The Pentecost Spirit

The latest from Thinking Faith...


The Pentecostal Spirit
How did the feast of Pentecost develop into the form that our celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit now takes? In the first part of an article in which he unfolds our understanding of Pentecost, Nicholas Lash describes how a Jewish harvest feast gradually acquired new significance and changed over time to become Christian Pentecost, which we will celebrate on Sunday 31^st May. Read >>

The Pentecostal Spirit: Part two
What does the account of the ‘descent of the Spirit’ in the Acts of the Apostles tell us about the place of the paschal mystery in the life of the Church? In part two of a study of the feast of Pentecost, Nicholas Lash explains that we cannot comprehend the sending of the Holy Spirit without recognising how it relates to the Easter event. Read >>

The Pentecost Spirit

The latest from Thinking Faith...


The Pentecostal Spirit
How did the feast of Pentecost develop into the form that our celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit now takes? In the first part of an article in which he unfolds our understanding of Pentecost, Nicholas Lash describes how a Jewish harvest feast gradually acquired new significance and changed over time to become Christian Pentecost, which we will celebrate on Sunday 31^st May. Read >>

The Pentecostal Spirit: Part two
What does the account of the ‘descent of the Spirit’ in the Acts of the Apostles tell us about the place of the paschal mystery in the life of the Church? In part two of a study of the feast of Pentecost, Nicholas Lash explains that we cannot comprehend the sending of the Holy Spirit without recognising how it relates to the Easter event. Read >>

The SPIRIT in SPIRITual Gifts

The SPIRIT in SPIRITual Gifts
Text: 1 Cor.12:1-11


Sermon statement (big idea)

The Holy Spirit is builder of the church. He is the giver of spiritual gifts and he gives them to whom he chooses. The spiritual gifts are for the building up of the church and not for personal gain. Most teaching on spiritual gifts place more emphasis on the spiritual gifts rather than the giver. We must not miss the SPIRIT in SPIRITual gifts.

read complete sermon here

The SPIRIT in SPIRITual Gifts

The SPIRIT in SPIRITual Gifts
Text: 1 Cor.12:1-11


Sermon statement (big idea)

The Holy Spirit is builder of the church. He is the giver of spiritual gifts and he gives them to whom he chooses. The spiritual gifts are for the building up of the church and not for personal gain. Most teaching on spiritual gifts place more emphasis on the spiritual gifts rather than the giver. We must not miss the SPIRIT in SPIRITual gifts.

read complete sermon here

Persecution, Proclaimation, Profession, Power

Persecution, Proclamation, Profession, Power
Text: Acts 8:1- 25

Sermon Statement (Big idea)

God uses all types of circumstances as opportunities for his people to share the gospel so that others may be saved. There will be true and false professions of the faith. To all true believers there is only one church. Power is a powerful attraction for some, even within the church.

Introduction

Adverse events in our lives may lead to better things. In the Bible, Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers. Yet, it turn into an opportunity for him to become the right hand man of Pharaoh and saved his family from starvation.

read more

.

Persecution, Proclaimation, Profession, Power

Persecution, Proclamation, Profession, Power
Text: Acts 8:1- 25

Sermon Statement (Big idea)

God uses all types of circumstances as opportunities for his people to share the gospel so that others may be saved. There will be true and false professions of the faith. To all true believers there is only one church. Power is a powerful attraction for some, even within the church.

Introduction

Adverse events in our lives may lead to better things. In the Bible, Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers. Yet, it turn into an opportunity for him to become the right hand man of Pharaoh and saved his family from starvation.

read more

.

Social Trinitarianism, What's That?

Harden's posting about Radical Trinitarianism on his blog Inhabitatio Dei is worth reading. I love his latest, Radical Trinitarianism: Who's Afraid of the Social Trinity?

Social trinitarians have taken note of this and have sought, as much as possible to understand the reality of the Trinity on the basis of continuity between divine and human personhood and divine and human relationally. Thinkers like Jürgen Moltmann, Leonardo Boff, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, Miroslav Volf and others have found in the Trinity the perfect model for understanding human personhood and the proper shape of human social and political relationships. Colin Gunton (a somewhat ambigiously social trinitarian) even goes so far as to state that when we call the Triune hypostases and humans ‘persons’ the term functions univocally. For many social trinitarians human persons, though obviously not divine, are clearly created in the image of the Triune shape of personality...

To sum up in a different way, the methodological and theological problems of social trinitarianism seem to be avoidable, not simply through an assertion of divine transcendence or divine unity abstractly conceived, but rather in relocating the discussion of the relationship between divine and human personhood. The proper locus for such a discussion is in the self-revelation of God in the incarnate Christ. The reality that is disclosed therein is not, per se that human persons “image” divine persons in some innate sense, but rather that human persons realize their personhood in and through the communion between divinity and humanity actualized in the incarnate Son. The realism of divine-human communion in Christ establishes that divine and human personhood exist in actualized state of noncompetitive symphony in which the infinite difference between Creator and creature is enfolded within the musical intervals of the Triune life. God’s being as Trinity is so infinitely complex that the difference between God and humanity is in fact taken into God and is thus transposed into a new key. No longer is the discontinuity between divinity and humanity an inhibition to ontic and ontological communion, rather in Christ, the very difference between Creator and creation becomes the occasion for that communion.

It is in light of this incarnational and covenantal theology of humanity’s incorporation into the Triune life that we are able to rightly speak of how human persons come to bear the likeness of the Triune communion. By being transformed through the Spirit into the likeness of the Son through union with him, we are brought into the relationship of the Son and Father. As such, our relations with one another acquire, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the character of Christ’s relationship to us, for, given the assumptio carnis, we always and only encounter one another through the mediation of Christ. Likewise our relationship with God acquires the character Christ’s own relationship to the Father, for that is the very relationship into which we are incorporated through the Spirit, now calling out “abba Father” as Christ’s sisters and brothers(Rom. 8:15). Thus, we are able to affirm Christ’s prayer that we may be one as he and the Father are one (Jn. 17:33), not because of a theology of generic continuity between divine and human personhood, but because of the gracious act of God in Christ whereby our very difference from God is transposed into the occasion for our communion with him and one another...

read whole posting

Social Trinitarianism, What's That?

Harden's posting about Radical Trinitarianism on his blog Inhabitatio Dei is worth reading. I love his latest, Radical Trinitarianism: Who's Afraid of the Social Trinity?

Social trinitarians have taken note of this and have sought, as much as possible to understand the reality of the Trinity on the basis of continuity between divine and human personhood and divine and human relationally. Thinkers like Jürgen Moltmann, Leonardo Boff, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, Miroslav Volf and others have found in the Trinity the perfect model for understanding human personhood and the proper shape of human social and political relationships. Colin Gunton (a somewhat ambigiously social trinitarian) even goes so far as to state that when we call the Triune hypostases and humans ‘persons’ the term functions univocally. For many social trinitarians human persons, though obviously not divine, are clearly created in the image of the Triune shape of personality...

