Bondservant by Pastor Abidan Shah

March 21, 2019 By in application, Biblical convictions, Christian Life, Church, Conscience, Faith, Humility, Jesus, Life of Christ, mercy, Mind, Philippians Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

BONDSERVANT by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: March Madness is on. Each year the best basketball teams across the nation come together in an elimination-style bracket and play all the way to the Final Four and then the National Championship. There is a winner and a loser. There is also the Cinderella Team.What is a Cinderella in March Madness?A team that is not well-known but comes in and really shocks everyone. Last year it was UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), a number 16 seed that defeated number one Virginia Cavaliers. Also, Loyola University Chicago that went to the Final Four. As of now, this year it is UC Irvine and Murray State, Kentucky. Why Cinderella?According to the fairy tale, her step mother forced her into servitude and her step sisters belittled her but, in the end, she ended up marrying the prince. In today’s message we’re going to learn how Jesus choseto become a bondservant (he wasn’t forced into it) so that we could become prince and princesses in the family of God. He sacrificed so that we could be saved.Our message is titled BONDSERVANT.

Philippians 2      5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: Do you understand what Jesus has done for you? He became a slave so that we could become sons and daughters of God. Do you know him? Are you saved?

Context: As you know, we’re in our series called MIND (RE)SET from Philippians 2. We are learning what it means to have the mind of Christ. In today’s message we’re going to focus on what it means to be a “bondservant.” Listen again to verse 7“but (Christ) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men.” The word for “bondservant” is “doulos” in Greek. It means slave.Why did Paul say that Jesus came as a slave? To answer that question, we need to answer 2 other questions first:

Question 1. How was slavery back then?

  • Slavery was a normal part of every culture and society. Unfortunately, it was even among the main characters of the OT. Sarah gave her female slave Hagar to Abraham so she could have a child for him. So also, Rachel and Leah gave their female slaves to Jacob. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. Slavery was a part of the culture in which they lived.Ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) from where Abraham came had slavery. Ancient Egypt had slavery. Later, the people of Israel were enslaved. Even Ancient Greece with their high ideals of democracy and freedom had slavery.
  • Ancient Rome was even worse. According to certain estimates, 80-90% of the inhabitants of Rome were slaves or of slave origin. By the way, slaves were not necessarily from Africa. They could be from Europe or Asia or neighboring kingdoms that had been conquered. Spartacus the slave who led the “Third Slave Rebellion” was of Germanic origin. After Rome crushed that rebellion, 6000 slaves were crucified. The conditions of the slaves depended on what they did. If they worked in the mines, it was horrible. If they worked in the homes, things were not as bad. Either way, at the end of the day, a slave was just a human property. Many endured beatings. Many could not participate in education. Even marriage was regulated by the owner. Children were born slaves. In the Western world, the slave trade of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is a very sad and shameful reality. The purchasing of West African people as chattel is indefensible. It’s when Christians with a conscience and courage spoke up that the slave trade was finally outlawed – first in England in 1807 but in continued till 1833. Men like William Wilberforce, William Pitt, John Newton, and George Whitfield. Even the writings of ex-slaves like Equiano and Cugoano finally began to be heard. In our own country, slavery continued until 1863 until the Emancipation Proclamation and then a bloody civil war. By the way, slavery still goes on to this day. Twenty-eight to thirty million are trapped in slavery – sex trafficking to forced labor, even in our own country. We have an episode coming on our radio show Carpe Manana this week.

Question 2. What did God say about slavery?

  • God did not endorse slavery but gave laws in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomyon how slaves were to be treated.He even promised a day in the future when there will be no slavery.Joel 2     28“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. 29And also on Mymenservants and on Mymaidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
  • In the time of Jesus, slavery was still practiced and slaves were still just the bottom rung of society. Why didn’t Jesus speak out against slavery? Keep in mind that Jesus did not come to lead a rebellion. He came to save us by giving his life on the cross for our sins. But, he talked about it in his messages. He used it in his parables (Matthew 18:23-35; 21:33-41; 25:14-30). Why? Because there were probably slaves among the listeners. If he had led a rebellion, he would have gotten them killed or made their masters stop them from coming to him.

Question 3. Why did Paul say that Jesus came as slave?

