(Isaiah 55 (cross reference with book of Revelations); 2 Corinthians 6:10; James 2:5; Ephesians 2:7, chapter 3; Colossians 1:27; 2:2; Revelations 3:18)
“God doesn’t just want you to worship Him; He wants you to know WHY you worship Him….great love is born f great knowledge…learn more worship more”. –Mark Batterson, Primal.
FULFILLED HOPE CONTRAST TO “A MISPLACED HOPE” (Example- Heaven’s Gate)
Resurrection (Hope of Israel) 1 Corinthians 15: Old to New – Acts 24:15; Acts 23:6 cf. Acts 28:20; Acts 26:6-8
Titus 2:13; I Peter 1:13; I John 3:2-3; I Thessalonians 5:8; Titus 1:2; 3:7; Matthew 5:17-18
“The Old Covenant Hope (of Israel) has become the New Covenant reality”
“Eternal life, salvation, and righteousness was the hope of “this age”, but became full possession of the Church at the Second Coming” – paraphrased; The Preterist Voice
LIVING IN HIS PRESENCE (GOD CONSCIOUSNESS)
What did or was the importance of God’s presence to Old Testament Jews?
Psalms 139:7-12; Psalms 16:11; Psalms 23; Psalms 51:11
Old Covenant V. New Covenant
Exodus 25:8 Matthew 16:18
Exodus 29:43, 45 John 4:21, 23
Numbers 11:16,17 Acts 7:48
Numbers 12:5 Colossians 1:18
Deuteronomy 31:15 Hebrews 8:2
I Chronicles 6:48 Hebrews 9:11, 24
Revelations 21:3
Book- The Practice of the Presence of God
His presence enables us to live a life in response to what He has done.
• Not to get ultra-spiritual but you know that emotional moment when you sing and praise, reflect and meditate on what God has done in you and through you? That is His presence.
Jesus came preaching the: KINGDOM OF GOD
Old Testament understanding? The glories of this reality?
Matthew 6:33; Matthew 13: 31-32
Read- blogs @ Freaked-Out Mindset (Mike Miano) – “What are You Screaming with Your Life?”
“God’s people, in God’s place,- under God’s rule” – PresentTruthMag.com
Restoring Eden!
Prophecy concerning the Kingdom of God: Ezekiel 36-37; Isaiah 7,9,11,51,53; Ezekiel 47 cf. Revelations 22; Daniel 9
GRACE AND FREEDOM IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
Personal Righteousness- His Righteousness
Temporary Forgiveness- Complete Forgiveness
Old Covenant Law- New Covenant Grace
Romans 7-8; Acts 15; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 14; Galatians 6:2; James 2:8
HEDONIST-OUR LIVES ARE TO GLORIFY HIM, BY SEEKING HIM!
The Riches of Incomparable glory- Ephesians 2:7
“God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him” – John Piper, Desiring God
Psalms 16:11; Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:8; Matthew 13:44-46; Psalms 37:4; Whole book of Ecclesiastes
SHINING THE LIGHT OS SALVATION (EVANGELISM)
• Consider the lyrics to the song, Shining the Light of Salvation, by Desperation Band
o “We were made for such a time as this, to make a difference in the world we live. Now we live!...Whose living a life worth living, were shining the light of salvation”.
John 1:4-5; John 8:12; Revelations 21:23; John 12:46; Matthew 5:16; I Peter 2:9
The Lamp Parable- Mark 4:21-24
Salvation was a promise to the Jews, which would eventually through fulfilled promises of the New Covenant reach the Gentiles: Isaiah 11:9-11; Luke 2:32; Isaiah 42 (specifically verse 6); Isaiah 49:6; Acts 13:45-47; Acts 26:22-24
Tree Parable- Mark 4:30-32
NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH
“NEW”-changing the world
This New understanding should lead us in love to “turn the world upside-down”
Revelations 21:1; Isaiah 65:17 (both speak to Salvation, our relationship with God)
-Note that Isaiah’s context was the coming New Covenant
SONS/ DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH! LIVE IN THESE RICHES!
Romans 8:14, 19; Galatians 3:26-29; 4:5; Ephesians chapter 1
Friday, January 14, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Good Ole’ New Years
Well here we are January 6, 2011. This New Year has not been met with much enthusiasm as I had seen in 2010, have we given up on the dreams of new hopes, new possibilities, etc.? I know in my case it is that I am still kind of caught up in the gains and pains of 2010.
11-11-11, will happen this year, so what’s your wish? What better than to commit now to making wishes that will become realities in 2011 or even 2012, come on now people, a little optimistic enthusiasm here (maybe I am trying to convince myself as well).
I am very strongly opinionated on the concept of setting New Year’s resolutions, as you will notice if you check out my blog around this time last year. Looking back at last year’s resolutions and putting them into the proper context, I would say I did fairly well. Pursuing His righteousness is a will be a continued goal, a good understanding I have learned through 2010 was that it wasn’t my righteousness but the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is vital to my life in Him (check out my blog about Puritanical Ostracism in September 2010). Also, missional courage and imagination coupled with striving toward a stronger prayer live will always be goals to elevate. Simplifying my life and loving Gabriella are double edged issues, which work in and out of each other (further explanation by personal communication). And the p90X was a failed adventure, Gabriella stuck it through and my Aunt Joanne may have gave it the best effort, but it was clearly not for me (ha ha ha). Bucket list ideas still going, still alive, and even more so free to live for Him by more and more knowledge of Him.
Ok, now into 2011. My simplified resolution is summed up in Matthew 6:33 which says "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and allow all things to be added unto you”. To explain- my goal for 2011 is to allow God to continually be first in all things by loving Him with my mind heart, soul, and strength coupled with allowing my goals (resolutions) to fall into place of what His kingdom and righteousness look like in my life. I detail these for accountability my brothers and sisters!
My own car by March,
Read entire Bible through Hebrew and Greek (still looking for study ideas...),
Memorize at least 1 entire book of the Bible (currently looking at Ephesians or Colossians),
Study systematic theology (basically have a solid foundational theology that I can clearly and concisely explain),
Start writing my personal book (possibly finish),
Develop my savings and credit accounts, build up a stronger God consciousness (love God with my soul!!),
Graduate,
Further my endeavors of church planting (begin plans, attend conferences, have meetings, etc.),
Learn basic Spanish and Arabic (maybe one or the other),
Continually participate in a holy experiment of living out the Bible
(Mark Batterson says: “What if every time we came across a verse that told us to do something, we thoughtfully and prayerfully figured out a way to translate it with our lives? What if we consistently, creatively, and courageously acted on each verse? What if we turned every verse into a HOLY EXPERIMENT”)?
