tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3054236912056971182024-03-05T12:40:43.741-05:00Spiritual WildernessSeeking the Ancient PathBrandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-86451590576205616872022-11-30T11:11:00.001-05:002022-11-30T11:11:14.751-05:00Galatians 1:11-24<p></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Galatians 1:11-24</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel
that was preached by me is not man's gospel.[a] 12 For I did not receive it
from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of
Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I
persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was
advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely
zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me
apart before I was born,[b] and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to
reveal his Son to[c] me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I
did not immediately consult with anyone;[d] 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to
those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned
again to Damascus.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit
Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other
apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you,
before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and
Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are
in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is
now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God
because of me.</i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">On July 24, 1725, John Newton was born in London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His mother has a godly woman and tried to
raise her son in the faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before he
was seven years old his mother would pass away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At eleven years old, he went to sea with his father, merchant
commander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would spend the next 19
years of his life in the navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
leaving the Navy, he became involved in the slave trade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had forgotten the Savior that his mother
had taught him about, and become a blasphemer and injurious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caught in a storm on the high seas he was
brought to say, “I stood in need of an Almighty Savior, and such a one I found
described in the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lord
had wrought a marvelous thing.”</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">Back on dry land in Liverpool, he encountered the preach
of George Whitfield, and leaders of the Evangelical Revival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was during this time that his thoughts
turned to ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was eventually
settled at a parish in Olney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spent
16 years at Olney where he and William Cowper would write hymns for their
midweek service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">In 1779, he became the minister of St. Mary Woolnoth in
London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would preach there almost the
end of his life in 1807.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
encouraged to give up preaching in 1806 by Richard Cecil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His reply was, “I cannot stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What! Shall the old African blasphemer stop
while he can speak?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man gave us
such great hymns as Amazing Grace, and additionally he published his own
experiences in the slave trade to aid Wilberforce in his cause to end the
trade.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">John Newton was the least likely candidate from a human
perspective. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was rough and tough
sailor, and described himself as a blasphemer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the life of a man like John Newton, we see a man called by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God revealed to him his son and our Savior
Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Christ gave him the
gospel and gave him a ministry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
church glorifies God for turning this misfit into a hero for the kingdom of
God.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">In our passage, we find that the Apostle Paul is writing
to the church in Galatia to answer opponents of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are teachers that have risen up in
opposition to Paul, and seem to have even challenged his authority or
Gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An important part of this
opposition centers around Jewish Christians that are encouraging or insisting
that Gentile Christians accept the mark of circumcision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important in this context that the
Apostle Paul begin from where God has led him from.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">In Verses 13-14, Paul reminds his readers of his past
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul’s reputation is widely known
in the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know this because he
starts these verses by saying, you guys have heard about my previous life as a
Pharisee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He references two particular
aspects of his former life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, he
was a persecutor of the Church and tried to destroy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, he was a staunchly determined to
follow the traditions of his ancestors through adherence to the Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His was fanatical in both these and it was
well known to others in the church.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">He was a determined persecutor of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know from the book of Acts that he was
seeking out Christians wherever he could find them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Christians were to be put to death, the
Apostle Paul voted against believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
find him in the story of the stoning of Stephen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only was Paul seeking to persecute the
church, but in verse 13, he admits his aim was to destroy the church.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">In the book of Philippians, Paul runs through a more thorough
pedigree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In verse 14, we see a similar
description.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is far briefer, but the
meaning is still the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the
most zealous Jew there was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
absolutely devoted to the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lived
and breathed the law all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John
Stott discusses the mind set of the Apostle Paul, and states that a man in that
state is in no mood to change his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is an important point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul
is set in his ways, and only an act of God would change his heart and mind.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">Paul has established the type of person he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opinions he held so zealously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then moves forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says, folks that is where I was, but had set
me apart from before I was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He set
me apart before I was born, and he revealed his Son Jesus Christ to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called me out of my old life by his grace
and his revealed his son to me.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">We see this dramatic change in the life of Paul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is using this testimony to back up his
