During the occupation of Europe by Nazi Germany during World War II, millions of people experienced unspeakable horror. Concentration camps filled all over Europe with minority groups – mostly Jewish – where they were confined and later executed. I can only imagine the fear that gripped these people as it turned into paralyzing terror as Germany came closer and closer to their home city.
But there arose within that terror another response…an underground “resistance”. These bands made up of various secret groups that opposed the Nazi rule were widely diverse: civilians, armed bands of patriotic folks, and guerilla fighters. Their activities ranged from publishing illicit newspapers to assisting the escape of Jews and Allied airmen shot down over enemy territory to committing acts of sabotage and ambushing German patrols. The effort, ability and resources of the resistance would most likely have waned except for the one hope – the hope of the coming liberation. As the months and years dragged on, one of the most important efforts of the resistance fought on – they coordinated with the invasion by transmitting information to the Allies. Finally, on June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord, also known as D-Day began.
The resistance provides an amazing picture of the effectiveness of hidden power. It kept the Nazi war machine off balance, it gave inspiration to the common people throughout Europe, and it drew on the hope of the Allied invasion to bring liberation.
The power that Jesus brought to earth did not have the perception of power that many people expected. Jesus did do amazing things such as perform miracles, but to most they were not enough to satisfy their hunger. Most people were looking for a messianic age of blessing and Rome still dominated the land, and cruel leaders still held an iron fist. People still died. Hunger and disease were still daily experiences.
The coming Kingdom of Christ is hidden but powerful. It is small in its beginning, but will bring the reality of salvation to all those who have placed their faith in Christ with an open heart. God’s judgment of the evil one and his followers is certain and will come with power. Jesus’ return is a concrete promise that should energize us and give us purpose for our own lives. To quote William Barclay, “The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ.” Jesus is here, and He has more hidden power than we give Him credit for sometimes.
Joshua Kirsch
Middle School Director
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Eschatology
This past week I studied what the Bible had to say about future events. I know that there is diversity of opinion on the topic, even among the Woodcrest staff!
Yet is not so much about the details, God will sort it all out and He is in control.
I think the study of eschatology is all about hope, hope of a more just future. That God's reign will be complete and that the marred creation will be fully restored.
That idea that excites me. In the journey of studying about God's future for his followers, I found joy, hope and peace. What a gift.
Yet is not so much about the details, God will sort it all out and He is in control.
I think the study of eschatology is all about hope, hope of a more just future. That God's reign will be complete and that the marred creation will be fully restored.
That idea that excites me. In the journey of studying about God's future for his followers, I found joy, hope and peace. What a gift.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Inner Attitudes and Spiritual Growth
The question from the study guide that I chose to reflect on this week is which inner attitudes inspire my growth in Christ, and which put up blocks to my growth. It's certainly a good question and one that is worthy of some good thought. So here we go:
In terms of what inner attitude inspires my growth, I'd have to say the biggest by far is thankfulness. When I have a thankful heart for God and His incredible faithfulness, then I find I spend less time worrying about what I don't have - either materially, physically (health-wise) or spiritually) - and more time being grateful for God's incredible provision in my life; even things that I wouldn't necessarily choose for myself. There's a song I heard a long time ago with a phrase in it that says "when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart". In other words, even when life in our broken world brings me lemons and I just can't see how God could use it for the good (and question why it had to happen in the first place), I'm way happier when I can remain thankful for God's heart and character; trusting in His love for me and knowing that He will see me through. This kind of thankfulness - when I am able to practice it - produces a whole new way of looking at the world and events around me and inspires great growth for me in my spiritual walk.
In the flip side, it's thinking about what I don't have, that is perhaps the biggest block to my growth. This most often for me takes a spiritual form. Sometimes I give so much attention to my own sinfulness and how I need to be better in one area or another, that I forget to rejoice in my salvation and be thankful for God's amazing grace. The result when this happens is a joyless and stagnant life. I start comparing myself to others who I perceive are better in those areas of my life where I struggle, and it leaves me feeling like I'm somehow not good enough. So it's easy to give up and say I can never be good enough. I guess this relates to pride, because it seems to me that these feelings must in some form stem from the thought that I could ever somehow be "good enough" to earn God's love acceptance and forgiveness. All of these thought patterns of course center around ME and MY will or ability to change, or MY need to feel good enough - and they take GOD totally out of the equation. I think the better attitude to have is thankfulness for being fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image, trust in His love for me, and remembering that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"....not in my own power but in God's alone through Christ. That way, as the Bible says, His strength really is made perfect in my weakness.