As I finalize and sign off my resolutions I want to add some accountability factors. This year as I live seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, I strive to live with honesty and integrity in all things. Also, many goals are a virtue but I also want to accomplish some compassion-casting (opposed to vision casting- thanks Jim), I want to live a life that is challenging and inspiring but also LOVE MORE, LISTEN MORE, AND UNDERSTAND MORE!
-------Michael A. Miano-------
Well, thanks for reading. And it’s never too late to begin making 2011 resolutions. If you have made some I would love to share coffee, tea, or water (lol) with you and hear them as well and help you be accountable. If you have yet—let this be your inspiration!
Joy, Peace, and Love, follow me as I follow Jesus,
Mike Miano
11-11-11, will happen this year, so what’s your wish? What better than to commit now to making wishes that will become realities in 2011 or even 2012, come on now people, a little optimistic enthusiasm here (maybe I am trying to convince myself as well).
I am very strongly opinionated on the concept of setting New Year’s resolutions, as you will notice if you check out my blog around this time last year. Looking back at last year’s resolutions and putting them into the proper context, I would say I did fairly well. Pursuing His righteousness is a will be a continued goal, a good understanding I have learned through 2010 was that it wasn’t my righteousness but the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is vital to my life in Him (check out my blog about Puritanical Ostracism in September 2010). Also, missional courage and imagination coupled with striving toward a stronger prayer live will always be goals to elevate. Simplifying my life and loving Gabriella are double edged issues, which work in and out of each other (further explanation by personal communication). And the p90X was a failed adventure, Gabriella stuck it through and my Aunt Joanne may have gave it the best effort, but it was clearly not for me (ha ha ha). Bucket list ideas still going, still alive, and even more so free to live for Him by more and more knowledge of Him.
Ok, now into 2011. My simplified resolution is summed up in Matthew 6:33 which says "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and allow all things to be added unto you”. To explain- my goal for 2011 is to allow God to continually be first in all things by loving Him with my mind heart, soul, and strength coupled with allowing my goals (resolutions) to fall into place of what His kingdom and righteousness look like in my life. I detail these for accountability my brothers and sisters!
My own car by March,
Read entire Bible through Hebrew and Greek (still looking for study ideas...),
Memorize at least 1 entire book of the Bible (currently looking at Ephesians or Colossians),
Study systematic theology (basically have a solid foundational theology that I can clearly and concisely explain),
Start writing my personal book (possibly finish),
Develop my savings and credit accounts, build up a stronger God consciousness (love God with my soul!!),
Graduate,
Further my endeavors of church planting (begin plans, attend conferences, have meetings, etc.),
Learn basic Spanish and Arabic (maybe one or the other),
Continually participate in a holy experiment of living out the Bible
(Mark Batterson says: “What if every time we came across a verse that told us to do something, we thoughtfully and prayerfully figured out a way to translate it with our lives? What if we consistently, creatively, and courageously acted on each verse? What if we turned every verse into a HOLY EXPERIMENT”)?
As I finalize and sign off my resolutions I want to add some accountability factors. This year as I live seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, I strive to live with honesty and integrity in all things. Also, many goals are a virtue but I also want to accomplish some compassion-casting (opposed to vision casting- thanks Jim), I want to live a life that is challenging and inspiring but also LOVE MORE, LISTEN MORE, AND UNDERSTAND MORE!
-------Michael A. Miano-------
Well, thanks for reading. And it’s never too late to begin making 2011 resolutions. If you have made some I would love to share coffee, tea, or water (lol) with you and hear them as well and help you be accountable. If you have yet—let this be your inspiration!
Joy, Peace, and Love, follow me as I follow Jesus,
Mike Miano
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Retrospect- 2010
Well here we are in 2011. The last couple weeks of the year have been a bit a roller coaster therefore actually sitting down and writing this blog is accomplishing a huge feat.
I would like to take out the time to do some examination of the year of 2010. Sitting down and reading the recap of 2009 and my notes from January 2010, is inspiring and am will continually urge others to begin to detail these things.
Looking over my new years resolutions of last year was fun and it helped a bit to put all that was done and accomplished in 2010 into a good perspective (be on the look out for the 2011 resolution blog, I will be posting).
January
The year started out with me having a radical zeal to pursue the kingdom of God (much to the credit of what the Lord is doing in and through Shane Claiborne). I studied the writing, The Early Christians in Their Own Words collected and organized by Eberhardt Arnold. I would reccoment this writing because of the rich history you can learn of the early church and be encouraged, inspired, and challenged by our history as the body of Christ.
“The early Christians challenge us to see discipleship as a path away from “self” toward a wholly transformed social order”.
I learned of the fellow saint Polycarp, who was martyr-ed for his faith and spoke about his statement of “Christianus Sum” (I am a Christian) at the Faith to Faith conference later in the month.
A very pivotal part of my new year was developing a friendship and guidance from pastor Alan Bondar from Messiah Reformed Church (http://www.messiahreformed.com) who through discernment and knowledge of Him led me to embrace Reformed Full Preterism.
* A very strong point that happened even from the beginning of 2010 was the friendships I developed and working toward goals and stronger mission statement for Freaked-Out Fellowship.
January was also the month that I explored Catholicism in tune with my resolutions for Jan-March. I had learned how to pray the full rosary, went rosary prayer group, studied parts of the catechism and so forth (for more info, consider reading the blog post: http://newsfromthetribe.blogspot.com/2010/02/avatars-catholics-and-rosary.html
February began with the quest into Orthodox Christian and praying the khomboskini, and this was a time in honest retrospect that I felt distached from a lively bunch of Christians. I had read the book, The Way: What Every Christian Should Know about the Orthodox Church, and was not exactly in agreement. (Although, I am learning that there are many aspects of Orthodox Christianity that the body of Christ does need to get back to- even to the extent of the Orthodox Christian Bible commentaries).
Freaked-Out Fellowship stopped hosting the Monday night rallies, which was humbling me for to realize that sometimes you need to try and stop if it does not seem to be the proper method. Also, in February I began to attend Messiah Reformed Church and dig deeper into fulfilled eschatology.
Looking back at notes, I realize that my year started out so strongly with the ACTing Out ACTS concept of living and being the radical Christians that we read about in the early church. The persecuted, the hated, the nonconformists, etc...we so desperately need that energy!
