Foundations of Faith

Foundations of Faith Foundations is about the basics of the Christian faith. A place for questions, answers and discussion.

04/04/2021

Every Easter I cry.

I cry in sorrow because I sense the hopelessness and depravity of my life without Jesus before

I cried in sorrow that Jesus was tortured and died for all the wrong things I do before

I cried with joy that Jesus rescued me and gave me standing with God before

I cried with joy that I have hope and a promise for eternal life with Jesus before

I cried with joy that I will be resurrected like Jesus into a glorified body to live forever.

I cried.

03/18/2021

Love God; love your neighbor. “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven,”. The challenge for us, is the god we believe in truly the real God? “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
As Christians we have been given significant information to allow us to accept that our God is the one true God. Historical accuracy, archeological evidence, billions of witnesses, written accounts that have been proven true and accurate and, most importantly, our own personal experience/testimony support our conclusion.
What Christians have in common with the largest people group I call “seekers” is that we accept the “supernatural”; that is, there are things we cannot explain but do accept. To love a “seeker” start with the common ground that we accept the supernatural. Supernatural includes all supernatural so without more details and information one god is as possible as another. The door is now open to discuss the differences. The apostle Paul does this very thing in Acts 17.
One can never go wrong with prayer, acts of kindness, compassion, patience and understanding. One thing that makes “seekers” different from “haters” and “disinterested” people groups is a willingness to hear and discuss Scripture; a supernatural force. If a person has ever encountered a Jehovah Witness or person from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints one knows they are willing to discuss Scriptures (theirs included).
Approached humbly Jews and Muslims will discuss Scriptures and our differences. Certainly, others who call themselves Christian should be open to hearing and discussing Scripture. People of the Hindu religion will also discuss God and gods when approached humbly and caringly. Buddhists do not believe in God but do believe in the supernatural and are typically open to “wisdom”.
Remember our goal is to love everyone, even our enemy so keep a healthy perspective. As Christians we should never forget that “… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”. No matter who we encounter there are forces that will be working against us to love our neighbor, including our own selfish desires.
Having things in common with the seeker people group means that one could find real friendships; as a believer we want to save our closest friendships for true believers (discernment is critical). The seeker people group should welcome prayer, be open to Scriptures, but will EXPECT kindness, care, patience, and mercy. How a seeker reacts to prayer, Scriptures, and your behavior will give good insight to how close to get. A Buddhist for example emphasizes personal behavior while a Jehovah Witness emphasizes Scripture interpretation. Love draws others to Jesus the Savior God.
More on the topic of loving one’s neighbor next post. I’m praying for you. Any questions?
Please visit us one Sunday at 9:15AM, room 204, CalvaryPhx, just off the freeway north of Cactus, south of Thunderbird.

03/17/2021

Love God; love your neighbor. “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven,”. The challenge for us, is the god we believe in truly the real God? “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

As Christians we have been given significant information to allow us to accept that our God is the one true God. Historical accuracy, archeological evidence, billions of witnesses, written accounts that have been proven true and accurate and, most importantly, our own personal experience/testimony support our conclusion.

What Christians have in common with the largest people group I call “seekers” is that we accept the “supernatural”; that is, there are things we cannot explain but do accept. To love a “seeker” start with the common ground that we accept the supernatural. Supernatural includes all supernatural so without more details and information one god is as possible as another. The door is now open to discuss the differences. The apostle Paul does this very thing in Acts 17.

One can never go wrong with prayer, acts of kindness, compassion, patience and understanding. One thing that makes “seekers” different from “haters” and “disinterested” people groups is a willingness to hear and discuss Scripture; a supernatural force. If a person has ever encountered a Jehovah Witness or person from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints one knows they are willing to discuss Scriptures (theirs included).

Approached humbly Jews and Muslims will discuss Scriptures and our differences. Certainly, others who call themselves Christian should be open to hearing and discussing Scripture. People of the Hindu religion will also discuss God and gods when approached humbly and caringly. Buddhists do not believe in God but do believe in the supernatural and are typically open to “wisdom”.

