Redemption MinistriesBishop’s Blog » Redemption Ministries

Learn to Discern

Bishop Birt — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:00:20 +0000

This is an article I received, from James Emiry White, and wanted to share with you this week.

Learn to Discern

The word “disciple” is an interesting one. It is used in four primary ways:

First, it is a generic term referring to a pupil or follower of any teacher or school or religion.

Second, as a name for those who followed Jesus during His life and ministry, and specifically the twelve He handpicked to pour into for leadership. Third, it is also the term for anyone who chooses to follow Christ. In this sense, all Christ followers are “disciples.” Finally, it is used as a verb, such as someone being “discipled.” This refers to someone being mentored into the life of discipleship.

But what does this word mean?

A little background: it comes from the Greek word “mathetes,” which simply means “learner.” A disciple is a learner. Much has been written about discipleship. Books are filled with calls to be disciples, or for churches to get more serious about discipleship. Even more has been offered on the content of discipleship, the foundations upon which Christian life and faith should be nurtured. Yet I am growing increasingly convinced that in all the talk about discipleship, the changing dynamics of learning itself are being overlooked. Namely, how we learn and, perhaps more to the point, how we access information.

Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, recently noted that “Google has changed the relationship of people to information. For the last 300 or 400 years, information has been collected on college, university and seminary campuses … You went to the collected information to learn. Today the information is available anywhere you want, just Google it.”

And the challenge that comes with the “age of Google?”

Rather than primarily dispensing information, Kelley said educators must spend much more of their time helping students evaluate information.I could not agree more. One of the most pressing needs in regard to the development of a truly Christian mind is discernment in sifting through the virtually unlimited amount of information available through the internet and the various search engines at our disposal.

Let’s state the obvious: all information is not created equal. Or should we say, “equally valid.”

For example, Google this past weekend’s holiday, “Easter.” You will get 240,000,000 results. One of the top responses on the first page of hits is from www.religioustolerance.org, headlined on Google as “Easter: Its Origins and Meanings.” Sounds promising. But then you read the following:

“Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one Judeo-Christian and the other Pagan. Both Christians and Pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes following the Spring Equinox for millennia. Most religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier Pagan celebrations.”

Um, no.

As historian Anthony McRoy counters:

“The argument largely rests on the supposed pagan associations of the English and German names for the celebration (Easter in English and Ostern in German). It is important to note, however, that in most other European languages, the name for the Christian celebration is derived from the Greek word Pascha, which comes from pesach, the Hebrew word for Passover. Easter is the Christian Passover festival.

“Of course, even if Christians did engage in contextualization—expressing their message and worship in the language or forms of the local people—that in no way implies doctrinal compromise. Christians around the world have sought to redeem the local culture for Christ while purging it of practices antithetical to biblical norms. After all, Christians speak of “Good Friday,” but they are in no way honoring the worship of the Norse/Germanic queen of the gods Freya by doing so. “But, in fact, in the case of Easter the evidence suggests otherwise: that neither the commemoration of Christ’s death and resurrection nor its name are derived from paganism.”

The entire article is worth a read. McRoy is a Fellow of the British Society for Middle East Studies and a lecturer in Islamic studies. In other words, he is a leading scholar in this field. The author of the Google article? At first glance, unnamed. Dig deeper into the site’s sponsor, and you find it is sponsored by the “Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.”

Dig deeper, and you find that almost all of the over 4,475 essays and menus on this web site (as of 2008-NOV) were written by its main author and coordinator Bruce A. Robinson. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto, class of 1959, with a BaSc (Bachelor of Applied Science) degree in Engineering Physics. You also find that he is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church and calls himself an agnostic.

Which will people tend to read and believe?

The one delivered most readily by Google.

And that is the problem. And the challenge of discipleship. If disciples are learners, then we must not only address the call to discipleship and the content, but its source. I would say, “If you don’t believe me, Google it,” but that’s the problem. Unless you have been discipled regarding Google.

The Mystery Of Good Friday

Bishop Birt — Tue, 10 May 2011 21:03:39 +0000

I am at home contemplating Good Friday after returning from a spinal injection in my lower back. As I was laying on the couch going over the details of the procedures I just endured, I was reminded of the cruel death of Jesus, the Son of God on the cross. I found it ironic that as I reviewed what I just went through, I remembered how comforting it was that the doctor verbally described what was about to take place. Even though he would say “this is going to hurt a little” (and it did!) or “you are going to experience a sensation down your leg” (and I did!), it seemed to relieve some of the anxiety of someone pushing long needles into your spine! Well, I made it though and it really was as bad as my mind imagined it could be.

