The Mosaic Law, do we have a dilemma?

The Mosaic Law. What is it exactly? Is it just the Ten Commandments? Is it all of the laws of the Old Covenant given to Israel? What is the correlation to the Old Covenant that the phrase "The Law" has in the New Covenant?

There are a million other questions that can be asked in relation to this topic, I am sure of that. But, the answer, has vast implications to the practical life of a modern day disciple of Jesus Christ. Without the reference we see from Paul in the New Testament, we would be left with a phrase that is either definitive or confounding from the mouth of the Lord,

Mat 5:18  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  

Ranging from old perspective to new perspective regarding Paul, the debate will in dubiously rage on well beyond any answers or conclusions I could personally surmise. But, I do endeavor to reason it out through a biblical understanding. I am hoping that my next 'heady' book I undertake will assist me in the matter. Here's to opening up a can of worms. Anyone have an aspiring ideal about the law?

I will post a review of the book The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in Pauline Theology (Nac Studies in Bible & Theology) as soon as I finish it. If you have read it, please comment on your thoughts. Or if you care to engage in discussion on the matter, likewise. I would love to hear your opinion!

Evangelism report: 01.21.11

Ann Arbor, Michigan. We journeyed to downtown Ann Arbor again this past Friday night. Yes, it was ridiculously cold, and with a couple of us wearing several layers (I had at least 3 and thermals), Antarctica and Michigan were neck and neck for near uninhabitable.

The night started in Liberty Plaza, distributing food with other organizations and 'church' groups that feed the homeless and working poor each Friday night. Afterward, we headed toward downtown Ann Arbor and U of M's campus.

We were fortunate enough to be in town at the same time as a Robert Plant concert, so there were plenty of people to talk to. Tracts were distributed across U of M's campus and there were quite a number of discussions had. Paul a drummer, who believed there was an essential need for 'experiencing' God. Bill, a drunkard, who believed his habit was justified because he does good works, and he is experiencing rough times right now. But, he knows the scriptures and their stories, and his knowledge is almost just enough to make him dangerous to his own soul.

Also, pray for the laborers and their households. Pray the Lord would protect their families from the attacks of the enemy for their faithful service.

Of note, prayer for the "History Teacher" are in order of request. He claimed his life was over because he caught a few cases some years back. He also justified his marijuana habits through open promotion of his fiscal need on his sign (the very thing that caused him to acquire criminal cases). He was adamantly opposed to religion in general, but very vitriolic toward Christians, the Bible, and Christian History. It was one of those interesting discussions where only one person hurls claims at the other without any opportunity to dialog. As difficult as it is to be faced with opposition to one's faith, it is even more difficult to respect their opinion, validate their claims, and have a civil discourse when they do not even come up for air. Please pray for this man, and hope that our conversations, or future interactions would be fruitful. Pray that his anger would not consume him, and that the bitterness over the course of his life would be seen for what it really is.

When he would not listen to reason, or exchange views regarding other options to provide for himself, or work for money as opposed to begging for change on the street, he state that his life was completely over. In an attempt to address something with a greater impact on life here on earth, and because there were few topics covered that resulted in much substance, he was asked about the next life, what happens when you die? He did not like that question at all, and knew immediately that we were Christian. In lieu of all of my opinion on the matter, I would like to address him directly below,

History Teacher, if for some reason you come across this post. I pray you will be interested in discussion next time. I would even be willing to buy you dinner, coffee, or whatever it is you might need that day. I absolutely will not buy you pot, but I will buy you something of sustenance. I also hope, that with all the knowledge you express, and claim to have, you would humble yourself to an exchange of opinion and worldview, maybe even a bit of debate. Either way, the claims you made on Friday were very lofty and significant. The irony that you knew we were Christians before we announced it to you says something profound to you does it not? I hope it says we care about your eternal state. I hope it says we are interested in more than just 'forcing our religion' down your throat. I wish I would have been able to say enough to own that claim, but respectfully understand how one bearing the name 'christian' would warrant so much anger.

