Some of you have asked about my New Year resolutions or commitments that I have made to Christ. As I taught on Sunday morning, many do not keep their commitments for a number of reasons. One reason is because they are not meaningful or challenging enough. What I mean by that is it must be something you believe important enough to follow through with and that other activities will not overshadow them. Remember this is a commitment to Christ and is focused on Him first and foremost not what we might want more for ourselves. Secondly, it must be a commitment that can easily be measured. In this, it’s important that you don’t set the goal too high to where you are quickly discouraged. I once had a goal to read the Bible through 4 times in one year. However, I didn’t make it, but I didn’t quite and was able to read it through almost 3 times. Obviously, I received a great blessing from that.
What is important is that we follow through with our commitments and that means they have to continually be put before you as a reminder. Many people today are IT savvy and imbed their commitments into their calendar on Outlook. I use both technology and the old school way. I have automatic pop ups on my calendar to remind me of daily, weekly, and monthly goals, but also use my daily journal that has my goals written out in 05 lead pencil. If you are really serious about your commitments you will also make yourself accountable to someone else. Share with someone what your commitments are. In many instances you don’t have to be to specific if it’s a personal matter and they might just ask you if you have been faithful in what you allow yourself to look at (TV, computer, etc.).
Remember these commitments you have to the Lord have been prayed over and have been determined to be important. Because of this, it’s always best to prioritize these commitments. For me, that means I do them first before other things. In other words, many of my commitments are spiritual in nature, thus they are done first before other things. Practically what that entails is I get up early and give the first part of my day to the Lord.
Many of you are probably wondering how do we determine what our resolutions, priorities and goals will be. Here I think it’s best to partner with the Holy Spirit of God and ask some questions in regard to four major areas: Spiritual, Emotional, Physical, and Relational. This is hard work and often can’t be done in one sitting. Here are just a few questions that I have asked the Holy Spirit over the last 3-4 weeks in helping to determine my resolutions and might help you with the process:
Q 1: What am I doing in my devotion time that needs to change and get better?
Answer 1: I need to get back to reading the Bible through each year.
Action Plan: Find or develop a reading plan that will keep me on track that includes readings from both NT and OT along with a daily Psalm and Proverb.
Answer 2: I need to memorize/meditate more Scripture.
Action Plan: Use book “Scripture Memory Made Easy” by Mark Water.
Q 2: Do I exercise enough?
Answer: No.
Action Plan: Exercise at least three times each week for 30 minutes.
As you can see this is not an easy process but it will make a difference. I will leave you with this reminder that permanent change is inward and temporary change is outward.
That’s simple. If we’re going to be the person that we need to be and that God wants us to be, the first thing that we are going to have to understand is the real change that is lasting and for eternity is an inward change. And that outside change, what we are, flesh, at best it’s just a few school years. Isn’t it amazing how much we spend on the outward and how little we spend on the inward?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Alan Dawson Miller
I had the distinct privilege to take part in the homecoming service for brother Alan. It was an incredible service where Pastor Bud Pate gave the opening comments about Alan’s battle with cancer and how his wife Debbie was loyally beside her husband throughout. In the many times that I visited with them, there was never a time that Debbie was not there by his side ministering and loving on her husband. What an incredible example of living out our marriage vows that we give to our Lord and one another. Her strength, resolve, and love played out before me will leave an indelible mark in my heart in what it means to love “in sickness and in health.”
Pastor Jaime Ferguson then gave his remarks and talked about his privilege some 5 years previously to lead both Alan and Debbie to the Lord. He also had the honor of baptizing the both of them as they desired to be obedient to the commands of Christ in their lives. He continued to talk about how faithful they were to the ministry of Mt Zion Baptist church and that they we’re eager and hungry to learn more about God’s Word. They also decided that it was important to renew their marriage vows as Christians and Pastor Jamie commented on the growth and desire they had to honor the Lord with their lives. Pastor Jamie gave a clear gospel presentation and an invitation to all those without Christ to either receive the free gift of salvation or to say good bye to Alan as they would not be able to see him again. However, the hope we have in Christ is to know that we don’t have to say good bye and that we that are in Christ, will see Alan again on the other side of eternity.
The services ended at the Washington County Memory Gardens where I had the honor to conduct the committal service. What had an incredible impact on me was not only was there hundreds of people at the services, where even the overflow room was filled to capacity, but there were almost as many who came to the committal service. Although all the preaching was good, they say that your life is what preaches and has the greatest impact. By all those that were present, it is evident that Alan’s life preached the best message of the day.
