Sinai (Bible Theology Class)

Posted on February 13, 2022 by salooper57
Viewing Time 56 minutes

What was Sinai and the giving of the law all about? Was it just rules that people must follow, can’t follow, and set people up to fail? Or is the law more like covenant promises – like marriage vows? How does it fit together? Join us for an in-depth look at thundering Sinai and the giving of the law.

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The Power of Always Trying Again

Posted on February 12, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3 to 4 minutes)

The title of a recent Christianity Today article caught my attention. It read, “I’ve Reached My Breaking Point as a Pastor.”

The article cited a new Barna study that “discovered that 38 percent of pastors have given real, serious consideration to quitting the ministry in the past year.” I don’t know how that compares to previous years, but 38 percent seems high.

Peter Chin, the article’s author, went on to admit: “I am one of that 38 percent. Even in the best of times, pastoral ministry has felt like a broad and heavy calling. But the events of the past few years have made it a crushing one. The presidential election. Unrest around racial injustice. A global pandemic that has taken the lives of over 800,000 Americans.”

I’ve heard pastors say the same kinds of things. They are tired, wounded, and ready to throw in the towel. I was at a meeting recently where I heard a denominational official state that the church is facing a national shortage of qualified pastoral candidates. The old hands are getting out. Younger people are shying away.

Chin was right: the last few years have been difficult. Political divisions have flowed over into the church. The pandemic made matters worse. During its first few months, pastors were forced to make difficult decisions almost daily – decisions that half the congregation would loathe, and half would applaud.

Yes, the last few years have been hard on pastors, but it would be a mistake to think that this generation of pastors is the first to face great difficulty. It would be a further mistake to think that people outside of pastoral ministry are spared the stress.

Recent data suggest that more married couples are reaching their breaking point. According to National Law Review, 20 percent of couples who have been married five months or less applied for divorce in 2020. That is nearly double pre-pandemic numbers.

Similar stresses exist in the workplace. According to Emile Hallez, writing in Investment News, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimates that 3 million people have retired early as a result of the “COVID environment.” The retirement rate of Baby Boomers has more than doubled over the previous year.

There is a time for making changes, switching careers, even retiring, but the time is never right to despair or to cave in. Because there have always been stresses, sometimes worse than what we have faced in the pandemic, the writers of Scripture called people to persevere. Indeed, perseverance is one of the Bible’s most highly esteemed virtues.

Perseverance is the virtue we wish we could do without. But we can’t. Without perseverance, we will lose hope. Perseverance is the foundation of every virtue. C. S. Lewis put it this way: God gives us the “power of always trying again. For however important [any virtue] may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still.”  

God gives us “the power of always trying again.” That is a superpower, if ever there was one. Perseverance may not leap tall buildings in a single bound, but it scales them one step at a time and eventually reaches the top.

I have never been a Dallas Cowboys fan, but I am awed by Emmet Smith’s career rushing record, which has held now for 18 years. Smith, who stood a mere 5 feet, nine inches – a Lilliputian by NFL standards – ran for 18,355 yards, which is approximately 10-and-a-half miles. What makes that feat so impressive is that some behemoth on the other side knocked him down every 4 yards. But Emmet Smith had the “power of always trying again.”

People generally don’t make it through career setbacks, marriage difficulties, or long-term health problems because they are strong or smart, but because they don’t give up. Albert Einstein once said of himself, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” He persevered.

God stands ready to help his people persevere in faith. He strengthens them to put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes, that is all we need to do.

(First published by Gannett.)

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Joseph of Arimethea: The Secret Disciple (Wide Angle)

Posted on February 10, 2022 by salooper57

It is difficult enough to move on after each of the earlier posts in this series, but it is even more difficult to move on after such an inadequate treatment of the crucifixion of Jesus. Saying that we have gazed at the death of Christ because we read a few posts or listened to a sermon is like saying that we have seen the Rockies because we flew from Detroit to Las Vegas. The death of Christ is a mountain of revelation, and we have hardly traced its outline. But if we’re to see the outworking of what happened at Calvary, we must move on.

But we also must take the cross with us. We saw in last week’s post that the cross was like a sword plunged into the earth, but now we find that it is also like a key carried in our pocket. It unlocks the rest of revelation. It opens the door for us to understand the fall, the Law, the Covenants, and the kingdom. In fact, we can’t even understand ourselves apart from the cross.

But we cannot understand the cross apart from the empty tomb. Take away the resurrection (something antagonists to Christ have tried to do since the very beginning) and the cross is a meaningless tragedy.

And that is exactly what his disciples thought on the day it happened. It was an unmitigated disaster. Their hopes had been dashed; their confidence shattered. And now they faced the very real possibility that the powers that executed Jesus would come after them. Don’t forget that when the authorities interrogated and tortured Jesus, they tried to find out all they could about his disciples (John 18:19).

After the execution, the disciples went into hiding, as John put it, for “fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). Violence, injustice and threat of persecution drove them into the shadows. But that same violence, injustice and threat of persecution brought another of Jesus’ disciples out of the shadows and into the light.