History Teacher, next time, I hope you will let my life be an example of what I believe, and not preconceived notions or concepts of those who have approached you previously. We truly had no intent on making you angry, and we pray, next time, you will forgive us for what it was that angered you.

We will see you next time, hopefully.

Peace in a greeting, peace for eternal life: in full

As I recently posted the devotion at Seeking A Kingdom, Peace in a greeting, peace for eternal life, I was a little constrained by the devotional format. That is okay, at least in part, as I tend to be wordy. But, I also wanted to give the full thrust of what I intended to say. I will let you be the judge, if you have read the devotional post, let me know if they are comparable, or if one is lacking? Or, maybe I didn't do justice to either? Either way, here it is.

Consider Matthew 10:7-15 as the text for this meditation. I would also like to draw focus on Matthew 10:11. The contrast of going with nothing is accentuated with the command of going into the homes of those who are found to have been worthy, that though they have nothing, they have sustenance and shelter provided by them that are worthy. (Mark 6:10, Luke 9:4)

And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Mat 10:12-13)

This is ironically, a greeting that is customary in Middle-Eastern/Jewish culture. It is also said by some commentators that the blessing of the disciples through their presence and prayers is in view in the peace to you salutation. But if the house is unworthy, or inhospitable, this instruction, let your peace return to you, implies a retraction of the blessing on an unworthy household.

We greet those we visit with gifts, and blessings, and sometimes with statements like Ata Shalom! Peace to you and your house!

If we investigate the Lord's usage of the phrase, we see it only occurs post-resurrection. Examples include Luke 24:26, and John 20:19-26. The only other time we see this phrase outside of the New Testament is in the Old.

Genesis 43:23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

Please, do not misunderstand me here. I am not promoting the prosperity of wealth and riches, and the subsequent peace that is brought with financial security. But it is noteworthy that the peace spoken of here is that which is brought through provision God had given the Israelite's through the hand of Joseph, by means of Egypt, which in turn is an interesting provision for Hebrews indeed.

Turning back to Matthew 10:14-15 now. What words would the disciples have been bringing to the households they visit? Is it inherent in the blessing contained in the phrase Peace be unto you? Or is it simply a prayer of blessing upon entry or departure from household to household? The instruction then comes, and brings some clarity laden with conviction in v14. Jesus says, "when you depart out that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet." When Jews would travel from Gentile roads and cities and then return to Jewish land, they would shake the dust from their feet because of its unworthiness, they believed it would defile the 'Holy Land.' This is interesting for us to observe, because in Matthew 10:6, it is the lost sheep of Israel the Lord is sending them to.

In Matthew 10:15, the Lord pronounces condemnation upon rejection that the disciples will inevitably receive. The paradigm that is given for them is the tolerance for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment. Simply stated, those who reject the disciples will have it far worse than the city that was leveled by the wrath of God through hellfire and brimstone.

I believe the peace being brought to these households is the same peace that Christ brought to the disciples when they were locked away in fear and trembling because of the Jews (John 20:19). This peace is the news that the Father has sent the Lord Jesus, and he now sends us. And this peace is the same that greeted the doubting Thomas (John 20:26) who was then convinced of the Lords resurrection upon witnessing a living Christ.

The punishment Sodom and Gomorrah received was not due to a total lack of hospitality, as some have claimed, and some of us have heard. We know that they received punishment because of their wickedness, and received death the first time, and an eternal punishment slated for the next. They however did not receive the peace of the gospel. The missing piece there is the glorious news of a resurrected savior from the mouths of those who are witnesses thereof! Those who receive, then believe.

Looking at Mark 6:12 and Luke 9:5-6 we can see clearly this message the disciples brought. We also see the peace given unto others in their homes and towns, and that is that men everywhere should repent. Whoever rejects this message, rejects the Messiah, the one who issued the command with authority from on high. This rejection of the Christ is a testimony against them.

We preach Christ and him crucified. We rejoice in the power of him resurrected. And, we bring peace to those who receive it, believe it, and are baptized into his body.

