All the Nations

Good News for all People:

Palau is a little place.  Both by land mass and population it is one of the smallest nations in the world.  Small though it may be, there are a diversity of people here.  This morning I attended a Kindergarten program in honor of United Nations Day.  Children from half-a-dozen nations participated. Part of the what the children, many of whom come from families unreached with the Good News of Christ, learn is the Word of God. As my nation finishes up a divisive political campaign it is good to be reminded that the Good News of God's love knows no national or ethnic boundaries.  The lines on the map mean nothing to the Lord of the Universe.  Let's cross those lines whenever we can.   It's STTA. PS:  Here is a simple video presentation of the Good News I'm talking about.

Flying Burritos:

Burrito-Bird:

I predict there will jokes-a-plenty about how the thing runs ongas, or about the extra hot-sauce overheating the motors.  Here it comes, though, to a University near me, drone delivered burritos.  Just a short time ago I passed on news about pizzas arriving on little copters down under.  Now I read that Chipotle, Google, and Virginia Tech have teamed up to test burrito's from the sky. Stephen, Sarah, let me know if they arrive still hot. If I were a student at Tech, I'd probably order some Mexi-drone food.  There just has to be a Beamer Special, or maybe they come with Hokie Sauce.  I'd probably go out in the yard and video my supper arriving.  It's pretty kewl, but I read news like this with a pang of conviction. While others are so busy figuring out new ways to get pizza and burritos into people's hands, mouths, and stomachs, not to mention money in the suppliers account; what am I doing to make the Good News about Jesus to those who need it.  To horribly mix my metaphors what we need is not a better way to remotely impact the world (the idea is not new), we needboots on the ground. Enjoy your pizza and burritos, whether they come by air or in the family car, but let's be sure that we pray, live lives that show forth the truth of God, and share the Good News whenever we have opportunity. It may be remote, but I'd love to make it up close and personal--If you don't know about the Good News, of which I speak, clink on the link at the end of this email It's STTA. Want to find out about the Good News?  Click here.

Instead of dropping in for dinner, have dinner . . .

It's a bird it's a plane. No it's a pepperoni:

I just read about the latest pizza delivery option a short way south of here.  Actually it will be a while before Kiwis can have a drone deliver a pizza to their door-step, but if Domino's plans work out,it won't be long. The video shows the "Domicopter" being  tested in England, but since delivery by drone is legal in New Zealand, residents of the down-under nation could be getting pie from the sky, by spring of 2017. Be watching for the comics have a great time with this. Out of all the things that the world needs, just how high on the list does pizza delivery by a remotely controlled aircraft rise?  The best and brightest are working on new ways to deliver what the even better and brighter tell us we need less of, anyhow.  Meanwhile, I know folk who want to take the live-giving Good-news about Jesus Christ to the nations, and they are stuck for lack of resources. I have some friends who live and minister in New Zealand.  If they get their supper from this alien looking device, I hope they take a video, but more importantly, I hope they invite some neighbors in for the Italian air-raid, and share with them the bread of life. It's STTA. The delivery system is via old-fashioned words, but at this site, you'll find a message we all need.

The Gospel Changes Us and Our World

Something To Think About The Change the Gospel Brings:

What a powerful story is in and behind the little book of Philemon. Only three decades had passed since Jesus death and resurrection.  Philemon was one of the rapidly expanding body of believers in Christ.  He lived in Colosse, well over a thousand miles from Jerusalem, yet the Good News about Jesus Christ had already spread throughout his region, and beyond.  Perhaps Philemon came to know the Lord through contact with the Apostle Paul in nearby Ephesus.  His dedication was such that his home was a meeting place for the church in Colosse.  He was a man of good reputation.  I would like for an observer with Paul’s credentials to say about me, “I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you brother” (1:7).  That was Paul’s assessment of his friend Philemon. It is clear that the message of Christ, had changed Philemon.  What may not be as clear is that the Gospel was bringing changes to this man’s life that would change his community, and indeed the Good News was having impact that would long outlive Philemon. I encourage you to read the little letter from Paul to Philemon.  It won’t take long; it is less than 500 words.  Yet in this touching note from one Christian to another, we can see a marked change in world view.  There is a story, behind The Letter of Paul to Philemon, that is implied.  Onesimus was a slave in Philemon’s household.  Slavery was an accepted part of Roman society.  Onesimus ran away, perhaps stealing from his master as he escaped.  The run-away came into contact with the Apostle Paul, who pointed him to Jesus.  Legally, Paul was obligated to send Onesimus back to his master, where the consequences could be harsh.  Some take Paul to task.  “Why didn’t he start a refuge for run-away slaves instead of sending Onesimus back?”  Read the letter, Paul did not mount a frontal assault on slavery, yet “the fuller implication of Paul’s teaching here is that the Christian faith is incompatible with the ownership of slaves.  While not attacking the institution of slavery as such, therefore, the letter does bring us into an atmosphere in which the institution of slavery could only wilt and die.”*  Sadly it took way too long, but in those places where the Gospel has had free reign, slavery has become abhorrent. The Gospel--the good news that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, for us, and thus made forgiveness and new life possible--not only changes people, it changes the world. What is the Lord doing through me to change my world? It’s STTA. * Carson, D. A.; Carson, D. A.; Moo, Douglas  J.; Moo, Douglas  J. (2009-05-26). An Introduction to the New Testament (Kindle Locations 14476-14480). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