We will miss Alan greatly at Mt Zion Baptist.
Death is just a natural thing
Like the closing of a door
As we start upon a journey
To a new and distant shore
So let your grief be softened
And yield not to despair
You have only placed
Your loved one in
The loving Father’s care.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
Obituary
Mr. Alan Dawson Miller, age 55, Jonesborough, passed away Wednesday, December 23, 2009, at Johnson City Medical Center. Mr. Miller was of Washington County and son of Dawson Miller and Dean Morris Miller. He was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He truly enjoyed going to church and loved his church family. Mr. Miller was a truck driver for FedEx Freight and received a 16 year safe driving award. He loved his family and spending time with them. He enjoyed his Mustangs, going to car shows and cruising. Survivors in addition to his parents include his wife, Deborah Poteat Miller, of the home; two sons, Alan Michael Miller and wife, Kimberly, and Bradley James Miller and wife Jessica; one granddaughter, Amber Lynn Miller; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Louis Miller and wife, Danette, and Todd Miller and wife, Cassandra; aunt, Wyona Miller; mother-in-law, Virginia Poteat; sisters-in-law, Barbara Thompson and husband, Richard, Vicky Lloyd and husband, Jerry, and Mary Lou Sluss and husband, Tim; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Pastor Jaime Ferguson then gave his remarks and talked about his privilege some 5 years previously to lead both Alan and Debbie to the Lord. He also had the honor of baptizing the both of them as they desired to be obedient to the commands of Christ in their lives. He continued to talk about how faithful they were to the ministry of Mt Zion Baptist church and that they we’re eager and hungry to learn more about God’s Word. They also decided that it was important to renew their marriage vows as Christians and Pastor Jamie commented on the growth and desire they had to honor the Lord with their lives. Pastor Jamie gave a clear gospel presentation and an invitation to all those without Christ to either receive the free gift of salvation or to say good bye to Alan as they would not be able to see him again. However, the hope we have in Christ is to know that we don’t have to say good bye and that we that are in Christ, will see Alan again on the other side of eternity.
The services ended at the Washington County Memory Gardens where I had the honor to conduct the committal service. What had an incredible impact on me was not only was there hundreds of people at the services, where even the overflow room was filled to capacity, but there were almost as many who came to the committal service. Although all the preaching was good, they say that your life is what preaches and has the greatest impact. By all those that were present, it is evident that Alan’s life preached the best message of the day.
We will miss Alan greatly at Mt Zion Baptist.
Death is just a natural thing
Like the closing of a door
As we start upon a journey
To a new and distant shore
So let your grief be softened
And yield not to despair
You have only placed
Your loved one in
The loving Father’s care.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
Obituary
Mr. Alan Dawson Miller, age 55, Jonesborough, passed away Wednesday, December 23, 2009, at Johnson City Medical Center. Mr. Miller was of Washington County and son of Dawson Miller and Dean Morris Miller. He was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He truly enjoyed going to church and loved his church family. Mr. Miller was a truck driver for FedEx Freight and received a 16 year safe driving award. He loved his family and spending time with them. He enjoyed his Mustangs, going to car shows and cruising. Survivors in addition to his parents include his wife, Deborah Poteat Miller, of the home; two sons, Alan Michael Miller and wife, Kimberly, and Bradley James Miller and wife Jessica; one granddaughter, Amber Lynn Miller; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Louis Miller and wife, Danette, and Todd Miller and wife, Cassandra; aunt, Wyona Miller; mother-in-law, Virginia Poteat; sisters-in-law, Barbara Thompson and husband, Richard, Vicky Lloyd and husband, Jerry, and Mary Lou Sluss and husband, Tim; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The History of Worship
I find it interesting that in looking at worship in the early church, there is little to nothing stated about the style or type of music that’s played. They were more focused on Christ and remembering the life, death, and resurrection of the Saviour. It would do the church good instead of focusing on the type of music, how loud or soft it’s played, whether or not there is a perfect balance between contemporary music and the hymns and focus on the weightier matters and the true essence of worship. Worship is “worthy-ship” and it’s about a person and not a preference. Maybe it would be good in our worship to have more repentance, prayer, and fasting, and take another look at the importance of the Lord’s Supper and begin to examine ourselves to where we are at in attitude of worship toward our Prophet, Priest, and King. He (Jesus Christ) is worthy of our praise.
