The other day I was driving back to my office headed north on highway 15 when I spied a beautiful rainbow set against the dark background of a storm cloud. The cloud was ominous and forboding and reminded me of somthing you would see in a horror movie or something. The rainbow, though faint, was beautiful and very defined. As I approached the church, the rainbow seemed to disappear into the church though my view was somewhat obscured. I initially thought, "That must be a sign!" Then I caught myself speculating what the "sign" could mean. Once I realized I was doing that I stopped and God brought to memory the facts about the rainbow. He gave the rainbow as a sign of the covenant he made with Noah to never destroy the world with water, again.
I was reminded in that stark scene of the trustworthiness of God. Right there in front of me was God showing me what he has revealed in his word and that is that God is with us always - even in the midst of the storm! Not only is God with us in the storm, God provides for us (often times) through the storm. In this case, he provided needed rain. In another more metaphysical state, God provides opportunities for reconcilation in the storms of relationship. He provides abilities to be used in the battle against sin and the devil! He provides any and everything we need to live the Christian life and we owe it to ourselves, our extended family and most of all to God to live purely and holy and walk circumspect in the world.
So I saw this rainbow and thought, "How cool? God is showing himself through his creation!" Then I realized that God wants to show himself through me. the problem with that is that I am often so self-centered and sinful that God can't use me. God wants to be in fellowship with his people! Noah and the very first rainbow are evidence of that! Had God not wanted to have fellowship with his creation, He would have destroyed Noah and his family along with the rest of sinful humanity - but He didn't. Because of the great love He has for us, though, God has made a way for us to enter into salvation. By grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone! That truth is revealed in the same place God revealed the truth about the rainbow - His Word! Could you imagine what kind of crazy things I would have come up with about that rainbow I saw if I didn't know what God's Word said about the rainbow? Wonder how many crazy things you come up with when you fail to know and apply God's Word?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Pope and the Bible
Many people - many CHRISTIAN people - live with the erroneous assumption that as long as you go to church you're in good shape. After all, there are vast numbers of people who don't go to church at all. So, their reasoning follows, if you go to church, you must be doing ok. The truth is that it makes a great deal of difference where you go to church. While we were in Louisiana a church was exposed as nothing more than a sex cult! I really don't think any sane person would say it's ok to go to a church that abuses children and women! I don't really know many people who would go to a church where one person (someone like a cult leader) had the finally authority on what was taught and what was done. Well.....there is something to be said about the differences between Roman Catholics and protestants.
The Roman Catholic Church upholds tradition and the magisterium (the teaching office) on the same level as Scripture. In other words, they follow the Bible, their tradition and their teacher. The phrase that rang clear in the Protestant Reformation was Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone. The Reformers issued that cry because because the Pope was selling indulgences (basically a church sanctioned license to sin) and allowing other things that were not condoned or in some cases even forbidden in Scripture. These reformers turned their attention to what the Bible said and when they read God's Word they saw the error of the church's tradition and the power of the pope.
Many of the reformers were killed by order of the church or the civic authorities in an effort to silence their cry for a return to the Bible. Did you know that the pope is consider infallible in all that he says in an official capacity as far as it relates to doctrine of the church? That doesn't mean that he is infallible in everything he says, but when he speaks ex cathedra or as the teaching authority of the church, what he says is considered infallible. To date, the pope has only used this function twice. First, Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. Basically, he decreed that Mary was conceived in such a way as to be preserved from original sin. In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. Basically, he decreed that Mary was assumed into heaven. Some maintain that she never died and others hold that she died and was resurrected like Jesus. In both instances, there is no support - ZERO - biblical data to support those claims; yet, they are church teaching.
I want to ask a simple question. Do you submit to the authority of God's Word or do you submit to the teaching of man? At first glance, you may shout that you submit only to God's Word and not the teaching of man, but do you? How many of you read your Bible? Do you know what your Bible says about Mary? Do you know what your Bible says about anything? or Do you take your preacher's word for it? It may be that the reformers purchased the right for us to read God's Word on our own only for us to desire a pope instead of God's Word? Let me encourage you to know what you beleive and why you believe it. If you don't, you'll be open to whatever anyone tells you.
