LWBC: Figs & Furs 2

The Garden of Eden, a sort of Heaven on earth, was the place that YHVH (God) had set apart for Himself and His favorite creation, man and woman.

Isaiah called this place the 'garden of the Lord' where joy and gladness and thanksgiving and singing are found. Pretty much he's saying it's freakin awesome place to be (Isaiah 51:3).This is the place on earth God created to dwell (live). He created man in this Garden to live with Him in perfection and joy...

This Garden is a type of Holy Temple created in nature. The Garden itself is like the Holy of Holies (where the Ark is kept remember?) and Eden, which is in Mesopotamia, is like the Holy Place (candles, incense, bread...).

You see, most ancient Mesopotamian cultures had creation stories of their own. Some, like the Sumerian 'island of Dilmun', have their own versions of paradise on earth similar to the Garden. However, in the Sumerian version the god Enki has to figure out how to teach the people and animals they just made how to function: eat, sleep, work, talk, think...(An imperfect creator is not a god I want to follow)

My point is - the original audience reading the words of Genesis almost 4000 years ago would have seen the Garden as Heaven on earth. In the same way you know that Yellowstone National Park is a real place out West, the Hebrews reading this story would have pictured the Garden of Eden out East of them. We should too.

I can picture God walking through His Garden with His people, barefoot. A mighty river feeding the land. Fruit trees and vegetables and wildlife flourishing. Trees of Life and Knowledge growing in the center. Life is good, healthy, growing abundantly and stinkin' awesome! God is enjoying His time with His creation.

Take a moment and read Genesis 1-2.

Now go to the end of the Bible and read Revelation 22:1-5.

Isn't it awesome how the beautiful Temple in Heaven described in Revelation, the final home for all of those who have faith and believe in Jesus, is similar to the Garden. The river of life, the trees and the abundance of fruit and crops and health for all in perfection, 'No longer will there be any curse (sin).' His people will be with Him just like in the Garden and this time forever!

Alright - so we still haven't made our way to Adam and Eve and Figs and Furs...but we will! I just want you to understand how incredible the environment is that Adam and Eve are in when we get to their horrible decision to screw it all up.

You should walk away from here today realizing that the Garden wasn't just a Garden...it was a Holy Place showing us that from the very beginning of creation God has eternity planned out and that eternity is with those He loves dearly.

LWBC: Figs & Furs 1

In The Beginning...God made heaven and earth and air and plants and birds and fish and dogs (not cats) and lots of other creations and finally He made human beings.

In Genesis 2:7 we see that God 'breathed into his [mans] nostrils the breath of life.' God didn't do this with any other creation. There is something special about Gods relationship with man and woman - we're made to be like Him in a lot of very important ways.

In 2:22-23 we see that woman is made from the bone and flesh of man. This is important too. It shows us that flesh and bone, the human body, is very important to God. So important that He uses it to create more life.

At camp on Sunday Night we talked about Lifeblood: the life of the flesh is in the blood - Leviticus 17:11. This shows us that all living creatures are important and loved by God. However, because humans are made in a more special way than animals we know that man and woman have a special place in Gods heart and Gods plan.

So God breathes Life into Adam

From Adams flesh God creates Eve

Both Adam and Eve have flowing within them the blood and the breath of Life

NOW before we get to the sacrifice and sin and leaves and furs...I want you notice something very important that should help you understand why the Bible (the Scriptures, Old and New Testaments) are so important and trustworthy.

Read 2 Timothy 3:16 - 'All Scripture is God-breathed...'

Did you catch that? The Bible, Scripture, The Word of God is 'God-breathed' - in the original Greek language the word is 'theopneustos' - this simply  means that God spoke the words of the Bible. IF God spoke these words then they must be important right? Yes.

Not only are they important but like the breath God breathed into Adam in the beginning - this breath gives life. Reading the Bible, studying the story of God, discovering Jesus throughout the entire Bible fills us with a new kind of spiritual life.

In other words - Reading the Bible is like Breathing in the Breath of God - the Breath of Life. It's refreshing and challenges us to become more like Jesus, like God.

So - before we move on, spend some time reading the first few chapters of Genesis:

Note how wild of a story it is.

Think about how creative God is.

Think about how important man and woman are to God.

Think about how awesome it is that the same God that breathed life into the first man is breathing life into you and  me - take a deep breath and thank God you're alive.

Know that you can trust the Bible to tell us about Gods love for us.

LWBC Underground

Another great week of camp comes to an end. There is nothing quite like a week of sweat, mosquitoes, tube-city and discovering YHVH Shammah (the Lord is there).

Having begun with the first Blood-Sacrifice (Freddy-Bob the leopard) and ending with Christians as Living-Sacrifices we've spanned the entire length of human history up to this point. But one week isn't enough time to cover the awesomeness of what God has done in the past and is doing right now in your life and mine.

In the next few days and weeks I'll be slowly walking through what we've learned at LWBC but in more detail:

- more Scripture for further study
- more explanation on certain topics
- recommended books to read
- responding to any questions or thoughts you have

If you're reading this then I suppose you're as excited as I am to connect with this God on a deeper level (or maybe you just want some sweet pictures of me and my beard). Either way, it was fantastic spending the evenings with you at camp this week, maybe we'll do it again next year?!

Peace like a tree sending it roots out to a stream...

(Stay tuned - from now on anytime you see a new post titled LWBC:  you'll know it's for you.)

