wisdom teeth don't make you wiser

I am not much of a video game player but when I’m playing a video game or watching a movie, part of me is always aware and thinking that everything in the story was created by someone (or a team of people). The writer, the director, the actors, they have decided together who the people are, where they will go, what they will do, how the story will turn out. What difference does it make? Well, in a really involved video game, getting inside the head of the people who wrote the code helps you figure out how to beat the game. In a movie, keeping up with what the director is up to helps you figure out what he’s trying to say. The same is true with God!

Read Proverbs 8: In this passage, Wisdom delivers some BIG news: She was there “in the beginning.” God used her as a “craftsman” when He was designing and implementing all of creation. The very universe we live in was designed based on God’s wisdom.

What difference does it make? Wisdom is telling us that the better we get to know God, the more of His wisdom we acquire, the better we’ll understand the world around us. In other words, if you want to figure out how life works, Wisdom can tell you. She saw the blueprints before construction even began.  Guys, the Bible is chuck full of wisdom. You may not figure everything out, or get all the answers but if you honestly seek after wisdom, you'll have it much more figured out then people who don't.

People who reject God’s wisdom (fools) are missing out on the ancient source for understanding all of life from the ground up. They’d rather just observe the world around them and come to their own conclusions. 

Most people remember Galileo for his run-in with the Catholic church over his scientific discoveries regarding the theory that the earth revolves around the sun. While it’s true that the church pressured Galileo into suppressing his own ideas, most people don’t realize the famous scientist was a Christian committed to the truthfulness of the Bible He didn’t feel any of his discoveries contradicted Scripture. He said: “God is known by nature in his works, and by doctrine in his revealed word.” He understood that those two things go hand in hand.

Get to know the mind of God and his wisdom through the Bible, and get to know Him better through observing His Wisdom-fueled craftsmanship in nature. That’s the path to figuring out both the big picture and how to work the controls of your own life today. 

Always low prices....

When you mention the name Wal-Mart you are likely to get lots of varied reactions. While shoppers love the "always low prices," critics point to the impact that the company has had on the economy and the environment.

The fundamental issue that most people disregard or don't even think about, needs to be addressed.Wal- Mart succeeds because it gives most consumers what they want, which is low prices. While seeking low prices is not a bad policy for Christians to follow in itself, we believe that as long as the primary measure in choosing stores is low prices, many of the costs associated with low prices will remain. In costs we mean the moral price that Wal-mart pays to give us the low cost. We think Christians need to move away from the one-dimensional measure of price to multi-dimensional criteria so that price is but one consideration in store choice. Collectively, the criteria involved should fit within a holistic vision of shalom.

As Christians we often can find it convenient to blame businesses for practices that we find unethical, immoral, or challenged in terms of stewardship. In many ways, however, Wal-Mart and its practices are merely a response to our preferences as we express them in the marketplace. Businesses respond to consumers' desires, consumers search for the lowest prices on goods while rarely considering other aspects of the product (how it was made, its impact on the environment, etc.). For example secular businesses haven't responded to the recent demands for fair trade products because of the businesses "new found morals", but instead because of the consumer demand for fairer traded products. To look into our own life for example, how many Sunday mornings have we spent preparing for worship by searching through the flyers that come with the Sunday paper looking for coupons and the sales that are to hit the stores that week? It should be no surprise to us that Wal-Mart has become so successful with its "Always Low Prices ", we are the driving force behind how businesses react to consumer demands. Businesses are only going to make money by meeting our criteria, and they will go to every measure, even if it means sacrificing moral standards to meet that criteria.

Thus Christians need to recognize the seriousness of their roles as consumers, managers, investors, employees, and as citizens of the Kingdom. Businesses will not rise to the high expectation of advancing shalom without the efforts of all of these groups together. We need to realize that its our fault. Christians need to develop covenantal relationships and commit to working with businesses that want to move in the direction of Shalom. When people make covenants with each other, as opposed to contracts, they tend to go beyond what is normally required of them. People who enter covenants are willing to make sacrifices in order to promote a larger vision. Christians along with businesses need to rest on a shared commitment to ideas, to values, to goals, and to management processes.

