The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R. Cross:  A great resource!

John R. Cross has released the 5th Edition of his very popular book, "The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus" which I have read and used as a resource several times.

The book is written from the perspective of what Jesus might have said to the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-27.   It is written as a "walk-through-the-bible" type study with the focus on the person of Jesus and the work of Jesus.  I guess this focus prompted the new cover of the 5th Edition with the added words, "Who was the Man?  What was the Message?"

His writings are very clear and easy to read.   John Cross says in the book,

God came to earth to personally explain how man could be saved from eternal death. Think of it this way. You see a bulldozer clearing a road, but in its path lies an anthill. You know the ants are about to be destroyed, but what can you do about it? The only answer would be to become an ant and warn them in the way ants warn each other of impending danger. …Jesus came into the world to save sinners… 1 Timothy 1:15 NASB

and,

One author, in writing of the Bible’s uniqueness, put it this way:   Here is a book:

1. written over a 1500 year span;

2. written over 40 generations;

3. written by more than 40 authors, from every walk of life— including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars... : Moses, a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt; Peter, a fisherman; Amos, a herdsman; Joshua, a military general; Nehemiah, a cupbearer; Daniel, a prime minister; Luke, a doctor; Solomon, a king; Matthew, a tax collector; Paul, a rabbi;

4. written in different places: Moses in the wilderness; Jeremiah in a dungeon; Daniel on a hillside and in a palace; Paul inside a prison; Luke while traveling; John on the isle of Patmos; others in the rigors of a military campaign;

5. written at different times: David in times of war; Solomon in times of peace

6. written during different moods: some writing from the heights of joy and others from the depths of sorrow and despair

7. written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe

8. written in three languages: Hebrew… , Aramaic… , and Greek…

9. finally, its subject matter includes hundreds of controversial topics. Yet, the biblical authors spoke with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. There is one unfolding story…

... and Cross outlines this fascinating story of the redemption of man throughout the book.

It's a book for believers and non-believers, individuals and small groups.   The book is supported with videos and a leader's guide also available.

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus is currently a free ebook download on Amazon.com.au:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Stranger-Road-Emmaus-Who-Man-What-Message/dp/B00200KF62/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1486948860&sr=1-1

Here's the publisher's homepage and book review:

http://www.goodseed.com/the-stranger-on-the-road-to-emmaus.html

Flipping the classroom - a hot topic

When I was in Year 10, I had a terribly boring English teacher.   She liked to teach in a darkened room with the floor-to-ceiling curtains shut because she thought it created "atmosphere".   It also created an opportunity for an enterprising young student to jump out the window and not be missed.  I had some wonderful times during those English classes - walking around the school, socialising, finding a quiet spot in the library to study maths and read interesting books, and going to the cafeteria.   Sometimes we left as a team, and other times, we just left...

In education circles, the topic of a flipped classroom is gaining traction, and it has many strengths that the church should seriously consider.

The flipped classroom is one that moves away from the traditional classroom model where a teacher (supposedly all-knowledgable!) lectures from the front, students take notes, maybe have opportunity to ask questions, then take homework to complete in their own time.  On the other hand, when the classroom is flipped, the teacher provides an opportunity for the learning session in the student's own time, usually by posting a lecture video and sending an invitation.   When the teacher and student come together, they can cover off questions the student has prepared, have discussions and class interaction, or focus on a specific problem the individual is having.   This way, all students work to their own pace, pursue personal learning goals and objectives and have more freedom to use their own learning styles.  

Some of the problems with the traditional classroom include students at different stages of learning, learning difficulties, different learning styles, varying work ethic and concentration span, vastly different personalities, educational history, and preferences and biases learned from experience.   We can certainy see the impact of these problems in our traditional church leadership development!   Classroom learning holds many back from serious progress, whilst it is too fast-paced for others.  We have people who are "up-front" leaders, who want to ask questions, dominate conversations and discussions (but hopefully not debate the teacher...!), and the shy ones who don't even want to speak in class!

I am not certain who coined the phrase, "From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side", but the earliest reference I can find to it is attributed to Alison King in 1993.   I like this quote.

There is certainly an argument for the sage on the stage teaching method, and that's why the flipped classroom is a hot topic.   But there's also an argument for the other style - guide on the side.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and imparted information and knowledge to them.  Paul went to places where the people were; he sought out places of congregation.   Stephen is famous for his speech in Acts 7 to a large crowd.   These examples were not interactive teaching.   These are examples of the "Sage on the stage", and yes, we find such examples in the bible.   More recently, Billy Graham's ministry is an example of teaching from the front, so is Chuck Swindoll's, John F. MacArthur's and Alistair Begg's, but I'm sure these men also disciple others in a small group and individual setting.

