Was Jesus Spiritual? (4 of 4)

Here is the last installments of the series.  I started writing back in March and, well,  we’re in May …sorry for dragging this thing out so long.  So far we’ve covered six of the nine spiritual disciplines that Dr. Hardin has written about in his book, “The Spirituality of Jesus.”  To review we’ve highlighted Prayer and Solitude, Resisting Temptation, Scriptural Study, Corporate Worship and Submission.  Today we will review Meal-sharing,  Simplicity, Evangelism and Proclamation.  Enjoy….

Meal-sharing

I think this is another one of those areas where I need some growing. Much like hospitality, I am often cautious of whom I invite into my life and that of my family. Dr. Hardin notes that “the table was a place of friendship and fellowship” and that “meals were shared by those agreeing to covenants, by friends and family in fellowship” and where “friends were honored and enemies ridiculed” (135). He also mentions that Jesus “shared the table with all kinds of people, regardless of their importance, ideology, or social standing” (136). It was at the table where Jesus “found opportunities for the Spirit to work through him” (137). After examining Jesus practice this discipline it speaks volumes of how we can truly pour into the life of people. Leslie Hardin hits the nail right on the head when he says, “the conversations will naturally turn to kingdom-minded things as they did in Jesus’ ministry, and, in the Spirit, the message of the grace and love and welcome of Jesus will flow through us into the hearing of those who need the church’s welcome” (147). (more…)

Jesus’ relationship with the Father in the Gospel of John

After reading the Gospel of John we clearly see John building a case that goes well beyond the other writers in the Gospels as he establishes Jesus’ divinity through his unique relationship with God the Father. He goes well out of his way to emphasize that Jesus is indeed the “Son of God.” In fact John actually explains that’s the purpose behind his writing in John 20:31, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

John’s opening sentence and even through the first chapter unequivocally establishes the theme and tone of his Gospel by writing, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The implication of this statement implies that “the Word” not only has divine attributes but is in his totality God. John pushes the envelope even further in John 1:2 by noting that “the Word” was with God even in the beginning, before creation – he’s infinite. In John 1:3 he argues that “the Word” is creator of all things, “all things were made through him…” In John 1:14 “the Word” takes on human form and is the only Son of the Father, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” And lastly John even paints Jesus as Savior of the world, the sacrificial lamb able to redeem mankind from the penalty of sin in John1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” We’re only in chapter one and already the deity of Christ has been established. (more…)

Panama Mission Trip: Slums of Baghdad

Life has kept me quite busy lately. Between school work, my day job, youth ministry and spending time with the family I’ve struggled to find a few minutes to post this blog. As it so happens, I’ve probably been most eager to share about this experience more than any other. So you can imagine how anxious I’ve been to post this story.

In the last blog I shared about the Rakatakas and how surreal it was to see police officers on every corner holding AK47s in the open. Some officers never took their hands off the holster. The Rakatakas really did make Harlem seem like Disney World yet God did a glorious work there. I also allude to how the slums of Baghdad appear as if reality clashes with our worst nightmare! And that’s no exaggeration. Yet, God again declares his Love like never before in this environment and leaves an unforgettable imprint. So let’s get to it…

April 5th, 2010 – Our team was on the road again, this time heading to the slums of Baghdad. This area is ruled by gangs–a stronghold dictated by violence. I really wasn’t sure what to expect since I could not imagine a more eerie place than the Rakatakas yet Walker Moore noted that Baghdad was one of the worst of the worst places in Panama. (more…)