Author Archive
Dec
29
Check out this recent video which explains how to connect, grow, and serve at Emmaus CF.
http://vimeo.com/33821263
Dec
27
John 17 is precious. It is an incredible thing to think that we have recorded for us the prayer that Jesus prayed, not only for his original disciples, but even for those of us who are in Christ today. Jesus’ prayer was not for the world, but rather for all whom the Father had given to him. His prayer was for those who were his, living in that moment, and also those who would be his in the future, reaching to this present day and even beyond.
There is nothing more intimate and revealing than honest prayer. Jesus uttered these words only hours before being arrested – less than a day from being crucified. His love for God and his love for his people is exposed through this prayer. Even as he considered the suffering that he was about to endure, his mind and his heart were fixed upon the objects of his affection. Christ, in this moment was supremely concerned about two things, the glorification of God the Father and the redemption and sanctification of those whom the Father had given to him.
This is the kind of thing that will give you the chills if you take the time to think about it! If you are in Christ it is because the Father has given you to him. You being in Christ and Christ being in the Father is Jesus Christ prayed for you, Christian! Take a moment and consider Christ’s heart for you as expressed in what is commonly called the “High Priestly Prayer” of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
___________________
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’” (John 17, ESV)
Nov
22
One of the joys of starting a new church is having the opportunity to establish new traditions. Traditions can be either good or bad depending on how they are approached. If they become routine they can actually hinder the gospel by distracting from it; if they are approached with sincerity of heart and mind they can serve to illuminate and magnify the gospel in our midst.
One of the traditions that we are going to establish here at Emmaus is the observance of Advent. For most of us, this is nothing new. I can remember back to my early days as a child seeing families walk to the front of the church to read something and to light a candle or two. I think I was more impressed with the fire than I was with the reading, but I do remember the tradition! Now that I am a father and a Pastor I find myself excited about the possibility of making this a meaningful part our family and church tradition.
The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming”. It is during this season that we are to remember the first coming of Christ and also look forward to His second coming. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and also includes Christmas eve or Christmas day.
It was interesting to do a little research on the Advent tradition. As it turns out, there are many different ways to approach Advent. There are traditionally five candles, one for each Sunday leading up to Christmas and one for Christmas eve or Christmas day. Often the candles are organized in a ring to symbolize that God is eternal, the Alpha and Omega without beginning or end, and typically the candles are a particular color (three purple or blue to symbolize royalty, one pink to symbolize joy, and one white to symbolize the Christ). There is significant diversity within these traditions and, in some ways, I am glad for the diversity. It is not the arrangement of candles nor the color of candles that really matters, the point is that we remember Jesus.
Over the next five weeks we will have five families light candles and read scripture at Emmaus. For Advent season 2011 we will focus on the five songs (or pieces of poetry) found in Luke’s gospel. On November 27th the first candle will be lit and Mary’s song found in Luke 1:46-55 will be read. On December 4th the first and second candle will be lit and Zechariah’s song found in Luke 1:67-79 will be read. On December 11th candles one through three will be lit and John the Baptists song (poetry) found in Luke 3:1-18 will be read. On December 18th candles one through four will be lit and the angels song found in Luke 2:14 will be read. And finally, on Christmas day all five candles will be lit and Simeon’s song will be read from Luke 2:28-32.
It may be that we focus on different scriptures and themes in 2012 for the sake of fighting against falling into a routine. The point is that we remember Jesus during this holiday season. With each Sunday the candles will burn more brightly as a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world. May He shine fourth from each of our lives as we represent Him in this dark place. I am praying for Emmaus, that we would have an opportunity to proclaim the gospel to our friends, family, and our neighbors and that the lighting of the Advent candles would remind us to do that very thing.
Blessings,
Joe
Nov
16
Philippians 3:17-21
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Paul’s analysis of those who once professed Christ and now walk as enemies of Christ is interesting to me. According to this passage the determining factor as to wether ones “end is destruction” or “glory” has to do with worship.
Those who’s end is destruction have their belly as their god. In other words, they live for the appetites of the flesh, worldly pleasure, self. They see fulfilling the desires of the flesh as being worthy above all else (this is worship).
Those who’s end is glory have their appetites fixed on heavenly things, spiritual things, Christ. They see Christ and living for the things that are of him as being of supreme worth.
This passage follows that familiar passage where Paul says, “Indeed, I count everything (worldly things) as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Do you treasure Christ above all else? Does he rule you? Is he your God? Do you consider him to be of surpassing worth? Or is your belly your god?
This passage has the Biblical doctrine of regeneration (being born again) at its core. To be regenerated is to have your appetites transformed. Before regeneration we lived for the flesh, in bondadge to sin, for our own glory, to fulfill fleshly appetites. After regeneration, our very being (heart) is reoriented to the things of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. We live not for self but for the things of God, we are freed from the bondage of sin, we live for the glory of God, and our appetites have been fundamentaly changed.
The things of the world no longer satisfy us the way that they used to. Those things that were once considered delicacies now taste like dung. We find that the things of the Spirit are much more appetizing and yet we still struggle with sin as we live in this broken world. Sanctify us Lord! Help us to walk in the Spirit daily that we might not satisfy the desires of the flesh. Continue to renew our appetites and transform our hearts!
