Jesus and Rodney King - Racial Justice

This Sunday we are going to address Scripture's view on race, but before we do we'd like to hear your thoughts on the diversity of humanity. How big of a problem is racism today? Feel free to share any experiences or stories involving race in our culture. Also, what do you believe the Christian perspective on race is? This is your chance, so let's hear it!

Sex-Men

Last Sunday we finished the morality portion of our discussion on integrity at The Rising; specifically we addressed what it means to be a man and really got to the heart of some series issues with which men deal. We talked about sex, lust, dishonesty, pornography, and even masturbation (as a self gratifying distortion of God’s gift of sex). The night had the major, underlying theme that as men we deal with a lot of temptation, particularly in the sexual realm (possibly even more than women because of our biological make-up; men are more quickly aroused, generally speaking) and we must do everything we can to resist temptation, which is a lot if you’re a Christian. I mean, our bodies are home to the Holy Spirit and God doesn’t give us a Spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline - we have the ability to resist temptation. But so many men I know try very hard and still consistently fail. We discussed when we fail as men in our sexual lives we go to God for forgiveness and get back up and do everything possible to allow God to prevent it from happening again, but we don’t give up. Failing in our sexual lives doesn’t make us a failure with God; refusing to repent and discontinuing a pursuit of Christ in our lives does. There is grace, there is a reason Christ came for us.

It’s was a great night of ministry, but I left the night with regrets. You see, not all guys are perverts and sex addicts. Women, and men, you should know that. I personally know many Christian men that do not struggle with pornography, sexual addiction, or yes, even masturbation. Statistically these men are dwindling in number, but believe me they exist. So women, don't give up on your husband, don’t give up on finding a Godly man, and definitely don’t lower your standards. And men, don’t give in to the lie that every guy struggles with sexual perversions. They don’t. Know there’s grace, get back up, and remember it’s possible to break the bondage sin places us in. Christ came for many reasons: we can be forgiven for our sins, as well as be free of the sin that binds us. It’s good news no matter how you look at it.

What's your opinion on these issues? What's your experience? Can you relate? This is an open and honest dialogue, so let's hear it!

Relative to What?

If you attended last Sunday night you heard Pastor Glenn attempt to disprove the idea of moral relativity. Some agreed, some disagreed, and I imagine some didn’t care. I mean, what does a bunch of philosophical proofs have to do with today, and my life with Christ? Nothing, but understanding the dilemma we’re placed in as Christians: EVERYTHING

Here’s the deal, if you’re a Christian it means you’re a follower of Christ because He is the only means to eternal life, which begins the moment you know Him. So, each morning you wake up ready to face what life has for you, and your only goal for this life is to serve Christ each day, whatever that looks like. He’s given you a simple mission to make disciples of all nations: to help the poor and destitute, and to share your faith with others. That’s it. That’s the life of a Christian.

Here’s the problem, you wake up each day and you know you’ve got the winning ticket. You know Jesus is the only way to eternal life with God. Plain and simple. The problem is other religions believe their belief system is the only right one. So, it used to be a Christian needed to know the right stats, archeological evidence, and theological jargon to prove Jesus is right and others are wrong. But it’s no longer that simple…today, Christians need to address more than just a person’s religious belief system, we have to understand and address an entire worldview. You see we say Jesus is the only way to heaven and people no longer have as much trouble with the Jesus part as they do the only part.

We claim an absolute truth in a world that believes in relative truth, and it’s not just on the issue of salvation; the same is true with moral views on sex, drinking, marriage, divorce, etc…I mean isn’t this the same problem with gay marriage, we claim marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman and people don’t have a problem with it. It’s when we add the word only people throw a fit.

So what’s the answer? I would disagree with some of what Glenn said, I don’t think philosophical proofs are the answer, being aware of them is helpful, but they’re not the end in and of themselves. Although, I did love Glenn’s idea of using the information in conversation. The problem is I fully believe in the equality of others and I also believe truth is often relative to one’s context in the world, but I also believe in certain theological and moral absolutes. So how do you communicate these absolutes to a relativistic society? And how do you do it with Christ’s love? These are the questions of our day.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. There may be no question more pressing to the lives of Christians today.

I know you’ve got an opinion…let’s hear it!


Because He lives!

Josh

Even the Stones Will Cry Out

“I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”—Luke 19: 40

When my dad was a boy, he was afraid of God. Being a missionary kid, he saw quite a bit of Him, saw what He could do, or what people thought was the right thing to do for Him. Dad saw the people that worshipped God, the way they held their hands and of all things cried with their mouths wide open to the ceiling; he saw the raw pull of whatever It was that was pulling, invisible, that seemed a magnet for tears and flailing limbs. He saw this and was afraid. And so, little Dad, from elementary school till young adulthood, kept God at arm’s length and shut his eyes to Him like doors.