  • Because Jesus truly came as a slave to his Father. He gave up his throne in glory. He gave up his rights and privileges. He emptied his godhead into his humanity. He always obeyed his Father. John 6    38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
  • Because Jesus truly came to serve and not to be served. Think about what slaves did and what Jesus did:
A Slave was responsible to cook Jesus fed the 5000 and the 4000
A Slave came when he was calledJesus was constantly going and helping people – Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus, 
A Slave was responsible to teach the children in the familyJesus preached and taught the multitudes
A Slave did the menial laborJesus washed the feet of his disciples
A Slave would have to go fight in battle for the ownerJesus died on the cross for our sins

Matthew 11    28 Come to Me, allyouwho labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yokeiseasy and My burden is light.”

In fact, think about the categories of our salvation – redemption, justification, and reconciliation. They are all connected to slavery.

  • Redemption – setting the slave free
  • Justification – complete freedom slave received
  • Reconciliation – a slave becoming an equal member of a free society

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

You can come to him – Because everyone knows who a slave was.Every society and culture had them.Because you could get no lower than a slave. No one can say that they couldn’t come to Jesus. 

Likeness by Pastor Abidan Shah

March 16, 2019 By in Doctrine, God the Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Philippians, sermon, Trinity Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

LIKENESS by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: How many of ya’ll remember telling your parents – “You just don’t understand.” How many of ya’ll have heard those same words from your kids? Why do we say that? Because we think that our struggles are so unique that unless others step into our shoes, they’ll never understand what we’re going through. It’s not just parents and kids who do this but employees think that their employer doesn’t understand and employers think that their employees don’t understand. The husband thinks that his wife doesn’t understand and the wife thinks that her husband doesn’t understand. I love the Peanuts cartoon. In this one, Lucy is at her psychiatric booth and Charlie Brown tells her that he has deep feelings of depression – “What can I do about this?” Lucy in her typical manner says – “Snap out of it! 5 cents please.” I would say that she didn’t understand! Today’s message is to help us see that even if people close to us fail to understand us, there is one person who always understands us and his name is Jesus. The message is titled “Likeness” in our series called MIND (RE)SET from Philippians 2.

Philippians 2      5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: Do you feel that people don’t understand you? Do you often say, “No one knows what I am going through?” Do you know Jesus? Are you saved?

Context: As you know and for the benefit of those who are here for the first time, the goal of this series is for us to have the mind of Christ, to have what Paul commanded us in verse 5“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Sometimes when people hear that we are to be like Christ, they say things like – “C’mon, Jesus was God. I am just a human being. He was perfect. I am not. Jesus could not sin. I have a sin nature. How can I have the same mind as Christ? We are very different!” Let’s stop here and clarify a few things. By the way, we will go deep for a few minutes:

  1. Yes, Jesus was fully God in his incarnation. To stop any of his attributes would be to stop being God. We covered that in the 1stpart of our message “TRUE ESTEEM.”
  2. Jesus was also fully Man in his incarnation. He was 2 distinct natures (divine and human) coming together in 1 person. We also covered some of that in the 2ndpart of the message “TRUE ESTEEM.”

There’s something more we need to understand about Jesus’ humanity:

3. Jesus was essentially humanjust like Adam before Adam sinned. Question:Was Adam a full-fledged human being before he sinned? Yes.Genesis 1:27“So God created man in His ownimage; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”Jesus was just like Adam in his humanity. Can we draw a connection between Adam and Jesus?Romans 5:14“…Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.” Another Question:Did Adam have a sin nature before he sinned? No. He did not have an earthly father to pass down the sin nature to him. Neither did Jesus. Keep in mind that Adam was the created son of God, as noted by Luke 3:38and Jesus was the only begotten eternal Son of God. Both Adam and Jesus were internally innocentand both of them were externallytempted. While Adam fell into sin, Jesus did not. By the way, Jesus was much more than just Adam.Unlike Adam, Jesus was fully God and hence he could not sin.

4. How are we like Jesus then? While Adam and Jesus were essentially human, we are commonly human. We are the product of the union of our earthly fathers and mothers and we carry the sin nature in us. David says in Psalm 51:5“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”Paul affirms in Ephesians 2:3that we were“by nature children of wrath…” Hence, there is a difference between our temptation and Jesus’ temptation. Jesus was tempted only from the outside and we are tempted from the inside and outside. Nonetheless, propensity to temptation and sin does not make us human. Being created in the image of God with a body and a mind makes us human.