Guide-on-the-side is more conducive to the biblical model of discipleship.  Jesus spoke to the crowds, but he spent quality time with the twelve!   He gave the crowds information, but he explained and practiced his teaching with the disciples.   He spent even more time with Peter, James and John.   The guide-on-the-side style doesn't even need to rely on the classroom environment but can be practiced in the field.  It can be activity or assignment-based.  The flipped classroom method has been used successfully by military organisations for centuries.

From a leadership development viewpoint, there are other advantages too.  These include stronger team development, better peer learning and accountabilities, and a more cohesive team.  

Sage-on-the-stage is teacher-centric whereas Guide-on-the-side is learner-centric.   I'd push that analogy a little further and say that in the church, Guide-on-the-side is increasingly Jesus-centric as the learner desires to become more Christ-like through learning, guiding, mentoring and discipleship.

Hopefully this article is just enough to whet your appetite to do your own research (or did you fall asleep in the research methodology lecture...?)

Reference:  
King, A. (1993), From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side, College Teaching 41(1):30-35

Karma: a warped worldview

It seems our society is fascinated with the concept of karma. I wonder if everyday Mr. Ordinary on the street understands what karma is; whether the fascination is one of ignorance, or a deliberate warping of the Word of God.

A quick search on YouTube of the word "karma" gives a result of 8.5 million videos.   Many of these show someone "getting what they deserve".   A Google search of "karma" gives 189,000,000 results.

You can even buy a GoPro Drone named "Karma".  There is a very sinister reason why GoPro chose this name.

In a media Q&A session in October 2016, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman ... took a philosophical approach ...  “We believe that when people share experiences, those experiences become more meaningful to the people that capture them,” Woodman said. “GoPro enables people to share experiences in such a way that the people who are receiving that story, in some ways, feel as though they experienced it themselves. Because the story was not captured from the sidelines, the story was captured from within the experience. So in this way, GoPro is an experience-transfer company. An experience-sharing company. And there’s an energy transfer in that. A chi transfer in that to a certain degree, potentially, a karma transfer to that.”    From http://mashable.com/2016/09/20/why-gopro-drone-called-karma/#OWWOqV5BaPqk

I realise that Woodman's explanation is a mish-mash of eastern mystic concepts with his attempt to roll karma and chi transfers into one transaction, but let's just focus on the karma part in this blog!

Carm.org defines the law of karma as a hindu concept in which "every thought or deed, whether they are good or bad, will count in determining how an individual will be born in their next life on earth", so intertwines consequences of actions with reincarnation.

The law of karma teaches that a person will be judged by their life on earth, and the "balance" of their actions will be either good or bad; there will be a credit or a debit.  A debit result dictates a return to a worse or lower form of life, but a credit result will provide rebirth at a higher form or in a higher caste. 

As with all cults and false religions, there is an element of truth and an element of deception.  Only through examination of the teaching carefully measured with the bible, can we discern the truth.

We see the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3, and from that point forward, all of mankind has been born with sin nature.   Romans 3:23 and other verses tell us that everyone has a sin problem; there is none without sin (except Jesus - see Hebrews 4:15)

As there is none without sin, and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23), man has a problem when it comes to his relationship with God.   Man's relationship with God was severed.   But in His grace, God sent His Son Jesus to take our place.   Jesus took all of mankind's sin upon Himself and opened the way for a restored relationship between God and man.   If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9, NIV).  

So we see that it is by grace alone that man is saved.   Not by works.   (See Ephesians 2:8-9).   Karma is a works-based philosophy that is without hope; there is no concept of restoration or redemption during the current life, so sin can not be atoned for.   Contrast this with salvation by the grace of God, which removes sin in its entirety and gives perfect hope.

So how does the concept of karma enter into western thinking?   It has probably crept in over the centuries as people travel and bring back eastern concepts, but also in a rapidly changing world we have much more cross-cultural experience and multi-ethnic communities.  As I stated earlier, there is an element of truth and an element of deception.   We've seen that the element of deception is false hope; a false hope for a better life. 

The element of truth is seen in Galatians 6:7b:  "A man reaps what he sows."   People love to see evil men being dealt with justly, but they prefer not to acknowledge the truth of the bible, otherwise they feel that they will have to deal with their own relationship with God, so it's easier to embrace an empty philosophy that feels good at the time.   Watching a bully get punched in the face by the victim, or an armed robber who has his firearm turned back on him make people feel good without any personal conviction or examination.

Food for thought:  maybe the application for believers is to embrace the enthusiasm of our friends when they talk about "karma" in the sense that justice is being administered by circumstances, and use this as an opportunity to point them to the truth of God's Word and His ultimate judgment.   For, make no mistake:  God will not be mocked (Gal. 6:7a)

PS:  Apparently having a GoPro makes me a hero

Take every thought captive

I subscribe to a weekly teaching page "GotQuestions.org".  This week's question/answer is quite good, so I've reproduced it below.