claim in verses 11-12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gospel that
I am preaching is from Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so
up to my neck in law adherence and hatred for the Church, that the only explanation
for the change in my heart is an act of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God changed his heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Delivered
him from himself, and that is the gospel he received from Christ on the road to
Damascus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">God had set him apart from before he was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why had God set him apart?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read in verse 16, God had worked this out
in order that he might preach this Gospel to the gentiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he came to Galatia to preach the Gospel,
it was the Gospel he received from Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was sent on mission by God to take the good news to the Gentiles.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus tells us to let our lights
shine before men that they might glorify God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We see in chapter 23-24, the churches learn that the persecutor has
become the preacher, and they glorify God because of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They know that the only way something so
outrageous could have happened, by an act of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The see it rightly as a miracle of God grace,
and they glorify him for it.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">I bet you are wondering what this means to you, and I am
glad you asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, God set his heart
on you in eternity past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He determined
to call you to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He provide the
means that you might be reconciled to him through his Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did this not on account of how marvelous
you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t do all this because
you had all your stuff together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did
it in spite of yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">The gospel is from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>II Corinthians calls it the power of God to salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means that preachers do the preaching
and God brings in the harvest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Gospel comes from God, with the spirit of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is important for the next part.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">God has called you to mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If God we truly feel the depth of what God
has brought in our lives, then we should be overflowing with desire to share
what he has done with others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of
the Samaritan woman, who after meeting Jesus, charges into town saying, “come
meet a man who told me everything about myself!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many are probably telling themselves they
just can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps you feel like you
just don’t have the gifts to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remember God is just asking you to be obedient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Jesus sends out the disciples, he
promises them the Holy Spirit is going to give them the words to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget that the Gospel is the power of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We share, but God changes hearts.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;">Finally, we all have a past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Look at what the Apostle Paul had in his past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can drag all that crap along with us, or
we praise God from what he has saved us from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If we are honest with ourselves, we are our worst enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were headed 100 miles an hour into
destruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dead to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We being swallowed up by our own
wickedness….But God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God rescued us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He delivered us from ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He broke the power of sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow hard after God, and when people see
how far God has brought you, then they will praise God for the miracle he has
worked in you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like they did when
God turned the persecutor into the preacher!</p> <br /><p></p>Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-50276330032778241842022-10-28T10:01:00.001-04:002022-10-28T10:01:22.916-04:00Helping to Close Out The Real<p> <span> We are all sort of self-medicating aren't we? We lie to ourselves, but do we even believe that? My phone is a safe place that helps to silence the screams from the outside. It isn't important what it is that is encroaching. It is just easier to close out the real, and live in this world that doesn't really exist.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>I am just as guilty as everyone else. Whether it is to mindlessly thumb through Facebook, or some ridiculously useless game. We are seeking to avoid everything that makes life real. Relationships are difficult, so it is easier to "relate" in this imaginary world we call cyberspace. Conflict is hard, and so we "troll" one another in lengthy and seldom accurate comments.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Community is incredibly difficult. It is easy to be your "friend" in cyberspace, because I am not very likely to incur the cost of true friendship. There is a give and take in human relationships. They can be very costly. I may have to give up some of my own autonomy to engage in a real relationship.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Real world relationships are also difficult, because there are no filters in real life. I am right in front of your face. I am real. I am flawed. I don't get to present some airbrushed version of who I really am. I could try to present a false self, but in the end it will never lead to lasting relationship.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Have you considered the Samaritan woman at the well? I don't that we truly understand what is happening in this story. The culture distance is so great, that I think we miss something very very important. Our Sunday, purity culture eyes see woman that has apparently changed husbands like her shoes. It is easy to look down our noses at her. Have we missed something important?</span></p><p><span><span> </span>In that culture, a woman couldn't divorce a man. Woman could not own property as well. She would be completely dependent on a man to provide for her. The sad part of the story is that she had put all her chips in on a series of men, that turn out to cast her off like yesterday's garbage. That is what is truly heartbreaking. She was looking for affirmation, dignity, and to know that she matter to someone. In the end, she couldn't bear to go through that once more.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Jesus finds her at the well. She has resigned herself that she is the woman that is good enough for now. That is heartbreaking. She is an imagebearer of God, and none of the men that have used her and cast her aside have ever seen that. The Nazarene turns her world upside-down.</span></p><p><span><span> </span>Jesus saw her. His heart aches for her. He cherishes her for the imagebearer that she is. When she runs back into town, I think it is interesting what she tells the people in town. Come meet a man. Come meet a man that told me everything about myself. Isn't that what we all want though? We want to be fully known. We have to be fully known. All of our avoidance of relationship is because we haven't made peace with our own faults. We are certain that if the world knew my dark places, then they would reject me. This woman had to have felt the same thing. She is hiding in her shame. (A shame that really should be on the men that have used her....BTW). One day, she meets a man. She meets Jesus. In Jesus, she finds that she is fully known (warts included). She is fully known and (this is the most amazing part) she is delighted in. God delights in her. She has been bought with a price. </span></p><p><span><span> </span>Imagine what the world would be like if we all could feel that truth deep in our darkest places! </span></p>Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-64002622350903093032019-12-11T09:24:00.000-05:002019-12-11T09:24:23.780-05:00What is the Problem with Joel Osteen? I have been kicking this idea around in my head for a while. Now that I sit down to start, I am not sure where to start. Joel Osteen is a marvelous motivational speaker. I am just think that as a Pastor he is dropping the ball. <div>
