stored in the trunk of the car, so to speak.
If we're working to know God and God is working in our lives, we will want to share Him with others, and we will gain a heart like his.
As condemned murderer Charles Peace was led to the gallows in Leeds, England, in 1879, a priest followed, calmly reading aloud the "Consolations of Religion," which warned Peace of the torment to come after death. His executioners offered a final request, and Peace asked to speak with the priest.
"Sir," he said, "if I believe what you and the church of God say that you believe about hell, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living just to save one soul from an eternal place like that."
We have to ask ourselves, "Do we have that sense of urgency?"
God has given us an urgent task-to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the spiritually lost. But as we begin to build bridges to those we know who need Christ, we may encounter some extremely wide chasms.
God bless you,
Dan
Order your copy of Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't and learn about the great chasms that need to be crossed to share Christ with others who need him, and how we can cross them with confidence.
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Develop a Love for the Lost When I came to the Lord, I desired to love the world like God does. But I soon realized that you can't create a love for people on your own. It's easy to get worked up about the condition of the unsaved and feel love for them-until we get on the freeway and some car cuts us off. Then our love for the lost flies out the door as we shake our fist at the unskilled driver.
A love for the lost has to come from God. We can't fake it or create it. I remember wrapping my arms around a globe we used to have in our house and praying, "God, give me a love for the lost. I want to have a love like Yours for the world."
Evangelism is a normal expression of our Christian faith. So if a desire to witness is lacking, we need to cultivate our relationship with God.
Have you ever tried to share Christ with someone when absolutely nothing is happening in your spiritual life? I was sitting on a plane one time talking with a fellow passenger, and the perfect opportunity arose to talk about the Lord. But I had nothing to share because my life right then was so dead spiritually.
Psalm 63:8 (KIV) says, "My soul followeth hard after thee." This implies an intense desire to know God, which is what we need if we are going to be effective in our witness for Christ. Knowing God takes strenuous exertion or discipline. Spend time getting to know Him through reading and studying the Bible. Knowing God also takes perseverance. Don't follow Him sporadically, but keep on following even when you don't feel like it.
We sometimes get in the habit of only "using" God in an emergency. But God is not like a spare tire that we put on when nothing else works, then take off when life returns to normal. God can't be stored in the trunk of the car, so to speak.
If we're working to know God and God is working in our lives, we will want to share Him with others, and we will gain a heart like his.
As condemned murderer Charles Peace was led to the gallows in Leeds, England, in 1879, a priest followed, calmly reading aloud the "Consolations of Religion," which warned Peace of the torment to come after death. His executioners offered a final request, and Peace asked to speak with the priest.
"Sir," he said, "if I believe what you and the church of God say that you believe about hell, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living just to save one soul from an eternal place like that."
We have to ask ourselves, "Do we have that sense of urgency?"
God has given us an urgent task-to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the spiritually lost. But as we begin to build bridges to those we know who need Christ, we may encounter some extremely wide chasms.
God bless you,
Dan
Order your copy of Sharing Christ When You Feel You Can't and learn about the great chasms that need to be crossed to share Christ with others who need him, and how we can cross them with confidence.
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, December 22, 2008
Merry Christmas
Christmas is here! Christ is here! I pray that you will have a wonderful Christ-filled Christmas this week.
I was reflecting on the beautiful Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” translated by John Neale. This is one of the most ancient carols we sing and one of the most contemplative. The words and melody are thought to have originated in the 12th century and used specifically during the Advent Season.
In the mid-1800’s the Anglican minister John Neale translated this ancient Latin chant into English. The song which speaks of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 as being fulfilled in Matthew 1:23 has been sung in churches of all denominations.
This gorgeous song would not be so meaningful if we did not understand the word “Emmanuel” to mean “God with us.” The moving melody and the understanding that God truly is with us, does much to calm our spirits and bring us joy during this time of Advent.
The word ‘advent’ comes from Latin meaning ‘coming towards’ and speaks of Christ coming to earth to be “God with us”. Advent really has three implications, Christ coming to Bethlehem, Christ coming into our hearts, and Christ coming again. Christ Jesus is with us indeed.
It is my prayer that you will not only have head knowledge of Christ, but that your heart will be filled with His presence. Christmas is a reality and God is not only with us, He is in us through His Spirit. Please take time to talk with Jesus our Lord this week. Don’t let all the good things that will take place this week take you completely away from a quiet time with him.
As the late Ron Mehl, wrote in his stirring book, God Works the Night Shift, “Doesn’t the Christian life really boil down to being held by God and, in turn, holding on to Him?” God is with you so hold on to Him this week.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Eternity Minded Ministries!
Dan
P.S. Just after the holidays we will have a report to you on all that God did in Rwanda!
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
I was reflecting on the beautiful Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” translated by John Neale. This is one of the most ancient carols we sing and one of the most contemplative. The words and melody are thought to have originated in the 12th century and used specifically during the Advent Season.
In the mid-1800’s the Anglican minister John Neale translated this ancient Latin chant into English. The song which speaks of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 as being fulfilled in Matthew 1:23 has been sung in churches of all denominations.
This gorgeous song would not be so meaningful if we did not understand the word “Emmanuel” to mean “God with us.” The moving melody and the understanding that God truly is with us, does much to calm our spirits and bring us joy during this time of Advent.
The word ‘advent’ comes from Latin meaning ‘coming towards’ and speaks of Christ coming to earth to be “God with us”. Advent really has three implications, Christ coming to Bethlehem, Christ coming into our hearts, and Christ coming again. Christ Jesus is with us indeed.
It is my prayer that you will not only have head knowledge of Christ, but that your heart will be filled with His presence. Christmas is a reality and God is not only with us, He is in us through His Spirit. Please take time to talk with Jesus our Lord this week. Don’t let all the good things that will take place this week take you completely away from a quiet time with him.
As the late Ron Mehl, wrote in his stirring book, God Works the Night Shift, “Doesn’t the Christian life really boil down to being held by God and, in turn, holding on to Him?” God is with you so hold on to Him this week.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Eternity Minded Ministries!
Dan
P.S. Just after the holidays we will have a report to you on all that God did in Rwanda!
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, December 15, 2008
Light Reveals God
We have just returned from Rwamagana, Rwanda with an incredible amount of joy in our hearts. "Mission Reconciliation" was moved along by the Holy Spirit to accomplish things that went beyond our knowledge and planning. I was amazed at how the Spirit orchestrated events so that those who truly needed the love and forgiveness of God would come under the influence of that very message. I will look forward to sharing these things with you via our Impact newsletter after we get some rest. I want to thank you for your ministry of prayer for us and for your gifts of faith. The Lord used you in the ministry of reconciliation and transformation. Due to getting home late this past week and not having time to study and write, I am sending to you an excerpt from Who Is This Jesus?. I trust it will bless you.
Dan
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LIGHT REVEALS GOD
Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?" Psalm 36:9 declares, "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." In Psalm 104:1-2 we read, "O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment," Then John wrote John 1:5, "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." Why would John say that? Why would Jesus say, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12)?