Remember our goal is to love everyone, even our enemy so keep a healthy perspective. As Christians we should never forget that “… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”. No matter who we encounter there are forces that will be working against us to love our neighbor, including our own selfish desires.

Having things in common with the seeker people group means that one could find real friendships; as a believer we want to save our closest friendships for true believers (discernment is critical). The seeker people group should welcome prayer, be open to Scriptures, but will EXPECT kindness, care, patience, and mercy. How a seeker reacts to prayer, Scriptures, and your behavior will give good insight to how close to get. A Buddhist for example emphasizes personal behavior while a Jehovah Witness emphasizes Scripture interpretation. Love draws others to Jesus the Savior God.

More on the topic of loving one’s neighbor next post. I’m praying for you. Any questions?

Please visit us one Sunday at 9:15AM, room 204, CalvaryPhx, just off the freeway north of Cactus, south of Thunderbird.

03/10/2021

Love God, love your neighbor. Hebrews 10 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,”

Two supernatural powers in this world that we can use to express our love to others are prayer and the Scriptures; God’s Word. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.” Isaiah 55 “For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.”

Romans 1:30 tells us there are “haters of God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 there are those who are like “dogs and pigs”. I think in both cases we are dealing with those who are aggressively against God. People who take action to mock God, mock the Scriptures and mock God’s people; I think, these would be considered enemies. We pray for them, we show them kindness, we keep our distance. God’s Word is meaningless to this group; it’s more of a weapon to use against you. This is a small people group, likely around 7% of the world’s population (Pew Research). God can move a person from this group to “born again” for nothing is impossible with God. We cautiously extend love to these people mainly through prayer.

It might be surprising but another small group are those that are disinterested. Roughly 7% to 10% of the world’s population is indifferent or undecided; these are not atheist; possibly agnostic. This people group will respond well to acts of kindness, care, compassion and understanding. Since this group is typically emersed in the ways and things of this world, serving their needs hits them right where they live. The account of the Good Samaritan demonstrates this kind of love and opens doors to share meaningful Scriptures. One still wants to be cautious with this people group; acquaintances, yes; close friends, not recommended. As with all groups God can or has saved them in a heartbeat.

I suspect the largest people group are those that are “seekers”; ones who are interested in god or gods. Somewhere between 71% and 86% believe in some kind of god, clearly many people respect a supernatural entity that controls their world. Romans 1 tells us we all are created with an awareness of God but suppress the truth within us. This people group is a tricky bunch because their god or gods may actually be an imposter presented by Satan in such a way that one will acknowledge and worship the imposter. Loving this group requires determined prayer and discernment. There are serious dangers in this group because some are not actual seekers but are aggressively against God. The term used in the Scriptures for two faced seekers are “wolves in sheep clothing”.

In all cases, pray, be kind, understanding, wisely giving and patient.

I’m praying for you. I’ll provide more thoughts on the seeker people group next post. Please like or share this post to support this ministry.

Join us one Sunday at 9AM, room 204, CalvaryPhx, just off the freeway north of Cactus, south of Thunderbird.

03/05/2021

There is a part of me that really doesn’t want to love my neighbor. Some people are just plain mean, rude and hateful. God is kind, understanding and merciful to us and expects us to be that way with others. Love God, love your fellow human.

So how does one love his neighbor when they come in such a wide variety of characters and personalities? I believe the key is to love them where they are at, not where you want them to be or where you are at.

Scriptures divided humanity into two major groups; one called the “world”, the other called the true Church. The Scriptures also seem to define four different people groups. Those that are hateful or aggressively against God, those that are seeking God, those that are disinterested, and those that have actually been found by God, the true Church or what is called “born again”. Each group benefits from a specific loving approach.

To love someone where they are, it helps to figure out which group they belong to, such as, those in the world who are agressively against God. A great insight to this perspective is the parable of the “Sower”. Matthew 13, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings. Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

What group are you in? What group is your neighbor in?