There are people in our life that we would rather just lie to us. When we ask a stranger how they are doing, we certainly do not want to hear about their arthritis, or their no good son. Am I right? There is a level of dishonesty in our lives that we tolerate. Please tell me what I want to hear!</div>
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There are people in our life that we must hear the truth from. We certainly wouldn't want an oncologist that could not bear to be honest with us. If we have a tumor metastasizing through out our body, we would want an oncologist that was willing to give us the truth.</div>
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I would think that a pastor should fall into the same category. As the oncologist is dealing with life and physical death, a pastor is dealing with spiritual life and death. When a pastor puts a big smile on his face, and tells us how marvelous we are, then we should really be skeptical. </div>
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I am going to go right for the throat. Our biggest problem in life is not that we don't believe in ourselves. Believing or speaking affirmations to ourselves will not get us out of the mess we are in. I believe our biggest problem is that we tell ourselves we are far more fantastic than we are. Don't get me wrong. Self-esteem is not a bad thing, but if it helps to cloud our judgment or ability to see who we are when the lights are out, then it is deadly. </div>
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We look around and see some pretty awful people, then we smile to ourselves and think we are nailing this life thing. The problem is that the people around us are not who we should be comparing ourselves to. Ultimately, we will stand before a perfectly just and holy God. He is the standard. When we see that he is standard, then we are able to see how desperately sick we are.</div>
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People love to talk about Jesus, but I wonder if they ever have actually wrestled with his teaching. Jesus said that if you don't hate the people closes to you, then you are not fit for the kingdom. He is using hyperbole, but what he was saying is that you can not love anything more than God, and then get into the kingdom. We were made by and for God. If we find our satisfaction or worth in anything other God, then we are idolaters. I venture to guess that we have all committed idolatry before we even got out our bed this morning. I know I am guilty as charged. </div>
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So what is the solution? Jesus. Christ has born the punishment that we rightly deserve. On the cross he felt the alienation from God, that we ought to experience. Part of the reason that we don't love God as much as we ought, is because we have never really understood ourselves. We think we are kind of special, and why wouldn't God love us. I mean I love me. The problem is that we have been in complete rebellion against the rule of God from the moment we were born. Once we are able to see all of our wickedness clearly, then we fall in love with a God who would love his enemies so deeply. </div>
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I suppose I am a bit weird, but I would rather have a preacher tell me how rotten I am. When I am reminded of who terrible I am doing at this, then I remember how precious my God is. God has loved his enemies. I am grateful for that, because that is who I am when no one is looking.</div>
Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-51531175232918642872019-05-05T20:51:00.000-04:002019-05-05T20:51:06.308-04:00Let's Think Through This Together If you haven't figured it out yet...I am unapologetic in my Calvinism. If I were to raise one objection it would be with the application of the name Calvin. I suppose Augustinian would be a better fit. If I were trying to be especially provocative, then I would call myself Pauline. I think that could be a step too far for this venue. I digress.<br />
To avoid provocation and to bring some clarity to the issues I hope to raise, I will use the term monergist. When I use the word monergist, I mean that when it comes to the atonement, I consider it a complete work of God. I was dead in my sins. I could not come to faith in Christ without a supernatural work on God's part. I remain secure in the family of God, not by how hard I follow after him, but in how secure he holds me. <br />
Monergy gets a bad name when it comes to evangelism. I wanted to address some of that in this post. Monergist believe (along with Paul....sorry I will try not to do that again) God has called a people to himself before the foundation of the world. Some would argue that if God has already elected his people, then we have no need to evangelize. I wanted to take a minute to point out a few reasons why that is not a legitimate argument.<br />
Follow along with me for a moment. God has called a people to himself from the foundations of the world. One of the ways that his "effectual call" extends to his elect, is through the preaching of the Gospel. Our obedience to his commandment in the Great Commission is one of the means he calls his people to himself. We proclaim the gospel to all people, and those to whom God has prepared repent and believe. This should be a relief to the timid disciple. God has never asked anyone to be the most eloquent preacher. God only asks that we are obedient in sharing the gospel. God will do the rest. We should never compare ourselves to a Billy Graham or George Whitfield, because God still did all the work. Even if they had a silver tongue, that was still a gracious gift of the spirit. Each of the lives changed through their ministry was really changed by an internal work of the Holy Spirit. God took each of their hearts of stone and gave them a heart of flesh.<br />
I have found that monergy has lead to an exceptional humility. If I am honest with myself, then I really have nothing to hold over anyone. I didn't find Jesus, he found me. Even my good deeds are not my own. I am not a Christian because I had a single thing to offer the kingdom. Were it not for the unconditional election of God, then I would be right in the gutter with everyone else. <br />
When I meet unbelievers, I should keep in mind that they are dead in their tresspasses and sins. Without the regeneration of the Spirit, they will act in accordance to their own fallen nature. This does not absolve them from moral responsibility for their actions, but my interactions should be informed and guided by this understanding. It would be tempting to pray that they would abandon their sin, but shouldn't I plead with God to take their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh? Wouldn't I be in just as dark a place had God not taken my heart of stone? Shouldn't I extend grace rather than condemnation?<br />
