Education

I’ve only recently begun to read blogs.  It started out with technology and video game blogs, but since starting my own I’ve begun to seek out other Christians doing something similar to what I do here.  One of the most compelling bloggers I’ve found thus far is Alan Knox.  This morning I stumbled across a blog he wrote back in September of 2008 about spiritual maturity and formal education (Maturity and Education).  Given the title of my blog and my recent decision to go to seminary myself;  I’ve decided to post my own thoughts on the subject.

The idea of education in the Church is one that has often perplexed me.  The apostles were fishermen, tax collectors, and were even called “uneducated men” (Acts 4:13).  They were men filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in faith and trust in God.  On the other hand, they did spend three years under Jesus teaching prior to his crucifixion and also received teaching during Christ’s short stay on earth after His resurrection.  As with most ideas in our faith, it comes down to the heart.

How you approach Christian education makes all the difference.  If you  go into seminary or bible school with the intent to gain a degree just so you can pursue a career in ministry and keep that mentality throughout your studies, you will gain quite a bit of knowledge.  However, that knowledge may not result in exponential growth in spiritual maturity.  If you enter into seminary with the intent to seek the heart of God, the self discipline, amount of study, and time needed to complete any degree in Christian higher education will undoubtedly result in greater maturity upon graduation.

I am learning that going to seminary requires a great deal of humility.  the school I am planning to attend requires you to have three recommendation letters and a church endorsement.  For me, that is humbling because it takes the control out of my hands, and puts it into the hands of those who know me and live with me.  Going to seminary is also humbling because you must acknowledge your need to learn.

I will say that I do not believe higher education is a prerequisite to living out a call to ministry.  Stephen lived out a bold ministry that lead to his martyrdom, and that martyrdom is the only time we see him in scripture.  There is no scriptural basis for saying that he knew, or followed Jesus prior to Pentecost.

In closing, I believe that bible schools, and seminaries are an important part of Church growth because they offer a level of commitment to the study of God’s word and the Church that is needed.  I also believe that there is much more to being a leader in the Church than having a diploma from an educational institution.

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Ambition

I may have been over ambitious to start this blog when I did. There is a large amount of preparation and time that goes into the posts I want to write about the New Testament, but I just don’t have the time to give right now. Between working two jobs and raising a newborn daughter I barely have time to get laundry done.

I don’t want to stop this blog, and I don’t want to cheapen the scriptures with poorly thought out posts and ideas. With that said, the content on this blog is going to shift for the time being. Once a week I’ll post something relating to my personal experiences and how my faith impacts them. I am also going to try and post once a month continuing with the discussion of the New Testament.

As time opens up on my schedule I will move back towards the weekly scripture discussions.

see you next Sunday

 

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A Short Delay

This has been a rough week, so I spent yesterday relaxing and spending time with my family. I’ll hopefully have the next blog on the first part of Matthew 2 up by Sunday.

Peace be with you

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Milestones

Milestones are important because they remind us to reflect on and remember what God has brought us through.  In an age of constant upgrades, updates, and innovation, we often forget where we’ve come from.

Today is the first anniversary of my marriage to Katelyn.

The past year has been one of the best and hardest years of my life.  I’ve gotten married, moved halfway across the country, become a father, had two family members go to be with the Lord, and grown into more of a man than I thought  possible in 365 days.  I’ve grown incredibly close to God, and have had dreams restored.  This blog is actually the fruit of one of my most treasured places of growth; my regular reading of the scriptures.

One of the most humbling reflections I am having right now is recognizing that growing in certain areas of my life means returning to ideals and a level of faith that I had years ago, rather than discovering a new thought process or idea.  The Holy Spirit also uses our milestones to encourage our hearts.  Even if we look back on heartbreak and anguish, His voice reminds us that He has conquered our circumstances, and worked out everything for our good and the glory of God.

We must always remember that every milestone is a gift from above.  We would not have the breath in our lungs were it not for God’s love and tender mercy.  When we come to an accomplishment we must pour our hearts out before the almighty king and worship his majesty and grace.   Whenever we receive praise, it is our duty to turn in prayer and direct praise to the only one who is worthy and good.  At the same time, I still wrestle with how to go about this, since self deprivation can often turn into a form of conceitedness and boasting among Christians (The first will be last and the last will be first).

I encourage you use your milestones as a time of remembrance and praise.  If you are reaching out to attain a milestone, I encourage you to turn your heart to prayer and trust that God will guide you in all wisdom and knowledge because of His great love for you.

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More Questions than Answers: Matthew 1:18-25

The older I get the more I realize how little I really understand.  The wisdom of God is much greater and more magnificent than I could ever fathom.  I love passages like this because they draw me into awe and worship.

Here’s the passage

Matthew 1:18-25

Here are three questions.

#1Why did God choose to have Christ enter the world with the appearance of sin? (vv 18-21)

Mary was a betrothed woman.  The passage makes clear that she and Joseph have not yet come together in intercourse.   Her being found pregnant immediately insinuates adultery and under the Levitical law she is to be put to death (Leviticus 20:10).  I think this is why Joseph is visited by an Angel in order to preserve his marriage to Mary.  If she were to simply come to him insisting she was still a virgin, he would have no reason to believe her, especially in that culture.

(I do think it is remarkable the love that Joseph has for Mary.  The amount of tenderness, grace, and mercy he gives her is a true example of how every husband should treat his wife).

#2- Is Jesus the name that the Son held before His incarnation? (vv 22-23)

In view of eternity, this question is trivial, but I think about it because of the weight the name of Jesus carries in scripture.  It is in His name we are saved, It is by His name that all authority is carried in the Church.  It is the name by which we pray, and it is at the name of Jesus that every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord.  It really just makes me think about His majesty, which is a good thing.

#3-  Why would God even consider saving us? (vv 21)

This is a question that I think every Christian considers at some point.  It is a humbling one, and one I encourage you to dwell on.

We really don’t grasp the magnitude of God coming to Earth.  Less so do we understand the magnitude of Him coming to Earth as a Man.  We can put all kinds of theories and doctrines into words (I think it’s important that we do), but at the end of the day we must lay our logic and wisdom at the feet of Jesus. and put our faith in Him.

Remember this: Were there no nativity, there would be no cross, no resurrection, and no salvation.  It may seem obvious, but I think that Jesus’ birth is something that gets taken for granted sometimes.  I encourage you to dwell on the mysteries of the incarnation and the salvation that comes through it.  It is not a seasonal story just to be discussed at Christmas time, but is at the very foundation of our faith.

I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my college professors.

“God Chose that Love is best expressed incarnate”. – Jeff Quinn 

Next week’s passage: Matthew 2:1-6

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