March began with reading Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Shaw, yet another book that has played an important part in developing my passion for Christ. Also, besides turning 26 on March 3rd, I traveled as a practicing monastic to the New Monasticism conference at Reba Place Fellowship. This was an awesome experience and helped me begin to develop my thoughts more concerning fellowship and new monasticism, also considering an interesting bus ride from Fort Myers, Florida to Evanston, Illinois, dressed like a Franciscan monk. :)
April was a month of study. I recall reading through the Bible in 30 days which was a powerful experience, reminds me of the quote from J.I. Packer, “Any Christian worth his salt ought to read the Bible from cover-to-cover every year”. Also, a detailed study through the prophets in an effort to fully understand the concept of the Prophetic Imagination was a powerful, exciting journey as well. Did you know Isaiah ran around Egypt butt-naked? ha ha ha
Also, in April I became an official Starbucks barista!! whoohoo! Iced Venti 11 pump Vanilla Upside-down Caramel Macchiato (somewhat the kingdom of God in a cup).
May to June, I placed alot of emphasis on studies of both Full Preterism and the Missional Church. Reading through various books such as The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch, Reading the Bible through New Covenant Eyes by Alan Bondar, ReJesus by Alan Hirsch, etc began to really push me into a certain direction- a pret-issional Jesus Freak direction!
“...return to a more pre-Constantinian understanding and experience of church” (Robert Webber)
As we ventured into August it seems as though my life began to take an odd turn. Noticeably things in my life began to take a toll and I lost my focus. It all goes back to that Matthew 6:33 statement, GO READ IT!!!
A valuable lesson I am learning even after a recent study and discussion through the book of Ecclesiastes is that there is a time for everything, and this is something I know I need to learn. prioritizing is important. Looking back, i was doing so much at once, even going against the stream of knowing that my life was having issues, and I experienced a sense of burnout.
September was suppose to be the launch of Freaked-Out Fellowship’s new ideas, but even at that point there were things in life that I should have taken a step back and worked toward a bit of a sabbath. The encouragement of these times was when I did focus on God I was granted bits a pieces of wisdom into His kingdom (the true Kingdom as explained in Romans 14:11). Consistency and persistence is a blessed part of my character that God has given me, and even in the times of trial I always seek to be inspired and burdened by God, which at this time in September 2010 I turned to reading yet again, The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
In October I began to get ready for my trip to Israel/ Palestine and tried to remain open minded to my trip and explaining my simple reasons to “know the faces” of those struggling in the Middle East.
Now, November and December where a bit of ups and downs, the true to life realities. In November I was preparing for my trip and it was a struggle, I had alot of crisis’ going on in my personal life (especially in regards to my and Gabriella’s relationship). I ended up going on the trip, even though life almost seemed against me before I left, and upon my return all the stock I had placed in the trip was revealed. The “mission trip effect” happened to my life in more than one way, and that would be a blog or discussion in and of itself. (I WILL WARN YOU THAT OUR GOD IS A FAITHFUL AND SOVEREIGN GOD WHO WILL MAKE HIS WILL HAPPEN IN THE WORLD, WHETHER YOU ASK OR NOT, BUT IF YOU ASK, BE WILLING TO RECOGNIZE YOU ASKED!).
Upon my return from Israel/ Palestine in late November/ early December I have found my world a bit upside-down. Talk about returning from a foreign land to foreign circumstances, that would be the best way to explain it. As I was still processing what I had seen in order to “Know the Faces” in the Middle East, I was also welcomed with beginning to process what was going on in my personal life.
December, probably the most impactful month of the year has seemingly offered a bit of every emotion on the chart. Sadness boy Joy, Loss but Opportunity, Confusion yet Focus. It is in the valley times that we listen and learn the most and that is what I have done with December. Studious might not even describe it well, but you can imagine that much learning and wisdom will be revealed in future blogs. Much more of what December has offered will be revealed in my next upcoming blog concerning 2011.
Let’s wave goodbye to 2010, and welcome in 2011..I wish I could be more parabolic like Jesus or poetic like my friend Q, who wrote her letter/ poem to 2010. With that said, let’s look to be inspired and burdened in 2011.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2)”.
As a follower of Jesus, by Truth and Spirit,
Michael Miano
I would like to take out the time to do some examination of the year of 2010. Sitting down and reading the recap of 2009 and my notes from January 2010, is inspiring and am will continually urge others to begin to detail these things.
Looking over my new years resolutions of last year was fun and it helped a bit to put all that was done and accomplished in 2010 into a good perspective (be on the look out for the 2011 resolution blog, I will be posting).
January
The year started out with me having a radical zeal to pursue the kingdom of God (much to the credit of what the Lord is doing in and through Shane Claiborne). I studied the writing, The Early Christians in Their Own Words collected and organized by Eberhardt Arnold. I would reccoment this writing because of the rich history you can learn of the early church and be encouraged, inspired, and challenged by our history as the body of Christ.
“The early Christians challenge us to see discipleship as a path away from “self” toward a wholly transformed social order”.
I learned of the fellow saint Polycarp, who was martyr-ed for his faith and spoke about his statement of “Christianus Sum” (I am a Christian) at the Faith to Faith conference later in the month.
A very pivotal part of my new year was developing a friendship and guidance from pastor Alan Bondar from Messiah Reformed Church (http://www.messiahreformed.com) who through discernment and knowledge of Him led me to embrace Reformed Full Preterism.
* A very strong point that happened even from the beginning of 2010 was the friendships I developed and working toward goals and stronger mission statement for Freaked-Out Fellowship.
January was also the month that I explored Catholicism in tune with my resolutions for Jan-March. I had learned how to pray the full rosary, went rosary prayer group, studied parts of the catechism and so forth (for more info, consider reading the blog post: http://newsfromthetribe.blogspot.com/2010/02/avatars-catholics-and-rosary.html
February began with the quest into Orthodox Christian and praying the khomboskini, and this was a time in honest retrospect that I felt distached from a lively bunch of Christians. I had read the book, The Way: What Every Christian Should Know about the Orthodox Church, and was not exactly in agreement. (Although, I am learning that there are many aspects of Orthodox Christianity that the body of Christ does need to get back to- even to the extent of the Orthodox Christian Bible commentaries).
Freaked-Out Fellowship stopped hosting the Monday night rallies, which was humbling me for to realize that sometimes you need to try and stop if it does not seem to be the proper method. Also, in February I began to attend Messiah Reformed Church and dig deeper into fulfilled eschatology.
Looking back at notes, I realize that my year started out so strongly with the ACTing Out ACTS concept of living and being the radical Christians that we read about in the early church. The persecuted, the hated, the nonconformists, etc...we so desperately need that energy!
