Twelve Baskets Full

The scariest verse in the bible.

2011-12-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

Mankind currently has recorded history of approximately 6,000 years. During the first two thirds of that time, God dealt with His creation through oracles, prophets, judges and just plain ol’ people. Some of it was jotted down and ultimately became known as the Old Testament.

That wasn’t good enough, though, because mankind is a stubborn, rebellious creature.

So, finally, God sent His Son.

Now, in spite of omnipotence and grand power and all that, the plan was for Jesus to live only 33 years in this framework we call reality. And in those 33 years, he waited 30 of them before beginning His ministry and ultimately, His sacrifice.

So. Three years of ‘press conference’ from the Lamb of God. Three years...out of SIX THOUSAND! Words so special, that in most bibles, we print them in red ink, to be certain that readers understand they are listening to eternal truth.

What message did He bring? In truth, there were really only two messages. Oh, He gave answers to questions, even from enemies. He gave personal instruction to his beloved disciples and friends. But when He gave public press conferences, the messages that He delivered could really be boiled down into two categories.

1. The Kingdom of God is come.
2. I came to do the will of my Father...instead of my own.

Now, number one already sounds pretty grandiose in its own right, while number two sounds, compared to number one, well, a little lame.

It’s not lame. It’s everything. Jesus was giving His definition of Faith. Jesus talked about Faith all the time. What it is. What it isn't.

For now, let's look at...what it’s not. Why? Here’s why. Because there's this one verse. It tells us how IMPORTANT it is, that we understand what Faith...is not. The scariest verse in the entire bible…

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21

Why is that scary? Well, who is Jesus talking about? He’s talking about people who live their entire lives thinking they are serving Him. He’s talking about people who believe, right now...right this minute, that they are safe and secure in their eternal reconciliation with God. He’s talking about people who already call themselves Christians and have gotten comfortable with it.

And He’s saying that they aren’t. They aren’t secure. They aren’t His. They never were. They just think they are. They...are...not...Christians. They are not saved. They are going to Hell, thinking they're going to heaven.

They are deceived.

Are you one of them?

The idea of that scares me all the time. It should scare you, too.

Here it is in a sound bite… 'Don’t take Jesus for granted. He doesn’t.'

Let's be clear, here. Jesus wasn’t talking about someone LOSING true salvation. This isn’t about that. I personally don’t believe someone that’s truly saved can ever be ‘un-saved’, but that’s another whole study.

No, Jesus is talking about someone who never had it to start with…but THOUGHT they did. THINKS they do.

Satan’s number one weapon against us is deception.

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:22-24

Could we be talking about Pharisees, you ask? Sadducees? Yes, there are people in today’s Christian world who qualify for those titles spiritually, even though that was a Jewish term in Jesus’ day. But it’s more than that. Much more. You can even be a ‘believer’ and still fall short of true Faith. Don’t ‘believe’ me? Ask James…

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19

Or ask Jesus…

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Rev. 3:1

A name that thou livest and art dead. Whew!

By now, it should be clear that understanding Faith is pretty important. You’re only betting your eternity on it.

The thing is, YOU don’t get to decide what true Faith is. I don’t. Your preacher or priest doesn’t. JESUS...gets to decide what Faith is. And He did. And He told us. He talked about it constantly.

But He also told us that just CALLING ourselves Christians...doesn't make it so. Shoot, even WORKS in Christ's name can fall short. When I was a young Christian, some four decades ago, I stumbled across that verse...and trembled. I determined right then, I would dig out, from the Word, exactly what Jesus thought Faith was, instead of forming my own opinion. I wanted the real deal.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2:12[/i]

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 2 Peter 1:10

The Very Best Of Gifts

2011-08-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Someone made a casual comment to me a couple of weeks ago and it got me to thinking. We were talking about Jesus of course. They asked me my thoughts about the ‘morning star’ in Rev 2. I replied that was part of our reward for obedience, that we could be closer to Jesus.

And they said "I never really thought about reward in Heaven before. I’ve always just thought about GETTING there".

Got me to thinking. There isn’t enough discussion about all the different types of gifts that we receive from God…in Heaven. This lack of discussion could possibly be a reason for confusion, since each of these TYPES of gifts…has different attributes. Conditions. Descriptions. In short, they aren’t the same things.

Three general types (That I see, anyway. Feel free to add some if I miss anything).

Salvation. Inheritance. Reward.

Salvation = Having sins forgiven. No longer condemned to eternal punishment. Getting past the refining Fire that stands at the gate of Heaven. Being adopted by the Father.

Inheritance. Waits on the other side of Heaven’s gate. A new body, for starters. An apartment (dwelling place) in the city of God. Possibly/probably land of our own in the New Earth.

Reward. The one thing we can EARN. Can be accumulated. Is given based on obedience. Can be any number of things, but mostly is described as ever-increasing CLOSENESS TO JESUS. The best descriptions of reward are in the letters to the churches in Revelation.

Salvation=cannot be lost.
Inheritance=CAN be lost. Or diminished
Reward=cannot be lost.

Salvation=CANNOT BE EARNED. Obedience comes AFTER salvation. One drop of Jesus’ blood is the only way.
Inheritance=Isn’t really gifted OR earned. It is a birthright of being adopted into the family of God. It can be increased, reduced, or lost.
Reward=MUST be earned! Obedience, obedience, obedience. Kind of like a bank account or God’s good remembrances.

One of my favorite verses that applies to this topic is in First Corinthians (surprise…one of my favorite books)

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Saint Peter isn’t guarding Heaven’s gate! There’s a FIRE there! A refining, spiritual fire…that examines every thought, word and deed of every SAVED person’s life!

There’s lots to learn from this passage, starting with the fact that two of the three TYPES are compared here…Salvation & Reward. In this passage, Salvation = ‘the foundation of Jesus Christ’ which is the only way to get THROUGH the Fire, to the other side (Heaven). Reward = ‘gold, silver, precious stones’, which are obediences in life, that pass through the Fire. ‘Wood, hay, stubble’ are the DISobediences, which do not pass through the Fire.

Please note that DISobediences…aren’t punished. They are just consumed…and gone forever. All that’s left is…what little bit of obedience that person had in this life.

Please note that salvation gets you through the Fire…even if you have NO OBEDIENCES AT ALL! Because obedience isn’t what gets you through the Fire. The blood of Jesus gets you through the Fire.

As for Inheritance, one of the most significant passages is…

Jn 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Jn 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Jn 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Clearly, there is real estate waiting for each of us in Heaven. Who knows? We might even have our names on the door. When we examine the Old Testament, we see the ‘children of Israel’ (That’s US…in the spiritual kingdom), entering ‘the promised land’ (That’s Heav…well, you get it). And when Israel gets into the promised land, the first thing they do is DIVIDE IT UP amongst themselves, each ‘family’ getting a piece of his own land!

Inheritance. I don’t think that example is there by accident.

Now…a passage that clearly ties obedience to Reward is…

Jn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

I see a couple of things here. First, Jesus thinks that people who love Him…WILL obey Him. He equates the two. Second, he makes His presence known to those people. Third, He cozies up to them.

How often did the Apostle John refer to himself as the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’? Because Jesus does play favorites within the brotherhood of disciples. Based…on obedience and faith.

Now go look at the first three chapters of Revelation. At the letters to the seven churches. All of those ‘churches’ are…you. Our Lord is describing all the different ways we can get off the path of obedience. And how we can climb back on again. And how He will REWARD us…for simply doing what He asks.

Salvation. Inheritance. Reward. Get a concordance and dig around. Compare. They aren’t the same, but they are all ours for the asking.

1 Corinthians - Chapter One Part Three - The Reprimand

2010-08-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Verses 10 – 17

In the KJV, the term that’s used is ‘beseech’. In the NASB, it’s ‘exhort’. In the NIV, it’s ‘appeal’.

Kinda like, “Don’t hang up!”

‘Cause he thinks they just might. ‘Cause he’s about to tell them they’re bad… and who wants to listen to that? Well, a true child of God might…

Pr 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

So what did they do wrong? Divisions.

Huh? That's it? Just...bickering? And Paul is lambasting 'em for THAT!?

Yup.

Imagine if you will, a group of folks taken off the street and put into a room. And the only criteria for choosing them in the first place is… they all claimed… out on the sidewalk… that they’re Christians. And then get them into the room and ask them to talk about their Christianity. How many of them would START by saying, “Well, I’m a Baptist!” or “I’m a Catholic!” or “I’m a Presbyterian!” or “I’m a…(fill in the blank)!”

And how many of them would JUST declare, “I love the Lord Jesus, all He stood for… and call upon Him and Him alone for my salvation!”

Not many. We have learned over the years to think of ourselves as...something OTHER than just Christian.

Now these Corinthians were less than 25 years removed from Jesus’ resurrection! And they were already bickering and taking up sides! Which is bad enough. But in order to DO that, they HAD to forget ‘their first love’…

Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Which is THE point of this reprimand. WHAT...are you guys DOING!? Who do you think you're serving here!?

So as bad as the bickering was… it wasn’t the worst part. It was really a symptom. Who can serve Jesus if they’re busy serving Paul or Apollos? (Who… btw… some scholars believe is the actual author of Hebrews, though no one knows for certain) This isn’t about Apollos. Or Paul. Or Cephas (Peter).

And this isn’t about the divisions, either. While this passage DOES directly apply to modern-day bickering over Denominations, the truth of the passage doesn’t CONDEMN the idea of having organization to any church. Indeed, other passages of New Testament detail how to organize any church and how very important that is.

What’s being condemned here is the underlying loyalty to something… ANYTHING… OTHER than Jesus. Someone who’s a Baptist… fine. Just don’t love being a Baptist more than being a Christian. On the other side of the spectrum, don’t love being a Catholic… more than loving Jesus. And every thing in between those two, as well. There’s no room for malice between believers. Anger and divisions MUST be worked out. 'Cause if we don't, He's gonna do it for us.

“Steven?”

“Yes Lord?”

“I’d like you to meet Joseph.”

“Lord…he’s a Lutheran! I’m a Methodist!”

“No, Steven. He’s not.”

“He IS! I saw him when he got here! He had a Lutheran Robe on!”

“Do you see that Robe now?”

“Uh……”

“Are you wearing a Methodist Rope now?”

“Uh……”

“I have a fresh Robe for you, with your new name on it, right below my own new name. Of course, if you’d rather have your OLD Robe back? But I’ve gotta tell ya… here in Heaven, this new Robe will never need washing again… while your old Robe will never come clean.”

“Uh…..”

This is only the first reprimand in 1 Corinthians. There WILL be others. In fact, this isn’t the last time Paul will give THIS reprimand. He repeats himself two Chapters later. Meantime, in the next few verses (which we’ll talk about on the next blog)… Paul gives the solution to ‘divisions’. Big ‘meat’ coming for all of us to chew on.

But before we leave this short reprimand, let’s consider that it IS a reprimand. I used to be involved a little with Dale Carnegie classes on public speaking and Mr. Carnegie’s most famous quote was…

"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do."

And for the most part, scripture would have all of us Christians be civil to each other and to the rest of the world. But the world is now living by a twisted image of what Christianity should be, and weaker Christians can fall into the trap of…never say anything critical of anyone…’cause if you do…you’re ‘judging’ them. Just bite your tongue.

Hmmmm….

2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

On four separate occasions in the Gospels, Jesus refers to His own disciples as, “Oh, ye of little faith.”

And it would be hard to find another document in the New Testament that contains more reprimand than 1 Corinthians.

Coming up, the solution. The Style Points of God.

1 Corinthians – Chapter One Part Two – The Howdy

2010-08-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians – Chapter One Part Two – The Howdy

Verses 1 – 9

Paul wrote 13 letters that became Holy Writ. Now, someone’s going to go count them and come tell me there’s fourteen, because the Epistle to the Hebrews is titled (in most Bibles) The Epistle of PAUL the Apostle to the Hebrews.

