The Holiness of God (Part 1)

Why do we use italics or boldface when typing? To indicate emphasis and to highlight something you believe to be important, to draw attention to that particular phrase or wording.

In the Hebrew language, they would repeat words to indicate emphasis much like we do when we place words in italics or bold lettering. Jesus used this device, “Truly, Truly I say to you” (John 3:3; 5:24)

The bible, however, repeats itself three times when describing God and His holiness. “Holy, Holy, Holy”. When a repetition of three occurs in the Hebrew language, it indicates the highest degree of that word. We could say, the infiniteness of God’s holiness is described by giving it the highest degree.

What is infinite?

The distance to the known edge of the universe is said to be about 13 billion light-years away. In miles – 78,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (21 zeros!!)…. Seventy-Eight billion, trillion miles. That is an exceedingly vast distance, but it is not an infinite distance. Not even Buzz Lightyear can travel to infinity and beyond!

Infinite means without limits and immeasurable. Only God is infinite, and He is infinite in all His glorious attributes. Only his holiness is given the threefold ascription “holy,holy,holy”. 

We never read of God being “wise, wise, wise” or “powerful, powerful, powerful” Although he is wise and powerful and his attributes are infinite, God wanted, it seems, to magnify his holiness in a unique way.

God says of himself in Isaiah 40:15,17: “Behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are accounted as the dust on the scales… All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness”

God is saying that if you combined all the power and might of all the great nations and empires throughout history and compare it to God’s power and might it would be nothing and full of emptiness. He also says that we could multiply that combined power and might 1,000 times and it would be to God no more than a 1 single drop from a bucket. God is infinite, He has no limits and God is immeasurable. And this is the way we should understand the infinite holiness of God.

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of the holiness of God?

Hebrew word for Holy – Qadosh: defined as separate. It signifies God’s separation from His creation including His complete separation of/from sin.

Isaiah’s vision of God, as recorded in Isaiah 6:1-8, is the classic passage of Scripture on the holiness of God, and it will help us gain insight into the holiness of God and the implication of that holiness for us today.

"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:  “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” - Isaiah 6:1-8

Next blog: I will continue talking about the holiness of God and His transcendent majesty. 

Partners 4 Africa Mission Trip

My wife and I are making plans to travel with the mission team from Rose Hill Church of Christ in July, 2015 to Zimbabwe where we will partner with Dorian Flynn and Partners 4 Africa to accomplish many tasks such as door knocking, feeding orphans, conducting a bible school for kids, participating in worship, helping with the new medical clinic in Zimbabwe and much more! We are looking forward to this opportunity to spend 14 days in Zimbabwe spreading the gospel to the people who live there. Joy and I have been praying for an opportunity like this because we have a heart and desire for mission work. However, mission work comes at a price and we pray that you will partner with us in helping to take the gospel to Africa through making donations.

First let me tell you a little about Partners 4 Africa Ministry:

Partners 4 Africa does wonderful mission work in Africa through their M.O.M project where they feed 700 children on a weekly basis. They are also building wells that provide safe drinking water to the community. So far, Partners 4 Africa have drilled over 30 wells with most of them located near a church building to provide water for baptisms. Another project that we are involved in at Rose Hill that benefits Partners 4 Africa is the Banana Box Ministry. Each year banana boxes are packed with clothing and textbooks to be sent to Africa. This year we sent 507 boxes to Africa which is part of the 4,000 total that will be sent from other sponsoring congregations. 

We would love to see all these good works in action and to meet the families and children that we minister to from Columbus, GA while leaving a lasting impression in Africa by the good works we will do while we are in Zimbabwe.

In order to be a part of this great opportunity, We will need to raise close to $5,000 to cover airfare, lodging, transportation, medical shots, and other expenses during the 14 days we will be in Africa along with 10 others from our mission team. I believe God has called us to be a part of the mission team. To make a donation please visit: http://www.gofundme.com/8cpvvo  

Thank you in advance for your prayers and donation. You will not only be investing in our mission team, but you will be investing in the lives of the people of Africa. 


To find more information about Partners 4 Africa visit www.partners4africa.com.

To know more about Rose Hill Church of Christ visit www.rosehillchurch.com.

Church for

This video has been circulating through social media over the last few weeks. Today, I had a moment to actually stop for a minute, watch this video, and soak in the message of what it was saying. At the heart of it is a powerful message about the Church for ALL people! The church of misfits who all are common through Christ.

