Remember Forrest Gump? It was just a real joy to watch and the time just flew, watching a bumbling anti-hero win the day. Over the years, I have quoted the Forrest Gump rule many, many times. “**it happens!” Yes, bad things do happen. However, it is a negative approach to life. Watching too much news gives us a steady diet of negativity. Interviews of different business, scientific, social, educational and political "leaders" who just keep touting more know-it-all criticism of things. It’s just hype. Truth is the world is run by people who don't have a clue. Let’s focus more on the positive side of life, the good that is all around us. Let’s let go and let God take care of things. Let’s remember the Counter-Forrest-Gump rule: GOOD HAPPENS! (Philippians 4:8) May good happen to you today!
How the Church Got Here
How did the Christian Church get where we are today? Churches older than Rome gradually formed the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Roman church became the only cohesive force in troubled Europe. Western Christianity became corrupt. Efforts to reform the western church were often brutally suppressed, until Luther, who found support among northern German states. Protestant Reformation gave incentive for Catholic Reformation, but it was too little, too late. While Protestants quickly formed their own traditions, Rome turned theories about Mary into "infallible" dogmas, greatly offending both Eastern and Protestant Christians. However, Christians are unified in the important areas: All believe that salvation is only available in Jesus Christ, that we must repent of our sins, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit and that the most important teachings of the entirety of Christian history are those of its founder Jesus Christ.
Pneumatology
Who is the Holy Spirit? How do we receive the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do today? These are questions in pneumatology. The Greek word pneuma (πνευμα) means wind or breath — a metaphor for the spirit. Does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father alone or both from the Father and the Son? That argument caused the Great Schism between eastern and western Christians. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and is involved in the calling, regeneration, indwelling, baptizing, sanctifying, teaching, empowering, guiding, gifting, sealing and filling of believers. If anyone is interested in studying this topic further, ask your nearest Christian book retailer to recommend a good one volume book on theology and look up the section on pneumatology.
Transcendence
How great is God? In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read that his ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Theologians call this God's transcendence. He is far higher than his creation and greater than it in every way. From the beginning, God has been called the "most high" (Genesis 14:18-22; Numbers 24:16; Mark 5:7; Acts 7:48). The songwriter asks the rhetorical question "Who is like the LORD our God, Who dwells on high" (Psalm 113:5). Karl Barth described transcendence as God being unable to be known except by revelation. Søren Kirkegaard explained that God is qualitatively distinct, beyond dimension. Historically, we have viewed God as above time. When things happen and we don't understand why, people often reply that God only knows, and they are right.
The REAL Santa
Why not tell our kids about the REAL Santa this year? Saint Nicholas was Bishop of Myra in ancient Turkey. He was well known for his generous giving of gifts. One famous story speaks of his giving dowries to a poor man, so that his daughters could get married rather than turn to prostitution in order to survive. Often he would travel to distant villages on a donkey to give gifts. He did not have elves, but he did apparently save an Ethiopian boy name Piter from slavery, who was so grateful that he hung around as Nicholas' assistant. Rather than condone paganism, Nicholas is said to have destroyed several pagan temples. The REAL story of Santa is about giving. Maybe we could teach our children what Acts 20:35 says, that it is more blessed to give than receive.
Immanence
How near is God? In Jeremiah 23:24 we that read that God fills heaven and earth. Theologians call this God's immanence. Acts 17:27-28 declares that God is not far from every one of us. God is not absent, at the other end of the universe. He is immanent, quite near to us. So next time that we are feeling like God has gone way off, and is very far from us, let's remember these words from Scripture, that he is in reality very near to us at every moment. That's why Christians can refer to God as "my God" and "Abba, Father" - a first century saying of great nearness and affection for God. God was with us from conception and remains with us always, causing every beat of our hearts, every breath we take.Why I Love EVERYTHING About Xmas
Xmas is pagan? So what! God converted pagan people. Why not pagan days! It’s not the right date? Who cares! We celebrate a birth not a date. Xmas is too commercial? So what! Even Shinto Japan hears the gospel in Xmas carols in every store. X-ing Christ out by writing Xmas instead of Christmas? X is the Greek letter for Ch, an abbreviation for Christ. Jeremiah 10 forbids Xmas trees? Wrong! It condemns idols made from wood. Santa Claus? The REAL Santa Claus was from ancient Myra. His life of generous giving was exemplary. Critics import Pharisaism into Xmas. Touch not taste not! That’s not Christianity. We have the freedom to create days to celebrate Christ! So, leave us be, and go have your little anti-Xmas rant. As for us, we will celebrate the Incarnation of our Savior. Merry Xmas!
Catholic
Believe it or not, the word catholic is not found in the Bible. Where did it come from and why do people use it? It's from a Greek word katholikos (καθολικός) meaning "universal." It was coined by Ignatius to refer to Christianity's universal inclusivism, as opposed to Judaism's national exclusivism. Many Protestants understand this use of the term and gladly refer to themselves as catholic (small c). And so the credal phrase referring to "one holy, catholic and apostolic church" is used by many Protestants, although some substitute the word "universal" for catholic, just so there is no confusion. Orthodox and Anglican churches also consider themselves to be Catholic (big C). The strange paradox is that the western Roman church which formally calls itself Catholic (big C), now sees itself as the Jews did, in an exclusive fashion.
Armageddon
What is Armageddon? It is actually means Mount Megiddo, a place in modern day Israel. It is often portrayed as the spot where a final battle takes place between God and evil forces (Revelation 16:16). Some Christians interpret this as a literal battle in a literal place at the end of the age. However, Revelation is a book written in the apocalyptic genre, a largely symbolic writing style. It is an ancient style that most closely resembles political satire today. Ancient writers who might have been burned at the stake for criticising their leaders, wrote in symbolic language to disguise their political jibes. Today, we might picture a political party by a donkey or an elephant for instance. Revelation pictures religious and political systems as various beasts. If it is symbolic, Armageddon pictures God's eventual triumph over evil.
McChurch
When Ray Kroc began McDonald's, in one sense it really was nothing new. We have been doing McChurch for almost two thousand years. It didn't take too long for Christianity to become formulaic, assembly line like with real-estate based franchise arrangements. McDonald's is praised for its cleanliness and efficiency or their business model, but rarely for the quality of its food. What about the spiritual food that our churches feed? Did Jesus teach assembly line Christianity — stand up, sit down, kneel or fall over backwards, raise your hands, bow your heads, sing to the music, you pay we pray, and fast-food Happy-Meal sermons with all the nutrition of a cardboard box. Are we uninterested in what Jesus taught? We seem to prefer spiritual junk food (2 Timothy 4:3). Whatever happened to the Christianity of Christ?
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