Set-Apart or Setting-Apart...or Both

Sanctified: to make holy - to set apart - to consecrate - to free from sin, purify

So living a God-honoring life is not only awesome but necessary right? Why do we do it? For Jesus or for us? Is it mandatory? Do we work at it? Does it just happen amidst salvation?

'To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy...' 1 Cor. 1:2

As disciples we are sanctified and yet being sanctified right? How would you explain Sanctification? How a believer should go about it and why they should, if they should or is it fully up to the Spirit to work out our spiritual transformation and growth with or without our knowledge and work?

If God alone 'brings forth a new creation through the Spirit' (Gal. 6:15) - then does it matter if I 'work out my salvation' personally with perseverance, a clear mind and self-control.

Below are a few very brief descriptions of several prominent paths to defining sanctification in the Christian realm today. Though only a scratch at the surface of these views we none-the-less catch the idea that Biblical truths are not always so easy to place in a neat little box. Yet truth still remains.

1) the Lutheran View: Sanctification is learning to live by faith that one is justified because of Gods free gift in Jesus Christ.


2) the Reformed View: Sanctification is definitive (final) and also progressive (ongoing).

3) the Keswick View: Sanctification is a blessing, liberty and rest for those who have life in Christ – no longer any wrestling w/sin, a cease from striving.

4) the Wesleyan View: Sanctification is a matter of heart and right relationship, not a set of rules – entire sanctification, that is, completely cleansed from inbred sin.

'May the God of peace sanctify you entirely...' (1 Thess. 5:23). Entirely here and now or eternally someday?

Wrestle. Pray. Study. Ask. 'Hold unswervingly to the hope [you] profess for He who promised is faithful' (Heb. 10:23). Regardless of where you sit in your understanding of what it means to 'be Holy as [He] is Holy' you and I are called to Love God and Love People.

Loving God is an awesome honor. Loving His people is equally so. I know that I can only do either because He has revealed Himself and His purpose and is currently working in my heart and soul to do both. If He is currently working then I must be changing for the better - is this sanctification? If I was sanctified by the Spirit once and for all then no growth is necessary and therefore no work is to be within me right? What is the role of sanctification? As this settles I think I'll continue to:

Focus on Jesus.
Talk to the Father.
Rely on the Spirit.
Rest in the word.
Grow in knowledge.
Mature in understanding.
Hope to live an eternally holy life.

Be Sanctified.

Many thoughts stem from the book - Across the Spectrum, Gregory A. Boyd & Paul R. Eddy

colors = words = ideas

A typical thought-mapping scheme on the beloved mighty-whitey (whiteboard).

After I have the initial bulk of research and study done, I then move to creating a color-schemed, quasi-psycho, maplike-outline of the flow of the teaching.

Lines and arrows inter-connect thoughts and flow.

Colors and shapes help divide up various sections of the outline: Intro - Body - Conclusion - Challenge etc...

At times a word-for-word sentence solidifies a main point, thought or a necessary mind/heart bridge.

Ultimately the entire design and layout of my notes on mighty-whitey assists in memorizing the teaching. Of course, being passionate about and familiar with the material is absolutely key to a more authentic communication with the audience.

This method is how I flush out the details and kinks and grab onto the big picture as well as the minute details in a very physical way. Of course there are many ways to dance a jig. It's a healthy combination of learning the key components involved in putting together the material and your personal learning style (both of which take much time to learn and develop).

If your desire is to glorify God in presenting His Word in love and in truth - then how you get there in your prep is totally up to you.

Underground

LWBC - 'Underground' - week is about to wrap up. It's a very interesting thing to walk through the role of the blood sacrifice in the history of Gods plan of reconciliation.

From the animal skin coverings in Edens Garden through the maze of complex rituals in the Temple, YHVH has desired a fearfully loving and divinely personal relationship with His most favored creation - man.

Sacrifice has been a part of the human/Deity relationship since the beginning, a way to connect, to remember sin, to taste and feel and know Holiness.

Living as a sacrifice through the lifeblood of the Final Sacrifice is an honor given to the house of God, an honor like no other in history. His story.

An honor not meant to keep hidden Underground, but to be shared, to be lived, to speak of and conform to the image of Whom we honor.

The Singing Seven

If you could listen to a group of strange men singing wildly about hermeneutics would you? Freak yeah!

An awkward group of grown men in red and white striped suits with straw hats painted to match belting out a capella songs about the study of the Word. Sweet, sweet soul music. This is what I picture as I crack open the Scriptures and begin the study process on any given day.

Let's meet the barber shop group and get a feel for the role they play:

 - wrote the book/letter/poem
 - is the main character(s)

 - is the reason for the text: letter, parable, poem etc.
 - are the key words, phrases, ideas

 - was the text written
 - did the events in the text take place

 - was the author at time of writing
 - is the main setting for the text

 - is the author writing
 - do they choose the words, phrases, thoughts, etc.

 - does verse relate to the passage...etc.
 - does what is written affect the audience

 - what am I to do with this text, how does it affect me
 - how does this affect my life in Christ


There it is. A non-exhaustive listing of questions to ask yourself when studying the Word. These guys come in handy once you get the hang of asking their opinion on everything you read. The amount of info you're able to pick up simply by adding these to your study habits will greatly increase your comprehension of the living and active Word of God.

Next time you study, put on an Andrew Bird album, make a hot mug o' chamomile-vanilla tea, pull out a nice and thick journal and sing yourself into hermeneutical bliss.
Enjoy.