Someone might stillsay, “At the end of the day, Jesus is just essentially human without the ability to sin but we are commonly human. There is still a difference. How can he truly understand what we go through being born in sin?” Have you ever wondered why Jesus spent nine months inside his mother’s womb, was born, grew up, lived for 33 some years before he went to the cross? If his only purpose was to come to die for us, he could have dropped out of the sky as a full-grown human being and made his way to the cross or he could have grown up overnight! Why all this time of living among us? Hebrews 2:17“Therefore, in all things He had to be made likeHisbrethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertainingto God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

  1. Are you hungry?Jesus understands hunger. He spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting in the wilderness.
  2. Are you thirsty? Jesus understands thirst. From the cross he cried, “I thirst.”
  3. Have you been belittled? Jesus understands. When Philip told Nathaniel that he had found the Messiah, John 1:46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
  4. Are you exhausted?Jesus understands being tired. Mark 6:31And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
  5. Are you homeless? Luke 9    57Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, thatsomeone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the airhavenests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to layHishead.”
  6. Are you grieving? Jesus understands grief. When he saw a funeral possession of a man who was the only son of a widow, it says in Luke 7:13“He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’”Several times it says that Jesus had compassion on people who were in grief and pain. In fact, Isaiah calls him in Isaiah 53:3“A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
  7. Are you angry? Jesus understands anger. When the Pharisees tried to use the sickness of a man to trap Jesus into healing him on the Sabbath, Jesus was angry. Listen to Mark 3:5And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched itout, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
  8. Have you dealt with abuse? Matthew 18    5Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
  9. Are you having family trouble?John 7   3His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
  10. Have you been disappointed? John 6:66“From thattimemany of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.”
  11. Are you afraid for your life? John 7:1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.
  12. Are you lonely and feel betrayed? Jesus understands. One of his own betrayed him with a kiss and Mark 14:50“Then they all forsook Him and fled.”
  13. Have you been falsely accused? Matt. 26   59Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,60but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.
  14. Are you in physical pain? John 19    1So then Pilate took Jesus and scourgedHim.2And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put iton His head…” And then they crucified him between two thieves.

I can go on and on. The point is that he understands whatever you are going through.

Are you saved?

True Esteem (Part Two) by Pastor Abidan Shah

March 9, 2019 By in Christ, Christian Life, Church, Doctrine, Exegesis, Faith, God the Father, gospel, Holy Spirit, Humility, Jesus, Paul, Philippians, Trinity, Truth Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

TRUE ESTEEM (2) by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you knew someone and they turned out to be a whole lot more? It’s happened to me many times but last year it happened when Nicole and I would go to this store where when we first started going there, two guys would wait on us. One was a very outgoing salesman and the other was kind of soft-spoken guy who hung around. Then there was a third guy there who was typically behind the counter with another salesman. We thought that the obviously the one behind the counter with the other salesman was the owner, the outgoing guy was the main salesman, and the quiet guy was just a trainee. One day the “trainee” wasn’t there and so we asked if he had quit. They said, “Oh no, he is the owner’s son!” Who we thought was the least important person there turned out to be the most important person!It changed the way we interacted with him the next time! So also, many people have a very limited and even misguided view of Jesus. But, when we truly see him for who he is, it changes the way we think about him, worship him, and obey him. This is the second part of our message titled “TRUE ESTEEM” in our series on Philippians 2:5-11.

Philippians 2      5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: How do you see Jesus? If you and I are to have the mind of Christ, do you know what the mind of Christ is like? If you truly see him for who he is, it would change the way you think about him, worship him, and obey him. Do you know him?

Context: As you know, we are in our series called “MIND (RE)SET” where we are learning how to have the mind of Christ. The last message in this series was called “TRUE ESTEEM.” In this message we began to learn what the mind of Christ was all about. Listen again to Paul in verse 6“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” Meaning:Even though Jesus had the same form as his Father (spirit, eternal, and glorious), he did not consider “equality with God something to grasp after.” In other words, Father, Son, and Spirit are coequal in essence but different in roles. The Father is in authority and initiated creation and redemption but it’s the Son who actively created and came to redeem with his life and the Holy Spirit encompasses everything and gives life and power to the creation and to every believer. The Son never tried to usurp, subvert, or sabotage the position of the Father. By the way, this was not just in the past. This is how it will be in eternity. 