In examining the history of worship, you will find that the first part of an early Christian worship assembly was open to all, including strangers, who might be converted by the preaching. The second part of the service involved the Lord’s Supper, which only the baptized were allowed to partake, so the unbaptized departed then.
Many Romans believed Christians were a funeral society because Christian families observed the anniversary of a relative’s death on the third, ninth, and thirtieth (or fortieth) day after the death. They gathered at the tomb, sang psalms, read Scripture, prayed, gave alms to the poor, and ate a meal. Later, this practice developed into feasts to honor martyrs. Perhaps the first such feast was for Polycarp (a bishop burned to death for his faith); it began shortly after his death in about 156.
Christians prepared for Easter, the festival of the Resurrection, by fasting. At first, the fasting lasted one day; later it was extended to 40 hours, to symbolize the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness.
Sunday, the “little Easter,” was also a festival of joy. To prepare for it, many Christians fasted on Wednesday and Friday.
Repentance was an involved process in the early church. Sin was seen not as a personal matter but as something that destroyed the unity of the church. Penitents fasted and prayed for the forgiveness of their sins, appeared before the church to make public confession, and were barred from the Lord’s Supper until they gave evidence of a change of heart and were absolved. (The only exception was for people facing persecution. They were readmitted to the Lord’s Supper so they could receive strength.)
In the first century, the Lord’s Supper included not only the bread and the cup but an entire meal. As part of the meal, neighbors who had quarreled made peace again.
Early Christians continued to observe the Jewish Passover. But they did not celebrate the Passover in memory of deliverance from Egypt. Instead, they fasted to commemorate the sufferings of Jesus, the true Passover Lamb.
Christians fiercely disagreed over when to celebrate Easter. Believers in Asia (modern Turkey) celebrated Easter, the “Christian Passover,” on Passover (the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan). Victor, the bishop of Rome from 189 to 198, insisted all churches had to celebrate Easter on a Sunday (the first Sunday following the 14th of Nisan). Victor threatened to excommunicate those Christians who observed Easter differently, but the Asian custom continued. The Council of Nicaea in 325 finally decreed that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring, the practice today.
In Africa, newly baptized believers were given a drink of milk and honey, symbols of their being children of Christ and citizens in heaven, a land of milk and honey.
The first Christian feast (other than Easter and Pentecost) was a feast in memory of the baptism of Jesus. It was first celebrated on January 6 or sometimes January 10; this became the feast of the Epiphany, which means “manifestation” in Greek. Christmas was not widely celebrated until the late 300s.
When worship was ended, Christians took home the consecrated bread so that those who couldn’t attend worship could partake of the Lord’s Supper. In North Africa, Christians took home the bread so they could celebrate the sacrament every day with their families. Thus, “Give us today our daily bread” carried a deeper meaning.
Bibliography:
Christian History Magazine-Issue 37: Worship in the Early Church (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1993).
In examining the history of worship, you will find that the first part of an early Christian worship assembly was open to all, including strangers, who might be converted by the preaching. The second part of the service involved the Lord’s Supper, which only the baptized were allowed to partake, so the unbaptized departed then.
Many Romans believed Christians were a funeral society because Christian families observed the anniversary of a relative’s death on the third, ninth, and thirtieth (or fortieth) day after the death. They gathered at the tomb, sang psalms, read Scripture, prayed, gave alms to the poor, and ate a meal. Later, this practice developed into feasts to honor martyrs. Perhaps the first such feast was for Polycarp (a bishop burned to death for his faith); it began shortly after his death in about 156.
Christians prepared for Easter, the festival of the Resurrection, by fasting. At first, the fasting lasted one day; later it was extended to 40 hours, to symbolize the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the wilderness.
Sunday, the “little Easter,” was also a festival of joy. To prepare for it, many Christians fasted on Wednesday and Friday.
Repentance was an involved process in the early church. Sin was seen not as a personal matter but as something that destroyed the unity of the church. Penitents fasted and prayed for the forgiveness of their sins, appeared before the church to make public confession, and were barred from the Lord’s Supper until they gave evidence of a change of heart and were absolved. (The only exception was for people facing persecution. They were readmitted to the Lord’s Supper so they could receive strength.)
In the first century, the Lord’s Supper included not only the bread and the cup but an entire meal. As part of the meal, neighbors who had quarreled made peace again.
