The Christian Atheist #8: Closest Christian vs. Jesus Freak

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He replied, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NASB).

This past month, quite possibly the greatest evangelist who ever lived, Billy Graham, passed away. In spite of Billy’s passing, his incredible legacy lives on. He was a man who perfectly embodied what Jesus said above. He loved God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. One Scottish minister made the following observation about Graham: "My first impression of the man at close quarters was not of his good looks but of his goodness; not of his extraordinary range of commitments, but of his own 'committedness' to his Lord and Master. To be with him even for a short time is to get a sense of a single-minded man; it shames one and shakes one as no amount of ability and cleverness can do.”

Therefore, Billy’s life has brought me to a period of self-reflection. Am I wholeheartedly committed to Christ? While I may not have the giftedness that Billy Graham had, am I using my God given talents and abilities for the sake of Christ and His kingdom? What legacy am I leaving behind? How will God respond to me, when it is my turn to see Him face to face? Are the things that I am living for here and now make sense in light of eternity?

If a person is wholeheartedly living for the Lord, the answer to all of these questions will be positive. However, there are a lot of us who claim to be Christians, yet could it really be said of us that we love God who all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? To love God in such a manner as Jesus commands, and as Billy Graham embodied requires a deep focus and commitment. It is the picture of a person who is regularly denies themselves of anything that could hinder following the Lord. Yes, this would include things that are sinful, and it would include things that are not necessarily sinful, yet they distract us from following the Lord wholeheartedly. To follow the Lord with that sort of intensity will make a person look like a fanatic, or a Jesus freak. And that is exactly the sort of life that God is calling us to (Luke 9:23-26). 

God is calling us to be radical for Him, for He was radical for us. He sent His Son to earth to live as a poor man when He was and is the King of the Universe. He lived completely sold out for God and His purpose. He was rejected by many of those whom He came to save. And He died a death that He did not deserve to die. Now that is radical. All of this, Jesus did so that He could make a way for us to live with Him for eternity. And that way includes loving Him wholeheartedly, with all of our mind, soul and strength. Billy lived this sort of life and I pray that you do to.  So may we recognize who Jesus is, sell out for Him, and live for Him until it is our time to see Him face to face., and hear those words which I’m sure Billy has, “Well done, good and faithful servant...enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21).

In His service,

      Matt 

Covenants #11: Food For Thought—The New Covenant

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He declared, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28).

One of the things that we as a church do phenomenally well is eat! We always seem to have good food at our gatherings. As the old saying goes, whenever two or three Christians are gathered together, there will be food! And that is very true! On Easter Sunday, April 1st, we will have our traditional sunrise service followed by a first-class breakfast. So if you want some good food, I encourage you to join us. :) Similarly, we offer food every Sunday. Yes, we could talk about the doughnuts that are available before the service, but I was actually thinking of something significantly more important: the Lord’s Supper.

On a weekly basis, we as a church observe the Lord’s Supper, or communion as was the custom of the early church (Acts 2:42; 20:7, 11). This meal commemorates what Jesus did for us some 2,000 years ago when He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. It was also the inauguration of the New Covenant (Luke 22:19-20) and the end of the Old Covenant—the Mosaic Covenant.

Interestingly, this food idea isn’t a new one. It was actually a part of the Mosaic covenant. As you may recall, there were numerous sacrifices required. Is it grilling season yet? :)

Ok, back on track: Why was the New Covenant necessary?  Did the Mosaic become outdated?  Did God have His fill of grilled meat and want something different?

No. The Old Covenant was less than perfect (Heb. 7:11), and it merely foreshadowed the New Covenant (Col. 2:17). God knew from the beginning (see Gen. 3:15) that Jesus’ coming and the institution of the New Covenant was the only means for our eternal salvation. That old covenant in fact had three fundamental flaws. First, the blood of bulls and goats used to atone for sins could never really take away sins (Heb. 10:4). Thus, those sacrifices merely foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice: Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Heb. 7:18-19).

The second flaw becomes obvious to anyone who tries to observe the Old Testament laws. They are impossible to consistently keep! No matter how hard a person tries, they will never be able to keep God’s commands perfectly without divine intervention (Rom. 7:14-8:4). Again, this was a foreshadow of what was to come, or shall I say Who – the Holy Spirit Who helps us be holy.

Third, the Old Covenant was temporary and is now obsolete. “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear” (Heb. 8:13; see also Heb. 7:12; 8:13-9:4). The Old Covenant was merely shadow of the things to come (Heb. 8:5-12; Jer. 31:31-34). This is not the first time in the Bible that a covenant and its laws were made obsolete. You may recall the Adamic Covenant (Patriarchal Age) experienced the same thing (Heb. 7:12; see also http://eugenechristianchurch.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-understand-bible-101-lesson-4a.html).

Thus, the New Covenant was ushered in through Christ’s death on the cross. Under this New Covenant, “we are no longer under the Law but under grace (Rom. 6:14–15).” The Old Covenant has served its purpose, and it has been replaced by “a better covenant” (Heb. 7:22). “In fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises” (Heb. 8:6).

Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive salvation as a free gift (Eph. 2:8–9). Our responsibility is to exercise faith in Christ, the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and brought an end to the Law’s sacrifices through His own sacrificial death (portions of this section are from https://www.gotquestions.org/new-covenant.html).

What does all of this mean for us today? It means that the covenant that we are under today is built on better promises (Heb. 8:6). It means that we have the promised gift of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sins, assure us of our salvation, and the empowerment to complete our God given purpose in life (Ezek. 36:27; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:7).

When we take communion – the cup and the bread, we are remembering and recommitting ourselves to the covenant we accepted the day we were baptized into a new life in Christ (Rom. 6:3). Yet, God is not finished yet with this food idea. Have you heard of the Wedding Feast? :)

In His service,

       Matt

Elder’s Corner: The Ice Image

I hope by the time you read this that the temperature is 90 plus degrees and sunny and dry—but I doubt that is the case. This week we finished up another ice event. I went to the mailbox Wednesday morning about 10:00. There was at least one quarter inch of ice on the mailbox lid. It was coming loose from my rain gauge. I reached up and retrieved the “ice sculpture” which had just come loose. The ice was a perfect representation of what it had been molded to. It even had the numbers showing in the ice to show how much it had rained. It reminded me of Colossians 1:15-16, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible, and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

God wanted us to know what He is like—but that was almost impossible because He is in heaven and we’re residents of earth. But God had a plan: to send His own Son to live and play and work among us so we could see up close and personal what God looked like—what His character is. Just like the ice that took on the form of the rain gauge, we can look at Jesus and see what His Father is like.

So where do we fit into this plan? God wants us to follow the mold of Christ in our lives. 1 Peter 2:21 says, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His steps.” Galatians 3:27 says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We are to show the world what Christ looks like by molding ourselves into His character. We are to live like Christ. Jesus lived like God. So people around us can know what God looks like by observing us (our actions). Wow, it is an honor and a responsibility to be good patterns for Jesus. 

—Alan