Quick Application:This is also the pattern for us in our relationships at church, family, and marriage. We can have unity and harmony only if we understand that we can be equal in essence but have different roles and functions. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

Now let’s go a step further, a step deeper– 7 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men.” That verse has caused more controversies, schisms, and heresies than any other verse I know. What does that mean that Jesus came in the “likeness of men”? Some people believe that when Jesus was on earth that temporarily he stopped being God. They claim that as God he was an all-powerful spirit being but as man he became a weak and finite human being. But, that’s not what was said about him in Matthew1:23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His nameImmanuel,”which is translated, “God with us.” Later Paul said in Colossians 2:9“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

So, what happened 2000 years ago? First, let me tell you what it does NOT mean:

1. It does not mean that God the Son came and took on a human body but kept a divine mind.That’s a heresy called Apollinarianism that the church condemned at the Council of Alexandria in AD 362 and Constantinople in AD 381. Hebrews 2:17“Therefore, in all thingsHe had to be made likeHisbrethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertainingto God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

2. It does not mean that there were 2 persons inside Christ, a human and a divine. That’s also a heresy called Nestorianism that the church also condemned. Jesus never gave any indication that he had a split personality. John 10:10 “Ihave come that they may have life, and that they may haveitmore abundantly.”

3. It does not mean that Jesus was a combination of a human and divine nature into a new third kind of nature. This was also condemned by the church as a heresy at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680-681. He had to be truly both at all times so he could represent us as man and earn our salvation as God.

So, what does it mean that Jesus became man? Listen again to verse 7 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men.” What I am about to go over is the traditional, historical, and biblical position held by the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox churches on the nature of Christ. We may disagree over other stuff like Baptism, Lord’s Supper, the role of Mary but not this. This is coming out of a Church Council that was held at Chalcedon from October 8 to November 1, AD 451. It also caused a schism between the churches in the east and the west.

1. Jesus is truly human in body and soul just like he was/is truly God in form (essence, nature, and substance).

For example: Driving a very expensive car down a muddy country road. Also, a king becoming a beggar. (From Bruce Ware, The Man Christ Jesus)

2. Jesus is two natures, one divine and the other human, and they are distinct with distinct wills.

On the one hand,Matthew 4    1“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”On the other hand, Matthew 8    26But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

On the one hand, John 16:28“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” On the other hand, Matthew 18:20“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

On the one hand, Luke 23:46And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ”Having said this, He breathed His last. On the other hand, John 10     17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

3. Jesus is one person not two. John 17:11“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You…”

4. The human nature was without sin. He became completely like us but he did not share our sinful nature. He was dying but not for his own sins. He was dying for our sins. In a sense, he was just like Adam. He was human without a human father. Where Adam failed when he was tempted, Jesus did not. The conditions of the fallen world are there but He stayed pure all the way to the cross.

Final question: Did God change? Was God more after the Incarnation? Revelation 13:8“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

The Incarnation of Jesus is a Paradox, a Miracle that is greater than the Creation of the World and the Resurrection of Jesus!

2 Corinthians 8:9“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Invitation: Take time to think about what God has done for you! How amazing and awesome he is! How compassionate and gracious he is! Humble yourself before him. Be saved if you’re not.

Episode 28: With Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo

March 8, 2019 By in Carpe Manana Podcast Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

In this episode, the Clearview Church staff sit down to talk with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo about their ministry, about love, and intimacy in marriage. If you have any topics you’d like for us to discuss, be sure to email us at carpemanana@clearviewbc.org!

Vicious Cycle (Article) by Abidan Paul Shah

February 27, 2019 By in Abortion, America, Archaeology, History, Israel, Sacrifice, United States of America Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

VICIOUS CYCLE (Article) by Abidan Paul Shah

(Published in the Newspaper Daily Dispatch, Henderson on February 9, 2019)

“The Bible will come alive for you! It will be a life-changing trip!” I could tell that my mentor really wanted me to go on a tour of Israel. Few years later, we took him up on it. Since then, my wife and I have visited the Holy Land several times and it is truly everything and more than you can imagine! In our last tour in January, along with the usual sites (Galilee, Jordan River, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, etc.), we visited six Middle Bronze Canaanite cities in Israel (Megiddo, Hazor, Tel Dan, Beth Shan, Jericho, and Jerusalem). In the chronology of the Levant, the Middle Bronze period is between 1800BC-1550BC. Although scholars disagree over the precise terminology, this is the time period when the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was occupied by the Canaanites and the Amorites. These were the cities that God told Moses to lead the people of Israel to go in and possess. 