Early Christians continued to observe the Jewish Passover. But they did not celebrate the Passover in memory of deliverance from Egypt. Instead, they fasted to commemorate the sufferings of Jesus, the true Passover Lamb.
Christians fiercely disagreed over when to celebrate Easter. Believers in Asia (modern Turkey) celebrated Easter, the “Christian Passover,” on Passover (the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan). Victor, the bishop of Rome from 189 to 198, insisted all churches had to celebrate Easter on a Sunday (the first Sunday following the 14th of Nisan). Victor threatened to excommunicate those Christians who observed Easter differently, but the Asian custom continued. The Council of Nicaea in 325 finally decreed that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring, the practice today.
In Africa, newly baptized believers were given a drink of milk and honey, symbols of their being children of Christ and citizens in heaven, a land of milk and honey.
The first Christian feast (other than Easter and Pentecost) was a feast in memory of the baptism of Jesus. It was first celebrated on January 6 or sometimes January 10; this became the feast of the Epiphany, which means “manifestation” in Greek. Christmas was not widely celebrated until the late 300s.
When worship was ended, Christians took home the consecrated bread so that those who couldn’t attend worship could partake of the Lord’s Supper. In North Africa, Christians took home the bread so they could celebrate the sacrament every day with their families. Thus, “Give us today our daily bread” carried a deeper meaning.
Bibliography:
Christian History Magazine-Issue 37: Worship in the Early Church (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 1993).
Friday, December 4, 2009
Mrs. Christine Phillips
Mrs. Phillips went had her homecoming on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. I didn't know Christine as much as I would have liked and only had the privilege of being her pastor for a short 10 months. Although I have only been at Mt Zion Baptist for a short time, however, Christine had been there making a difference for a quite some time. In looking at the church records we found that she joined by baptism on August 17, 1960. She was not just a name on a church roll, but was active in serving her Savior by serving others as she taught in Sunday school and was active in the Ladies ministry. Her ministry had an impact on a young boy, Jeremy Dikes who was her neighbor as he grew up. Pastor Jeremy, now 35 yrs old preached her "graduation" service and described Christine as a reflection of a Proverbs 31 woman.
The funeral was held on Thursday and I went to the funeral home early and was astonished at the number of people that came through for the viewing and encouraged Herman and the family. It took me 25 minutes to finally see Christine and her husband Herman. That long line remained right up to the service time, which was a great testimony about Christine and preached a message to this pastor and confirmed again in my mind that Christine followed the Great Commandment and Loved the Lord and others with all her heart. What an impact she has made with her life on the Kingdom of God!
We will miss Christine and while our grief may seem insurmountable, I am compelled to remind us that there is no weight of the soul that our savior Jesus Christ cannot help us to bear. He is with us and wants us to trust in him as we cope with our sorrow. We must not ever forget to allow the Holy Spirit, Who’s name is Comforter to minister to our hearts so that he may heal our wounds and relieve your pain. As Jesus says to all of us, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
Life is but a Stopping Place
Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what's to be,
A resting place along the road,
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay...
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey's quicker,
For some the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a gr
Together with "Christine" and the lord
-Author unknown
-Obituary
Mrs. Christine Harris Phillips, age 78, Jonesborough, passed away Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at the Johnson City Medical Center. Mrs. Phillips was a native of Washington County and daughter of the late Frank & Lilly Cole McKee. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Phillips was also preceded in death by one brother, Everett McKee and one sister, Sylvia Phillips. She was a long time member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where she helped with Bible School and Sunday school. She was also a member of the Mt. Zion Ladies Circle. Mrs. Phillips retired from Woolworth’s as Assistant Manager. Survivors include her husband, Herman Phillips, Jonesborough; step-daughter, Jan Neal and husband, Allen, Jonesborough; step-son, Sherrill Phillips and wife Janie, Jonesborough; three sisters and brother-in-law, Mary Malone, Martha & Howard Coggins, all of Jonesborough and Louise Matson, Pennsylvania; half-sister, Shirley Bennett, Nashville, Tenn. ; step-grandchildren, Mark Phillips, Pam Phillips, Donnie Neal and Dale Neal; and several nephews and nieces.
The funeral was held on Thursday and I went to the funeral home early and was astonished at the number of people that came through for the viewing and encouraged Herman and the family. It took me 25 minutes to finally see Christine and her husband Herman. That long line remained right up to the service time, which was a great testimony about Christine and preached a message to this pastor and confirmed again in my mind that Christine followed the Great Commandment and Loved the Lord and others with all her heart. What an impact she has made with her life on the Kingdom of God!
