This Is Major!

Over the past several weeks we at Bronx Bethany have heard our pastors speak on the theme of the resurrection of Christ, and on what His resurrection has procured for us.

This past Sunday, Pastor Sam reminded us of the Day of Ascension. Ascension Day often comes and goes quietly. In many denominations the day is not highly celebrated: after all, it falls on a Thursday, and we live in a culture that rarely engages corporate church life on a Thursday. In addition, we live in a church culture that pours its energies into “major” events, and at this time of year Easter and Pentecost tend to capture more of our attention. But, this year, we have the opportunity (and the privilege, and the responsibility) to reflect on Ascension, a day as relevant as the Easter which precedes it and the Pentecost which follows.

Today, let’s read some of the Scripture passages from Sunday’s sermon. As the week progresses, Lord willing, we will take time to reflect on additional Scriptures, as well as the points shared by our pastor.

Hebrews 1:1-4

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Philippians 2:1-11

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Acts 1:1-11

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

"Certain" Call.

Pastor Althea referenced Second Timothy chapter 1 in her sermon this past Sunday, and I’d like us to read the chapter today as we close out our few days of reflection. In this chapter, we see that Paul’s words to Timothy are helpful in giving us a “road map” of how faith works in us:

Faith empowers us to use our spiritual gifts.

Faith empowers us to testify.

Faith empowers us to suffer.

Faith empowers us to live the life of holiness.

Faith empowers us to believe that Jesus Christ was raised from death.

Faith empowers us to trust God.

Faith empowers us to partner with the Holy Spirit.

Faith empowers us to speak the truth in love.

Faith empowers us to recognize those God has sent to support the ministry.

As we read, let us pray that we will be people of faith.

Second Timothy 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Work Stoppage?

In Sunday’s sermon Pastor Althea made the point that we cannot produce our own faith, but we can hinder it from growing.

Let’s re-visit one of the verses from yesterday’s post: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3, emphasis mine)

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25) we see an example of the graciousness of our God. He has given us the faith necessary to work for Him, using whatever gifts He has given to us. He knows our capability to operate in faith, to the glory of His name, and we can choose to joyfully obey His call... or summarily dismiss it. Let’s read this parable today, absorbing its encouragement, and heeding its warning.

Are you growing in faith, or are you hindering faith from growing?

Matthew 25:14-30

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Steady As She Grows...

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Althea said something I'd like us to reflect on today: "Faith is taking a measured risk."

Our pastor reminded us of our tendencies to demonstrate measured risk in our everyday lives. We expect that when we travel, we will reach our destination. We expect that the chairs we sit in will be strong enough to bear our weight. These are measured risks, and these are expressions of the faith we carry in our hearts. We take these risks every day because of what we believe, and we respond with surprise when our expectations are not realized.

We who are Christians have subscribed to a life of faith. Our faith is grounded in what God has said. We dare to risk because we believe His word. We dare to expect. We go through our days anticipating that God will act on behalf of His people, that He will keep His word, and that He will cause us to see and experience every promise He has poured into our hearts.

As we consider our life of faith, let us also remember that our faith is not solely for our personal benefit. Our faith can serve to build up every member of the body of Christ. If we have faith that God will act on behalf of His people, then we can also have faith that God will allow us to participate in His process.

Today, will you take the measured risk of acting in faith, in whatever ways God has gifted you to do so?

Romans 12:3-8

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

All Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Son!

Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. (First Timothy 1:18-19)

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (Second Timothy 1:5)

On Sunday, Pastor Althea spoke to us about having and leaving a legacy of faith. We took time to reflect on Paul’s second letter to Timothy, in which we see Paul testify to a generational pattern on the maternal side of Timothy's family. Paul says, in effect, Your grandmother had a certain way of living; your mother had a certain way of living; and you, Timothy, are conducting your life in the same way they did... the way of faith.

Our pastor also made mention of Acts chapter 16. In that chapter we see that Timothy’s biological father was identified not by faith-walk, but only by culture:

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:1-3)

Perhaps we are not too far from this narrative. We may have come to faith in households where some family members were believers in Jesus and others were not. Some of us may currently be in situations where we are the only Christian in the home. But, we serve a gracious God! In these letters from Paul to Timothy, God has revealed that He can add a spiritual layer to our family tree. For Timothy, the lack of testimony concerning his biological father’s spiritual health was overridden by the apostolic covering of Paul. The Lord who caused Paul to adopt Timothy as a “son in the faith” (First Timothy 1:2) is our Lord, and He still has people of faith living today.

Are you a person of faith?

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Starving To Death

On Sunday, Pastor Martha made an observation (paraphrased here) that we as Christians must wrestle with: We have become accustomed to the absence of the presence of God.

Our pastor noted that we live in a time and season where Christians permit themselves to be absorbed in media, technology, entertainment, and labor. However, the attention to a consistent, regular devotional practice is typically nonexistent. The standard response of the overworked (or overbooked) is "I don't have time for devotions." But Pastor Martha countered this excuse with these realities:

We have time to log in to social media.
We have time to take showers and baths.
We have time to choose clothing and get dressed.
We have time to purchase, prepare, and eat food.
We have made time for other things: some necessary, some frivolous.
There are some basics that we have decided will not be absent from our daily lives.
Why is it that we have absented the basics of our faith?

Our pastor shared that if we don't eat spiritual food, we are going to die. Our souls must be nourished... and perhaps that is a key reason why many believers never move into the realm of discipleship. Their souls are famished, and have been famished for so long that they've grown comfortable with the emptiness. In the light of Christ, who has modeled for us the importance of being connected to God through meaningful spiritual disciplines, the response "I'm too busy" is a demonic mantric that no Christian should be comfortable saying.

But, there is hope: we can be filled with the presence of God today! We can draw closer to Him today! My hope, my prayer, is that the Lord will renew in all of us a deep desire to eat at His table and drink from His well. Pastor Martha noted that Jesus first called His disciples to be with Him-- to follow Him and to observe His consistent devotion in ministry and in prayer, so that they might be empowered to model His example. If we long to be disciples of Christ, then let us model His example. Love God. Love spending time in God's word. Love communing with God in prayer.

Can we pour out God's love if we're spiritually empty?

Lord, cause us to hunger and thirst for You. Give us grace and courage to make whatever changes are necessary in our schedules, and in our mindsets, so that we might be nourished by Your word every day and transformed by Your presence every day. We thank You for helping us. Amen.

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.