Typically, we think that the reason God wanted to drive the Canaanites out of the land is because they were primitive savages. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s what we found:

1. They were master builders. In order to protect their cities, they first built massive free-standing walls (some places 50 ft tall) around the city. This was followed by a massive embankment with crowning walls. All this was psychological warfare to discourage an invading army from wasting their time.

2. They understood hydraulics and built massive water storage facilities, underground drainage, and irrigation lines.

3. They were very good farmers, pottery makers, and metal workers. They learned how to make bronze by alloying copper with tin. Now they had weapons that could be shaped and sharpened. They even had an export business with Egypt.

4. They created the ancestor of our English alphabet. Unlike the Egyptian hieroglyphs and the Mesopotamian cuneiform, their descendants (the Phoenicians) standardized the 22 signs for each sound that we use to this today.

Nonetheless, as advanced and prosperous as these people were, something was not right with them. Deuteronomy 12:29-31“When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them…for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”In other words, they practiced every kind of perversion imaginable but worst of all, they sacrificed their babies to their god Molech! Although literary evidence from Canaan is scant, there is plenty regarding the Phoenicians, the Canaanites who established a colony in North Africa. Siculus, a Greek historian, wrote – “There was in their city a bronze image of Cronus extending its hands, palms up and sloping toward the ground, so that each of the children when placed thereon rolled down and fell into a sort of gaping pit filled with fire.”Plutarch, another Greek writer, added that “the whole area before the statue was filled with a loud noise of flutes and drums so that the cries of wailing should not reach the ears of the people.” Historians and archaeologists would deny these accounts claiming that it wasn’t possible for such an advanced culture to do something so heinous. In 2014, Dr. Josephine Quinn of Oxford University along with a team of scholars confirmed these accounts as absolutely true based on further research.

Here’s the point: God wiped out the Canaanites because they chose to kill their children. What do you think God thinks of America today? Over 638,000 are being killed each year. Will we repeat the vicious cycle and face God’s wrath or will we speak out for the innocent and the voiceless? It is much more than a political issue. Jesus said “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)

Episode 27: The Roles of Men and Women

February 27, 2019 By in Carpe Manana Podcast Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment
Episode 27: The Roles of Men and Women

In this episode, the Clearview Church staff sit down to talk about the different roles that men in women have and how that doesn’t make us any less equal. If you have any topics you’d like for us to discuss, be sure to email us at carpemanana@clearviewbc.org!

True Esteem by Pastor Abidan Shah

February 22, 2019 By in Bible, bible study, Biblical convictions, Christ, Humility, Philippians Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

TRUE ESTEEM by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: According to TIMSS (the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), which is a collaboration of various individuals and organizations worldwide, students from Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan repeatedly score the highest in Math and Science proficiencies. Our United States is around number 10 and even European countries are not as high as you would expect. But, when they asked these students how good they thought they were in Math and Science, guess what they said. The students from high scoring countries said that they were not good but the students from low scoring countries said that they were great. I think that in the West we have done an okay job teaching Math and Science but a great job teaching self-esteem.What is self-esteem? It is the confidence in one’s own self-worth and abilities. It is demonstrated by Lucy in Peanuts. She is always so bossy and opinionated. In one cartoon she says – “The world revolves around the sun? That’s odd. I thought it revolved around me.” Unfortunately, that mindset can be found among Christians as well. It goes against the mind of our Savior and King Jesus and is at the root of a lot of our problems in our home, relationships, and church. Today we will learn how to have “TRUE ESTEEM.”

Philippians 2      5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: How do you see yourself? Like Lucy do you think the sun revolves around you? Do you have the mind of Christ? Are you saved?

Context:So far in our series called MIND (RE)SET we have learned that God made human beings as mind and body. They are both important. Both have been corrupted by sin and both need redemption through Jesus Christ. Our focus is the mind because it drives both our mind and our body. There are things that are out of our hands like our genetic makeup, upbringing, and circumstances, but through our salvation in Jesus Christ and under the grace and providence of God, this mind can be reset. It requires growth in Christ, his Word and Spirit, and godly fellowship. These are essential to reset our minds to synch with the mind of Christ. For e.g. Marriage conference helps greatly in this.

