Offensive Christians

In my last post “Catholic Mom” presented very thoughtful dialogue I’d like to continue in a separate post. While I don’t want to attack the Catholic church or Catholics (I’m convinced Catholics go to Heaven every day!) the topic of communion is worth further exploration.

One of the links Catholic Mom provided discussed John 6:48-57…I REALLY wish the author would have included verse 58. Versus 48-57 say:

I am the the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread, will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. The Jews quarreled among themselves saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

Why not include verse 58? Verse 58 states: “This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.” There’s a subtle yet important aspect to verse 58. Jesus called the bread…bread. When exploring the full context of applicable scripture you’ll discover Jesus used symbology several times in his teachings:

John 15:1 “I am the true vine”
John 10:9 “I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.”
Luke 22:20 “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”

Was Jesus saying He was a literal vine? Was Jesus saying He was a literal door? Did Jesus mean the actual cup was the new covenant?

Wayne Grudem brings up an excellent point in his book “Bible doctrine”. It’s a good read I strongly encourage. Wayne states:
“The Roman Catholic view fails to recognize the clear New Testament teaching on the finality and completeness of Christ’s sacrifice once for all time for our sins. The book of Hebrews emphasizes this many times, as when it says, ‘Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own; for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world’.”

If continued sacrafices were necessary why would Jesus say “It is finished” in John 19:30? Wayne states, “it gives great assurance to us that our sins are all paid for, and there remains no sacrifice yet to be paid. The idea of a continuation of Christ’s sacrifice destroys that assurance that the payment has been made by Christ and accepted by God the Father and that there is no condemnation now remaining for us.”

Is it wrong to practice communion? Absolutely not…in fact we do every Sunday. What’s the difference? We practice communion to remember the ultimate sacrifice Jesus paid for our sins. Additionally, communion isn’t required for salvation as that would imply a “works based” means of salvation.

Please check out the 13 July message.  I’m interested in your comments: 

http://www.calvarychristianchurch.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=dspProducts

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!”    Proverbs 26:18-19

I think that’s my new life verse. I have this tendency to joke around by telling lies and then quickly repudiating them. It gets some laughs and is in keeping with a lot of the humour we see today - But is it biblical?  This verse shows me that it is not.  Henry commented about this verse:

Am not I in sport? He that sins in just must repent in earnest, or his sin will be his ruin. Truth is too valuable a thing to be sold for a jest, and so is the reputation of our neighbour. By lying and slandering in jest men learn themselves, and teach others, to lie and slander in earnest; and a false report, raised in mirth, may be spread in malice; besides, if a man may tell a lie to make himself merry, why not to make himself rich, and so truth quite perishes, and men teach their tongues to tell lies, Jer_9:5. (Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity) If men would consider that a lie comes from the devil, and brings to hell-fire, surely that would spoil the sport of it; it is casting arrows and death to themselves.
Whoa. That’s me playing with fire. What do you think? I think I need prayer to change this sinful habit. Any comments?

Dads,

Your families need you.  I say this because I know it to be true. My experience as a dad and my bible make it clear that we are needed. We need to lead by serving. We need to lead by loving our wives and children with God’s love. It is one thing to be willing to die for your family (many wouldn’t be willing to do that) but it is quite another to die to your desires and serve day in and day out.

This is our challenge. The Christian men of our nation and world have too long abdicated their roles as spiritual leaders. We must be spiritual to be effective leaders. We must have a relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  We must follow His laws with zeal and that will often mean denying our sinful desires and our innate propensity towards selfishness. We must lead by service to those around us - to those closest to us.  Our wives and children are literally falling, sinking, and drowning in the struggles of living in this broken world. We must find our strength in the Lord and let Him use us to lift them up.

Put down the pornography. Quell your anger. Plan your days so that you can serve the most important people you’ll ever know. Seek to treasure and honor your wife above all others minus God. Do the same for your children after your wife. Honor your father and mother.  Let not the struggles of walking in a sin filled world keep you from serving the Lord and your family.

I talk to men who walk defeated because they cannot be perfect. No one can. No one seeks after the Lord - not one. He sought you or is seeking you now. No matter what you’ve done and where you are in your walk with God; you can start again and seek his forgiveness and power. He will give it to you - If you make him Lord of your life.
Gentlemen, I pray you have a Happy Father’s Day and that you lean on Jesus not just this day but everyday. I know I need Him more than ever when I consider the awesome task of being a father.

From one imperfect father to another,

Happy Father’s Day,

David/OC

Once again, Don’t forget Karen Weber.  She still needs us.