Every Thought Captive

2 Corinthians 10

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.



What does it mean to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ? Jesus once prayed "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) Jesus had taken every though captive. He was able to follow God so closely that his will and the Father's will were indistinguishable. He had disciplined himself to be the perfect example of obedience to God, and he is the model that we all aspire to.

The next time you feel the impulse to jump and act, take a minute to stop and think first... "Is this an act of determined obedience, or is this an act of human nature?" You can do a great deal of practical work that is good work for good reasons, "but true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. (Oswald Chambers)"

Take every thought captive!

Written by Frederick A Hanna

In the Midst of Adversity

John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”

Some people think that becoming a Christian means that you will be delivered from adversity, but that’s not what it means. That lie has thrown too many of us off track. The truth of the matter is that being a Christian means we are delivered in adversity.

God doesn’t erase the tribulations, trials, and circumstances of the world. God gives you the power to stand in the midst of them. Psalm 91, “He who dwells in the secret place of the most high God, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, you are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in you I will trust.” When troubles come, we take refuge in the fortress of God, and we fight the good fight of faith because God has already given us victory over the world. Fear not people of God, for we have overcome the world by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony!

“God does not give us the overcoming life, He gives us life as we overcome.” Oswald Chambers

Written by Frederick A Hanna

Working While Waiting

Luke 24:49 (NKJV)
49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Have you ever been in a place where you felt God had told you to go... AND you expected that when you got to that place there would be some kind of reward... ONLY instead of a reward there was nothing... JUST more waiting?

In Luke 24:49, Jesus instructs His disciples to go and wait, BUT tarry -or kathizō in Greek- doesn't simply mean to wait. It has the connotation of patience or sojourning. As if to say that this waiting is part of your journey; part of your process. Sometimes God requires us to just wait until the "promise" comes. In this text the promise is the Holy Spirit, so what God really wants us to wait on is Him.

"He works where He sends us to wait" Oswald Chambers

Written by Frederick A Hanna

Purpose in the Process

Mark 6:45-51 (NKJV)
Jesus Walks on the Sea

45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.

Jesus "made His disciples get into the boat" (v45), and yet half way through their journey, they find themselves in distress with no Jesus in sight. He even "saw" (v48) them as they struggled against the wind and the sea, and it was in the midst of their struggle that he "came to them" (v48) though they didn't see Him initially. When they saw Him they were troubled until he spoke to them, calming both their fears and the stormy sea.

What God desires for you is for you to see "Him walking on the sea" with...

No shore in sight...
No outcome that you have planned...
No goal that you can see...

...and STILL have absolute certainty that everything will be all right because you see "Him walking on the sea."

Oftentimes following God is not about reaching a specific destination.
Oftentimes its about learning that in our obedience to His instructions, He meets us and makes us in the midst of the storm.

Written by Frederick A Hanna

The Secret of Divine Contentment

Philippians 4:11-13 Message

Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

"A man may know much of Christ and yet not learn Christ"
Thomas Watson

It won't matter that you heard the message if you never LEARNED anything.

A life of faith must be learned because:
1. Spiritual things are against nature.
For a human being to deny her/his will and take up the cross of Christ is an unnatural act.

Romans 8:7 (NKJV)

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

2. Spiritual things are above nature.
Knowing the depths of God takes searching. You can mine the scriptures for jewels of wisdom, but true wisdom can only be found when the Spirit of God teaches...

1 Corinthians 2:10 (NKJV)

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

What had Paul learned? The word used for content in the text is autarkēs. It means to live above both need and abundance. It doesn't mean that you are oblivious to your circumstances as if they weren't real; BUT when you are truly content, your BEING is not determined by your circumstances. This state of being didn't come to Paul in an instant, but over time. The secret of divine contentment is in the learning.

Written by Frederick A Hanna

Learning to Receive

Have you ever heard the saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive?" Well, the first time I was invited to a church to minister to a youth group, the leader of the group put a check in my hand after I finished up. I promptly returned it explaining to her that I didn't come for money. She then grabbed my wrist, opened my hand, and said, "You are going to have to learn to receive!" She said, "You have to allow other people the privilege of blessing you."

I had never thought of it that way, and now years later I still have a problem allowing people to "do for me." Oh, I receive the check at the end of service now... more like I give it to my wife, but we don't turn it down! BUT, for some of us, its hard to receive. In fact, not being able to receive, whether it be gifts of money, words of wisdom, or general kindnesses is akin to a God complex. In our relationship with God, God is the primary giver, and we are the primary receiver. Not liking to receive is to prefer God's place.

Len Sweet says, "as important as it is to be generous, its even more important to be gracious receivers."

Not Imitation, BUT Impartation

1 Corinthians 1:

30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,...

"The most wonderful secret of living a holy life does not lie in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfect qualities of Jesus exhibit themselves in my human flesh"
Oswald Chambers

Great quote from Chambers! Do I believe it? Well... not wholeheartedly. I think he's talking about sanctification, and my understanding of sanctification is that it is a process that takes place in our lives over the course of time. Its part of the process of BECOMING more and more like Jesus.

Do I think that Chambers is saying something different? Yes and No. I think he makes it sound as if the text says that we are wholly sanctified when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, but I'm pretty certain based on his other writings that he doesn't believe that. I think that he is trying to tell us that in spite of the sinfulness of our lives, the atonement of Christ is in no way insufficient to cleanse us of our sins, and to impart to us what we need to live a life that is holy, acceptable, and pleasing unto God.

A butterfly isn't a caterpillar secretly trying to imitate a butterfly. A butterfly is a creature that once was a caterpillar, but has transformed into a butterfly... a NEW CREATURE!