To sum up in a different way, the methodological and theological problems of social trinitarianism seem to be avoidable, not simply through an assertion of divine transcendence or divine unity abstractly conceived, but rather in relocating the discussion of the relationship between divine and human personhood. The proper locus for such a discussion is in the self-revelation of God in the incarnate Christ. The reality that is disclosed therein is not, per se that human persons “image” divine persons in some innate sense, but rather that human persons realize their personhood in and through the communion between divinity and humanity actualized in the incarnate Son. The realism of divine-human communion in Christ establishes that divine and human personhood exist in actualized state of noncompetitive symphony in which the infinite difference between Creator and creature is enfolded within the musical intervals of the Triune life. God’s being as Trinity is so infinitely complex that the difference between God and humanity is in fact taken into God and is thus transposed into a new key. No longer is the discontinuity between divinity and humanity an inhibition to ontic and ontological communion, rather in Christ, the very difference between Creator and creation becomes the occasion for that communion.

It is in light of this incarnational and covenantal theology of humanity’s incorporation into the Triune life that we are able to rightly speak of how human persons come to bear the likeness of the Triune communion. By being transformed through the Spirit into the likeness of the Son through union with him, we are brought into the relationship of the Son and Father. As such, our relations with one another acquire, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the character of Christ’s relationship to us, for, given the assumptio carnis, we always and only encounter one another through the mediation of Christ. Likewise our relationship with God acquires the character Christ’s own relationship to the Father, for that is the very relationship into which we are incorporated through the Spirit, now calling out “abba Father” as Christ’s sisters and brothers(Rom. 8:15). Thus, we are able to affirm Christ’s prayer that we may be one as he and the Father are one (Jn. 17:33), not because of a theology of generic continuity between divine and human personhood, but because of the gracious act of God in Christ whereby our very difference from God is transposed into the occasion for our communion with him and one another...

read whole posting

Bill Hybers on Preaching

I have great respect for Bill Hybers both as a preacher and a communicator. Here is where he talks about his preaching.

The Accompanying Presence
His voice is still small, but you'll preach better if you hear first from the Holy Spirit.
An Interview with Bill Hybels

Pastors talk about preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. Bill Hybels, who preaches to about 20,000 people most weekends, says he senses the Lord's presence when he's in the pulpit, but even more so in the study (or on the boat) when he's preparing the message. Do you recall a time when you felt you preached in the power of the Spirit?

Bill Hybels: For me, being moved by the Holy Spirit in preaching is often more dramatic when I'm preparing a sermon than when I'm in the pulpit delivering it.
When I'm in the flow of the Spirit, I have an awareness of the Spirit saying, "You're doing it just right, Bill."

I can think of a time recently when I was anchored out on a boat and I had been praying and studying a text, and the ideas began to flow. I grabbed pen and paper, and I wrote as fast as my hand would allow me to write for probably an hour and a half.

In one setting I put an entire message together, got down on my knees on the deck of the boat, and said, The greatest miracle of this sermon has already taken place. This was a gift I didn't deserve—the spiritual gift of preaching and teaching deposited in my life—and the Holy Spirit energized that gift that afternoon. That it worked as mysteriously and supernaturally as it did still overwhelms me.

What suggests to you that you are preaching in the power of the Spirit?

Thoughts come into my mind that I know were deposited there by a power other than my own. Sometimes I'll be reading a text, and I'll be prompted by the Holy Spirit: Hang with this text, Bill. Read it again. Read it slower. And while I'm ruminating on it, reading and rereading it, it's like something comes off the page or drops from heaven and intersects in my mind. A thought comes that I quickly try to put on paper, and then that leads to a next thought and a next.

When additional thoughts begin to flow, I know that's not just the work of the flesh. I'm not that good. That's a supernatural thing.

One way to know you have the preaching and teaching gift is that this supernatural dynamic occurs, and you learn how to go with the flow. You learn how to prepare your heart for that flow to occur and to capture it when it does.

What have you had to unlearn about preaching and the power of the Spirit?

A lot of men and women can read a text, formulate a few thoughts, and speak sort of off the top of their heads, but in 30 years I've never been able to do that. Certainly I've had to unlearn the idea that preparation is always going to be easy, as though you're going to sit down and God's going to appear and it's always going to flow and be mysterious.

Like your experience on the boat.

Yes. Probably the reason that came to mind as vividly as it did is because of how unusual that is. Usually I have to invest a lot more in research and preparation of my spirit. I make progress in 30-minute increments. My administrative assistant would assure you that my study sounds more like a dentist's office than some great artistic revelation happening.

This is a factory not the symphony center.

Most certainly. My average weekly preparation is taxing and requires more discipline than I thought was going to be required when I started many decades ago. Once you get accustomed to that, you settle into the routine. That becomes the norm, and you thank God like crazy when it goes easier or flows more dynamically than that.

Regarding the Holy Spirit, do the terms presence or manifest presence describe what you experience when you preach?

I refer to an accompanying presence. When I'm in the flow of the Spirit as best I can yield myself to be so, it's as though I have an awareness of the accompanying presence of the Spirit saying, You're doing it just right, Bill. You're saying it just the way I gave it to you. You're being true to yourself, true to the Word, true to my promptings. Just keep going. Way to go.
And when I feel that, it's like time stands still, and you go, This is a great thing to be doing right now.

Of course, there are other times when, for whatever reasons, I don't feel that accompanying presence as strongly. I've laid awake nights wondering about that. It's greatly appreciated when it's there.

Would you describe that sense of God's accompanying presence as rare, or frequent?

I would say it's frequent. Again, if you're living a yielded life, and if you have the preaching and teaching gift, and you're yielding that to God on a continual basis, that's one of the signs that you're in the right place doing the right thing for the right reasons.

If you're doing something in the kingdom, and you rarely feel that, that's a red flag. Something needs to be looked at. Are you using the right gift? Are you using it in the right way? For the right reasons? At the right time? In the right context? If I didn't feel it consistently, that would be quite troubling to me.

Scripture portrays two sides to our experience of the Spirit. Ephesians says, "Be filled with the Spirit" and "Pray in the Spirit," suggesting there are things we can do that put us in a place where God's Spirit can be manifest in us. Then again, Jesus says, "The wind blows wherever it pleases." Which is your experience?

Every great communicator I know could tell you how they "get in the zone." Michael Jordan had a strict regimen before every big game to get himself in a prepared state to do his best.
I've been fascinated by this. When I'm with other speakers, I ask them, "What do you do to get in the preparation zone? How do you pray? When do you prepare? Do you prepare in the same place? Do you listen to music? How do you prepare yourself just before you deliver your message?" Great communicators can say precisely how they up the probability that the Spirit will be strong in their life.

