February 2015 – Eagle Rock Community Church

Is There Any Hope?

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church

Is There Any Hope?

I have been asking myself the question; Does the secular world have any hope for the future? After the Danish terrorist attacks, forty thousand Danes gathered to show solidarity for free speech and community consolation. One of the focal points of their gathering was a song performed by one of their popular music stars. You guessed it! The song was “Imagine”, written by John Lennon. Does this song crystallize the secular hopes and dreams of humanity? If you haven’t heard the words or cannot remember what the song is saying, do me a favor and download the song. All I can say is that it is fantasy and wishful thinking at its best! It lacks substance and denies the harsh realities of life. But it feels good! That is all the secular world has to hold onto; feelings. At the other end of the spectrum is a growing number of radicalized Islamists who want to impose a theocratic rule over the world. Their hope is that through violence and fear, their vision of the future will be realized. Would it be too far a stretch to say that most people would love a new order for humanity? Isaiah 42:1 proclaims that “justice for the nations” cannot be achieved through human efforts.

It will take a uniquely divine figure to bring order to this world. Jesus proclaimed this new order over two thousand years ago. He claimed that in and through His own person and work, God was bringing His order to the nations. The New Testament proclaims that in the resurrection of Jesus, God validates His purpose for a new world order. What He began in Jesus will be consummated at His return. Hope for humanity is fully realized beyond history and not through any human fantasy or effort. In history we must confront evil and seek the good for humanity. The message of the church is that in Jesus, we can enter the hope of resurrection by receiving new life in Christ. This new life celebrates the diversity of human culture and yet brings a real sense of unity and peace. My prayer in this season of Lent, is that all of Christ’s followers will give witness to the only hope for humanity; the glorious return of our Lord! Come Lord Jesus!

Random Acts of Violence, Really?

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church

Random Acts of Violence, Really?

Twenty of our Christian brothers were beheaded by Muslim extremists in Libya yesterday. How many other brothers and sisters in Christ have been killed over the last several months? I am both angry and broken. I am angry over the evil done to people and I am angry over the lack of moral courage on the part of some of our leaders in not naming the enemy. These are not “random” acts of violence, these are intentional acts of murder in the name of Islam. These evil people have a world view that clarifies their intentions. We live in a culture that is increasingly becoming. The secular man has no moral category to define these people as evil. The secular culture has rejected religious values. The idea that there is a spiritual enemy behind the barbarism and murder sounds foolish to the secular culture. It is much easier to rationalize acts as “random”, because to label them as intentional acts of evil, demands a moral and spiritual world.

The vision of Revelation 12 is reflective of a Christian theistic world view. The dragon appears to try to destroy the woman and the child. The woman who represents God’s people and the child Messiah are divinely protected. The dragon turns on the followers of Jesus by raising up a beast. The beast is historically Rome and it’s imperial power. The beast also stands for any totalitarian power that seeks to rule and persecute God’s people. The dragon is working today in the radical Islamic movements around the world. Where in the midst of this evil can followers of Jesus find strength and hope? John’s vision in chapter five of Revelation is our vision of perseverance and hope. The slaughtered Lamb is seen at the center of God’s throne! The Lion of Judah is the Lamb that was slain! Suffering in the name of Christ is not the end! Jesus is risen and has struck a fatal blow to the dragon. (Colossians 2:15). Our posture must be, as followers of Jesus, that of a military battle. The battle is a battle for the minds and hearts of lost people. Our weapons are spiritual. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we are called to be salt and light in this age. Even if it cost everything! I have not felt as emboldened to be a follower of Jesus since the early days of my salvation. May God bring comfort to the families of those who were slain. May we take up the cross with all those who are truly in arms way of death! On ward to victory!

Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church

“Food for thought: Fact or fabrication?”

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church

“Food for thought: Fact or fabrication?”

If you haven’t heard or seen the news, anchor Brian Williams of NBC evening news has been suspended without pay for six months. He was caught fabricating a story that involved himself, his team and the military in Iraq. He told the fabricated story more than once. I saw video of his appearance on David Letterman. In that video, he fabricated the story of taking rounds of fire while on a helicopter. It did not happen that way. He got found out the other night and now there is doubt about other stories that he covered. I heard one commentator claim that either Brian was delusional or he trumped up his stories to make them interesting. This commentator mentioned that entertainers often do that, but Brian had a responsibility as a journalist to keep the facts straight. Maybe his professionalism and his “stardom” became blurred and it affected his ability to tell the truth. The point I want to make has to do with the message of the Gospel. The witness of the Apostles and those who were with Jesus was that He healed, drove out evil spirits, performed miracles and rose from the dead! We have the “story” handed down to us in the New Testament. Is the story true or is their fabrication? Were the disciples delusional or were they simply trying to make Jesus out to be someone different than what He really was? Or maybe, the story is historically reliable as it stands and it is up to us to be open minded to the reality of Christ’s person and work? If I need a little encouragement from the text of Scripture, I find an astounding amount of transparency in how the disciples portray themselves. They make it very clear that they did not get it until after the resurrection. They portray themselves as fearful, doubting, and ignorant of what Jesus was really up to. Their change came after the resurrection. It was a divine revelation that inspired them to preach Jesus. Consequently, they endured hardship and some of them were killed for their “story”. No one caved! No one came clean and said it was fabricated! Why? Because it was true! Jesus had risen! The healings, exorcisms and miracles were all signs of the Kingdom of God in their midst. When I observe preachers in the media that profit from the word of God, I do see why some would doubt. The reality is that in this world that we live in, more “preachers” and followers of Christ are suffering for the “story” than those making a profit. It is their testimony and the testimony of the New Testament that grabs my heart and says, “Jesus is risen!”.

The Valley of Decision

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Eagle Rock Community Church

The Valley of Decision

I have been thinking quite a bit about the importance of decision making. I have also been doing quite a bit of background reading on existentialist thought. John Paul Sartre is one of the most influential thinkers in this field. He made the famous statement that, “ Existence precedes essence”. Basically this means that we become who we are based on our choices. Human nature, society, family background are not determinative factors in defining my essence. What makes me human is to choose.

In Sartre’s world view there is no God. The world outside ourselves is cold, dark and empty of meaning. We are the only subjective centers in the universe. We create meaning by choosing. I am not a football player until I choose to play football and actually participate in the sport. To choose to be somebody in a meaningless universe may seem absurd to us as believers. For the existentialist, it is the only authentic choice in the face of the absurdity of death.

What a different world than the one that claims a living God who, “created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13). This same God who created us in His image, also calls us to decision. The call and response to following Jesus does define us. We have to make that decision continually in the face of our own fallen self absorbed existence. I confess that when I sing the chorus, “It’s all about you Jesus”, I struggle with it’s all about me! The voices of existentialists help to remind me that decisions are critical in a culture of antipathy. We are in the valley of decision as God’s people. We can enter our culture with a message of hope. There is a God who knows human existence and can enter our existence with grace and mercy to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16). Let us decide to follow Jesus and we will become truly human.

Is There Any Hope?

Random Acts of Violence, Really?

Ash Wednesday

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“Food for thought: Fact or fabrication?”

The Valley of Decision