But...there’s no HOWDY! section in the beginning of Hebrews. There IS a howdy section in all of the other 13 Epistles that bear Paul’s name. And in every howdy section, Paul says, “Hi! It’s me! Paul!” So maybe Hebrews was written by someone else. Lots of folks think so. But anyway, 1 Corinthians was written by Paul.

And when you read JUST the first nine verses and think about them as an opening howdy in a letter, the first thing that comes to mind (well, for ME anyway)… is…

Who TALKS like that?!

No one I know. And...not me.

When was the last time you went into the grocery store and greeted the checkout girl with, “Grace be unto you!”…? Okay, never mind that. When was the last time you went into SUNDAY SCHOOL on Sunday morning and greeted your fellow members THERE with, “Grace be unto you!”…?

Me either (sigh). But we should… ‘cause we’re CHRISTIANS! And Christians should be wishing for grace for everyone…all the time.

What we DO do is, “Have a nice day!” Now… what IS that? Where’s the Jesus in that? I dunno, but I do it too. Except that sometimes (about half the time)…I offer, “Have a blessed day!” and watch their faces. It’s stunning how many people seemingly don’t WANT… a blessed day. For when you say that, it throws them off their rhythm.

Anyway…so we read over the howdy and it all kinda runs together, doesn’t it? Grace and peace and more grace and thank God and Lord Jesus and drone & drone & ….

Yeah, I tend to skim right over the howdy myself. But if we slow down and take it a piece at a time, there’s some real meat in there to be just skipped right over.

Unlike us, Paul isn't just spouting mundane pleasantries to a checkout girl. He MEANS it!

“Grace be unto you”…the only people who actually HAVE grace… are Christians. And while we might wish this for others, this particular passage is being ADDRESSED to those who already HAVE this grace. This letter is for Christians. This letter is NOT written to lost people. (Doesn’t mean lost people shouldn’t read it and be blessed by it. But Paul is EXPECTING his Christian church to ABIDE by it)

“enriched by Him in utterance and knowledge”… God WILL teach us and nourish us in His Word. It is WHAT HE WANTS…and is promising through Paul…to actively do that. That little verse is a ‘scriptural promise’…not just a howdy.

“God is faithful”…how many times do we say things like that to each other and to lost people? Anyone ever ask you if the Bible actually SAYS that? Well, there it is. It would be worthwhile to just CHANT that all day… “God is faithful. God is faithful.”

And the overall theme of the howdy is, “I really love you in Christ, our shared Lord.”

They’ll need to keep that in mind… for what’s to come.

Still, there are some REAL gems in those nine verses. Some spiritual meat, so to speak. Beginning in the first verse.

“an apostle” … say what? This is no small thing. Paul (formerly Saul and formerly of the Sanhedrin)…just called himself an apostle. Only Jesus can name someone an apostle. Really.

There are twelve of them. Or were. THE TWELVE. Until Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and subsequently hung himself. But as we’ll discover running through the Bible, numerology is a significant aspect of all of God’s messages. And the number TWELVE…always represents perfect government. Twelve Tribes of Israel. Twelve Apostles. Let’s look at exactly how important that really is…

Rev 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
Rev 21:13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Rev 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

That’s the new heavenly city…New Jerusalem. With twelve gates and twelve foundation stones. The Tribes and the Apostles. That’s BIG STUFF.

Paul just now…claimed to BE one of those, despite the fact that he wasn’t chosen directly by Jesus before the Crucifixion. But it seems Paul WAS chosen directly by Jesus AFTER the Crucifixion and Paul SAYS SO… in his howdy… in 9 of those 13 letters. So Paul isn’t JUST any ol’ preacher or evangelist or disciple or even elder. He’s one of THE TWELVE. Judas’ replacement (with apologies to Matthias).

“sanctified” (v2) means ‘set apart’ or ‘annointed to become’ or even ‘God’s hand is now upon you’. Means our citizenship in THIS world is over and the new world has already begun. Means we’re supposed to be serving Him. Means we can EXPECT His blessing and He can expect us to be steadfast to Him.

The third gem is in v7. “come behind in no gift”…is another ‘scriptural promise’ that each of us is going to get a spiritual gift. Think of this particular spiritual gift as a tool… to be used in the application (service) of a sanctified life. We’re each GONNA get one. Promise.

And the last gem (for me anyway) in the howdy is v8. “the end” & “ the day of our Lord”. This is another ‘scriptural promise’…that THIS story DOES have an ending. Again, if someone asks you WHERE the Bible says ‘the end’…here’s one of those spots. There’s more of course, but here’s one in a howdy. Right there in front of everybody and usually skipped right over… ‘cause everyone IGNORES a howdy.

Don’t they?

1 Corinthians – Chapter One Part One – The Style Points of God

2010-08-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

I’m going to assume that everyone has a bible, so I won’t be quoting much from Corinthians, unless to make a point. I’ll just refer to chapter & verse and let everyone follow along.

Some background on Corinthians may be helpful. This letter (Epistle) was written to ‘the church’ in Corinth, a city in Greece of perhaps 600,000 people. ‘The church’ there, was the direct result of one of Paul’s missionary journeys through the region. He would go around preaching the Gospel in public and teaching in private. When he moved on to another city/town, he would leave behind those folks whose faith he was deeply concerned for.

In Corinth, he left behind folks in a town of sin. ‘Sin City’…like a familiar one we have now, except for one difference. In Las Vegas, everyone KNOWS they’re serving their own passions. In Corinth…they thought they were doing it for God. For instance, the Temple of Aphrodite was in Corinth and on any given day, you could find upwards of a 1,000 young women available for Godly prostitution. Yup. Families would rejoice when their daughters were chosen to serve Aphrodite (and the men of Corinth) in the temple.

Such was the atmosphere in the city. And while Christianity now makes clear what kinds of social and sexual behavior are favored by God, keep in mind these folks didn’t HAVE a New Testament…because it hadn’t been written yet.

And that brings us to our next point. This letter from Paul WOULD BECOME… ‘scripture’. And while the Corinthians didn’t know that at the time… Paul did. We’ll see that later. Another thing we’ll see later is… this wasn’t the first letter that Paul had written to Corinth. It’s labeled FIRST Corinthians in our bibles only because the true first letter is lost. It’s really the second letter. And the letter we call SECOND Corinthians is really the third.

Confused yet? Sorry. There’s a point, though. What makes a letter from Paul…become Holy Writ? If Paul knew he was scribing Holiness (he did) and he knew it was his second letter (he did), then why didn’t he fight for the true (missing) first letter to become Holy Writ (he didn’t)?

‘Cause he knew it wasn’t Holy Writ….is the only answer that comes to mind. If you look at the Prophets of the Old Testament (like Ezekiel for instance)… they ALSO KNEW when they were being given Holy Writ. ‘Cause when God is talking to you and God wants you to tell folks about it… God makes sure you know it.

The church in Corinth was in trouble. There were no Gospels yet and while there WERE still plenty of eyewitnesses to Jesus, most of them were in Jerusalem, not Corinth. So they had only their own memories of Paul’s teachings to go by and they lived in a cesspool of a city (kinda like anyplace in America today that has a television)… with a wide variety of temptations. And they needed to grow spiritually in order to combat all the negative spirit around them. As people are prone to do, they floundered some. And found things to argue about. And some of them had trouble letting go of some sins….etc.

So Paul was writing to 1. Chew them out. 2. Encourage them to righteousness. 3. Instruct them on stuff they had either forgotten or did not know. 4. Fertilize & water them. And while he didn’t pull any punches, the letter also stands as a prime example of love & nurturing. Wait ‘til we get to Chapter Thirteen.

Chapter One really contains three separate thoughts. Verses 1 – 9 are the ‘howdies’. Verses 10 – 16 plainly declare that he’s sending a reprimand. Verses 17 – 31 comprise a passage that almost every Bible I’ve ever seen lists as ‘God’s Wisdom’, but I am just cheeky enough to disagree with that label. I believe it should be titled ‘God’s Style Points’ and I’ll explain why in Part Two. That third section of Chapter One…is IMHO…one of the most instructive passages in the Bible about…how to study the Bible.

For now, let me mention that while those ARE the three main divisions of Chapter One…each section contains individual little nuggets of Truth that stand alone as treasures in their own right. Beginning with the first verse.

1 Corinthians...The book of THE's

2010-08-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

For folks who have trouble with parables.

Mk 4:33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
Mk 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

During the brief time Jesus was here in His ministry, the bulk of lessons that he gave…whether to lost people or disciples…was done in parables. Not all. But most. It was rare that He just spoke directly and said anything like, “Here! Do exactly THIS!” Or, “Take this down! THIS is precisely the answer to that question!”

One reason may be because in order to know what He was saying, a disciple would be forced to get a grasp of the Father’s Kingdom….first. In short, if you don’t ‘get it’…you’re not gonna get it. But if you DO get it, you’ll ‘get it.’

Kinda Catch-22. And He ain’t kiddin’…

Mt 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mt 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

This is one (of several) reasons why brand new Christians have difficulty understanding the Bible for the first time. They usually start in either Genesis (if they’re ambitious) or Matthew (if they want to cut to the chase) and in either case, they usually get bogged down before they can get a grasp of WHAT DOES JESUS WANT FROM ME?....Genesis has mostly creation stories. Matthew has the ‘begats’ (which strangely stops a lot of folks right away. It’s only one page)….aaaannnnnnnddddddd….parables.

Any life answers that might be gleaned from them is likely to take some study. And what folks REALLY want (‘cause let’s face it…we’re an impatient bunch)…is for someone to just TELL US! Speak directly! DO…this! DON’T do…that! Here is what God thinks about….THIS!

And it’s in there. It’s just that newbies often don’t know where to look, ‘cause they’re still wading through the ‘begats’.

Enter the Epistles.

The term ‘epistle’ means ‘letter’ or ‘correspondence’. They are found entirely in the New Testament and relate directly to Christian teaching and understanding. Every Epistle was originally just...a letter. From...someone who literally had the right and authority to speak on behalf of God...usually to a specific person or group...ALL of which was and is...meant for each and every Christian. And in fact, the guys doing the writing KNEW...they were creating Holy Writ. There are a few passages that make that clear.

Life lessons. Spirit lessons. And they speak plainly about things. NO…parables.

Good stuff. (Not that the Gospels AREN’T good stuff. This is just different good stuff)

Beyond dispute, most of the Epistles were written by Paul. I say ‘dispute’ because the authors of a couple Epistles ARE in some dispute. Hebrews, for example. But we know which ones are from Paul, 'cause he tells us up front that he's writing them. Or at least dictating them. There's strong evidence that Paul's eyesight was not great, so he probably had someone do the actual writing.

But the ‘biggee’s of all the Epistles…are from Paul. And there are really two…’biggee’s. They are Romans…and 1 Corinthians. And we may address Romans at a later date, but for now we will turn our attention to 1 Corinthians.

It’s named FIRST Corinthians because there’s also a SECOND Corinthians. Paul was in Ephesus when he wrote to them the first time. The church in Corinth was undergoing some turmoil (well...a LOT of turmoil) and needed some straightening out. And Paul…uh…gave it to them. Yes. Yes he did. Both barrels, if you’ll pardon the cliché’. No parables. Just tell it like it is.

Bad for them. Good for us.

And I like to think of 1 Corinthians as the Epistle of the ‘THE’s….for almost every one of the sixteen short ‘chapter’s of 1 Corinthians…is THE definitive explanation of what God thinks about things. For instance…in the ‘biggee’ Epistle…THE ‘biggee’ message of the entire Epistles…is also THE ‘biggee’ message of the entire New Testament. THE RESURRECTION CHAPTER...of the entire Bible, containing THE earliest ‘creed’ of Christianity…the creed of Jesus' resurrection and what it means to us. Without the resurrection, Christian faith has no power. And 1 Corinthians was written YEARS…before any of the Gospels. So it’s not just first Corinthians. It’s also THE first record of the resurrection.