Having done all of that, then, the wind blows where it will. Sometimes it blows stronger than others. I can only do the part that depends on me. I can fast and pray and kneel before God and invite others to pray with me.

Sometimes the messages get lifted to fifteen thousand feet. Sometimes they get lifted to twenty thousand, sometimes to twenty-five thousand. Why there are those altitude differences, I don't know.

What have you learned from Scripture about preaching in the power of the Spirit?

It has a lot to do with courage. Look at the great messages delivered in Scripture. Joshua stands before the people and says, "Choose this day what you're going to do. Here's what I'm going to do." Peter stands up in and says, "Here's what you did to the One who was sent from God."
Preaching involves an inordinate amount of courage. You have to be willing to take heat and backlash if you're going to say the words God gave you to say in the spirit he gave you to deliver it.

In my own experience, the messages that turned certain corners at Willow and the messages that were greatly used in conference settings were ones that I walked toward the lectern with knees knocking, thinking, There is no way I'm going to be able to say these words to these people.

God says, Here we go, and you say them.

You feel alone in the moment, and you have to die to audience response, realizing they are probably not going to carry your picture in their wallet anymore. But you know, This is precisely what God wants me to say. That's a refining, character-building, intensely spiritual process.

Paul speaks in about the power of Christ resting on him when he was weak. How have you experienced that?

Some of the best preaching I've done came out of times when I was desperately needy.

One message I've probably given five hundred times around the world came to me in the slums outside of Soweto in South Africa when I was supposed to speak to several thousand illiterate people about the nature of the Church of Jesus Christ. I realized this was an impossible task. How could I communicate such theology to people who have probably never seen what I'm trying to describe?

I woke up at four o'clock in the morning and prayed, "God, I'm going to stay humbly in this kneeling position until you give me a way to talk about your church in a fashion that these folks can understand." I put together a unique message in which I brought people up on the stage and posed them in certain stances to give listeners pictures of the church. When I delivered the message that day, I knew I had that Accompanying Presence.

People got it. It changed their understanding of what a church could be. That message came out of a desperate situation where unless God had moved, I was done for.

Bill Hybels is pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal

more here

Bill Hybers on Preaching

I have great respect for Bill Hybers both as a preacher and a communicator. Here is where he talks about his preaching.

The Accompanying Presence
His voice is still small, but you'll preach better if you hear first from the Holy Spirit.
An Interview with Bill Hybels

Pastors talk about preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. Bill Hybels, who preaches to about 20,000 people most weekends, says he senses the Lord's presence when he's in the pulpit, but even more so in the study (or on the boat) when he's preparing the message. Do you recall a time when you felt you preached in the power of the Spirit?

Bill Hybels: For me, being moved by the Holy Spirit in preaching is often more dramatic when I'm preparing a sermon than when I'm in the pulpit delivering it.
When I'm in the flow of the Spirit, I have an awareness of the Spirit saying, "You're doing it just right, Bill."

I can think of a time recently when I was anchored out on a boat and I had been praying and studying a text, and the ideas began to flow. I grabbed pen and paper, and I wrote as fast as my hand would allow me to write for probably an hour and a half.

In one setting I put an entire message together, got down on my knees on the deck of the boat, and said, The greatest miracle of this sermon has already taken place. This was a gift I didn't deserve—the spiritual gift of preaching and teaching deposited in my life—and the Holy Spirit energized that gift that afternoon. That it worked as mysteriously and supernaturally as it did still overwhelms me.

What suggests to you that you are preaching in the power of the Spirit?

Thoughts come into my mind that I know were deposited there by a power other than my own. Sometimes I'll be reading a text, and I'll be prompted by the Holy Spirit: Hang with this text, Bill. Read it again. Read it slower. And while I'm ruminating on it, reading and rereading it, it's like something comes off the page or drops from heaven and intersects in my mind. A thought comes that I quickly try to put on paper, and then that leads to a next thought and a next.

When additional thoughts begin to flow, I know that's not just the work of the flesh. I'm not that good. That's a supernatural thing.

One way to know you have the preaching and teaching gift is that this supernatural dynamic occurs, and you learn how to go with the flow. You learn how to prepare your heart for that flow to occur and to capture it when it does.

What have you had to unlearn about preaching and the power of the Spirit?

A lot of men and women can read a text, formulate a few thoughts, and speak sort of off the top of their heads, but in 30 years I've never been able to do that. Certainly I've had to unlearn the idea that preparation is always going to be easy, as though you're going to sit down and God's going to appear and it's always going to flow and be mysterious.

Like your experience on the boat.

Yes. Probably the reason that came to mind as vividly as it did is because of how unusual that is. Usually I have to invest a lot more in research and preparation of my spirit. I make progress in 30-minute increments. My administrative assistant would assure you that my study sounds more like a dentist's office than some great artistic revelation happening.

This is a factory not the symphony center.

Most certainly. My average weekly preparation is taxing and requires more discipline than I thought was going to be required when I started many decades ago. Once you get accustomed to that, you settle into the routine. That becomes the norm, and you thank God like crazy when it goes easier or flows more dynamically than that.

Regarding the Holy Spirit, do the terms presence or manifest presence describe what you experience when you preach?

I refer to an accompanying presence. When I'm in the flow of the Spirit as best I can yield myself to be so, it's as though I have an awareness of the accompanying presence of the Spirit saying, You're doing it just right, Bill. You're saying it just the way I gave it to you. You're being true to yourself, true to the Word, true to my promptings. Just keep going. Way to go.
And when I feel that, it's like time stands still, and you go, This is a great thing to be doing right now.

Of course, there are other times when, for whatever reasons, I don't feel that accompanying presence as strongly. I've laid awake nights wondering about that. It's greatly appreciated when it's there.

Would you describe that sense of God's accompanying presence as rare, or frequent?

I would say it's frequent. Again, if you're living a yielded life, and if you have the preaching and teaching gift, and you're yielding that to God on a continual basis, that's one of the signs that you're in the right place doing the right thing for the right reasons.

If you're doing something in the kingdom, and you rarely feel that, that's a red flag. Something needs to be looked at. Are you using the right gift? Are you using it in the right way? For the right reasons? At the right time? In the right context? If I didn't feel it consistently, that would be quite troubling to me.

Scripture portrays two sides to our experience of the Spirit. Ephesians says, "Be filled with the Spirit" and "Pray in the Spirit," suggesting there are things we can do that put us in a place where God's Spirit can be manifest in us. Then again, Jesus says, "The wind blows wherever it pleases." Which is your experience?

Every great communicator I know could tell you how they "get in the zone." Michael Jordan had a strict regimen before every big game to get himself in a prepared state to do his best.
I've been fascinated by this. When I'm with other speakers, I ask them, "What do you do to get in the preparation zone? How do you pray? When do you prepare? Do you prepare in the same place? Do you listen to music? How do you prepare yourself just before you deliver your message?" Great communicators can say precisely how they up the probability that the Spirit will be strong in their life.