I have kind of become a theology snob. I heard a worship song recently. The song was fine, but the preacher made me crazy. (He is a friend so I can do this!) I had this squirmy feeling that he was emphasizing the wrong part of the song. The song stated something about being called by name and running out of the grave. Taken in that order this song should gain a monergist seal of approval. Preacher, don't tell me about when I ran out of that grave! He called me. He called me by name! That is the craziest part of the whole story. I know who I am, but he called ME. He called me by name. It makes me think about the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus was dead for days. It is interesting that he stayed in the tomb all that time. It wasn't until Jesus called him by name, that he shuffled his way out of the grave. When I was dead in my sin, I could not move toward God. After God called me and gave me a heart of flesh, then I came running out of that tomb. Don't bury the headline! God called me by name! That is the good news!<br />
If I am elect before the foundations of the world and I am eternally secure, then why am I so scared to take the Gospel to the darkest places? I am held by God, and not the other way around. I have always been frustrated by Christians that are so caught up with being holy. Someone said that some Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. If the only people we ever kick with are already in the kingdom, then how do we keep the great commission? <br />
How can I know who is a part of God's elect? That was a trick question. I can't. This side of glory, I can not know who are God's elect. How do I navigate that? Live the gospel, share the gospel, God will do the rest. <br />
Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-22140230288667868862019-05-03T09:28:00.000-04:002019-05-03T10:00:42.936-04:00Get Real and Come HomeThat is why the Lord says, "Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don't tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead." Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.<p>Joel 2:12-13 (NLT)</p><p><br></p><p>Get real! Enough with outward displays of piety. Do business with God. Get honest with yourself. God was never looking for religious observance. He wants nothing more than your entire heart! He see through every act of superficial religiousness. He sees into the very darkest parts of our hearts. He is eager to bring the light of His salvation into those darkest parts of our hearts.</p><p> Return Home! You were created by and for God. No where else will ever bring that deep sense of coming home, like returning to your Creator. He longs for you to enjoy that unbroken fellowship like Eden. Coming to the cross is a return. It is a return to where we were always meant to be. A return to the relationship God intended between creature and Creator.</p><p> What is this God like? This Creator that is calling us back to himself. He is merciful. He is a God that shows unmerited favor to us. He is compassionate. He feels intimately all of our deepest hurts. He is filled to overflowing, and wants to see us healed and freed. He is slow to get angry. His love is long-suffering. Though we fail and fail again, yet he remains faithful. He stands ready to embrace us each time we fail.</p><p> You can be sure God will punish sin. As sure as the sunrise, we know that he will punish evil. However, he is eager to relent. If we approach him in humility and repentance, he is eager to relent. He has punished sin at the cross for our sakes. He doesn't want to punish us, and he is eager to relent and welcome us home.</p><p> Those who ultimately face judgement, are those who couldn't bear to submit to God in this life. They want nothing more than pure independence from God. Ultimately, God will give them everything they have ever wanted. An existence in complete independence from God and away from his presence. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-16895972542227126512019-04-29T13:43:00.001-04:002019-04-29T13:47:04.616-04:00How Has God Responded to Human Suffering Injustice entered creation at the fall and has always been deeply troubling to God. God, in his infinte knowledge, knew how evil man could become. He desired that Man's wickedness would not go unchecked for eternity. It was actually by an act of Mercy that God expelled man from Eden. By expelling man from the garden, He barred man's access to the Tree of Life. Were man able to access the Tree of Life, can you imagine the wickedness than man could do to one another, if they had eternity to think such thoughts? <span style="font-size: 1.1em;">God also heard the cries of his people. Oppressed and abused by their Egyptian taskmasters, he sent Moses. He displayed his great power and delivered his people from oppression. </span><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> Injustice is one of the most powerful results of the curse. Man has struggled for lack of a solution. Man could not repair the damage on his own. God stepped out of eternity. Veiled in flesh, he walked along side the broken. He was aquainted with sorrow. He was moved with deep compassion. The broken and diseased found love and healing in his eyes. The despised and rejected found acceptance in his arms.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> He then became the ultimate innocent victim of injustice. Incapable of sin, he was falsely accused. His trials were a mockery to any sense of justice. Vindicated and declared innocent by Pilate, his life was demanded by the crowd. He was condemned to die. He mocked and beaten cruelly. He was spat upon as he moved toward Man's greatest shame. He was lifted alongside common criminals. The one who had hung the stars, hung on a tree. He was mocked by the soldiers and even one of the justly condemned criminals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> Do we appreciate the gravity of this moment. A moment which threatened to unravel the entire cosmos. All of creation trembled in fear and was overcome with darkness. The one who had eternally enjoyed unbroken communion with the Father, was cast out and exiled from the source of all light and goodness in the entire universe. </span><span style="font-size: 1.1em;">After three days, he destroyed the power of sin and death. He started the process of unraveling and undoing the curse.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> We live in a great in between. Between when God has already destroyed sin and death, and yet men still do wicked things to one another. Where little boys and girls fear monsters under their beds, but sometimes those monsters are down the hall as well. Where the weak are enslaved and used by the powerful, and children die before they ever begin to live.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> Do not fool yourself! God is NOT unmoved by the injustice around us!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> The cross reminds us that injustice matters to God. It reminds us we are infinitely valueable to our creator. Our creator has walked in our shoes and suffered our sorrows. Lastly, it ought to remind us that it was never supposed to be this way. None of this was originally part of God's good design. It also reminds us that it will not always be this way. One day with a trumpet, Christ will return in power. He will judge the living and the dead. The curse will be undone. He will wipe wipe every tear from our eyes and he will give us peace.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 1.1em;"> So we see in the end that every injustice will be set right. None can avoid answering. Whether kneeling before the cross or standing defiantly before the throne of judgement, Christ will address every single act of injustice. Until that day, we must rest in the promises of God. We can trust Christ with all our deepest hurts because he has promised to repay and he has promised to wipe every tear from our eyes.</span></p>Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-12813590478827348042019-04-06T16:55:00.000-04:002019-04-06T16:55:05.883-04:00I Am Just Way Too Smart... When I was growing up, I secretly struggled with faith. Many times I thought I was too smart to believe in God. I have arrived at a place now, where I think it is the fool who doubts the existence of God.<div>