In terms of what inner attitude inspires my growth, I'd have to say the biggest by far is thankfulness. When I have a thankful heart for God and His incredible faithfulness, then I find I spend less time worrying about what I don't have - either materially, physically (health-wise) or spiritually) - and more time being grateful for God's incredible provision in my life; even things that I wouldn't necessarily choose for myself. There's a song I heard a long time ago with a phrase in it that says "when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart". In other words, even when life in our broken world brings me lemons and I just can't see how God could use it for the good (and question why it had to happen in the first place), I'm way happier when I can remain thankful for God's heart and character; trusting in His love for me and knowing that He will see me through. This kind of thankfulness - when I am able to practice it - produces a whole new way of looking at the world and events around me and inspires great growth for me in my spiritual walk.
In the flip side, it's thinking about what I don't have, that is perhaps the biggest block to my growth. This most often for me takes a spiritual form. Sometimes I give so much attention to my own sinfulness and how I need to be better in one area or another, that I forget to rejoice in my salvation and be thankful for God's amazing grace. The result when this happens is a joyless and stagnant life. I start comparing myself to others who I perceive are better in those areas of my life where I struggle, and it leaves me feeling like I'm somehow not good enough. So it's easy to give up and say I can never be good enough. I guess this relates to pride, because it seems to me that these feelings must in some form stem from the thought that I could ever somehow be "good enough" to earn God's love acceptance and forgiveness. All of these thought patterns of course center around ME and MY will or ability to change, or MY need to feel good enough - and they take GOD totally out of the equation. I think the better attitude to have is thankfulness for being fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image, trust in His love for me, and remembering that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"....not in my own power but in God's alone through Christ. That way, as the Bible says, His strength really is made perfect in my weakness.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Sanctification
Sometimes it is hard to understand what Paul is talking about when he exhorts us to “work out our salvation”. Isn’t it a one-time decision…an acceptance of God’s free gift? Isn’t it by faith…not by works. Paul is not talking about our salvation in terms of our rightness with God. When you make that decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is binding. You cannot lose or earn your salvation. What Paul is talking about is “sanctification”. It is the daily dying to ourselves and our sin and taking up Jesus’ cross and following Him.
What does “daily dying to self” look in my life? First of all I am not alone in the process. Thankfully the Holy Spirit goes before me, behind me, to the left and to the right. It is not possible to die to self on our own. We are after all fallen. Each day I get up and face the day – hand in hand with the Holy Spirit. I work in a job in which I am surrounded by Christians. I spend time in staff prayer. I have a job that does not “tempt me”, surround me in poor language, difficult situations, etc. For that I am thankful. However, I do live in a neighborhood, go to the grocery store, have friends outside the church and parent children who have friends with families. In all of these things I believe my life is a witness to others and my dying to the selfish attitudes, anger, etc. is not only a process for me, but a challenge to those around me. Dying to self helps me to portray Christ in my world.
Darla Benjamin
What does “daily dying to self” look in my life? First of all I am not alone in the process. Thankfully the Holy Spirit goes before me, behind me, to the left and to the right. It is not possible to die to self on our own. We are after all fallen. Each day I get up and face the day – hand in hand with the Holy Spirit. I work in a job in which I am surrounded by Christians. I spend time in staff prayer. I have a job that does not “tempt me”, surround me in poor language, difficult situations, etc. For that I am thankful. However, I do live in a neighborhood, go to the grocery store, have friends outside the church and parent children who have friends with families. In all of these things I believe my life is a witness to others and my dying to the selfish attitudes, anger, etc. is not only a process for me, but a challenge to those around me. Dying to self helps me to portray Christ in my world.
Darla Benjamin
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Look
I remember when I was a kid there were certain activities that just seemed like a lot of fun. Activities like playing football in the house, giving my dad a haircut while he wasn't paying attention, and giving my brother a swirly. And they were fun right up until I got "the look" from one of my parents. You know "the look"...we have all received "the look" from a parent, or a spouse. "The look" tells you that whatever you have just said or done that in the moment seemed like a brilliant, entertaining idea is not really as brilliant or entertaining as it was in your mind.