At the beginning, it really keys in on the silly arguments and squabbles we get into over the name on the sign. Is it a big C or little c? Do we put "meets here"? Do we put Church of Christ first followed by the name of the city? We get too focused on the name on the sign when our focus should be on the name at the center of everything we do... Christ.

I would like to think that our sign would read Rose Hill Church for Sinners, for Broken People, for ALL. We are truly a bunch who loves and supports one another and at the core of what we do we realize that first we are sinners saved through Jesus Christ, that we have a building full of broken people who are hurting and who need that love, so we show it to them. Last, that we truly are a church for ALL people no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter what your past is, that we are all accepting of one another because we have a common bond that can never be broken through Jesus Christ.

In the end, isn't that what matters, Who we are the church for and the church of? For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:35-40)

Church and Technology

In an age of technology and ever growing opportunities through the social media world, we struggle with incorporating technology in our ministry, worship, and congregation. There's a line that we are afraid to cross because if we go too far one way we are catering to the younger generation, but, if we go too far the other way we feel like we aren't connecting with the younger adults and youth who are connected to technology. So, how do we reach that balance? How do we catch up with the digital age without offending someone or feeling like we have left someone behind? It's a question I have been pondering for quite sometime.

Let's talk about the areas we all agree on first.

I think it is safe to assume that most congregations have a website and use PowerPoint (or some form of program) for their song service. If we have those things we feel we are set! We are connecting with everyone. If that is the case, why do we still have songbooks in the pews and bulletins in paper form each week? One, there are some people who still prefer the songbook and two, there are some who still prefer their bulletin in paper form instead. Again, there is a balance. With our bulletins we tend to stuff them with information that is constantly being repeated, instead I believe we should make sure the repeating information is part of the electronic bulletin that we place on our website. Our bulletins need to be filled of current information, so our readers will want to read it each week. We have to start connecting technology within our congregation. We are still losing our younger generation. So, the question is how do we connect them with information?

For some people, a newsletter is sufficient. However, we live in a society where it's about the here and now. A generation that does not really plan ahead but goes off the cuff. So, how do we connect with this generation?

There are a number of ways. Let's think about all the avenues we have to put information out in a matter of seconds. Facebook (although this is a declining tool for the younger generation, while the older generation is beginning to jump on board at a higher rate), Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat... The list is really endless. Most of our students and young adults, are connected to something on that list. For my student ministry, it's instagram. In fact, I get made fun of because I still have and use Facebook. The majority of their time is spent on Instagram which is a photos app where you can take a picture, add a filter, and upload it for all your followers to see. So, I have created an instagram account for our ministry (@fusionnewsga) where I will find images relating to an upcoming event or I will take a picture of a note I have written to remind them of upcoming events, to share with them things that our other students are doing, etc.

You are not limited in the ways to get the younger generation connected with your congregation or ministry. The limitation is that you may not understand these social media apps, but it is up to us, those who are involved in church work and ministry, to figure it out and to stay on top of the social media trend. When someone talks about Kik, we need to know what that app is. When someone says, "Man you gotta see this video on vine", we need to understand what Vine is.

On the same token, if we are on top of the social media trend, we also understand the dangers that come with certain social media apps and websites. So, it is our responsibility to educate students, parents, young adults on how to be responsible within the realm of social media. It helps our parents to be aware of what their child is doing when they talk about Tumblr, snapchat, or other social media arenas.

Technology can be very beneficial to church work and ministry, if we know what we are doing, use it effectively, and understand our responsibility in finding ways to connect every member of our congregation.

Women Have Roles, Too (Part 2)

The continued series on Women Have Roles, Too from the Faulkner Lectureships taught by Dave Baker, Minister, Saltillo Church of Christ.

What would Mary teach the Twelve - and men everywhere - about the ministry of women?

1. John 19:25; Luke 23:55
2. Matthew 27:59-61
3. John 20:10-16 

On Sunday Mary had been up preparing spices for her trip to the tomb.

• • It was not a man who was first to the tomb, but a woman.
  • Jesus has the perfect opportunity to appear to men first, but he chooses to appear to Mary Magdalene who calls Jesus, "teacher". 
  • Jesus also gives Mary a charge (v 17) to give encouragement to His brothers.
  • Mary was there at Jesus' side on the cross, the first one at the tomb, and the first one that Jesus appears to after His resurrection.
  • You think she was important to Jesus?