His name was Joseph, and he was from the town of Arimethea. Matthew 27:57 informs us that he was rich. I think it is safe to assume that he was also influential. For one thing, he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the national ruling body of Israel. For another, he was able to walk into the governor’s office, be granted a meeting on the spot, and have his request fulfilled within minutes. This was an important man.

John’s gospel tells us that Joseph had been so afraid of what his colleagues would say that he kept his relationship with Jesus hidden. How interesting that the very circumstances that sent Jesus’ known disciples into hiding brought this hidden disciple out into the public eye.

Joseph was a member of the judicial council that condemned Jesus to death. If I understand the evidence correctly, certain members of the council never received word that an emergency nighttime session had been called. One of those members was Joseph. Now, by taking a stand for Jesus, he was bringing on himself the wrath of his colleagues. His action was political suicide.

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Passover and Exodus (Video Embedded)

Posted on February 8, 2022 by salooper57

On Sunday, I was only able to post a link to the church’s website for this Biblical Theology class on Exodus12-15. The video for the class is embedded below.

Viewing time: 54 minutes (approximate)
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Example, Savior, Shepherd: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Posted on February 7, 2022 by salooper57
Viewing Time: 26 minutes (approx.)
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Passover and Exodus (Biblical Theology Class #5 )

Posted on February 6, 2022 by salooper57

As Christians look at the death of Christ on the cross and his subsequent resurrection as the event that sealed their redemption, first century Jews looked at Passover and the subsequent Exodus as the event that sealed their redemption.

A knowledge of Passover and the Exodus are necessary to a clear understanding of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. The theology of Exodus runs throughout!

Follow the link below to enjoy this class, taught January 30, 2022. We look at the Passover and Exodus in their historical setting, then at how they were understood by God’s people in the Old Testament, and later by Jesus and his apostles in the New.

Passover and Exodus (Biblical Theology Class #5)

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The Key to Ending the Culture Wars

Posted on February 5, 2022 by salooper57

Ukraine teeters on the brink of war. A hundred thousand Russian troops surround her borders. The U.S. views this as an act of aggression. The Russians deny hostile intent and complain that their national security is being threatened.

Whether war will be averted or not, no one knows. It is entirely possible that it will have already begun by the time this article is published. What we can know is that this conflict has roots that reach back into the history of Ukraine and into the annals of East-West relationships.

Ukraine is and has been a divided nation. Each of its major regions has a unique history and a character shaped by long interaction with neighbors. There are language differences between east and west. In fact, while most Ukrainians can understand and speak Russian, most cannot speak Ukrainian. Such a conflict, rooted in differences in language, history, and values, might well be called a “culture war.”

Culture wars are fought on distinct fronts. In Ukraine, those fronts have been EU and NATO membership, relations with Russia, and conscription into the military. The culture wars here are fought on different fronts, frequently along the borders of sexuality. Issues of gender, same sex relationships and, above all, abortion, have seen heavy fighting.

The culture wars will not be won in curtained voting booths or paneled courtrooms.

Some Christians apparently believe that the outcome of one or other of these battles is what matters most. When, in 2016, I told a good friend that I was not going to vote for Donald Trump, he was shocked. Did I want that “baby-killer” – Hilary Clinton – to win? When I explained that I would not be voting for Mrs. Clinton either, he seemed to think that I had gone AWOL.

There have always been culture wars, and culture wars have always stemmed from conflicting beliefs about what people are and how they relate to the world around them. This was the case, as Steven D. Smith pointed out in Pagans and Christians in the City, in the culture wars of ancient Rome.

Peter Leithart, commenting on Smith’s work, writes that “the real fight isn’t between religion and secularism, but between two different kinds of religion.” He goes on to draw comparisons between ancient Rome and contemporary America, pointing out that pre-Christian Rome’s belief system led to views about sexuality with which early Christian converts could not agree. This gave rise to ongoing conflicts and misunderstandings.

Such battles have been, and will continue to be, fought along these fronts, but they won’t be won there. The key to ending the culture wars lies in engaging the belief systems behind them. Many culture warriors – on both sides of the front – are incapable of articulating these underlying beliefs.

This means that the best way for a Christian to end the battle on the abortion front is not to vote but to evangelize—to spread the good news about the God who made and redeemed us. Unless people experience a change of thinking on some basic issues – whether there is a God and what he is like, who humans are and what they were made for – mindsets will not change. A Supreme Court ruling may cause abortion to go underground but it will not make it go away.

This does not mean that voting is unimportant. Voting is both a great privilege and a serious responsibility. We should vote wisely, carefully, and conscientiously. What we should not do is vote naïvely, with the assumption that casting a ballot is the only thing we can do.

The culture wars will not be won in curtained voting booths or paneled courtrooms, but in people’s minds and hearts. Knowing and being able to explain what we believe in intelligent, persuasive, and respectful conversations is key.

(First published by Gannet.)

