August 2021

Sometimes I have heard people after they have read through the Bible, ask, “Is the God of the Old Testament and New Testament the same God?” The reason for the questions is the apparent difference in God’s interaction with people, as revealed in both testaments. At the heart of this question is a misunderstanding of what both the Old and New Testaments tell about God’s nature.

Some see the God of the Old Testament as a God of wrath and the God of the New Testament a God of love. Perhaps, in part, the progressive revelation of God in the Bible through historical events and relationship with people has led some to this misconception of comparing the Old and New Testament’s revelation of God as two different Gods or a changing God. However, a careful reading of the Bible as a whole, both Old and New Testaments give evidence of God’s wrath, and love is revealed through the whole of Scriptures in both testaments.

Let me give you an example from the Old Testament. In an interaction between God and Moses, it is revealed that “God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). Fast forward nearly 1,400 years, and we find recorded in the New Testament the loving-kindness of God more fully revealed. We read in John, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

Throughout the Old Testament, we see how God related to Israel as a loving and caring father would parent his child. When they sinned, He disciplined them, but He also delivered them when they repented. Similarly, this is how God deals with Christians in the New Testament. The Hebrews writer proclaims, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Heb 12:6).

We also discover throughout the Old Testament God’s judgment, and wrath poured out on sin. This is also seen in the New Testament. We find in Romans, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom 1:18). It is apparent that God is not different in the Old and New Testaments. In fact, God by His nature is unchanging or immutable (Heb 13:8, Mal 3:6, James 1:17).

The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is one unified book made of 66 individual books, written by more than 40 inspired authors, in three different languages, over a period of 1,500 years. Incredibly, we see a never-changing God from beginning to end, Who is progressively revealed to us. Throughout the Bible, we see that God deals with sin with judgment and wrath. However, He is also the great deliverer to those who turn to Him in repentance. He is a God of love who offers care who not only says He loves us but demonstrated it on the cross, where He died for our sins and bore His very own wrath in our stead. He died so that we can live as we receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

In the Old Testament, God provided a sacrificial system whereby atonement could be made for sin. However, this sacrificial system was only temporary. It merely looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, who would die on the cross to make a complete substitutionary atonement for sin. The Savior who was promised in the Old Testament is fully revealed in the New Testament. Only foreshadowed in the Old Testament, the ultimate expression of God’s love, sending His Son Jesus Christ, is shown in all its glory in the New Testament. All of this to say that the Bible as a whole, Old and New Testaments, was given “to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). When we study the Testaments, the Bible as a whole, we discover that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God of the Old and New Testaments is the same, never-changing God. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Many a believer has asked, “How to enjoy the stuff of earth without being worldly?” Worldly is relating to, or devote to, the temporal world. It’s being concerned with worldly affairs, especially to the neglect of spiritual things. Let me share a biblically oriented definition of being worldly. Being worldly is pursuing the stuff of this earth, bent on selfish gain, replacing God as Lord of one’s life and the focus as one’s greatest love.

Paul equates worldliness with spiritual immaturity (1 Cor 3:1-3). Worldliness is acting in a childish, un-Christlike manner. Worldliness acts contrary to Christlike love, living in pride, anger, self-will, and a heart bent away from God. Paul strongly urges the Corinthians to grow up and mature in the faith so that they will cease worldly behavior. Here’s Paul’s point, growing up and maturing in Christ leads to eliminating worldliness.

A tension all followers of Christ must navigate in their life is embracing a single-minded devotion to Christ while enjoying the wonderful, beautiful, and delightful things, such as people, hobbies, and everything else. The challenge for believers is to keep Christ as the supreme love of their lives while enjoying the things the Lord has brought into their lives. Let me share a couple truths and dangers. The first truth, God is to be first in our life with no close rival. Back in the Old Testament book of Exodus, we read, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exo 20:3). We are to worship the one true God and nothing or anybody else. In fact, Christ, asked about the greatest commandment, answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Lk 10:27a). We are to give our total devotion to God. We are to love God with all that we have above everything else.

The second truth, there is nothing inherently evil with relationships, hobbies, and stuff. Remember, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). He also declared, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Gen 1:18) and created Eve. God even said after His creative work, “This is very good.” Sin has marred what God has declared good. We sometimes pervert what God has proclaimed as good (relationships and stuff). However, there is nothing inherently evil with relationships, hobbies, and stuff.

