March 26, 2008

Today's Devotion: Romans 5:11 (New International Version) -Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Paul, here, is talking about our justification by faith and the peace and joy that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Today's Comment: It is through the atonement of Jesus that we receive our salvation.  Yet it is amazing how many contemporary Christians do not acknowledge this atonement. 

I have been writing a paper on the theology of Rudolph Bultmann, a German theologian who views theology as an existentialist.  He sees the Bible as a document steeped in mythology, whose message, when properly understood, will be de-mythologized and through faith will be applied so that self-understanding will be achieved.  In Bultman's philosophy, there is no room for original sin or atonement.  What kind of Christianity is that?

Today's Devotion: 1 Peter 4:13 (New International Version) But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

In this passage, Peter addresses the suffering that is going on in the church of that time. He is probably talking about one of the persecutions. That suffering still goes on today in some countries.

Today's Comments: Every week, I attend a Bible Study in San Gabriel. My friend, Roger Rose, a retired Episcopal priest conducts these Bible studies, and except for Roger and me, everybody else in the group is of Chinese descent. And, except for me, everybody speaks Mandarin. The people are wonderful, and we all go out for Chinese food before the study.

Some of the people in this group have friends and relatives in China, and a couple just recently have traveled there. They report that Christians are suffering there, just like they did in Paul's time. So, what Peter says then, is still true now. And, we as Christians must still be prepared to suffer in Jesus' name.

May the blessings of this Easter Season be with us all;
may the love of our Risen Lord reside in our hearts,
and may the light of the Holy Spirit shine in our lives.

STEVE STERRY
10149 Grayling AV
Whittier, CA 90603-2608
Home Phone (562) 947-2258
Cell Phone (323) 482-6582
Email: Steve.Sterry@gmail.com

Today's Devotion: Genesis 2:3 (New International Version) - And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

God blessed the Sabbath. It was a day that he demanded that be kept holy under the Law.

Today's Discussion: Of all the Commandments stated in the Old Testament, the only one not to be restated in the New Testament is that of keeping holy the Sabbath. Two Bible verses appear to contradict God's command that we keep holy the Sabbath:

• Colossians 2:16 - Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
• Romans 14:5 - One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

The reality is that Jesus Christ is our Sabbath. Instead of keeping the Sabbath in our hearts, we are to keep Him in our hearts. Every day is the Sabbath, because we are urged to do His work each and every day.

Today's Devotion: 1 Corinthians 2:11 (New International Version) For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Verse 14 goes on to say: The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Today's Comments: In my History of Theology Class, we have been talking about St. Anselm. He was one of the first to start developing a systematic theology for the Middle Ages. He attempted to provide rational proof for the existence of God. His philosophical premise stated that since mankind can have no other thought greater than that of God, then God must exist. Yet, in the spirit of the verses above, it was not his rational proof that provided evidence so that he could have faith in God; it was his faith that brought him to reason: He believed so that he might understand. So, like the man who recognizes the Spirit within him, we must believe so that we might understand.

Today's Devotion: James 4:12 (New International Version) - There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

James is admonishing his readers not to fight amongst themeselves, but to submit all things to God.

Today's Comments: This is a most appropriate passage for me. I must learn to submit things to God. I just found out that, after being promised a slot in the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at Good Samaritan Hospital in the summer, that the instructor decided that he did not want me in his class. I had started their CPE program last semester, but found out that, in order to complete my seminary studies by the end of this year, I needed Contemporary Theology, which was not being offered next semester. I made arrangements with the priest in charge of Good Sam's CPE program to come back in the summer. And then I got his note yesterday. He claims that I misunderstood him, but I know that was not true. His instructions to me were to call him in May to obtain the start date for my program.

The bottom line is that I feel betrayed. My gut feeling is that he did this to me, because he was upset at me for dropping out last semester. And, for an ordained priest to do such a thing, to me is unthinkable. Like my girlfriend Esther reminds me, however, I must give this situation to God. Maybe there is a reason that this is happening. Whoever is out there reading this blog, please pray for me.