March began with reading Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Shaw, yet another book that has played an important part in developing my passion for Christ. Also, besides turning 26 on March 3rd, I traveled as a practicing monastic to the New Monasticism conference at Reba Place Fellowship. This was an awesome experience and helped me begin to develop my thoughts more concerning fellowship and new monasticism, also considering an interesting bus ride from Fort Myers, Florida to Evanston, Illinois, dressed like a Franciscan monk. :)
April was a month of study. I recall reading through the Bible in 30 days which was a powerful experience, reminds me of the quote from J.I. Packer, “Any Christian worth his salt ought to read the Bible from cover-to-cover every year”. Also, a detailed study through the prophets in an effort to fully understand the concept of the Prophetic Imagination was a powerful, exciting journey as well. Did you know Isaiah ran around Egypt butt-naked? ha ha ha
Also, in April I became an official Starbucks barista!! whoohoo! Iced Venti 11 pump Vanilla Upside-down Caramel Macchiato (somewhat the kingdom of God in a cup).
May to June, I placed alot of emphasis on studies of both Full Preterism and the Missional Church. Reading through various books such as The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch, Reading the Bible through New Covenant Eyes by Alan Bondar, ReJesus by Alan Hirsch, etc began to really push me into a certain direction- a pret-issional Jesus Freak direction!
“...return to a more pre-Constantinian understanding and experience of church” (Robert Webber)
As we ventured into August it seems as though my life began to take an odd turn. Noticeably things in my life began to take a toll and I lost my focus. It all goes back to that Matthew 6:33 statement, GO READ IT!!!
A valuable lesson I am learning even after a recent study and discussion through the book of Ecclesiastes is that there is a time for everything, and this is something I know I need to learn. prioritizing is important. Looking back, i was doing so much at once, even going against the stream of knowing that my life was having issues, and I experienced a sense of burnout.
September was suppose to be the launch of Freaked-Out Fellowship’s new ideas, but even at that point there were things in life that I should have taken a step back and worked toward a bit of a sabbath. The encouragement of these times was when I did focus on God I was granted bits a pieces of wisdom into His kingdom (the true Kingdom as explained in Romans 14:11). Consistency and persistence is a blessed part of my character that God has given me, and even in the times of trial I always seek to be inspired and burdened by God, which at this time in September 2010 I turned to reading yet again, The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.
In October I began to get ready for my trip to Israel/ Palestine and tried to remain open minded to my trip and explaining my simple reasons to “know the faces” of those struggling in the Middle East.
Now, November and December where a bit of ups and downs, the true to life realities. In November I was preparing for my trip and it was a struggle, I had alot of crisis’ going on in my personal life (especially in regards to my and Gabriella’s relationship). I ended up going on the trip, even though life almost seemed against me before I left, and upon my return all the stock I had placed in the trip was revealed. The “mission trip effect” happened to my life in more than one way, and that would be a blog or discussion in and of itself. (I WILL WARN YOU THAT OUR GOD IS A FAITHFUL AND SOVEREIGN GOD WHO WILL MAKE HIS WILL HAPPEN IN THE WORLD, WHETHER YOU ASK OR NOT, BUT IF YOU ASK, BE WILLING TO RECOGNIZE YOU ASKED!).
Upon my return from Israel/ Palestine in late November/ early December I have found my world a bit upside-down. Talk about returning from a foreign land to foreign circumstances, that would be the best way to explain it. As I was still processing what I had seen in order to “Know the Faces” in the Middle East, I was also welcomed with beginning to process what was going on in my personal life.
December, probably the most impactful month of the year has seemingly offered a bit of every emotion on the chart. Sadness boy Joy, Loss but Opportunity, Confusion yet Focus. It is in the valley times that we listen and learn the most and that is what I have done with December. Studious might not even describe it well, but you can imagine that much learning and wisdom will be revealed in future blogs. Much more of what December has offered will be revealed in my next upcoming blog concerning 2011.
Let’s wave goodbye to 2010, and welcome in 2011..I wish I could be more parabolic like Jesus or poetic like my friend Q, who wrote her letter/ poem to 2010. With that said, let’s look to be inspired and burdened in 2011.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2)”.
As a follower of Jesus, by Truth and Spirit,
Michael Miano
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Mind Overload
Mind Overload
Well, it is taking a lot for me to type this blog because of all the events currently going on in my life (in regards to personal issues, still processing my trip to Israel/ Palestine, and doing some recent studies as well).
I want to make sure I give a brief update on how my trip was and what I experienced. Since I returned the common questions I receive are “How was Israel”, “Did you have a good time on your trip”, and “Did you accomplish what you went there for”. Well, visiting Israel/ Palestine was an experience and that’s the best way I can put it and in time I will explain. As far as having a good time, that was hardly the reason I went, although amidst the learning experience there was some fun points such as spending time with our fellow team members, drinking shots in West Jerusalem, playing soccer/ football, and of course seeing the tourist sites that everyone wants to see while in Israel. Now, for the more meaty question of did I accomplish what I set out to do. Absolutely, the basic goal I set was to know the faces, which was pretty much what the whole trip was about. We spent time in many meetings, home visits (even slept in homes and tents), and did all that we could within 2 weeks to understand the conflict. Upon my return I have drafted a basic statement concerning my trip:
“I went to Israel/ Palestine to make and help efforts toward a sustainable peace. I made it my personal agenda to "KNOW THE FACES", which meant knowing the faces of those who are constantly in our media, spoken about in our Christian theology, etc...This has enabled me to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, whether it's the unrecognized villages of the Bedouins in the Negev or the heavy military presence in Al Khalil.
I am burdened by the demolished homes, illegal settlement expansions, and the inhumane (seemingly systematic destruction) treatment of the Palestinian people, yet I remain optimistic and inspired by Palestinian groups such as The Holy Land Trust, Israeli groups such as ICAHD and Breaking the Silence, as well as international supporters.”
Therefore with that said, I would like to invite you to call or email me to set up a discussion time so I can share more of my information with you. Also, I will be looking to schedule speaking engagements wherever possible, so if you can help me with locations that would be great, or just look out for places that I will post. You can also visit the website I created pertaining to my trip @ http://www.riskybusinessforchrist.weebly.com
Another thing, lately I have been doing extensive studies into fulfilled eschatology and various studies which I look forward to sharing (have become a bit of a aspiring scholar lately). Look forward to these posts.
Until next time, have a great Christmas and remember the revolution that was started by the birth of the Messiah!
