Category: Faith

Bible, Christian Living

An Eternal Destiny

Chris

Having taken some time to get the idea across that our everyday actions have the potential for eternal consequence, and having given some time for it all to sink in, let’s move on to the second section of Living in Light of Eternity: our present lives are a training ground for our eternal lives.

I have to admit that for a long time I never would have considered this point.  It was first present to me in a book study in my first church.  The pastor rallied us together for a seemingly simple discussion regarding a book that I hadn’t heard of before, but has shaped for me a very different understanding of life in the now.

Continue reading “An Eternal Destiny” →

Bible

The Hope Chapter

Chris

We often hear 1 Corinthians 13:13 quoted: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (NKJV).  We’re quick to remember that 1 Corinthians 13 is Paul’s great discourse on love.  And Hebrews 11 is the chapter on faith, regularly referred to as the Hall of Fame of Faith.

Have you ever wondered where the chapter on hope is?  It’s a strange thing, I know, but who talks about the “Hope chapter” like we throw around the love chapter and the faith chapter?  Maybe it’s easier to pick up on love and faith than it is hope, and I’ll get back to that a bit later on.  I think I found that hope chapter this week in my devotional reading.

Continue reading “The Hope Chapter” →

Faith

Elementary Worship

Chris

The author of the book of Hebrews told his readers, “you need someone to teach you again the first lessons of God’s message” (5:12b, NCV).  In my wandering thoughts this week, I came to think about worship as one of these first lessons, or “elementary principles” (NKJV).

You see, we talk a lot about reading our Scriptures, praying, having our devotional times with those classics by Charles Spurgeon or Oswald Chambers.  But what did people do before the printing press brought books to be available to the masses?  What about when the Scriptures were only in Latin, and the average person couldn’t read, much less read the Bible?  What did these people do for their “devotions”?  Surely we cannot say that they didn’t serve God, did not truly know Him because they didn’t read their Bible or have My Utmost available to them. 
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Faith

Beyond “first and last”

Chris

Have you ever listened to a CD or heard song for the first time in a service and found yourself floored by the implications of the words? Sometimes it is the utter truthfulness of the message; other times it’s the insight the concept gives us into the holiness, great-ness or awesomeness of God.

This happened to me a fews days after Christmas when I opened Chris Tomlin‘s “See the Morning” CD. The more I hear the song, the more I feel I should draw other’s attention to it. Continue reading “Beyond “first and last”” →

Faith, Ministry

Defining Worship 3

Chris

We’ve looked at some different ideas about what worship is. Along the way, I made the statement that I have no choice but to take hold of a musical definition of worship. Then I tried to make that case a bit. But there is one more aspect of using a musical definition for worship that I’d like to share with you.

You see, I do not think it is the musical aspect, in and of itself, that is the key to worship. “Music is not worship itself, but music is a means of carrying our worship” (CeCe Winans, Throne Room , 48). I believe it has to do what music does to us, and what we do through music. We might think that music is just a background addition to our daily lives, but it is much more than that.

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Faith

Defining Worship 2

Chris

How can we take the bold step of defining worship from a strictly musical perspective? What do we have before us in Scripture and behind us in experience that can help us either make a case for that definition or defeat it?

One of the first facets I have to grapple with is that there is a definite difference between worship and service, even in Scripture. Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord called the people of Judah and Jerusalem evil, “who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them,” and proclaimed judgment upon them (see Jeremiah 13:9-10). Though there are passages in the prophets that show that God was displeased by the evil His people caused one to another, there is more evidence that His wrath arose because of idolatry. Continue reading “Defining Worship 2” →