Having done all of that, then, the wind blows where it will. Sometimes it blows stronger than others. I can only do the part that depends on me. I can fast and pray and kneel before God and invite others to pray with me.

Sometimes the messages get lifted to fifteen thousand feet. Sometimes they get lifted to twenty thousand, sometimes to twenty-five thousand. Why there are those altitude differences, I don't know.

What have you learned from Scripture about preaching in the power of the Spirit?

It has a lot to do with courage. Look at the great messages delivered in Scripture. Joshua stands before the people and says, "Choose this day what you're going to do. Here's what I'm going to do." Peter stands up in and says, "Here's what you did to the One who was sent from God."
Preaching involves an inordinate amount of courage. You have to be willing to take heat and backlash if you're going to say the words God gave you to say in the spirit he gave you to deliver it.

In my own experience, the messages that turned certain corners at Willow and the messages that were greatly used in conference settings were ones that I walked toward the lectern with knees knocking, thinking, There is no way I'm going to be able to say these words to these people.

God says, Here we go, and you say them.

You feel alone in the moment, and you have to die to audience response, realizing they are probably not going to carry your picture in their wallet anymore. But you know, This is precisely what God wants me to say. That's a refining, character-building, intensely spiritual process.

Paul speaks in about the power of Christ resting on him when he was weak. How have you experienced that?

Some of the best preaching I've done came out of times when I was desperately needy.

One message I've probably given five hundred times around the world came to me in the slums outside of Soweto in South Africa when I was supposed to speak to several thousand illiterate people about the nature of the Church of Jesus Christ. I realized this was an impossible task. How could I communicate such theology to people who have probably never seen what I'm trying to describe?

I woke up at four o'clock in the morning and prayed, "God, I'm going to stay humbly in this kneeling position until you give me a way to talk about your church in a fashion that these folks can understand." I put together a unique message in which I brought people up on the stage and posed them in certain stances to give listeners pictures of the church. When I delivered the message that day, I knew I had that Accompanying Presence.

People got it. It changed their understanding of what a church could be. That message came out of a desperate situation where unless God had moved, I was done for.

Bill Hybels is pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal

more here

A New Form of Worship

Text: Hebrews 9: 1-14

Summary
Jesus Christ is the new High Priest who by His blood leads us to a new form of worship: Presence and Power.

Text (Hebrew 9:1-14)
HEB 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

HEB 9:6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

HEB 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Introduction
In the last sermon, we studied Jesus Christ as the High Priest of a New Covenant. This covenant replaces the covenant of the Law of Moses. The new covenant can be summarised in Heb. 8:10.
HEB 8:10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

No longer are we ruled by an external law but from an internal law-our conscience. This week, we shall look at how God has made it possible for the new covenant to come into being.

As a reminder, the writer of Hebrews was addressing Jewish Christians who came from a background of Temple cultic worship. Hence they are familiar with the tabernacle, which later was built as Solomon’s temple (First Temple) when Israel settled into the Promised Land. They had been worshipping in Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem before they became Christians. Now, because of persecutions and hardships, they were thinking of reverting back to Judaism. The writer of Hebrews was reminding them that Jesus is a superior High Priest that superseded all human high priests in the tabernacle or temple worship.

(1) Sanctuary
In Hebrews 9:1-10, he reminded them of the tabernacle worship and the makeup of the tabernacle.
HEB 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

HEB 9:6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance

Then he made a comment that the Holy Spirit used this arrangement as an illustration.
8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Worship in its true sense is not a matter of food and drinks. It is not a matter of what we do, or what the priests did on our behalf. There are two points he made:
(1) The access into the Most Holy Place is still not known as long as the tabernacle was still standing.
(2) The sacrifice is not able to clear the conscience of the worshippers.
Therefore it is an incomplete system of worship.
· It did not bring people into the presence of God.
· It did not clear the conscience of the worshippers.
· It did not bring full forgiveness of their sins.

(2) Access
Jesus Christ, however as the great High Priest, brought a complete system of worship. He brought the worshippers into the Most Holy Place itself.
Heb. 9:11-12
HEB 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

In the tabernacle/temple worship, only the priests are allowed into the Holy Place every day. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once a year for the Day of Atonement. Before the high priest enters, he has first to sacrifice a bull for his sins and the sins of his family, then another bull for the sins of the people of Israel. Then he enters the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. The people can only be in the outer courts where the laver and the braze altar were. They will never see the inside of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. All their lives, they will be limited to worship in the courts of the tabernacle.

This is like the whole church going to watch Spiderman 3 at the Cathay Cineplex at City Square, Johor Bahru. You went there and bought your ticket. However you are only allowed to stnad outside the cinema, where they sell the popcorns and tickets. Only your elders were allowed to enter and stand outside cinema where they are able to hear the sounds of the movie but they are not allowed to enter into the cinema itself. They are not allowed even to peep inside. Only the senior pastor is allowed into the cinema to watch the whole movie!

The Jewish people had been taught that the Holy Place represent earth and the Most Holy Place, heaven. They know that it is a representation. They also knew that God Himself come down from heaven to the Most Holy Place. Jesus Christ brought us all to the real tabernacle. This tabernacle was not made by human hands but by God. Jesus Christ brought us into the heavenly tabernacle- the Throne room in heaven as described by John in Rev.4:2-11.
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."

REV 4:9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

REV 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."

The people are no longer limited to the outer courts. In the new form of worship, everyone enters into the Holy Place and even the Most Holy Place. Jesus is the High Priest forever. We are all priests.

(3) Blood sacrifice
We are able to enter the heavenly sanctuary because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Heb.9:13-14
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

In general, the sacrificial animal for sin offerings depended on the status of the sinner offering the sacrifice;
-for a high priest or an entire community, the sacrifice was to be of a young bullock;
-for a king or a prince the offering had to be a young male goat;
-for other individuals the offering had to be either a young female goat, or a female lamb;
-for poor individuals unable to afford these, a turtle dove sufficed.
Like the other types of sacrifice, the sacrificial animal had to be completely unblemished.

The ritual of the sin offering began with the offerer confessing their sins over the head of the victim; in the case of community offerings the elders performed this function; in the case of the Day of Atonement, the high priest performs this task. The animal would then be killed by the offerer, or the priest if the offerer preferred, and the blood carefully collected by Levites in an earthen vessel. In the case of sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem, some of the blood would be sprinkled in front of the veil covering the entrance to the Most Holy Place, except on the Day of Atonement, when the blood would be sprinkled in front of the mercy seat; this was done seven times. The remainder of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar, and the earthen vessel that had contained it would be smashed, while the fat, liver, kidneys, and intestines, were burnt on the altar.