Question: "How can I take control of my thoughts?"

Answer: Many Christians struggle with this issue, especially in our highly technological world, but taking control of our thoughts is essential. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The “heart” includes the mind and all that proceeds from it. Someone said that every sin we commit, we commit twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts. It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it at this fundamental thought level rather than waiting for it to become rooted in our lives by our actions and then try to pull it out.

There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought enters our mind, we examine it based upon God's Word and determine if we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it with another thought. If we have already allowed a habit to form in our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our thoughts, even as it is hard to get a car out of a deep rut and onto a new track. Here are some biblical suggestions for taking control of our thoughts and getting rid of wrong thoughts:

1. Be in God's Word so that when a sinful thought enters our mind (a temptation), we will be able to recognize it for what it is and know what course to take. Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) responded to each of Satan's temptations with Scripture that applied to the direction He knew His mind should take instead of beginning down the path of the sinful thought. When tempted to meet His physical need (turn stone into bread), He recited the passage about the importance of relying upon God. When tempted to serve Satan in order to obtain the glory of the world, He brought up the passage that says we are to serve and worship God alone and speak of the glory that belongs to Him and those who are His. When tempted to test God (to see if God was really there and would keep His promises), Jesus responded with passages that stress the importance of believing God without having to see Him demonstrate His presence.

Quoting Scripture in a time of temptation is not a talisman, but rather serves the purpose of getting our minds onto a biblical track, but we need to know the Word of God AHEAD of time in order to accomplish this. Thus, a daily habit of being in the Word in a meaningful way is essential. If we are aware of a certain area of constant temptation (worry, lust, anger, etc.), we need to study and memorize key passages that deal with those issues. Looking for both what we are to avoid (negative) and how we are to properly respond (positive) to tempting thoughts and situations—before they are upon us—will go a long way to giving us victory over them.

2. Live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, chiefly through seeking His strength through prayer (Matthew 26:41). If we rely upon our own strength, we will fail (Proverbs 28:26;Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:33).

3. We are not to feed our minds with that which will promote sinful thoughts. This is the idea of Proverbs 4:23. We are to guard our hearts—what we allow into them and what we allow them to dwell on. Job 31:1 states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman" (NKJV). Romans 13:14 states, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Thus, we are to avoid periodicals, videos, websites, conversations and situations that will set us up for a fall. We should also avoid spending time with those who would encourage us down these wrong paths.

4. We are to pursue hard after God, substituting godly pursuits and mindsets for sinful thoughts. This is the principle of replacement. When tempted to hate someone, we replace those hateful thoughts with godly actions: we do good to them, speak well of them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Instead of stealing, we should work hard to earn money so we can look for opportunities to give to others in need (Ephesians 4:28). When tempted to lust after a woman, we turn our gaze, praise God for the way He has made us—male and female—and pray for the woman (for example: "Lord, help this young woman to come to know you if she does not, and to know the joy of walking with you"), then think of her as a sister (1 Timothy 5:2). The Bible often speaks of "putting off" wrong actions and thoughts but then "putting on” godly actions and thoughts (Ephesians 4:22-32). Merely seeking to put off sinful thoughts without replacing those thoughts with godly ones leaves an empty field for Satan to come along and sow his weeds (Matthew 12:43-45).

5. We can use fellowship with other Christians the way God intended. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Fellow Christians who will encourage us in the changes we desire (best if of the same gender), who will pray for and with us, who will ask us in love how we are doing, and who will hold us accountable in avoiding the old ways, are valuable friends indeed.

Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless we have placed our faith in Christ as Savior from our sin. This is where we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over sinful thoughts and temptations, and God’s promises for His children are not for us, nor is the Holy Spirit’s power available to us!

God will bless those who seek to honor Him with what matters most to Him: who we are inside and not just what we appear to be to others. May God make Jesus’ description of Nathanael true also of us—a man [or woman] in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).

Recommended Resource: The Mind of Christ by T.W. Hunt

from https://www.gotquestions.org/QOTW.htm and https://www.gotquestions.org

Twice dead

Twice dead?  How can something be twice dead?

Jude 12 is a fascinating verse and gives us a clear picture of what not to aspire to.

...These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead. (NIV, my emphasis)

It's a sad thing to see an uprooted tree.  Trees are a living organism and have strived to put down good roots and seek water for nourishment, so to see it overcome by environmental factors and subsequently fail is sad.   Uprooted trees all have a common factor though - their root system is not well established.   A healthy tree's root system tends to reflect the size of its canopy, but an uprooted tree does not have a strong root system.

