eating food offered to idols

Am reading the NT and re-encountered the part about eating foods offered to idols ...

• Knowledge leads to self-importance whereas love strengthens the church
• That not all believers know that there is one Father and one Jesus and therefore they continue to think that idols are real
• As such they, for example, will see certain foods that were associated with these idols (before becoming believers) as still attached to their worship
• Thus if they see anyone eating these foods it will create confusion: "How can you eat that, you are a believer, and now you are worshiping this false god"
• This confusion may then lead the new believer to eat the food they believe is wrong and therefore cause them to break their own conscience

So Paul says, it is better to forever more not eat that food rather than cause that confusion in them

NOW ... my musing is how this relates to today ... specifically:

• That not all believers know that since Jesus' death and resurrection there is no need to go to the mountain altars or city temples to worship because as he resides in us and we in him, we are free to worship anywhere anytime in truth and spirit.
• Indeed many believers continue to believe that attending a specific building is the only place, or brings validity to worship
• Hence, if they become aware that you are not attending a building or belong to a specific group it will create confusion: "How can you worship that way?" "If you are a believer, how can you claim authority or protection?" etc.
• For these believers, the confusion they feel could result in feeling they are being asked to do something they believe is wrong and therefore cause them to break their own conscience if they left their regular place of worship

The point I end my musings (at least in writing) is that I do not how to reconcile the final part ... suggestions please

So Paul says, it is better to forever more not eat that food rather than cause that confusion in them...

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holy holy holy

Please first read Colossians 1

Are all people made holy through Christ?  Is he reconciling all creation to Him?  If so, then how are we to understand Ephesians 4?

Apostles. Prophets. Evangelists. Teachers. Pastors.  These are the five roles given for the equipping of the saints.  But pause for a moment ... are these words accurate translations?

Saints ... This is an English word used to translate the Greek word meaning sacred or holy.  It is the same word always used to refer to the Holy Spirit and Holy Scriptures.  As such, it is not surprising to see it in terms of God's holy people or saints.  But is that what has occurred here?  Does the next part of the passage which refers to doing the work of the ministry only refer to believers?

Equipping ...  To provide whatever is needed to make something perfect, mature, full.
Consider for a moment (John 14-15, Rom 2, Heb 8-10, Col 1) ... According to Jesus, truth and spirit influences everything and everywhere, whether or not it recognises it as doing so.  Therefore, what would happen if  this understanding were placed into the Ephesians passage?

The five roles were provided by God so everyone (and everything) God considers holy could be made perfect, mature, full in every way.

This is significant because it suggests that apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors were not sent for Christians.  Rather, they were sent for all creation, every part of it, including everyone regardless of their faith, experience of God, or acknowledgement of Him.

Could it be God is prepared to interact directly with people?  Could it be that people are not obligated to go to designated Christian places and spaces?  Could it be that we are to go to them?

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confusion in the pews

God why are your people so confused? Why do we prefer to choose a life of niceties and self protection and justify it with the name of your son?  Why are we so ready to reject your reality?  Why do we call comfort and preference faith?

Why do we insist on giving all our time to people who are either like us, don't threaten us, or serve our self interests?  Please God bring our enemies, strangers, foreigners, the unlovable into our lives in such a way we cannot ignore them.  Open our eyes to what it means to reject you when we reject those you love.

Are you serious when you said you would vomit up the luke warm?  What about when you stated that anyone who does not love what you love hates you?  Is it true for you to not know us even as we go about your business?

Please God, don't leave us to our own self indulgences.  Please do something, anything to wake us up.  Please bring us to our senses.

God end our addiction to doing things our way.  Give us revelation to the dangers of pursuing sectarianism before it is too late.  Before the ground opens up beneath us, turn us around.  God teach us to see one another as family, to stop the finger pointing at our neighbours who we have labelled as heathens.  Indeed, please teach us to see one another.