Now comes the next step – What is the mind of Christ? 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.”This is one of the most discussed and debated passages in all of Paul’s letters. Several questions need to be answered:

Question #1 – What is the “form of God?” The Greek word is “morph” and it is a rare word in Paul’s vocabulary and even the NT.It can have many meanings. 

  • Fill out the “form” or application. Obviously, this is not what Paul meant.
  • Shaming is the worst “form” of punishment. Here it means “type” or “kind.” Was Paul saying that Jesus was a type of God? The rest of the NT will disagree.
  • The sun rose and he could see the “form” of a person in the distance. Was Paul saying that Jesus was in the shape of God? Not from the rest of the context.
  • There is yet another meaning – Ice is a “form” of water that is frozen. The pulpit is “formed” of steal and iron. In other words, that’s its content. That’s what it is made of. That’s its essence and character. We often use the word “form” with another word like “transform,” “reform,” or “deform.”What is Paul saying? Before Jesus chose to come into this world, he had all the content of being God. He had total divine nature.

What is the form, content, and essence of being God? (We are not talking about attributes like holiness, truth, love, power, etc.)

1. Spirit

John 4:24“GodisSpirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

2. Eternal

 Micah 5:2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, thoughyou are little among the thousands of Judah, Yetout of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings fortharefrom of old, from everlasting.”A better translation is “whose origins are from of old.” In other words, “although he will be born yet he has no beginning.”

3. Glorious

John 17:5“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

Application:Do you understand what Jesus (the second person of the godhead) gave up for you?

Question #2 – What is Equality with God? There is one God. God is three persons. Each person is fully God. Each person has a different function.

A. In Creation

John 1    1“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”2He was in the beginning with God.Jehovah’s Witnesses try to claim that it can mean that “the Word was a god.” This is not true. When definite nouns precede the verb, they lack the definite article. John 1:3“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” The Father spoke and the Son created. How about the Spirit? Genesis 1     1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form, and void; and darknesswason the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Colossians 1    16“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

B. In Redemption

John 3:16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Galatians 4:4“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”

Where is the Spirit? John 14:26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Let’s return to verse 6“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” The word for robbery is “harpagmos” which can be translated “something to hold onto” or “something to grasp after.” The latter is better. So, the translation is “who being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to grasp after.” In other words, he had no desire to usurp God the Father’s role and authority.

Were these distinctions just temporary or pre-incarnational? No, they are eternal. Listen to I Corinthians 15:28“Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.”

Application:Jesus was/is fully God. He is totally equal in essence to his Father and the Spirit. Nonetheless, he has a different role and function in the Trinity. He is functionally subordinate to his Father. 

To have the mind of Christ is to know that you are equal recipients of God’s grace and yet understand your role in each relationship.

For e.g.Marriage –I Corinthians 11:3“But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of womanisman, and the head of ChristisGod.”

I can go on and on but the point is that Jesus was fully God before he ever came into this world. He knew who he was. He was not missing any aspect of godhead. He was not being demoted. He was willing to step down into our world for a reason. All this time, he was/is still maintaining his role of the Son with the Father.

How do you think of yourself? Do you know who you are in Christ? Are you saved?

Mindset: Part 2 by Pastor Abidan Shah

February 16, 2019 By in Christ, Church, Community, Holy Spirit, Mind, Philippians Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

MINDSET (2) by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction:“Master mind,” “A load off my mind,” “Bear it in mind,” “blow your mind,” “Call to mind,” “Change your mind,” “Keep in mind,” “State of Mind,” “In the back of my mind,” “all in your mind,” “peace of mind,” “piece of my mind,” “Open minded,” “closed minded.” I can keep going. All those phrases have the word “mind” in them. We “mindlessly” use the word “mind” but we never “set our minds” to understand its true meaning. In this second message in our series “MINDSET,” we will go one step further in understanding what the Bible has to say about the mind. What is the goal of all this? So that we can “Let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 2     5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: What is your mindset? Is it set towards the things of God or is it set towards sin? Has there been a mind change in you? Are you saved?