Chapter 13 is THE definitive description of Godly charity (interchangeable with ‘love’ or ‘mercy’…it’s the same word)…in the Bible. Paul speaks plainly on behalf of Jesus, telling us how generous our hearts should be. Chapter 13 should be required reading for all new Christians. And all old Christians.

Chapter 12. THE explanation of spiritual gifts.

Chapter 11. THE Lord’s Table.

Chapter 7. THE instructions on marriage. Yes, marriage.

etc.

There are other places in the Bible to find instructions, wisdom, parables, Psalms and/or Proverbs on any of these topics. And those other passages do ‘round out’ our understanding. But 1 Corinthians is a great place to start. Maybe even THE place to start.

Milestone Verses

2010-06-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

Some verses just have more impact than others. More substance.

We all have favorite verses or passages (that could be another conversation). I can think of a handful that give me comfort every day.

But SOME verses...define who we are spiritually. Or define who God is. Some verses...are indispensable...doctrinally.

Here's one. Maybe THE one...(for me, anyway)...

1 Cor. 15:32 If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

Yup. Really. I'm serious.

The fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is THE section of the Bible that discusses the Ressurrection. The Apostle Paul is relating to the Corinthians, his and their struggle with people who claim there is NO ressurrection. NO...life after death. And some of those Corinthians were (seemingly) being persuaded that ressurrection itself...was not a particularly important issue for Christians.

And that's true. It's NOT a particularly important issue.

It is the ONLY issue.

If there is no ressurrection, then Jesus was not raised from the dead (another point Paul makes in that chapter).

If there is no ressurrection, then we have nothing to hope for...beyond the grave.

If there is no ressurrection, then WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE!?

Christians are supposed to be fashioning their lives around righteousness. Some of that includes self-denial, because there are things our flesh wants to do...that don't fit with God's instructions.

Like carousing, partying, sexual immorality....basically hedonism at its finest. Think 'Hollywood'...well, I WAS gonna say 'Hollywood on steroids'...but truth is, Hollywood lifestyle has pretty much reached Sodom & Gomorrha already.

And Paul says...if there is NO ressurrection...we might as well enjoy ourselves, too. 'Cause there is no tomorrow.

But we DO have the promise of life beyond the grave. It is the central issue of Jesus' message. He's going to prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). He PROMISED us...that there's more. More living to do. More reality to experience. More....everything....than THIS....soiled world.

So maybe I'll just skip all those parties.

Please feel free to mention any verses that you think might also qualify as 'milestones'.

A Godly God

2010-06-23T04:41:00.000-07:00

How dumb can a God be?

I meet people all the time who say they 'believe in Jesus'. And with the next breath, they say something like, 'But I respect ALL religions.'

Well, I don't. Respect all religions that is.

There are a slew of 'em out there, but let's just reflect quickly on The Big Three...in the order they occurred. Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Each of those religions has one common denominator....they all believe THEY are the ONLY path to God.

They can't all be right. And yet, here comes along a well-meaning soul who will utter, 'I respect all religions.'

They must believe in a very confused God. The God they believe in created three distinct religions that are all diametrically opposed to one another and all three claim exclusivity.

Jn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Nothing subtle or unclear about that.

And when I call myself a Christian....I am declaring that I've chosen to believe the words, life and instruction of Jesus. And Jesus says HE...is the only 'way.'

And I don't think He was confused.

The God I believe in...is not the author of confusion. The God I believe in...got it right and got it written down in the Bible. The God I beleive in...is big enough to create a universe.

My God is a Godly God.

Those folks who want to 'respect' other religions...are really watering down their God. They appear to me unwilling to stand up for their God. They have a mental image of God that isn't shaped by the Bible, but by their own sense of what God should be.

If God isn't big enough to know what His own message is...He's not much of a God.

My God is a Godly God.

My God is smarter than me. I can't invent...oh, say...a circulatory system in a mammal. Nope. Wouldn't have thought of that.

My God is wiser than me. I wouldn't have understood the value of mercy and lived/died by it. Nope. I wallowed in selfishness for years.

My God is everywhere. I take up one square yard at a time.

My God can alter reality (we call it miracles). I can barely influence my own reality.

My God...can get up out of His own grave.

If He can do all that, I think he can also handle the publishing of His own message. So no, I don't respect other religions. I have no malice for those who practice other religions, but neither do I think they have their own path to God.

Probably Not A Christian (4)

2010-04-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

If you don’t get angry at lies.

Or lying. Or liars.

In today’s court system, before anyone can give testimony, they are ‘sworn in’. And in most courts, the oath they take is to ‘tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth’. And that’s man’s cleverest attempt to circumvent anyone’s attempts to avoid…pure truth.

Pure truth. An absence of any semblance of falsehood. Truth that doesn’t allow omission. Truth that does not seek disclosure. Truth that is all encompassing. Pure.

So pure, it’s Holy. So unmoving, it has substance. And it has a name.

Jn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Not ‘a’ way. Not ‘some’ truth. Not ‘alive’. ‘The.’ The. The. The. The ONLY ‘way’, without which man cannot get to God. The ONLY ‘truth’, without which there is nothing made. The ONLY ‘life’, without which there is only death.

Jesus is Truth. A disciple of Jesus LOVES Truth and hates falsehood. Of any kind. From others, about others, particularly about God or His Word…and in the quiet of the night on our own beds…we have to embrace the Truth about ourselves.

Any of us who labels ourself a Christian…and DOESN’T love Truth…is lying to themselves first…and to others…

1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Think about how that is worded. ‘The truth is not in him’. Now, Jesus says He is ‘the truth’. So John is saying, if anyone is a liar, Jesus is not in him.

NOT…a Christian.

Not ONLY because that person isn’t ‘keeping commandments’…but because that person…is lying. Again, to himself…and/or others…and/or God. But the lie is there.

Christians don’t lie.

Ps 15:1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
Ps 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Well okay…Christians DO occasionally lie. Because they’re human. And then they repent and DON’T DO IT AGAIN. Because their conscience won’t let them.

A Christian…is always seeking more Truth…not less. In every aspect of their lives. Like a hound chasing something down into its hole, to dig it out…Christians’ lives are a long procession of learning what’s true about God (studying His Word), their church (how to serve and why), their own hearts, their work and the world around us.

The opposite of that is this…

Pr 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pr 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pr 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pr 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Almost sounds like one of today’s politicians, doesn’t it? Regardless of flavor. I mention that here, because today’s world is filled with ‘media’ of one kind or another. News, entertainment, political, even scientific. And virtually none of it is seeking pure Truth. All of it is seeking its own version of truth, that might not include ALL truth.

Because all of it…ALL of it…has an agenda. Self service of some kind. And Jesus routinely got ANGRY at people like these! If you read through the Gospels, Jesus didn't raise His voice from accusations hurled at Himself...or even at others. But he DID get mad...absolutely furious, even...when someone was serving a lie...while pretending to serve God. This usually involved Pharisees or Sadducees or Scribes...the politically religious of His day...whose agendas...were all lies.

(For those of you who have an image of Jesus never getting mad...check out the 23rd chapter of Matthew)

Pure Truth…serves only God. And God’s children…have no other agenda.

If you aren’t embracing and seeking ALL Truth...Truth for its own sake…you’re probably not a Christian.

I Know Theresa

2010-03-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

When a loved one passes from this life, everyone in stone’s throw of them silently measures themselves anew. Measures their faith. I know I do, at least.

Death is the biggest test we have. Death asks the question, “Do I really BELIEVE all this stuff I’ve been saying? Or is it just… Do I?” There are other tests. Marriage. Births. Even job changes.

But the grave is the final arbiter, for on the other side of the grave lies either…fulfillment of promise…or nothing. For those of us who DO believe…it cannot be anything BUT fulfillment.

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The Apostle Paul faced his imminent death with almost glee, knowing what was waiting. He’d actually been privileged to SEE the other side of the grave, more than once. So it really wasn’t even faith for him. He KNEW.

So did Peter…

2Pe 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
2Pe 1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
2Pe 1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shown me.
2Pe 1:15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

My anonymous message-board-Razorback friend ‘Farmer Hoggett’ (also known as Brian) lost his beloved Theresa this week. Through her sudden illness, everything in his Christian witness to us was about his faith. I mention that, not to build up Brian…that’s God’s job… but so that we may be edified by Brian and Theresa’s faith.

Because I know Theresa. Though I’ve never met her or spoken to her, I know her through her husband’s testimony. For she was the longtime wife and companion of someone who spoke of faith… during pain. Faith… in the Test.

She had to have been faithful herself, for them both to have reached this place.

I have known other faithful who’ve faced this test and in exactly the same fashion. I hope all of you have known such people. I hope you ARE such people.

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4, to comfort those who grieve with a constant reminder of our hope. We are instructed, commanded…to remember that God does not measure life by flesh. God measures life by…Himself. And He is waiting to catch those of us who lose our flesh.

But Brian testified that to US. Which tells me Theresa had that strength too.

I look forward to shaking her hand.

You're Probably Not A Christian If You...(3)

2010-02-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

Have no glimmer about whose citizen you are.

In the first message of this series, a scripture was quoted. Jesus’ own words…

Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

And indeed, there’s a lot of preaching in this nation (in the world) about ‘fire and brimstone’ and God’s wrath and the need for repentance and sin and calamity and….yada yada yada.

But Matthew 4 is a two-parter. And since it is the ONLY message Christ gave His disciples for their first and ONLY mission in life (ours too)…it seems strange that only half of the message is usually heeded. See, the second half tells us we’re changing citizenship.

“…the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Now couple that…with this…

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

That right there says you throw away your old passport and get a new one. You don’t have a president, congress, parliament, queen….none of it. You now have a King.

Not long ago, we had some discussions about dwelling in the ‘fishbowl’…this sordid planet full of Satan… and how we should be longing for the next instead of plotting our future in this one. It’s more than an attitude, it’s a lifestyle. Consider Jesus’ own words.

Mt 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Mt 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

The Lord of Glory… was homeless. Basically a vagabond by the world’s standards. Which is not to say that anyone who loves the Lord must also be homeless, but must have an attitude that their true home follows them wherever they go.

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

This… is the New Covenant. This… is the Revelation. Jesus is truly coming back to establish His physical kingdom, but His spiritual kingdom is already under construction and…you…are…it.

There must be a shedding of the old…to make room for the old. Jesus spoke of this…

Mt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mt 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

…in admittedly extreme terms. He was making a point, of course. To any reasoning person, there’s nothing more precious in this world than family. Parents, siblings, mate & especially children. Nothing more precious.

In THIS world.

But as a ‘new creature’… all of us Christians are now looking at our NEW world. And it trumps anything in the old. Jesus made this point over and over and over.

Ever notice that Jesus DIDN’T ‘preach’ a lot about sin? Some, maybe. Helped define it a little. But rarely stuck a finger in anyone’s face and told them they were sinners. What He DID drone on and on about was the glory of the Father and the splendor of Heaven. And our need to let go of the old. And He warned us in every way possible…to let go…

Lk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
Lk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

That passage in Luke is where Jesus is telling us about the sorting that will occur when He returns. He plainly says…. “I’m coming back for my disciples. I will determine who is…and who isn’t…a disciple. And THIS… is the standard I’ll use!”

Jesus just said, if you are still clinging to your old world…then there’s no ‘probably’ about it. You’re not a Christian.

You're Probably Not A Christian If You...(2)

2010-02-10T04:18:00.000-08:00

Have never read the bible.

All the way through. Cover to cover.

Not necessarily in perfect order. You may have paused between Genesis and Exodus to go read a Psalm. But you came back and picked back up where you left off.

And you’ve been all the way through.

I have my own personal timetable for this. It’s not scriptural by any means. Two years from your rebirth is enough time… if after two years from your first repentance moment…you haven’t completed (or really even thought to try…shudder)… you’re probably not a Christian.

Yes. I’m serious.

While the timetable thingee is entirely me…the command is still God’s. We are to know His Word. We are to feed on it, meditate on it and apply it. He never once said this was an option.