Whenever Jesus used the phrase "I am," the Jews knew exactly what he meant. It was the same word God used to describe himself in the Old Testament, and they understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. In fact, in John 8:58-59, when Jesus used the phrase "I am," the Jews picked up rocks and tried to stone him. It was a bold claim!
The word used here for light has a rich historical background. The Israelites observed an annual feast that lasted seven days and that they called the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a reminder of the time the Israelites wandered in the desert. It was not, however, a time of mourning or sadness. It was a time of great rejoicing. It also coincided with the harvest, so there was a lot of activity going on.
During this feast all the Israelites would leave their homes, and they would erect tents in a big circle to form something like a courtyard. The tents were a reminder of God's protection.
In the midst of the courtyard, they would light big candelabras. Every home had a lamp, and at night they would move to the center of this courtyard where the big candelabras gave off incredible light. That light reminded them of the pillar of fire that God used to lead them through the desert-it reminded them that God was always there with them. It was a symbol of his presence.
Jesus appeared on the scene and claimed, "I am the light of the world." That statement created quite a stir among the Jews. Not only did he use God's special name, but he also claimed God's unique role as a protector and guide and to be the Messiah.
The world in which we live is dark. Of course, there are moments of great joy and happiness, and life can be fun. But in general, this is a dark world. It is dark because it is under the power of Satan and because of our own evil thoughts and devices. We move more deeply into spiritual darkness when we refuse to examine the evidence in the universe for God's existence and for who he is.
George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, did not invent the dark side. The dark side had been there ever since the Evil One had his beginning. It is in contrast to that dark side that Jesus said, "I have come to reveal to you what God is like in this darkness. In this dark world, I have come to show you what God is like and to answer you questions about God." We know what God is like because we see what Jesus was like.
Because Jesus came to reveal God to us, we can know the answers to the big questions: Where did we come from? Where are we going? Where are we? Jesus came to show us the way, to answer the deepest questions of our hearts, and to point us to God. Jesus is the Light of the World. Has he revealed God to you? Jesus said the Father would reveal himself to those who walk with him (John 14:9-10, 21).
In your Christian life, in your Christian experience, has God revealed himself to you? Does he show you new things? When you're alone reading your Bible, or when you're driving in your car perhaps listening to worship music, and a certain thought hits you-that could be God showing you something new. When you come to a new spiritual understanding, when a light goes on in your mind-that may be God revealing himself to you. Not in some distant place, two thousand years ago, but right now, right here, God wants to reveal himself to you.
We sometimes make an encounter with God harder than it needs to be. God wants to reveal himself to us. He does not want to remain hidden behind some screen or cloud. God wants to draw you to himself. That is why it is so important that we spend time alone with God, meditate, and ask, "What do you want me to do? What do you want me to be?" Because in that darkness and in that time we spend with him, God will shed his light and expose things in our lives.
Do you ever get frustrated? Do you ever think, Lord, where are you? You're not revealing yourself to me. I find in my own life that such feelings of isolation from God are normally my own doing, not his. He wants to reveal himself to me, but I get too busy with my life to take the time to wait, pray, read, and meditate on God. God wants us to slow down long enough for him to reveal himself to us.
Blessings to you,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, December 8, 2008
United We Stand
Dan Owens and the Eternity Minded Ministries ministry team are currently ministering to the people of Rwamagana, Rwanda. Today we are sharing an excerpt from Dan Owens' book A Joy That Is Real. Devotions from the Spiritual Genealogy Series will resume upon Dan's return.
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UNITED WE STAND
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, Dear Friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. --Philippians 4:1-3
During a difficult time at the beginning of our country's history, founding father Benjamin Franklin said, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." Abraham Lincoln said the now famous phrase, "United we stand; divided we fall." Throughout America's history, unity has been an important concept.
In the Bible, unity refers to a sense of oneness. Jesus expected unity among his followers, and he prayed in John 17:23, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." Unfortunately, conflict sometimes destroys our unity, especially in the local church.
I've heard people say, "I don't want to go to church because people don't get along with each other and I don't want to get hurt." Sadly, in many cases that is true. Paul has been writing about joy, and he's getting ready to give some encouragement, but first he must deal with a problem of disunity in the church. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, were having a conflict. Apparently this problem was big enough that Paul singled them out as he begins the final portion of his letter. He urges their fellow believers to help them in resolving the problem.
How do we resolve disunity within the body of Christ? I want to offer you a few principles from Scripture on how to deal with conflict in the church.
Don't Run
In verse 1, Paul says, "Stand firm in the Lord." Running away from conflict will not resolve it. We need to realize that conflict is part of life-whether you see it in the office, at home, or at a Bible study.
. . .
Don't Sweep It
Another common response to conflict is to try to pretend it's not a big deal, or sweep it under the carpet. However, Paul realizes that this type of problem won't resolve itself-and he gets right down to naming names. He isn't being mean-spirited, but he realizes that he must confront these two women and call them specifically by name in order to deal with the issue properly. He does it out of the true love and concern that we saw in the first verse.
. . .
Don't Ignore It
When we realize and admit that there is a problem, we can't ignore it. Paul was so concerned about this conflict that he asks others in the church to meditate. They could not resolve it themselves, and they needed help. In these cases, someone else needs to get involved-not a busybody, but someone who truly desires to bring the two people or groups together for the glory of God.
. . .
Paul saw that his beloved church had to choose a direction. Either these women needed to deal with their conflict and forgive each other, or they were going to continue to build up their secondaries and drag others into the problem, and end up causing a split in the church.
God has called us to be unified. The church should not be a place of bickering and fighting, but a place where lives are transformed, and where we see the Spirit of God at work.
Peace to you!
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, December 1, 2008
You Are The Salt Of The Earth
I trust that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know that some of our friends who receive my devotionals do not live here in the United States but for those of us who do, it is certainly a beloved holiday. We have so much to bless God for in spite of these uncertain times.
By the time this email arrives in your in box, I will be on a flight from London to Rwanda with our team. We are so blessed to be going to the city of Rwamagana, Rwanda to share the love of Jesus Christ. I know that our ministry is just one of thousands that are at work all over the world today with the desire to make life better for others. Yet for us, we not only want to help, we want to share the salvation that comes through faith in Christ.
This past week I was preaching at a church in Santa Ynez, California. It is one of my favorite places to go because it is only an hour and half a way, so I am there on a fairly regular basis. I have been teaching through a series on the Beatitudes and thought I would finish up with the great words of Jesus found in Matthew 5:13-16:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
The question I asked in the sermon was, "Where would this world be if you took all the Christians out of it?" We all know Christians that have tarnished the name of Jesus, and if we are honest, our testimonies have not always been as brilliant as they should be. Yet, we must think of all the incredible love and works that Christians share around the world. Think of all the schools, hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, relief work and churches that Christians have built around the world.
Jesus said that each one of us are the salt that keeps our world from total decay. You, my brother and sister, are the salt of the earth that hold back anarchy and you are the light of the world, sharing His love with others.
