Christianity

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I guess what gets me is that if one of the ways to develop an understanding of the question is to look at the way the sides treat the other, there's something interesting going on with this one.

It's a relationship. I hate religion. It's man made and it kills and it's bad.

or

It's both. You can't have Christianity without a relationship with Christ...but you also can't have that relationship if you don't have the terms of that relationship - defined by the religion.

Religion: worship of a deity - a set of common beliefs about that deity. Augustine wrote about "religion" having the meaning of "being bound fast"

As a people of God, we are all bound fast by our common beliefs in God: The deity of Christ and the death, burial and resurrection of Christ being central.

"Religion" is "us-centered." We are one church, one bride, one family of God.

"Relationship" is "me-centered" - my Jesus, my relationship. (note: that's not a bad thing, that personal relationship is as necessary as the "us" piece.)

I saw a baby dedication this past weekend. The thought struck me then: if there is no "bound togetherness of shared beliefs" - why have the congregation commit to helping the parents (the "us piece" bring that child up in those beliefs?

It's got to be both? You have a relationship with your spouse; it's the marriage covenant that defines what that relationship looks like.

You have a relationship with Christ; its the terms of the Christian religion that defines what that relationship looks like.

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Yesterday I wrote about what a "license" does and what it means for marriage.

If...

  • A license grants you permission to do that which is otherwise illegal....

    • then...

  • (in non-common law states) it is illegal for Christians to marry unless they gain the state's permission first.

    • The Gospel Coalition asked a couple of years ago

    Should Pastors Separate the Christian Wedding Ceremony from the Civil Rite?

    It seems to me, that at this point, the state has the right to divorce the civil from the religious (courthouse wedding, etc.) but the religious does not have the right to divorce the religious from the civil (it is illegal to have a Christian wedding without the state's permission.

    (caveat: common law states have specific criteria to be met in order to qualify as a "common law marriage. There are a couple of states that require that in order for a common law marriage to be "official" it must be registered with the state [but with no prior permission from the state needed] In common law states, one could have a religious ceremony without having to get the state's permission, thus divorcing the religious from the civil)

    I have made it known that I refuse to be married in a state with a "gender neutral" license (such as California.) I am NOT "party B"

    I believe the time is coming when the definition of "marriage" as required by the state, will be so far astray of the definition of "marriage" as defined by God, that Christians will, with clean conscience, reject civil marriage.

    The question is: do we provide "test cases" now? or wait until persecution begins?

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    So...Im reading in 1 Thessalonians....v. 4

    For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction

    The conviction, the power and the Holy Spirit came not as the result of our choice, but of God's choice.

    😉

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    "I do not believe there ever existed a Christian yet, who did not now and then doubt his interest in Jesus. I think, when a man says, “I never doubt,” it is quite time for us to doubt him; it is quite time for us to begin to say, “Ah, poor soul, I am afraid you are not on the road at all, for if you were, you would see so many thing in yourself, and so much glory in Christ more than you deserve, that you would be so much ashamed of yourself, as even to say, ‘It is too good to be true.’”

    – Charles Spurgeon

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    I'm reading "Cold Case Christianity" and this paragraph stuck out.

    In those days, as I was evaluating the claims of Christianity, I demanded a form of evidence (direct evidence) that simply isn’t available to anyone who is studying historical events. I failed to see that rejecting (or devaluing) circumstantial evidence would prevent me from understanding anything about history (when eyewitnesses of a particular event are unavailable for an interview). If I continued to reject (or devalue) circumstantial evidence, I would never have been able to successfully prosecute a single cold-case killer. All of us need to respect the power and nature of circumstantial evidence plays in making the case for Christianity.

    The author had explained how circumstantial evidence compares to direct evidence, and how a solid case can be built on circumstantial evidence alone.

    We don't have direct evidence today for Christianity - it is all historical, circumstantial, or subjective. But if a criminal case can be built on circumstantial evidence to convict the criminal, a circumstantial case can also be built to free the slave.

    The atheist will claim that we cannot prove that God exists. True, we don't have direct evidence...but what does the circumstantial evidence point to?