Blessings in Christ,
Michael Miano
Ps. Please keep me in prayer concerning my firm conviction to “seek 1st the Kingdom of God” in all things!!! Thank you!
Well, it is taking a lot for me to type this blog because of all the events currently going on in my life (in regards to personal issues, still processing my trip to Israel/ Palestine, and doing some recent studies as well).
I want to make sure I give a brief update on how my trip was and what I experienced. Since I returned the common questions I receive are “How was Israel”, “Did you have a good time on your trip”, and “Did you accomplish what you went there for”. Well, visiting Israel/ Palestine was an experience and that’s the best way I can put it and in time I will explain. As far as having a good time, that was hardly the reason I went, although amidst the learning experience there was some fun points such as spending time with our fellow team members, drinking shots in West Jerusalem, playing soccer/ football, and of course seeing the tourist sites that everyone wants to see while in Israel. Now, for the more meaty question of did I accomplish what I set out to do. Absolutely, the basic goal I set was to know the faces, which was pretty much what the whole trip was about. We spent time in many meetings, home visits (even slept in homes and tents), and did all that we could within 2 weeks to understand the conflict. Upon my return I have drafted a basic statement concerning my trip:
“I went to Israel/ Palestine to make and help efforts toward a sustainable peace. I made it my personal agenda to "KNOW THE FACES", which meant knowing the faces of those who are constantly in our media, spoken about in our Christian theology, etc...This has enabled me to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, whether it's the unrecognized villages of the Bedouins in the Negev or the heavy military presence in Al Khalil.
I am burdened by the demolished homes, illegal settlement expansions, and the inhumane (seemingly systematic destruction) treatment of the Palestinian people, yet I remain optimistic and inspired by Palestinian groups such as The Holy Land Trust, Israeli groups such as ICAHD and Breaking the Silence, as well as international supporters.”
Therefore with that said, I would like to invite you to call or email me to set up a discussion time so I can share more of my information with you. Also, I will be looking to schedule speaking engagements wherever possible, so if you can help me with locations that would be great, or just look out for places that I will post. You can also visit the website I created pertaining to my trip @ http://www.riskybusinessforchrist.weebly.com
Another thing, lately I have been doing extensive studies into fulfilled eschatology and various studies which I look forward to sharing (have become a bit of a aspiring scholar lately). Look forward to these posts.
Until next time, have a great Christmas and remember the revolution that was started by the birth of the Messiah!
Blessings in Christ,
Michael Miano
Ps. Please keep me in prayer concerning my firm conviction to “seek 1st the Kingdom of God” in all things!!! Thank you!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Why Palestine?
Well, I leave for Palestine in less than 72 hours, and it has been a trying past week at that. Thanks be to God for the strength, all all the loved ones who has helped, discussed, and just cared for me as I have been going through the ringer (I could not have kept my sanity without you all).
I wanted to briefly document my thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and why I feel called to participate in this mission, as I have called "Know the Faces". (http://www.riskybusinessforchrist.weebly.com).
Well, for starters I have never been a dispensationalist, which means I refuse separate the people of God as Israel (God's Chosen) and the church, and this has allowed me to not have blinders concerning Israel( visit this site : http://www.theologicalstudies.org/dispen.html). When I first came to Christ and stood under the teaching of brother Paul Richard Jr. Curran, I learned much of who and what Israel was. I have studies theology and history concerning Israel and have grown to have many concerns about what is going on over in this place once called Canaan.
I remember reading about Rachel Corrie, and how she protested the inhumane treatment of Palestinians and this eventually led to her death (Google: Rachel Corrie). This inspired me because I believe that standing in the face of danger especially in regards to the welfare of people is what Christianity is all about, exactly what we see Jesus Christ doing throughout the gospels( Luke 4:18-21), and this is many senses has come to be labeled liberation theology. Isn't liberation exactly what the New Covenant is about?
Many people question the "no more tears, pain, death" scriptures(Isaiah 25 cf. Revelation 21:1-27) as to apply in some future time or now (the kingdom of God), but looking at this situation in Palestine, and oppressed people all over the world, we have perfect opportunity to live in love and make this "no more tears" concept a reality, RIGHT NOW!!!
I have always been overly- agitated by what we call missions in the Christian church, I have failed to see the element of self-sacrifice and danger that we see in the "Jesus Freaks" and missionaries we read about. And then I stumbled upon the Christian Peacemaker Teams, one of the few groups who seem to understand the concept of "die to self" (Matthew 16:24-25).
The time has come for me as a student of the Word of God, a man who is inspired by those who take initiative, and a conscientious thinker of this Israel thing, to finally "Know the Faces". Yes, I will quote Shane Claiborne (as I do many times) ,
"And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about." .
This is exactly my goal, to get past the dry knowledge concept and to truly live this out, and my goal is to come home and to tell you all about what I experienced as I sought to be a true Jesus Freak and live this great virtue of love (1 Corinthians 13:3), and in the effort to inspire you to do the same!
All for His Glory, -Jesus Christ
Mike Miano
"Ignorance, while dangerous, is a condition that can be altered - apathy very often is not. Ironically enough, ignorance is not necessarily dangerous until it is paired with apathy - if a person does not know something, it doesn't truly become dangerous until he lacks the desire to learn. While it is true that ignorance is a great way to spread misinformation, apathy is also a great way to make certain that nobody disputes it. There will always be ignorance that seeks to be enlightened - the same cannot be said of apathy. The ignorant can always be informed - it is only when they are too apathetic to care that they no longer ARE informed." - quoted from a anonymous writer
Here are some of my inspirations concerning the Israel/ Palestine Controversy (Disclaimer: I do not agree with everything these books, articles, and people say. Prove all things!).
SoS: Calling the Tribe of Dan by Paul Richard Jr. Curran (ask me about this, available upon request)
Synagoue of Satan by Andrew Carrington Hitchcock
God's Covenant People: Yesterday, Today, and Forever by Ted. Weiland
The Rachel Corrie Story - http://www.rachelcorrie.org/
The Irrisistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
IfAmericansKnew.org
EndtheOccupation.org
cpt.org- Christian Peacemaker Teams Website
Reformed-Full Pret Theology - consider the Biblical evidence of how God works through covenants (I am always willing to sit down and have some studies based on this, contact me!)
I wanted to briefly document my thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and why I feel called to participate in this mission, as I have called "Know the Faces". (http://www.riskybusinessforchrist.weebly.com).