Scientists used to believe that everything in the universe was stationary. Further research has proved that is not the case. They have found that the universe is ever expanding. This leads to the big bang theory. Growing up in a fundamentalist background, I thought the big bang theory threatened the existence of God. That is not the case at all. Before the big bang there nothing. That means there was no space, time, or matter. Before nature there was nothing. In that moment before nature, everything that IS became in an instant. Whatever caused this big bang could not be time, space, or matter, or any natural. It would subsequently have to be supernatural. Aristotle would call this agent, the unmoved mover. A supernatural force that in an instant created everything "ex nihilo". The apostle John would describe that unmoved mover as the "Word of God". It makes sense doesn't it? Were this supernatural uncreated one to speak the universe into being , then I would expect it would make a big bang. The big bang turns the materialist cosmology on it's head. It becomes like a rock in the shoe of the atheist. The big bang fits perfectly within the theistic worldview, but challenges everything about the atheistic worldview.</div>
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Scientists used to believe that there were just a couple variables that made life possible on Earth. Further study has revealed that there are literally thousands of variables necessary for life to be possible here on Earth. If just one of these thousands of variables were to vary by even a fraction of the tiniest fraction, then life would be impossible. The idea that all of these variably became so ridiculously fine tuned at random is absolutely absurd. </div>
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Scientists acknowledge the logical difficulty this causes to their worldview. To counter the logical difficulty, they put forward the multiverse theory. The multiverse theory suggests that there is an infinite number of universes, and our universe is the only one where all of the variables fit to make life possible. If there is an infinite number of universes, that we have no way to prove, then perhaps by pure chance our universe could form in a way that would make life possible. They make this claim with absolutely no evidence. It actually stands completely opposed to everything we actually know of the universe. This only makes the idea a random and ridiculously fine tuned universe only slightly more plausible. Seriously though! What is more reasonable to accept on pure faith? An infinite number of universes exist, that cannot be observed or proven to exist, and one universe by pure random chance organized itself by pure random chance in a precisely fine tuned manner. Organized in the only way that would make life even possible. Or is there an intelligence that exists outside of creation that created the whole universe and fine tuned everything to the precise values that allowed life to exist on Earth. Honestly, I find the second option far more believable. When I combine the fine tuning with the other things we can deduce from the world around us, I think the idea of a creator is the best conclusion.</div>
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It has taken me a minute to get to this. You are created . You are not the result of random chance. You were designed and shaped by a perfect and infinite Creator. Not only were you created, but you were created with a purpose. The Apostle Paul tells us that God has preordained good deeds for you to do. God created you! He created you with a purpose and he has preordained good deeds for you to walk in. That is the true reality of your identity. You cannot forget that. You are of unbelievable importance and you should never forget that.</div>
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For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)</div>
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Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0Wadsworth, OH 44281, USA41.0256101 -81.72985190000002840.929785100000004 -81.891213400000026 41.1214351 -81.56849040000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-29223455615777368942019-04-01T15:49:00.001-04:002019-04-01T15:49:38.462-04:00Chasing After The Wind Where we begin, many times effects where we ultimately arrive. We call these starting points in thinking as presuppositions. I may need to offer a few of my own, and perhaps you will better understand how I arrived where I am.<br />
The Westminster Shorter catechism states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Man was created to bring glory to his Creator. The entire purpose of men's hearts, minds, bodies, and souls is to glorify God and enjoy him. When men seek other ends, their hearts are left longing and hollow.<br />
Augustine said his heart was restless until it rested in God. Pascal described man as containing a God shaped hole. A hole that nothing else can fill. Hobbies, loved ones, drugs, alcohol...nothing else but God will ever fill the emptiness in men's souls. God created man for himself and man will never find all he longs for except in God.<br />
If I know that nothing will fill that soul depth longing, then it would be unbelievably cruel to encourage you to seek any substitute. No lover, no career, no hobby, and no amount of wealth. Nothing will fill the deepest longing of your heart. King Solomon described it as chasing after the wind. I cannot watch silently as you seek to chase after the wind. I cannot stand idly by and allow you to believe a lie. You will need to learn for yourself. I am sure of that. I will stand ready to embrace you when, you finally come to realize that, "better is one day in God's house, than thousands elsewhere.<br />
Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-54850510415465031352019-02-09T16:55:00.000-05:002019-02-09T16:55:15.980-05:00Jesus as Jacob's Ladder<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="verse-num" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Gotham A", "Gotham B", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; letter-spacing: 0.25px; line-height: 0; text-indent: 20px; vertical-align: super;"> </span><span data-offset="1" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;">And</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"> </span><span data-offset="2" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;">he</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"> </span><span data-offset="3" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;">said</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"> </span><span data-offset="4" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;">to</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"> </span><span data-offset="5" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;">him</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"> </span><span class="woc" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">“</span><span data-offset="6" style="font-size: 17px;">Truly</span><span style="font-size: 17px;">, </span><span data-offset="7" style="font-size: 17px;">truly</span><span style="font-size: 17px;">, </span><span data-offset="8" style="font-size: 17px;">I</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="9" style="font-size: 17px;">say</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="10" style="font-size: 17px;">to </span><span data-offset="11" style="font-size: 17px;">you</span><span style="font-size: 17px;">,</span><i> </i><span data-offset="12" style="font-size: 17px;">you</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="13" style="font-size: 17px;">will</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="14" style="font-size: 17px;">see</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="15" style="font-size: 17px;">heaven</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="16" style="font-size: 17px;">opened</span><span style="font-size: 17px;">, </span><span data-offset="17" style="font-size: 17px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="18" style="font-size: 17px;">the</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="woc" style="background-color: white; color: #514d47; font-family: "Sentinel A", "Sentinel B", GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-indent: 20px;"><span data-offset="19" style="font-size: 17px;">angels</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="20" style="font-size: 17px;">of</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="21" style="font-size: 17px;">God</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="22" style="font-size: 17px;">ascending</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="23" style="font-size: 17px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="24" style="font-size: 17px;">descending</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="25"><span style="font-size: 17px;">on</span><i> </i></span><span data-offset="26" style="font-size: 17px;">the</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="27" style="font-size: 17px;">Son</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="28" style="font-size: 17px;">of</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span data-offset="29" style="font-size: 17px;">Man</span><span style="font-size: 17px;">.