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Wide Angle: The Cross Divides

Posted on February 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: Approximately 7 minutes)

Have you ever noticed that as soon as Jesus’s Cross was dropped into place it began dividing people? St. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 1. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God… Christ crucified [is] a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others, but the power of God and the wisdom of God to those whom he has called (1 Cor. 1:18ff).

See how it works. Here are soldiers. They took this duty because they enjoyed the perks: it was easy work once the cross was up, plus they were allowed to divide up the victim’s possessions among themselves. Jesus didn’t have much, just the five articles of clothing that every Jewish man wore: the inner tunic, the outer robe, the belt or sash, the sandals, and the turban. The four soldiers took one piece of clothing each, but the beautiful, seamless robe was still left. To cut it up into four pieces would have been to ruin it, so here they were, at the foot of the cross, gambling for it. From their perspective, Jesus was a means to financial gain. Jesus is still that to many people, as the TV preachers continually remind us.

But the cross divides people. On the other side of the cross was a Roman centurion, these soldiers’ superior. He was a hard-bitten man who had fought tough battles and seen many men die. But he had never seen anyone die like this. Jesus once predicted, “If I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32), and here we have the first example of the magnetism of the cross. The Centurion was being drawn. While his soldiers were gambling and mocking, he was rapt with wonder, and praised God: “Surely this was a righteous man” (verse 47). Mark tells us that he went even further: “This man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

Also standing below the cross are Jewish religious leaders. Of all people on earth, they should have recognized their messiah and welcomed him. They should have sworn allegiance to him. Instead, they swore at him, and mocked him. Verse 35: “…the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the chosen one.’” There are still those who have no place for a dying Savior, people who understand only power, pragmatism, manipulation.

Divided from these rulers was another ruler, and the crucified Christ separated them. His name was Joseph (vs. 50). He was a member of the ruling counsel, just like the men who stood below the cross and sneered. But the cross had sundered them. They saw a helpless man. He saw the mighty love of God.

On either side of Jesus, verse 33, was a criminal. The one hurled insults at him. He despised this good man who suffered for nothing. In his eyes Jesus was a weakling, someone to scoff at. “At least,” the criminal might have thought, “I have done something worth dying for. At least I have been a man.” But he saw nothing in Jesus that he wanted.

But the criminal on the other side of Jesus had been watching him. He heard him say, “Father, forgive them.” He saw him bless instead of curse. He saw something in Jesus that transcended the moment, something so powerful that he blurted out, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”They both saw the same Jesus: bloody, beaten almost beyond recognition, affixed to a cross. But the one man saw a loser while the other saw a king.

The cross divides people. God has plunged it into the earth, like Excaliber in the stone, and no power can remove it. From the moment it was driven into the ground, it began splitting the earth, dividing people. Some who look on the crucified Christ see nothing they want, nothing that draws them, nothing to love. Others are drawn to the cross and to Christ and to life.

What can we say to this? If you have been putting off the moment of decision, have not yet chose to believe on Jesus and give your life to follow him, know this: Sooner or later, you will have to take your stand on one side of the cross or the other. On the side with those who say, “There’s nothing here I want” or with those who, like Thomas, say “My Lord and my God.” The earth is splitting under your feet, and you must stand on one side or the other. If in your heart you know the side on which to stand, do it today. Don’t wait. Bow to Christ, offer him your life and your heart. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” says St. Paul, “and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). He took your place as truly as he took Barabbas’. Because of him, a new future, a better future, is being offered to you. Don’t let it pass you by.

If you already belong to Jesus, understand this: the cross is proof positive that God is in control. While it’s true that corrupt leaders and Roman soldiers put Jesus “to death by nailing him to the cross,” it is also true, as St. Peter said, that he “was handed over to [them] by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23ff.) Do you see what that means? God took the most wicked deed ever done by humans and turned it into the greatest good. Nothing can stop our God. Nothing. He will bring good.

Simon from Cyrene is a marvelous example. He may have said to himself, “Why me?” He may have said to God, “What have I done to deserve this?” He may have hated the Romans for the way they treated him. And yet it is likely that God used the worst thing that ever happened to him to bring he and his family to faith and to life. Even when you don’t understand, even when God seems to be far off, even when bad things happen, don’t stop trusting him. Our God reigns. He will bring good. Nothing can stop him.

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One Woman’s Journey to Faith

Posted on January 31, 2022 by salooper57
Viewing Time: 15:36

I am excited to share Jenny Wickey’s story with you. She told our church family about the journey she has been on from her atheist upbringing to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a great story that you will want to share with your friends and family.

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Biblical Theology Class 4: The LORD versus the Gods of Egypt (Exodus 3-11)

Posted on January 30, 2022 by salooper57
Viewing Time: 52:00

In this class, we look at one of the highest peaks of biblical revelation: When God the Creator reveals his name. What follows – the War on the Egyptian Front – shows the LORD to be the great God, without rival. We will then fast forward to the New Testament and see what all this has to do with Jesus.

This is theologically monumental. This is fascinating. Please join us.

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