Dialog

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and Easter commemorates the season of his death, burial and resurrection but are they based on fact? No serious scholar doubts Jesus of Nazareth had a birthday and a day on which he died but how certain are we of those exact dates?

Frankly, Christmas Day was chosen on the basis of convenience. Of course there is no doubt Jesus was born but the exact date is completely lost in antiquity. In fact, the Bible says Jesus was born while Herod the Great reigned but Herod died in 4 B.C.! It’s more than likely that Jesus was born around 6 B.C. but, as for the day or the month, that’s anyone’s guess. The earliest Christians didn’t celebrate Christmas and much later, when some of them wanted to create a holiday to celebrate his birth, they chose an existing pagan holiday and “sanctified” it with new meaning.

On the other hand, while “Easter” with its bunnies and eggs was also a pagan holiday, the timing is pure coincidence. The events surrounding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus were linked to the Jewish feast, Passover, and have been celebrated every Sunday from the very beginning of Christianity.

Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery (Exodus chapter 12). On the night of the 10^th plague, the Israelites sacrificed a lamb and painted its blood on the doorposts of their houses. The “death angel” passed-over their homes when he saw the blood sparing those within. Blood represents life and it took the sacrifice of an innocent life to set them free. Likewise, the historical Jesus died on the eve of an historical Passover giving his life to set us free.

Since Passover is a lunar holiday, the date on our calendar varies from year to year. Likewise Christians have been divided about whether to celebrate the anniversary on the actual date of the event (which would fall on different days of the week) or to always link it to the actual day, Sunday. Here, in the West, it is traditionally celebrated on “Resurrection Sunday” and while we honor the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus every week (as Christians have from the beginning) it is especially heart-warming to celebrate Resurrection Sunday knowing it is firmly based in historical fact.

Looking for some place to worship on Easter? Why not visit the Canyon View Church of Christ in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego? Won’t you join us Sunday, March 31^st? We’ll enjoy coffee and breakfast breads starting at 9:00 AM with a special presentation for all of the adult classes in the auditorium to follow at 9:30. Worship will joyfully begin at 10:00.

Yawn.

One of the most memorable characters from the book of Proverbs is the “sluggard.” He is a lazy man. He can’t leave his house because “the sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”

“As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.”

“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth,” (Proverbs 26:13-16).

The sages of the middle-ages called sloth “the first deadly sin.” Sloth, in modern vernacular, means “laziness.” We might think of laziness as a weakness or common fault, but would we call it a sin? (See Proverbs 6:6-11.)

My first observation is that laziness doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of activity. Heaven knows we’re packing more and more into already too busy lives but is it purposeful activity? Are we moving towards a goal or are we just bouncing off the walls? Do we believe it because we’ve heard something so often we accept it as truth or do we believe (and behave) because we have discovered a precious truth?

Second, sloth prevents us from escaping lazy preoccupations and paying attention to the things that have eternal significance. For example, for the lazy of the world, love is something that “just happens.” We “fall in love” and we “fall out of love.” Marriages are based on phileo (friendship love) or eros (erotic love) with the result when the attraction is over, so is the relationship.

Christian lovers are attracted to each other and they are friends with each other but marriage is based on agape (a love that is controlled by the will). Agape can never be lazy. It is proactive and involved. It works. It builds. It does. Therefore, if love is something we should do, then lazy people, who are unwilling to put forth the effort to love, should be justly condemned!

Let’s look at another example. Unfortunately, many Christians have just enough gospel to make them miserable, but not enough to make them joyful. They know enough about the biblical message to keep them from doing those things the world is tempting them to do; but they do not have enough of a commitment to God to do those things through which they might experience the fullness of His joy! I am convinced more people will be condemned at the Judgment because of sins of omission than commission.

Tony Campolo wrote, “Sloth deadens, but the Spirit gives life. Sloth thrives on feelings of inferiority, but the Spirit gives us the assurance that we are the children of God. Sloth is self-centered, but the Spirit creates a burning desire to change the world. Sloth leaves us bored and empty, but in the Spirit we find the fullness of God’s joy.”