The Mystery of Good Friday
But what about the pain inflicted to the body of Jesus? I wonder if His Father gave Him any indication of the pain and suffering He was about to endure? And then I begin to ask the question that we should all ask: “Why did God Himself– the Creator of the Universe– suffer death at the hands of His creatures?” When Lynn and I were watching Mel Gibson’s, The Passion of the Christ, the other night my heart was broken, tears filled my eyes and I shook my head as if to say how could He? How could God the Father allow this? This my friend is the greatest mystery in the history of the world. The Son of God, suffering pain, mockery, and death; even death on a criminal’s cross! But even more importantly, being the eternal, atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. In the words of an old hymn we used to sing in church choir, “Such Love, such wonderful love, that God should love a sinner such as I, how wonderful is love like this!” Pause and contemplate God’s extreme love for us.

The Message of Easter
But there is more! It may be Friday, but Sunday is coming! The message of Easter is not only the atoning sacrifice for sin on Good Friday, but the resurrection of life on Sunday! On the other side of suffering and death lies the hope of the Resurrection. When the Father in heaven witnessed the undeserving death of Jesus Christ by human law, but willing to pay the price of sin and suffering by the spiritual law, the Spirit of God quickened His mortal body and Jesus was resurrected on the third day. The disciples came to the tomb and it was empty. The body of Jesus Christ was gone. The stone was rolled away! Therefore, the saying, “He is Risen, He is risen indeed!”

The Meaning for Today
This then is the meaning for us today. This is our expectation and comfort: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; because He lives, all fear is gone. And because I know, yes I know, He hold the future; life is worth the living just because he lives!

Weathering the Storms

Gustavo Torres — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:41:30 +0000

“The wind was contrary” or “against it”. This is how the storm was described that buffeted the boat on the Sea of Galilee (Mt 14:24). The effect of the wind was that the boat was “tossed” by the waves or “battered” or “buffeted.” These unpredictable winds can sweep down the mountain side near the Sea of Galilee and out of no where, cause a violent storm. Like many of the storms we have experienced recently, wind can be a powerful force. The strong winds and thunder storms of March and April can be extremely “contrary.” In fact, they have literally ripped open roofs and uprooted huge trees.

Spiritual storms and winds can be just as unpredictable and violent. How we handle these turbulent, contrary winds will impact our life and destiny. So, what do you do when it seems life is “against” you?

First, always remind yourself of the last word the Lord spoke to you. My motto is “Never let go in the dark what the Lord has revealed in the light!”

Second, “fix your eyes on Jesus” because He is “the author (founder) and perfecter” of your faith (Heb. 12:2). Cast your care on the Lord and release those anxious thoughts to Him. Like someone once said, “Sorrow looks back. Worry looks around. But faith looks up!” Keep a steady eye on Jesus Christ.

Third, seek the Lord for the strength and courage to act. “Take courage” (v 27), Jesus said to the disciples. Take great comfort in Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Faith and courage are like a kite — an opposing wind raises it higher.

Finally, I have learned to embrace the contrary winds and grow from my journey through the storms of life. Jesus made the disciples immediately “get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side…” He knew they would encounter these contrary winds. But he sent them still, even though he would not be in the boat with them. Why? Because when they got to the other side they would face spiritual warfare as never before. So, embrace your contrary winds. The Lord is preparing you for your next assignment

What You See Is What You Get

Bishop Birt — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:29:31 +0000

What You See Is What You Get

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” (Proverbs 11:3, NIV).

The word “duplicity” in this verse means “tricky, deceitfulness.” Other translations use “deviousness,” “crookedness,” “willful contrariness and crookedness,” and “perverseness.” gaps. These are serious inconsistencies or gaps in our character. This happens when honesty and truth—two key ingredients in integrity– become options instead of non-negotiable standards. Gaps sometimes show up in the foundation of a building. This indicates that pressure is beginning to affect the integrity of the material. This tension or pressure can be caused by a number of issues, but no matter the cause, there is now evidence that the foundation is beginning to separate from itself. This in turn will jeopardize the whole building.

