Jesus and the Sea: A Narratological Understanding of Evil and it's Evaporation (Inside Shalom)

The Bible teaches that evil is a terrible and horrible thing, yet its time in Gods world is temporary. It is defeated by Jesus, Romans 1:4, and it is doomed to evaporation, "the sea was no more".

Grace and peace.

Jesus and the Sea

Inside Shalom is the ministry and blog site of our own John Howell.

APOSTLE'S CREED

This creed is called the Apostles' Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. It sets forth their doctrine "in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity." In its present form it is dated no later than the fourth century. More than any other Christian creed, it may justly be called an ecumenical symbol of faith. 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* (universal) church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

NICENE CREED

The Nicene Creed, also called the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan Creed, is a statement of the orthodox faith of the early Christian church in opposition to certain heresies, especially Arianism. These heresies, which disturbed the church during the fourth century, concerned the doctrine of the trinity and of the person of Christ. In its present form this creed goes back partially to the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) with additions by the Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381). It was accepted in its present form at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, but the "filioque" phrase was not added until 589. However, the creed is in substance an accurate and majestic formulation of the Nicene faith. 

We believe in one God,
      the Father almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth,
      of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.
      Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.
           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
           he suffered and was buried.
           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
           He ascended to heaven
           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
           He will come again with glory
           to judge the living and the dead.
           His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord, the giver of life.
      He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
      and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
      He spoke through the prophets.
      We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
      We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
      We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
      and to life in the world to come. Amen.

ATHANASIAN CREED

This creed is named after Athanasius (A.D. 293-373), the champion of orthodoxy against Arian attacks on the doctrine of the trinity. Although Athanasius did not write this creed and it is improperly named after him, the name persists because until the seventeenth century it was commonly ascribed to him.  Apart from the opening and closing sentences, this creed consists of two parts, the first setting forth the orthodox doctrine of the trinity, and the second dealing chiefly with the incarnation and the two-natures doctrine.

Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic (universal) faith.

Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally.

Now this is the catholic faith:

    That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,
    neither blending their persons
    nor dividing their essence.
        For the person of the Father is a distinct person,
        the person of the Son is another,
        and that of the Holy Spirit still another.
        But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,
        their glory equal, their majesty coeternal.

    What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has.
        The Father is uncreated,
        the Son is uncreated,
        the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

        The Father is immeasurable,
        the Son is immeasurable,
        the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

        The Father is eternal,
        the Son is eternal,
        the Holy Spirit is eternal.

            And yet there are not three eternal beings;
            there is but one eternal being.
            So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
            there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

    Similarly, the Father is almighty,
        the Son is almighty,
        the Holy Spirit is almighty.
            Yet there are not three almighty beings;
            there is but one almighty being.

        Thus the Father is God,
        the Son is God,
        the Holy Spirit is God.
            Yet there are not three gods;
            there is but one God.

        Thus the Father is Lord,
        the Son is Lord,
        the Holy Spirit is Lord.
            Yet there are not three lords;
            there is but one Lord.

    Just as Christian truth compels us
    to confess each person individually
    as both God and Lord,
    so catholic religion forbids us
    to say that there are three gods or lords.

    The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten from anyone.
    The Son was neither made nor created;
    he was begotten from the Father alone.
    The Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten;
    he proceeds from the Father and the Son.

    Accordingly there is one Father, not three fathers;
    there is one Son, not three sons;
    there is one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

    Nothing in this trinity is before or after,
    nothing is greater or smaller;
    in their entirety the three persons
    are coeternal and coequal with each other.

    So in everything, as was said earlier,
    we must worship their trinity in their unity
    and their unity in their trinity.

Anyone then who desires to be saved
should think thus about the trinity.

But it is necessary for eternal salvation
that one also believe in the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ faithfully.

Now this is the true faith:

    That we believe and confess
    that our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son,
    is both God and human, equally.

     He is God from the essence of the Father,
    begotten before time;
    and he is human from the essence of his mother,
    born in time;
    completely God, completely human,
    with a rational soul and human flesh;
    equal to the Father as regards divinity,
    less than the Father as regards humanity.

    Although he is God and human,
    yet Christ is not two, but one.
    He is one, however,
    not by his divinity being turned into flesh,
    but by God's taking humanity to himself.
    He is one,
    certainly not by the blending of his essence,
    but by the unity of his person.
    For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh,
    so too the one Christ is both God and human.

    He suffered for our salvation;
    he descended to hell;
    he arose from the dead;
    he ascended to heaven;
    he is seated at the Father's right hand;
    from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
    At his coming all people will arise bodily
    and give an accounting of their own deeds.
    Those who have done good will enter eternal life,
    and those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic (universal) faith:
one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.