The Roman Catholic Church upholds tradition and the magisterium (the teaching office) on the same level as Scripture. In other words, they follow the Bible, their tradition and their teacher. The phrase that rang clear in the Protestant Reformation was Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone. The Reformers issued that cry because because the Pope was selling indulgences (basically a church sanctioned license to sin) and allowing other things that were not condoned or in some cases even forbidden in Scripture. These reformers turned their attention to what the Bible said and when they read God's Word they saw the error of the church's tradition and the power of the pope.
Many of the reformers were killed by order of the church or the civic authorities in an effort to silence their cry for a return to the Bible. Did you know that the pope is consider infallible in all that he says in an official capacity as far as it relates to doctrine of the church? That doesn't mean that he is infallible in everything he says, but when he speaks ex cathedra or as the teaching authority of the church, what he says is considered infallible. To date, the pope has only used this function twice. First, Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. Basically, he decreed that Mary was conceived in such a way as to be preserved from original sin. In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. Basically, he decreed that Mary was assumed into heaven. Some maintain that she never died and others hold that she died and was resurrected like Jesus. In both instances, there is no support - ZERO - biblical data to support those claims; yet, they are church teaching.
I want to ask a simple question. Do you submit to the authority of God's Word or do you submit to the teaching of man? At first glance, you may shout that you submit only to God's Word and not the teaching of man, but do you? How many of you read your Bible? Do you know what your Bible says about Mary? Do you know what your Bible says about anything? or Do you take your preacher's word for it? It may be that the reformers purchased the right for us to read God's Word on our own only for us to desire a pope instead of God's Word? Let me encourage you to know what you beleive and why you believe it. If you don't, you'll be open to whatever anyone tells you.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Hello Pope
I'm not sure if you've been following all the media coverage of the pope's visit to the USA or not, but it has been a big deal. When the head of the Roman Catholic Church crosses the sea to see what's what, that's a big deal to Catholics and many others. I happened to catch a glimpse of Shepherd I landing at Andrews Airforce Base and I also happened to catch a glimpse of it landing in New York just prior to the pope's address to the U.N. What interested me more than anything was the entourage of cardinals, bishops and other professional holy people who greeted, assisted and attended to the needs of the pope. Why would they do all of this?
The pope is considered by Catholics to be the head of the church on earth. He is the vicar of Christ and as such rules over the church in much the same way a monarch would rule over a country. Because of the great power that has been vested in him and the belief that he is the head of the church on earth, the pope receives all of the same treatment as any political ruler or monarch. The Roman Catholic Church derives their understanding of the pope's authority from Matthew 16: 17-19. In this passage Jesus says to Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will be my church." Our Roman friends interpret that to mean that Peter is the rock upon which Christ will build his church. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most reasonable theologians believe that Jesus is using a play on words to indicate the object of who the church is built upon. The word for Peter in the language of the New Testament means a small rock. The word used for rock in this verse means a large ledge stone. It is commonly understood that the rocks (the word used for Peter) are broken off of THE Rock (the word for ledge stone) and they possess the same characteristics as the larger rock. No wonder Peter said in I Peter 2 that we are living stones being built up as a royal priesthood. One more thought on the pope as the head of the church on earth. Jesus said in Matthew 28: 18 that all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth. Jesus is the head of the church on earth - not the pope.
The pope is considered by Catholics to be the head of the church on earth. He is the vicar of Christ and as such rules over the church in much the same way a monarch would rule over a country. Because of the great power that has been vested in him and the belief that he is the head of the church on earth, the pope receives all of the same treatment as any political ruler or monarch. The Roman Catholic Church derives their understanding of the pope's authority from Matthew 16: 17-19. In this passage Jesus says to Peter, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will be my church." Our Roman friends interpret that to mean that Peter is the rock upon which Christ will build his church. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most reasonable theologians believe that Jesus is using a play on words to indicate the object of who the church is built upon. The word for Peter in the language of the New Testament means a small rock. The word used for rock in this verse means a large ledge stone. It is commonly understood that the rocks (the word used for Peter) are broken off of THE Rock (the word for ledge stone) and they possess the same characteristics as the larger rock. No wonder Peter said in I Peter 2 that we are living stones being built up as a royal priesthood. One more thought on the pope as the head of the church on earth. Jesus said in Matthew 28: 18 that all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth. Jesus is the head of the church on earth - not the pope.
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