Context: Last weekend in our first message titled “MINDSET” we learned how Paul saw the mind-body connection.4 things to be exact:

  1. Mind (immaterial) and Body (material) are 2 distinct parts of every human being.
  2. Mind is not superior to the Body and the Body is not just a shell to house the Mind. Every human being is a Mind/Body unit. Both are critical and make us who we are.
  3. Both Mind and Body are in bondage to sin.
  4. Both Mind and Body need redemption through Christ. The redemption of the Mind begins at salvation and will be completed in the end. We will see that a little later but the redemption of the Body also begins at salvation and will be completed in the end. How do we know that it has begun?1 Corinthians 6:19“Or do you not know that your body (soma) is the temple of the Holy Spiritwho isin you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”How do we know it will be completed?Philippians 3    20“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body (soma) that it may be conformed to His glorious body (soma)…”

If I may add one more – How you treat your Mind affects your Body and how you treat your Body affects your Mind. Romans 12   1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies(soma)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (mind)…” I gave the illustration of staying up late and watching junk and eating junk and being tired, cranky, foul mouthed, depressed, and negative. Then you allow someone to bend your ears and pour in gossip or you watch a video that peddles the world’s philosophy of life which further corrupts your mind and your further mistreat your body. This is a downward spiral to a life that does not please God, does not magnify Christ, is not controlled by the Holy Spirit, and does not live by the Word but makes you and everyone else around you miserable.

In this second part of the message MINDSET, I want to focus on the Mind: What it’s not; What it is; and what it’s made of. (I’m going to primarily focus on Paul’s writings but also try to bring in other scriptures.)

1. What the mind is not:

  • The Bible uses the word Heart (kardia) to designate the mind but it is not referring to the physical Heart, that muscle in your chest that is pumping your blood.
  • The Bible uses the word “Splanchna” (which refers to vital organs like the heart, liver, and lungs) to refer to our deepest emotions but the splanchna is not our mind.
  • The Bible does not talk about the Brain because science had not developed at the time the different parts of the Bible were written but the Brain is not even the Mind. The Brain is the center of the nervous system made up of gray matter, neurons, and axons. It controls our memory, our speech, and our bodily functions. It does have an impact on our Mind but it’s not everything.Somethings to keep in mind: You need your Mind to help you grow as a believer. The Mind depends on your brain to understand and process the information. Unfortunately, more brain power does not guarantee spiritual enlightenment. If it did, then all the smart people in the world would be saved. Many geniuses are saved but there are also people with a low IQ who love the Lord and walk in his way.

2. What the Mind is:

  • Made by God to Connect with him – Romans 1    18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shownitto them.”
  • Disconnected from God because of Sin – Romans 8:7“Because the carnal mind(Phronema)isenmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”
  • Landing Point of our Salvation – 2 Corinthians 4:6“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our heartsto givethe light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”But if affects the whole of us.
  • Invisible Part of us that Connects with Others – 1 Corinthians 5:3“For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit…” Here the implication is that we can be with someone without physically being with them. 1Thessalonians 2:17“But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire.”
  • Source of our Motivation – Romans 1:9“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spiritin the gospel of His Son.”
  • Seat of Our Emotions – 2 Corinthians 6    11“O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your ownaffections.”(The Heart organ is not the Mind but when there is fear, joy, and anger, the heart starts beating rapidly. Somehow there is a connection between the Mind and the organ in our chest called the Heart.)
  • Seat of our Will and Understanding – Colossians 3:2“Set your mindon things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3     9“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10and have put on the newmanwho is renewed in knowledgeaccording to the image of Himwho created him.” By the way, don’t misunderstand: This does not mean that only the mind is made in the image of God and not the body. Unlike God, who is total Spirit, we need an instrument to express our fellowship and worship of God and love and care for others.

3. What the Mind is made up of: 7 ingredients in my opinion

  • Created by Godto respond to him but damaged by sin until salvation.
  • Uniquely designed by the combination of our genetic ancestors, good and bad.
  • Softened towards God or hardened against him by our upbringing.
  • Redeemed by our acceptance of Christor condemned by our rejection of him.
  • Renewed by our growthin Christ, his Word and Spirit, and godly fellowship.
  • Tarnished or transformed by how we handle the circumstances of life.
  • All the above under the grace and providence of Godwith the freedom to reject or obey him.

Romans 10    9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Have you believed? Have you confessed?