As we read through the scriptures we find that when people come face to face with God they encounter the divine version of "the look." When the prophet Isaiah, who was a very righteous man, encountered God in the Temple he cried out, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips." (Isaiah 6:6)
When Paul came face to face with Jesus on the road to Damascus the only thing that he could think to do was fall to the ground and hide his face so as to avoid making direct eye contact with him. (Acts 9:3-4)
When the Lord spoke to Job and his friends they realized that they did not know as much about God as they thought they did. (Job 38-41)
When Moses encountered God in the burning bush at first he was intrigued, but when he realized that he was in the presence of God the Bible says, "Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God." (Ex. 3:6)
When these men encountered a Holy God it highlighted the sin, mistakes, and shortcomings in their own lives. In other words they had received "the look." They experienced that moment where they realized that there were things in their lives that needed to change. They realized that certain thoughts, attitudes, or actions that are acceptable from a human perspective were not acceptable to God. As frightening or as painful as that might be I pray that we may all have that same experience. That we might have a moment of clarity where we come face to face with God and he reveals the areas in our lives that need to change. Going through the cleansing/refining process is never fun at the time. I don't think that I would ever choose to go through it, but each time I do I am always grateful for the changes God brings about. And then I wonder...why didn't I make this change sooner?
Ben Gores
High School Ministry Director
As we read through the scriptures we find that when people come face to face with God they encounter the divine version of "the look." When the prophet Isaiah, who was a very righteous man, encountered God in the Temple he cried out, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips." (Isaiah 6:6)
When Paul came face to face with Jesus on the road to Damascus the only thing that he could think to do was fall to the ground and hide his face so as to avoid making direct eye contact with him. (Acts 9:3-4)
When the Lord spoke to Job and his friends they realized that they did not know as much about God as they thought they did. (Job 38-41)
When Moses encountered God in the burning bush at first he was intrigued, but when he realized that he was in the presence of God the Bible says, "Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God." (Ex. 3:6)
When these men encountered a Holy God it highlighted the sin, mistakes, and shortcomings in their own lives. In other words they had received "the look." They experienced that moment where they realized that there were things in their lives that needed to change. They realized that certain thoughts, attitudes, or actions that are acceptable from a human perspective were not acceptable to God. As frightening or as painful as that might be I pray that we may all have that same experience. That we might have a moment of clarity where we come face to face with God and he reveals the areas in our lives that need to change. Going through the cleansing/refining process is never fun at the time. I don't think that I would ever choose to go through it, but each time I do I am always grateful for the changes God brings about. And then I wonder...why didn't I make this change sooner?
Ben Gores
High School Ministry Director
Monday, July 20, 2009
False Messages
In 1820, there was a man in the region of New York near Palmyra by the name of Joseph Smith Jr. known for being a treasure hunter. He was known for being obsessed with finding and using occult seer stones to divine for buried treasure. Joseph Smith recalls an encounter in the woods near his home to pray and inquire of God which of all the Christian churches was right and which one he should join. In chapter 2 of his book titled The Pearl of Great Price, he tells us that while he was praying that “thick darkness” gathered around him. His tongue was held bound so that he could not speak and he was sinking into despair, ready to succumb to this “actual being from the unseen world who had such marvelous powers”, when all of the sudden there appeared over his head a pillar of light in which were two personages. He asked these personages, these beings of light, which Christian church was right and which one should he join. Here is the answer he claims to have received:
“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all of their creeds were an abomination in his sight, and that all their teachers were corrupt.”
This moment in 1820 was the moment that opened the door to Mormonism. A messenger of light told an occult stone user named Joseph Smith that all Christian churches were wrong and that all the teachings of Christianity were an abomination.
If only Joseph Smith would have heeded the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:4, 13-15:
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
God’s Word makes it clear that angels are messengers of the Most High, and I’ve also learned that these powerful messengers are sent directly from God to carry out His plans. I wonder how many of the world’s cults and false teachings would have been curtailed if they had checked the messengers words to Scripture? I wonder how many people have been deceived because “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” just as he did for Joseph Smith? Are angels powerful? Yes. Is their primary purpose to deliver God’s important messages and carry out His plan? Yes. But as followers of Christ, we must always make sure the message of the messengers lines up with the one who sent the message.
Joshua Kirsch
Middle School Pastor
“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all of their creeds were an abomination in his sight, and that all their teachers were corrupt.”
This moment in 1820 was the moment that opened the door to Mormonism. A messenger of light told an occult stone user named Joseph Smith that all Christian churches were wrong and that all the teachings of Christianity were an abomination.