Many people say to me that they would like to join us on a trip overseas. They sense a need in their soul to make a difference in this world; and we are thrilled to take people with us to share in ministry as we are doing for Rwanda. We must never forget that we are all salt of the earth right where we live and play. Each of us is being used of the Lord to hold back the evil that flows so freely.
You are the light of the world just in your smile, your kindness, and your generosity! Jesus says that we are a light to our own houses, meaning the people we love, but we are also a light on a hill showing that we impact even those we do not know very well. You can only shine as He shines in you through His Spirit that dwells in you.
So today I am asking that you pray for Eternity Minded Ministries while we share the light in Rwanda. I am also asking that you pray for yourself as you continue to be His light in a dark world. Pray that your moral and ethical decisions will be the salt that helps to keep moral decay from spreading. I will return to writing on our Spiritual Genealogy when I return from Africa.
Peace to you!
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
By the time this email arrives in your in box, I will be on a flight from London to Rwanda with our team. We are so blessed to be going to the city of Rwamagana, Rwanda to share the love of Jesus Christ. I know that our ministry is just one of thousands that are at work all over the world today with the desire to make life better for others. Yet for us, we not only want to help, we want to share the salvation that comes through faith in Christ.
This past week I was preaching at a church in Santa Ynez, California. It is one of my favorite places to go because it is only an hour and half a way, so I am there on a fairly regular basis. I have been teaching through a series on the Beatitudes and thought I would finish up with the great words of Jesus found in Matthew 5:13-16:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
The question I asked in the sermon was, "Where would this world be if you took all the Christians out of it?" We all know Christians that have tarnished the name of Jesus, and if we are honest, our testimonies have not always been as brilliant as they should be. Yet, we must think of all the incredible love and works that Christians share around the world. Think of all the schools, hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, relief work and churches that Christians have built around the world.
Jesus said that each one of us are the salt that keeps our world from total decay. You, my brother and sister, are the salt of the earth that hold back anarchy and you are the light of the world, sharing His love with others.
Many people say to me that they would like to join us on a trip overseas. They sense a need in their soul to make a difference in this world; and we are thrilled to take people with us to share in ministry as we are doing for Rwanda. We must never forget that we are all salt of the earth right where we live and play. Each of us is being used of the Lord to hold back the evil that flows so freely.
You are the light of the world just in your smile, your kindness, and your generosity! Jesus says that we are a light to our own houses, meaning the people we love, but we are also a light on a hill showing that we impact even those we do not know very well. You can only shine as He shines in you through His Spirit that dwells in you.
So today I am asking that you pray for Eternity Minded Ministries while we share the light in Rwanda. I am also asking that you pray for yourself as you continue to be His light in a dark world. Pray that your moral and ethical decisions will be the salt that helps to keep moral decay from spreading. I will return to writing on our Spiritual Genealogy when I return from Africa.
Peace to you!
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, November 24, 2008
God Looks at the Heart
Most of us are quite familiar with David of the Old Testament. We know the story of his fight with the giant and his failure with the flesh. We know of the beautiful songs and Psalms that he wrote and we know the story of his kingship. I always have enjoyed reading the story of when he was chosen by the prophet Samuel to replace Saul as king.
Samuel could have easily passed over young David as a potential king had he not listened to the clear instructions that the Lord gave him. By human standards, David was a young shepherd and not a likely candidate for such a position. However, the instructions to Samuel were clear:
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
‘The Lord looks at the heart’ is a beautiful statement and one that we should often be reminded of. One of the greatest weaknesses of human nature is to make judgments based on the external. God is not the God of the fashion show, the ‘in’ crowd, or the upwardly mobile. He is the God who knows the heart and He cannot be bought or impressed with material things or physical beauty.
In year 177AD in the city of Lyon, France there was a young, frail girl by the name of Blandina. She was a slave girl owned by a Christian and both were placed in captivity because of their faith. Blandina’s friends were fearful that she would deny Christ during her torture because of her frail frame and quiet disposition. They were looking only at her body and not at her heart.
Eusebius gives a full account of Blandina in his book on church history written in 325AD. He notes that this frail young girl endured some of the worst torture that was ever invented in the evil hearts of men. She was abused in every way imaginable, and yet, her executioners became exhausted “as they did not know what more they could to do her.” In every instance of abuse, pain, and humiliation, she would cry out “I am a Christian and there is nothing vile done by us.”
Finally Blandina was taken to the amphitheater in Lyon to face the crowds and the beasts. They beat her, roasted her over a fire, and had her thrown before wild bulls that threw her into the air with their horns. At last she was put to peace with the thrust of a dagger. This frail young virgin inspired countless others to hold fast to their faith in spite of horrendous suffering.
Today the ruins of that amphitheater can still be found in Lyon, France. There is a pole and a plaque that honors Blandina and the others who died there. The pole is a reminder that many were tied to it and were devoured by wild animals. When Blandina was tied to the pole the animals would not come near her, which is why they roasted her and threw her to the bulls.
Young, small, and frail, but with a heart huge for God, our sister Blandina is a great reminder that God looks at the heart. God sees beyond all that is external and knows what is brewing in the soul. God knows that inner strength is more useful and noble than physical strength. Maybe somewhere along the way Blandina had read the words of Paul written to the Christians at Corinth, “Be on your guard; stand firm; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”
I know this passage says, “Be men of courage” but let’s be honest. There are more women of courage in this world than men. I am speaking here of spiritual and moral courage, of course. As I have traveled to many parts of the world I often wonder where the work of the Lord would be without the women. Yes, there are times when the men have been killed off or have been taken away into slavery leaving the women there to stand firm. But there are more times when the women are just more inclined to the things of the Lord. They rise to the top spiritually because they are more committed to the Lord.
The importance of women in the spreading of the Gospel and the building up of believers in the history of the church is undeniable! Even today we can look at our churches and see that in many ways the women are the backbone of the work that is being done. And, it’s not just the work that they do; it’s the spiritual insight that they bring to the Body. Yes, it’s true there are some women who are just mean-spirited busybodies as the Bible says, but there are greater numbers who love the Lord, stand firm in their faith, and help move the Kingdom forward. The spirit of Blandina is still in the hearts of many women here and around the world.
Whether you are male or female you cannot help but read of Blandina and wonder how you would have done. When you read about how they locked her in a metal grate and set about barbequing her, do you wonder how you would have behaved? I think about that a lot and I have come to the conclusion that God gives grace in those situations and that if I only know God as a creed or a story from an ancient book, then I will fail. To stand strong in the face of torture, or job loss, or deteriorating health, one must truly know the Lord Jesus Christ in his or her heart and life.
I have said a thousand times, it’s hard to trust someone you don’t know so we must get to know our Lord so much better!
God Bless You,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Samuel could have easily passed over young David as a potential king had he not listened to the clear instructions that the Lord gave him. By human standards, David was a young shepherd and not a likely candidate for such a position. However, the instructions to Samuel were clear:
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
‘The Lord looks at the heart’ is a beautiful statement and one that we should often be reminded of. One of the greatest weaknesses of human nature is to make judgments based on the external. God is not the God of the fashion show, the ‘in’ crowd, or the upwardly mobile. He is the God who knows the heart and He cannot be bought or impressed with material things or physical beauty.