I really believe Dr. Luke’s second book, “Acts of the Apostles,” is misnamed. There were 12 apostles (not counting Paul) and Dr. Luke’s book really only focuses on two of them: Peter and Paul. We might call the fifth book of the New Testament, “Acts of Some of the Apostles.” (Remember Luke didn’t name his book so we are free to call it anything appropriate.) However, I think a better title would be “Acts of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is mentioned over 60 times in Acts!

Talking about the Holy Spirit makes some people uncomfortable. The old King James translation talks about the “Holy Ghost” and that makes us even more uncomfortable. Some of the pioneers of the Restoration Movement even denied the Holy Spirit was anything more than God’s power at work. Others equated the indwelling Spirit as simply incorporating the word of God into our lives through reading the Bible!

So what can we expect from having a relationship with the Holy Spirit? First, this relationship is available to every single Christian. The Spirit was poured out upon the earth on the day of Pentecost and every baptized Christian (is there any other kind?) receives forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

Second, the work of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy. Something that is “holy” has been (1) set apart (2) for God’s purposes. We are forgiven (justified) when we become Christians. We become holy (sanctified) through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Third, the Spirit fills us with power. Some people try to wait to become Christians until they are “better” people. That’s like trying to cut a log with a chainsaw without ever firing it up! The Spirit gives us the power to live holy lives and makes real change possible.
The Holy Spirit is God’s gift but can you imagine someone receiving a lovely birthday presentwrapped in shiny paper and topped with a beautiful bow. What would you think if the birthday boy simply set the package on the shelf for all to see but never opened it? We have received the gift of the Holy Spirit but many, many people have never taken the time to open the package!Fourth, the Holy Spirit gives us assurance. Satan often takes the form of a nagging voice: “You’re really not a very good Christian.” (Christians aren’t perfect – they’re just forgiven!) The presence of the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee of our salvation. (See 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14.)

So how do we do that? First, say “Thank you!” God has given you this special gift. Worship is an attitude of gratitude. Second, just like a GPS won’t help you reach your destination unless you refer to it; learn to listen for the Spirit’s voice. Third, “let go and let God.” It’s time to relax and start turning our troubles over the God. Finally, the best place to see the Holy Spirit is in the rearview mirror. Take time to remember and reflect on what God has done in the past. He spoke to the fathers. He rescued Israel. He gave us his Son to show us the way and now He has given us his precious Holy Spirit to empower us in his service.

My grandkids have introduced me to the cartoon series, Phineas and Ferb. It’s about how they spend their “104 days of summer vacation.” They are always inventing and building things and having fantastic adventures. Those two are never bored.

Wouldn’t it be great if life was like that — never boring – but we can’t always have mountain top experiences and, thankfully, we don’t always live in dark valleys. Sometimes life is boring: “same ol’, same ol’” and sometimes our faith goes through “dry places.” Bible study becomes meaningless and prayers are repetitious. We find ourselves just going through the motions.

I wonder if, in the days before his public ministry, John the Baptist ever got bored in the desert? Did his diet of locusts and wild honey ever seem stale? Did he get tired of looking at sand, rocks and scrub brush? If he did, what advice would you give him?

“Just be faithful Brother Baptist! Keep on keepin’ on.” But we are not called to stagnation and “faithfulness” can even become a way of rationalizing complacency or outright negligence.

Someone else might encourage John the Baptist to, “Keep growing!” That isn’t necessarily biblical advice. It sounds like something Oprah or Dear Abby would suggest and what if you lack the motivation to do even that?

“Persevere! Our preacher keeps talking about Christians persevering. Winston Churchill said, ‘Never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up!’” And while the Bible does call for perseverance, it doesn’t allow for hollow perseverance. Paul told the Romans, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord,” (Romans 12:11).

I think John the Baptist understood the need to maintain an internal faithfulness. We need a sense of duty and a sense of passion. That sense of passion comes from seeing faith at work. That means spending time with my brothers and sisters, sharing our passion and our energy. When I see the Spirit at work in others I am more likely to sense his presence in my own life.