We will miss Christine and while our grief may seem insurmountable, I am compelled to remind us that there is no weight of the soul that our savior Jesus Christ cannot help us to bear. He is with us and wants us to trust in him as we cope with our sorrow. We must not ever forget to allow the Holy Spirit, Who’s name is Comforter to minister to our hearts so that he may heal our wounds and relieve your pain. As Jesus says to all of us, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
Life is but a Stopping Place
Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what's to be,
A resting place along the road,
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay...
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey's quicker,
For some the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a gr
Together with "Christine" and the lord
-Author unknown
-Obituary
Mrs. Christine Harris Phillips, age 78, Jonesborough, passed away Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at the Johnson City Medical Center. Mrs. Phillips was a native of Washington County and daughter of the late Frank & Lilly Cole McKee. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Phillips was also preceded in death by one brother, Everett McKee and one sister, Sylvia Phillips. She was a long time member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where she helped with Bible School and Sunday school. She was also a member of the Mt. Zion Ladies Circle. Mrs. Phillips retired from Woolworth’s as Assistant Manager. Survivors include her husband, Herman Phillips, Jonesborough; step-daughter, Jan Neal and husband, Allen, Jonesborough; step-son, Sherrill Phillips and wife Janie, Jonesborough; three sisters and brother-in-law, Mary Malone, Martha & Howard Coggins, all of Jonesborough and Louise Matson, Pennsylvania; half-sister, Shirley Bennett, Nashville, Tenn. ; step-grandchildren, Mark Phillips, Pam Phillips, Donnie Neal and Dale Neal; and several nephews and nieces.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Conviction – A Work of the Holy Spirit
There are many works of the Holy Spirit, but I would like to examine the work in regard to conviction. Jesus in John 16:8 states very clearly this work of conviction: “And when he (Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;”
Conviction defined is the process of being condemned by one’s own conscience as a sinner because of God’s demands. The idea of conviction is a major theme of Scripture, although the word is rarely used (Psalm 32; 51; Acts 2:37; Rom. 7:7–25). The agent of conviction is the Holy Spirit (John 16:7–11); and the means of conviction is either the Word of God (Acts 2:37) or God’s general revelation of His demands through nature and people’s inborn consciousness of a sense of right and wrong (Rom. 1:18–20; 2:15). The purpose of conviction is to lead people to repent of their sins (Acts 2:37–38; Rom. 2:1–4) and to turn to God for salvation and eternal life.
By nature, we are satisfied with ourselves, content to go on, imagining that all is well, that we are good people, or perhaps knowing that we are bad people, but still knowing no conviction of sin. However, when the Holy Spirit begins to work He convicts us of sin. This work of conviction by the third Person of the Trinity causes us to realize something of the truth concerning the holiness of God. We may have talked about God for years; we may have ‘said our prayers’ to Him, but we have never thought much about Him, and we know nothing about Him truly until the Holy Spirit begins to deal with us.
These two things happen together. I am made to see myself fallen and undone (Isa 6:5). I begin to understand that the trouble with me is not so much that I do things I should not do, but that I should ever desire to do them. I become aware of the fact that there is something within me that is vile and rotten and wrong, a perverted and a twisted nature; and I begin to realize that I do not know God, that I am really an enemy against God, that there is a hatred of God in the depths of my heart. Sure I was one of those people that “believed” in God and was happy to talk about God as long as He did not interfere in my life. I even convinced myself that I was a pretty good guy without realizing that even the good I do falls short of bringing glory to God and ultimately did it in order to bring glory to myself. I would even turn to Him when in need and pray to Him for help. However, I did not want God to dominate my life, I did not want to be guided and accountable to a holy God. The Holy Spirit awakens us to a realization of all this. He also leads us to a conviction of our lost condition, of our emptiness, and our despair. When this happens; there is one inevitable result, namely, that we are humbled, we are brought low; we are made to see ourselves as we really are.
We come to the humbling conclusion that we have nothing to brag about in what we have done or not done. We also realize that even looking at others and comparing ourselves to them does not any longer bring us comfort as we understand that the only comparison God makes is with His Son Jesus. We see the truth about ourselves; and we know that the same is true for others. The Apostle Paul, while Saul of Tarsus and before the Holy Spirit did His work in him, was a great boaster: “A Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day”, a man who sat at the feet of Gamaliel, the best of scholars, exceeding all others in zeal and energy and the service of God. Even so, later he came to say, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ”. His privileges and his works had become “dung” and “loss”. In writing later to Timothy he said, “It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). He had lost his pride, his boasting, his everything; he is nothing; in his view, there was no greater sinner in the universe.