We need to be careful, however that we don't get confused in our role in the world and fall back into a Constantinian thinking, where the church starts to make itself at home in the world, when we are instead pilgrims in this world. Making businesses more 'christian' is not going to rescue peoples' souls to Christ. We need to understand that this instead puts Christians' consciences more at ease with where they shop. We also need to remember that God created all humanity equal, and we strive to provide equal opportunity to all, but Scripture does not command equal outcomes. Thus, there is no way that everyone is going to have the same outcomes when it comes to fair trade and treating people fairly. While we strive for Shalom in all the world, Shalom will not be accomplished this side of the Eschaton.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a vague, delicate life force. He is not impersonal or unthinking. The Holy Spirit is a “person” equal in every way with God, the Father, and God, the Son. The Bible tells us that all the characteristics of God apparent in the Father and the Son are equally apparent in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has personal characteristics like intelligence (1 Cor.2:10-11), emotions (Eph.4:30), and a will (1 Cor.2:11). Also the Spirit acts in personal ways by teaching us ( John 14:26), commanding us ( Acts 8:29), interceding for us in prayer (Rom.8:26) and conferring gifts and graces upon us for life, fruitfulness and service (John 6:63). The Spirit addresses us through the message of the Bible and seeks to nurture our spiritual life and to create in us a new identity in Christ.

The Holy Spirit was with God and was involved in the creation of the universe (Gen. 1:2, Prov. 8:22-31, Ps. 33:6, Is. 40:12,13). Predominantly in the Old Testament the Spirit came upon people to empower them for specific tasks (Judges 6:34; 1 Chron. 12:18; 2 Chron. 24:20) like: interpretation of dreams (Gen. 41:38, Dan. 5:11), special skills (Ex. 31:1-7), and prophesy (1 Sam. 10:6, 2 Sam. 23:23, Ezekiel 11:5, 24, Joel 2:28-29).

On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave birth to the Church as a body of living members of which Christ is the risen, exalted and living Head (Acts 2:1-4), and indwells the whole church and individual believers simultaneously today (Ephesians 2:19-22; Romans 8:1, 11; John 14:17; 2 Corinthians 1:22). He sets apart the children of God for the ministry of God and presides over and directs the Church into the will and plan of God.

The “filling of the Spirit” describes the crucial work of God enabling the believer to live a transformed life. The only way we grow spiritually is by the empowering work of God ( 1 Peter 1:3). It is specifically the ministry of the Holy Spirit that gives a Christian the capability of change and growth in righteousness ( Rom.8:13; Gal.5:22-23). Spiritual growth is a issue of control. We are either controlled by our self-centered flesh or by the Holy Spirit who indwells us (Rom.8:4-11; Gal.5:16,17). Ephesians 5:18 describes this controlling and empowering ministry of Spirit as the 'filling' of the Spirit. We can be filled by fleshly desires or be filled by the Spirit.

Although it’s the Spirit’s power that is at work, the believer must choose to be empowered by the Spirit. It is a command to “Be filled” and likewise to “Walk in the Spirit” (Gal.5:16). The Spirit’s indwelling is permanent but we must continually choose to yield to God to experience the Spirit’s transforming power to change and grow us. This means living the Christian life (facing temptations, making decisions, etc.) with a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.

While the Spirit has a role in the cognition of the gospel his primary work is that of conviction of sin. We do not need to point to others how bad and sinful they are and prove to them that they are sinners. The Spirit works to convict of sin. Regardless of how people come to acknowledge their sin, the Spirit is the one who brings us to see the grotesque reality of our sin. Our role in ministry is to proclaim the good news that God has acted in Christ to save fallen, sinful humanity.

The Spirit also imparts spiritual gifts to believers to accomplish spiritual ministry that God desires, equip others to minister (Eph.4:12), and to glorify God (1 Pet.4:11).

Reflection on Romans 12:1-2

Paul in Romans 12:1-2 exhorts us to holy living by presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to God. " I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship".