So, let yourself off the hook a little. Stop living with the anxiety that you have to earn that which has been freely given. You're not an imitation... you're the product of an impartation.

Written by Frederick A Hanna

No seeking... No finding...

Ask, Search, Knock!!!

Matthew 7:

7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him

While the majority of the New Testament does not support the carte blanche, blank check petitionary prayer advocated by many Word of Faith teachers today, these verses are very explicit in that we should seek the generosity of God in all "good things."

While I don't like to throw around grammatical terminology too often, this is an occasion where it bears illumination... In verses 7-8 of this text, we have what is called a triple imperative (3 charges or direct commands) followed by a triple assurance... "3 that's the magic number!"

ASK! SEEK! KNOCK! - GIVEN! FOUND! OPENED!

Its also worth noting that the triple imperative is in the present tense, which could be interpreted in an extreme way as,

"Keep on asking" "Keep on seeking" "Keep on knocking"

While that may be a slight overstatement, this text indicates that God does respond to those who seek Him with all their hearts. The text is an invitation to "ask." Whenever I teach, I like to state that "the only stupid question is the one not asked" as a way to encourage questions. If you don't ask, you may never get an answer. The premise is repeated thrice here... if you don't seek, you may never find... if you don't knock, you might be left outside in the rain...

One of the key phrases here is "good things" v11. This picks up on previous verses in Matthew 6:25-34, which indicate that while God may not supply all of our wants, He is infinitely concerned about our needs.

Written by Frederick A Hanna

http://troublethewaters.blogspot.com/

Concept Church - CCV

We visited a very interesting church today, Christ Church in the Valley. It is a non denominational church located in Royersford, PA. In an age when many mainline denominations are dying a not so slow death, it was refreshing to attend a service that dared to shake up the status quo. When you drive up to the church, it actually looks like a movie theater. Out in front, there is a box office, which looks like a place where you would buy tickets to enter into an old fashioned theater...



Once inside, you feel as though you have entered into the lobby of a theater, and are ushered into the sanctuary, but not before you receive a program, study materials and an ink pen. Inside, the sanctuary looks nothing like a church. There is a media control center in the rear, and a stage at the front. The stage is lined with 5 electric guitars, drums, keyboards and mics. Just over the stage are 3 projection screens. As service starts, the stage fills with musicians, and a few very young praise and worship leaders. The music sounds like a rock concert, but the words of the songs are deeply theological and wholly biblical. As songs are sang, the words cascade across the 3 projection screens with picturesque images behind them. After a few songs, a brief word of prayer is shared, and the offering is taken. In an age of prosperity ministry, when the offering can take nearly as long as the praise and worship, the quick announcement and collection was refreshing. After the offering, the preacher for the hour came forward and shared a thoughtful message, which was bolstered by images from the Internet and pictures which were projected on the screens above the stage. There was also a video testimony played along with a video of a recent baptism service.

Although I liked the message, it wasn't well developed. It could have used a little more exegesis... BUT, perhaps that was the point. Maybe it had gaps because they wanted the people to go home and study the Bible passage on their own. My best teachers were the ones who didn't give me all the right answers, instead they gave me ALL the right questions... The right questions may lead one to find the right answers...

OVERALL, I thought it was great. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with denominational life. I find myself held in bondage by tradition that is stale and irrelevant. My love for God and service to God's people is choked by pomp and circumstance, and ritual rhetoric. Church often functions as a placeholder in believer's lives. At it's worst, church is just a group of people who meet at a particular time, in a particular place... devoid of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. At it's best, it is the power of God brought to fruition amidst the fellowship of believers, who dare to stand up and stand out for God. I don't know about you, but I want power today. I want the power of God to show itself in my life as never before, and I will not allow tradition to stand in the way of that...



Having said that... in addition to denominational boundaries, churches are still some of the most segregated institutions in America... This church was scantily multicultural. I would aptly describe it as a non denominational, mostly white congregation out in the suburbs... It lacked some of the cultural elements that are important to people of color, and people who live in more urban contexts... My feeling is that, with a little cultural adaptation, and a few traditional elements, I could do great things with this model in an inner city setting.

Ah!!! Pray for me!

Life

Life is such an interesting journey. I am in the most wonderful classes this semester. It's my first semester in the doctoral program, and I really had no idea what to expect. My first class is "Race, Ethnicity and Inequality." I was excited about this class from the moment I read the title, and it has not disappointed. It allows me to dialogue publicly about issues that have plagued me throughout my life; about things that I have experienced namelessly; about tension that I have felt, seen, and even touched. It has been a somewhat emotional journey, which has peaked my awareness of so many of my own tendencies and pathologies, as well as, those of others. A professor of mine once told me that I needed to understand my own pathologies in order to avoid harming others with them... So often we fail to treat people in a way that indicates that we truly have respect for the dignity and worth of the humanity that we all possess as God's own creations.





My other class is sociological foundations. I knew that this class would have serious implications for my understanding of the world and the communities that I will serve in the course of my life, but I didn't anticipate that the learning would come from a marvelously gifted, multicultural, intensely intelligent, highly stimulating mix of individuals....


...It was a true KOINONIA
It is difficult to say that there are few gifted and passionate educators left after you have experienced this group of individuals. While I fear that this was just a set up... something that God did to teach us all that His plan still supersedes ours... I know that there is purpose in it.




A mentor of mine once said,

"God has placed something inside of each and every individual we meet, something that was intended to bless our lives."

His goal, he says,

"Is to get that -something- from every encounter."

What a great expectation to have for humanity.
PEACE!