Bibliography:
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Christian Unity (Studies in Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 1 Through 16) (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972), 62.
Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison and Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Rev. Ed. of: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.; Includes Index. (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1995).
Conviction defined is the process of being condemned by one’s own conscience as a sinner because of God’s demands. The idea of conviction is a major theme of Scripture, although the word is rarely used (Psalm 32; 51; Acts 2:37; Rom. 7:7–25). The agent of conviction is the Holy Spirit (John 16:7–11); and the means of conviction is either the Word of God (Acts 2:37) or God’s general revelation of His demands through nature and people’s inborn consciousness of a sense of right and wrong (Rom. 1:18–20; 2:15). The purpose of conviction is to lead people to repent of their sins (Acts 2:37–38; Rom. 2:1–4) and to turn to God for salvation and eternal life.
By nature, we are satisfied with ourselves, content to go on, imagining that all is well, that we are good people, or perhaps knowing that we are bad people, but still knowing no conviction of sin. However, when the Holy Spirit begins to work He convicts us of sin. This work of conviction by the third Person of the Trinity causes us to realize something of the truth concerning the holiness of God. We may have talked about God for years; we may have ‘said our prayers’ to Him, but we have never thought much about Him, and we know nothing about Him truly until the Holy Spirit begins to deal with us.
These two things happen together. I am made to see myself fallen and undone (Isa 6:5). I begin to understand that the trouble with me is not so much that I do things I should not do, but that I should ever desire to do them. I become aware of the fact that there is something within me that is vile and rotten and wrong, a perverted and a twisted nature; and I begin to realize that I do not know God, that I am really an enemy against God, that there is a hatred of God in the depths of my heart. Sure I was one of those people that “believed” in God and was happy to talk about God as long as He did not interfere in my life. I even convinced myself that I was a pretty good guy without realizing that even the good I do falls short of bringing glory to God and ultimately did it in order to bring glory to myself. I would even turn to Him when in need and pray to Him for help. However, I did not want God to dominate my life, I did not want to be guided and accountable to a holy God. The Holy Spirit awakens us to a realization of all this. He also leads us to a conviction of our lost condition, of our emptiness, and our despair. When this happens; there is one inevitable result, namely, that we are humbled, we are brought low; we are made to see ourselves as we really are.
We come to the humbling conclusion that we have nothing to brag about in what we have done or not done. We also realize that even looking at others and comparing ourselves to them does not any longer bring us comfort as we understand that the only comparison God makes is with His Son Jesus. We see the truth about ourselves; and we know that the same is true for others. The Apostle Paul, while Saul of Tarsus and before the Holy Spirit did His work in him, was a great boaster: “A Hebrew of the Hebrews, of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day”, a man who sat at the feet of Gamaliel, the best of scholars, exceeding all others in zeal and energy and the service of God. Even so, later he came to say, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ”. His privileges and his works had become “dung” and “loss”. In writing later to Timothy he said, “It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). He had lost his pride, his boasting, his everything; he is nothing; in his view, there was no greater sinner in the universe.
Bibliography:
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Christian Unity (Studies in Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 1 Through 16) (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972), 62.
Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison and Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Rev. Ed. of: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary.; Includes Index. (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1995).
Friday, October 9, 2009
Basil of Caesarea
The “Cappadocian Fathers” brought the best gift of all: a powerful scriptural defense of the Trinity and Christ’s divinity against the Arian heretics.
Basil of Caesarea (“the Great”) Pugnacious saint and theologian of the Spirit
Mention the “church fathers” to a Western Christian, and Basil the Great is not usually the first name to come to mind. Nevertheless, even for the Roman Catholic Church, Basil ranks with his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom as one of the great propounders and defenders of the faith.
Born around 330, Basil grew up in a world where Christianity was recognized by the Roman government but divided between those who believed in the full divinity of Christ and the Arians, who did not. For much of the fourth century, the Arians would enjoy the support of the emperors. The struggle between Christianity and the empire had not ended with Constantine.