Now, let’s look at two dangers. The first danger, People, hobbies, and stuff can lead to idolatry. Idolatry is worshipping anyone or anything in place of God. It’s when we allow the things of earth to be too precious to us and love them too much. Paul writes to his young protégé Timothy, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs [sorrows]” (1Tim 6:10). Paul is not saying that desiring wealth is wrong. He does warn that such a pursuit comes with particular temptations. Money is not evil. The “love” of money “is a root of all kinds of evil.” Money, things, hobbies, and relationships as not bad, but our desire for them can lead to trappings that bring sorrow. A fulfilled life does not consist in the abundance of things but in faith and godliness – for both rich and poor alike.

The second danger, the way we relate and prioritize relationships, hobbies, and stuff, can lead to ingratitude. Ingratitude is failing to recognize the kindness and favor of God in providing someone or something. It is a lack of thankfulness to God as the ultimate provider of all things. Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus, “…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20). James instructs us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas 1:17a). Consider this psalm, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psa 107:1)! We need to be mindful of God’s good character. See all that we have as gifts from God. We are never truly self-sufficient. We are God’s creation, living in God’s creation, enjoying His creation. All that we have is on loan from God. We need to look at all God has given us to enjoy with a heart of gratitude towards Him.

How, then, do we enjoy the stuff of earth without being worldly? In order to enjoy the stuff of earth without being worldly, we must ask a simple question that directs our steps. Do the things, such as people, hobbies, and everything else in our life point me toward God or away from God? God sometimes uses His gifts to us, the stuff of earth, to lead us to know God more fully. The goal of the Christ follower is to joyfully embrace God’s good gifts to us without letting them become worldly distractions that steal our affection from Him. We are called to enjoy everything in God and enjoying God in everything. I believe the Scriptures teach us that God created the earth and everything in it for our pleasure. God wants us to enjoy all the beauty and wonder that He has made. However, we must hold onto God’s gifts with open hands and open hearts. We must be willing to let go whenever God decides to take away one of those gifts, whether it be an object, a loved one, or anything else.

God may call you to live with less. God may be calling you to live with abundant blessings as a witness of His goodness to your neighbors, friends, and family. If you daily and earnestly seek the Lord, He will lead you in how to rightly handle your possessions, relationships, and hobbies. Trust Him with your hands wide open, palms titled up in praise for His gifts, always offering them back to Him, believing in your heart that He is good, and desiring to live in His will for you. How do we enjoy the stuff of earth without being worldly? We come to know God and love Him with everything. Having done that, we establish in our very souls that God is supreme. We love Him above all. Then, we receive the stuff of earth as a gift and enjoy them for His sake. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

I have heard people ask, “Is God a God of judgment or of grace?” The answer is both. God is a God of judgment and grace. I understand the question. For instance, it is easy early in our walk with God to feel like the New Testament is a book of love and the Old Testament is a book of judgment. I will not tackle the unity of the Bible as a whole or God’s revelation throughout the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. I will point out that The Old Testament mentions mercy three times more often than the New Testament. Also, there is equal treatment to God’s grace and faithfulness in both Testaments. Both testaments also deal with God’s judgment. All of this to say, God is always the same. Therefore, God is a God of grace and judgment.

Let’s look at an account from Scripture that I believe deals so wonderfully with this topic of God’s judgment and grace. Jesus is having a conversation with a spiritually curious man by the name of Nicodemus. Jesus shares that, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:14-17). Notice the passage uses the word condemned instead of judgment. Jesus did not come to “condemn the world,” but that He “might” “save” the world. This is an interesting picture of judgment and grace.

There is also a sacrificial picture presented to us in John 3. God “gave His only Son” to offer salvation to us. Let’s look back to the sacrifices offered in the temple. When a Hebrew came to the temple with a sacrifice, he did so to deal with the guilt of sin in his life. When, for instance, he came with a lamb, he was not “innocent,” rather the sacrifice of the lamb paid the penalty in his place. Therefore, he was not condemned. God offers grace by sending Christ. When we receive Christ, we are not condemned. This speaks of the substitutional sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. He bore our judgment.

To understand more fully the judgment and the grace of God and our choice, we need to go back to the account Jesus references in our text. Jesus tells Nic, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). What is Jesus talking about here? We have to go back to the original account that is recorded in numbers.

In Numbers 21, we read, “Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live” (Numbers 21:6-9). What was causing the people to die? The snakes. However, if you look at the context, the snakes were sent as a judgment for sin. It’s fascinating that God tells Moses to have them look at a representation of what was making them die. Perhaps, this account teaches us that we must look at and take seriously and confess our sins. The first step to salvation (receiving God’s grace) is to face and confess our sins (admitting we deserve judgment).

