Posted by Pastor Pat on April 19, 2009
“Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” John 20:17
Often in reading the Scripture, we skim past great oceans of truth and thus fail to appreciate the height, depth, width, and breadth of what we just read. I believe John 20:17 is one of those untapped “oceans.”
In the words of our Lord, something powerful happened because of the cross. The alienated become brethren, the orphaned become adopted and the wayward become worshippers. Jesus uses an Old Testament formula to speak of the relationship His people have to their God, “My Father and your Father, and My God and your God” (Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12 ['I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people']; Jer. 7:23; 30:22; Ezek. 36:28). “His words are reminiscent of Ruth’s words to Naomi: ‘your people shall be my people and your God my God’ (Ruth 1:16)” (F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John, p.391). The language is that of the covenant made with Israel and promised to Israel. Let us not miss the slight alteration in our Lord’s expansion of this idea. Jesus identifies Himself with His people. Jesus includes us in His family. Let us for a moment recall the statement of our Lord in John 15:14-15.
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Posted by Pastor Pat on April 12, 2009
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
Why should I assemble with the saints of God on a weekly basis? What place or importance is Sunday morning worship to have in my life? Why should I attend weekly gatherings outside of Sunday morning? What contributions do such activities make in my Christian walk?
Often weekly church attendance can have a place of importance until something else comes up. Most of the time we are regular in our attendance, but sometimes other “things” crowd out our weekly attendance. Things like camping trips, fishing trips, family gatherings, or simple laziness can excuse us from attending. What place are “religious” activities to have in the Christian life and why should we attend to these things?
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Posted by Pastor Pat on March 7, 2009
Resurrection truth is a deep and settling expression of God’s richest grace. In the absence of such truth our own selfish desires and appetites would consume us. Life would cease having sunrises of hope
(1 Cor. 15). The despair would be oppressive and mankind would become more cannibalistic in their greed and self-indulgence.
Without a resurrection from the dead this life would be a “period” instead of a “line.”
It is all too easy to allow this truth to slip away from our psyche. In so doing, we are robbed of a compass in the midst of life’s storms. It is the resurrection from the dead that feeds the hungry and quenches the thirst of the parched. Hope . . . the word has lost much of its punch. What is hope? Hope is hearing the news of a child’s safety, of a positive doctor’s report, of a financial need being met. Jesus Christ is hope.
This hope was declared with an exclamation point in His resurrection from the dead. As we consider the resurrection there are several truths we need to be reminded of.
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Posted by Pastor Pat on March 5, 2009
I would like to begin this short study on noting the relationship of the cross to the Lenten season. Like most things surrounding us, familiarity causes them to lose their significance. We become so accustomed to all things “Christian” that we fail to see beyond the shadow and believe the thing it represents is the shadow itself. It is like the plastic fruit sitting comfortably in the middle of the dining room table. What the plastic fruit represents is real fruit, but the illusion exists to make those who see it for the first time to think it is real. The cross in our “Christian” culture is like plastic fruit. It exists only to represent. In many ways, we have allowed the cross to collect dust as it sits comfortably in the middle of our lives; to become familiar, and in its familiarity, our view of it diminishes and we rob it of its intrinsic value. Albert Mohler captures this idea in his thoughts on, “The Foolishness of the Cross.”
Paul’s language is familiar to us because we have read and heard these words so many times. In fact, we have probably become too familiar with them, because what Paul says here, as the Corinthians would have heard it, is a revolutionary message, a counterintuitive message, a counter-cultural message, and in all probability, the Corinthians were not quite prepared to hear this. For what Paul says is that the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God.[1]
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Posted by Pastor Pat on March 3, 2009
(Advent, Lent, Pentecost)
Why Does Waukesha Bible Church
Mark Certain “Religious” Holidays?
Or
How We Participate in the Global Community and Conversation
Without Losing Our Theological Distinctiveness
As lead pastor and co-elder, I am sensitive to the unique personality we have as a local church. I am also aware of our part inside the global body of Christ. Neither one can be denied without doing great harm. I was raised religiously as a Roman Catholic. I left the Roman Catholic Church and became an Independent Baptist. Apart from the “New Birth,” my movement from Roman Catholicism into becoming an Independent Baptist was not intentional. It simply existed, and it was where I ended up. Although the move was providential and not necessarily intended by me, looking back I believe it was necessary and important that I break with the Roman Catholic Church. After I left Catholicism, I began attending a Bible College. My religious training took me further into a subset of Christianity called, “Fundamentalism.” The brand of Fundamentalism I engaged in practiced an idea called “secondary separation.” Inside of this context, I opposed all forms of doctrine that did not line up with my (“our”) system of thought. This ideology produced a separation and isolation from the larger expressions of professing Christianity.
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Posted by Pastor Pat on March 1, 2009
What is the role of the Christian, the local church, and the pastor as it relates to issues of morality, legislation and the government? Do we have a role? Do we have a voice? Is there a responsibility laid on us by God toward those who would perpetuate evil?
Before our nationalism and patriotism “lurches forward,” Christians have a first and primary responsibility to God. When Peter found himself questioned by the local government authorities and was pressured to end his activity, he responded with, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
As United States citizens we have marked such events as “Roe versus Wade,” “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,” “President’s Day,” “Holocaust Remembrance Day,” “Earth Day, Labor Day,” “National Day of Prayer,” “Memorial Day,” “Flay Day,” “Independence Day,” “Labor Day,” and “Thanksgiving,” to name just a few. All of these “holidays” touch critical issues such as the sanctity of life, racism, equality, slavery, government, just war, environmentalism, patriotism, civil disobedience, work, and welfare.
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Posted by Pastor Pat on December 11, 2008
Rick Warren, in 1995, wrote, “Surfing is the art of riding waves that God builds. God makes the waves; surfers just ride them. No surfer tries to create waves. If the waves aren’t there, you just don’t surf that day! On the other hand, when surfers see a good wave, they make the most of it, even if that means surfing in the middle of a storm. Only God can create waves – waves of revival, waves of growth, and waves of spiritual receptivity.” (Warren, The Purpose-Driven Church, 13-14).
His observation is insightful and correct. In God’s good providence He has chosen to bring us through many events that, at times, appeared dark and less than favorable. In the midst of our hardships we often lost sight of the larger picture. We were so close to the problem that the various pieces were all fuzzy. God, in His grace, is slowly allowing us to step back and see the bigger picture. Activities that once appeared to be disjointed are now coming into focus. God is choosing to act in our midst. God is creating a wave of opportunity that is going to launch us into this century in a mighty way. It is not something we will be able to explain or take credit for. It will be big enough that only God could have done it and only He will be able to receive glory for it. There are lessons we have learned over the last few years that are invaluable. They are lessons He has wanted us to learn in preparation for this moment.
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Posted by Pastor Pat on
“If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” Is. 7:9
The year was 720 BC. The messenger was the prophet to the kings, himself of royal descent. The recipient of the message was the wicked king of the Southern Tribe Ahaz. The nation stood on the brink of civil war with the 10 Northern tribes seeking to ravage their Southern “brothers.” “The hearts of the people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind (7:2).” Isaiah’s message was simple, “Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands (7:4).” And yet he added a very sobering reminder, “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” Isaiah’s words remind us of our two options for living life. We will either believe “the facts of God” or work off of “the feelings of man.”
The circumstances facing Ahaz were real and threatening.
He could “see the white of their eyes.” He could “feel the weight of their words.” He could “taste the darkness” that was beginning to swallow up the nation. And yet Isaiah called him to believe God. God would destroy the Northern tribes. None of the evil planned against Judah would stand or come to pass (7:7).
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