In year 177AD in the city of Lyon, France there was a young, frail girl by the name of Blandina. She was a slave girl owned by a Christian and both were placed in captivity because of their faith. Blandina’s friends were fearful that she would deny Christ during her torture because of her frail frame and quiet disposition. They were looking only at her body and not at her heart.
Eusebius gives a full account of Blandina in his book on church history written in 325AD. He notes that this frail young girl endured some of the worst torture that was ever invented in the evil hearts of men. She was abused in every way imaginable, and yet, her executioners became exhausted “as they did not know what more they could to do her.” In every instance of abuse, pain, and humiliation, she would cry out “I am a Christian and there is nothing vile done by us.”
Finally Blandina was taken to the amphitheater in Lyon to face the crowds and the beasts. They beat her, roasted her over a fire, and had her thrown before wild bulls that threw her into the air with their horns. At last she was put to peace with the thrust of a dagger. This frail young virgin inspired countless others to hold fast to their faith in spite of horrendous suffering.
Today the ruins of that amphitheater can still be found in Lyon, France. There is a pole and a plaque that honors Blandina and the others who died there. The pole is a reminder that many were tied to it and were devoured by wild animals. When Blandina was tied to the pole the animals would not come near her, which is why they roasted her and threw her to the bulls.
Young, small, and frail, but with a heart huge for God, our sister Blandina is a great reminder that God looks at the heart. God sees beyond all that is external and knows what is brewing in the soul. God knows that inner strength is more useful and noble than physical strength. Maybe somewhere along the way Blandina had read the words of Paul written to the Christians at Corinth, “Be on your guard; stand firm; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”
I know this passage says, “Be men of courage” but let’s be honest. There are more women of courage in this world than men. I am speaking here of spiritual and moral courage, of course. As I have traveled to many parts of the world I often wonder where the work of the Lord would be without the women. Yes, there are times when the men have been killed off or have been taken away into slavery leaving the women there to stand firm. But there are more times when the women are just more inclined to the things of the Lord. They rise to the top spiritually because they are more committed to the Lord.
The importance of women in the spreading of the Gospel and the building up of believers in the history of the church is undeniable! Even today we can look at our churches and see that in many ways the women are the backbone of the work that is being done. And, it’s not just the work that they do; it’s the spiritual insight that they bring to the Body. Yes, it’s true there are some women who are just mean-spirited busybodies as the Bible says, but there are greater numbers who love the Lord, stand firm in their faith, and help move the Kingdom forward. The spirit of Blandina is still in the hearts of many women here and around the world.
Whether you are male or female you cannot help but read of Blandina and wonder how you would have done. When you read about how they locked her in a metal grate and set about barbequing her, do you wonder how you would have behaved? I think about that a lot and I have come to the conclusion that God gives grace in those situations and that if I only know God as a creed or a story from an ancient book, then I will fail. To stand strong in the face of torture, or job loss, or deteriorating health, one must truly know the Lord Jesus Christ in his or her heart and life.
I have said a thousand times, it’s hard to trust someone you don’t know so we must get to know our Lord so much better!
God Bless You,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, November 17, 2008
Defending Our Faith
Both my wife and I noticed the picture on the Internet of a young mother buying a gun the day after the election. In the interview she said she was afraid that President-elect Obama was going to pass laws against guns. She wanted to be able to hunt for food and to defend her family. One-day gun sales records were broken on that same day as people rushed to buy guns while they still could for the purpose of sport and defense.
The word ‘defend’ is used in sports, military, self-protection, legal proceedings, and oral examinations. Webster’s Dictionary also gives us a definition in regards to personal beliefs: “To maintain in the face of argument or hostile criticism, to prove valid by answering oral questions.” We can defend our homes and our families but can we defend our faith?
Over the last few decades so much emphasis has been placed on Christians sharing their story, their conversion story that is. There is no doubt that our story of what Christ has done in our lives is a very useful tool. There are times, however, that I sense that this is the only tool we are teaching our people to use. It is helpful to read the works of people like C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, J.P Moreland, and Peter Kreeft to see that logic, philosophy, reason, and a good understanding of history and Scriptures are tremendous defensive weapons for our faith.
Justin Martyr was a pagan. What I mean by this is that he was not a Bishop like Ignatius or Polycarp. Justin was born in 100 AD in Palestine to Greek parents. He received the classic education of his day and was drawn to Greek philosophy. We know that he was successful after his education because he owned land and traveled a fair amount. But his study of philosophy caused him to be restless. He forever wanted to find the meaning of life, to find truth.
Justin’s own personal testimony is that he was walking along the seashore one day and an old man appeared to him. They began to talk and the stranger told Justin that he would never find what he was looking for in human endeavors but only by divine revelation. The old man met Justin on his terms, philosophy, and reason. He had Justin thoroughly engaged. Finally, this old man made the point that truth is from God and that God can be known. He went into his explanation and defense of Christianity, starting with the Prophets and prophecy and ending with Christ on the cross and the resurrection. Justin was converted that day and became known as one of the greatest defenders of the faith in the second century.
Justin noted in his writings that after that day on the seashore he never saw the old man again. There is a part of me that wants to believe it was an angel standing there reasoning with Justin, and maybe it was. However, there is also the thrill of knowing that God the Holy Spirit put another Christian on the seashore that day to talk with him. God knew how Justin’s mind worked and he placed someone there who could talk in philosophical terms.
Reading the works of Justin Martyr I am also amazed at how much this old man knew about the Old Testament and the current teaching of Christ. He was a student as well as a teacher. I have found in my life that the best teachers are by and large still students. They still have the desire to learn and to appreciate that learning makes one a better teacher. There is nothing worse than sitting in a class, a class of any kind (or church for that matter), where the material sounds like it has been neatly packaged for many years with nothing new added. It’s like the teacher who has been using the same lesson plans for years without bringing in new thoughts from history or from current affairs.
Are you still a student? Let me be more specific, are you still a student of the Trinity? Are you repeating clichés and phrases that you learned decades ago, or are you a student? I see people carry their Bibles to church with pages underlined from decades of church services and Bible studies and I wonder how much they have really learned. How much is being lived out in their lives?
Peter wrote about suffering even when doing nothing to ‘deserve’ it. He indicated that this kind of suffering would open a door for the Gospel. He says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
The old man shared Christ in this very way although he was not suffering at the time. He knew what he believed and he could defend it and he could do so with a kind heart. Yes, sharing our testimony is a great tool, but why don’t we develop other tools for God’s glory? Peter says that we should all be prepared to defend our faith, This means we should still be students--forever learning.