Here is Mark 4:13 to 20 for more insight. “Then Jesus said to them… The farmer sows the word. Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”

I’m convinced that the greatest love one can express for another is to sincerely pray for them in the power and authority given to us by Jesus. The best way to love someone who is aggressively against you and God is to pray for them. Show them acts of kindness, be merciful. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…” These people are not healthy friends so keep your distance and PRAY.

Next post we will discuss more on how to love these different groups. I’m praying for you. Please like or share this post to support this ministry.

Join us one Sunday at 9AM, room 204, Calvary Phx, just off the freeway north of Cactus, south of Thunderbird.

02/26/2021

Near the end of my life two things that stand out daily are the plight of the “rich man” and gratitude. Actually, its gratitude that brings the plight of the “rich man” to mind. Scriptures give us several accounts of how the rich man leans on or is focused on his riches. Please make note, we are not talking about what you might consider rich as in degree of wealth but the person who has plenty and need (not want) of very little; in America most of us by this standard are rich.

I think of an ending scene in a movie called Scrooged where Bill Murray wakes from the last ghost of Christmas future and yells, I AM ALIVE!

WHEN ONE REACHES A POINT THAT BEING ALIVE IS ENOUGH, GRATITUDE FLOURISHES over the littlest of things. I can breathe! I can stand on my own two feet! There are people who care about me! Quality and quantity have little meaning. GRATITUDE IS A WONDERFULLY POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE. For the “rich man” quality and quantity are the focus because that is where their peace and security come from; not God.

Likely one of the most famous accounts of the rich man comes from Matthew 19 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you; it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus in John 3 is a perfect example of a “rich man” struggling with the real conflict of what he has, wealth, power, prestige and the truth that God is real and has no interest in humanities “riches”; they amount to nothing before God. God is looking for a relationship with his creation that demands that nothing is more important. True “riches” come from God alone and, in abundance, but only if one is willing to let go of their earthly riches.

Take heart, God loves you! God desires that all come to repentance and a knowledge of the truth. The answer is up to you; it’s a request not a command. Say, “yes” to Jesus our Savior God for today is the day of your salvation.

Here is the good news, the rest of the story, from the above passage… Matthew 19 “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” (If a rich man cannot?) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Make the good choice and see that God has a plan for you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Find something to be grateful for today. I’m praying for you. Questions? Please like or share this post to support this ministry.

Join us one Sunday at 9AM, room 204, Calvary Phx, just off the freeway north of Cactus, south of Thunderbird.

02/18/2021

A great challenge in understanding foundational Christianity is the delicate balance between grace and obedience; both are very good. The Church has never been perfect; it is a work in progress.

Sometimes obedience can become legalism. Legalism, simply put, is good behavior weaponized to control a person; grace is absent. Many churches have used legalism to control ministry service, donations, attendance, even appearance. In ancient Israel the Sabbath laws are an example of good behavior taken to an extreme. Mt 23:23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!”

On the other side of legalism’s extremes, we find “exploited grace”. The church at Corinth gives us a view of this excess, 1 Cor 5:1 “I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame.”

I believe the balance comes by, first and foremost, a proper view of oneself. Throughout Scripture we see people used by God doing monumental good only to come crashing down. King David may be one of the best-known collapses of judgement and bad behavior but one does not have to be a king to fall hard. Judah’s lapse in character and judgement resulted in his widowed daughter-in-law Tamar’s pregnancy. None of us are truly righteous, all of us have sinned and are capable of unbelievable failures.

It is Jesus Christ alone who is the righteousness we ALL depend upon. As the accounts above demonstrate God will, for those who love God, work all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. We should not look at our failures as condemnation but as experiences intended to humble us before a mighty God and bring us to a place of greater self-discipline to his glory.

Isa 57:15 “…I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”

I bend my knees praying that my weaknesses and foolishness do not keep me from usefulness; that I may by His power grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Join me?

Questions? I’m praying for you.

