The Old Adam Lives!

9 Things to ‘Give up’ During Lent

Posted on February 21, 2009 by theoldadam

“May God grant us the wisdom to know ourselves; the courage to admit our sins; and the grace to receive God’s never failing mercy and forgiveness.”

1) COMPLAINING – there is much to be thankful for.

2) WORRY – there are things to be concerned about, but nothing to worry about.

3) DISCOURAGEMENT – God is for you, not against you.

4) BITTERNESS – it’s like poisoning yourself. How smart is that?

5) HATRED – forgive and watch your future come alive!

6) GOSSIPING – speak well of your neighbor, you might just see him/her return the favor.

7) BLAMING – be part of the solution, not the problem.

8) STAYING AWAY FROM CHURCH – provide your family with a firm foundation of faith, learn about the message of God’s love from the Bible and share problems, make friends, and be renewed in hope and thank God for another week of life. And it’s free!

…and the final thing to ‘Give Up’ during Lent?

9) GIVING UP – hang in there!! Even with all it’s problems, life is a good and gracious gift!

by Pastor Mark Anderson of Lutheran Church of the Master, Corona del Mar, CA 949 759-1031 Lutheran Church of the Master Corona del Mar, CA

Can you think of anything else to ‘Give Up’ during Lent?

Filed under: Uncategorized | 17 Comments »

Invitation: ‘Come and Die’…

Posted on February 19, 2009 by theoldadam

…but then live!

That will be our focus this Lenten season in our church. It is our focus every Lenten season.

We will have a large wooden cross right behind the altar. We will have dead, dried up branches all around the baptismal font. We will focus on the death of Christ and the reason that there was to be no other outcome for Him. You and me. We are the reason for that death. We had a hand in it. We still have a hand in it.

God’s Law will be there in full force. It will be unforgiving and ruthless and relentless.

It will put us to death, yet once more.

But the gospel will be there, also. Come and die…but then live!

We know that the self actualized, up and coming, independent, success oriented types in the Corona del Mar, Newport Beach area of Southern California are not used to this type of a message from many of their churches.

But we don’t know of any other message that they need to hear more than this one.

We may not pack ’em in…but the ones that do show up during Lent will not be mollycoddled. Their comfort level will not be catered to. Their old sinner will not be given any wiggle room whatsoever. And when they die, the living Christ will once again give them Himself, that they might yet live again…in Him… and Him alone.

Is focusing on death a bit too harsh, or do you agree with us that this is the only way to go?

Filed under: Lent | 15 Comments »

Bishop of London says that redundancy is good for the soul

Posted on February 14, 2009 by theoldadam

This from the Times Online:

Redundancy could be a blessing in disguise for City workers who have fallen victim to the credit crunch, the Bishop of London said yesterday.

The Right Rev Richard Chartres, speaking in advance of a debate at the Church of England’s General Synod on the financial crisis, said that it was difficult to know whether to sympathise more with those who had lost their jobs, or those who were left carrying even greater loads with higher targets and fewer colleagues.

As clergy and laity on the Synod used their lunch break to make calls and send text messages on their BlackBerry phones, the Bishop, an Anglo-Catholic who favours traditionalist means of communication such as landline telephones, said that redundancy was not necessarily bad news.

“Sometimes, people seem to be relieved to get off the treadmill and to be given an opportunity to reconsider what they really want out of life. One of the great implications of this turbulence for us is to re-boot our sense of what a truly flourishing human life consists of. The ‘CrackBerry’ culture is dangerously addictive and switching off from it is notoriously difficult,” he said.

The Right Rev Richard Chartres said that his diocese had been working hard to respond to the prospect of 150,000 unemployed in London’s financial sector.

“The clergy of the City of London have been in the front line of pastoral care,” he said. This was particularly true of Fiona Stewart Darling, Bishop’s Chaplain at Canary Wharf, where the parish population is about 100,000 during the day.

At least one church in the City has had a poor take-up for its redundancy counselling sessions, however. An evangelical church has had almost no attendees at its lunchtime workshops on the recession. A lay member at the church speculated that this was because redundancy carries a stigma, and that in any case those who had been sacked were back at home with their wives and families in the stockbroker belt.

Can it be good for one to lose their job?

Filed under: Hardship | 21 Comments »

What does somebody have to do to become a Christian?

Posted on February 12, 2009 by theoldadam

‘Nothing.’

“Oh come on! You just can’t do…nothing!“

“You need to receive the gift, answer the call, make your decision, accept Jesus…right?!”

Wrong.

We are CALLED and CHOSEN. Anyways that’s what the Bible says.

The words “accept Jesus” “make a decision for Christ” are not in the Bible.

But the words “CALLED” and “CHOSEN”…are.

What does a baby do when it is adopted? Nothing. But drool over itself maybe.

St. Paul goes to great lengths in the Book of Romans to explain this, much to our chagrin.