2Ti 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

(That’s the most famous one, but there’s plenty more.)

We are NOT…and I mean NOT…to rely on 20 minutes of someone else’s sermons per week to be the basis of our scriptural knowledge. That is not only irresponsible, it’s also flagrant violation of God’s command. The roles of ‘pastor’ and ‘teacher’ are scriptural, and we are even commanded to honor such people with reverence and sustenance. But nowhere does any scripture tell us that our pastors’ work REPLACES our own responsibility towards the Word.

No excuses. There is NO acceptable reason to NOT read the bible. What’s more, if you are TRULY a Christian… you should WANT to read the bible. You should be eager to dive into its pages…for your Lord is in there, waiting to have a chat.

Jesus told us that we must be ‘born again’ and become a ‘new creature’. Well, one of the first manifestations of our new being is a desire for God. And God is IN the bible…

Jn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And God the Father explicitly told us to heed the Son…

Mt 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

And Jesus tells us straight out, that our love for Him is DEFINED by our love of His Word…

Jn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

And three verses later He reinforces that by defining someone who DOESN’T love Him…

Jn 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Now… someone might want to say that Jesus is speaking of THE ‘Ten Commandments’…but He’s not. He says ‘HIS’ commandments and ‘my sayings’. So here’s THE question…

If Jesus says that loving Him means keeping His Word
And not keeping His Word is not loving Him
How…can any of us DO that…if we don’t KNOW what that Word says?

We should examine our own spiritual commitment and hope to be THIS guy…

Ps 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

If you have time for TV but not the Word…
If you have time for hobbies but not the Word…
If you have time for friends but not the Word…
If you have time to work your way towards riches but not the Word…
If you have NO time in your life for the Word…then your life is not a spiritual life.

And you’re probably not a Christian.

You're Probably Not A Christian If You...(1)

2010-02-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

Have never had a repentance moment.

You may not remember the date, but you surely remember the event.

If there’s never ever been one moment in your ‘Christian’ adult life where you experienced a true fear of God’s wrath, then you’ve never truly repented of your self will. Which means you’ve never really EVER felt an overwhelming need for forgiveness, nor asked for it.

Which means you’ve never experienced the relief of mercy.
No you didn’t.
Yes I did.
No….you didn’t.

Mercy is the removal of guilt for no other reason than the ‘forgiver’…wants to. In order for that to happen, the ‘forgivee’ has to believe they have NO OTHER OPTION.

Personal guilt. Admitted personal guilt. Fear. Anguish. Mercy. Relief.

A true disciple of Jesus MUST understand this… the concept of mercy. And not just the concept, but the power. Until that happens, no disciple can convey that power to others. Nor can they bestow true mercy in their daily lives, something we are commanded to do without fail.

If you’ve never had at least one repentance moment, you’re really NOT…a Christian.

If you’ve never had at least one repentance moment, you are really, deep-down inside… expecting to save yourself. With obedience. You’re gonna show God how devoted you can be.

That's not Christianity. That's pride.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Your pride… will never let you truly admit… you’re a failure as a ‘good person’.

No excuses. No wiggle room. No denial will do. Backed into a spiritual corner facing God’s justice… there is only one way out. And if you have never once been there… you are not now a Christian, no matter how many times you tell yourself (and others) that you are. No matter how many times you go to church. No matter how many good works you do.

You MUST have feared God... at least once.

If there is NO FEAR of God in you, that is the very definition of ‘wicked’…

Ps 36:1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

If there IS FEAR of God in you, that is the very definition of ‘wisdom’…

Pr 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

A fear (or true awakening of awareness… which can be construed as the same thing)… results in one consistent response…

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

To the point where Jesus’ entire ministry was concentrated into one focused message…

Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

When He…designated His first messengers in the land, He sent them out to extend His ministry and message to a broader audience. And again, the message was simple and on point…

Mk 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
Mk 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
Mk 6:9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
Mk 6:10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
Mk 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Mk 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Or you might read the entire third chapter of John, which speaks of being ‘born again’. A person cannot be ‘saved’, cannot belong to God, cannot claim to be Jesus’ disciple… unless they are ‘born again’.

That rebirth is a process begun by God in the spirit of a man/woman. The rebirth is concluded by repentance. And repentance is the beginning of that person’s life.

Without repentance, there is NO spiritual life.

If a person has not had at least one moment of despair, guilt and absolute surety of their own hopeless condition before God, they cannot have repented and asked for mercy.

If you have never had one of those moments, you are not a Christian.

Lord, I want...THIS!

2010-01-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

Lord, I want…THIS!
Lord, did you hear me? I want…THIS!
Lord? Are you there? You said if I asked for anything…

That’s not exactly what I said.

It is! You promised to listen to my requests!

I promised to listen to anyone who is seeking My Kingdom.

But I am! I do that all the time!

Not if you’re asking for THAT, you’re not. THAT…isn’t part of My Kingdom. It serves your old kingdom.

It’s harmless and fun.

It doesn’t serve Me.

Do I have to serve you ALL the time!?

Mt 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Mt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Okay, now that’s cheating! You WROTE the Scriptures! I can’t keep up with you in the scriptures!

I would think that fact would make you reflect instead of complain. Perhaps even learn some of those scriptures on your own.

But…but…I really WANT….THIS!

THAT…will not improve or grow your spirit one whit. THAT…gives no Glory to My Son. THAT…will merely gratify your continued carnality.

You’re dang skippy, it will! I go to church! I pray and tithe! That should be en…

Get back to Me when you’ve ceased saying ‘dang skippy.’

Lord, I’m sorry I yelled at you.
Lord? I’m really sorry, here.
Lord? I don’t like not having you near me.
Lord? I won’t say ‘dang skippy’ any more.

I forgive you.

Lord! Oh, Lord! It’s good to hear your voice!

I love you too, my son.

I won’t ask for THAT, any more either, Lord! I promise!

You probably will, but every lesson is a building block for growing up. The next one will be easier.

What CAN I ask for, Lord?

Anything that makes you a better citizen of My Kingdom. Anything the gives Glory to My Son. And especially…ANY form of true mercy for others.

So…physical stuff is out of the question?

If you’re seeking Me, then the physical stuff that you NEED has already been promised.

How about health and stuff?

I’ll listen. I promise to answer. I don’t promise you’ll always like the answer.

How come?

Because I see more of the world and its spirits than you do. What serves My Plan, may not serve your understanding.

So then…I’ve just gotta TRUST you on some of that!? If my baby’s sick, I’ve just gotta TRUST!?

I have no problem with you seeing a doctor while you’re trusting. Hygiene and health is important. But you will need to add trust to the mix. Faith is a big part of our relationship.

Dunno if I like that real well. Just trusting you all the t…

Get back to me when you’re ready to trust me.

Lord, I’m sorry again.
Lord, I want to trust you.
Lord, I miss you so much when you…

I forgive you.

Will we be doing this a lot, Lord?

Yes.

Seems like I’m always doing something wrong and asking you to forgive me. Will I ever be good enough on my own? I sure don’t like all this humility stuff…

It was good enough for My Son.

Will I ever be as good as Him, Lord? This is really depressing.

That’s the point, my son. You don’t have to be. My Son did that FOR you. He knew no one else could do it perfectly, all the time, from birth ‘til death. So He did.

I don’t have to be perfect?

It’s enough for me that you acknowledge and glorify Him…and that you always desire to grow into My Kingdom.

I really need to learn this stuff.

Well, I DID have it all printed out for you. It’s sitting on your desk, collecting dust.

That thing is really hard to understand. And there’s so MUCH of it!

Well, I’m a BIG God. And I’ve got BIG Plans. And you’re part of them.

But how can I learn all that, if I’m constantly having to say ‘sorry’?

Get the book.

Okay.

Turn to John.

Where’s John?

Towards the back, right after Matthew, Mark & Luke.

Hey! I’ve HEARD those names!

Yes.

Found it! John!

Chapter 14.

You really know this stuff, don’t you Lord? Okay, chapter 14.

Verse 21.

You’re gonna SHOW yourself to me!?

Spiritually, yes. Now, verse 26.

The Holy Ghost is gonna TUTOR me!?

If you ask. All you have to do is read and ask.

Angels & Demons

2009-12-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

This will not be an in-depth study of angels & demons (though I’m overdue to do that study again). And I have to admit, some of it is pure conjecture.

I have a newborn grandson right now. Three weeks old today. Helpless little tyke. Also…it’s about to be Christmas week and because of that, the world is reflecting on the ‘baby Jesus’. Together, these two truths caused me to reflect on Him just a bit, too. The baby version, that is. Not the obedient version on the Cross or the triumphant, enthroned version in Heaven. Nope, right now the world is concentrating on the baby version.

In the history of all creation, that moment in time was Jesus’ most vulnerable.

And strangely, it made me think of a passage of scripture in Daniel. Yes, Daniel…

Da 10:11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
Da 10:12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
Da 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Okay. I’m NOT crazy (at least not over this). I realize that ISN’T a Christmas passage.

It’s about angels & demons. Here are just a few of the tidbits that I gleaned from this (one of my very favorite passages in one of my favorite books of the bible, btw)

1. God listens to prayer and answers it. (I know. That’s a given. But in this passage, we see it actually happening, almost instantly) The angel in question was sent specifically for Daniel.
2. Demons don’t like that. The ‘prince of Persia’ is a demon.
3. That demon, btw… was the demon assigned to oversee Satan’s influence over ‘Persia’. This does not bode well for the nations of mankind.
4. Angels & demons do get into tussles.
5. The demon in question… was equal to or greater than… this particular angel. Which leads me to believe there’s a ‘pecking order’ for each side of this spiritual battle.
6. No matter what Satan does to prevent it, an edict from God is going to be carried out. God will see to that. This particular task was important enough that God sent the ‘archangel’ Michael to get ‘er done.
7. Angels are God’s ‘troops’ & ‘messengers’ & all-round go-to guys.

Now consider the fact that Satan knew about God’s useful angels, since he used to be one and he also mentioned them during Jesus’ temptations…

And consider that Satan knew there would never be a time when Jesus was more helpless than in his newborn infant state…

And consider that it’s a given Satan would have loved NOTHING IN THIS WORLD more than to just defeat (…uh…kill) Jesus at any time…and was probably just (figuratively) salivating over the idea of the Word of God being cocooned into the form of a helpless little baby. And the idea HAD to occur to Satan that an attack….

THEN…I think of that manger scene. The one that’s so popular at this time of year. A few animals. A proud (and upright) Joseph. A glowing Mary. A few wise men and/or shepherds, depending on your interpretation…LOTS of straw. Can’t have a manger scene without straw.

And not much else.

Except angels. That place had to be BRISTLING with angels! The term ‘armed camp’ comes to mind. Benevolent, holy, righteous, devoted angels who had already themselves once been tested by Satan… and found to be faithful. The army of God.

Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

THOSE guys. And on whatever true date by our calendar, that birth actually occurred… I’m thinking most of ‘em were in and around Galilee that night and for many nights to come.

Now, I admit I’m conjecturing here. There is no specific scripture or verse that says Bethlehem was coated with leagues of angels. But it’s hard to imagine that God the Father would NOT have watch over that infant. Indeed, for me at least, it’s impossible to believe that.

Satan… don’t MESS with the Prince of Peace!

So now all this has flashed through me. And so naturally my mind turns to angels in general. And whenever that happens, there’s this verse that comes to mind…

Mt 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Little ones. Jesus’ term for any of His adopted children. That's me.

And that passage in Matthew begins with Jesus proclaiming…

Mt 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

If you mess with one of Jesus’ sheep, there’s gonna be a price to pay. In fact, there will literally be ‘hell to pay’.

That verse 10… that’s the ‘guardian angel’ verse. Or really, the ‘guardian angels’… plural.

I like that. I may not be a newborn babe, but compared to a demon, I’m pretty much toast. Except I have the whole armor of God, the Word, the Holy Ghost… and my own ‘special forces’ detail.

Shoveling for truth.