Well, for starters I have never been a dispensationalist, which means I refuse separate the people of God as Israel (God's Chosen) and the church, and this has allowed me to not have blinders concerning Israel( visit this site : http://www.theologicalstudies.org/dispen.html). When I first came to Christ and stood under the teaching of brother Paul Richard Jr. Curran, I learned much of who and what Israel was. I have studies theology and history concerning Israel and have grown to have many concerns about what is going on over in this place once called Canaan.
I remember reading about Rachel Corrie, and how she protested the inhumane treatment of Palestinians and this eventually led to her death (Google: Rachel Corrie). This inspired me because I believe that standing in the face of danger especially in regards to the welfare of people is what Christianity is all about, exactly what we see Jesus Christ doing throughout the gospels( Luke 4:18-21), and this is many senses has come to be labeled liberation theology. Isn't liberation exactly what the New Covenant is about?
Many people question the "no more tears, pain, death" scriptures(Isaiah 25 cf. Revelation 21:1-27) as to apply in some future time or now (the kingdom of God), but looking at this situation in Palestine, and oppressed people all over the world, we have perfect opportunity to live in love and make this "no more tears" concept a reality, RIGHT NOW!!!
I have always been overly- agitated by what we call missions in the Christian church, I have failed to see the element of self-sacrifice and danger that we see in the "Jesus Freaks" and missionaries we read about. And then I stumbled upon the Christian Peacemaker Teams, one of the few groups who seem to understand the concept of "die to self" (Matthew 16:24-25).
The time has come for me as a student of the Word of God, a man who is inspired by those who take initiative, and a conscientious thinker of this Israel thing, to finally "Know the Faces". Yes, I will quote Shane Claiborne (as I do many times) ,
"And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about." .
This is exactly my goal, to get past the dry knowledge concept and to truly live this out, and my goal is to come home and to tell you all about what I experienced as I sought to be a true Jesus Freak and live this great virtue of love (1 Corinthians 13:3), and in the effort to inspire you to do the same!
All for His Glory, -Jesus Christ
Mike Miano
"Ignorance, while dangerous, is a condition that can be altered - apathy very often is not. Ironically enough, ignorance is not necessarily dangerous until it is paired with apathy - if a person does not know something, it doesn't truly become dangerous until he lacks the desire to learn. While it is true that ignorance is a great way to spread misinformation, apathy is also a great way to make certain that nobody disputes it. There will always be ignorance that seeks to be enlightened - the same cannot be said of apathy. The ignorant can always be informed - it is only when they are too apathetic to care that they no longer ARE informed." - quoted from a anonymous writer
Here are some of my inspirations concerning the Israel/ Palestine Controversy (Disclaimer: I do not agree with everything these books, articles, and people say. Prove all things!).
SoS: Calling the Tribe of Dan by Paul Richard Jr. Curran (ask me about this, available upon request)
Synagoue of Satan by Andrew Carrington Hitchcock
God's Covenant People: Yesterday, Today, and Forever by Ted. Weiland
The Rachel Corrie Story - http://www.rachelcorrie.org/
The Irrisistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
IfAmericansKnew.org
EndtheOccupation.org
cpt.org- Christian Peacemaker Teams Website
Reformed-Full Pret Theology - consider the Biblical evidence of how God works through covenants (I am always willing to sit down and have some studies based on this, contact me!)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
What are you Screaming with your Life? - An Alternative Story
" He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32)
Ok, well wanted to make a video because I believe I can explain the passion of the kingdom of God that is welled up inside me so much better on video or in person, but I’m going to try this method.
Lately I realized through reading and talking with others that the Biblical narrative as a story, causes some questions. For example, why did God choose to operate the way He did? Why Jesus? Why the "Kingdom of God, etc..I have come to realize there is great reward in understanding the "Kingdom of God", and I'm not talking about some "die and go to heaven stuff", I mean more for the here and now, you know "live your best life now" type of stuff.
So what is it?
Let's take it from the beginning. As you open the book of Genesis you meet Adam and Eve, these are the people who God is in covenant with (which means relationship). Most of us have heard the story of the apple of sin many times, so we know that Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Now God created us for a relationship with Him, so God obviously sees the need for some rules in His people. Now we pause..
Why did God want a people? God in His divine wisdom created the natural order of things, the why's and what's of the world, there
fore the reality that all good things start as small movements actually isn’t man made sociology (read Margaret Mead) but rather wisdom of God.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”-Margaret Mead
So, God takes this small people come to be known as Israelites (the people of God) and institutes a Law ( a fence you could say) to keep them separate from the world. These are the people God cultivates and blesses through time. Many "prophets" pop up here and there and are a bit radical, some see visions concerning the future that will grow beyond the fence and dream of this (the hope of Israel).
As with any spoiled child, these people of God began to feel self-righteous about there doings, and began to condemn all things that were not as they saw fit, and as time progressed they became divisive and hard hearted to the things of God, it was no longer about God’s glory, it became about the preservation of their way of doing things (Biblical language- Pharisee).
Then the Messiah was born. We read about this miraculous virgin birth in the beginning of the biographical books of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John- called they Gospels, which we will get into in a moment).
Jesus Christ, known as the son of Joseph, was born the son of God, to fulfill the hope of Israel- the kingdom of God. This kingdom would be the fulfillment of all that the prophets had spoken about and would be the hope of Israel, this is the good news.
Jesus Christ steps on the scene and immediately declares “The kingdom of God is at hand”. Basically the time is now, and he begins to explain.
Now, remember the verse in the beginning of this blog? Re-read it. You see how God works? He started small, instituted a way for this plant to grow separate from weeds and other plants- now he is going to open the gate and let the plant grow in the garden and take over!
Think. Reaping the garden will occur (judgment), cleansing, and then freedom!
As a Christian, you, me and others are this over grown radical garden. The good news Jesus Christ was declaring is that “another world is possible”! He said that to those Jews in His time to let them know the way God has been operating with you guys in the fence is over and a new way is going, and that same concept must be reverberated throughout our time today!
Out of the 12 men that followed Jesus Christ, 11 of them understood what He was saying and drew inspiration from their heroes (the Old Testament Prophets) and as Scripture says “turned the world upside-down”. That is how this kingdom stuff works- we must begin to renew, re-invent, re-imagine another world
!
So my question to you? What exactly are you screaming with your life? How are you growing outside the fence?
!Good Inspiration concerning this kingdom:
“We are convinced that Jesus came not to prepare us to die but to teach us how to live. The kingdom of God is not just something we hope for when we die but something we “live on earth as it is in heaven.