Romans 9 is not an easy read for us enlightened, actualized, independent, rugged American types. We do want to tell the “Molder” how to shape the clay. We do want to talk back to God. We do want to call the shots and express our wills. But God will have none of it. He actually still does call the shots. All of them.

In his explanation of the third article of the Apostle’s Creed (in his Small Catechism), Luther lays this out quite nicely:

“I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy,and kept me in true faith, just as he calls , gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth…”

You mean we actually do nothing to become a Christian?

That’s right…and the word is NOTHING.

If there was just one thing that we needed to do of our own accord, then we have a new gospel of works.

It might only be ONE WORK…but that is ONE WORK TOO MANY!

I have to admit, the first time I heard this, I didn’t believe it. Maybe I still don’t. But thanks be to God He gives me the faith to believe it.

Do you believe it?

Filed under: Uncategorized | 112 Comments »

Open Line Tuesday – Got Questions?

Posted on February 10, 2009 by theoldadam

Are there any questions about the Christian faith, or about religion in general, that you’d like to ask the good folks here at ‘the old Adam lives? (that’s all of you, by the way)

I may not know the answer, but there are quite a few sharp people that stop by here occasionally that might be able to help out.

67,281

That’s the answer to ‘how many angels can fit on the head of a pin.’ (I was up all night counting)

I’ll start it off…

‘ Does one need to ask God for what they want, over and over and over? Or will asking Him just once do it, if it is in His will for you? Or if it’s in His will for you, do you even need to ask Him for it?’

Filed under: Open Line Tuesday | 14 Comments »

When did you accept Jesus?

Posted on February 8, 2009 by theoldadam

“‘Well, I didn’t. He accepted me.”

No no no…I mean, when were you saved?

“Yesterday. Today. And tomorrow.”

Umm…you’re still not getting it…when did you become a Christian?

“At my baptism…when I was an infant.”

But babies cannot accept Christ!

“Now, you’re starting to get it.”

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Where in the New Testament does it say that one needs to accept Jesus as his or her personal Savior?

Where does it say in the New Testament that we have to make our decision for Christ?

Where in the New Testament does it say that we have “free will” to choose God?

I have been told these things numerous times by Evangelicals but as yet no one has been able to show me biblical texts that say those things. I have, though, seen many passages that state the opposite is true.

Am I missing something? (It wouldn’t be the first time…today even!)

Filed under: Choosing God, Free will | 110 Comments »

You can just tell..that’s all.

Posted on February 5, 2009 by theoldadam

“We walk by faith and not by sight.”

“Judge not, lest you be judged.”

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is NOT OF YOUR OWN DOING , IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD – NOT BECAUSE OF WORKS, LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST.” Ephesians 2:8,9

HELLO! Could you all hear that ok?

“Well yes we heard it just fine… BUT I have my own verse from the Book of James that says…yada yada yada, and oh yes…yada”

Do you want to kill that wonderous feeling of joy that comes from the forgiveness of sins and frees the sinner from his chains of ‘performance’? Then just drag out James anytime someone starts to become elated at not having to get right with God on his own accord! You will kill the party and put the shackles back on everyone in the room. “Handcuffs all around…on the house!!!! ”

“Lord, we fed poor kids, we worked at rummage sales for the church, we went to the County jail and visited the scumbags, we gave regularly, and we prayed great prayers…all in YOUR NAME, LORD!!”

And the Lord said, “Who are you? Get out of my sight.”

“But Bobby and Suzy were such faithful Christians…how could the Lord do that to them?” The Lord didn’t do anything to them, they did it to themselves by thinking that their actions were actually meriting themselves something. They were ‘DOING’ all the right things. But their hearts were so far from God that they wouldn’t know the gospel if it hit them in the face. They didn’t have an ounce of grace and mercy in themselves to give…only their performance of works.

And then, to the ‘scumbags’ at the County jail and some of their ilk, Jesus says “blessed are you, when I was hungry you fed me…”, etc etc.

They said, “when did we do that?” THEY DIDN”T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE DOING ANYTHING SPECIAL! ‘They did not have works on the brain, because of some ignorant preacher giving them biblical principles to live by…which is just the law packaged in another way.

This ought to send shivers down the spines of the ‘little bit of God and a little bit of me’ crowd.

But it probably won’t. Because the world never looked so undeserving, and myself so deserving, as from the point right where I am standing. It is so easy to say, “he’s not doing enough.”

And…the chorus of “yeah buts” resounds!

Am I off base…or what?

Filed under: Doing | 28 Comments »

Are You ‘up to it’?

Posted on February 4, 2009 by theoldadam

Is anyone really “up to it”?

Personally, if I was honest about it (which I am on my better days), I’d have to say that I am not quite up to it.

The task of going out into the world (or just here on the net) and bringing the name of the Lord to a world that is starving for it…I’m not up to it.

I am not always “on fire for the Lord”. I am not always in the mood to talk to others. I am not always eager to serve. I often just want to laze around. I often do not want to serve. I often want to be served.