2009-09-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

He called me there. I heard him in my head and heart, calling, “Come. At dark of night, come to me.” And so I went, for he cannot be denied, when he calls.

A lightless place. No stars or moon. No lamps or candles. And yet, I can see the shape of entrance. A graveyard. Quiet place, with sound matching light.

I see no stones in this gloom. Only a shovel, its blade half buried. Standing erect.

“Dig,” I’m commanded.

“Rather not,” I replied.

Don’t let his gentleness fool you. He means his commands, “Dig.”

Half-hearted spade full of dirt. Gloomy dirt moved, but surface laughing at my feeble effort.

“How’s that!?”

“Dig.”

“How deep?”

“You’ll know.”

Hole’s knee deep now. I’m sweating. Skinny off my shirt.

This dirt is starting to…smell?

“Dig.”

“Can I dig somewhere else? I think something’s buried here. It smells.”

“This is the spot.”

Yuck! Head below ground, the putrid stuff is sticking to me! Will this smell ever come off?

“I’m quitting!”

“Dig.”

Slimy walls! Can’t climb out!

“Help!”

“Dig.”

“I’m gonna die!”

“I’ll help you out when you’re done.”

Where’s that shovel?

Can’t see the top of the hole any more. Nose is numb. Mercifully…numb. Panic’s gone, replaced by purpose. I’m getting close.

Shovel hits metal. A metal box. Prying out of the muck.

“Open it.”

“Don’t want to. It’s vile.” Strange lock. Melts at my touch. Lid opens.

Emptiness. Swallowing emptiness. Evil is in there, with no boundaries.

“What is that?” I ask in recoil.

“Your malice.”

“I can’t let go! I can’t let go! It’s stuck to my hands!”

“Do you want help? Or do you want to keep it?”

Strange question. Of course I want….Wait. Letting go means never getting angry again.

“What if someone wrongs me!?”

“There’s always mercy, instead.”

“It vile! I want it gone!”

“I’ll send my son.”

Sudden light! Bottom of the hole! Blinds me!

I can see the hole. The walls are glazed by the son’s presence. The stench is gone.

The light comes from inside him.

“What is this place?” I ask.

“Your heart,” he smiles. Takes the box. Closes the lid. Opens wide and swallows it whole.

Touches my cheek. We’re on the surface, again. Hole is filled in. A fresh stone is set there. ‘Mercy’, it says.

“But if you could do that….why’d I have to dig the hole myself?”

“You had to know it was your hole.”

“That box was inside me? I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t want to know. You never asked. But that box was between you and the father.”

“I’ve got to tell my friends!”

“They won’t believe you. They have to dig their own holes.” And his arm swept ‘round. As far as my eyes could see, other graveyards. Friends and family standing bewildered. All have shovels. Only a few are digging at all.

“I’ve got to tell them! I’ll help them dig!”

“Your shovel only works in this graveyard. It will suffice that they see you digging.”

“See me digging!?” I ask, dismayed. Pretty sure I didn’t want anyone to see that I even HAD a box! And…I thought I was done, “But I just….”

Another sweep of his arm, reveals my own graveyard. And the stones set there….

‘Pride’, says one. ‘Lust’, says another. Greed is there. Ambition. Fear. Dozens of them.

“If others are going to see you dig, you might want to do Pride next,” the son smiles at my despair. Then he wraps me in a hug. Whispers, “I will never leave you alone in this place. You dig. I’ll clean up.”

PS 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Ps 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

God already knows every secret of our heart. But do WE know our own hearts?

May God give me a shovel....daily. May He reveal my heart to me.

Graphing a Christian Line

2009-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

Imagine a bar graph that moves left and right. Imagine then, two forces coming together on that graph. From the left comes Godly integrity. From the right comes self interest.

Where they meet on that bar graph, is a line. Where that line meets in any person’s life…is the definition of their character.

For every natural human being has a point where self interest will overrule integrity. There are things that we will or won’t do, depending on how much it hurts or helps us, or how much it fulfills or falls short of what each of us perceives is ‘right and wrong’.

We find a wallet on the ground in a parking lot. We can pocket the cash and discard the rest. No one will ever know. Or we can return it untouched to its rightful owner.

We can lie our way out of a tight spot, if we are capable of lying. And if we ARE capable of lying, that is also a determining factor in where our own line is.

The line of self interest.

Whether we acknowledge the existence of our line, it’s always there and we’re always living by it. Some of us would never kill another human, some of us wouldn’t mind if we had to and some of us DO kill other humans. And some of us…just admire them from a distance.

Some of us even seek to commit overt acts of goodness and kindness. Those are folks whose self interest is pushed ‘way back and whose line is admirable by most. The ‘Mother Teresa’s of the world. (This is not meant as any kind of comment on her in particular)

We can’t choose our family but we DO choose which family members’ companionship we seek (if any). We usually choose our friends based on mutual interests…and MUTUAL LINE. If we hang around someone whose line doesn’t match ours…they can be TOO self interested…or they can be too ‘goody-two-shoes’…that line will ultimately alter the frequency and depth of friendship.

That line affects our love life, too. Some of us want casual intimacy. Some of us want intimacy and commitment without anything casual. Some of us are attracted to each other solely on appearance and don’t think about the line…until later. Those are folks who have miserable marriages, as a rule.

It’s a shame that wisdom about the line comes only later in life, when it’s too late to undo life-making decisions. Because the line is…everything…in a human. Almost every person in history lives by their line, one way or another. Almost.

Please notice that I first said ‘Godly’ integrity. Each person has their own sense of right and wrong, ingrained into them by birth. Their family lives by a code. Their society lives by a code. The world lives by a code…and all of that will shape what each of us thinks is right and wrong.

But we often fail to ask God. Even Christians fail to do this. A vast majority of Christians are content to let a ‘pastor’ (or whatever) teach them what God thinks, instead of looking it up for themselves. And some Christians conscientiously….MOVE THEIR LINE…to diminish self interest in an attempt to accomplish MORE right and less wrong. They are doing that out of decent motive, but it’s still wrong. Moving the line away from self interest may sound like a Heavenly act, but…it’s not.

For if we study the Word of God ourselves…and if we apply it…then we discover two shocking truths.

1. God doesn’t define right or wrong the way we do. Not at all. And He doesn’t accept OUR definitions as valid. It’s His way or the highway.
2. There is no line.

From God’s perspective, ‘right’ is…serving Him. And ‘wrong’ is…not serving Him. Really, it’s that simple. But don’t be deceived.

Satan would have us think that ‘evil’ is an overt act. And indeed, there are people who do commit overt acts of self interest, regardless of what pain it might cause others. Those are folks who’ve let self interest push integrity off their graph. No conscience at all. Pure evil. No line.

But God says that humans were made to serve Him and do His bidding. In a God-filled life, there is no room for self interest. None. And so…again…no line.

Please notice there is no middle ground. Middle ground is a fabrication resulting from millenia of man’s reshaping God’s words to suit man. Middle ground is a lie. Any church that teaches, preaches, hints, suggests or even subtly lives a ‘middle ground’ …even by quiet example…is living a lie.

There is nothing in scripture that allows for a middle ground. No line.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Substance

2009-08-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about substance. The image I keep coming up with is ‘knock on wood’. I know it’s a catch-phrase for a superstition, but that’s not what my image includes. I’m not looking for luck. I’m looking for substance.

If I rap my knuckles on a piece of wood, I’m going to hurt my knuckles, because wood is harder than flesh and bone. Wood is denser. Wood is tougher. Wood lasts longer than flesh and bone. If you leave a stick of wood on the ground out in the weather, it will eventually rot, but not for a long time. It’s durable. Wood… has substance.

Flesh and bone, not so much. Leave flesh out on the ground and in just a few days, it’s… well, it’s not durable. Flesh has very little substance.

And steel? Pffft! Gold? Diamonds? Some of THAT stuff that for millennia. Or even eons. REAL substance, especially if we ‘measure’ according to how long something might last.

Mk 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Mk 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Mk 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

So let me get this straight. Everything that I can perceive with my five senses… will someday ‘pass away’?

Yup.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And what’s left?

"but my words shall not pass away."

Now when I consider that Jesus … IS … the Word…

Jn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

That pretty much means that Jesus is ‘the substance’ of the Universe. The Kingdom of God.

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

So. When I rap my knuckles on a piece of wood, I’m really just hitting… nothing of substance. When I wrap my thoughts around the substance of Jesus… I’m touching… eternity.

So what is the substance of Jesus? What’s He made of that I can touch?

Mercy, first of all. A merciful act or even a charitable thought, has more substance in eternity than an anvil. Each act of forgiveness a Christian commits is recorded for all time.

Generosity. The opposite of self interest. Waking up each morning wondering how I can give my life to others that day in Jesus’ name.

Joy. Paul wrote to us that we should be filled with joy… while he was confined to the dungeons of Rome. His joy rested in the substance of Jesus’ faithfulness. Paul knew Jesus was coming back for him and those dungeons… had no substance.

The Holy Ghost. Cannot be physically touched. Has no odor or taste. And can be counted on every second of every day. I believe in His substance more than this keyboard.

I believe.

Because the substances I value are spiritual and eternal. And my faith is just one small substance in that Kingdom.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Singing In Public

2009-07-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

I like to sing. What’s more, I CAN sing. And… I don’t have a terrible voice. I can carry a tune, which means that I don’t always embarrass myself with my singing. I’m not a particularly bashful fellow, so I don’t even mind singing solo. I don’t get asked (to sing solo) a lot, which tells me I’m not great at it, but still… I don’t mind.

I mention those things because I want to be completely honest. Singing for me is not a hardship, so it’s easy for me to say… we ALL should be singing. All the time.

Ps 96:2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day.

I have this really great electronic concordance. I recommend to everyone that they get a concordance for their computer. It lets you look up phrases. Printed concordances limit us to just looking up single words.

I searched “sing unto the Lord” and “I will sing” and “sing praise(s)”… etc. Combined, there are a few dozen verses that include those phrases. Strangely, the bulk of them are in the Old Testament. Not so strangely, the bulk of THOSE are in Psalms.

We ‘go to church’, mostly on Sunday mornings and the pastor already has events laid out for us. He has choreographed the hour-long service to include prayer, collections, preaching… and singing. Each of us who goes to Sunday service is expecting to have to sing. As a group, no one minds that they are being asked to do something… in public… that they wouldn’t normally do.

Because singing in public is NOT easy for most folks. Because most folks… can’t sing. And most folks know that. And most folks who can’t sing… will get embarrassed if they think someone else can HEAR them singing.

Oh, they might LIKE to sing. In the shower. In their bedroom. In their car… along with the radio. They LIKE singing… to themselves. When they’re alone.

But not in public. In front of a crowd.

But singing WITH a crowd is tolerable because the crowd will drown out any individual voice. It’s an unspoken truth that everyone knows and (seemingly) no one acknowledges. I probably don’t have to prove it. It’s understood. But you can see it for yourself in any Sunday service, if a song/hymn is attempted that the congregation is unfamiliar with, there will be at least one moment where people falter, voices dim and become unsure. And even those few who DO know the song, will lower their voices so as not to be heard in the ensuing silence.

Until mercifully, the pastor and/or music director will BOOM OUT and get everyone back on track. That’s their job and everyone is relieved.

Those awkward silences prove… that people don’t like for other people to hear them singing. They would probably admit… that singing in front of someone would embarrass them.

Embarrassment. When your pride is wounded because someone sees you doing something that doesn’t measure up to your standards of excellence.

Pride keeps us from singing solos in public.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

And yet, I’m commanded to sing…in public…

Ps 57:9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

Ps 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Please note, those verses don’t say ‘WE’ …will sing. They say ‘I’ will sing. In public. To ‘the congregation’ and to ‘the nations’.

Loudly. Boldly. To be heard. TO BE HEARD!!

Not because we can sing well, but because God and His Son have bought for us so much joy, that it cannot be contained. Because our one and only ‘job’ in this world is to praise God and sometimes it just gets our hearts so full that only SONG will do.