Amen.

Seeking a Kingdom: New Devotional

New devotional posted at Seeking a Kingdom. Titled, Peace in a greeting, peace for eternal life. It is my prayer that the understanding of peace is not grounded in the political climate of a land, or the result of radical social movements. But, that peace is only wrought intrinsically, in man's soul, and in his environment, through a vertical relationship with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.

You can subscribe to Seeking a Kingdom through Twitter, Facebook, Feedburner, and in the future, Youtube.

Quotables: William Booth

"The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender to God." - William Booth (1829-1912)

Scripture...As We Live It #2 From Alan Knox

Featured from Alan Knox's blog, The Assembling of the Church, one of my favorite entries in his Scripture... As We Live It series,

If a brother or sister member of your particular church organization is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body referring them to the Benevolence Committee, what good is that? (James 2:15-16 remix)

You can find more in the series here. You can also see the original entry for this post here.

Some miracles in life are truly profound!

It is not generally a practice of mine to disclose abundant amounts of personal information here. But this is just too good to pass up!

Some of you already know, and many of you have no clue, but I am going to be a father! Yes! It is true. My wife has been carrying this blessing for the past 8 months now, and WOW how the time has flew by. We would like you to pray for us, and the child, as we approach the final weeks before she goes into labor. We are asking for a few things,

• Pray for a drug-free delivery, Mrs. Lee needs all her strength, focus, and grace from our Father in Heaven so she may do what she has been preparing for these past 8 months.
• Pray for a healthy baby, most importantly, pray for God's will in the life of our child, that he would consecrate a servant for his Kingdom, and that we would be good, godly parents for our child to emulate (need lots a help with that last one)!
• And, pray for the salvation of our child. As we have prayed for others, and others have prayed for us, we ask you to join us in praying for this new addition to our family.

Thank you in advance for praying with us, and hopefully, when the time comes, we will be able to share the news of our little one's arrival with you. Stay tuned, because as excited as I am at the time of writing this, I am sure I will be much more when my little one arrives!

Reminder: Seeking a Kingdom Devotionals

I have created a new devotional blog. You may find it at http://seekingakingdom.blogspot.com, this is currently the primary URL.

The site is dedicated to posting devotionals with an emphasis on Kingdom centered and Kingdom mindedness. Essentially, the goal is to promote the edification of believers in Jesus Christ through devotions that focus on preparation, participation, and practical living for the Kingdom of God.

This site is currently still under construction. There is accessibility via social media outlets like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The goal is to encourage readers to spread these devotionals freely and to encourage others in hopes of magnifying God's wonderful guide to living a life pleasing to him, His word.

This site was constructed out of a desire to glorify the name of Jesus Christ, promote His Kingdom, and develop a heart of devotion in His followers.

The premise is simple. All of Scripture is profitable for cultivating a mindset in those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ unto obedience, servitude, and application. Therefore, all devotions found here will be useful toward stopping for a moment, meditating upon the Word of God, and disciplining oneself into devotion to the Kingdom of God.

Interested in submitting?

The formula for the devotions is as follows,

• They begin with a portion of Scripture, the number of verses varying, yet remaining sufficient enough to convey context. The whole of the devotional should not extend beyond 600 words or more.

• That Scripture is then expounded upon in varying ways depending upon the style employed by its author. Then, a practical application, summary, or message is surmised from the entry.

• A prayer is offered. And the text is categorized for organization.

This site utilizes the thoughts and writings of several authors. Authors are attributed appropriately in their posts by their initials. Contacting site authors can be done through the contact tab in the menu bar at the site.

From time to time you may see a devotional posted from a well known source, author, or voice of the past. These devotions will be attributed properly and sources posted for reference.

Comments are welcomed and gladly accepted. However, they will be moderated and deliberated upon by the author of the devotion receiving comments, and the site administrator for validity, and profitability for edifying other site readers. Profane, obscene, perverse, spam, and other non edifying comments will be discarded swiftly.