02/11/2021

There was a time when they would “cast lots” to make decisions. “Casting the lot ends quarrels and separates strong opponents.” (Proverbs 18:18) The idea is that by “drawing straws” the result would be random and impartial. When Peter called for replacing Judas, they PRAYED then cast lots and Matthias was added to the eleven apostles.

Nothing is truly random in God’s world. God can have a hand in even the smallest decision. When I read John 3 about Nicodemus and then John 4 about the Samaritan woman at the well, I do not think it is random chance these two accounts are back-to-back; there is a cool perspective.

Nicodemus represents the highest level of society and leadership. The woman at the well culturally the very bottom level of society. No one would intentionally associate with a Samaritan woman in the middle of the day who had bounced around from husband to husband living with a man who is not her husband.

Jesus receives Nicodemus as a leader and teacher of Israel. Nicodemus is offered the Kingdom but seems to struggle with his position in Israel and what he seems to know is the truth. We do not get an explicit “born again” reaction from Nicodemus; yet Jesus was clearly ready to receive him.

Nicodemus comes to Jesus; Jesus goes to the woman at the well. Jesus receives her as a person of value regardless of her past and present condition. He speaks honestly to the woman and offers her the Kingdom. Unlike Nicodemus we see an explicit conversion, so much so, that she hurries back into town telling everyone of Jesus. From her testimony people either believe in Jesus or seek him out.

Throughout Scripture what I see is a pattern where the “well to do” struggle with letting go of what they have for God/Jesus; possibly Saul (Paul) is the best example of this struggle. On the other hand, those with little or nothing let go freely and receive gratefully. I don’t think there is a better example of this in Jesus’ ministry then the woman at the well. Nicodemus is behind the scenes; the woman at the well is front and center. Nicodemus’ influence seems subtle and indirect; the woman at the well is bold and in our face.

Have you ever been overwhelmed with someone’s enthusiasm for Jesus? Think of the woman at the well and Nicodemus. There is a reason for the difference.

Whether you are great or small, man or woman, despised or loved, leader or slave, rich or poor, "so called righteous" or sinner, no matter who you know or how much you know... whether you've done much or done little... whether it's noon or night, without a rope or a bucket... Jesus saves!

Ask Jesus to take over your life with all your heart and he will.

Any thoughts or questions? I’m praying for you.

If you like, you can visit with us at Calvary Phx on Sunday, room 204, at 9AM. Calvary is just off the Black Canyon Highway north of Cactus.

02/09/2021

If you would like to join us sometime we meet every Sunday in Rm 204 at 9AM Calvary Phx just off the Black Canyon Hwy north of Cactus.

02/06/2021

God knew before he created humanity that we would reject him. This is why we read in Ephesians 1 that we can be adopted (reconciled) to God as family THROUGH Jesus Christ; no other way.

None of us are perfect, we have no problem admitting this condition. What we struggle with is, what do I need to do, if anything, to be “better”? How much “good” is enough; how much bad is too much?

Simply put, when measured against perfection, ANY bad is too much. As long as there is any “bad” the amount of good will not matter. This is why we read “ALL have sinned and fallen short…”. Whether we have one speeding ticket or 100 we are still guilty; there is a price to pay.

In God’s economy Jesus is so precious he pays the entire bill; past, present, and future. Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. John 1

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3

There is no greater love than laying down one’s life for another.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners (rejecting God), Christ died for us." Romans 5

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father apart from Him. John 14

Jesus lived an unblemished life (Lamb of God), was then sacrificed (crucified) for our wrongs, then by the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit he rose from the dead, witnessed by hundreds, to demonstrate his power and victory over death. 1 Cor 15

It is by acknowledging our failed condition, believing in Jesus and asking Him to take over our life we are saved. John 6

Do you believe? Always feel free to ask questions. I’m praying for you.

CAPITAL EMPHASIS MINE

01/29/2021

God as Creator gives insight to everything. If one rejects God as Creator then nothing I say will matter.

Everything we do, think or feel is a result of having been created to do those things. Everything in the universe supports God’s purpose.