My son just took an oral exam for The California Highway Patrol. They asked him situational questions and he had to give reasons for the actions he would take. What if we were only allowed into heaven after an oral examination from the Lord? What if the question was not “Why should I let you into my heaven?” (which I don’t think the Lord will ever ask), but rather “Give me the reason for the hope that you have”. What if in order to enter heaven we had to defend our faith? What if we had to give the whole of salvation’s history from the Old Testament into the New? What if the correct answer was more than just “I have Jesus in my heart?”
Yes, Justin was martyred for his faith around 165 AD, but not before writing two famous works that you can easily find. “Apologies” was written to the emperors and “Dialogue” was written to his Jewish friend. Through Justin we can see how an early church layman defended and defined the faith. He is an example to us all.
God bless,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
The word ‘defend’ is used in sports, military, self-protection, legal proceedings, and oral examinations. Webster’s Dictionary also gives us a definition in regards to personal beliefs: “To maintain in the face of argument or hostile criticism, to prove valid by answering oral questions.” We can defend our homes and our families but can we defend our faith?
Over the last few decades so much emphasis has been placed on Christians sharing their story, their conversion story that is. There is no doubt that our story of what Christ has done in our lives is a very useful tool. There are times, however, that I sense that this is the only tool we are teaching our people to use. It is helpful to read the works of people like C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, J.P Moreland, and Peter Kreeft to see that logic, philosophy, reason, and a good understanding of history and Scriptures are tremendous defensive weapons for our faith.
Justin Martyr was a pagan. What I mean by this is that he was not a Bishop like Ignatius or Polycarp. Justin was born in 100 AD in Palestine to Greek parents. He received the classic education of his day and was drawn to Greek philosophy. We know that he was successful after his education because he owned land and traveled a fair amount. But his study of philosophy caused him to be restless. He forever wanted to find the meaning of life, to find truth.
Justin’s own personal testimony is that he was walking along the seashore one day and an old man appeared to him. They began to talk and the stranger told Justin that he would never find what he was looking for in human endeavors but only by divine revelation. The old man met Justin on his terms, philosophy, and reason. He had Justin thoroughly engaged. Finally, this old man made the point that truth is from God and that God can be known. He went into his explanation and defense of Christianity, starting with the Prophets and prophecy and ending with Christ on the cross and the resurrection. Justin was converted that day and became known as one of the greatest defenders of the faith in the second century.
Justin noted in his writings that after that day on the seashore he never saw the old man again. There is a part of me that wants to believe it was an angel standing there reasoning with Justin, and maybe it was. However, there is also the thrill of knowing that God the Holy Spirit put another Christian on the seashore that day to talk with him. God knew how Justin’s mind worked and he placed someone there who could talk in philosophical terms.
Reading the works of Justin Martyr I am also amazed at how much this old man knew about the Old Testament and the current teaching of Christ. He was a student as well as a teacher. I have found in my life that the best teachers are by and large still students. They still have the desire to learn and to appreciate that learning makes one a better teacher. There is nothing worse than sitting in a class, a class of any kind (or church for that matter), where the material sounds like it has been neatly packaged for many years with nothing new added. It’s like the teacher who has been using the same lesson plans for years without bringing in new thoughts from history or from current affairs.
Are you still a student? Let me be more specific, are you still a student of the Trinity? Are you repeating clichés and phrases that you learned decades ago, or are you a student? I see people carry their Bibles to church with pages underlined from decades of church services and Bible studies and I wonder how much they have really learned. How much is being lived out in their lives?
Peter wrote about suffering even when doing nothing to ‘deserve’ it. He indicated that this kind of suffering would open a door for the Gospel. He says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
The old man shared Christ in this very way although he was not suffering at the time. He knew what he believed and he could defend it and he could do so with a kind heart. Yes, sharing our testimony is a great tool, but why don’t we develop other tools for God’s glory? Peter says that we should all be prepared to defend our faith, This means we should still be students--forever learning.
My son just took an oral exam for The California Highway Patrol. They asked him situational questions and he had to give reasons for the actions he would take. What if we were only allowed into heaven after an oral examination from the Lord? What if the question was not “Why should I let you into my heaven?” (which I don’t think the Lord will ever ask), but rather “Give me the reason for the hope that you have”. What if in order to enter heaven we had to defend our faith? What if we had to give the whole of salvation’s history from the Old Testament into the New? What if the correct answer was more than just “I have Jesus in my heart?”
Yes, Justin was martyred for his faith around 165 AD, but not before writing two famous works that you can easily find. “Apologies” was written to the emperors and “Dialogue” was written to his Jewish friend. Through Justin we can see how an early church layman defended and defined the faith. He is an example to us all.
God bless,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Good Old Days
While preaching at a supporting church recently, a wonderful couple I know handed me a copy of Life magazine. They passed it along to me because it had an interesting article regarding evangelism in Africa. As I read the article I could not help but be fascinated by the advertisements in the magazine because this issue of Life was dated June 2, 1947!
Back in the 1940’s, Life magazine cost a mere 15 cents, which of course, caught my attention right away. There were ads for a bottle of Coke for 5 cents, a tooth brush for 23 cents, a cigar for 11 cents (not that I smoke), a woman’s blouse for $3.00 and a man’s suit for $29.50! Ahhh . . . the good old days! Actually, those days were before I was even born. We can all look back to certain eras that we would call the ‘good old days’ even if our memories have been sanitized a bit.
I was speaking to someone recently about his church plant and he talked about his desire to go back to the ‘good old days’ of the early church. He wanted his church to be like it once was. He went on to talk about the concept of the house church and how there was no pastor, and everyone just loved each other. That’s how he viewed the early church.
The reality is that the early church was not a free-for-all like we imagine. Even before the Apostles departed this earth there was an established hierarchy with bishops, presbyters, and deacons. From the earliest days, the bishop’s main function was to keep careful watch over church doctrine. Yes, well before 100AD there were new churches springing up all over the place that did not teach the doctrines that Peter, Paul, John, and the others had passed along as coming directly from Jesus Christ.
Bishop Polycarp was one such man who fought hard against intrusive heresies. He, along with Ignatius, was instructed by the Apostle John and possibly by some of the other Apostles as well. He had spent time with many of those who had listened to the teaching of Jesus. He was born in 69AD and lived a very long life dedicated to Christ and the purity of doctrine.
Polycarp was ordained the Bishop or ‘overseer’ of Smyrna, which is now Izmir, Turkey. You might well remember that John wrote of this church in Revelation. We don’t know a great deal about his life other than what we can glean from the historical writings of Ignatius and Irenaeus. We do have one authentic and surviving letter that Polycarp wrote to the Philippian church. I have read the letter and was intrigued by it due to the fact that he quoted verses from 17 letters that we now have in our current New Testament. It is awesome to see the standard that he upheld as Bishop.