Why do we justify our theological differences when you told us there is oneness in your body?  Why do we allow them to fester to the point of splits, starting something new, and mocking others?  God, what will it take for us to desire a path of healing from our family dysfunctions?

God, Please encourage us to stand by our brothers and sisters.  I am sorry that although my eyes were opened I stand back.  Should I limit my actions to prayer with the hope you will one day resolve our bickering and tribalism?  Or is there something you want me to do?  It breaks my heart to witness our situation.  Please open our eyes.  Please stoke or hearts.

"But don't we pray for other churches?  Don't our leaders gather?  Don't we celebrate at joint events or with visiting speakers?"

Why does it frustrate me to hear people claim that "All is well" or "the church has no real significant differences?"  How can this be true when there are dozens of denominations and hundreds of congregations who were formed on the basis of theological disagreement to the point where many won't even talk with one another.  How can this be a reflection of being one as you and your son are one?  Surely if there are no real differences it wouldn't matter where people go to gather and gain discipleship.  Isn't the same gospel being shared, the one Jesus, one Spirit, Father, etc?

Why have we convinced ourselves that the group we belong to is better than others?  Why have we convinced ourselves that our group has the real and exclusive truth?  Why do our elders compete for your flock, indeed compete for the right to rule your kingdom?  Should we remain silent or have we entered the guilt of enabling and cheering?  Are we to leave our family to their own devices?  How will you view us if we do?  Thank you for sending your son so we wouldn't perish.  Please God open our ears to the truth that comforts as opposed to simply seeking comfort.

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postmodern church

"I'm alright - I don't believe in the law of gravity"

Everyone has a way of thinking, a way of viewing how the world works.  Postmodernism describes one of these. Consequently, people who accept a postmodern mindset tend to behave in certain ways, as others do according to their mindset. And as such, given people inhabit the church, how do the mindsets we bring affect the church? How do they impact you, your family, your friends?

Exploring this begins by understanding where people, generally, tend to gain their views about truth and reality. Assuming they are generational ignores the exceptions within a population and that people can and do change, for various reasons, how they see their world over time.

What are the main differences how each of the three "moderns" relate to truth and reality?

foundations of postmodernism

If the individual, you, is the source of truth and reality, no one else may determine what you believe or do. This includes God. And assuming you do accept his existence, this mindset will help you ignore or downplay his voice.

Please be aware this is necessary because when you decide what is true and real, absolute truths, like the ones God speaks of, become impossible. Why? Because when everyone has the right to their own opinions, every opinion must be considered equally valid, including what is in the bible. Truth is made relative and now it depends on personal preferences and interpretations.

Consequently, no one single faith/religion can claim itself as the only truth. To do so is viewed as arrogant. You may include and exclude whatever suits you, and then mix them together, from a variety of faiths and other areas. This affects both evangelism (new believers) and discipleship (new and existing believers) because accepting God and understanding his ways doesn't necessitate giving anything up or changing anything if it doesn't suit you. For example, reading the bible, praying, hearing sermon messages, and prophecy, are approached in terms of "what does this mean to you?" instead of "what does God mean by this?" In short, considering matters of faith as opinions makes it difficult to see God's truths since each view is given equal importance.

Are you doing this? What are the implications of fully listening to God?

What could happen if a priest/pastor or other church leaders lived this way? How could this affect what is taught? What if you need to ask a question, or reveal that God actually disagrees with their claims?

"That might be true for you, but not for me.” "You are welcome to your opinion, but mine is..."

When confronted, people with a post-modern mindset tend to avoid arguments. Turning issues into opinions is easier than listening, considering the merits of what is being proposed, and then choosing to reject or embrace it. Therefore, if absolute truths about faith/religion cause this type of response, so will morality, ethics, and justice.

Why? Because morality is based upon the absolutes of right and wrong. But, if each person is the source of what is true, then 'what is right' and 'what is wrong' becomes subjective. "What you see as wrong, might not be for me” or "The way I choose to live is my business, who are you to interfere?" Thinking like this only considers how things and situations affect you and ignores any personal responsibility you might have to others.