Lev 17: 11
11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

By offering his blood from the perfect sacrifice, Jesus gave us a new form of worship that completely cleanses our conscience and earned us complete redemption from God.

Lessons for us
(1) The new covenant brings a new form of worship
(2) Jesus Christ the High Priest has given us direct access to the Most Holy Place by the shedding of His blood
(3) There is power in His blood. His blood has brought completely cleansing of our sins and complete redemption from God
(4) Our worship is now in the Presence of God

The new form of worship in the new covenant can be summarised by two P; Presence and Power.
· Presence of God in our everyday life, easy access, and relational.

Let us never forget what privilege it is to entry the presence of God. Just think of getting an appointment to meet the Menteri Besar. You have to go through his appointment secretary, then political secretary and then many layers of bureaucrats before you can even fix a date. Even then, you can never be sure he will be there for the meeting. How about arranging a meeting with the Sultan of Johor? Or with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong? Yet, the King of kings, the Lord Creator has allows us instant access to his Most Holy Place, anytime we want. It is sad that we often take such access for granted.

· Power of the blood of Jesus Christ gives us forgiveness of our sins and completes redemption. It is a bondage breaker. It breaks the bondage of sin over our lives and of the power of Satan over our lives.

This account is from Steel in his Soul: The Dick Hillis Story.

“One day as a missionary Dick Hillis preached in a Chinese village, his sermon was interrupted by a piercing cry. Everyone rushed toward the scream, and Dick’s co-worker, Mr. Kong, whispered that an evil spirit had seized a man. Just then, a woman rushed toward them. “I beg you help me!” she cried. “An evil spirit has again possessed the father of my children and is trying to kill him.”

The two evangelists entered the house, stepping over a filthy dog lying in the doorway. “An evil spirit has possessed Farmer Ho,” Kong told the onlookers, “Our God, the ‘Nothing-He-cannot-do One’ is more powerful than any spirit, and he can deliver this man. First, you must promise to burn your idols and believe in Jesus, son of the Supreme Emperor.”

The people nodded. Kong asked Dick to begin singing the hymn, “There is power in the blood.”

“Now,” continued Kong, “in the name of Jesus we will command the evil spirit to leave this man.” Kong continued praying fervently. Suddenly, the old dog in the doorway vaulted into the air, screeching, yelping, whirling in circles snapping wildly at his tail. Kong continued praying and the dog abruptly dropped over dead.

Instantly Dick remembered Luke 8, the demons of the Gadarenes who invisibly flew into the herd of swine. As Kong finished praying, Farmer Ho seemed quiet and relaxed, and soon he was strong enough to burn his idols. At his baptism shortly afterward, he testifies, “I was possessed by an evil spirit who boasted that he had already killed five people and was going to kill me. But God sent Mr. Kong at just the right moment and in Jesus, I am free.” (Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, Volume 1, p. 249)

Conclusion
Jesus Christ is the new High Priest who by His blood leads us to a new form of worship.

The hymn, There is Power in the Blood was written by Lewis E. Jones during a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.
Would you be free from the burden of sin? Would you over evil a victory win?
Would you be free from your passion and pride? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Sin stains are removed in its life giving flow
Would you do service for Jesus your king? Would you live daily, His praises to sing?

Soli Deo Gloria

A New Form of Worship

Text: Hebrews 9: 1-14

Summary
Jesus Christ is the new High Priest who by His blood leads us to a new form of worship: Presence and Power.

Text (Hebrew 9:1-14)
HEB 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

HEB 9:6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

HEB 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Introduction
In the last sermon, we studied Jesus Christ as the High Priest of a New Covenant. This covenant replaces the covenant of the Law of Moses. The new covenant can be summarised in Heb. 8:10.
HEB 8:10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

No longer are we ruled by an external law but from an internal law-our conscience. This week, we shall look at how God has made it possible for the new covenant to come into being.

As a reminder, the writer of Hebrews was addressing Jewish Christians who came from a background of Temple cultic worship. Hence they are familiar with the tabernacle, which later was built as Solomon’s temple (First Temple) when Israel settled into the Promised Land. They had been worshipping in Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem before they became Christians. Now, because of persecutions and hardships, they were thinking of reverting back to Judaism. The writer of Hebrews was reminding them that Jesus is a superior High Priest that superseded all human high priests in the tabernacle or temple worship.

(1) Sanctuary
In Hebrews 9:1-10, he reminded them of the tabernacle worship and the makeup of the tabernacle.
HEB 9:1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

HEB 9:6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance

Then he made a comment that the Holy Spirit used this arrangement as an illustration.
8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Worship in its true sense is not a matter of food and drinks. It is not a matter of what we do, or what the priests did on our behalf. There are two points he made:
(1) The access into the Most Holy Place is still not known as long as the tabernacle was still standing.
(2) The sacrifice is not able to clear the conscience of the worshippers.
Therefore it is an incomplete system of worship.
· It did not bring people into the presence of God.
· It did not clear the conscience of the worshippers.
· It did not bring full forgiveness of their sins.

(2) Access
Jesus Christ, however as the great High Priest, brought a complete system of worship. He brought the worshippers into the Most Holy Place itself.
Heb. 9:11-12
HEB 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

In the tabernacle/temple worship, only the priests are allowed into the Holy Place every day. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once a year for the Day of Atonement. Before the high priest enters, he has first to sacrifice a bull for his sins and the sins of his family, then another bull for the sins of the people of Israel. Then he enters the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. The people can only be in the outer courts where the laver and the braze altar were. They will never see the inside of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. All their lives, they will be limited to worship in the courts of the tabernacle.

This is like the whole church going to watch Spiderman 3 at the Cathay Cineplex at City Square, Johor Bahru. You went there and bought your ticket. However you are only allowed to stnad outside the cinema, where they sell the popcorns and tickets. Only your elders were allowed to enter and stand outside cinema where they are able to hear the sounds of the movie but they are not allowed to enter into the cinema itself. They are not allowed even to peep inside. Only the senior pastor is allowed into the cinema to watch the whole movie!

The Jewish people had been taught that the Holy Place represent earth and the Most Holy Place, heaven. They know that it is a representation. They also knew that God Himself come down from heaven to the Most Holy Place. Jesus Christ brought us all to the real tabernacle. This tabernacle was not made by human hands but by God. Jesus Christ brought us into the heavenly tabernacle- the Throne room in heaven as described by John in Rev.4:2-11.
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."

REV 4:9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

REV 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."

The people are no longer limited to the outer courts. In the new form of worship, everyone enters into the Holy Place and even the Most Holy Place. Jesus is the High Priest forever. We are all priests.