All Protestants, Catholics, and those of the Orthodox Church appreciate and honor Polycarp. It was his death that so moves us and causes us to reflect on our own lives. Even in Rome the hostile crowds knew him as ‘The great teacher of Asia’. Like his close friend Ignatius, Polycarp was condemned to death by fire. It was his first famous quote that brought the sentence of death. When commanded to turn his back on Christ he said, “If you imagine that I will swear by Caesar, you do not know who I am. Let me tell you plainly. I am a Christian.” It was his second, more personal defense, that has been quoted in every century since his death. Polycard boldly stated, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"
Polycarp died at the age of 86, which was incredibly old for that period of history, especially for a Christian in the age of persecution. He was faithful to the end. One can almost imagine the words of John ringing in Polycarp’s ears as they lit the fire:
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:2-5
He was to die by fire, but when the fire was lit, it would not even burn him so they took his life by stabbing him. John recorded the words of our Lord to Polycarp’s church in Smyrna, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Polycarp took those words literally and was faithful in death even as he had been in life.
How faithful are you to the Lord now while you have your health, prosperity, and there is no danger in sight? We want to think that we would stand firm in the end, but are we standing firm for the Lord while we are on this journey? The French missionary Fenelon wrote: “It is only by fidelity in little things that a true and constant love of God can be distinguished from a passing fervor of spirit.”
Are you being faithful to the Lord in the little things? Are you faithful to His church? Are you a faithful friend? Are you faithful in doing what is morally right? Is your heart faithful in love for the Lord or have you divorced the Lord to follow other things? Are you faithful in sharing your heart, your hurts, and your helplessness with the Lord? Are you faithful in the giving of love to others even when there seems to be no reciprocation? Are you faithful in “doing unto others as you would have them do for you?”
.
The death of Polycarp strengthened the church. His teachings and the way in which he faced death spoke volumes to the early church that was being butchered. Let me just close by asking: Do we really want to go back and be like the early church with all that bloodshed? If in our lifetime these things should happen to us, like Polycarp, would we be able to stand faithful to the end?
Stay faithful to the end,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Back in the 1940’s, Life magazine cost a mere 15 cents, which of course, caught my attention right away. There were ads for a bottle of Coke for 5 cents, a tooth brush for 23 cents, a cigar for 11 cents (not that I smoke), a woman’s blouse for $3.00 and a man’s suit for $29.50! Ahhh . . . the good old days! Actually, those days were before I was even born. We can all look back to certain eras that we would call the ‘good old days’ even if our memories have been sanitized a bit.
I was speaking to someone recently about his church plant and he talked about his desire to go back to the ‘good old days’ of the early church. He wanted his church to be like it once was. He went on to talk about the concept of the house church and how there was no pastor, and everyone just loved each other. That’s how he viewed the early church.
The reality is that the early church was not a free-for-all like we imagine. Even before the Apostles departed this earth there was an established hierarchy with bishops, presbyters, and deacons. From the earliest days, the bishop’s main function was to keep careful watch over church doctrine. Yes, well before 100AD there were new churches springing up all over the place that did not teach the doctrines that Peter, Paul, John, and the others had passed along as coming directly from Jesus Christ.
Bishop Polycarp was one such man who fought hard against intrusive heresies. He, along with Ignatius, was instructed by the Apostle John and possibly by some of the other Apostles as well. He had spent time with many of those who had listened to the teaching of Jesus. He was born in 69AD and lived a very long life dedicated to Christ and the purity of doctrine.
Polycarp was ordained the Bishop or ‘overseer’ of Smyrna, which is now Izmir, Turkey. You might well remember that John wrote of this church in Revelation. We don’t know a great deal about his life other than what we can glean from the historical writings of Ignatius and Irenaeus. We do have one authentic and surviving letter that Polycarp wrote to the Philippian church. I have read the letter and was intrigued by it due to the fact that he quoted verses from 17 letters that we now have in our current New Testament. It is awesome to see the standard that he upheld as Bishop.
All Protestants, Catholics, and those of the Orthodox Church appreciate and honor Polycarp. It was his death that so moves us and causes us to reflect on our own lives. Even in Rome the hostile crowds knew him as ‘The great teacher of Asia’. Like his close friend Ignatius, Polycarp was condemned to death by fire. It was his first famous quote that brought the sentence of death. When commanded to turn his back on Christ he said, “If you imagine that I will swear by Caesar, you do not know who I am. Let me tell you plainly. I am a Christian.” It was his second, more personal defense, that has been quoted in every century since his death. Polycard boldly stated, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"
Polycarp died at the age of 86, which was incredibly old for that period of history, especially for a Christian in the age of persecution. He was faithful to the end. One can almost imagine the words of John ringing in Polycarp’s ears as they lit the fire:
“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:2-5
He was to die by fire, but when the fire was lit, it would not even burn him so they took his life by stabbing him. John recorded the words of our Lord to Polycarp’s church in Smyrna, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Polycarp took those words literally and was faithful in death even as he had been in life.
How faithful are you to the Lord now while you have your health, prosperity, and there is no danger in sight? We want to think that we would stand firm in the end, but are we standing firm for the Lord while we are on this journey? The French missionary Fenelon wrote: “It is only by fidelity in little things that a true and constant love of God can be distinguished from a passing fervor of spirit.”
Are you being faithful to the Lord in the little things? Are you faithful to His church? Are you a faithful friend? Are you faithful in doing what is morally right? Is your heart faithful in love for the Lord or have you divorced the Lord to follow other things? Are you faithful in sharing your heart, your hurts, and your helplessness with the Lord? Are you faithful in the giving of love to others even when there seems to be no reciprocation? Are you faithful in “doing unto others as you would have them do for you?”
.
The death of Polycarp strengthened the church. His teachings and the way in which he faced death spoke volumes to the early church that was being butchered. Let me just close by asking: Do we really want to go back and be like the early church with all that bloodshed? If in our lifetime these things should happen to us, like Polycarp, would we be able to stand faithful to the end?
Stay faithful to the end,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ignatius
In 1994 three college students at Albright College were watching actor Kevin Bacon in the movie "Footloose". That movie was followed by another Kevin Bacon movie called "Quicksilver". In the boredom that came from being shut-in during a heavy snowstorm, they began to muse about how many actors or actresses were connected to Kevin Bacon in some way. Out of their creative minds came the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon". According to Wikepedia, "The game requires a group of players to try to connect any film actor in history to Kevin Bacon as quickly as possible and in as few links as possible."
The real point of the game shows us how small of a world we really are. The phrase "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" is now accepted as a quick way of saying, "Hey, did you know so and so knows so and so, who knows so and so?" Kevin Bacon said that he hated the game at first because he thought they were making fun of him. Now he embraces it and even formed a charity last year called SixDegrees.org.
I am not interested in playing that game, but the concept to me is fascinating because I believe it is important for us as followers of Jesus Christ. Replace the name of Kevin Bacon and let's think in terms of "Six Degrees of Jesus Christ". We are connected to Him through our Spiritual Genealogy even though we are more than "Six Degrees" away in some ways and closer due to the Holy Spirit. So who was the closest to Jesus? We know that answer is His mother Mary and father Joseph, and the disciples, turned apostles. The next "degree" away from them brings us to some fascinating people that we are linked to but rarely hear of.