And finally, what is the difference between sitting at home on the couch – bored – and standing in line for an hour at Disneyland? Anticipation! So what are we waiting for? The Lord is coming and that is exciting!

Mark Twain might have been a wonderful writer but he was an unusually bad judge of great opportunities. He squandered a fortune on harebrained schemes that lead him to financial ruin.

One time he exercised amazing self-control and steadfastly refused to invest in the invention of a poor but brilliant young inventor. The young man offered him a large share of his company if Twain would but invest $500 in his scheme. Twain saw no future in the contraption and so he sent Alexander Graham Bell on his way.

Of course Twain wasn’t alone. Joshua Coppersmith was arrested in Boston for trying to sell stock in the telephone. After all, “All well informed people know that it is impossible to transmit the human voice over a wire.”

The first iron plow (1797) was rejected by New Jersey farmers because they felt it poisoned the land and stimulated the growth of weeds.

Bob Hope refused to invest in his friend’s “amusement park” and sent Walt Disney on his way empty-handed.

Col. Sanders was rejected 1,009 times before the first restaurant accepted his chicken proposal.

We might get a chuckle out of these stories but how many people refuse the love of God because redemption just seems “too good to be true.” How about you?

“Don’t touch!” I heard that a lot when I was growing up. I seemed to have left a trail of smudges behind me: finger prints on the coffee table, finger prints on the mirror, finger prints on the glass. Later in life I was a visiting scholar at the Huntington Museum in Pasadena. It was an amazing thrill when the attendants would bring me an historic document to study but before I could examine it, they searched me for pens and anything that could mark the manuscript. I had to don special white gloves and the document was secured with velvet ribbons. “Don’t touch!” I guess they had talked to my mother.

In the late first century, the rabbis had a conference at Jabneh in Gaza to discuss the canon of the Old Testament. They discussed whether a book like Ruth, Song of Songs or Ecclesiastes “soiled the hands.” That was their expression meaning “it’s an inspired book and it belongs in the Bible.” They believed if you touch a holy book, the holiness comes off on your hands. In other words, they weren’t concerned about your touching something and making it dirty. They believed if you touch something holy, it makes you holy. I like that.

Sometimes we try to protect the church from the world. I once visited a very large denominational church in Houston that was so afraid of being contaminated by the world that they had their own “Christian” bowling alley, their own “Christian” gym, even their own “Christian” cafeteria (which they called “The Garden of Eat’n”)! That’s just backwards from the teachings of Christ. We shouldn’t be afraid of the world. Rather the world should be afraid of us! Read the words of Jesus again: “… on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18 ESV). Note: Jesus doesn’t say “hell will not prevail against the gates of the church” but “the gates of hell” can’t stop the church in her mission!

Are we like the drunk who walked into a telephone pole? It knocked him down. Slowly he regained his feet, put his hands on the pole and walked around it. Surprised, he put his hands on his hips and concluded, “Well I’ll be. They’ve got me boxed in.”

We’ve touched holy things and become holy. It’s time for us to touch the world and make it holy!

 January 31, 1821

 To President Jackson:

             The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of a new form of transportation known as “railroads.” The federal government must preserve the canals for the following reasons:

             One. If canal boats are supplanted by “railroads,” serious unemployment will result. Captains, cooks, drivers, hostlers, repairmen and lock tenders will be left without means of livelihood, not to mention the numerous farmers now employed in growing hay for the horses.

             Two. Boat builders would suffer and towline, whip and harness makers would be left destitute.

             Three. Canal boats are absolutely essential to the defense of the United States. In the event of the expected trouble with England, the Erie Canal would be the only means by which we could ever move the supplies so vital to waging modern war.

             As you may well know, Mr. President, “railroad” carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of fifteen miles per hour by “engines” which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel as such breakneck speed.

 Martin Van Buren 

Governor of New York

Change is inevitable. Wire recorders became tape recorders. Tape recorders became CD’s. CD’s became MP3’s and while I’m not sure what the initials will be for the next innovation, but I’m sure it is coming.