(3) Blood sacrifice
We are able to enter the heavenly sanctuary because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Heb.9:13-14
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

In general, the sacrificial animal for sin offerings depended on the status of the sinner offering the sacrifice;
-for a high priest or an entire community, the sacrifice was to be of a young bullock;
-for a king or a prince the offering had to be a young male goat;
-for other individuals the offering had to be either a young female goat, or a female lamb;
-for poor individuals unable to afford these, a turtle dove sufficed.
Like the other types of sacrifice, the sacrificial animal had to be completely unblemished.

The ritual of the sin offering began with the offerer confessing their sins over the head of the victim; in the case of community offerings the elders performed this function; in the case of the Day of Atonement, the high priest performs this task. The animal would then be killed by the offerer, or the priest if the offerer preferred, and the blood carefully collected by Levites in an earthen vessel. In the case of sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem, some of the blood would be sprinkled in front of the veil covering the entrance to the Most Holy Place, except on the Day of Atonement, when the blood would be sprinkled in front of the mercy seat; this was done seven times. The remainder of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar, and the earthen vessel that had contained it would be smashed, while the fat, liver, kidneys, and intestines, were burnt on the altar.

Lev 17: 11
11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

By offering his blood from the perfect sacrifice, Jesus gave us a new form of worship that completely cleanses our conscience and earned us complete redemption from God.

Lessons for us
(1) The new covenant brings a new form of worship
(2) Jesus Christ the High Priest has given us direct access to the Most Holy Place by the shedding of His blood
(3) There is power in His blood. His blood has brought completely cleansing of our sins and complete redemption from God
(4) Our worship is now in the Presence of God

The new form of worship in the new covenant can be summarised by two P; Presence and Power.
· Presence of God in our everyday life, easy access, and relational.

Let us never forget what privilege it is to entry the presence of God. Just think of getting an appointment to meet the Menteri Besar. You have to go through his appointment secretary, then political secretary and then many layers of bureaucrats before you can even fix a date. Even then, you can never be sure he will be there for the meeting. How about arranging a meeting with the Sultan of Johor? Or with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong? Yet, the King of kings, the Lord Creator has allows us instant access to his Most Holy Place, anytime we want. It is sad that we often take such access for granted.

· Power of the blood of Jesus Christ gives us forgiveness of our sins and completes redemption. It is a bondage breaker. It breaks the bondage of sin over our lives and of the power of Satan over our lives.

This account is from Steel in his Soul: The Dick Hillis Story.

“One day as a missionary Dick Hillis preached in a Chinese village, his sermon was interrupted by a piercing cry. Everyone rushed toward the scream, and Dick’s co-worker, Mr. Kong, whispered that an evil spirit had seized a man. Just then, a woman rushed toward them. “I beg you help me!” she cried. “An evil spirit has again possessed the father of my children and is trying to kill him.”

The two evangelists entered the house, stepping over a filthy dog lying in the doorway. “An evil spirit has possessed Farmer Ho,” Kong told the onlookers, “Our God, the ‘Nothing-He-cannot-do One’ is more powerful than any spirit, and he can deliver this man. First, you must promise to burn your idols and believe in Jesus, son of the Supreme Emperor.”

The people nodded. Kong asked Dick to begin singing the hymn, “There is power in the blood.”

“Now,” continued Kong, “in the name of Jesus we will command the evil spirit to leave this man.” Kong continued praying fervently. Suddenly, the old dog in the doorway vaulted into the air, screeching, yelping, whirling in circles snapping wildly at his tail. Kong continued praying and the dog abruptly dropped over dead.

Instantly Dick remembered Luke 8, the demons of the Gadarenes who invisibly flew into the herd of swine. As Kong finished praying, Farmer Ho seemed quiet and relaxed, and soon he was strong enough to burn his idols. At his baptism shortly afterward, he testifies, “I was possessed by an evil spirit who boasted that he had already killed five people and was going to kill me. But God sent Mr. Kong at just the right moment and in Jesus, I am free.” (Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories, Volume 1, p. 249)

Conclusion
Jesus Christ is the new High Priest who by His blood leads us to a new form of worship.

The hymn, There is Power in the Blood was written by Lewis E. Jones during a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.
Would you be free from the burden of sin? Would you over evil a victory win?
Would you be free from your passion and pride? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Sin stains are removed in its life giving flow
Would you do service for Jesus your king? Would you live daily, His praises to sing?

Soli Deo Gloria

The Transforming Moment

Ever wonder how spiritual formation takes place? We spend our energies reading and studying the Word of God, praying, practicing the spiritual disciplines and serving the church and the world. Yet, we feel there is no difference in our spiritual life. Then something happens, and 'aha', suddenly everything makes sense, everything comes together, and it is easy to give up what we have been struggling for so long. What happened?

Some scholars believe that spiritual formation is a continuous hidden process, like a gradual incline of a standard curve on a graph. I believe that too. Spiritual formation is the the process of sowing the seeds of spiritual growth.

However, I also believe that there is something called spiritual transformation. Spiritual transformation occurs at the moment when the Holy Spirit takes what has been sowed, and transformed us. In that transforming moment we make a leap of spiritual growth into another level.

James Loder is the Mary D. Synnot Professor of the Philosophy of Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary. His book, The Transforming Moment, documents his thoughts about what I have just articulated. Shucks. Did you ever have this experience that you think you have come up with a brilliant idea and later found that someone else had already came out with it and published it first? His book is so well written that I forgive him. Loder interweaves psychology (developmental and psychoanalytic) and theology to examine and describe the transforming moment.

He described it as a five part structure: conflict-in-context, interlude for scanning, insight felt with intuitive force, release and openness, and interpretation and verification. In simple English, 'aha'. This transforming moment is "the pattern of God's action as Spiritus Creator, who transforms the human spirit, freeing it to indwell the Holy Spirit in conformation with Christ."

This transforming moment occurs in a crisis situation. In other words, spiritual transformation occurs only in, during, or after a crisis situation in our lives.

.

The Transforming Moment

Ever wonder how spiritual formation takes place? We spend our energies reading and studying the Word of God, praying, practicing the spiritual disciplines and serving the church and the world. Yet, we feel there is no difference in our spiritual life. Then something happens, and 'aha', suddenly everything makes sense, everything comes together, and it is easy to give up what we have been struggling for so long. What happened?

Some scholars believe that spiritual formation is a continuous hidden process, like a gradual incline of a standard curve on a graph. I believe that too. Spiritual formation is the the process of sowing the seeds of spiritual growth.

However, I also believe that there is something called spiritual transformation. Spiritual transformation occurs at the moment when the Holy Spirit takes what has been sowed, and transformed us. In that transforming moment we make a leap of spiritual growth into another level.

James Loder is the Mary D. Synnot Professor of the Philosophy of Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary. His book, The Transforming Moment, documents his thoughts about what I have just articulated. Shucks. Did you ever have this experience that you think you have come up with a brilliant idea and later found that someone else had already came out with it and published it first? His book is so well written that I forgive him. Loder interweaves psychology (developmental and psychoanalytic) and theology to examine and describe the transforming moment.