In the end, Paul’s assessment of those who once proclaimed Christ and now are clearly enemies of Christ is that they still have their belly as their god; they are idolators, making something that is not a god in reality a god for themselves. May it not be true of us.
Just Thinking,
Joe
Nov
9
Hello Church,
I am planning to do something out of the ordinary this Sunday and I thought it best to warn you in advance (some people don’t like change – or so I hear:-).
During the time in the worship service usually dedicated to the “pastoral prayer” I plan to lead the congregation in a “concert of prayer” instead.
Here is how it will work:
I will introduce a topic such as a particular need in connection with the persecuted church (Nov. 13 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church).
After the topic is introduced I will ask everyone in the congregation to pray out loud all at once. This might seem strange to you at first but I would like you to consider a few things.
1) Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who live throughout the world pray like this all of the time.
2) Our God is big enough to handle all of these prayers coming to Him at once.
3) Hearing the voices of all of the saints crying out to God in prayer helps us to remember that we all have direct access to the Father.
4) Though we will be praying as individuals there is something about crying out in unison that reminds us that we are the church, the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
After a couple of minutes I will interrupt the time of prayer and close that particular topic before introducing another.
This will be good for us Emmaus! Come ready for something new and come with boldness this Sunday!
Blessings,
Joe
Nov
1
Hello Emmaus,
I mentioned on Sunday that November 13th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. I would like to take some time in the worship service on the 13th to lift up in prayer our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering in Jesus’ name throughout the world.
I would like to encourage you to do some research between now and then utilizing sites such as www.onewiththem.com and www.persecution.com. Both organizations make it their aim to bring awareness to the sufferings that Christians endure around the world because they are followers of Jesus Christ.
We need to be obedient to the command found in Hebrews 13:3 which says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”
Below is one story taken from persecution.com. You can subscribe to their newsletter and perhaps include the persecuted church in your regular prayer time.
Blessings,
Joe
Maldives Teacher Deported
After teaching at a school in Maldives for two years, 30-year-old Indian Christian Shijo Kakkattu was deported on Oct. 14, 2011, after police found a Bible in his house, according to Compass Direct News. A co-worker reported Kakkattu to the National Administrative Center after finding Christian materials on a school computer.
According to Minivan News, an independent news agency based in Maldives, Kakkattu accidentally transferred material from his flash drive onto the school’s computer. Mohamed Shiraj, the principal of Raafainu School in Raa Atool, told Minivan News, “The videos were in Indian, so I don’t know what they were saying, but the images were Christian.”
Police raided Kakkattu’s house and discovered a Bible and other Christian materials. They then charged him with preaching the Christian faith in the Muslim nation of Maldives, which recently tightened restrictions on preaching and practicing non-Islamic faiths. Police took Kakkattu to another island for interrogation and held him for 15 days before deporting him back to India.
Last month, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs published new regulations under the Protection of Religious Unity Act of 1994. Anything that represents a religion other than Islam is strictly prohibited, according to Compass Direct News. Web sites, blogs, newspapers and magazines are forbidden from publishing anything contradictory to Islam. Violators face two to five years in prison, house arrest or banishment. As in Kakkattu’s case, foreigners accused of proselytizing will be deported.
Sources: Compass Direct News, Minivan News
Oct
19
On Tuesday, October 25th, and every Tuesday after that, Lord willing, we will be venturing out on a prayer walk from the church office at 6:30am. We will go out in groups of two or three and we will engage in both silent and vocal prayer using the prayer guide below. We will meet at Weston Park for a final group prayer at 7:15am.
Please take a look at the prayer guide that is attached and respond with suggestions. This is a first draft so please be gracious in that regard. The content is what matters at this time and I would love input from the members of Emmaus.
Our hope is that God would give us the city for Jesus but we know we must start with prayer.
Blessings,
Joe
Oct
18
It was a joy to have a conversation with my wife and kids tonight over dinner concerning the Emmaus Doctrinal Standard #3. And lest you get the wrong idea that the Anady’s always enjoy family devotional bliss – I assure you, we do not. With four little ones there is always something interesting going on. Tonight Damon was going from plate to plate steeling everyone else’s noodles while we were talking. The kid loves rice and noodles like you wouldn’t believe!
But even with the craziness of real life pressing in we did manage carry on with some meaningful conversation concerning the question, “What does the Bible primarily teach?” The answer is that, “The Bible primarily teaches what man should believe about God and what God requires of man.” It’s such a blessing as a father to have a template for systematically teaching my children the truths of the Bible. These questions cause us to talk about a number of different topics as we dive into the scriptures, looking at the support for these doctrinal truths. These are sweet times that I will always remember!
Parents, I encourage you to engage your children in Christ centered conversation with regularity. Teach them to savor Jesus. Instill in them a passion for God’s word and for sound doctrine. Above all, show them what it looks like to find great pleasure in the things of God. When the family devotions don’t go as planned, smile at your spouse and try it again. Show your children the grace and mercy that we have experienced in Jesus while at the same time teaching them diligently. Easier said than done right? How about I pray for you as you pray for me in this.
Just Thinking,
Joe
"Him we proclaim,
warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
(Colossians 1:28, ESV)