For example, a man is lying in the gutter, an open bottle of alcohol in his hand. He is very drunk. You walk past him thinking, "He made his choices. This is his journey. Who am I to interfere?" But stop for a moment. What if that was your own son? Could you walk past him? How would you respond to see others walking past him? Stop again. What if that was you drunk in the gutter? Why are you there? Is it right to be left alone in your hopelessness?

Now reexamine this in the following situations. Do you call the police when your home is burgled? If there is no right or wrong, why? What if your sister was raped or your child molested? If there is no right or wrong please don't complain, let alone seek justice. And yes it could be argued, the source of this outrage was you. But then why interfere when it was someone else who was impacted?

exception to the rule

Ultimately, when the line between self, the world, and your beliefs is blurred, the way you seek the acceptance of others is to advocate tolerance of the views of others, in the hope the curtesy will be returned. Accepting, or at least claiming to accept other opinions is seen the same as valuing the people who hold them.

The one exception to this rule is anyone who seeks truths that universally apply to everyone, particularly anyone who dares to criticize the views of others, disagree with them, or suggest they are wrong.

In other words, all views about truth are possible, except if your view about truth disagrees with this stance. As a follower of Christ, you must expect this toward you from people who hold a postmodern mindset.  Why?

• God communicates about and with absolute truths (Jn 18:37)
• The foundations of Jesus' life and mission apply to everyone (e.g. forgiveness, sacrifice, sin, repentance, reconciliation)
• Teachings by Jesus and his disciples did not offer the option based upon a “this is true for me, but may not be true for you” philosophy.  They were simply offered.  People regularly rejected it (e.g. ).

conclusion

If you are postmodern, you must accept all faiths/religions as equally true.  Hence, you must accept God is real and Jesus was sent to earth to free you and restore you with God. To refuse is to reject your pluralistic philosophy.  Sure, you can reject Jesus, but do so honestly.

Similarly, if you are a postmodern christian, you must accept every interpretation someone tells you about God's ways and character as equally true.  Hence, you must, for example, accept the need to let go of everything you love more than him. You must be missional and not merely a Sunday attendee. You must sacrificially love all your enemies. You must stop being sectarian in how you treat the church, Christ's body. To refuse is to reject your pluralistic philosophy.  Sure, you can reject these proposals but do so by first seeking what God's reality is, not how you interpret it.

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relational responsibity

Whose responsibility is it?

A woman is sitting on her own.  She is new to town and knows no one.  She does not even have family with her.

Whose responsibility is it to initiate an interaction.  Is it hers to introduce herself or for others to approach her?  Assuming she has a level of courage in this scenario, relationships could form even if no one approached her because she can make the first move.

But what if this lady has been experiencing some trauma in her life or something else that is causing her to hold back, to not make the first move? What if she is has a bad reputation or is physically unattractive?  What if her personality is different?  What if she has low self-esteem?  What if she finds it hard to trust people due to how she has been treated in the past?

Is it fair to suggest it was her responsibility if no interaction occurred?

What if this lady was you?

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church membership

Have you ever heard someone ask which church do you belong?  Has someone said "would you like to find out how to become a member, or what it means to be a member of this congregation?

Reminded of this this morning as listening to an invite to a "New Friends" dinner.  Also, happens regularly at work when discussing what we did on the weekend.

As we know from scripture, as believers in Christ, as his followers, we enter into his people.  We become a member.  We enter into his church, his body.  As such you can never be late to church, never be absent, or on holiday.

So to ask which church we belong to is a redundant question.  All believers belong to the same church.  So the question must be being asked in terms of which tribe do you belong.  Okay we already trust in this.

But what is rattling around in me is the flip-side of that coin.  Since we are of the one body, to love put this reality means being able to enter into any tribal gathering in peace.  Why?  Because we already belong.  It is therefore possible to see and live in such a way that these are my people though they may not accept me in return.