The Apostles not only preached Christ to the world, but they mentored and trained others to do the same. They annointed and ordained others to become leaders of churches. We know, for instance, that the apostles Peter and John both spent time with a follower of Jesus called Ignatius. It is believed that John tutored him in the things of faith and that Peter ordained him as Bishop of Antioch. Jesus taught the Apostles and they taught others. So Ignatius was "one degree" from Jesus according to the game. Ignatius was able to hear first hand accounts from the very Apostles who spent over three years with Jesus and then saw Him after the resurrection. Ignatius was and is our brother in Christ and we can be encouraged by his life and death.
It is thrilling to me to read the words of this church leader and to realize that he was instrumental in not only defending the faith but also defining it in the early days of the church. As one who was discipled by the Apostle John, Ignatius was clear on the doctrines he presented. In his writings one can read that he stressed the Virgin Birth of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, and the importance of the Lord's Table. For those of you with Catholic backgrounds, you might be interested to know that Ignatius was the first to use the term "Catholic", meaning universal.
While in Antioch leading the church, Ignatius was condemned to death and summoned to Rome. While on his long journey back to Rome to face the executioners, he wrote seven letters that we still have today. He wrote to several of the churches including Rome and Ephesus and to his fellow Bishop Polycarp who was also discipled by the Apostle John. As he journeyed to Rome, Christians would come to see him to encouage him, but he was the one who did the encouraging. He wrote to his friends, "There is water living and speaking in me, saying from within me, 'Come to the Father.'" Ignatius knew he was going to die and in fact he was later thrown to the lions in the Coliseum in Rome.
Today that very same Spirit is drawing each of us to the Father. The ministry of the Holy Spirit and the person of Christ leads us to the Father. Ignatius taught the importance and reality of the Trinity. He understood quite well the role of the Spirit and of Christ, that they were pointing to the Father. We are not "six degrees" away from the Father--He dwells in us through His Spirit.
The Father, your Father, is always drawing you. John tells us that Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him". The Father is drawing you to His Son by the Spirit, and the Son is revealing the Father to you by the Spirit. The Trinity that Ignatius taught is working constantly in your life.
Even in this time of economic, political, and moral uncertainty, the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are calling on us to find our meaning, our peace, our security in Them. We should not forget the words of the Psalmist "For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever." Psalm 117:2. Ignatius lived in a time that was horrific for Christians and yet in the midst of a hostile environment, he could hear the words, "Come to the Father."
No one can really protect you. There is truly no security in this world; there will always be evil and moral failures, and nothing that we hold to tightly will last. Many Christians living in the affluent West are only now beginning to understand this. This week let's remember the words: "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man". The Father is calling you to not just trust Him, but to be satisfied with Him!
Ignatius was ripped apart by two lions in front of thousands of blood-thirsty people, but not before he encouraged the Christians in Rome with these words: "No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire."
With Eternity in Mind,
Dan Owens
P.S. Please pray for our upcoming ministry in Rwanda and for the finances to complete our mission.
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
The real point of the game shows us how small of a world we really are. The phrase "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" is now accepted as a quick way of saying, "Hey, did you know so and so knows so and so, who knows so and so?" Kevin Bacon said that he hated the game at first because he thought they were making fun of him. Now he embraces it and even formed a charity last year called SixDegrees.org.
I am not interested in playing that game, but the concept to me is fascinating because I believe it is important for us as followers of Jesus Christ. Replace the name of Kevin Bacon and let's think in terms of "Six Degrees of Jesus Christ". We are connected to Him through our Spiritual Genealogy even though we are more than "Six Degrees" away in some ways and closer due to the Holy Spirit. So who was the closest to Jesus? We know that answer is His mother Mary and father Joseph, and the disciples, turned apostles. The next "degree" away from them brings us to some fascinating people that we are linked to but rarely hear of.
The Apostles not only preached Christ to the world, but they mentored and trained others to do the same. They annointed and ordained others to become leaders of churches. We know, for instance, that the apostles Peter and John both spent time with a follower of Jesus called Ignatius. It is believed that John tutored him in the things of faith and that Peter ordained him as Bishop of Antioch. Jesus taught the Apostles and they taught others. So Ignatius was "one degree" from Jesus according to the game. Ignatius was able to hear first hand accounts from the very Apostles who spent over three years with Jesus and then saw Him after the resurrection. Ignatius was and is our brother in Christ and we can be encouraged by his life and death.
It is thrilling to me to read the words of this church leader and to realize that he was instrumental in not only defending the faith but also defining it in the early days of the church. As one who was discipled by the Apostle John, Ignatius was clear on the doctrines he presented. In his writings one can read that he stressed the Virgin Birth of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, and the importance of the Lord's Table. For those of you with Catholic backgrounds, you might be interested to know that Ignatius was the first to use the term "Catholic", meaning universal.
While in Antioch leading the church, Ignatius was condemned to death and summoned to Rome. While on his long journey back to Rome to face the executioners, he wrote seven letters that we still have today. He wrote to several of the churches including Rome and Ephesus and to his fellow Bishop Polycarp who was also discipled by the Apostle John. As he journeyed to Rome, Christians would come to see him to encouage him, but he was the one who did the encouraging. He wrote to his friends, "There is water living and speaking in me, saying from within me, 'Come to the Father.'" Ignatius knew he was going to die and in fact he was later thrown to the lions in the Coliseum in Rome.
Today that very same Spirit is drawing each of us to the Father. The ministry of the Holy Spirit and the person of Christ leads us to the Father. Ignatius taught the importance and reality of the Trinity. He understood quite well the role of the Spirit and of Christ, that they were pointing to the Father. We are not "six degrees" away from the Father--He dwells in us through His Spirit.
The Father, your Father, is always drawing you. John tells us that Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him". The Father is drawing you to His Son by the Spirit, and the Son is revealing the Father to you by the Spirit. The Trinity that Ignatius taught is working constantly in your life.
Even in this time of economic, political, and moral uncertainty, the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are calling on us to find our meaning, our peace, our security in Them. We should not forget the words of the Psalmist "For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever." Psalm 117:2. Ignatius lived in a time that was horrific for Christians and yet in the midst of a hostile environment, he could hear the words, "Come to the Father."
No one can really protect you. There is truly no security in this world; there will always be evil and moral failures, and nothing that we hold to tightly will last. Many Christians living in the affluent West are only now beginning to understand this. This week let's remember the words: "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man". The Father is calling you to not just trust Him, but to be satisfied with Him!
Ignatius was ripped apart by two lions in front of thousands of blood-thirsty people, but not before he encouraged the Christians in Rome with these words: "No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire."
With Eternity in Mind,
Dan Owens
P.S. Please pray for our upcoming ministry in Rwanda and for the finances to complete our mission.
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Monday, October 27, 2008
Our Faith Family Tree
As the phrase goes, “I’m back at ya!” Thank you for allowing me to take a little time off from writing. It has allowed me some time to think about where I would like to go next in my devotional writings. Today is the launch of a new series that I’ve entitled Spiritual Genealogy.