Look back to John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That is the Gospel in a nutshell. God gave His Son by sending Him into the world and by giving Him over to death. Jesus humbled Himself by coming with the purpose to die for our sins. He died in our stead. We deserved to die due to sin. He did not. He paid a price He did not owe, for each of us who had a price we could not pay. When we “believe” in Him, receiving Him as Savior and Lord, we are given “eternal life.” The believer receives this life now and will enjoy it for all eternity. We either choose to face our sins and be saved by grace, or we prefer to remain in sin and reject Jesus. God is a God of judgment and grace. However, He desires for all of us to choose grace.

In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, specifically Revelation 14, we read about the message for those who live at the end of days. We discover. Judgment is coming. The proper response to this impending judgment is to be in a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Choose grace.

Here is the gospel truth, a judgment is coming, and we deserve it. The good news is that Jesus offers us an escape from condemnation. Jesus is the lamb of God who has died for our sins. If we face our sins by confessing and repenting, we receive salvation, grace, and eternal life. Judgment or grace? The choice is yours! God is a God of judgment and grace, and we have a choice. We deserve judgment but can choose grace because of the extreme act of love of Jesus dying for our sins and being resurrected for our salvation (Rom 4:25). The bad news, we deserve judgment. The good news, we can choose grace. I hope you will choose grace. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

An overview study of the Book of Ephesians leads to discovering the foundational way of thinking about the church and its call to impact the community where we live. God used His ministry through the Apostle Paul to raise a small body of believers in the thriving city of Ephesus (Acts 19:1-9). When Paul arrived at the city, Ephesus was the capital proconsular of Asia and a center for trade and commerce, with a population of around half a million. Paul’s tenure in Ephesus was marked by his dispute with the artisans in the temple, who made their living selling likenesses of the goddess Diana. A riot broke out, led by a silversmith who convinced the artisans that Paul was a threat to their businesses. Ephesus was not a place friendly to the gospel of Jesus Christ – but Paul stayed the course and was used to develop a church there.

The book’s overall theme is that Christians are all members of Jesus’ “body,” the church. A key verse in Ephesians is Ephesians 2:22, “In him [Jesus] you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” God does not live in a building, but He is present in the Spirit with His people wherever they are.

The first truth we discover in Ephesus about the church is that we are called out for something specific (Eph 1:3-10; 3:3-6). Paul answers the question: What is this church of God’s intent? We, the church, have been called out of the world by God. We have been set apart for a purpose. God has called us out for a specific mission. The church’s mission is to personify the transformed life found in Christ through being a reconciled community that invites others to be reconciled and renewed by coming to Christ and being part of His church (Eph 2:15).

The second truth we discover in Ephesian about the church is that we are called together for something specific (Eph 1:7-8; 2:1, 9, 11-22). Paul answers the question: What is this church like? We, the church, have been made into a new community of reconciliation and social healing. We no longer live as mere individuals but as a community belonging to God and embodying His concerns. We have been called to be a place to belong, find grace and forgiveness, and demonstrate a new way of living together, caring for one another in Christ Jesus. We, the church, are revolutionary disciples who hold in tension a compassionate concern for justice with an evangelistic zeal for people to encounter Christ.

The third truth we discover in Ephesians about the church is that we are called for something specific (Eph 1:13; 2:4-7, 18; 1 Peter 1:23-2:4). Paul answers the question: How will this church function? The church is to function by being in relationship to Christ, allowing God to be at the heart of our community call to be together. We are to function with the understanding that there is no other reason that we are together than to be friends with God inviting others to join us.

The fourth truth I will share that we discover in Ephesians about the church is that we are called to something specific (Eph 1:6, 18; 2:8-10; 3:14-19; 4:11-16). Paul answers the question: Why does this church exist? We, the church, exists to be on mission. We are on the move. We are to participate as being part of God’s presence on earth. We are the body of Christ continuing His incarnational ministry. We are filled with the Spirit of God – His peace and power and love – so that we can be transforming agents in this world – our community.

We, the church, participate in the reign of God through beating the rhythm of being a unique community called to display what life is like as the forgiven and forgiving people of God. We bear witness to the transformational nature of God as well as exemplifying service in this world. We are to be the church in word and deed. Words are not enough, and deeds are not enough. Witness consists of words and deeds. Words are authenticated by incarnational living of the gospel in the everyday lives of Believers.