Much like the concrete foundation of a building, the integrity of our character will show gaps if we begin to separate who we really are (real self on the inside) from whom we want people to think we are (what we project). And the gap between who you are on the outside and who you are in the inside can lead to great tension. Living with gaps won’t bring life-change; it’ll bring inner torment. Proverbs says it will even destroy you.

When who you are on the outside matches who you are on the inside, you have wholeness, completeness, soundness. You are the same throughout, and you are living with honesty and truth.

God doesn’t want gaps in our life. He wants every corner of our life to be so filled with honesty and truth that there are no gaps between your beliefs and your behavior. When you’re authentic—not perfect, but real—your life will change, and others’ lives will change too. That is what others are looking for.

This Ministries Convention this year will help us face these gaps and encourage all of us to have the guts and courage to face our gaps. It is time we took a stand and said, “No more duplicity! No more pretending! No more hiding!” The results will be worth the effort!

Live Every Day Like It’s Your Last

Gustavo Torres — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:48:52 +0000

Someone once said, “Few of us are called to do great things, but many of us can do small things in a great way.” David wrote in Psalm 116:12, “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?”

Over the holidays I spent time with my father who lives in Greensburg, PA. Dad is 75 years old and a hero in m y life. He lives his life as if it is his last day. Although he no longer is a senior pastor he still is a pastor. He is always reaching out to others, visiting the sick, shut-ins, incarcerated and ministering at funerals and weddings. Dad would say something like this. “Son, life is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to Him.” He desired to repay the Lord with the way he lived his life. Not out of guilt or an attempt to earn his salvation, but motivated by a heart of love and gratitude. This became his life ambition. He may not be know as doing anything great but he does small things in a great way!

What a great challenge for all of us. As you enter this New Year ask yourself, “Am I taking life for granted?” “Am I passionately pursuing the Lord and serving Him by giving myself to Him?” For me personally, I am often reminded of this penetrating question when someone dies or a close friend is facing a life threatening illness. This weekend, Rev. Maurice Synan, brother to Vinson Synan, will be buried in Sunset Cemetery in Chester, Va. He lived to be 80 years old. He was a great servant of the Lord who preached revivals across the nation and planted the Wings of Faith Church, now know as the Shiloh PHC. He died unexpectantly, without warning, Tuesday, January 4^th. I was honored that I could join his two sons and pray for him. When I look at his body in the casket, I will be keenly reminded how brief life is. And I will ask myself, “Will I live my life as a gift to the Lord?”

The key is not only to understand this gift of life God has given to us, but also, that how we live it is our gift back to him. I am learning to do the simple things; small things in a great way. Maybe it’s smiling at a sad person. Or, maybe it’s taking time to listen to a discouraged waitress at a restaurant or saying thank you when someone opens the door. Small things in great way!

What are you doing with your life? Is it a blessing to God? Are you investing in the Kingdom of God or merely sowing in the kingdom on earth? What is your gift to the Lord Jesus? What will your gift look like at the end of 2011?

Living the simple life,

Dayton Birt

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Bishop Birt — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:00:32 +0000

“WISE MEN still seek Him,” reads the bumper sticker. When I see this, I am reminded that fools think they are wise, so they do not search. But, wise men go on a pilgrimage, on a search, because they are not wise! Just as saints know they are sinners, but sinners think they are saints, good people do not call themselves “good people” and wise men do not call themselves wise. Therefore the wise seek. And all seekers find, according to our Lord’s promise. But only seekers find. The wise men come to worship. That’s why they are wise; not because they know the means, the way, but because they know the end; not because they lift their heads to the stars but because they bow their knees to the Baby. Wisdom is not the pride of cleverness in knowledge, but the humility of holiness. “The fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom.”

The wise men traveled a long and dangerous journey. But nothing is more dangerous than missing Christ. Life itself is a journey, a pilgrimage. Life is a search for our true identity, our destiny. And that identity is found only in God, for He alone, as our Author and Designer, has the secret of our identity in His eternal plan. “Your life is hid in Christ,” says Paul, and “our citizenship is in heaven.”

If the wise men in us will travel beyond our cozy, familiar, comfort zones, then we too, will arrive at Bethlehem. The great crying need is for leaders to go back to Bethlehem, no matter how hard and humbling the way. And like the wise men, who returned praising God because they came seeking God, we will return from our Bethlehem praising the Lord. As St. Augustine says in the last, great sentence in his “Confessions”: “They that seek the Lord shall find Him, and they that find Him shall praise Him.”