He described it as a five part structure: conflict-in-context, interlude for scanning, insight felt with intuitive force, release and openness, and interpretation and verification. In simple English, 'aha'. This transforming moment is "the pattern of God's action as Spiritus Creator, who transforms the human spirit, freeing it to indwell the Holy Spirit in conformation with Christ."

This transforming moment occurs in a crisis situation. In other words, spiritual transformation occurs only in, during, or after a crisis situation in our lives.

.

The Nativity Story

Watched The Nativity Story on DVD. This was shown in cinemas on 1 December 2006 but was not shown in cinemas in Malaysia. I bought the DVD in Singapore and was surprised that it has a PG (Parental guidance) rating. The nativity story, a PG rating? The reason became clear at the beginning of the movie. On a moonlight night, a group of soldiers raid a village, breaking into houses to murder all children under 2 years of age on King Herod’s order. Actually snatching the children, because there was no scene of killing and no blood or gore. There are two exciting scene in the movie and this is one of them. The rest of the movie moves at a slow sedentary pace that the 101 minutes run time feels like 300.

My impression of the movie is like looking at a snapshot of a family album. Each shot shows a picture, reminds you of something, and tells you more of the scene. There was a snapshot of Zechariah praying in the Temple. A voice whispers that he is going to be a father. Zechariah whispering back that his wife is old, and that he is old. Then he was struck dumb. Change of scene, Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) in Nazareth playing with other children. Next scene, Roman soldiers’ brutality in collecting taxes, then picture of Joseph (Oscar Isaac) watching Mary. Next snapshot of Joseph helping Mary’s family.

Next, Joseph's engagement to Mary, and Mary running out, “I don’t know the man, I don’t love him.” Change of scene, Mary resting under a tree, an angel (look like a man with a shiny white tunic) spoke to her, telling that she will be with child, and that Elizabeth was pregnant. Next, family meal and Mary wanting to go to visit her cousin Elizabeth. A short journey and Mary met Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo). Elizabeth felt her baby moved.

Snap, Mary wondering if what the angel said is true. Next, Elizabeth in labour, and out come John the Baptist! Snap, Mary going back to Nazareth very pregnant. Mary’s father very angry. Joseph coming forth to say that he will not denounce her, thus there will be no trial and no stoning of a pregnant unwed teenager. Next, villagers acting and looking with distain at two of them.

Snap, soldiers announcing a census. Next, Joseph leaving the village with Mary, sitting on a donkey to Bethlehem for the census. Then there was a long, long, long journey to Bethlehem via Jerusalem. There were camera shots of Joseph, Mary, and the donkey going up hills, coming down hills, on desert, on grassland, on rocky ground, and crossing a river. The second excitement in the movie was when Mary fell off the donkey while crossing the river!

Snap, Mary starting having labour pain when they are nearing Bethlehem, and Joseph desperately looking for shelter for them in the village. Finally ended with the animals in a stable. Baby Jesus was born. Here the cinema shots change until it looks like a Christmas card picture nativity scene, except there was no snow and no Christmas tree.

The movie portrays that part of the gospel well. I saw a short glimpse of Mary as a wistful teenager, angry at being married, scared at being pregnant, and finally accepting Joseph as her husband. Joseph came out strong in the movie. “All my life, I wanted honour,” he said. He came across as a disciplined man, a strong man, a compassionate man, and a man of honour. I also have glimpse of an evil looking Herod, the nasty Romans, and the Magi from Persia.

In fact, I like the three Magi the best. From their observatory in Persia, they discovered the coming alignment of stars, their decision or indecision to follow the stars, and their discovery of Jesus, the three Magi evoke the most interest in me and the three actors showed some three dimensional acting.

Unlike Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ which gave me post traumatic shock. The Nativity Story did not evoke any feeling in me except to recognise the story being played out on the screen. I would have liked to have seen more into the inner life of both Mary and Joseph in this most important period of their lives. This is a good movie to watch with the children to introduce them to that part of the gospel story. The film is directed by Catherine Hardwicke from a screenplay written by Mike Rich.

The Nativity Story

Watched The Nativity Story on DVD. This was shown in cinemas on 1 December 2006 but was not shown in cinemas in Malaysia. I bought the DVD in Singapore and was surprised that it has a PG (Parental guidance) rating. The nativity story, a PG rating? The reason became clear at the beginning of the movie. On a moonlight night, a group of soldiers raid a village, breaking into houses to murder all children under 2 years of age on King Herod’s order. Actually snatching the children, because there was no scene of killing and no blood or gore. There are two exciting scene in the movie and this is one of them. The rest of the movie moves at a slow sedentary pace that the 101 minutes run time feels like 300.

My impression of the movie is like looking at a snapshot of a family album. Each shot shows a picture, reminds you of something, and tells you more of the scene. There was a snapshot of Zechariah praying in the Temple. A voice whispers that he is going to be a father. Zechariah whispering back that his wife is old, and that he is old. Then he was struck dumb. Change of scene, Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) in Nazareth playing with other children. Next scene, Roman soldiers’ brutality in collecting taxes, then picture of Joseph (Oscar Isaac) watching Mary. Next snapshot of Joseph helping Mary’s family.

Next, Joseph's engagement to Mary, and Mary running out, “I don’t know the man, I don’t love him.” Change of scene, Mary resting under a tree, an angel (look like a man with a shiny white tunic) spoke to her, telling that she will be with child, and that Elizabeth was pregnant. Next, family meal and Mary wanting to go to visit her cousin Elizabeth. A short journey and Mary met Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo). Elizabeth felt her baby moved.

Snap, Mary wondering if what the angel said is true. Next, Elizabeth in labour, and out come John the Baptist! Snap, Mary going back to Nazareth very pregnant. Mary’s father very angry. Joseph coming forth to say that he will not denounce her, thus there will be no trial and no stoning of a pregnant unwed teenager. Next, villagers acting and looking with distain at two of them.

Snap, soldiers announcing a census. Next, Joseph leaving the village with Mary, sitting on a donkey to Bethlehem for the census. Then there was a long, long, long journey to Bethlehem via Jerusalem. There were camera shots of Joseph, Mary, and the donkey going up hills, coming down hills, on desert, on grassland, on rocky ground, and crossing a river. The second excitement in the movie was when Mary fell off the donkey while crossing the river!

Snap, Mary starting having labour pain when they are nearing Bethlehem, and Joseph desperately looking for shelter for them in the village. Finally ended with the animals in a stable. Baby Jesus was born. Here the cinema shots change until it looks like a Christmas card picture nativity scene, except there was no snow and no Christmas tree.