The Gospel Saves and Changes:

Something To Think About Salvation and Change:

I’ve been working my way through a book by a couple of really smart guys.  D. A. Carson & Douglas J. Moo take as their goal to capture the flow of the books of the New Testament and of each individual book.  They do a good job of not only writing what it means, but what it feels like.  Note the word, “passionately” in the following quote.  If you read 1 and 2 Corinthians, or just 2 Corinthians 7 and 10-13, you’ll see the passion.  It wasn’t an athletic event or winning an argument that generated such emotion in the writing of the Apostle.  He was concerned for the spiritual lives of those in whom he had invested his life “ . . . Paul passionately develops a theology of the cross that shapes Christian ethics, Christian priorities, and Christian attitudes, the apostle directly confronts all approaches to Christianity that happily seek to integrate a generally orthodox confession with pagan values of self-promotion. The cross not only justifies, it teaches us how to live and die, how to lead and follow, how to love and serve. . . . The problem was not so much that they were relapsing into paganism, as that their Christian faith, however sincere, had not yet transformed the worldview they had adopted from the surrounding culture. They had not grasped how the theology of the cross not only constitutes the basis of our salvation but also and inevitably teaches us how to live and serve.”  Everything in opposition to the Gospel “must be overthrown:”  (Carson, D. A.; Carson, D. A.; Moo, Douglas  J.; Moo, Douglas  J. (2009-05-26). An Introduction to the New Testament.Zondervan. Kindle Edition.) As Paul said in another place,   “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.” I can understand the Apostle’s passion.  It has been a life-long battle personally, and at the heart of my life’s work.  It’s not as eloquent as the Apostle’s words, but the three words are loaded down with Passion. Live for Jesus! It’s STTA.

The Bad News Leads to the Good

Something To Think About BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS:

Where the bad news and the Good News meet. I’m one of those folk who grew up Fundamental.  Not so much my family of birth, but my spiritual/church family was clearly a part of that staunch band.  Flannel-graphs, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Bible camp, and sword drills were key elements in my spiritual upbringing. I can’t remember when I first heard the Romans Road explained.  Basically it is way of sharing the Good News about salvation in Jesus Christ, using key verses from the Book of Romans.   There are many versions of this simple evangelistic presentation, but all of them I’m familiar with have Romans 3:23 first or second.  It's a verse that announces the opposite of good news.  “. . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  The first half of the next verse in the presentation is an even more severe downer.  “The wages of sin is death” (6:23).  You’ve got the disease and it’s fatal, and if you understand the fullness of that death—more so. The fact is the first three chapters of Romans are almost totally bad news.  Read 3:1-20 for a summary.  Actually, by the time we get to Romans 3:23 the Apostle Paul has already turned a corner and has begun to tell us about the Good News.  Verse 21 shares “now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested.”  This “righteousness of God” is accessed “through faith in Jesus Christ.”  It is available to “all those who believe; for there is no distinction” (22).  Verse 23 is where the bad news and Good News meet.  The Gospel (Good News) is offered to all who believe.  Why is it offered in this way?  Because all have sinned, we all fail to measure up.  Left to our own devices none of us will make it.  All are lost.  All who believe will be saved.  The bad news leads us to the good, and encourages us to knock on the door. Go ahead. Read more here. It’s STTA.

