NowTHINK!AboutIt

What Does It Mean To Be Meek?

October 12, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

Jesus’ Teachings Correct
Common Misconceptions
Then And Now

Jesus never used the word “success” but He didn’t ignore the topic either. Rather than throw the word around superficially He dug a little deeper and referred to the emotional outcome of success, which is blessed or happy, and He mentioned several things that would produce this result.

Being poor in spirit
Mourning
Being merciful
Being pure in heart
Making peace,
Thirsting and hungering for righteousness
And enduring persecution.

He also mentioned Meekness, which is what I would like to discuss here. [Read more…] about What Does It Mean To Be Meek?

OT Law – Restrictive Not Prescriptive

October 6, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

Commands And Laws
Never Change
Statutes Always Do

Exodus through Deuteronomy are the four books of the Old Testament that contain what is called the Law of Moses and these laws are the topic of many discussions.

Some people misguidedly attempt to superimpose these laws on today’s cultures, a hopeless and useless endeavor.

Refrigeration and modern farming methods have made Old Testament dietary restrictions obsolete. We eat pork today with no nutritive repercussions. Even in Jesus’ day improved food handling had overcome the obvious dangers of eating “unclean” animals.

Of course, Old Testament laws are not all given an equal hearing. Some people attempt to uphold certain laws while completely ignoring others. We love the laws relating to monogamous marriage but are a bit embarrassed to admit polygamy was regulated rather than run out of town. Regulation, however, wasn’t meant to endorse polygamy but was rather a way of controlling it or keeping it from getting out of control. The plan worked. You rarely hear of polygamous marriages in most Bible-influenced societies today.

Moralists today are adamant about one and embarrassed by the other. It’s difficult to argue loudly for monogamy from an Old Testament perspective without getting tripped up by the likes of Jacob, David, and Solomon to name a few. It raises additional questions also: Why wasn’t polyandry regulated? And a question like that opens the door for discussions about chauvinistic tendencies in OT history. [Read more…] about OT Law – Restrictive Not Prescriptive

Pragmatism – No Excuse!

September 24, 2009 by EnnisP 6 Comments

Jesus worked very closely with His disciples for only a few years. During that time, He said very little about the look of their future ministries and He gave them very little in the way of specific theological detail. What He did provide was a goal.

For example, Jesus made a few comments on divorce and remarriage (Matt. 19) which left the disciples bewildered. Their conclusion was, why bother to get married at all. Obviously, they, along with many others since, missed His meaning. We still fight over that one.

The fact is, there were many points of theology which Jesus did not attempt to address in great detail. But, the one thing Jesus did was give the disciples a target. After His resurrection and before His ascension (a period of forty days), on more than one occasion, He made His expectations very clear. In brief, He said… [Read more…] about Pragmatism – No Excuse!

Abraham’s Adultery

September 22, 2009 by EnnisP

Our Most Frustrating Moments
Produce Our Greatest Vulnerabilities
And Our Deepest Insights

Did Abraham commit adultery?

Yes, sort of. He had conjugal relations with his wife’s handmaid, Hagar, who gave birth to his first child, Ishmael. It isn’t the worst case of adultery but adultery it was. Here are the facts:

Abraham, prompted by God, moved to Canaan from Haran when he was 75 years old. A part of the enticement to move was the promise that Abraham would become, not an average nation, but a great one, a tacit promise of children.

Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael, his first child, was born. This was anything but usual. For the previous eight generations his predecessors began having children in their early 30’s. By normal standards, Abraham’s first child was fifty plus years late.

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That means Abraham’s paternal instincts were already frustrated when he left for Canaan and it was eleven years later before he had his first child, which, unfortunately, was not the child God promised. [Read more…] about Abraham’s Adultery

Church: Building, Crowd or Team?

September 15, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

“Church” as defined in the Bible is not a complex organization. The leadership are few (elders and deacons), its purposes are defined very broadly (preach the gospel, disciple believers, minister to the poor) and the executive processes are abbreviated (whatever you agree to on earth, God agrees to in heaven).

Under these general guidelines many different “versions” of church have developed none of which represent the New Testament pattern exactly. I wouldn’t accuse any particular “church” of being completely wrong but it might be fair to suggest that we have all missed the point to some degree.

If we are going to get “church” right we must consider carefully the words and actions of Jesus. He introduced the idea so He sets all the precedents. Understanding “church” from His perspective should be our primary objective. So, the question is, what did Jesus say and do? [Read more…] about Church: Building, Crowd or Team?