After his studies in Athens ended in 356, the young Basil returned to his native city of Caesarea in Cappadocia (southeastern Asia Minor). Though he appeared to have a brilliant secular career before him, instead Basil chose to follow the path of his sister Macrina, renouncing his share in the family property and living an ascetic life with a few companions.
Thus, Basil was one of the first to establish a monastic community in Asia Minor, and the rules he drew up are still normative for Orthodox monks today.
In 370 he became the archbishop of Caesarea, which brought him into conflict with the Arian emperor Valens. In an attempt to intimidate the stubborn bishop, Valens sent the prefect of the imperial guard, Modestus, to threaten him with punishment. Basil answered that he was ready and eager to die for Christ, and that he had so few possessions that banishment, confiscation, or imprisonment would mean nothing to him.
When Modestus complained that no one had ever talked to him like that, Basil answered that perhaps he had never met a bishop before: “When the interests of God are at stake, we care for nothing else.”
The emperor eventually backed down after his young son took sick and died, but the controversy with the Arians continued for the rest of Basil’s life.
In 374 Basil wrote a treatise On the Holy Spirit, which fleshed out the orthodox doctrine of the divinity of the Spirit.
It was while Basil was at Caesarea that the doxology “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit” was first used, placing all three Persons of the Trinity on an equal footing. Basil also authored a liturgy still used by the Orthodox Church.
Basil’s major work of biblical interpretation was the Hexameron, his homilies on the six days of creation. He refused to allegorize away the literal meaning of the text, and is often classed with the “Antiochene” school of exegesis. Along with scientific speculation and theological argument, however, the Hexameron also interprets animal behavior as symbolic of various human characteristics, in order to offer moral instruction. Comparing an unhappy couple to a viper mating with a lamprey surely does not count as “literal exegesis.”
Basil was a difficult man to deal with, even for his friends. He made his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and his own brother Gregory of Nyssa miserable by forcing them to accept positions as bishops of small rural towns, positions for which they were not suited. He was accused of harshness or pride in his defense of the truth. Yet as bishop he devoted immense energy to feeding the hungry and caring for the poor, and his courage and devotion are beyond doubt. Basil’s life showed that the heroic, counter-cultural power of the gospel had not been stifled by government recognition of Christianity, and that even in a state-sponsored church there would always be found those willing to die for Christ.[1]
[1]Christian History Magazine-Issue 80: The First Bible Teachers (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 2003).
Basil of Caesarea (“the Great”) Pugnacious saint and theologian of the Spirit
Mention the “church fathers” to a Western Christian, and Basil the Great is not usually the first name to come to mind. Nevertheless, even for the Roman Catholic Church, Basil ranks with his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom as one of the great propounders and defenders of the faith.
Born around 330, Basil grew up in a world where Christianity was recognized by the Roman government but divided between those who believed in the full divinity of Christ and the Arians, who did not. For much of the fourth century, the Arians would enjoy the support of the emperors. The struggle between Christianity and the empire had not ended with Constantine.
After his studies in Athens ended in 356, the young Basil returned to his native city of Caesarea in Cappadocia (southeastern Asia Minor). Though he appeared to have a brilliant secular career before him, instead Basil chose to follow the path of his sister Macrina, renouncing his share in the family property and living an ascetic life with a few companions.
Thus, Basil was one of the first to establish a monastic community in Asia Minor, and the rules he drew up are still normative for Orthodox monks today.
In 370 he became the archbishop of Caesarea, which brought him into conflict with the Arian emperor Valens. In an attempt to intimidate the stubborn bishop, Valens sent the prefect of the imperial guard, Modestus, to threaten him with punishment. Basil answered that he was ready and eager to die for Christ, and that he had so few possessions that banishment, confiscation, or imprisonment would mean nothing to him.
When Modestus complained that no one had ever talked to him like that, Basil answered that perhaps he had never met a bishop before: “When the interests of God are at stake, we care for nothing else.”
The emperor eventually backed down after his young son took sick and died, but the controversy with the Arians continued for the rest of Basil’s life.
In 374 Basil wrote a treatise On the Holy Spirit, which fleshed out the orthodox doctrine of the divinity of the Spirit.
It was while Basil was at Caesarea that the doxology “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit” was first used, placing all three Persons of the Trinity on an equal footing. Basil also authored a liturgy still used by the Orthodox Church.