The other point is that when a congregation speaks of membership what do they mean?  Are they speaking of people who turn up (attend) or those who are pursuing Him?   Thus, on Sunday there may be 200 people in the room, but maybe only 1 or 2 followers.  Indeed, this can be true of those called elders and leaders etc.

But here too what do our eyes see?  Unbelievers, the lost, the distracted, the tribal, or people who Christ still died for?  Do they treat his sacrifice in vain?  Maybe but is that our call when restoration always is possible

Should we accept the dysfunctions of today's tribal church?  No.  But then ask, if sectarianism is not God's will, and a house divided is bound to fall, then, maybe we need to approach our church family as we would any other person.

If sunday services, as they stand today, are the same in essence as any other sphere, broken, and we are to live as Christ did/does, then we need to be about pointing to the exit door in the knowledge that all systems are already destroyed.

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prodigal

"And the buttons glow in the dark"

It is great to revisit the parable of the prodigal son.  A story, amongst others, spoken by Jesus to the pharisees and teachers of religious law, and likely in the presence of the tax collectors and other notorious sinners who often came to listen to him.

The one lost sheep among one hundred.  The one lost coin among the ten.  The lost son

As I read this I see parts like the guy being lost, dead, etc... or about redemption, love, relationship... or attitude of the brother who stayed..,

Or when a message is preached from the pulpit I am reminded of how I am like the lost son or the brother who stayed is like religious people.  Great analogy as it meets the reason why Jesus said it to the Pharisees etc

But what I am also caused to contemplate is at what point did the lost guy stop being the father's son?

When he left home?  When he rejected his father?

Then why is he always  referred to as a son?  Could it be that he was the father's son before he left, while gone, and when he returned?  Is there any part of the father's behaviour which indicates he stopped considering this guy as part of his family?

The same is true of the sheep and coins.  Being lost, found, reunited did not mean introducing another species into the flock, or a spoon into the money bag.  They were sheep/coins before they were lost, while lost, and when found.  Those doing the seeking knew this.  Do we?

So now I must ask how this revelation applies to me?

How does this look in the context of Jews and Gentiles?

How does it affect my neighbours, colleagues, friends, family, etc in their own right as well as how I view them?

What  if they are protestant, catholic, baptist,  liberal, conservative, hindu, atheist, muslim, pagan, etc?  Does God consider all people regardless of their social or religious background part of his family even while they are practicing it?  If no, then I must reevaluate how he viewed and even now views me.  But if he does, why don't we do the same?  Why do we treat people as if they are family only when they cross the official line of "being saved"?  Let's be honest, even that is often lacking unless a person meets our own personal preferences.

And if he has always considered us family, then I must go to him again and ask what he means by salvation, redemption, and restoration.  Is it about healing and making things right amongst his family, or about transforming spoons into coins, cows into sheep, people into christians?

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our islamic brethren

dream

I was within a corporate building upon a floor with lots of rooms and offices.  Within one of these rooms I was speaking with a young lady, of the Islamic faith, who I used to work with in the kitchen of a nursing home.  As we spoke my left arm rested atop her right arm, including our hands.  In knew in this acton great affection was being expressed.

interpretation

According to muslim dream symbolism, limbs represent family amd arms brotherhood.   A muslim to dream of holding a woman represents loving the world and rejecting the afterlife.  However this dream, if of God cannot be viewed this way.

• The dream is not specific to this lady, her image was used because she is one of the few Muslim I personally know.
• Women represent God's people, thus the context here is people of the Islamic sphere.  They are people he is seeking.

Thus, this dream is a parable in nature.  It challenges people who profess Christ to treat Islamic people as God does, as his family regardless of your views on reconciliation.  It also challenges people of the Islamic faith to see God as relational, to reject the world and embrace eternal life.  Both are counter cultural.