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">We have been studying the gospel of John in Sunday school lately. We were talking through the first chapter, when this verse struck me. I have read it before, but I had never really taken notice of it. As I read the verse this time, I was shocked by how much meaning is stuff in this short verse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"> When Jesus says this he is drawing our attention back to Jacob's ladder. Jacob's ladder was vision of Jacob's at Bethel. Jacob saw a ladder that stretch from Earth to Heaven. Jacob saw angels moving up and down this ladder between Heaven and Earth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">Nathaniel comes to meet Jesus. He is doubtful that anything good could come from Nazareth. Jesus must have sensed his doubt. He reveals to Nathaniel, a vision that Jesus had of Nathaniel under a fig tree. Nathaniel confesses that Jesus is the Son of God and King of Israel. It seems to me that Jesus is shocked that Nathaniel is so easily convinced, and so he kind of says wait till you see what is coming next!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">So what is Jesus trying to say in this verse? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">Jesus is saying that he is Jacob's ladder. Nathaniel is right in calling Jesus the Son of God and King of Israel, but Jesus is revealing that it means far more than Nathaniel thinks. Jesus is the connection between Heaven and Earth. He is the bridge that will connect Humanity to the Divine. Later in John's gospel he will say that he is "The Way". </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">As I think of the angels ascending and descending, I think of the two way relationship that Jesus creates between man and God. I think of the angels ascending as our prayers going up to the Father. Jesus acts as our mediator, and carries our prayers to the Father. As the angels are descending, I think of the blessings of the Father returning to us through Christ. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #514d47; font-family: Sentinel A, Sentinel B, GentiumPlus, ezra_silregular, Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">Hold on tight Nathaniel. That kind of how I think of Jesus making this statement. Wait till you see all that you are about to see. You are about to see Jesus bust open heaven. Jesus is about to connect Heaven and Earth. He will bring men to God. He will act as mediator between God and Man. So much packed into this verse, it is just amazing.</span></span></div>
Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-45332244878965466672019-02-02T17:55:00.000-05:002019-02-02T17:55:10.185-05:00Finding Our Greatest Joy We know something is not right. Our hearts ache. We need something to fulfill us, but we struggle to understand what that is. We try a hundred counterfeits to satisfy this deep soul longing. <br />
We think the answer could be wealth. Wealth seems to answer for a moment, but we are always left wanting more. We try the acclaim of other people. We bask in the praise of other men, but despair when left in the shadows. We wonder if "I were to work on myself, then that would put all the pieces together". However, that better person we are trying to be, is always just one step ahead of us. The person we would like to be never matches who we really are when we are all alone. We look to others. Perhaps romantic love is what will finally satisfy the soul. Lovers always fail us in some way. Lovers are never able to satisfy that longing deep in our souls. Food, alcohol, leisure. We try all these and only find we are emptier than when we started. <br />
We all cope with this longing in different ways. Some us try to numb ourselves to the ache. It doesn't go away. It always remain, but by numbing it, we don't have to feel it. We can forget for a moment. If we begin to feel it again, we can have more sex, drink more alcohol, use more drugs, eat more food. We each have our own specific agent we employ to numb the ache. Many of the things that we use to numb our hearts are not necessarily wrong or evil, but these things were never meant to be ultimate. They will never be able to fill our hearts. To believe that they would ever be able to, is a lie that only leaves us feel more heartbroken than when we began.<br />
Another way we cope with this dilemma is despair. We conclude that our hearts will never be satisfied. We despair of the meaninglessness of life and this deep unfulfilled longing. This would certainly be a miserable way to live life. Perhaps we all live in some sort of combination of these two approaches to life. We despair at the meaninglessness of life, and when it is too much we numb our pain with whatever has helped us in the past. <br />
There is a third way. If there is a longing that nothing in this world can fulfill, then it would seem that it points to something beyond this world. I think C.S. Lewis said something like that before. What if we are created by and for God? Many of the counterfeits that seem for a instant to ease the ache in our hearts are actually whispers of God. The pleasure of a romantic relationship is meant to point beyond itself to our Creator. The joy of children is meant to drive us to our Creator. If we are Created for God, then our identity must start there. Our hearts ache because they long to be caught up into all that they were made for. Created to glorify God, our hearts will never be truly satisfied until we are absorbed into worship of our Creator. When we realize that our greatest joy is found in God, then many of the things we used as counterfeits, they now drive us to greater and greater joy. When what was meant to be a good gift from God, is used the way it was meant to be, then we receive the greatest satisfaction out of those good gifts. The pleasure of the moment no longer terminates in that moment, but it pushes past the moment into greater and greater praise of God. We are filled with praise for the God that has give us such good gifts. <br />
When you think about it, many sins can be reduced to only one. What are we most guilty of? Idolatry! The sin of slothfulness is when God's good gift of leisure becomes a god to us. The sin of lust is when God's good gift of sexual intimacy becomes a god to us. The sin of pride is when we become god's to ourselves. When we take God's good gift of food and drink and allow them to become god's to us, then we become gluttons. When we make ultimate, what God meant to point our hearts to himself, then those things become idols.<br />
Aren't you tired of coming up empty? Don't you want to find your fill? Wouldn't you like to find the answer to that ache you have in your heart?<br />
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<i>"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.</i></div>
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<i>Isaiah 55:1-3 </i></div>
Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-41668931805725347632019-01-27T13:40:00.000-05:002019-01-27T13:40:48.305-05:00You Shall Call His Name Jesus and They Shall Call Him Immanuel As I continued to read in the first chapter of Matthew, I was struck by two more ways Jesus is described in the Gospel. The Angel appears to Joseph and tells him that Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The Angel then tells him to name the child Jesus, because he will save his people for his sins. Jesus is a Greek translation of the Jewish name Joshua or Yeshua. The name means Yahweh is salvation. Yahweh is the personal name given to Moses by God at the burning bush. So Jesus' name means that God is salvation. <br />
The world is not the way it ought to be. We are surrounded by brokenness and no mater what we do we cannot put things right again. Our hearts feel all of this and ache for an answer to it all. We need rescued and we could never rescue ourselves. Jesus comes and God announces with his birth, that he is going to rescue us. We could not do for ourselves what God has done for us through Jesus. <br />