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    I like this - when "borrowing" writing from a person who is now is that great cloud of witnesses, putting a blog tag on it that says that.

    I'm borrowing the idea from "Foolish Confidence"

    “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” —Hebrews 12:1

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    I am writing out my testimony, from the earliest years I can remember. I think this was my favorite song in the hymnal...not because I truly understood the theology, but because it was FAST. And there was an underlying line of even faster music in the refrain. Every time we had "special request" evening in the service, this would come up. I even remember that "It Is Mine" was hymn #309...that's how abiding the memory is.

    Then, I was Baptist, but I really don't know which "flavor." Now, I'm happily Reformed, and I think I still love this song.

    1 God’s abiding peace is in my soul today,
    Yes, I feel it now, yes, I feel it now;
    He has taken all my doubts and fears away,
    Though I cannot tell you how.

    Refrain:
    It is mine, mine, blessed be His Name!
    He has given peace, perfect peace to me;
    It is mine, mine, blessed be His Name!
    Mine for all eternity!

    2 He has wrought in me a sweet and perfect rest,
    In my raptured heart I can feel it now;
    He each passing moment keeps me saved and blest,
    Floods with light my heart and brow. [Refrain]

    3 He has given me a never failing joy,
    Oh, I have it now! oh, I have it now!
    To His praise I will my ransomed pow’rs employ,
    And renew my grateful vow. [Refrain]

    4 Oh, the love of God is comforting my soul,
    For His love is mine, yes, His love is mine!
    Waves of joy and gladness o’er my spirit roll,
    Thrilling me with life divine. [Refrain]

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    This year again, wheat is what I'm focusing on (I contemplated the "processed food" thing but that's a little too much to take in)

    For Advent I went through "God is in the Manger" -

    For Lent, I got "God is on the Cross" - another devotional that includes writings from Boenhoffer.

    The first day of Lent:

    "...And take up their cross...”

    That cross is already there, ready, from the very beginning; we need only take it up. But to keep us from believing that we must simply choose any arbitrary cross, or simply pick out our suffering as we will, Jesus emphasizes that each of us has his or her own cross, ready, appointed, and appropriately measured by God.

    ~~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

    If we choose our own suffering...is it a cross? Does "our cross" necessarily mean that we're suffering for God or the Gospel? Or is it just...suffering?

    The idea that GOD has already chosen our path for us, has already appointed our "cross" - our way of suffering for Him, is comforting. It means that He is in control, He knows the path, He saves, He delivers, He KNOWS, and He has a purpose.

    In our suffering, WE have a purpose.

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

    ~~~1 Corinthians 1:3-5

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    My church is using music from Mars Hill. 😉

    This one is a little "7-11-ish" but good enough that I wrote it on the palm of my hand while we were singing..

    Changed

    In Jesus’ name I’ve been changed,
    I’ve been filled,
    I’ve been found,
    I’ve been freed,
    I’ve been saved!

    In Jesus’ blood I’ve been loved, I’ve been cleansed,
    And redeemed, and released, rearranged

    But how can I show You that I’m grateful?
    You’ve been so generous to me.
    How can I worship more than singing?
    And live out Redemption’s melody.

    I have been blessed – now I want to be a blessing
    I have been loved – now I want to bring love
    I’ve been invited – I want to share the invitation
    I have been changed – to bring change, to bring change

    In Jesus’ name we are changed, we are called,
    We are chosen, adopted, and named!
    In Jesus’ blood we are loved, we are healed,
    We’re forgiven and free of our shame!

    We want to show You that we’re thankful
    Flooding Your world with hope and peace
    Help us to worship more than singing
    Giving Redemption hands and feet

    We have been blessed – now we’re going to be a blessing
    We have been loved – now we’re going to bring love
    We’ve been invited – we’re going to share the invitation
    We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change
    We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change

    Thank You for this new life, thank You for the invitation!
    God, we want to live it loud enough to shake the nations " in Your name!

    We have been saved – we’re going to shout about the Savior
    We have been found – we’re going to turn over every stone
    We’ve been empowered – to love the world to Heaven
    We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change
    We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change
    We have been changed – to bring change, to bring change
    ©2003 AARONieq Music