Possibly the most impactful thing our Creator has endowed humanity with is the authority to reject or accept their Creator! Why would a Creator God who indicates they want us as a loving family (Eph 1:3-10) for eternity allow its creation to reject the Creator?

The answer is forced “love” is no love at all. For humanity, love is a choice. God is love. Everything we think of or feel as love is the result of having been created to do so.

The Scriptures state that humanity was created in God’s image. WE HAVE BEEN UNIQUELY CREATED SUCH THAT GOD CAN CALL US FAMILY. We are not robots, plants, insects, precious gems or even animals, although there are similarities, because humanity unlike animals have God like reasoning skills, authority over all animals, authority to accept or reject God and are explicitly stated to be “eternal” (eternally with God or apart from God) (animals are not explicitly stated to be “eternal”).

We are, in fact, God like (we are not God) and nothing else we know of has ever been created the same.

The order of creation that defies science is not illogical in the context of God creating humanity for the purpose of a loving relationship with God. That loving relationship is the purpose for all that transpires, history and the future. It is not illogical that if God is focused on and purposed to have humanity as a loving family that God would create an abode (home) for his family first and that the rest of creation would serve the purpose of supporting the family. That does not literally make the earth the center of the universe but it does seem to make the world the center of God’s attention.

Next time you hear God loves you, God loves the world, think about the Creator God planning, purposing, willing all of creation to have an eternal loving relationship with you… and one step further, God offers and plans to reconcile any rejection of him by offering himself as Jesus Christ for those that will believe.

Your part is to believe… or not.

For your convenience here is Ephesians 1:3 to 10:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him BEFORE THE FOUNDATIOIN OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and blameless before him. IN LOVE, HE PREDESTINED US FOR ADOPTION TO HIMSELF AS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, IN ALL WISDOM AND INSIGHT MAKING KNOWN TO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL, ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE, WHICH HE SET FORTH IN CHRIST AS A PLAN FOR THE FULLNESS OF TIME, TO UNITE ALL THINGS IN HIM, THINGS IN HEAVEN AND THINGS ON EARTH.

EMPHASIS IS MINE.

01/14/2021

A year ago, I was not sure I would have the privilege of continuing Foundations of Faith having been diagnosed with several different cancers.

An auto accident on the freeway going 65 mph changed my perspective and God gave me a clear understanding that I was his and I will go when he says so, no sooner, so here I am.

Reflecting on life and my predicament I realized it is not uncommon for one to know their end is coming at a time not of their choosing.

Peter is told specifically at the end of John’s Gospel he is going to die on a cross at a time not of his choosing…

The greatest example and the one that led me to the title “The Urgent Life” is Jesus.

Here is the fact, Jesus knew how and when he would die, likely, for at least 3 years; he declared it several times. He also knew why he would die.

I wasn’t thinking when Jesus turned the water to wine in Cana, and said to his mother his time had not yet come he was including that he would be crucified in three years.

Let me personalize this, someone gets a diagnosis that their life is going to be ending as a result of a condition. Nothing they can do about it.

The thoughts and emotions that run through your head are some of the strongest and most impactful you will ever have. They are so strong and impactful some literally give up, some get exceptionally angry, some get so depressed they can’t do anything. Tears, fears and regrets come daily.

Jesus modeled for us a life worth living to the very last moment knowing for certain not just how he would die but exactly when.

As a man, Jesus experienced the same things we experience. He was not a stranger to the emotions we have yet he managed them in light of his purpose and calling never straying from the work at hand.

Jesus did not ask or expect others to feel sorry for him. Jesus referenced his death as a matter of fact several times not for sympathy but to announce what was to come so that others would believe him.

In John’s Gospel it is not until the day before his crucifixion that the disciples declare they “now understand” Jesus is to die.

Urgent not as fast, urgent as important. Every day Jesus had significant things to accomplish; relationships, time with the Father, messages to those around him, and an announcement to the world; “your salvation is near, believe”.

So be it (amen), may I do the same.

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