We are also told that "they shall call him Immanuel". Immanuel means God with us. Jesus as Immanuel is important for us in several ways. First, God with us means that he is familiar with our experience. There is a infinite distance between Creator and creature, and God has chosen to close the gap. God has made his dwelling place among his people. In the incarnation, God has put flesh on. Jesus has walked the human existence. He is acquainted with our sorrow. Later when we are promised that God will wipe the tears from our eyes, Jesus has felt all of those same emotions.<br />
The second way Immanuel should strike us, is when we put both of these ideas together. Jesus' name means God saves. How does God save? Immanuel! God saves by pitching his tent among his people. So God is salvation by coming among us. <br />
I have barely begun to read through the gospel of Matthew, and yet this first chapter is packed full of meaning. The rest of the gospel is going to flesh out the realities that have been shown in this first chapter. As we read on we will see how God is going to bring his salvation and how he will make his dwelling among us.Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-6788983155122382612019-01-21T08:29:00.000-05:002019-01-21T08:29:47.162-05:00Jesus: Son of David Son of Abraham<div style="text-align: center;">
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.</div>
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Matthew 1:1</div>
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I was reading through the first chapter of the gospel of Matthew. As I thought about this first verse, I saw Matthew as introducing how he is going to tell the Jesus story. He tells us that Jesus is the son of David. He is going to show us through the gospel how Jesus fits in that title. He is also going to show us how Jesus is the son of Abraham.</div>
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The title of son of David is a title packed full of meaning. After the exile, the Jewish must have looked back to the golden age of Israel and thought of David. They had been dominated by other governments for hundreds of years. What would the prospect of self-government had mean to them? Here Matthew taps into all that longing and says Jesus is the son of David. He is the true heir to the throne of David. Jesus had been crucified years before Matthew sits down to tell this story. The Jewish hearers of this gospel must have squirmed when Matthew calls Jesus the son of David. Jesus had not accomplished anything that they thought a son of David would have done. They are still dominated by the Romans. </div>
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In Genesis 49:10 we are told that the scepter will not pass from Judah, and in 1 Kings we are told that a descendant will reign on the throne of David forever. So as Matthew starts his gospel, he is telling his Jewish readers that Jesus is the true king. The statement had to be a shocking to first century Jews. Matthew starts with a shocking headline. It is a hook that will draw us into the story of the Gospel. </div>
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He goes on to call Jesus, the son of Abraham. Abraham is the father of the Jewish people. He had left polytheism in Ur, and followed a God he didn't know, to a place he didn't know where he was going. Matthew is saying to his Jewish readers that Jesus is one of them. They share a common ancestor in Abraham. As I read this verse I think of God's promise to Abraham. God chose to reveal himself to mankind through the man Abram. He calls him out to follow him. He promised Abraham that he would bless all the families of the earth through Abraham. Jesus comes as the son Abraham to fulfill all that God had promised to Abraham. The Jewish people were called to show God to the world. The whole story of the Jewish people through the old testament was leading to Jesus as the climax of God's calling the families of the Earth to his kingdom. Jesus is the blessing that God had promised to Abraham and all his descendants. God told Abraham that his descendants would out number the stars in the sky and the sand of the seashore. Jesus comes as the promised son of Abraham to bring blessing to all of the families of the Earth. The Apostle Paul will eventually teach us how God has grafted gentiles into the family of God. Through this grafting in by God, we become spiritual descendants of Abraham. When we get to the Revelation of St. John we see a multitude that no one can number. </div>
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Jesus is the son of David, because he will rule on the throne of David forever. His kingdom will never end. Jesus is the son of Abraham. He is the blessing to all the families of the earth. He grafts us into the family of God, and we become part of that multitude that no one can number. God always keeps his promises.</div>
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Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-46020390652673731312019-01-12T17:55:00.000-05:002019-01-12T17:55:07.426-05:00Remind Me Who YOU Are!I was listening to the Jason Gray song "Remind Me Who I Am" recently. I really love the song, but I began to wonder what would it be like to turn it the other way around. When we stand before the throne, I believe "I" or "Me" won't even cross our lips. We will instead plead the character of God. Our ultimate destination lies not in our character or deeds, but in the never changing character of God. I started thumbing through the Psalms looking for descriptions of God. Who is this God, whose character we will plead. Remember me who YOU are!<div>
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He is the Lord that knows the way of the righteous. 1:6</div>
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He is the Lord that sits in heaven. 2:4</div>
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He is shield, my glory, and lifts my head. 3:3</div>
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He is the God that has set apart the godly for himself. 4:3</div>
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He is a God of steadfast love. 5:7</div>
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He will save me for His sake 6:4</div>
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God is a righteous judge. 7:11</div>
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He has set the moon and stars in the sky. 8:3</div>
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The Lord sits enthroned forever. 9:7</div>
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He is the helper of the fatherless. 10:15</div>
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The Lord is in His temple and He sees. 11:4</div>
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His words are pure like fine silver. 12:6</div>
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He has dealt bountifully with me! 13:6</div>
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He is with the righteous and the refuge of the poor. 14:8-9</div>
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I could just keep going. I spend so much time thinking about who I am, that I get frozen in fear. Who am I? I have had the whole thing turned backward. It has never been about me. It has always been about God. How much more could we accomplish in this world. What if we spent our time focused on who God is, and not focusing ourselves? </div>