If only Joseph Smith would have heeded the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:4, 13-15:
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
God’s Word makes it clear that angels are messengers of the Most High, and I’ve also learned that these powerful messengers are sent directly from God to carry out His plans. I wonder how many of the world’s cults and false teachings would have been curtailed if they had checked the messengers words to Scripture? I wonder how many people have been deceived because “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” just as he did for Joseph Smith? Are angels powerful? Yes. Is their primary purpose to deliver God’s important messages and carry out His plan? Yes. But as followers of Christ, we must always make sure the message of the messengers lines up with the one who sent the message.
Joshua Kirsch
Middle School Pastor
Monday, July 13, 2009
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made
As I sat down to tackle this week’s blogging question I had to take a moment and “put in check” my upbringing (conservative Christianity) and my pedigree (stoic Scandinavian) in order to really wrap my mind around the concept of “boasting” about human achievements and accomplishments. That’s not a natural thing for me to do. I tend to always want to boast about God and downplay the role of humanity.
But here is my best attempt to reflect on what God is teaching me through Joshua’s sermon on Sunday and as I study and reflect on the His Word this week through the summer devotional guide.
There are two ideas that come to mind when I reflect on the accomplishments and achievements of humanity and how they reflect on the greatness of the One who created us. The first comes from the life arena of modern medicine.
As many of you know, the past year has been a very challenging one for my sister. She was diagnosed with kidney cancer late last summer and has gone through a very long and difficult journey. However, by God’s grace she is surviving the battle and should enjoy many years of productive living.
As I look back over the past 10 months I marvel at all of the medical advancements that were used to save her life. When we learned that she had to have a kidney removed I was amazed that a person can live without one of their kidneys. When another tumor was discovered next to her spine the tumor was not only removed, the doctors also performed reconstructive surgery on her spine – with metal rods and screws – I couldn’t quite fathom it! As I think about the human ingenuity, knowledge and skill needed to perform all these medical procedures I am amazed at how God has created us and how humanity’s countless accomplishments are truly a reflection of God’s greatness.
The second arena of human accomplishments and achievements that teaches me about the greatness of the One who created us, is the way in which humans love and serve one another.
The past several days 20 individuals (high school students and adults) from the Woodcrest family have been ministering to the people of Belize, Central America. This group has shown the love of Jesus to people they had never met before by, performing manual labor, teaching vacation bible school, sharing their faith and countless other activities. While they may not define their accomplishments as “great” I see them as extra-ordinary and truly reflective of the One who created them.
Yes, God does deserve all of the glory for our world’s many great accomplishments and achievements – but when we rightly “boast” about these accomplishments they serve as a powerful reminder of His greatness.
Pete Parker
Executive Pastor
Woodcrest Church
But here is my best attempt to reflect on what God is teaching me through Joshua’s sermon on Sunday and as I study and reflect on the His Word this week through the summer devotional guide.
There are two ideas that come to mind when I reflect on the accomplishments and achievements of humanity and how they reflect on the greatness of the One who created us. The first comes from the life arena of modern medicine.
As many of you know, the past year has been a very challenging one for my sister. She was diagnosed with kidney cancer late last summer and has gone through a very long and difficult journey. However, by God’s grace she is surviving the battle and should enjoy many years of productive living.
As I look back over the past 10 months I marvel at all of the medical advancements that were used to save her life. When we learned that she had to have a kidney removed I was amazed that a person can live without one of their kidneys. When another tumor was discovered next to her spine the tumor was not only removed, the doctors also performed reconstructive surgery on her spine – with metal rods and screws – I couldn’t quite fathom it! As I think about the human ingenuity, knowledge and skill needed to perform all these medical procedures I am amazed at how God has created us and how humanity’s countless accomplishments are truly a reflection of God’s greatness.
The second arena of human accomplishments and achievements that teaches me about the greatness of the One who created us, is the way in which humans love and serve one another.
The past several days 20 individuals (high school students and adults) from the Woodcrest family have been ministering to the people of Belize, Central America. This group has shown the love of Jesus to people they had never met before by, performing manual labor, teaching vacation bible school, sharing their faith and countless other activities. While they may not define their accomplishments as “great” I see them as extra-ordinary and truly reflective of the One who created them.
Yes, God does deserve all of the glory for our world’s many great accomplishments and achievements – but when we rightly “boast” about these accomplishments they serve as a powerful reminder of His greatness.
Pete Parker
Executive Pastor
Woodcrest Church
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