It is interesting that the word for sacrifice here is never used in terms of a animal sacrifice in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is instead used of the priests service in standing before the Lord. The verb form used is a point action ( a one time deal ). His idea here then implies that there be one definite presentation. It could only mean your first repentance and commitment toward God, but with continuing implications. There are times to renew such a commitment, but not to repeat it. It follows the idea of progressive sanctification; "taking up your cross daily and following Him". Its not the passive idea of surrender either, by giving up your life only because God is stronger and bigger than yourself, like giving up a battle between you and God, or even the idea of yielding. You present your bodies as a gift, as you would to a friend. Like a gift to a friend you offer the whole thing and not keep parts of it to yourself. The commitment you offer to God is your whole body, not just "yourselves". The body is an outward expression and form of the inner person; it includes all your talents, abilities, desires, and aspirations. Just like your spirit, God created your outward bodies as well, and you should present your outward bodies like you would your inner self before God as well. All should be given to God.

The talents, abilities, and characteristics we have, he gave us. He has made us fit for His service. If God has made us for His service, then our service is to do his will. Those who are redeemed and filled with gratitude, for the gift the God gives us in return ( grace and mercy ), will desire to please God. This dedication involves direction or else it delusion. It has to be directed to God's will for it to be pleasing before the Lord. This dedication also involves renewal like I mentioned above. One example of renewal is in the observance of communion, " in the memory of Him". Every time we have communion, it is an act of faith by which we confirm that we have entered into the covenant with God and are awaiting the fulfillment of the promise, and it is an act of commitment whereby we reaffirm our obligations and commitment to serve him as his people.

So the start of this this spiritual living is the serious commitment and dedication to the Lord, not just an emotional response, where people don't really know what it all means. This commitment while may be made from an emotional response, ultimately comes with the beginning of spiritual growth. When believers learn more about God and Christ, salvation, the covenant responsibilities, and the mission of the Church, and all that it means to be a follower of Christ then they are ready to make that true commitment to each and everyday " take up their cross".

The second verse here: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.", deals with our relationship to the world. Paul is saying not to take as a way of living the present, foolish, fashions of the world, its dominance in evil motives and moods. He is urging us toward true biblical separation, to be " set apart from the world". He is urging what Christ expressed in John 18:36 " My kingdom is not of this world". Separation from the world is not to be reduced to a few logistical, legalistic, do and don'ts; it is wisdom to live squeaky clean in a world that is dominated and dirty from selfishness, greed, pleasure, and indifference to the needs of others. We are not to be actors, conforming to this present world, but to be genuine, because the Spirit of truth is working within us. If we let the attitude of the world dominate our lives, then we constitute worldliness. If our thinking and way of life matches that of someone who is not a believer; if we live, love and make decisions as the world does, to the exclusion of Christ, then we are conformed to the world. That way of living cannot harmonize with the dedication and sanctification of the spiritual life.

Christians today and in America come close to being caught up in worldliness. Little things begin to change our way of thinking. For example, people crave a blessing from God, meaning success, wealth, security. But we have forgotten that we must first be a blessing in the world for God to bless us, and God may not bless us with stuff that we think we need such as material things. Or, people pray earnestly for illnesses and diseases to be removed, or instead of praying they think they can command them to leave; and it is perfectly understandable that people should want to be free from the pain and suffering. But they have forgotten that when they suffer they are to count it all joy, because it gives them an opportunity to use that suffering for the glory of God, as a witness to the world. They need to add to their prayers that God will change them spiritually and use them. These trends and many more show that many in the Church have bought into the worldliness and materialism of this country, and it is hindering the Church from being a true witness for the Lord and a compassionate help of people in great need.

But sanctification is not just being separated from the world, with a list of worldly things that one should not do; it is a positive transformation by which we become more and more like Jesus Christ which is accomplished: “by the renewing of your mind.” One renews the mind by sacrificing it, along with the entire body to the worship and work of the Holy Spirit and studying God Word day by day. Then one becomes closer to the mind and will of Christ, the life begins to change from carnality to glory as we reflect, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord revealed in Scripture. Too many Christians rely on to much on personal experiences to get them through the week, perhaps an uplifting service, or a supernatural feeling and do not study the Word. They have forgotten that God redeemed the mind, as well as the heart.

So the essentials of spiritual growth are: dedication, separation (from the world and to God), and transformation by the renewing of the mind. Once this begins to develop, we will be able to test and approve what the will of God is.