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Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0Wadsworth, OH 44281, USA41.0256101 -81.72985190000002840.929785100000004 -81.891213400000026 41.1214351 -81.56849040000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-28178000775229333322018-03-19T11:36:00.001-04:002019-01-21T08:51:42.686-05:00An Open Letter To Young People<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Genesis 1:27 (ESV)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dear young people,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> I am writing you because I am just heartbroken at the world we are leaving you. I can't even begin to understand the struggle it must be for you to find your place in this world. We have pulled the philosophical and theological rugs out from under you, and then we act stunned when we find you hopeless and drifting in the sea without a shore. We have led a generation into the dark of night, and extinguished the torches that mark the trail. Please allow me to offer you light to way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> You have been created in the very image of God. Your value and worth is infinite, because God is infinite. In your search for meaning and identity, it is vital that you start here. Your worth is not at all connected to anything external. It has nothing to do what you do, or how smart you are. It doesn't even matter if you are really attractive or if you have great big ears like me. Your value is found in the thumb prints of your Creator, left as He fashioned you in His image.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> If you let this idea soak in, then it should rock your worldview. The freaks and geeks, every school has them, they are created in the image of God too. Your teacher, bus driver, and the lunch lady, they are all created in the image of God. In a weird way, how we treat others is connected to our worship of God. The value we find in individuals is found in the fact that they are image bearers of God. Violence, hate, injustice are unacceptable, because they dishonor the image of our creator in others. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> We could outlaw every weapon of violence, and it would never get to the root of our problem. Can you imagine the change we could bring to our world, if we lived this reality? What if we chose to see the image of God in the people around us? What if we saw the image of God in our enemies? Why don't we give it a shot!</span></div>
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Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com2Wadsworth, OH 44281, USA41.046167 -81.756825340.854634999999995 -82.0795488 41.237699 -81.434101800000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-84537719033624863732016-10-07T12:10:00.000-04:002019-05-18T09:13:07.086-04:00If I Were NakedIf I were naked and hungry<br />
And nothing but Your grace on which to cling<br />
A debt I could never satisfy<br />
Would still be heaped upon my shoulders<br />
A thousand lifetimes could never<br />
Cover or begin to repay<br />
So great a debt and earn Your love<br />
With the third we have fallen<br />
And when we had led an insurrection<br />
Against all Heaven's beauty<br />
You without fault, sent Your Son<br />
Rejected by the learned and righteous<br />
To shame the wise and redeem the lonely<br />
When called one day before Your throne<br />
Only in the shadow of your great righteousness<br />
Will I be able to stand aright<br />
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<br />Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0Wadsworth, OH 44281, USA41.0256101 -81.72985190000002840.929785100000004 -81.891213400000026 41.1214351 -81.56849040000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-17744624339671491202015-12-21T11:15:00.000-05:002019-01-21T08:56:07.128-05:00Facing the Jesus question Consider the story of the nativity. A simple and common maiden becomes pregnant, before marriage. In the ancient culture, it is a wonder she was not stoned to death. Ancient Israel was not the place to come home to dad, and tell him you are pregnant. Her husband is yet another simple and common character. It hardly seems the beginning of the story to come does it?<br />
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Bethlehem was nothing in the time of David, and it had changed very little since his life. Think about this, Bethlehem is a tiny village in the tiny territory of Palestine, within the world power that was the Roman empire. You would be hard pressed to find a more insignificant place in the world. </div>
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When this young couple arrives in Bethlehem, there is no room for them. They have to take up lodging in a stable. They are surrounded by animals. It had to be a disgusting place to stay the night. Mary gives birth to a son. They wrap him up and place him in a manger. He is placed in a feeding trough. Who is there to celebrate the birth of this child? Filthy shepherds! Wise men come from the east after sometime, but the night of his birth, it is only shepherds who celebrate with the young couple.</div>
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This child grows to be an adult. He comes from a rather common family. It is doubtful that he would have been provided the type of education, that the Apostle Paul was. He grows up in another insignificant place called Nazareth. When he is grow, he becomes a wandering preacher. When he gathers his followers, he selects a bunch of ruffians and social outcasts. This ministry must appeared destined to failure. </div>
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Instead of failure, this ministry turned the world upside-down. Christianity spread across the globe, carried by these unlikely heroes of the faith. We sit 2000 years later, and you would be hard pressed to deny the power of Christianity.</div>
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If we are honest, this is not the story we would write for Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God, but this whole story seems absolutely ridiculous. I suppose it is the absurdity of the tale, that makes it so believable to me. Honestly, if you were to write the story yourself, then wouldn't you write it to be a little more spectacular? It is the Son of God we are talking about. </div>
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As simple as this story is, it would not be surprising for the story to end in the obscurity in which it had started, but it doesn't. This story lit the world on fire. This simple story would go on to change the face of the world, and the nature of human religion for ages to come. With the conversion of Constantine, Christianity displaced the myriad of gods in Roman culture. This story went on to displaced the myriad of gods throughout northern Europe. All of this seems so unlikely to me. From the simple beginning of this story, how could all of this have been accomplished? When I look at the epic world changes caused by this simple peasant boy, I am left with only one answer. He must be all that he said he was. Were he merely a human child, then his story could have never have change the world in the manner that it has. I am left like the Roman guard at the crucifixion, who said, "truly this is the Son of God". I can find no other answer that will satisfy the mere confines of human logic. Any other suggestion is merely ridiculous. How will you face the Jesus question? </div>
Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0Wadsworth, OH, USA41.0256101 -81.72985190000002840.929785100000004 -81.891213400000026 41.1214351 -81.56849040000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305423691205697118.post-46082206003912487702014-04-22T05:49:00.000-04:002019-05-18T09:28:32.362-04:00The Break of SpringtimeThe sun clears the horizon<br/><br/>The warm clearing away<br/><br/>Those last reminders of<br/><br/>Winter's cold bondage<br/><br/>Where snow was blanketed<br/><br/>Mud rules and those<br/><br/>First tender sprouts emerge<br/><br/>New birth, new beginning<br/><br/>As if woken from slumber<br/><br/>All nature begins to come alive<br/><br/>The birds sing and call to one another<br/><br/>A welcome home from some<br/><br/>Southern sunny locale<br/><br/>Birds gather twigs newly exposed<br/><br/>From a frosty blanket<br/><br/>In crooks of trees and shrubbery<br/><br/>Constructing nests of twigs, leaves, and bark<br/><br/>When at last completed<br/><br/>Three tiny eggs shall be laid<br/><br/>With tender care and watchful guard<br/><br/>Until from shell come thee<br/><br/>Tender young hatchlings<br/><br/>Into the beauty of spring<br/><br/>But yet the harsh danger<br/><br/>From beast shall mother keep watch<br/><br/>When time has come<br/><br/>And the day has dawned<br/><br/>That these may become on their own<br/><br/>One by one from that lofty perch<br/><br/>Shall mother cast thee from<br/><br/>In that short distance<br/><br/>From nest to ground<br/><br/>Either to soar or crash<br/><br/>Now is that moment of decision<br/><br/> Brandon J Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03831098931875325890noreply@blogger.com0