Make a Joyful Noise!
A hugely important part of my "sabbatical" has been the ability it's provided me to spend in "quiet time." This would include scripture readings, devotional readings, meditation, prayers, & hymns. Yes, although I am somewhat self-conscious about it & do NOT make it a practice when I'm in places where I may be within ear-shot of others *, I do include the [subdued, in my opinion] singing of several hymns as part of my quiet time. I tend to choose a theme that seems consistent with my current spiritual circumstances, plus I have a few "stand-bys" that seem to hit the right tone regardless.
* For which Lois, I'm sure, is grateful.
Two stanzas in one of this morning's (8/20) hymns hit me like a ton of bricks. They're from Hymn #397 (LW), "O God of Mercy, God of Light."
St. 3 Teach us the lesson Jesus taught: To feel for those His blood has bought,
That ev'ry deed and word and thought May work a work for you.
St. 4 For all are kindred, far and wide, Since Jesus Christ for all has died;
Grant us the will and grace provide To love them all in You.
I know all too well that Christ has commanded us to love our enemies. That would include our enemies in ISIS; you know, the people who have beheaded our brothers & sisters in Christ. Also the people who work for Planned Parenthood & promote and/or participate in the slaughter unborn babies. These people are "kindred?" I don't like the sound of that, yet I must admit the truth of the hymnist when he/she writes, "Since Jesus Christ for all has died." Therefore, I must submit & pray this prayer: "Lord, teach ME the lesson Jesus taught: To feel for those His blood has bought, That ev'ry deed & word & thought May work a work for You;" i.e., I best be careful how I talk about & treat these enemies of Christ. This also informs how I pray for them. For my prayer also must be "Grant ME the will & grace provide to love them all in You."
And I have found the nature of my prayers changing a little, although my heart toward these people still has a lot of softening to do. My prayer used to be, "Lord, defeat these enemies of You & Your people like You defeated the Canaanites by Your people of Israel." Now it's more along the lines of "Lord, defeat these enemies who persecute our brothers & sisters in Christ, and break their hearts of stone, even as you work to break my heart of stone toward them, that they may repent & become our brothers & sisters in Christ, as well." I truly hope I'm telling you this as a true confessional, not out of self-righteousness. One more quick aside: If I understand Lutheran theology correctly, Jesus died on the cross to win forgiveness for all. That's "objective" justification. However, not all will be saved, since not all will receive Jesus as their Lord & Savior. Some will refuse to believe in Jesus as the one & only Son of God, the one & one Savior. That's "subjective" justification. Am I right, Lutheran theologians? If not, please correct and/or rebuke me accordingly.
Nature of Faith
Excerpt from "What Is Faith," devotion written by Michael Ramsden for A Slice of Infinity (daily on-line devotions published by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries): *
* I also love including this daily resource in my daily quiet time. I highly recommend it.
"'Faith is believing what you want to believe, yet cannot prove.' Sadly, many people, including some Christians, live with this definition of faith. For some it feels liberating. It means being able to believe in anything you want to believe. No explanation is required. Indeed, no explanation can be given; it is just a matter of faith. For others, such a definition is sickening. Embracing faith means you stop thinking. As faith increases, reason & meaning eventually disappear. No explanations can be given, & none can be expected. Thus, living in faith is living in the dark. [emphasis included in original]
"For both groups, the problem is the same. By starting with the wrong definition of faith, they have asked the wrong question, are dealing with the wrong problem, & so have ended up w/the wrong answer. Faith is not wishful thinking. It is not about believing in things that do not exist. It neither makes all things believable nor meaning impossible . . . [My emphasis added.]
"Perhaps the best word we can use to translate the Greek word 'pistis' (usually translated 'faith') is the word 'trust' or 'trustworthy.' Suppose you tell a friend that you have faith in her. What does that mean? It means two things. First, you are sure the person you are talking to actually exists. And second, you are convinced she is trustworthy; you can believe what she says & trust in her character.
MY RESPONSE: This makes sense to me. When I consider those who are in my circle of friends, I may have initially been attracted to them because of common interests, their personalities, etc., but over time our friendships became cemented because they became people whose trust was earned, and, I hope & pray, people for whom I earned their trust I earned. That trust came about by sound advice & lifestyles that proved the sound advice, i.e., they "walked the walk & talked the talk."
"It is in this way that the writer of Hebrews talks about faith in God. Faith is knowing that God is real & that you can trust in God's promises. You cannot trust someone who isn't there, nor can you rely on someone whose promises are not reliable. This is why faith is talked about as the substance of things hoped for & as the evidence of things not seen. Both words carry with them a sense of reality. Our hope is not wishful thinking. Faith does not make God real. On the contrary, faith is the response to a real God who wants to be known to us . . . [emphasis included in original.]
MY RESPONSE: Would the apostles & other early Christian martyrs have willingly died the most brutal of deaths on behalf of a Savior whose claims that He would rise from the dead prove to be a hoax? I don't think so. He said He would rise from the dead, & the resurrected Jesus was seen by eyewitnesses. You may reply, "What about radical Islamicists who die as suicide bombers? They are apparently willing to die a brutal death on behalf of their God? But when Jesus died, did he "take out" "innocent" women & children (or anyone else for that matter) in His very act of death? He did not! He suffered a very long, tortured, protracted death, was made all the more agonizing as He bore on His innocent shoulders the full weight of God the Father's wrath for the sin of the world. That would include my sins & your sins!
"The Christian gospel invites you to delve into reality. It commands you to be honest in your commitment to know that which is true. Is Jesus real? Who did He claim to be? Is He really alive today? [emphasis included in original] Faith comes in response to knowing the answers to these questions, even as Christ is calling you near. But don't stop after the initial introductions! Just as you are able to put more trust in someone as you grow to know him, so faith increases as you grow in your relationship with Christ. There is a God who is real & true; there is a God who is near & longing to gather you nearer. The great joy of the Christian faith is found in the person who invites us to trust & believe." [My emphasis added]
Ravi Zacharias & those who speak & write on behalf of his ministry are Christian apologists. They make their appeal primarily on behalf of reason in order to get you to challenge your conventional assumptions & rationalizations. True converion, however, comes through the Holy Spirit who uses God's Word, the Gospel, (literally "Good News,") that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Life. Forgiveness & salvation through His death & resurrection are available through the free gift of faith offered to those who receive His gift of faith.
Reviews
"A Ravi Zacharias in the making? I seriously doubt it." President <name withheld upon request>, Ravi Zacharias Fan Club
"Another interminably long column without one mention of The Donald. Our candidates says, build a wall around him & make him pay for it himself!" Alleged campaign spokesperson
"A little preachy at times. Well, very preachy. Okay, let's come right out & admit it. Extremely preachy." Paul Leckband
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