CREED: You Are What You Believe 2015

The Latin word, credo (from which we get our English word creed), simply means I believe. It's the first word of he Apostles' Creed - an ancient articulation of central Christian beliefs. Throughout the history of church, and in particular, throughout the early history of the church, the Christians formed and embraced creedal statements to clarify the Christian faith and to distinguish true content from error or false representations (e.g., The Apostle's Creed, The Nicene Creed, and The Athanasian Creed).

Though the creeds serve a great purpose in summarizing central Christian truth, they are not Scripture; rather, as with all good theology and sound beliefs, the ancient Christian creeds were shaped by Scripture.

What do you believe?

Everyone believes something about God, therefore everyone, in one way or another, is a theologian. The question is not whether you do theology or not, but whether or not you are good at it! And it’s not whether or not your beliefs are developing and being shaped, but whether or not your beliefs are being shaped by the right resources!

So where do you look for truth? What has and is shaping your beliefs and understanding about God?

Each January, we take some time to look into an aspect of historic Christian doctrine. And this Janaury (2015), we'll be learning about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Advent Reflections

Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition; and the purpose of having church seasons, such as Advent and Lent, are to create meditative rhythms in our life together. These corporate and communal rhythms are all based upon the true and sure foundation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord and King of all!

Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is always the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve, December 24th. It's a season marked by expectation and anticipation in preparing to celebrate the coming of Jesus.  Christmas begins with Christmas Day December 25 and lasts for 12 days (The Twelve Days of Christmas) until The Day of Epiphany, January 6, which looks ahead to the mission of the church to the world in light of the Nativity and/or Jesus’ Baptism (depending on your Christian denominational traditions.

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation will one day be put to rights. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate.

Some Advent Reflections:

This Advent, 2014, we are meditating on the ancient and simple Advent prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). This week, on your own and/or with your Community Group, spend some time reflecting on the following questions:

• What are you waiting for?  What’s the next “big thing” you want to see happen in your life? 
• What is it that you think will complete you and make you happy? In other words, what are you hoping and longing for? 
• Does the way you answer these questions match the way you live? If not, what needs to change?

Christmas Shalom

The True Meaning of Christmas Peace

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! ~ Luke 2:14

There's a lot of talk this time of the year about peace. We sing songs about peace, hear Scripture passages about peace, see signs and Christmas decorations with the word "peace" in them...it seems like peace is being referenced everywhere!

But what's the deal with peace? What did the angel refer to when he said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" to the shepherds Luke 2:14? When you begin to look into the meaning ,and implications, of biblical peace, namby-pamby Christmas decorations and greeting cards do very little in capturing the true essence of peace.

The Old Testament word for peace is shalom - שָׁלֹום (in Hebrew) and εἰρήνη (in Greek). Shalom is much more than a simple greeting, kind audible jester or even the opposite of conflict; it’s an all-encompassing biblical concept. Shalom refers to harmony, syncretism, wholeness, and every kind of good. It refers to an experience of well-being, wholeness, harmony, reconciliation, and security through a proper relationship with God and each other. So the basic meaning of shalom is not absence from war or trouble, but one of well-being and every kind of good.

For the Hebrew people, Shalom, was/is one of the underlying principle of the Torah - "Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are shalom (peace)” (Proverbs 3:17. The Talmud explains, "The whole of the law (i.e.,Torah) is to promote shalom” (Talmud, Gittin 59b). The biblical concept of shalom takes us to the heart of the Gospel and unfolds the mysteries of God's redemptive plan for the entire cosmos expressed in passages such as Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 65:17-19; Amos 9:11-15; and Acts 3:18-21. In fact, one of God’s covenant names is Jehovah-shalom, “The Lord is peace” or “The Lord is our peace” (Judges 6:24). The Apostle Paul links this Old Testament reference of God to the cosmic redemptive agenda of utterly crushing evil in Romans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Many authors and scholars have commented on how we should understand shalom; but I have found none better than Cornelius Plantinga in his book, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin.   Here's a great quote taken from his book:

"[The prophets] dreamed of a new age in which human crookedness would be straightened out, rough places made plain. The foolish would be made wise and the wise, humble. They dreamed of a time when the deserts would flower, the mountains would run with wine, weeping would cease and people could go to sleep without weapons on their laps. People would work in peace and work to fruitful effect. Lambs could lie down with lions. All nature would be fruitful, benign, and filled with wonder upon wonder; all humans would be knit together in brotherhood and sisterhood; and all nature and all humans would look to God, walk with God, lean toward God and delight in God. Shouts of joy and recognition would well up from valleys and seas, from women in streets and from men on ships."

"The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be."