It is a symbol, this sight of worship that my dad saw. It is, like all actions, a physical emblem to show what is going on deep inside the person, the worshiper. (At least, it should be, I think.) Like the way the people, at first placid in their chairs, suddenly stand up and spread themselves, as if someone took a knife to their being and slit it wide open to let their bowels slip out; as if with their open mouths they can empty out whatever black things they have that they need to be rid of, and as if with their hands they can grab out of thin air the Thing that they need to fill them, or wave hard enough to get that Thing to notice them. It is a symbol, this worship, and it is what is unseen becoming seen, inner becoming outer. An incarnation.

There are many symbols besides worship, and our minds, through our eyes, are smothered with them. Just Friday I saw a nearly naked woman on a billboard, her eyes narrowed at me and other drivers like a cat’s. I don’t remember the words on the billboard—I didn’t notice them. I also saw a handful of advertisements for beer, and the pictures showed a brown, bottled liquid smoother and more refreshing than water. If I watch TV for more than five minutes, my eyes are flashed with symbols of what I should want for myself and, if nothing else, more nearly naked women with cat’s eyes.

Late last night, I sat on the couch in front of the TV and saw a commercial for hamburgers, and I was hungry.

And just a month ago, I saw an old man in a park. He was stepping slowly towards a statue with his arms outstretched. His hands were grasping the face of the statue, his fingers running over the lines in the stone face. He was blind, and he was trying to see this lifeless thing the only way he knew how. And when I saw the old blind man, I saw what we all are: old, blind, stumbling forwards on uncertain feet to reach out and feel for life, for flesh and blood, only to find lifelessness, cold stone. The symbols that we see, they are cold, and reaching for them, we have become cold.

We have, in a way, become stones. Stone-faced from the things done to us, a smile not having touched our lips for weeks, months, because there is seemingly little or nothing to smile about. Stone-deaf to the same song that others around us are hearing, that for some reason stirs them to break from their chairs and spill open with their entire bodies. Stone-cold, because life itself has left us, or perhaps never even entered us.

My father, when he was young, ran from Life. But, one way or another, somewhere along the road before I was born, his eyes and his ears, like doors, were opened, and he saw It, heard It. Of all the people I’ve known in this life, I’ve seen him cry the most.

“It was just a matter of time,” he once said to me, and he put his hands to his face to catch his tears.

And that is what I say, even on the days when I can’t hear the same song that others are hearing—especially on those days.

It is just a matter of time. Because, stones though we are, He is always waiting to open us up, until we cry out.

- Nate Smith

Christianity and Gay Marriage

Yesterday the Supreme Court of the state of New Jersey declared in a 4-3 decision that homosexuals should have the same rights as heterosexuals, opening the door for New Jersey to become the second state in the union to legalize gay marriages. This only further heightens the greater issue facing the United States and, more importantly for us, Christianity - What role does our faith play in decisions we make and endorse in matters of government? How separate should church and state be? Finally, what role should Christianity play in culture as a whole?

Homosexuality is a hot button subject at every church in the US. Each church is choosing its side. In the end we've ended up with the alienation of thousands of proclaimed homosexuals from anything to do with Jesus. So as a pastor who views both the practice of homosexuality and the alienation of those who consider themselves "gay" as sinful actions, what do I believe should be done on the issue of gay marriage? I'm saying you first :).

Before I voice my opinion on what should be done, I'd like to hear your thoughts. What role do you think we should take as Christiains on the issue of gay marriage? What do you think of the recent decision in New Jersey? This is an open forum, so express your thoughts truthfully and be respectful of the thoughts of others. The bottom line is you've got an opinion, let's hear it!

Paul and Eutyches

What's up everybody? I thought this would be a great topic for our first real blog. Sunday's sermon was over Acts 20:1-12, where Paul is forced to travel through Macedonia twice before he comes to Troas. Here he meets with other Christians during the night and talks on and on, until a young man, Eutyches, falls not only asleep, but out the third story (second in modern terms) window of the home they are meeting in, plummeting to his death. We highlighted the passion Paul had to stay up speaking about life with God and asked whether we as Christians feel passionate like Paul, or more bored to death like Eutyches in our relationship with the Lord. I got an e-mail from Matt VanGent, a "regular" with us at The Rising, and I thought his insights were brilliant. So, I asked if I could post it on the blog and find out what others think. Below is his e-mail, as well as my response and his reply to my e-mail. Enjoy and comment!

- Josh

Josh, what's up, it's Matt VanGent.