I don’t read and study the scriptures as I ought. I don’t read and study the Church Fathers, or the Lutheran Confessions like I ought. I don’t pray like I ought.

I do not seek out those on the margins of life in order to make their lives better and to give to them the good news of Jesus Christ. Not all the time I don’t. Not even 10% of the time. I’d hate to tell you the percentage of my time and treasure that I put into that area of need.

I’m not up to making time for those in my own congregation. Those in need of help, those that are sick, those that are hurting from the day to day pitfalls in their lives. I often don’t even take the time to pick up the phone.

I’m not really up to the task of fighting off the world, my own sinful flesh, or the devil…I’m just not.

When it comes down to exhibiting the bold, exhuberant, life of one who has been given new life, the forgiveness of his sins, and salvation…I’d have to say that most of the time…I’m just not up to it there, either.

But I do know someone who is!

I do know someone who fits the bill exactly…all of time, in every circumstance of life, who is never too busy or self absorbed. He is smart enough, stong enough, wise enough, powerful enough, loving enough, forgiving enough to get the job done….and perfectly…every time.

He is the One who hung on the cross for me and told me that He will never leave me nor forsake me.

He is up to it. He is up to it for me, and He is up to it for you.

And He will fill our poor words and our poor efforts with His love, His power, and with His purpose and will.

I don’t know about you, but He gives me strength to persevere when I know that I am not really up to any of this.

What do you say?

Are you up to the task at hand?

Filed under: Doing, Obedience, Spiritual Warfare | 21 Comments »

Tithing…Is it Biblical?

Posted on February 3, 2009 by theoldadam

Well, that’s a stupid question. Or is it? We know that ‘the ‘tithe’ is in the Bible, but what of it? Do people of God need to be doing it?

This might be a touchy subject right now with all the hand wringing over the economy, but since everyone (it seems) has money on their minds right now, or at least that is the main problem being addressed by the government, I thought I’d get your opinion on ‘the tithe’.

Is giving ten percent of your income to the church, the essence of the ‘tithe’?

In what ways can you justify not giving 10 percent of your income?

Thanks!

Filed under: Uncategorized | 34 Comments »

Death of the Old Adam, Death of the Old Eve

Posted on January 31, 2009 by theoldadam

Jesus said that if you would gain your life in this world… you must lose it.

Is there any dying going on in your church? Are people losing their lives on a regular basis?

It’s supposed to happen, you know.

St. Paul tells us that “the law brings death.”

There is no life in it. Life… the authentic, genuine life in Christ that the scriptures speak of, and that the Saints testify to, is found only through, and in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Back to death.

The new life in Christ Jesus can only come about as a result of the death of the old Adam/Eve. The old Man/Woman must be put to death and not coddled.

OK, I’ll buy that…but how? We mentioned it earlier…God’s Law.

The law will do it’s job on us. It will expose our sinfulness. It will demand from us. It will wear us down. And it will kill us.

In many churches today, there is no dying.

The old Adam/Eve are celebrated! They are wined and dined on a diet of Christian progressivism. They are not killed off but improved upon, made well, made better and better…striving to be like Jesus.

How is that dying?

The law needs to be wielded like the sword that it is. It needs to be pointed directly at the heart of the old Adam and run clear through him. All the old Adams and Eves need to die… and that is me and you and everyone else in the pews.

Does this need be a fire and brimstone type sermon with finger wagging and high energy emotions? No. Not really. It can be…but it’s not necessary.

The law is so powerful, so intrusive into all of our lives, that it can just be as simple as pointing out how you are being had all week by your own sinfulness, the demands of work, of homelife, of city and nation, and the devil, who is real and who is after you. The law does it’s work on you by making you realize how far short you have fallen from the standard that God uses for measuring our performance …and that is ‘perfection’.

“Your righteousness must EXCEED that of the Pharisees and scribes.”
“You must be PERFECT as your Father in Heaven is PERFECT.”
” SELL EVERYTHING you’ve got and follow me.”

That is the Law. Jesus’ sermon on the mount wasn’t a lawnmower manual on ‘how to’ become a better Christian…it was a death sentence, handed directly to you and executed right then and there. He was trying to kill us!

He was trying to kill us off to the ‘God project’ which is “religion”! Our efforts at making ourselves more presentable is not making us better…it’s making us worse!

We need to die. And when we are sufficiently dead enough, to self and our little game of self justification, then that pure sweet sound of forgiveness spoken from the cross and spoken over you at your baptism can go to work on you and in you, and raise you up, and breathe new life into you and make you whole again.

It is the other side of that two-edged blade of law and gospel. The ‘life’ side.

It is Jesus’ declaration to you. In the words of the pastor, in the water and Word of baptism, in the bread and the wine of His supper…”You are forgiven!”

Death and resurrection. Repentance and forgiveness. A picture of baptism.

All…for you! Go now… and live! You are free! That’s the gospel!

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All of that came as a result of a death.

Is there any dying going on in your church?

Filed under: Death, Dying to Self | 18 Comments »

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