So what about church? Small country churches gave way to urban worship centers. “Old Blue” (Christian Hymns #2) gave way to PowerPoint slides. Black boards are now white boards. Filmstrips became video clips and two-hour sermons barely touch twenty-minutes today, but is that so bad? Only when we mistake the packaging for the product does it become a problem.

I was told recently about a little old lady who saw a young man apparently texting in church. She leaned over the pew and told him to be more respectful. “Stop that!” she whispered in her best mommy voice.

The young man blushed and held up his iPhone to show her the screen. “This is my Bible,” he protested.

She threw her nose in the air, “Well!” she quipped, “Get a real Bible!”

The Gospel is unchanging. God loved us so much, He sent His Son to save us. It doesn’t matter whether you write that using a pencil or an iPad, it’s the message we need to be concerned about.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times my “guyness” has gotten me into trouble. I don’t need the instructions. It’s obvious, but then as I get deeper and deeper into the project, I begin sheepishly looking for the directions.

The same is true about church. Many people don’t feel the need to study the Bible. They just want to go by their instincts but how many of us have bought a used car or tried to put together a computer just on instincts? (I won’t ask for a show of hands.) If our feelings get us in trouble in life, why should we trust them for decisions with eternal consequences?

So, let’s be reasonable. If we are going to please God, we need to know what God desires. It is certainly possible for God to speak to each one of us (and many people claim God has spoken to them) but that hasn’t been my experience. In fact, I suspect the voices most of those people are listening to are just echoes of their imagination. I say that because the one thing we should expect of God is consistency. There are many reasons to believe the Bible is the Word of God (and we’ll talk about those reasons in the future) and so it is reasonable to compare what these people are saying with what God has already revealed. If there is a contradiction, I’m going to stay with the Scriptures.

Other people interpret the Scriptures in light of ecclesiastical traditions. Those traditions get modified periodically to meet present circumstances. It must feel very secure to have a thousand years of tradition supporting your beliefs but what if those traditions and interpretations are wrong? Obviously then tradition isn’t on the same footing as infallible Scripture.

I believe The Bible is the full and final revelation of God and as such is the rule for matters of faith and practice. Not only is it possible to understand the Bible, it is God’s will that we do so. To the extent people have strayed from the pattern, they must return to it.

“Honey, have you seen those instructions? This looks pretty complicated and I want to get it right!” (See 2 Timothy 1:13.)

The mob was out of control. It flooded the hillside theater and spilled over onto the center stage. Gaius and Aristarchus were the focus of their wrath. Their clothes were torn. They were bruised and bleeding from having been dragged through the streets of Ephesus. Even if they had been great orators, it would have been futile to try and address the rioters.

Helpless, the Apostle Paul was nearby. He feared for the lives of his friends who had been captured by the mob as they searched for him. He felt responsible but he was powerless. One part of him desired to enter the theater and face down the crowd but his disciples and even the “Asiarchs” (the leading citizens of Ephesus) begged him not to go. There was nothing he could do but pray.

Meanwhile the pair endured the angry chants of the crowd. “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” they taunted. Gaius and Aristarchus recognized the irony as well as the futility of the mob’s refrain. Artemis was anything but great. She was simply a grotesque, multi-breasted idol carved from a single meteorite. Only the Ephesians’ credulous superstition had made her “great.” If the truth was really known, the only greatness was the profit the city merchants were making from the sale of religious souvenirs. They were the ones who had started this riot as a desperate measure to stem the tide of Christian converts.

Two hours passed. For two hours the crowd shouted in unison. For two hours the disciples watched. For two hours they listened to 20,000 people chant. For two hours the Christians prayed. Finally the mob had grown hoarse enough that the voice of reason prevailed. The city clerk dismissed the crowd and order was restored. Gaius and Aristarchus were freed.

Many years later, Aristarchus smiled as he recounted the most chilling episode of his life. That event had instilled a quiet confidence in the young Macedonian. Never again would he know fear in the same way as he had on that day. Even during the two weeks of storm at sea or the shipwreck that followed, he did not fear. He simply trusted in the God who had rescued him. Aristarchus had learned that God stands by people that stand by him.