Everything you were saying last night really got me thinking. You
talked a lot about having a passionate relationship with God, one where we
should be like Paul who can't shut up because he's so stoked about it.
And I think that is totally valid and a great point. It also seemed
like people who are passionate about God should be able to stay awake
while others talk forever about it. Here's my question: what if a
passionate relationship with God is about way more than sitting around in a
room and listening to someone talk about Him? What if it's more about
our actions? I personally get very antsy sitting around listening to
people talk about God, especially if it's a room full of Christians. I
think i would be somewhat like Eutychus here. Instead of falling asleep
though, I think I would jump out of the window out of excitement for
telling everyone I could about this amazing God. I think the distinction
that needs to be made is in regards to the audience. I'm all for
talking about God and being excited about it. But when it's directed at a
bunch of people who already believe, I think there comes a point when
talk becomes cheap and action needs to take place. Basically, I don't
know if I would equate a passionate relationship with God to sitting
around talking about Him. I think that is definitely part of it, but I
think it is about so much more than that. I don't even know if that's the
point you were driving at last night, but that's what I was hearing.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Let me know what you think if you get a
chance.

In Him,

Matt VanGent

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Matt, thanks for the message man...it was beautifully stated and I think others, myself included, would definitely agree. What struck me about the passage when I kept going over it is the WHY. Why does Paul keep talking on and on, and why does Eutyches seem so uninterested? The reason that I came up with is because Paul has seen and experienced the power of God. I mean he's experienced miracles first-hand most of us only dream of. When you have that kind of relationship with God, where you see and experience Him daily you are bound to be more passionate in your faith, and so because Paul makes God his number one priority (in actuality Paul makes God's missional purpose his #1 priority) and because his relationship with God is so strong, he naturally is passionate for the things of God. Eutyches on the other hand made other activities in his life a priority and so did not experience the same passion.

Matt, I can be a proud guy, but I have to admit after talking with people afterwards and reflecting on your e-mail, I think my initial impressions of the passage were misguided, if not wrong. I think your statement sums up the problem with the sermon last night: "I don't know if I would equate a passionate relationship with God to sitting around talking about Him." There couldn't have been a better way of putting the problem with the sermon. I kept looking at Eutyches and seeing his lack of passion and wondering what is wrong, and why do I and most Christians feel like him? At times I think it might be because we are not making our relationship with God our #1 priority, and so we naturally become less passionate about the things we spend little time investing in. But, I think the deeper comment and more applicable to our group at The Rising would be that it may not have been Eutyches fault. The answer to the question of WHY Paul kept on talking may be because he was passionate, but maybe his passion is misdirected. Maybe Paul is like a lot of Christians, always talking about God and never showing people God. Maybe that's what Paul was doing at the end, showing people the love and power of God, and maybe this is why his actions are recorded and not many of his words.

Anyway, thanks for the e-mail, fire one back when you get a second to reflect on this some more, but I think you hit a major problem with Christians and Christianity. Like I did last night, we are quick to talk and slow to act. Would you care if I shared your e-mail with the group next Sunday? I think others will really identify with what you said. Thanks again man!

Because He lives!

Josh

P.S. If you don't mind, I'd also love to put our discussion up on The Rising blog, so we can see what others think. Let me know how you feel about this. Thanks!

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Josh,
Yeah dude, you can totally do whatever you want with my email on sunday and for the blog. I like what you said about Paul being so passionate because he experienced God first hand. I think there is definitely a place for sharing what God has done, and for someone like Paul I can see how that could take all night. The bottom line as I see it is this: there is a place for both. There's a place for telling people about all that God has done, and there's a place for proving it to them with our actions. I guess it's a both/and instead of an either/or. Those are my initial thoughts on what you wrote. I'll keep thinking about it though and get back to you if I come up with anything else. Peace, Matt

Welcome!

This website is for anyone and everyone on the journey of life, who is searching for some form of spirituality, for some form of truth. Take a moment and browse the site, especially check out our community link, maybe even post a comment on the blog. What you will find is a group who believes that spiritual journey begins in the person of Jesus Christ. The Rising is a community committed to following Jesus together, where ever that takes us. We do not claim to have all the answers or to have life figured out, but we know the One Who does.

We’re called The Rising for one simple reason: The single most significant event of all of human history happened almost two thousand years ago. A man, fully God and fully human, perfect and sinless, gave His life for us through a horrific death; He was shamed and berated, and considered cursed, and He did it all for us. He died and was placed in a tomb, those closest to Him were sure it was over, they were lost and confused, not too different than many people are today. Then it happened, the perfect, sinless man who was shamed and berated, and left to suffocate to death on a wooden cross, rose from death. The single most significant event in human history happened, The Rising; it changed life forever, death was overcome, the old became new and the hurting were healed. It’s the greatest story of all time and it is why we exist as a group. As Jesus Christ rose from the grave, we are calling all who are searching for spiritual truth to rise up from their grave of spiritual death and join a movement, a rising of believers in our generation who want to see Jesus Christ reign both now and for eternity!

That’s what we’re about, if you’re interested, we gather together every Sunday night at 5pm at Pomona First Baptist Church on Garey Street, a few blocks south of the 10 freeway. Come and worship the risen Lord with us, as we encourage each other in our spiritual journeys!

Because He lives!

Josh

Josh Husmann

Pastor to The Rising