To do that, we have to set aside our pride and embarrassment. We have to care more the joy than our own self image. Reaching a place of spirit and Spirit that no longer includes ego or self or pride, because Jesus is just too important.

One little song, to start. One time, even though the Psalm (96) quoted above tells us this should be a daily occurrence.

There’s a catchy little hymn that I love. It goes…

I will sing of the mercy of the Lord forever !
I will sing. I will sing.
I will sing of the mercy of the Lord forever!
I will sing..of the mercy..of the Lord.

And I picture the pastor of the church singing that phrase and then pointing… to anyone seated in the congregation and that person has to jump up and sing the same phrase…acapella and solo… and then the pastor points to another person…and so on until the whole congregation had a turn.

No preaching that day. Just singing of joy. Now THAT…would be a worship service!

For God So Loved The World...That He Put Up With THESE Guys!

2009-04-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

So, I know I’m a failure at this Christianity thing. In fact, I know just enough about our Lord’s instructions to expect my own failure at every turn. I meet people on a daily basis whose lives appear far more obedient to HIS word than I can hope for myself.

I sometimes have to remind myself that God really does love me, despite my constant shortcomings. I’m hoping that YOU don’t have reservations like that, but many folks do. After all, the basic doctrine of Christianity is ‘mercy instead of justice’. God doesn’t have to LIKE us in order to forgive us. A common theme.

I was thinking on that (for the thousandth time) today and a thought came to me. God… liked THESE guys! A LOT! Moses. Elijah. David. John (Baptist). Peter. Paul.

MOSES
Rejected wealth and position for the (relative) poverty and hardships of his own (God’s) people. Became THE all-time spokesman for Israel. Faced down the Pharoah of Egypt.

Was loathe to accept the responsibility of his task. Asked for and partially got some of the responsibility shifted to Aaron. After witnessing HUGE intervention by God’s hand in his life… still had the audacity to willfully disobey God, receiving a punishment in this life possibly unequaled of any of God’s children except Adam.

In short, Moses was flawed. Kinda like me. (The flawed part.)

God liked Moses. When the Son of God was transfigured, Moses was one of the two humans to be invited from beyond the grave.

The second one was ELIJAH.

Prophet extraordinaire. Faced legions of false prophets and a gal named Jezebel (well, okay… he ran from her, too). Called for a drought that God delivered.

However, he spent a lot of time alone next to that strange brook. Experienced depression severe enough to wish for his own death. Questioned his worthiness and life.

God liked Elijah. Before the Transfiguration, Elijah was also gifted to be borne to heaven by angels, rather than experience death.

DAVID. Selected by God to the Kingship of Israel. Anointed for blessing. So companied by the Holy Ghost, he was compelled to write many of what we know as Psalms.

Committed adultery with Bathsheba. Had the girl’s husband killed, in fact. The first child between them was taken from them by God.

Still, God liked David enough to descend the Son of God through David’s line. Oh, and canonize David’s writings.

JOHN THE BAPTIST was ordained from the womb. A man so blessed, it was necessary to have angelic proclamation and affirmation.

After his duties had been discharged, like Elijah, John suffered from great doubt and depression.

After that, Jesus said of John the he was the greatest of all living men. God liked John the Baptist.

PETER. Oh, Peter. Need we say more?

PAUL got a lot of his failings out of the way BEFORE he became a friend to God. But God liked him anyway. Enough for Jesus to make a rare appearance AFTER He had been enthroned.

The obvious point is that failings don’t prevent God from liking us.

This isn’t the same thing as saving us. We KNOW God is saving us despite our failings. It really is the Gospel message. But… liking us… wanting our company… a pure God and His nasty ol’ buds… that’s a different message.

Some of the names listed here are giants of biblical history and faith. Spiritual giants whom God likes. And while I’m never gonna be a giant, I still count..

All of THEM were screw-ups, just like me. All of ‘em. We share that. We share something else. The commonality between them and me. It’s not just that God likes us… it’s why…

The First Commandment.

Ex 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Ex 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Ex 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

When Jesus was asked about the importance of the Commandments (and really, the entirety of Mosaic Law)… He said…

Mt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mt 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mt 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mt 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Let’s dwell on this for a moment. The entire New Testament is called… the… NEW… Testament! It’s new. The old is replaced, augmented, enhanced, explained, fulfilled.

But not the First Commandment.

Dt 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Dt 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

The Godhood of God. Those of us whom God likes… are remembering His Godhood. Our failings come and go and He understands that. We aren’t gods. But He looks into my heart and knows that I know… He’s God.

Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

More than one judge...The Two Stephens

2009-04-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Chapters 6 and 7 of Acts are basically about Stephen, the first deacon. We won’t quote all of those chapter here, but I encourage everyone to read them. For this study, I’ll point out just a couple of things.

1. Stephen was the first of a group of seven men who were basically the first deacons in the Christian faith.
2. When speaking of Stephen, chapter 6 starts by saying he’s ‘full of faith and power’ (v. 8) and chapter 7 concludes that Stephen is ‘full of the Holy Ghost’ (vv. 55-60) and gives him a literal vision of Heaven’s splendor.
3. From this, we may conclude that Stephen was found favorable in the sight of God, as were his actions BETWEEN those two verses (I think of them as Stephen’s bookends).
4. Every annotated Bible that I own, titles chapter 7 as ‘Stephen’s Defense’… but the truth is, Stephen never once defends himself.
5. During the passages between ‘the bookends’… Stephen displays two entirely different demeanors.

Item number 5 is the point of this study. We’ll come back to it.

Stephen’s troubles did not begin because anyone had a problem with him personally. His turmoil started because his preaching was pricking some hearts.

Acts 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

And while Stephen was forced to a ‘trial’ of sorts, there are no verses to suggest (at first) that he’s in any personal danger himself.

The Word of God is what is being challenged.

Stephen understood that.

His ‘defense’ (or lengthy speech…given in chapter 7) is about the history of Israel and the Word of God. This is no idle chatter, though it might appear so. He’s exercising ‘judgment’. Stephen has ‘judged’ (correctly) that the people who oppose him are really opposing God the Father and His Christ.

And suddenly, he tells them that…

Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Acts 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Acts 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

WHOA!… NOT SUBTLE!!

Please note that Stephen had been rocking along for 50 verses of what could be described as a college history lecture, telling the Sanhedrin things they already knew very well. They were probably wondering what he was doing.

He was setting them up. Tying them and their apostasy to the long history of Jewish failings in following God. Then, in verse 51, Stephen ‘lowers the boom’ and FLATLY ACCUSES THESE MEN OF MURDER!! Not just any murder, either. Murder of the Most High Lamb.

I’ve got to say, that does NOT sound like MEEK behavior to me. Stephen is guilty of ‘judging’ the actions of the men he’s facing. He tells them to their faces that they are guilty. No apologies. All of it approved by God.

And yet, just seven verses later… WHILE THEY ARE STONING HIM TO DEATH… he asks God to forgive his killers. Forgive them of stoning him (though he never asks that God forgive them of killing Jesus).

That… IS… meek. And non-judgmental. To use a cliché… that’s an abrupt ‘about face’.

Two faces. Two demeanors. One bold and ‘in your face’. The other meek, humble and forgiving.

Both of them… approved by God.

What’s the difference?

Stephen the first deacon, was bold with the Sanhedrin… WHEN THEY WERE ATTACKING THE TRUTH OF GOD. He was not only ALLOWED by God to ‘call a spade a spade’… he was rewarded (by God) for doing so.

Then Stephen the first recorded martyr for Jesus… became a humble servant, ‘turning the other cheek’ (Matt. 5:38) of life… when the Sanhedrin… were attacking… HIM.

This is a really huge point, for more than one reason.
1. It illustrates in one passage, that God expects his children to practice more than one kind of ‘judgment’.
2. It explains (and blows away) the (seriously erroneous) idea that Christians should always just be meek. Boldness has its place.
3. It explains why there is an apparent contradiction between boldness and meekness in the bible. There isn’t a contradiction, but the child of God must understand the difference.
4. It illustrates quite clearly that we disciples CAN DISCERN each circumstance of our lives, to know when boldness is called for and when meekness is appropriate.

We may boldly defend the Word of God (Eph. 6:9), the reputation of Jesus and any aspect of God the Father or Spirit (Gal. 1:8-9). When those things are attacked by the enemies of God, we are allowed to call the enemies of God… enemies of God.

We are expected to be meek (and even be happy about it)… if and when those attacks are turned against us personally (Matt. 5:10). Our willingness to submit humbly, is itself a testimony to the world of our faith. It is also akin to the sacrifice that Jesus made, whether our lives are required or not. We are then truly ‘knowing the fellowship of His suffering’ (Phil. 3:10).

What we are NOT given license to do… is turn the spotlight of Jesus’ righteousness upon the specific personal sins of any one person (or group of persons), for the purposes of belittling that person (them). To do so, is to tacitly imply that we disciples are better than they, because we suddenly do ‘know better’ about God’s commandments (Matt. 7:2-6).

And again, another thing we are NOT given license to do… is spend our time striving with the enemies of God. Once we’ve recognized them and witnessed to them… we are supposed to move on (Luke 10:10-11). Why? Because delivering the Gospel to the lost is part of our mission, but repetitive browbeating of apostastes… is not (2 Tim. 2:14).

Three different kinds of people. We have a mission to two of ‘em. We have to learn to deal with the third. (It should be noted right here, that people can change. Stephen’s mission wasn’t to convert the guilty, but one of them did get converted… later. Saul becomes Paul and proves that you just never can know what God has planned.)

We can see then, that there is more than one kind of ‘judge’. AND… more than one kind of ‘God approved’ behavior. We can also see that discerning between them is actually fairly ‘cut and dried’.

In our final installment of ‘More than one judge’… we’ll conclude how this applies to the three different kinds of people in the world.

Why Bother To Pray - Part Four - What To Pray For

2009-04-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

What CAN we ask for? What is okay to bring before God and what isn’t? Why isn’t God answering my prayers? Is it because I'm asking for the wrong things?

Now before we go another step, we’ve got to get past what I think of as the ‘prayer roadblock'. This particular quote from our Lord is so often misquoted, misused, misapplied and just plain… warped, that it can easily distort an unsuspecting Christian’s view of prayer for their entire lives.

Obviously, that wouldn’t be our Lord’s intent for His words.

Here we go…

Jn 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Jn 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

By any measure, that passage sounds like… I’m gonna give you anything you want, anytime. No conditions. No rules. Blank check.

Anything. Any thing. ANY thing. It really does say… just exactly that. So we can pray for anything we want, right?

Is there anyone reading this message who believes that? The Lamb of God died… so that I can have a Ferrari? Or a (forgive me) promiscuous life? Or a great wealth? Or good looks to go with my vanity? Fame? Can we pray for and expect fame? Or maybe even just pray for our football team to win?

All of those things would violate one (or many) of the values and ‘commandments’ that Jesus espoused while He was here. Can we pray for something that violates what Jesus… embodies? I don’t believe that. When working to understand God’s Word, we must always keep in mind God’s overall value system and be careful that our interpretations fit within the framework of that value system.

Right about now would be a good time to exercise some spiritual discernment.

A literal ‘any’ thing for prayer would clearly not fit.

Maybe our Lord didn’t mean… ‘You can ask for anything your heart desires, as long as you use my name.’ Perhaps He meant… ‘You’ll get an answer to any prayer you give, when you ask for anything that I would put my name to.’

In short, God is listening when we ask Him questions about what His name stands for. The Will of God. This is borne out by the ‘model prayer’ that Jesus gave us…

Mt 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mt 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Mt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mt 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mt 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mt 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

What did He just tell us?
1. Looking for your kingdom, Lord.
2. I want your Will to be done in my life while I’m here. Not my will. Yours.
3. Keep your promise to feed me today. Today. I'll pray about tomorrow... tomorrow.
4. Pour mercy upon me. I used up the mercy from yesterday.
5. Keep me on my toes about our enemy. That crafty serpent is always following me around. It's creepy.
6. You’re the Man, Lord.