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real love = attending church

The following is a response to a spoken message by Tony Rainbow of Victory Church (Adelaide, Australia) to the people of Fusion City Church (Canberra – Australia)

audio link

 

Topic being shared: Staying the Course

For the most part this message shared was positive.  However, part way through Tony stated:

"a person's church attendance reflects their real relationship with God.  If they are not attending they are reflecting a lack of genuine love for Him." Tony Rainbow, Victory Church, Australia - 27 Nov 2011

Given the information of the rest of the sermon, the context for this is attendance of Sunday church services.

In other words, Tony was suggesting that people who do not regularly attend a church service lack a genuine love for God.  Alternatively, people only really love God if they attend church services, preferably every week.

(This kind of comment is in the same category as those that suggest "Your love for God is measured by the amount of money you give to the church.")

Shortly after Tony stated

"If you hang around (spend time with) people who hate the church or speak against it, then we are going to become like them."  Tony Rainbow, Victory Church, Australia - 27 Nov 2011

Unfortunately the implications of this are:

• No one should speak against anything a church does, even if it does or says something counter to what appears in the Bible
• Decision makers and leaders of churches view themselves as infallible
• Anyone who raises a question of how and why things are done is seen as a hater of the church and indeed the people involved in it

And even if it is possible to ignore these comments, what are the implications for our relationship with God?  Ask yourself:

• Who did God send his son, Jesus, to hang around?  Did he become like them?
• Did he speak against religious attitudes and behaviours or people?
• Who did Jesus send his disciples amongst?
• People who pursue a life that copies Jesus will be hated and persecuted because the world first hated him (John 15:18-27).  Why does Gods warn us about this?  Does it mean we are to run away or persevere?  What does each choice here say about how we view God and Jesus?
• The Bible teaches us that we are not perfect and we make mistakes.  Is this is a reason to limit our relationships to those who agree with us and behave like us (Mt 5:43-48)?
• Consider evangelism.  Who is the audience?  How can discipleship occur if we are not to spend time people who disagree with us?

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is your church a sect?

Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ; they are serving their own personal interests. (Romans 16:17-18)

 features of a sectarian church group

• Members point to the importance of their group and/or leader instead of Christ alone.
• They claim to support the universal church, the body of Christ, but in practice promote structures and attitudes that lead to their own isolation.
• They may claim their group possesses “the real truth”
• The ministers/leaders claim to be the ones God reveals things to. People are either not encouraged to listen or understand God for themself, or told there are certain things God speaks to the leaders alone.
• The praise and warmth people receive when they first join continues only as long as they follow what is expected of them.
• Other groups of believers (Christians) are criticised or mocked.
• A belief exists that “our group” can’t learn from others who do/see things differently.
• People and groups who disagree with them are slandered.
• People and groups who reject their version of the truth are viewed as dishonest, insincere, offensive, immature, not living right, etc.
• Anyone and any group who don’t accept their teaching are cut off or isolated.
• Ministers/leaders control the way people live and their activities by requiring permission to do things or expecting direct input.
• They are typically not upfront about their core beliefs.

how to avoid joining a sectarian group

• Ask people and the leaders of the church why people leave their group.
• Ask to be able to speak with the last 3 families that left.
• Ask who God speaks to within their group and whether people are encouraged to understand what he says. Ask how and who teaches people how to hear God clearly.
• Are people freely encouraged to share what they believe God is saying? How?
• Ask how interaction with other church members outside their group is encouraged. Is action left to the leaders or for anyone?

dangers of joining a sectarian group

• They will replace the guidance of the Holy Spirit with their own, or of the ministry, or church, and claim to be the voice of the Lord.
• You will be influenced to have prejudice and intolerance toward other Christians.
• You will be influenced to invite people to belong to the church group, instead of Christ.
• Your spiritual and day to day life will become controlled.
• Their ministers may try to lead your family.
• If you query or speak against the group, your family may have wedges placed between its members.
• If you leave, they may expect your children and spouse to stay.
• If you leave, they may deal with you unfairly and harshly.

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