Opus 2025-196: The Choir of Pentecost

I was sitting beginning to contemplate eternity.  A bunch of us old folks were sitting around speculating on how glorious heaven would be and we had a lot of interesting suggestions.  We talked about whom we would see and would we recognize them?  How would you find family members?

Being an introvert, I said I wouldn’t really worry about being able to find my loved ones out of the millions of individuals in heaven.  I said I would probably just find a nice quiet corner and read a book.  They were aghast.  I don’t think they understand how glorious the library of heaven will be.

This morning I got to thinking along another rabbit trail and comparing Pentecost to the heavenly host serenading God.  Lots of people have the wrong idea about Pentecost.  They think of it as a miracle of speaking in tongues, which is not really the case.  It’s more a matter of hearing in tongues.  Consider,

Acts 2:6 (KJV) Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Do you have a picture of people from all over the Roman empire and each of them thinking in a different home language.  And they all heard the sermon by Peter in their own language.  Fast forward to eternity.  Can you picture of the celestial choir?  We hear about how we’re going to be singing “Holy, holy, holy”.  I’m wondering if when it gets right down to it, each of us will be hearing a different song, depending on what our favorite type of music is.  Or perhaps it will be a whole new type of music, different for each one of us.  God’s ability to do things, to multitask, is incredible.

Just some more nonsense speculation.  In reality eternity is going to be so glorious that it would blow our socks off if we still had socks.

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Opus 2024-335: Divine Esperanto

As I was talking to the Lord this morning, and trying to find the right word to express how He has extended the hand of Providence to me and blessed my life, I found that the words I came up with were the best I could do but were so inadequate.  You have been there.  If you haven’t, I hope you reach that point someday.

At that point, I started wondering if in heaven will we speak the language of angels?  This thought is based on a verse of scripture that came to mind,

1 Corinthians 13:1 (KJV) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

I’ve often wondered what the language of Angel’s was.  I think of Pentecost when Peter and the disciples were standing up and declaring the word of God.  Many people think that the speaking in tongues that they were involved with had to do with what they were saying.  My read on it is that it was a miracle of hearing rather than speaking because each person there heard them in their own language.  Check this out,

Acts 2:6 (KJV) Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Am I wrong?  These people came from all over the known world.  They did not all speak Latin, or Greek.  In fact, it says in their own language.  I suggest the gift of tongues at Pentecost was the disciples speaking in the tongues of Angels.  You don’t don’t have to agree with me.  Just don’t call me a heretic.

So perhaps, when we get to heaven, we will be speaking in the tongues of angels.  When I say that I want to ask the apostle Paul some questions it would be something we hadn’t thought about but what language would we be speaking other than speak English?  I don’t speak any of the languages he knew.  And yet I believe that we will be able to communicate.  I want to sit down with my guardian angels and express my gratitude and asked some questions about whether it would have done any good to leave cookies out for them.

There are so many historical figures that I will enjoy interacting with.  Of course, that will probably come after a couple million years of just sitting around the throne in the ecstasy of being in the presence of God and singing with the heavenly hosts.  What language will be singing?  I have a feeling it won’t be English.

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Opus 2022-081: On the Issue of Wealth

What is the moral high ground in economics?  We are constantly bombarded by the Marxist rhetoric of redistribution of income.  It is watered down and disguised but all this talk about how rich people are evil is part of the Communist desire to put all wealth in the hands of the state and their elite cronies and make it impossible for the average citizen to accumulate wealth.

Some wolves wearing the sheep’s mantle of being Christian thinkers will go along with this idea.  As someone said, “You can prove anything you want out of the Bible.”  It cannot be done honestly but it can be done.  One of their favorites pushing Communism is,

(Act 2:44 KJV)  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

They totally ignore such things as,

(Gen 25:10 KJV)  The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

There are many references to owning property and doing business in the Bible.  When there is a problem it is not with the concept of making a profit but cheating or defrauding in order to benefit.

C.S. Lewis makes this observation in a chapter called “Social Morality”,

“There is one bit of advice given to us by the ancient heathen Greeks, and by the Jews of the Old Testament, and by the great Christian teachers of the Middle Ages.  All these people told us not to lend money at interest; and lending money at interest - what we call investment - is the basis of our whole system.”  p. 85

He goes on and discusses that this might be just the private money lenders that would squeeze the poor.  I think he is right is that because of Jesus and His parable of the talents.  Toward the end he says this,

(Mat 25:27 KJV)  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

I would not build a doctrinal statement on this but it does have something to say about investing at interest.

Our current version of capitalism may conflict with Christianity but like the Bible comments on wealth it isn’t the system of joint-stock investments but the willingness of people who use the system to enrich themselves while adding nothing.  I think of terms I have heard such as “corporate raiders” and “hostile takeovers” and such.  What they do may be legal but it is not moral.

As always, don’t just take the word of gurus.  Do your own reading and thinking.  Everything cannot be explained in a twenty second sound bite.  

Lewis, C.S.  Mere Christianity.  Norwalk, Connecticut:  The Easton Press, 2002.  

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Opus 2012-162, Sabbath Observations: Roots of the Weekend, Part 3, Jesus Reminds Us of the Purpose of the Sabbath

As in many areas of life, Jesus ran head-on into the Control Freaks of the Elites of His day.  At one point they tried to nail him for healing on the Sabbath.  At another place they were upset that the disciples had picked a few pieces of wheat to munch on as a little snack.  Nag, nag, nag.

Jesus points out their mistake by clarifying the target of the Sabbath. 

(Mark 2:27 KJV)  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

God made us.  He knew that we needed rest so He built it into creation and took time off Himself.  I am sure that almighty God could have kept working but He had a point to make.  He had to get it across with power.  So He took a break.

The point is, we are not designed to go 24/7.  Sure, we can do it for a time.  Some do it for years but the stress levels begin to build.  There is a reason why we sleep.  There is also a reason why we need to take a break from labor.

The Jews observe the Sabbath on Saturday.  It is the seventh day.  They are right in that.  The Seventh Day Adventist have a point in worshiping on Sunday.  The reason that most Christians don’t worship on Saturday is that Sunday is considered the Lord’s Day, not the Sabbath.  It is the day that Jesus rose from the grave so it was more important than any other day of the week. 

Originally the church met every day. 

(Acts 2:46 KJV)  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

They were mainly slaves and working class people so they did not have much control over their schedule.  They met when they could but the celebration of the resurrection became the central moment of the week.  Many Protestants are not aware that the Catholic church has worship every day, not just on Sunday.  That is a continuation of the original pattern of the church.

We go to church.  It is supposed to be a time of renewal and refreshing.  Often it is not, but that is not the problem with the model as much as the people who get distracted.

To be continued...

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Opus 2012-100, Pentecost Changes Perspective

Pentecost is coming May 27, 2012.  We are between it and Easter.  Pentecost is the day the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit described in Acts 2.  Before that day God’s Spirit was available for selected individuals.  After that day He was available for all believers. 

Picture the difference in point of view.  At the Resurrection the women were met by the angel who said, “He is not here.  He is risen.”  That was true and complete statement for that day, but now we have something better.  Because of Pentecost we would now say, “He is here.  He is risen.” 

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost fulfilled a promise of Jesus.  Because of that He is where we are.  He is here in the church.  He is here in our hearts.  He is here.  It doesn’t invalidate any of what was said then but it makes it more complete.

Think about it.  Seek the fullness of the Spirit.  Rejoice.

He is risen!

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