God’s Will. God’s Will. God’s Will. The perfect prayer is God's Will.

Just last week, I was listening to Dr. David Jeremiah, who happened to mention that prayer shouldn’t be about bending God’s Will to our desire. Our prayer, he said, should be about learning how our desires should be bent to His Will.

Does that mean that we can NEVER pray for something WE want? No. Jesus went to Gethsemane and asked His Father if it would be possible to ‘lift this cup’ from Him. The Apostle Paul asked God to remove his ‘thorn in the flesh’.

Two notable details about both of those prayers. Both men qualified their requests with (paraphrasing)… ‘whatever you tell me, that’s what I’ll do’.

And… both of them were told… ‘no’.

Because God’s Will isn’t always ‘yes’. (Sometimes it's 'yes'. Elijah was constantly writing checks that God had to cash. And God did.)

But 'no' is an answer, too. Sometimes, even to His Son.

And that really should be good enough for us. Have you ever told your child, ‘Because I say so, that’s why.’…? Sometimes, we think our children should just trust us, for no other reason than we’re the grownup. Well, God is our Father and sometimes He just wants us to trust His judgment. No explanation. Just… ‘no’.

And sometimes, when He doesn’t answer at all? THAT… is our answer TOO!

For rest assured, if you are a Christian and are praying in the name of the Lamb, then GOD IS LISTENING!! THAT…is a scriptural promise. Let me show you how quick He’s listening… (this is really cool)

Da 9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
Da 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
Da 9:22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Da 9:23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Daniel got answered before he could finish praying! In v. 23, Gabriel says, ‘The minute you started talking, God told me to come answer you.’

So, if you’re praying in God’s Will, in Jesus’ name, then God isn’t putting you on hold. He’s listening.

Love It? Or Want It?

2009-04-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

My spiritual life began with a desire for mercy. A cry for mercy is the very definition of birthing pangs for being ‘born again’.

Jn 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We must be born again. We must have a beginning to our spiritual journey in this life. It starts… with repentance.

Mt 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

And repentance is a cry for mercy. A ‘sinner’ gets called to ‘repentance’ with a hope for 'mercy'. You CAN'T repent… unless you know you’re a sinner. The first awakening of your spirit is a realization that God intends to subject you… to judgment.

Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

And so… we ask for (and receive)… mercy. We WANT our mercy! And we get it!

Lk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Lk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

What follows then, is a life of constant learning and growing and conforming to the image of Jesus, which is really not a sudden thing. It takes time. And during all of those days, we often realize new and disturbing things about our own true natures and once again… feel a need for fresh mercy…

Ro 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Ro 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Ro 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

The point is, any and every Christian who practices their faith… is in a constant desire for mercy from God. If you ever reach a point in your spiritual attitude where you don’t think you need mercy any more… for even a minute… you will have entered the ‘self righteous zone’.

We WANT mercy. Must have it. We don’t take it for granted. Appreciate it and we’re glad we’ve got it.

And then… we are told to practice mercy on others.

Mt 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Whoops! Not only does God expect me to forgive other folks, He’s gonna use MY OWN MERCY as a measuring stick against me! Not just little tiny mercy, either! BIG mercy!

Mt 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Inviting someone to hit me… AGAIN… is not something I’ve been doing a lot of.

(sigh) I’m in trouble. So, for the next few years, I work on forgiving people. I’ll spend a few minutes each night, peacefully thinking of folks who might need some forgiveness. The guy who cut me off on the road this morning. The co-worker who stabs me in the back every day. etc. I forgive them. Yep. This is a good thing.

1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

So I’ve reached the point where I not only want and ask for mercy (which is really a big thing)… I’m also PRACTICING a little mercy on the side. Good stuff. I’m gonna be forgiven and go to Heaven. God is watching. You ‘n me, God! Right? I’ve got this ‘mercy’ thing down! You're gettin' all this down, right God!?

Do I really want Him to be keeping score just yet? Am I ready to have Him examine my own ‘mercy account’ and measure me by it? Is there any aspect of mercy that I’m leaving out?

Let’s remember now, that our Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, is/was the embodiment of mercy. He came to earth for the single purpose of becoming the mercy of God for mankind. Of all His attributes, none is more important or significant than His mercy.

If we are to enjoy Him and His nature, then we are supposed to…wait for it…ENJOY…mercy.

Ps 101:1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.

That’s a little different. I personally enjoy a variety of things. I enjoy a good meal (it shows). I enjoy my lady’s bright eyes and my grandbaby’s laughter. I enjoy good music. I enjoy college football. These things (and many others) are pleasantries in my life that bring small or large smiles to my face. Moments of… “Aaahhhhhhh!!” Or… “I’m glad THAT happened!”

But, do I enjoy mercy? Am I saying, “Ah!” when a ‘mercy moment’ occurs? Really?

Because the need for mercy in my heart… MUST… be accompanied by someone or something… hurting me in some way. Without a transgression against me, there is no need for me to forgive.

Hmmm. Okay, so maybe I want mercy and I’ll practice mercy as I’m told to do, but I’ll be ) &%_*#^%!& (fill in the adjective of your choice here)…. If I’m gonna LIKE it when someone hits me right in the mouth!

Mt 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Did HE just say… ‘rejoice’!?

Yup.

Let’s recap. I let someone hit me, for Jesus’ sake. Then, I have to let them hit me again. And while they’re doing it and while my split lip is bleeding and while I’m spitting out teeth…instead of anger and resentment…instead of blind obedience to a spiritual command that I really don’t understand…I’m supposed to have real joy…coursing through me at that very moment!!??

I’m supposed to LIKE it!?

Yup.

Well, not the pain itself, really. What we rejoice over is the chance to be doing something our Lord did. True forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t justice. It can’t be earned. In fact, forgiveness is exactly the opposite of ‘earning’ and ‘justice’ and ‘fairness’. We aren’t being fair when we forgive. We’re being merciful. And rejoicing that we can.

Because if I don’t rejoice… then I still don’t ‘get it’. My kingdom, the one I’m waiting on and believing on, has different values in it. Indeed, the very fabric of God’s kingdom is mercy, hope and faith. These things have substance there and are the excitement of existence…in our future home.

A good steak is nothing…compared to a moment of true mercy.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Col 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Col 1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

More Than One Judge - Two

2009-04-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

We started this discussion by noting that there is more than one kind of judge in the bible. By this, we mean there is more than one definition of the word ‘judge’. It’s an important distinction, because we can fall into the mistake of clumping all of our Christian behavior into one umbrella of ‘not judging others’.

On a side note, let me mention that this is a good illustration of how the bible can be seen as contradicting itself. It DOESN'T contradict itself, but those people who are routinely trying to debase scripture never look at the meanings of the verses they distort, they just look at the surface.

So let’s compare surface to meaning by looking at a few ‘judge’s.

The famous one first…

DON'T judge.

Mt 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mt 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

DO judge.

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

DON’T judge.

Jn 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

DO judge.

1CO 5:9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
1CO 5:10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
1CO 5:11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
1CO 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
1CO 5:13 But those who are outside, God judges.

DON’T judge. (Okay. It doesn’t actually contain the word ‘judge’. But it fits the context of this discussion. And context is vital in understanding scripture.)

Mt 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

DO judge.

Mt 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mt 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mt 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

‘Not judging’… is the act of STAYING OUT OF ANOTHER'S PERSON'S HEART.

‘Judging’… is the act of OBSERVING ANOTHER PERSON'S BEHAVIOR AND NOTING WHETHER OR NOT IT CONFORMS TO THE WORD OF GOD.

‘Not judging’… is the first and best attribute of a humble heart that knows its own frailties.

‘Judging’… is the first and best method for determining how we deliver the Word to any one person or group. For be assured, these instructions to us, have ONE SINGULAR GOAL. As adopted children of God, our only purpose here on earth is to deliver God’s Word. And do it right.

‘Not judging’… prevents us from screeching about any one sin…(this one is gonna hurt)

Ro 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Ro 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
Ro 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

‘Judging’ righteously is not only expected of us, it’s beloved in us by our Creator…

Ps 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

(There are a bunch more, especially in Psalms.)

Now, lest there be any confusion, all of the above examples are for humans who are practicing one or another kind of ‘judgment’. There is a THIRD KIND of judgment that belongs solely to God…

Ac 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

I mention that only to be thorough. God’s one and true Judgment Day is not the topic of this study.

In study number ONE, we briefly touched on non-believers who regularly tell Christians that we should ‘judge not’. (Matt. 7 quoted above). These folks are unanimously saying, “Leave me alone!”… or, “Don’t look at me!”

In fairness to them, there is a lot of bad evangelizing these days, in which well-meaning Christians pound on ‘sin’ as their topic, to the exclusion of everything else.

Sin is not our message. Sin is NOT our message. SIN...is not our message.

Yes, we should mention that people need to REPENT and are therefore, by definition, sinners. But THAT part of the message should always be inclusive, so that our message doesn’t sound self-righteous. We don’t dwell on sin. Certainly, we don’t dwell on specific sins, which is a common mistake of evangelizing.

We DO dwell... on ‘the kingdom of God is at hand!’. Jesus didn’t die for us so that we could walk around throwing stones at other peoples’ lives. (The ‘DON’T judge’ part of this study). But observing what others say and do will determine how, when, what and how much of our TRUE message we deliver to any one person. (The ‘DO judge’ part of this study).

Righteous judgment is a tool whose skill we must master with practice. We are instructed to use this tool. It will make our message delivery more effective.

Our Lord Jesus did it. We can look to Him for our example. No surprise there. We will do that in our next conversation.

My Favorite Sin

2009-04-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

(To those folks who've been with me for a while, this post will look familiar. I posted it years ago. It just hasn't worn thin yet and I wanted it on my new blog.)

Something happens every day. All day every day, something is happening to me. Sometimes, it’s a situation that I’ve created for myself, good or bad. Sometimes, it’s other people, including family, who are merely interacting with me. Sometimes, it’s life getting in the way of tranquility.

My truck might not run well. A customer might not be happy. My daughter has a problem.

Or worse. Someone I know or care about..is sick. Or has passed away (I’m in my fifties. People that I know are starting to pass).

When this happens. When this…anything that is happening to me…happens. I invariably think, ‘How is this going to affect me?’

It might not be my first thought or even my fifth thought (though usually, it’s second or third). Sometimes, if the ‘something’ that is happening, affects someone else strongly or hurtfully, I will say to myself, ‘That’s terrible! I am so sorry! I need to do something for them!’

THEN…I think, ‘How is this going to affect me?’

Unbelievably, I haven’t always been aware that I was doing it. It really struck me three years ago, when some close friends lost their granddaughter. She was killed in a single car accident. As I sat through the funeral service, the Holy Spirit made me realize that I was sitting there unconsciously wondering the dread question.

And nothing about that day affected my life. It affected other people’s lives.

I am so self centered.

As a Christian, my every thought is supposed to be about one of two things…
1. God
2. Anyone else.

As a Christian, my life is not only forfeit, it’s been set on a shelf, waiting for a better day. My hope (if I have my priorities right) is for the establishment of a new kingdom, and my marriage to the Lamb.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20

I’m not supposed to look at anything in this life. If I do, then some part of me is saying, ‘I’d like just a little diversion here, before I get purified.’

Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:32

Or, ‘Man, I really don’t want to have to deal with someone else’s problems today!’

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Gal. 5:14

Or, ‘Could you all just leave me alone for ONE minute!?’

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:11

See why I call it my favorite sin? It must be. I do it all the time. Almost every waking minute of every day, I’m thinking about…me.

There really isn’t anything much in this life that compares with a minute in Glory. My head knows that. Now, if I could only remind myself of that, as often as I think of myself.

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

That really says it all. I’ve got Jesus. What else do I need?