When we think about the role of women in ministry we see a couple of things from Jesus himself:

1. Jesus clearly expected the men who followed him to see the value of women in the spreading of the gospel.
2. The apostles could not write about or understand the key events surrounding the resurrection without learning it from the women because they were the ones there. They were the eyewitnesses.
3. Jesus knew that the Great Commission would be a task so great that the full efforts of everyone - male and female - would be necessary. So, his first act after the resurrection was to mobilize women and send them to their brothers.
4. Instead of limiting Mary's ministry because of her questionable past, Jesus expanded her opportunities to serve Him and gave her powerful opportunities to minister to her brothers.

What kind of women do we need involved in ministry?

• Faithful, converted, active, understanding
• Those that are real about their past
• Some of the best connectors are sometimes women and men who have been through difficulties in their lives and are willing to share in that.
• Broken women - Brokeness must be welcomed and not shown
  • Rahab: mentioned in James as a model of faith and in Hebrews 11 because of her faith, a former prostitute.
  • Mary, Samaritan woman, sinful woman: are all models of faith

Ministry needs to be inter-generational in working and sharing together 

Our job is:

• To help women develop gifts - Romans 12:4-8
• To build a culture where women are welcomed into ministry (Titus 2)
  • Sound doctrine is about relationships in Titus
  • Women are qualified to teach things that some men can't (how to teach a a young woman to love her husband).
  • Older women and younger women alike need to be involved in ministry.

Women are important to ministry. They bring qualities to the table that some men just do not possess. We need to view them as important and use them to help us in our personal ministries. 

Women Have Roles, Too (Part 1)

The lectureship at Faulkner, as a whole, focused on women and the power they've been given by God. This is a current social topic and has been for the last several years as men and women, both, have tried to understand exactly what the women's role was concerning spiritual matters and ministry. One of the most intriguing classes that I was a part of this week was titled, "Women Have Roles, Too" by David Baker.

And it had nothing to do with teaching children's classes, fixing food for the potluck, cleaning the building, and other tasks that we, in the past, have typically given women of the congregation.

I would like to share with you some of the thoughts he had concerning this subject.

First, Bro. Baker, suggested that we are all partners in ministry working together. So, how do we convey we are all partners in ministry? It's important we look at some biblical examples of women in the bible to understand the partnership.

Let's look at Mary Magdalene (Luke 8). She is a wonderful example of what women can bring to the table in regards to ministry. She had a past in that she had been possessed by demons seven times and probably viewed as a social outcast because of these experiences.

To put Mary Magdalene into perspective, her name is mentioned more times out of all the Mary's in the bible, except for Mary the mother of Jesus. That's great company to be in. She was listed as one of Jesus' devout followers.

So, what makes her so special? She was a partner in Jesus' ministry. According to Luke 8 she became part of a privileged group of women from Galilee who, along with the twelve, accompanied Jesus as he traveled and ministered from town to town. She also was a key contributor to the advancement of the kingdom as part of a group of women who helped support Jesus and the Twelve out of their own means.

Why is this so surprising that a woman, like Mary, was a partner in ministry? Women lived more sheltered and confined lives, not typically having conversations with men, especially in public. Education was a male privilege. Also, women didn't have a voice in legal matters and were not accepted as credible witnesses in a court of law.

As you know, Jesus lived a radical life usually associating with people that others would not. He radically broke tradition in all three of the aforementioned matters. He talked to women in public and didn't isolate himself from women like other rabbis. He gave his male disciples a lot to think about when they heard Jesus teaching women the same deep truths He taught them. Jesus saw women to be beneficial to be a partner in his ministry instead of assigning them tasks to complete. Women, also, became key witnesses to some of the most crucial events in human history - the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus.

What does this say about women's roles? David Baker put it like this, "Jesus called the twelve men to follow him, but he wasn't starting up a male fraternity or monastery for men. He was creating a family, a body, whose key trademark would be their love for one another and cooperation in the mission of God."

In the next post we will look at what Mary Magdalene taught the Twelve and men about the ministry of women. We will make some observations about the role of women in ministry, what kind of women we need involved in ministry (especially youth ministry), and what our job is to help women. 

