Tag: Christianity

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Fishing the World – The Practice of Evangelism

For the audio teaching on these notes, click on:
http://followingjesus.org.za/sermons/being-the-beloved-fishing-the-world-the-priority-practice-of-evangelism-part-37/

Our third value of ‘Fishing the World’ for God is practiced as we live out our Kingdom vocation (calling) through our daily occupation (work). This naturally leads to our second priority and practice: EVANGELISM. If we are good news in our workplace, then we will be able (even invited) to speak the good news of Jesus. This teaching answers the What? and Why? of evangelism, and will introduce the How? to do evangelism.

WHAT is Evangelism? What is The Gospel?

English ‘evangelism’ comes from the Greek evangelion, with the root angelos, messenger or herald… of good news. Used of Greco-Roman generals and emperors, ‘messengers of joy’ ran to the ends of the Empire telling of their victories in battle, and the good news of the Emperor’s birth, enthronement and reign. Thus, evangelion referred not only to a) the messenger (evangelist) and b) the act of proclaiming the message (evangelising), but also to c) the message itself, called the Evangel – ‘The Gospel’ – the good news.

Seventy Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew (Old) Testament into Greek in 150 BC, called The Septuagint – read by Jesus and his first followers. The translators used the verb evangelizomai (to evangelise, proclaim) in Is 52:7-10: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace and salvation, who say to Israel, ‘Your God reigns!’” (also Is 40:9, 41:27, 61:1, Ps 96:2f)). Isaiah predicted, in 750 BC, that God’s end-time messengers will herald and proclaim the joyous good news of GOD’S REIGN: God will come in his Messiah-King to save the world by defeating evil in all its forms, and make all things new, and will rule and reign over the earth forever.

Continue reading Fishing the World – The Practice of Evangelism

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Being the Beloved Talk 8: Meditation on LOVE

“Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite
absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love (with Jesus), stay in love (with God), and it will decide everything.”

From Pedro Arrupe SJ (Jesuit Superior General from 1965 to 1983)

Before I shift from the focus on “Be-Loved” to the practices and disciplines that – by the work of the Holy Spirit – transform us into “Being in Love” with God and people, I want to use the above quote to do a final meditation on love. Continue reading Being the Beloved Talk 8: Meditation on LOVE

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The Dance of The Beloved

Recap: How to become God’s Beloved

I shared a quote from Henri Nouwen’s book, Life of the Beloved – then how to apply it to our lives daily. It’s the ABC D & E of claiming and appropriating our Belovedness in Christ in a practical way: Accept, Believe, Confess, and Daily Explore your identity as God’s Beloved child. How are you doing with practicing the ABC D&E ? Now we explore the beautiful Trinitarian Dance of Love. My purpose is to give you THE BIG PICTURE that will ravish your heart and draw you into God’s love and explode you outwards in love.

The Trinity as the Dance of Love 

God is The Eternal Community of Love: the Lover (Father), the Be-Loved (Son) and the Love (Spirit). God’s internal or intra-Trinitarian love between the Father and Son by the Spirit eternally explodes outwards in ecstasy, creating the other (creation) in love, for love. Human beings are the climax and pinnacle of creation, made in the Trinitarian image and likeness, to rule and reign over God’s creation in love, by love, for love. Who God is in the heavens (as Trinitarian Love) is imaged on earth in male and female being one with God, each other and creation – an ever-expanding inclusive Dance of Love.

The Eastern Greek Church Fathers used perichoresis from the 4th century to describe the Trinity in his/her internal and external relationships of love. Greek choreo means inter-penetrate, mutually indwell, co-inhere – becoming one without absorption as in loss of identity or personality. God’s love enfolds and unites, simultaneously differentiating and maturing each person in their uniqueness, as they become one. This idea/reality was grounded in John’s Gospel – see references below. From the 9th century choreo became associated with choreia, to dance (English: “chorus”) – the image of the ‘dancing around’ of the Trinity came into use to explain the beautiful mystery of the Perichoresis. Continue reading The Dance of The Beloved

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YOU as God’s Beloved

Recap: Jesus as THE Beloved 

The mamzer from Nazareth ‘discovered’ and grew into his identity and destiny as God’s Be-Loved. Then it was supernaturally confirmed at his baptism: “You are my Agapetos.” He was who he was and did what he did because he was so free to love, knowing Abba’s love. His life and baptism is the model for Christian life and baptism: When we believe in Jesus we are “accepted in The Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Then OUR baptism confirms and empowers US to be God’s Beloved daughters and sons.

Christian Baptism, Gal 3:22-29 

“You are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Messiah Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Therefore, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”

Jesus is Abraham’s seed fulfilling the sacrifice of love in Genesis 22:1-14. In the Septuagint (Greek translation of Old Testament) the Hebrew yachid, “one and only son” is translated Agapetos (verse 2). In Jesus WE are God’s seed, “born again” by his Spirit as his “one and only” sons and daughters. That gives each of us a whole new identity and destiny as God’s dearly “Beloved Child” (see Ephesians 1:6 cf. 5:1). The Early Church used the intimate Abba (“Daddy”) in their address to God, which they learnt from Jesus: “As God’s children, he sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba’ (Galatians 4:6, see also Romans 8:15-17). Continue reading YOU as God’s Beloved

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Jesus as THE Beloved

Intro to Jesus as THE Beloved 

In the Christian ‘liturgical’ calendar the Feast of Epiphany follows Christmas. It’s held on 6 January to celebrate Jesus being revealed (manifest = epiphany) to the world. In the Western Church Epiphany focuses on the visit of the three Magi to baby Jesus. The Eastern Church focuses on Jesus’ water baptism, followed by his desert temptations. Both East and West Church then focus on Jesus’ ministry of the Kingdom from Epiphany to the beginning of Lent (starts 5 March), which prepares us for Jesus’ passion during Pesach (18-20 April). Here I teach on Jesus’ baptism in God’s Spirit of Love – his being revealed to the world as God’s Beloved Messiah.

The Historical Jesus as THE Beloved

 Jesus was “illegitimately” conceived before his parent’s wedding. He probably was known as a “mamzer” (illegitimate), with suspicious paternity and social rejection. Imagine the effect? He had father issues! As Jesus grew up he listened to his parent’s amazing stories of supernatural visitations at his conception and birth. He learnt to receive and trust God as his Father (Abba) in a very real sense. His father apprenticed him in his business, through which Jesus learned to “be about my Father’s business” (at age 12, Luke 2:49). Jesus consciously experienced Abba’s love in each moment and in each event of every day. At age 30 he went to John and was baptized. Matthew 3:13-17 says: Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with him I am well pleased.” Continue reading Jesus as THE Beloved