Mindset by Pastor Abidan Shah

February 9, 2019 By in Bible, Biblical convictions, born again, Christian Life, Church, Family, Marriage, Mind, Philippians Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

MINDSET by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: I love reset buttons. Computers are wonderful until they get a virus or a wrong update. A reset/restore button puts it back. Video games are fun until you start losing. A reset starts it all over again. Phones are so valuable until they start acting up. A factory reset gets it going again. Lot of household items have a reset button – Modem, Garbage disposal, furnace, some vacuums, washer and dryer. What if your mind had a reset button? It gets jumbled the moment it comes into this world. Then, circumstances, bad decisions, and wrong people tend to jumble it some more. What follows are more bad decisions, confusion, frustration, limited output, and even shutdown. What if you could hit a button and reset it to its factory setting? Start all over and make better decisions and be successful. In this series called MIND RESET we will learn how to do that. It is based on Philippians 2:5-11. Before we can try to reset our minds, we need to understand how our mind is set. That’s the title of our first message today – MINDSET.

Philippians 2     5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.

Question: What is your mindset. Is it set towards the things of God or is it set towards sin? Has there been a mind change in you? Are you saved?

Context: In this first message in our series, I want us to try to understand what the mind is. It’s hard to fix something or change something when you don’t know what it is or how it works.Listen again to Philippians 2:5“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” What is the mind? Keep in mind that I am bringing this to a simple level.

1. Typically, some people have claimed that a human being is 2 parts – Mind and Body.One part is immaterial and the other material. There are many Christians who have thought that way through history. They get it from verses like Matthew 26  40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeediswilling, but the fleshisweak.” Then Paul’s statement in Romans 7:18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells…” James 2:26“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” 

There are many people who are not Christians who have also held to a similar view, except they believe that there is no such distinction as immaterial and material. What we think is the mind is nothing more than the outworking of the brain. You have thoughts because your brain is working. Your mind told you to do something because there was some stimulus that made you think that and then your brain told your body to do it and you did it. By the way, such people also claim that there is no such thing as a spirit being. There is no God. Life is just all material. It’s a series of actions and reactions. Nothing is really right or wrong, freedom, responsibility. You can imagine how dangerous such a view can be. Here, the abortion issue also comes in. 

2. There are other people, mostly Christians, who believe that a human being is 3 parts:mind, body, and spirit or soul, body, and spirit. According to them, the place where God works is the spirit. The Holy Spirit changes our spirit and then in turn it changes our mind and our body. They quote passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:23“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” or Hebrews 4:12“For the word of Godisliving and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow…” That’s actually rhetorical. What do you with what Jesus said in Luke 10:27“You shall love the LORDyour God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.”That passage was not meant to tell us how to understand the human body but simply an expression that says, “love God with your whole being.”

3. Then there are people, non-Christians and Christians, who claim that a human being is just 1 part.Non-Christians will say that there is nothing special about us that lives on when we die. We die and it’s over. Again, here is where the abortion issue comes in. But, some Christians will tell you that the Old Testament does not see people as body and spirit or body, soul, and spirit. It was all one whole. This is actually true. But, then the question arises, “What happens when a person dies?” Are they just asleep, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe? But Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:8“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

If you really think about it, we have a very poor understanding of what the mind is. Does this matter? Yes, if Philippians 2:5says “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”and you don’t know what the mind is, then you can’t apply that verse. I am still learning on this subject. The jury is still out but for the next few moments I want to show you from the Word of God what the mind really means. I believe in what’s known as functional holism and holistic dualism. Let’s just focus on what Paul wrote:

1. Paul makes a distinction between mind and body. In 2 Corinthians 12:7he says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the fleshwas given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me…” InI Corinthians 4:11 he says,“For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” But then in 1 Corinthians 2:11“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the manwhich is in him?” Romans 6:17But God be thanked thatthoughyou were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heartthat form of doctrine to which you were delivered. We are more than just animals. We are more than just or neurophysiological or physiochemical beings. Also, we are more than just spirit beings trapped in this horrible shell.

2. Paul emphasizes the unity of the person. Romans 12    1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodiesa living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” 

3. Paul sees the whole person in bondage to sin. Colossians 1:21 “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mindby wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”Galatians 5    19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told youin time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

4. Paul sees the whole person in need of redemption, immediate and ultimate.

Mind – Romans 12:2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,that you may prove whatisthat good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

Mind –2 Corinthians 10:5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivityto the obedience of Christ,

Body – 1 Corinthians 9:27But I discipline my bodyand bring itinto subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Body – I Corinthians 15:22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

2 Corinthians 7:1Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Froneo – Philippians 2:5“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” Better Translation:“Let yourself so think among you.”

Who controls your mind? Who controls your actions? 

Are you in the Word? Are you walking in the Spirit? Are you filled with Christ?

Are you saved?

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