...but throughout ages, beautiful saints have lived faithfully, giving us hope that a set part people can fascinate and bless the world.
...a movement of people who stepped out of the empire that was oppressing them and began creating a new way of life.
..Christians should be troublemakers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society”.
-Quotes from books written by Shane Claiborne
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Till’ I’m Blue-in-the-Face: Why life must be in and through Jesus Christ
John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me”.
Lately, I have been reading a great book called The Urantia Book, which is deeply metaphysical and a bit universalistic. I have many met people during my Christian walk who are universal and subscribe to the thought that "all ways lead to God”, or as the famous phrase goes- “There is one God but many ways”. Now, as I have been reading through this book, and standing firmly upon my foundation of Jesus Christ, I have challenged myself as to WHY MUST IT BE JESUS? Why do I feel the urge to defend the inerrancy of the Word of God and salvation of men through Jesus Christ?
Well, let me start off by admitting I believe in absolute truth. The philosophers struggled with this concept of truth and it tends to get a bit sticky at times, but if there is truth there has to be absolute truth. Jesus Christ said, “I am the truth..”.
I love stories of people who have been completely against Christianity and sought to prove its error, but in the end face Jesus Christ, the Truth, head on and become Christians. (Admittedly, because that is my story). It requires alot of humility to face the fact that your presuppositions are wrong, and the lack of humility has worked to the disadvantage of many.
As I tell many people, I am a firm believer that if you set out on a truth quest (similar to Ghandi), and are honest in the face of controversy and facts, you will eventually be led to Jesus Christ.
A great book to read would be Lee Strobel’s, A Case for Christ. With that said, the documentation of the Bible and the historicity of the Christian movement clears many doubts. There are many external resources to document the life of Jesus Christ and his movement, so as to make the reality of His life and movement a fact. The issue does not reside in whether or not Jesus lived on earth and started a movement now called Christianity- that's all reliable and unarguable history.
Here are some research sites:
http://dmc.members.sonic.net/sentinel/naij3.html
http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth22.html
The issue resides in whether or not he was the Christ that the Israelite’s were waiting for and what exactly did He do?
Alot of misunderstandings of who and what Jesus Christ was and accomplished are to blame for the lack of many fully understanding this “Christianity thing”.
We must seek to understand God, after all isn’t that what this journey is all about. The expression of the Church that I congregate with -Messiah Reformed Church- holds to mission statement of “Pursuing and Sharing our Joy in the Knowledge of Him”. That is our goal to grow and develop in our knowledge of Him, which through proper understanding will produce joy.
As we study through the Old Testament, we learn of God creating a covenant with a group of people- First God saves Noah, leads Abraham to another land, Jacob (Israel) becomes the covenant people, and then Moses is called to be a leader of the people and to institute a way of life for the people of God. This is all leads up to what is called the Old Covenant.
These covenant people- which basically means those who are in agreement with God, are those who will receive God’s guidance and blessings. I recently asked my pastor- “Why did God choose to create a covenant with the Israelites”, we don’t know specifically, but what we can extract out of the Word of God is that it was for His glory!
God’s chosen people, were to be a separate people for the glory of God, and this came with responsibility which lead to the Law of Moses (much of what we understand as the 10 Commandments). This was a hard responsibility for the Israelites that’s why we have books such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel and all the others- who were prophets pretty much yelling at the people of God and the surrounding nations, and who spoke God’s divine judgments and in many senses God’s displeasure with how His people were acting.
So, this is where the plot thickens and Jesus Christ comes into play. From the outset we must fully understand that we cannot think like God, so there will be unanswered questions (Isaiah 55:8), but we can and must dig as deep as we can to understand what we can. The fancy words use to describe God are, He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient, which basically mean that He alone is God and that He is beyond time, everywhere, and always able to do as He pleases. Jesus Christ was the plan from the beginning (best to always remember that this whole thing is for His glory!), and this was all to demonstrate His love and desire to have a people of His own, who love Him with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strengths.
Jesus Christ, was the fulfillment of what all the prophets were speaking about. The Messiah who would make all things new! If you ever take the time to read through the biblical prophets you will see a common theme- they all look to a time of judgment and restoration of Israel, and this was expected to come through the Messiah.
Read Isaiah 9:1-7;11:1-12:6; 40:1-5; 42:1-9; 49:8-26; 55:1-13;61:1-11; 65:1-28 (How can you not get excited when considering all of God’s “I wills...”
Jeremiah 23:1-7; 30:1-31:38 (The famous New Covenant prophesy)
OK, that's just to name a few..but really sit down and read through those verses..The time of the Messiah would be great and would open new doors for new stuff..Man, this New Covenant would be radical and exciting.
OK, so for those skeptical of Jesus Christ... I refuse to spend much time on this topic because proving the existence of the man Jesus who lived in the Middle East is similar to proving your existence, its that elementary. I venture to say that ignorance is the only reason people can still say “I don’t believe Jesus of Nazareth existed”. But...let’s say you do:
Was He a liar? Maybe just made it all up?!?!?! (that makes it more confusing).
Was He a madman? He obviously believed what He said because it’s simply, what He said and did that got him killed (which is also documented history).
Was He exactly what He said He was?
THESE ARE THE OPTIONS....
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us." -C.S. Lewis
The reality of this new covenant- OK, so here we are. The New Covenant is a reality and it must be through Jesus Christ, simply because Jesus was the awaited Messiah of the Israelite people, who were God’s chosen, and their judgment and redemption made the redemption of all the other nations possible (read- Romans 9:4-5, 15:8; Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 10:5-6; John 4:22, or better yet read the whole Biblical account from Genesis to Revelation).
We have been welcomed into this agreement with God to be a people marked by love and truth. Live is a matter of restoration, it’s not through self-righteousness which the Israelite people had to do through the Law, but rather through Jesus Christ(2 John 6; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 6:2, and as always there is plenty more if you dig). A life of freedom and love, a revolution that the 11 men who followed Jesus started, and we must zealously live out today!
Simply said, this whole Christianity thing is not what it seems. Jesus Christ did not start a religion, instead He set religion on fire and started a movement through that fire( the New Covenant). The new way of doing things....
So, are you still skeptical? Are you telling me that this whole thing is a mass conspiracy of love???? What?!?
Ha, Ha..hope I ended that with a little laugh..guess what? We are free to laugh! I hope I challenged some thoughts concerning life and Life (Jesus Christ), as always would love to talk these topics out with you...It’s that important!