Still…my head knows that the gift of salvation is too good to be true, but the brakes just went out. My head knows that the light of heaven requires new eyes, for these eyes wouldn’t survive the blow…but right now, these eyes need glasses. My head knows that I should be posting God’s glory here in Baskets daily, but I’m awfully tired when I get home and it’s easier to just prowl the board. My head knows that my granddaughter needs constant one-on-one attention, but I sure would like to watch the game on TV.

Glory’s better.

Jesus is better. His company…is better.

The Holy Ghost is better.

Obedience to God’s Will is better.

Serving Him by serving others is better. It also heaps me up some heavenly reward, so eternity will be even better.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, Phil. 3:7-8

And yet, it’s a good bet that tomorrow, I will once again practice my favorite sin.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:24-25

SO, SINCE Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God],
So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires, but [he lives] for what God wills. 1 Peter 4:1-2 (Amplified Bible)

More Than One Judge - One

2009-03-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I always feel compelled to begin with the obvious. So here’s the obvious for this message…

There’s people out there…and…we have to deal with them.

Once a person becomes a Christian, the point of their life is supposed to change. From birth, we are concerned about running our own lives and heading towards whatever future we might envision for ourselves, but that changes when Christ touches your life. It’s not your life any more. It belongs to Him.

And He wants something from you. He wants you to go out and tell other people about Him. All of us are commanded to do that one simple thing. And it IS simple…until you actually get to the part where other people enter the picture. Then it’s suddenly not simple any more.

Because other people don’t necessarily have the same purpose as you. Most of them don’t. And the few who do share your faith might not be walking according to the same commandments you are.

Turmoil.

Gospel should be easy, right? We are messengers for the Prince of Peace! The message is…PEACE! Everyone should be GLAD at our message! Right?

Uh…no.

Jn 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Hmmm. We have to go out. We have to deliver Jesus’ message. We have to deal with people. Those people are not going to like us. There’s GONNA be turmoil and we can’t avoid it.

Which means that we must learn to handle the turmoil. And not just handle it, but do so in a manner that would be pleasing to Him and still deliver the message. In a Christian manner. With Christ on our countenance.

We have to LEARN to do that. We aren’t born with it. Discernment isn’t miraculously deposited into us upon our ‘new birth’. It’s an acquired wisdom. For though our message remains always the same, the recipients do not. There’s more than one kind of person out there to encounter.

Stating the obvious again, aren’t I? More than one kind of person? There’s billions of unique folks, right? All of them individuals? Do we have to learn billions of responses?

Uh…no. Three. We have to learn three responses. From a Christian’s point of view, there are only three types of people. Really. Just three. Here they are…

1. Other Christians.
2. Enemies of God.
3. Everybody else.

This is why it’s important…so huge it takes your breath away...because most, if not all, Christian teaching misses this point in today’s message. Here’s my (overly dramatic) point…

Jesus dealt with these types of people differently.

That’s huge, because Christians are being taught to treat all of these people the same. Throw meekness at them until it sticks. Meek. Meek. Meek.

To which I reply…Judge. Judge. Judge. Discernment. Discernment…well, you get the idea. We aren’t robots. If God wanted such, he would have made us such. If the Bible expected mechanical behavior, it wouldn’t be telling us to grow.

And yes, I just said to judge people. And now, I’ll wait for the screaming to die down, especially from group number 2. The enemies of God. I have a private name for such, but right now, we’ll just call them enemies…okay? I am CONFIDANT that they won’t mind. Mind? They’ll laugh. Because they’re expecting us to be meek and if we aren’t, they already think they’ve won.

They have a weapon, these enemies of God. They are consistent with it and it is in direct opposition to this message. One verse of scripture they like to spew at every Christian. You’ll know it by heart, I’m sure…

Lk 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

They rarely know it’s in Luke. They rarely know the entire verse. They just quote, ‘judge not’ and sit back to gloat. They know you know they're right. It's there. And what they’re really telling anyone and everyone is…’You can’t tell me what to do!’

(On a side note, there’s an irony to someone who is 100% against heeding the bible…quoting scripture at all.)

In truth, our beloved Word of God really does tell us who believe…not to judge others. And in truth, many unsuspecting Christian faithful are satisfied to let that one verse of scripture define who they are for the rest of their days, presenting a public demeanor of meekness in any and every circumstance.

And they would be wrong.

For there is more than one Christian demeanor in the bible and more than one ‘judge'. Luke 6 is only one. It's a good one and full of wisdom, but our Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, exhibited more than one kind of judgment. He talked about more than one. He lived and taught about…more than one ‘judge’. We need to know them. We need them all, if we are to conform ourselves to His image, we must learn the other ‘judge’s and master them. And practice them.

Three kinds of people and more than one judge. We’ve got some learning to do.

The Scariest Verse In The Bible

2009-03-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Mankind currently has recorded history of approximately 6,000 years. During the first two thirds of that time, God dealt with His creation through oracles, prophets, judges and just plain ol’ people. Some of it was jotted down and ultimately became known as the Old Testament.

That wasn’t good enough, though, because mankind is a stubborn, rebellious creature.

So, finally, God sent His Son.

Now, in spite of omnipotence and grand power and all that, the plan was for Jesus to live only 33 years in this framework we call reality. And in those 33 years, he waited 30 of them before beginning His ministry and ultimately, His sacrifice.

So. Three years...only...of Jesus' preaching.

Three years of ‘press conference’ from the Lamb of God. Three years out of six thousand. Words so special, that in most bibles, we print them in red ink, to make certain that readers understand they are listening to an eternal truth.

And out of all of THAT...He was able to condense it down to two messages. Oh, He gave answers to questions, even from enemies. He gave personal instruction to his beloved disciples and friends. But when He gave public press conferences, the messages that He delivered could really be boiled down into only two ideas...

1. The Kingdom of God is come.
2. I came to do the will of my Father.

Now, number one already sounds pretty grandiose in its own right and could be (should be...and is) the topic of great discussion. So it's odd that by comparison to number one, the second idea sounds well, a little lame. Why would Jesus put obedience on a par with eternity?

Because...it’s not lame. It’s...everything. Jesus was giving His definition of Faith. And since His plan intends to replace humanity's failure with Jesus' victory...through faith...then Jesus gets to define what faith is.

But first, we must look at what it’s not. Why? Here’s why...

The scariest verse in the entire bible...

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21

Why is that scary?

Well, who is Jesus talking about? He’s talking about people who live their entire lives thinking they are serving Him. He’s talking about people who believe, right now, that they are safe and secure in their eternal reconciliation with God. He’s talking about people who already call themselves Christians.

And He’s saying that they aren’t. They aren’t secure. They aren’t His. They never were.

They just think they are.

They are deceived.

Are you one of them?

The idea of that scares me all the time. It should scare you, too. It was put there to scare us. A wake-up call.

Here it is in a sound bite… 'Don’t take Jesus for granted. He doesn’t.'

Let's be clear, here. Jesus wasn’t talking about someone losing true salvation. This isn’t about that. I personally don’t believe someone that’s truly saved can ever be ‘un-saved’, but that’s another whole study.

No, Jesus is talking about someone who never had it…but thought they did. Think they do.

Satan’s number one weapon against us is deception.

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:22-24

Could we be talking about Pharisees, you ask? Sadducees? Yes, there are people in today’s Christian world who qualify for those titles spiritually, even though that was a Jewish term in Jesus’ day. But it’s more than that. Much more. You can even be a ‘believer’ and still fall short of true Faith. Don’t ‘believe’ me? Ask James…

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19

Or ask Jesus…

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Rev. 3:1

A name that thou livest and art dead. Whew! How fun would it be to hear THAT from our Redeemer...when we get to His footstool? When it's too late to do something about it?

By now, it should be clear that understanding Faith is pretty important. You’re only betting your eternity on it.

The thing is, YOU don’t get to decide what true Faith is. I don’t. Your preacher or priest doesn’t.

Jesus gets to decide what Faith is. And He did. And He told us. He talked about it constantly. And we’ll look at that in other studies. For now, be contemplating Paul’s and Peter’s words about the topic…

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2:12

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 2 Peter 1:10

Why bother to pray? Part 3. Because we're told to.

2009-01-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

If you are a Christian, then you should be reading your bible occasionally. If you do that, then you are probably reading the New Testament more than the Old. If you do THAT, then you have read in most of the epistles that you should be praying.

I say all of that to reach this conclusion: I shouldn’t have to prove to any Christian that we/they are commanded to pray. In the spirit of being thorough, I will give two quick verses…

1Ti 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Now that second verse is interesting. We are commanded to pray… a lot. All the time. Yet, we are told by our Lord that our prayers should be simple…

Mt 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mt 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Huh? Looks like a contradiction to me.
1. Pray a lot.
2. Don’t ask for a lot.

Hmmm. Why bother to pray at all? God has it covered. Nothing much to ask for. Why did He even tell us to pray in the first place?

Short answer is… because asking for stuff isn’t the only thing you can do in prayer.

Long answer is… because THIS (prayer)… is what we were made for. (Col. 1:9-12, Eph. 1:3-6) Our Creator made us… to keep Him company. And be bride to His Son.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

And here… right HERE… is where a lot of Christians miss a blessing. Have you ever noticed that most Christians are… waiting? We’re all waiting for ‘Jesus to come back’. Like a skyfull of airplanes over a busy airport, we’re in a holding pattern, spiritually circling this far-off event and cruising on empty. And in truth, Jesus told us to watch and be ready, so part of our life’s walk does include some well-deserved anticipation.

It’s just not supposed to ALL CONSUMING in our life’s walk. Go back to that passage in Colossians that was quoted earlier and look at verse 13. It says that Christ ‘hath translated us’. It doesn’t say ‘will translate us’. If we are born again, then our spirits are quickened to commune with God… NOW.

1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Christians love these verses in Corinthians and indeed, the entire ‘charity’ chapter. But this verse is also one that speaks of anticipation, so naturally, everyone is looking to the ‘face to face’ part. Well, how about the ‘through a glass darkly’ part? That’s right now. It might not be the perfection to come, but it’s better than not seeing God at all.

Or this one…

Jn 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Jn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Jn 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Jn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him

Again, that’s not later. That’s now. The Comforter and the Father and the Son…are gonna visit a practicing Christian… now.

That’s what prayer is. That’s what prayer does. Prayer is us spending time with our God and snuggling up to Him. Prayer is praise and worship and conversation and ‘family time’… with God.

Have you ever read The Song of Solomon? Bet a lot of you have. It’s not a big book. Just eight little chapters. Wedged between Ecclesiastes and Isaiah, both of which are ‘heavyweight’ works. Song of Solomon is light. Song of Solomon is… well, it’s risqué. It speaks of breasts and a bride’s bed and lovemaking… and it’s kind of adult content. Which may be why you’ve read it. Most teenagers read it and snicker that such stuff would be in the bible.

That’s us. We are that bride and Jesus is the husband. Not JUST in the future. That’s how it is now. In prayer…

SS 3:1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. SS 3:2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
SS 3:3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?
SS 3:4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

Doesn’t that sound a lot like this…?

Ps 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
Ps 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Ps 63:7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
Ps 63:8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Which is obviously praying.

And the result of that prayer isn’t in some distant future. Our husband responds right now…

SS 4:9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck.
SS 4:10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices!
SS 4:11 Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

When He says, ‘thy lips’ in verse 11? That’s prayer. In Song of Solomon, it seems that every physical aspect of a human anatomy gets discussed at one point. Hair, teeth, eyes…etc. Even loins. They are all symbols for what our Husband sees in us spiritually. Hair is how we adorn our spirits with humility. Teeth is what we eat... how and how often we feed at the Word. Eyes are what we spiritually focus on in our lives. Loins is what we give spiritual passion to.

'One of thine eyes' means our Husband likes for us to look at Him...

Mt 6:21 for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.
Mt 6:22 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

And 'lips'? Lips is prayer. Our lips are honeycomb to our Husband.

Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.

So instead of asking ‘why bother to pray’, my question to any Christian (or person at all) would be…

Why would you NOT want to pray? All the time?