May you seek the wisdom that comes from above this Christmas season and beyond.

Deliberate Simplicity

Bishop Birt — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:54:28 +0000

Do more and more with less and less – and do it faster and faster! That seems to be the mantra for life today. But, what would Jesus think? Can you imagine him yelling at his disciples because they were twenty minutes late for the Jericho prayer breakfast? How would he respond if cell phones went off in the crowds at the Sermon on the Mount? Jesus had little tolerance for clutter and complexity. He would not allow anything to distract him from his mission.

There seemed to be an unyielding simplicity about the lifestyle of Jesus, yet he lived a life with profound impact. His simplicity was all about focus. “One thing is needful….” are the words that we remember.

Jesus practiced deliberate simplicity with disciplines such as solitude, prayer, Sabbath rest, etc. Because he sought the things above rather than the unfocused distractions of the world he came to save. Yet, even though he was disciplined and focused he was always sensitive to people’s spiritual needs. He served. He healed. He taught. He showed compassion. People saw and responded to his simple message.

“Every age has its own characteristics,” wrote pastor and author A.W. Tozer. “Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us.” Our 2011 Ministries Convention will address this problem in life and the challenges that face the church in a more and more complex society. How do we confront the clutter, complexities, and distractions of our society and bring us back to the simplicity of the Kingdom of God? The answers are not about an unsustainable perfection or an oppressive legalism, but instead about the kind of simple devotion that sets us free. For the Christian, it’s about the practical day to day devotional life lived in such a way that intimacy with Christ can shine through us. It’s about intentional living and the rediscovery of life that is lived with the “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 11:3, NASB). The wise man said, “A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life” (Proverbs 13:7). But simplifying is not so much about doing fewer things, as it is about doing the right things.

Christmas Greetings 2009

Bishop Birt — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:28:03 +0000

Christmas Greetings !

For almost 500 years, the prophecies of God had said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The problem was Joseph and Mary were living 90 miles away in Nazareth! There is no way you could ever get Mary to Bethlehem when she was nine months pregnant! I’ve traveled the 90 miles by road on a tour bus and it’s a torturous journey through hills and mountains. I can’t imagine a loving husband, traveling by donkey and foot, with his very pregnant wife, on a trip like that on the eve of their baby’s birth, right? Wrong!

The plan of God says Bethlehem. What God does is absolutely amazing and is a very special encouragement for you this Christmas. The familiar words from the Gospel of Luke explain the context, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David)” (Luke 2:1-4, KJV).

It appears that the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, is making all this happen. History tells us he instituted emperor worship and was a mass murderer, killing members of his own family. He thinks he is flexing his political muscles with his universal census. And here is Joseph and Mary caught up in all this mess. But the most powerful man on earth is not Caesar Augustus. He is only an unsuspecting instrument in the hands of an all powerful, sovereign God.

God will get His destiny couple to His destiny place, even if He has to move an entire empire to do it! The Christmas story is God’s powerful statement that God’s plans are unstoppable, including His plans for you! Plans that He says in Jeremiah 29:11, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Now it may seem that right now there is no way that things can turn out right. The money isn’t there, your health isn’t there, the relationship looks impossible, the job frustrations are mounting, the mountain isn’t moving, and the answer isn’t coming. It looks as if there’s no way for things to work out, not enough time for an answer to come.

But you belong to God who with the stroke of an evil man’s pen, moved an empire to place His kids, Joseph and Mary, right where they were supposed to be. Yes, there was a difficult process, but God delivered them exactly where they were supposed to be. And God will get His plans for you accomplished if He has to move an empire to do it, or use a godless instrument to do it.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Just getting Him there was a miracle. So relax in the strong arms of the God of Bethlehem. He will move whatever He has to move to finish what He has started in life!

May your Christmas celebration be blessed by Him

who is worthy of all our praise!

Merry Christmas,

Dayton & Lynn Birt

New Years Resolutions

Bishop Birt — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:30:53 +0000

Dear friends,

Another New Year is here! For some it will be an awakening that last year’s resolutions were forgotten and for others it will be an opportunity to celebrate goals that have been accomplished. But for everyone it is chance to begin again! As Christians we understand the idea of new beginnings. In salvation God has given us new life and new hope. We know that we don’t have to wait until January 1st for a second chance to get things right. By the grace of God, everything can be made right today, right now.