Family Matters

Do you believe family is important? Do you think studying the bible with your family is a necessity? Does your family serve the community together? Do you view the people of your congregation as your family? What/Who is it that you call family? Are you valuing time with your family at home? at church? Are you neglecting time with your family for other things?

These are questions that have been running through my head lately in regards to ministry. We are seeing a negative trend among families, especially those who attend church, with the decline of devotion to family time. Family time could include eating around a table together, bible study/devotional, watching a movie, etc. Families are simply not making time for family and it is affecting our churches.

Today, I had the privilege of attending a lectureship taught by Jerry Elder (Youth Minister at Spring Meadows Church of Christ) on Family Ministry. He shared a lot of things that I had been thinking lately in regards to youth ministry and how to evolve it into something that is family oriented.

At Rose Hill, we have shifted our focus in our student ministry to be more family oriented. If I am being honest, I know things do not change overnight, but I have been discouraged at the lack of progress in bringing the families in to what we are doing with our ministry. In youth ministry a culture has developed over the last several years (probably since the beginning) of it being a youth only ministry and parents make sure their kids are there, they drop them off, and the youth minister takes it from there. In reality, leaving it up to the youth minister to make sure their child's spiritual development is taken care of. Can I be honest? If parents are not also getting involved with the congregation, bible studies, and things for their own age, how can the parents expect their kids to do the same with the youth group? "Train up a child in the way he should go...." (Proverbs 22:6) Part of that training is allowing your kids to see your actions match your words and be genuine with your faith. I know there are always going to be some families who understand this concept, some who don't, and some who don't want to understand. It's a frustrating and daunting task when getting parents to see that their role in our youth ministry is larger than simply make sure your child is at an event or bible study or whatever else is planned.

This is something I believe in, Family Matters. It matters in our church and in homes. It is something I am not willing to cave in to. I will continue to pray that families will see the importance and need for them in our ministry and that our families who are involved will become the majority instead of the minority. I will pray that our families adopt other students in our youth group who may not have families there and help them to realize the family of God is a forever family and we are in this journey together.

I digress.... Back to the lectureship...

I appreciate very much what Jerry Elder had to say. It was like he read my mind and was able to speak what I had been thinking. Sometimes my thinking is a bit "outside the box" and I get weird looks or shot down because people can't understand my ideas. So, let me share with you some thoughts from Jerry, which I agree with.

In congregations, we do a great job of splitting up our kids, youth, young adults, and adults by age groups. However, we segment them sometimes to the point where they aren't spending time together. Growing up were you ever a part of a bible study or class that your parents were in? Did you grow up having family devotional time at home? The sad reality is the majority would say "No, that did not happen." If there isn't family time at home and there isn't family time at church, then where are our families having family time? The ball field? Drive-thrus? extra curricular activities?

Most of us will say "it starts in the home". Yes, you are right.... but it isn't starting in the home. SO we, as the church, must get back to the idea of family in our churches. Families matter.

Families have mattered from the beginning, from the Old Testament until now. Everything we read in the bible regards the family and how families have passed down there faith through generations of people. We aren't really seeing that in families anymore.

What if we did have family devotionals and we did have classes where parents and children shared in study together. This would maybe jump start and propel that spiritual family time that families need to be having in their home. What if we didn't have youth ministries anymore instead we solely focused on the family by having classes with future parents to help them understand the importance of the parents role in ministry. For those that are reading, we are trying to implement these things at Rose Hill Church of Christ. Why? Family Matters!

One thing, as a minister, that I have to do a better job of is making our youth and family ministry more personal. Parents, your kids are my kids. I want the best for them. I will be there in a time of need. I will be there in victory and defeat. I will watch them achieve great heights and fall to the lowest of lows because these are my kids, as well. I love them unconditionally. I need to play a bigger role in the lives of our families, so that you know we are all in this together.

If we can shift our focus in the church back to families and if families will realize the importance in ministry, the church, and homes we will see growth. Growth spiritually because of a deeper dedication to God and to family, as a whole. Our christian family will begin to realize we are a forever family and that we help each other out in time of need, hurting, and victory!

Family Matters! Do you believe it?

As we continue in 2014, I will continue to think outside the box, to challenge our families, and to push our youth to realize the importance of family (church and physical). I have thought of some great ways to implement this idea in our ministry at Rose Hill and can't wait to get the wheels in motion as we seek to love God, love each other, and love our families!