MASKS

Something To Think About, Masks:

I don't know, maybe it's just the view from where I sit, but it appears to me that dressing up in a costume and wearing a mask has gotten bigger among adults than it used to be.  It might be an accompaniment to the move away from Trick-or-Treat and toward events like Trunk-or-Treat.  To get into the spirit of the events, lots of adults assume the role of somebody or something else.   I don't remember stores selling adult costumes back in the day.  I've noticed ads for them a couple of times lately. Whether the number of adults "dressing up as" is really more than it used to be or not, it is clear that a lot of we grown-ups are working really hard every day to not let others know who we really are.  That's not all together bad.  An employee who is angry at his boss probably ought to keep that hidden until he gets it settled.  Otherwise she/he will have to assume a new role--unemployed.  And please take note that I'm only saying this might be a good idea for a short time.  Ultimately the answer is not to cover your anger but to deal with it and become not angry. I've worn masks.  It's hard work.  Every day, every moment, one must make sure that the masquerade is properly adjusted.  You tend to not look folk in the eye, because then they are looking in yours.  You can't disguise what shines--or fails to shine--out from these windows to the soul.  Since the getup I've adopted isn't really me I have to put out a lot of effort.  I can't really live life.  I end up being like an actor assuming the role of a character who is living life.  It'll wear you out. Some folk have the mistaken notion that Christianity is just a new role, a new way of appearing, a smiling mask in a frowning world.  Here is the good news from the Bible.    “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB95)   It's not a way of acting.  Christianity is new life that begins on the inside at the very core of my being.  As you help your kids or grandkids "dress up" this week, maybe as you yourself assume another role to help others have fun, ask yourself, beneath it all, who am I.  That is the level where Jesus Christ wants to meet you and change you.  Find out more below. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know. We would love for you to make the Live Nativity a part of your Christmas Season.  It is a very family friendly activity. Click the picture for more information.   November 17-24, CBC will be a drop-off point for Operation Christmas Child  shoe box-gifts.  covingtonbiblechurch.com -

Sacrifice V

It is impossible to get closer to the absolute core of Christianity, than the Gospel--the Good News about Jesus Christ--the Euangelion, the word from which we get evangelize, or evangelical.  The Apostle Paul said he faithfully delivered the Gospel.    “I make known to you, brethren, the gospel . . . by which also you are saved. . . . I delivered to you . . . what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:1–4, NASB95)   When he came to the great city of Corinth, Paul said,    “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)  In other words the Gospel was the heart of his message.  Today an entire movement in Christiandom is known by the description "Evangelical."  In the best sense, Evangelicals are those who believe and proclaim the Gospel.  If ever there was an Evangelical it was the Apostle Paul.  You just couldn't keep him quiet about that Good News. When we proclaim, or receive, the Good News what is really going on?  One of the present day distortions of the Good News is that it is entirely about me.  Some of us have observed that a slight change to a popular praise song is appropriate. "It's all about ME, Jesus." No, it's not. At the end of his great treatise on Christianity, the Book of Romans, he makes clear that ultimately its not about me, or even you.  It's about God.  In Romans 15:15-16 Paul says that it was God's grace that provided him the opportunity to minister this Good News to the Gentile nations.  The salvation of those people was not the final result.  Paul regarded those he reached as an offering to the Lord--dare I say, a kind of human-sacrifice?  His desire was that, "my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:16). It's one of the "spiritual sacrifices" that God's people ought to be offering to the Lord (1 Peter 2:5).  When I share the Good News and you receive it, it will change your life.  The Good News includes the message that there is forgiveness of sin, hope in life, and heaven after death, but that is not the end of the Gospel.  In the final analysis it is about the Glory of God. It's Something to Think About.

Proclaim the Truth:

Last Sunday the focus of our entire service was Communion, the Lord's Supper.  1 Corinthians 11 says that the Communion service is a "proclamation" (v. 26).  The Greek word means to "to proclaim, promulgate:- declare, preach, show, speak of, teach."  It should be no surprise that the word is very common in the Book of Acts, the Bible's record of the early spread of the Gospel and the establishment of the church.

In Acts 4:2 the Apostles proclamation "in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," was disturbing to the Lord's enemies.

It was on the basis of Christ's resurrection that Paul and his companions proclaimed the forgiveness of sins (13:37-38).

Looking back on a portion of ministry Paul said they had "proclaimed the word of the Lord."

Even the forces of evil realized that these early missionaries were "proclaiming . . . the way of salvation" (16:17).

It was a clear word that left no doubt,  "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." (17:3)  So clear that it brought opposition from the Lord's enemies (17:13).

It was a proclamation that people needed to hear even if they didn't know they did.  It is a proclamation that is true, and has the authority of the God of the universe behind it (17:23).

It is a proclamation of the Gospel--the good news that Jesus died, and came forth from the grave and that He did that for us (26:23).

Last Sunday, and in the days since, I have found myself wondering how my, how my church's, proclamation measures up to that "turn-the-world-upside-down" (17:6) word proclaimed by these folk in the Book of Acts.  My answer is not encouraging.  I am challenged, and I challenge my brothers and sisters in Christ:

Let's do some proclaiming!

It's STTA.

 You can listen to last Sunday's message about Communion here.