Basil’s major work of biblical interpretation was the Hexameron, his homilies on the six days of creation. He refused to allegorize away the literal meaning of the text, and is often classed with the “Antiochene” school of exegesis. Along with scientific speculation and theological argument, however, the Hexameron also interprets animal behavior as symbolic of various human characteristics, in order to offer moral instruction. Comparing an unhappy couple to a viper mating with a lamprey surely does not count as “literal exegesis.”
Basil was a difficult man to deal with, even for his friends. He made his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and his own brother Gregory of Nyssa miserable by forcing them to accept positions as bishops of small rural towns, positions for which they were not suited. He was accused of harshness or pride in his defense of the truth. Yet as bishop he devoted immense energy to feeding the hungry and caring for the poor, and his courage and devotion are beyond doubt. Basil’s life showed that the heroic, counter-cultural power of the gospel had not been stifled by government recognition of Christianity, and that even in a state-sponsored church there would always be found those willing to die for Christ.[1]
[1]Christian History Magazine-Issue 80: The First Bible Teachers (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 2003).
Monday, September 21, 2009
Edict of Milan (313)
The agreement shifted Christianity from being illicit, persecuted sect to being a welcome, and soon dominant, religion of the Roman Empire.
It came out of a two-man summit meeting in the northern Italian city of Milan in January 313. The two men were the Roman emperors: Constantine ruling the West and Licinius the East. They met "under happy auspices," as their joint communication put it. After years of power struggles for the imperial purple, the Roman world enjoyed a degree of peace. And after the failure of the Great Persecution initiated by emperors Diocletian and Galerius in 303-304, the Christian church had began to recover stability. Constantine and Licinius turned their minds to matters affecting the general welfare of the Empire.They determined first of all to attend to "the reverence paid to the Divinity." This required a guarantee of full religious freedom to the Christians, setting them on par with those who followed other religions. The so-called Edict of Milan provided for this. It marks the Roman Empire's final abandonment of the policies of persecution of Christians. The age of the martyrs was at an end. The transition to the era of the "Christian Empire" had begun.
Provisions of the "Edict"
The conference at Milan undoubtedly resulted in a concordat. But its terms are known to us only from re-script issued six months later by Licinius.
(This re-script was sent from his capital in Nicomedia-now Izmit in Turkey, just east of the Bosporus-to the governor of the nearby province of Bithynia. The Christian writer Lactantius has preserved its original Latin, while the church historian Eusebius gives it in Greek.)
Here are the re-script's main provisions:
"Our purpose is to grant both to the Christians and to all others full authority to follow whatever worship each person has desired, whereby whatsoever Divinity dwells in heaven may be benevolent and and propitious to us, and to all who are placed under our authority. Therefore we thought it salutary and most proper to establish our purpose that no person whatever should be refused complete toleration, who has given up his mind either to the cult of the Christians or to the religion which he personally feels best suited to himself. It is our pleasure to abolish all conditions whatever which were embodied in former orders directed to your office about the Christians, that every one of those who have a common wish to follow the religion of the Christians may from this moment freely and unconditionally proceed to observe the same without any annoyance or disquiet."
The re-script goes out of its way to ensure evenhanded treatment of all: "no diminution must be made from the honor of any religion. "But the strongly pro-Christian flavor is tasted in the instructions to restore to the Christians all property that had been appropriated during the persecution. This applied to property belonging to individual Christians as well as to churches, and without regard for the present owners, who could apply to the state for compensation.
In implementing these rulings the governor was to give the Christians his "most effective intervention," making sure the terms were published to all.
These actions, Constantine and Licinius concluded, would ensure that "Divine favor toward us, which we have already experienced in so many affairs, shall continue for all time to give us prosperity and success, together with happiness for the state."
Significance of the "Edict"
In reality, the subjects of Constantine in the Western Empire already enjoyed the toleration and property rights spelled out in the re-script. Nevertheless, the "Edict's" significance stands unchallenged (even though we must recognize the inaccuracy of its traditional title, since it was not an edict.)
Only a few months earlier Constantine had become the first Roman emperor to throw in his lot with the Christians. Although the Milan summit decreed only strict parity for Christians alongside other religionists, hindsight reads between the lines and discerns the hint of things to come. Before the end of the 4th century, orthodox Christianity had become the sole official religion of the Roman Empire.
For Christianity, the changes were momentous. To this day state churches perpetuate the alignment between Christianity and the Empire worked out in the 4th century. Meanwhile, Christians in independent, "free" churches have long regarded the Constantine revolution as little short of the fall of Christianity, almost as calamitous as the fall of Adam and Eve.
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