However, celebrating the New Year can help us to refocus our efforts, redirect our thoughts, and remedy lingering weaknesses in our lives, so that we might live more holy lives. To that end, many of us make New Year’s resolutions.
I have enjoyed reading My Utmost For His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, as part of my New Year’s preparation. The Scripture for January 1st is Philippians 1:20, “…my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death”. Hi then comments, “It’s as if Paul were saying, ‘My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest – my best for His glory.’” And then, when thinking seriously about what it will cost if one obeys this call of Jesus, he declares, “Keep to the point…Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing—my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.” Wow! What resolve. And his life proved it!

Matthew Henry, the great Puritan scholar, had great resolve, as well.

“I do in the beginning of this New Year solemnly make a fresh surrender of myself, my whole self, body, soul, and spirit, to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, covenanting and promising, not in any strength of my own, for I am very weak, but in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, that I will endeavor this year to stand complete in the Will of God.”

What resolutions are you going to make this year? Lose weight? (I need to make that one.) Find time? Break habits? Mend fences?

I would like to suggest a few things that we all should be resolved to do in the New Year:
1. Praise God for every new day (Psalm 118:24)

2. Read through the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

3. Pray daily for one another and the church (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

4. Share your faith with at least one new person each week (Romans 10:14)

As you embark on a new beginning, consider Matthew Henry’s New Year’s prayer:

“Lord grant that this year I may be more holy, and walk more closely than ever in all holy conversation; I earnestly desire to be filled with thy holy thoughts, to be carried out in holy affections, determined by holy aims and intentions, and governed in all my words and actions by holy principles. O that a golden thread of holiness may run through the whole web of this year.”

My New Year’s prayer is that I will have an “unstoppable determination for his holiness!” May the Lord grant you the same.

Grace and Peace,

Dayton Birt

The Next Thing

Bishop Birt — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:56:08 +0000

Greetings!

I was encouraged today with a very simple word from the Lord: “Just do the next thing!”

Sometimes the “next thing” is to write a letter, make a phone call, or visit a shut-in. Sometimes, the “next thing” is to stop and pray, read the Word, or write in your journal. Sometimes, the “next thing” is to clean your desk, or the car, or your room (that’s usually just for kids, but not always!), or maybe it’s to put away the dishes, take the trash out or mow the lawn!. You get the idea, the “next thing” is often times a simple action that seems so insignificant, that it just doesn’t appear to be a “God thing”, so we brush it off. When in reality if we will simple just do the “next thing”, then the next thing is easier to do, and then it’s easier to do the next thing, and the next, and the next. Until all those little “next things” make up your whole day!

I was also reminded that if the church would adopt this “do the next thing” attitude, then it could move from feeling overwhelmed with a daunting task and just focus on the “next thing”. Actually, this is what Dr Conrad Lowe taught us in the Church Consultation Seminars he taught. I have taken that phase and applied it to my own life and we have repeatedly used it when we do church consultations. We have become overwhelmed with the big picture that we have become paralyzed to do the simply, insignificant, “next thing”, so we oftentimes just keep doing what we have always done, hoping to get a different result. They say that is the definition of insanity!

Oswald Chamber’s timeless devotional, My Utmost For His Highesthas helped me see that this is indeed a spiritual truth that God wants us to learn. Consider these two quotes:

“We look for visions from heaven, for earthquakes and thunders of God’s power… and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us. If we will do the duty that lies nearest, we shall see Him.”

“When the Spirit of God comes, He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable… whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things—the things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there.”

Chambers referenced the scene in I Kings where Elijah is running from King Ahab. He is hungry and tired and very depressed. (Ever been there?) In that scene God sends an angel to him who says simply, “Arise and eat” (I Kings 19:5). What was Elijah’s “next thing” he needed to do? Get up and eat something! Sometimes just moving forward in the most basic way is all God needs from us. With our obedience comes the solution we are seeking.

I hope this thought will help you or someone else who is feeling overwhelmed and even depressed. What “next thing” is God asking you to do? Get up, do whatever it is, and find Him there.

I am praying for you and keep asking the Lord to give you wisdom in the simple things!

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’” Haggai 1:5 (NIV)

Blessings!

Dayton