Family genealogy is my wife’s hobby and with the aid of the Internet she has become quite the sleuth. She actually pays for services that are out there to help her research our family’s tree more fully. She is into it! Like all family trees we have some fruits and nuts in our’s! Most recently Deb has been working on my side of the family, my dad’s side to be exact. She discovered that my dad’s side is a lot of fun to research because so much of the family history is within a short drive of where we live.
We now know that my great-great-grandfather was married at the California Mission of San Miguel, which is just seven miles from our home. This same man played in a band that was a regular at the Fiestas held at Mission San Antonio about thirty-five miles from our home. My family tree goes back to the Salinan Indians that inhabited the land from Monterey to San Luis Obispo, California. In fact, our very home is sitting on land that once belonged to the Salinan tribe. No wonder I love living in Paso Robles!
So, you might be thinking, “Who cares?” That is exactly my point. Most likely the only ones interested in my family tree are my family members. The only ones who are interested in your family tree are your family. While I enjoy taking picnics out to Mission San Antonio where my ancestors were once baptized, none of our friends share the same excitement that our family does because it has little or no meaning to them.
Although our family trees may be different, we share a common Family of God tree. I call it our Spiritual Genealogy. We are all a part of God’s family and that family goes back millenniums. If we just want to follow our bond through Christ, then we can go back about two thousand years. Over the past two thousand years we have had a myriad of brothers and sisters who have left this physical world to be with Jesus Christ in the spiritual world. We should all be interested in our spiritual family tree even more than our physical one!
The author of the book of Hebrews reminded the early church of their Spiritual Genealogy. In chapter 11 we read what is often termed the “Hall of Faith” because the writer reminds us of those who walked by faith down through the ages. The entire chapter deals with these men and women and the lives they lived and the persecutions they endured. As we pick up the reading in verse 35 the writer says,
“Others were tortured and refused to be released, that might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned, they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world was not worthy of them”
The Israelites made it a point to always look back and remember their heritage and genealogy. There were certain holidays or feasts that were set aside to retell the stories of previous generations. The early church did the same thing in oral and written form. Today we have copies of manuscripts and writings that were used by the early church to encourage the living Christians to follow Christ like their earlier brothers and sisters. As chapter 11 ends in Hebrews, chapter 12 begins with, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
By hearing or reading stories of past “faith-filled” people the new believers were inspired in faith, purity, and perseverance. I believe we have lost this tradition and gift and therefore our faith is not as strong and vibrant as it could be. We are always looking to the future for the next thing, but we don’t look to the past to be strengthened by it. John Piper calls this tendency “Chronological Snobbery” meaning we think the new is always better than the old.
“Chronological Snobbery” has thus become the motivation for my new series Spiritual Genealogy. I want to look back into the history of the church and see some of the men and women who to this day are examples of faith, purity and perseverance. For simplicity let me just refer to these brothers and sisters as saints. These saints came in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some were poor while others were rich. Some were educated while others lacked educational opportunities. Some lived long lives, although many of them were horribly killed because of their love for Jesus Christ.
Each week I will share a brief biography of a saint, a quote or thought from them, and then connect that quote or thought to a passage of Scripture. As always I will close by making a life application as the Holy Spirit leads. By studying the saints we can learn from them and be strengthened in our faith. At least that is my prayer. I think as we go along you will agree that we have some very interesting brothers and sisters that are waiting for us in glory!
God’s peace to you,
Dan
P.S. We are preparing to minister with our team in Rwanda this November. If you would like to know more about this ministry or partner with us please visit this link: http://www.firstgiving.com/carldawson
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
Family genealogy is my wife’s hobby and with the aid of the Internet she has become quite the sleuth. She actually pays for services that are out there to help her research our family’s tree more fully. She is into it! Like all family trees we have some fruits and nuts in our’s! Most recently Deb has been working on my side of the family, my dad’s side to be exact. She discovered that my dad’s side is a lot of fun to research because so much of the family history is within a short drive of where we live.
We now know that my great-great-grandfather was married at the California Mission of San Miguel, which is just seven miles from our home. This same man played in a band that was a regular at the Fiestas held at Mission San Antonio about thirty-five miles from our home. My family tree goes back to the Salinan Indians that inhabited the land from Monterey to San Luis Obispo, California. In fact, our very home is sitting on land that once belonged to the Salinan tribe. No wonder I love living in Paso Robles!
So, you might be thinking, “Who cares?” That is exactly my point. Most likely the only ones interested in my family tree are my family members. The only ones who are interested in your family tree are your family. While I enjoy taking picnics out to Mission San Antonio where my ancestors were once baptized, none of our friends share the same excitement that our family does because it has little or no meaning to them.
Although our family trees may be different, we share a common Family of God tree. I call it our Spiritual Genealogy. We are all a part of God’s family and that family goes back millenniums. If we just want to follow our bond through Christ, then we can go back about two thousand years. Over the past two thousand years we have had a myriad of brothers and sisters who have left this physical world to be with Jesus Christ in the spiritual world. We should all be interested in our spiritual family tree even more than our physical one!
The author of the book of Hebrews reminded the early church of their Spiritual Genealogy. In chapter 11 we read what is often termed the “Hall of Faith” because the writer reminds us of those who walked by faith down through the ages. The entire chapter deals with these men and women and the lives they lived and the persecutions they endured. As we pick up the reading in verse 35 the writer says,
“Others were tortured and refused to be released, that might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned, they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world was not worthy of them”
The Israelites made it a point to always look back and remember their heritage and genealogy. There were certain holidays or feasts that were set aside to retell the stories of previous generations. The early church did the same thing in oral and written form. Today we have copies of manuscripts and writings that were used by the early church to encourage the living Christians to follow Christ like their earlier brothers and sisters. As chapter 11 ends in Hebrews, chapter 12 begins with, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
By hearing or reading stories of past “faith-filled” people the new believers were inspired in faith, purity, and perseverance. I believe we have lost this tradition and gift and therefore our faith is not as strong and vibrant as it could be. We are always looking to the future for the next thing, but we don’t look to the past to be strengthened by it. John Piper calls this tendency “Chronological Snobbery” meaning we think the new is always better than the old.
“Chronological Snobbery” has thus become the motivation for my new series Spiritual Genealogy. I want to look back into the history of the church and see some of the men and women who to this day are examples of faith, purity and perseverance. For simplicity let me just refer to these brothers and sisters as saints. These saints came in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some were poor while others were rich. Some were educated while others lacked educational opportunities. Some lived long lives, although many of them were horribly killed because of their love for Jesus Christ.
Each week I will share a brief biography of a saint, a quote or thought from them, and then connect that quote or thought to a passage of Scripture. As always I will close by making a life application as the Holy Spirit leads. By studying the saints we can learn from them and be strengthened in our faith. At least that is my prayer. I think as we go along you will agree that we have some very interesting brothers and sisters that are waiting for us in glory!
God’s peace to you,
Dan
P.S. We are preparing to minister with our team in Rwanda this November. If you would like to know more about this ministry or partner with us please visit this link: http://www.firstgiving.com/carldawson
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
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