The movie portrays that part of the gospel well. I saw a short glimpse of Mary as a wistful teenager, angry at being married, scared at being pregnant, and finally accepting Joseph as her husband. Joseph came out strong in the movie. “All my life, I wanted honour,” he said. He came across as a disciplined man, a strong man, a compassionate man, and a man of honour. I also have glimpse of an evil looking Herod, the nasty Romans, and the Magi from Persia.

In fact, I like the three Magi the best. From their observatory in Persia, they discovered the coming alignment of stars, their decision or indecision to follow the stars, and their discovery of Jesus, the three Magi evoke the most interest in me and the three actors showed some three dimensional acting.

Unlike Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ which gave me post traumatic shock. The Nativity Story did not evoke any feeling in me except to recognise the story being played out on the screen. I would have liked to have seen more into the inner life of both Mary and Joseph in this most important period of their lives. This is a good movie to watch with the children to introduce them to that part of the gospel story. The film is directed by Catherine Hardwicke from a screenplay written by Mike Rich.

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord, even when I know everything about you, even when I have studied all the Scriptures with care, even when I have a great desire and willpower to work in your service, I can do nothing without the gift of your Holy Spirit. Often I realize that the clearest vision of true life, and the most sincere wish to live it, is not enough to make me a true disciple. Only when your Spirit has entered into the depth of my being can I be a real Christian, one who lives in and with and through you.

You make it clear to your friends that they should not leave Jerusalem but should "stay in the city until they are clothed with power from on high."

O Lord, I pray for the power of your Spirit. Let this power invade me and transform me into a real disciple, willing to follow you even where I would rather not go.

Amen.


Henri Nouwen
Prayers from Genesee

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord, even when I know everything about you, even when I have studied all the Scriptures with care, even when I have a great desire and willpower to work in your service, I can do nothing without the gift of your Holy Spirit. Often I realize that the clearest vision of true life, and the most sincere wish to live it, is not enough to make me a true disciple. Only when your Spirit has entered into the depth of my being can I be a real Christian, one who lives in and with and through you.

You make it clear to your friends that they should not leave Jerusalem but should "stay in the city until they are clothed with power from on high."

O Lord, I pray for the power of your Spirit. Let this power invade me and transform me into a real disciple, willing to follow you even where I would rather not go.

Amen.


Henri Nouwen
Prayers from Genesee

Biting my Tongue

Here is another excellent comment on the spiritual gifts of tongue by my good friend, Dr. Tan Soo Inn

When I was interviewed for the position of pastor of First Baptist Church, I had to answer one key question: "Do you speak in tongues?"The church had been split by the charismatic controversy. They had to know.My answer then and my answer now is this:"What you need to know is my theology on the matter. That is more critical then whether I have this gift."

I have not revisited this topic for some time. In the twenty odd years since that interview many of the churches I know have moved beyond that controversy and that divide. There has been a lot of maturing all round. Although different churches still have different views on the subject there isa much higher level of mutual respect and a lot of healthy learning between different traditions. (I am grateful for the many friends I have from Pentecostal and charismatic traditions. I am grateful for their
friendship and the opportunities we have for working together.)

But once in a while you get "deja vu all over again" and you get a speaker or a group that pushes the classical Pentecostal position on tongues, tongues here understood as an unknown language, sounds uttered in prayer unintelligible to the one praying and to others (1 Corinthians 14:2).Usually the agenda is the desire to
see the release of God's supernatural power. This is something seen as happening in a believer's life separate from conversion, an event often referred to as the baptism of the Spirit. As evidence that this release had taken place, one was given the gift of tongues. Tongues became something very critical because it was identified with spiritual empowerment which is the real goal. So what is my take on this?

First off I am very grateful to my Pentecostal and charismatic friends for reminding us of the need for the Holy Spirit's power. Luke summarizes Jesus's ministry in this way: "...with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by thedevil, because God was with him." (Acts
10:38 NET)

The link between supernatural power, the Holy Spirit andthe ability to do God's work is clear. And Jesus is the model for His church.Too often the modern church has put her trust in techniques, technology and good marketing to get God's job done, basically paying lip service to the need for the Spirit's
anointing. We welcome every reminder that while we should appreciate all tools the Lord gives us, our ultimate trust is in Him and in His empowerment.

But what is the linkage between spiritual anointing and thegift of tongues? Is tongues something that everyone should be seeking as the sign of God's empowerment? My starting point is 1 Corinthians 12: 29-30"Not all are apostles, are they? Not
all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform miracles, do they? Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they? Not all interpret, do they?" (NET)There is no ambiguity in the Greek. Paul is asking a rhetorical question that demands the answer "no". No, tongues is not for everyone.

Remember that Paul is writing to a church that included a faction that was pushing for more dramatic manifestations of the Spirit including the gift of tongues. This was a group who probably saw themselves as spiritual elites who wanted others to join them and apparently one of the marks that you had reached their level of anointing was the exercise of the gift oftongues.Paul is clear. No, not everyone has this gift. Indeed it isthe Lord who decides who gets what gift. (1 Corinthians 12:11). But Paul is
not against the gift of tongues. He admits to exercising the gift frequently in his private prayers. But he is also clear that his preference is that intelligible language be used when the church gathers so that believers can be edified."I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you, but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than
ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Corinthians 14:18-19 NET).

There are those who argue that there is a "sign of tongues"which is to be differentiated from the "gift of tongues." At Pentecost one of the signs that the Spirit had come was tongues. And everyone ought to seek this "sign of tongues" as evidence for
the Spirit's anointing though not all will be given the "gift of tongues."I do not see this differentiation in Scripture. The word "tongues" is the same both in Acts 2 and in 1 Corinthians. And if one were to push for the signs at Pentecost should we not also push for the sound of a violent wind and the tongues of fire?Therefore I am not convinced that the gift of tongues is the
indispensable sign of God's empowerment or that all Christians should strive to get it. And I am against any sort of elitism in the church. There are no second class Christians at the Lord's table.But I am convinced that we desperately need the empowermentof the Spirit for the life and mission of the church.

How then do we appropriate God's power for His purposes? For my answer I go to Acts 4: 23-31.Here we find a church totally sold out to God and His purposes. Initial success in mission work had provoked persecution. God's power was critically needed for a breakthrough. And so the group joined in corporate prayer
beseeching the Lord to intervene and work His power with the following results:"When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the HolySpirit and began to speak the word of God courageously." (4:31 NET) Yes there was accompanying physical phenomenon - the place was shaken - and the Lord does that sometimes, but the key words are "prayed," "filled with the Holy Spirit," and "began to speak the word of Godcourageously."When we focus on the phenomena of tongues we often get tiedup into all sorts of controversy that take us away from theheart of the issue.Instead of pushing tongues we should be searching our hearts and asking, are we are indeed sold out to God and His purposes? Are we really aware of our total helplessness to do His work apart from His anointing?Whatever our stand on the gift of the tongues, and every church needs to define their position, we must major on the majors

.Come O Lord and fill us again.