May peace of God be within you, upon you, and flow through you this Christmas season. Shalom.

The Practice of Gratitude - We Have Much to Be Grateful For

We have so much to be grateful for. 

Everywhere we look, in every conversation, in every dollar earned, spent and given, in every moment lived, and in every emotion experienced, we have much to be grateful for. Oh sure, there are always things not going well in everyone’s life; but in spite of and even in the midst of those inevitable troubles and pains, God has been and is very good to us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).

Take a look around.  Try to count all the “good” things in your life. You’ll lose count!

Thanksgiving reminds us of the importance of the practice of gratitude and appreciation, something we neglect far too often.  Sometimes, the source of our angst and underpinning frustration (with just about everything!) is due to our lack of perspective. We have much to be grateful for.  May we learn to see, acknowledge, and be grateful.

We have so much to be grateful for!

May we give God the praise of thanksgiving that he is so worthy of receiving.  May we look at our loved ones, acknowledge the blessing they are to us, and be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving Grace Church.

Also, listen to The Practice of Gratitude + Thanksgiving.

Great eBook Resource Sale!

Awesome sale on Zondervan eBooks. Get them 

while they're available!

Zondervan's Counterpoints Series eBook  ($2.99 each)

With dozens of contributing authors from varying theological backgrounds, the Zondervan Counterpoints Collection is an invaluable set of resources for Christians today, focusing on wide array of theological, biblical, and ethical hot topic issues. Many of the volumes in this unique collection lay out four or five separate views on a theological matter, giving the reader the chance to weigh the many sides that can arise on a particular issue.

The advantage of this collection is huge: the thought-provoking and varying points of view presented offer great soil with which one can cultivate a sound biblical foundation. Whether you are a student, pastor, teacher, or layperson, these volumes are a fantastic tool for understanding contemporary Christian issues you may face today in the light of solid scriptural truth. 

These are great! Pick one up today!

The Canaanite Genocide, Baptism, Inerrancy, The Historical Adam, Creation and Evolution, Miraculous Gifts, Remarriage After Divorce, Sanctification, The Church Growth Movement, Salvation in a Pluralistic World, Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism, Church Government, Women in Ministry, Lord’s Supper, Apologetics, Christian Spirituality, Divine Providence, The Worship Spectrum, The New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Hell, The Millennium, Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology, Law and Gospel, The Book of Revelation, The Apostle Paul

 

Zondervan's NIV Application Commentaries eBook  ($4.99 or less each)

How can you apply what you learned about Jerusalem, Ephesus, or Corinth to our present day needs in Dunedin, Clearwater, or Tampa? How can you take a message originally spoken in Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic and communicate it clearly in our own language? How can you take the eternal truths originally spoken in a different time and culture and apply them to the similar-yet-different needs of our culture? The NIV Application Commentary shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant, but also how it speaks powerfully today.

These are also great! It's one of my (P. Heath's) favorite commentary series. Pick up one of these award winning resources today!

Genesis; Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers; Deuteronomy; Joshua; Judges and Ruth; 1 & 2 Kings;1 and 2 Samuel , 1 & 2 Chronicles; Esther; Job; Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs; Isaiah; Jeremiah, Lamentations; Ezekiel; Daniel; Joel, Obadiah, Malachi; Hosea, Amos, Micah; Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah; Haggai, Zechariah; Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Acts; Romans; 1 Corinthians; 2 Corinthians, Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians & Philemon; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus; Hebrews; James; 1 Peter; 2 Peter & Jude; 1, 2, & 3 John; Revelation

Survey Says...The State of Theology

Some interesting and alarming discoveries found in a recent survey -- The State of Theology --conducted by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research indicate a wide array of theological belief. That's nothing new, we've know we live in an increasingly pluralistic society, but I was mainly interested in what the professing or confessing Evangelicals had to say about their beliefs in God. Personally, I would have reworded many of the questions, some where a bit too general or vague; and some of the questions are covering issues that orthodox Christianity has debated since the beginning. But what was underscored and confirmed for me was something I run into often. More and more professing Christians are forming their theological convictions on gut feelings and popular opinion.

The state of theology is more important than we realize. RC Sproul has said often, “Everyone’s a theologian” because everyone thinks something about God. The real question needing to be asked is, "Are we a good theologian?" This study/survey demonstrates a sigificant gap in theological awareness throughout our nation, in our neighborhoods, and even in the seat next to us at church. The Scriptures and the simple and fortified truths found in our historic and orthodox creeds, confessions, and catechisms are increasingly taking the back seat.

Speaking of creeds, catechisms, theological training, and our culture's and present church goer's lack in theological conviction and depth, check out Beyond Sexy: The Simple, Yet Fortifying, Truths of Catechisms.