Mark 4 gives us some insight:

... He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. "Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

"The sower sows the word. "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." (NASB, my emphasis)

Matt. 7:19 tells of severe consequences for those who do not bear fruit:

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire

Matt. 7:16 and 20 emphasises that we will know false prophets by their fruit.  Matthew states twice in these verses,

By their fruit you will recognise them (NIV)

It's interesting that in Genesis 1 we see God creating each "after their kind".  The extension of this truth is that fruitless trees are of their own kind (in a spiritual context, this takes us directly back to Jude 12).

So the consequence of failing to produce spiritual fruit is uprooting by God who does not tolerate falsity.   Unfruitful and uprooted.   Twice dead.

It is refreshing to read Psalm 1 which contrasts the man of God with the wicked man of Jude 12:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.   Whatever he does prospers.

Surely this contrast encourages us to re-evaluate our position in Jesus Christ and our heart-attitude toward bearing fruit.

Photo credit:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Uprooted_tree_on_Bronkham_Hill_-_geograph.org.uk_-_298170.jpg 

Yo-yo Gospel

When I was in Primary School during the yo-yo years of the 1970s, I was the proud owner of a Coca Cola yo-yo.   I could do all sorts of tricks with it.   It was made of glass, was a good weight and felt great in the hand.   Other kids had yo-yos too, but no-one had a Coca Cola yo-yo like mine.   I was generous and shared it around, letting others use it.  Some could also do tricks, and I liked to see the delight on their faces when they used the glass Coca Cola yo-yo.  For them, it was like getting off a skateboard and onto a hoverboard.   The glass yo-yo was very advanced compared with the common plastic models!   Many kids liked it, but one lusted after it - he had an unhealthy desire to own it.

One day, my yo-yo was stolen when I was at school.   I knew who stole my yo-yo.   He'd lusted after it for weeks.   He claimed to be my friend.   He also claimed his dad bought him a Coca-Cola yo-yo on the day mine was stolen.   Although I was only 8 years old, I understood the concept of James' explanation of unchecked temptation leading to death:

... each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.   Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  (James 1:14-15 NIV)

In Genesis 4:7, God addressed Cain on the topic of sin and temptation:

... if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (NIV)

Sadly, Cain was only walking in the steps of his parents who failed to resist temptation in Genesis 3 and caused a severed relationship from God for all of mankind (the fall).

Todd Friel (of Wretched Radio) has an analogy that explains how Genesis 3, an ancient chinese toy and the theft of my yo-yo in 1977 all link together. 

You can see his presentation here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrNNpUmK_TQ

As you watch this presentation, remember the key words:  severed relationship and fall.

It's another great analogy for the tool-kit!

Not this kind of yo-yo!

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Unusually, I am referencing Alice Through the Looking Glass 2 weeks in a row!   Last week was a reference to Humpty Dumpty, and this week I want to comment on a quote of time Personified, or the Anthropomorphism of time by Lewis Carroll.   In fact, I will argue that Carroll actually even attempts to deify time.

Mr. Time (Time) is the antagonistic character in the story Alice Through the Looking Glass.   Some might argue that the Red Queen is the antagonist, but I beg to differ:   the Red Queen is simply a grumpy, badly behaved, hard-hearted, jilted Princess who just wants to know she is loved by her sister, the White Queen;  Mr. Time, however, puts himself in the position of God Almighty, controlling eternity and without whom the world as Alice knows it would not exist.

The most profound and telling statement from Mr. Time is heard when he introduces the Grand Clock:  

The heart clock

"He is me and I am he",

(displaying his heart clock at the same time).   Is he claiming to be God?

There is none like God Almighty.   He is the Alpha and Omega.  

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev 1:8 NASB)

He always was and always will be. 

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"  (Exo 3:14 NASB)

God co-exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  They are individual entities, yet they are One.  

Mr. Time thinks he is immortal, but he is not.   His world begins to unravel as Alice travels back through time itself, and life is sucked out of him.

Yet in comparison, Jesus said of Himself,

I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again.  No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. (John 10:17b-18a NET)

There was nothing that Mr. Time could do to save himself or give life to others, but Jesus says in Revelation 21:6,

I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. (Rev 21:6 NASB)

and even whilst He was being crucified on the cross, He gave life to others:

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43 NIV)

So what's the problem with time personified and Alice Through the Looking Glass?   Isn't it just a harmless children's animation?

The Grand Clock

Carm.org says about cults:

From the view of Christianity a cult distorts the doctrines that affect salvation sufficiently to cause it to be unattainable.

Time personified would have everyone believe that he is in control of destiny and chooses the time of death of each and every individual; that he is immortal and can not die.

Other world religions also twist the truth of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.   All are man-made; none have been instituted by God Almighty whose plan from eternity past was for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Jesus is the only immortal man who has existed from eternity-past and has demonstrated His authority to lay down His life and to take it up again.   Hope can only be found in Him.

Alice Through the Looking Glass reminds us to test all concepts against scripture and to be aware of teachings that may lead us away from the Word of God.