Love, peace, and joy,
Mike Miano
P.S.- Lately, I have been participating in a discipleship class called Alpha, which explains and fosters discussion concerning “Why Jesus”. You can watch the video’s at
http://www.alphausa.org/Groups/1000057989/VIDEOS.aspx
Lately, I have been reading a great book called The Urantia Book, which is deeply metaphysical and a bit universalistic. I have many met people during my Christian walk who are universal and subscribe to the thought that "all ways lead to God”, or as the famous phrase goes- “There is one God but many ways”. Now, as I have been reading through this book, and standing firmly upon my foundation of Jesus Christ, I have challenged myself as to WHY MUST IT BE JESUS? Why do I feel the urge to defend the inerrancy of the Word of God and salvation of men through Jesus Christ?
Well, let me start off by admitting I believe in absolute truth. The philosophers struggled with this concept of truth and it tends to get a bit sticky at times, but if there is truth there has to be absolute truth. Jesus Christ said, “I am the truth..”.
I love stories of people who have been completely against Christianity and sought to prove its error, but in the end face Jesus Christ, the Truth, head on and become Christians. (Admittedly, because that is my story). It requires alot of humility to face the fact that your presuppositions are wrong, and the lack of humility has worked to the disadvantage of many.
As I tell many people, I am a firm believer that if you set out on a truth quest (similar to Ghandi), and are honest in the face of controversy and facts, you will eventually be led to Jesus Christ.
A great book to read would be Lee Strobel’s, A Case for Christ. With that said, the documentation of the Bible and the historicity of the Christian movement clears many doubts. There are many external resources to document the life of Jesus Christ and his movement, so as to make the reality of His life and movement a fact. The issue does not reside in whether or not Jesus lived on earth and started a movement now called Christianity- that's all reliable and unarguable history.
Here are some research sites:
http://dmc.members.sonic.net/sentinel/naij3.html
http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth22.html
The issue resides in whether or not he was the Christ that the Israelite’s were waiting for and what exactly did He do?
Alot of misunderstandings of who and what Jesus Christ was and accomplished are to blame for the lack of many fully understanding this “Christianity thing”.
We must seek to understand God, after all isn’t that what this journey is all about. The expression of the Church that I congregate with -Messiah Reformed Church- holds to mission statement of “Pursuing and Sharing our Joy in the Knowledge of Him”. That is our goal to grow and develop in our knowledge of Him, which through proper understanding will produce joy.
As we study through the Old Testament, we learn of God creating a covenant with a group of people- First God saves Noah, leads Abraham to another land, Jacob (Israel) becomes the covenant people, and then Moses is called to be a leader of the people and to institute a way of life for the people of God. This is all leads up to what is called the Old Covenant.
These covenant people- which basically means those who are in agreement with God, are those who will receive God’s guidance and blessings. I recently asked my pastor- “Why did God choose to create a covenant with the Israelites”, we don’t know specifically, but what we can extract out of the Word of God is that it was for His glory!
God’s chosen people, were to be a separate people for the glory of God, and this came with responsibility which lead to the Law of Moses (much of what we understand as the 10 Commandments). This was a hard responsibility for the Israelites that’s why we have books such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel and all the others- who were prophets pretty much yelling at the people of God and the surrounding nations, and who spoke God’s divine judgments and in many senses God’s displeasure with how His people were acting.
So, this is where the plot thickens and Jesus Christ comes into play. From the outset we must fully understand that we cannot think like God, so there will be unanswered questions (Isaiah 55:8), but we can and must dig as deep as we can to understand what we can. The fancy words use to describe God are, He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient, which basically mean that He alone is God and that He is beyond time, everywhere, and always able to do as He pleases. Jesus Christ was the plan from the beginning (best to always remember that this whole thing is for His glory!), and this was all to demonstrate His love and desire to have a people of His own, who love Him with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strengths.
Jesus Christ, was the fulfillment of what all the prophets were speaking about. The Messiah who would make all things new! If you ever take the time to read through the biblical prophets you will see a common theme- they all look to a time of judgment and restoration of Israel, and this was expected to come through the Messiah.
Read Isaiah 9:1-7;11:1-12:6; 40:1-5; 42:1-9; 49:8-26; 55:1-13;61:1-11; 65:1-28 (How can you not get excited when considering all of God’s “I wills...”
Jeremiah 23:1-7; 30:1-31:38 (The famous New Covenant prophesy)
OK, that's just to name a few..but really sit down and read through those verses..The time of the Messiah would be great and would open new doors for new stuff..Man, this New Covenant would be radical and exciting.
OK, so for those skeptical of Jesus Christ... I refuse to spend much time on this topic because proving the existence of the man Jesus who lived in the Middle East is similar to proving your existence, its that elementary. I venture to say that ignorance is the only reason people can still say “I don’t believe Jesus of Nazareth existed”. But...let’s say you do:
Was He a liar? Maybe just made it all up?!?!?! (that makes it more confusing).
Was He a madman? He obviously believed what He said because it’s simply, what He said and did that got him killed (which is also documented history).
Was He exactly what He said He was?
THESE ARE THE OPTIONS....
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us." -C.S. Lewis
The reality of this new covenant- OK, so here we are. The New Covenant is a reality and it must be through Jesus Christ, simply because Jesus was the awaited Messiah of the Israelite people, who were God’s chosen, and their judgment and redemption made the redemption of all the other nations possible (read- Romans 9:4-5, 15:8; Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 10:5-6; John 4:22, or better yet read the whole Biblical account from Genesis to Revelation).
We have been welcomed into this agreement with God to be a people marked by love and truth. Live is a matter of restoration, it’s not through self-righteousness which the Israelite people had to do through the Law, but rather through Jesus Christ(2 John 6; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 6:2, and as always there is plenty more if you dig). A life of freedom and love, a revolution that the 11 men who followed Jesus started, and we must zealously live out today!
Simply said, this whole Christianity thing is not what it seems. Jesus Christ did not start a religion, instead He set religion on fire and started a movement through that fire( the New Covenant). The new way of doing things....
So, are you still skeptical? Are you telling me that this whole thing is a mass conspiracy of love???? What?!?
Ha, Ha..hope I ended that with a little laugh..guess what? We are free to laugh! I hope I challenged some thoughts concerning life and Life (Jesus Christ), as always would love to talk these topics out with you...It’s that important!
Love, peace, and joy,
Mike Miano
P.S.- Lately, I have been participating in a discipleship class called Alpha, which explains and fosters discussion concerning “Why Jesus”. You can watch the video’s at
http://www.alphausa.org/Groups/1000057989/VIDEOS.aspx
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