The church is not simply a gathering of people and a sender of select missionaries. We are the sent ones. We are the church on the move impacting homes, streets, neighborhoods, and communities. Community impact begins with you and me answering God’s call to bring His love and message into the places we live, work, go to school, shop, and on and on. If you see a need, you are the answer. Pray, Obey. Be Christ in the midst of the need. You don’t need permission to be the church. We are the church, called out for a purpose, called together for a plan, called for loving God and others, called to be God’s redemptive agent in the world today. We, the church, are called to know God and make Him known, making a kingdom impact in our community. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Worship is derived from an old English word that means “worthship,” signifying the worthiness of an individual to receive special honor in accordance with his/her worth. Therefore, Christian worship acknowledges that God is worthy of the highest praise due to His matchless worth. In the Bible, we find two principal terms (Hebrew – saha, Greek – proskyneo), which emphasize the act of prostration, the doing of obeisance, or curtsy. There is no more humble nor vulnerable position than to lay prone. In fact, to lay in such a manner before a person shows the utmost trust. To obeisance or curtsy, someone is a sign of genuine respect. Inserting these word pictures into the previously mentioned definition of worship brings greater clarity to the true meaning of worship. Worship is honoring God by expressing trust and respect toward Him through acknowledging His matchless worth.

Worship is expressed through presenting our lives to God as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). This is done both through a commitment to outward obedience and inward attitudes, which are the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work in and through a person’s life, holiness.

Worship is expressed in numerous ways. A life lived for the Lord is an act of worship. The most basic acts of worship in a personal and corporate manner are the reading and exposition of Scripture, prayers, and the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as well as the observance of the sacraments. I do not believe that true worship of the individual nor corporate worship is limited by structure so long as they fall within the framework of biblical standards.

At Crosswinds, we believe God has called us to know Him and make Him known. Therefore, we strive to communicate the gospel and worship in a way that reflects this reality. We desire for worship to be expressed from the individual to God. Since all people are different, we strive for an open and honest expression of worship that is both meaningful to the individual and not distracting to others, especially those who have yet to make a decision for Jesus Christ. In our “worship” services, you will find people raising their hands (Psalm 28:2; 63:4), clapping their hands (Psalm 47:1), kneeling (Psalm 95:6), singing (Psalm 30:4; Col 3:16), as well as standing in quiet reflection and meditation (Psalm 77:12, 119:15).

It is also noteworthy that, like the worship of the early Israelites, we strive to use our senses, believing that the example of the early church was in like manner. The Israelites used sight through the beauty and symbolism of the tabernacle, where every color and hue had a meaning. They engaged their hearing through the use of music. The Bible records many instances of music used as worship as well as many songs. They used touch by literally touching the head of an animal to be sacrificed, symbolizing the fact that it took their place. They used smell through the scent of the sacrifices burning. They used taste through the feasts, which were celebrations and memorials, where much of the food was symbolic. We strive to follow this example through utilizing technology such as video, a live band, and the sort and other sources such as a creative stage with backdrops, refreshments in the lobby, and many other means to engage people in a worship experience that connects them to God and one another.

Since worship is honoring God by expressing trust and respect toward Him through acknowledging His matchless worth, God’s church, by definition, is a worshiping community. The apostle Peter wrote, “…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). When the church gathers, they are to do so in a worshiping attitude, which both honors God and signifies to those who have yet to make a decision for Christ that God is real and relevant and desires to be in right relationship with them. It ought to be noted that the church has from the very beginning gathered regularly for worship and is commanded to do so (Heb 10:25).

Worship is to be expressed both personally and corporately, and both are to be done in a manner that is represented by a life surrendered to the Lord and actions representative of such a life. The importance of personal and corporate worship cannot be overstated. Both allow the individual as well as the “Body of Christ,” His Church, to grow in knowing God and making Him known. Or otherwise stated, both allow the individual and God’s Church to grow in their intimacy with the Lord, community with other Believers, and influence on those who are yet to believe. Therefore, worship is to be central to the life of the Believer and that of the church, being expressed daily through personal time alone with God as well as regularly gathering together with fellow Believers. Worship is to be expressed in the way we live our lives each and every day. God’s worth is beyond comprehension. Therefore, in awe, we are to offer what is due Him, from first to last, giving our all in honoring Him by expressing trust and respect toward Him through acknowledging His matchless worth. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!