January 31, 2013

The past couple of mornings, I have spent time in the first chapter of James.  Both mornings the word "perseverance" has jumped off the screen.  I think for most people perseverance has a negative connotation.  In our minds it is connected with slogging through trials.  Long, tough times.  However, James puts a different on spin on perseverance.

James tells his readers that while perseverance is necessary as a result of trials, it is also the way to maturity. (James 1:2-4).  Not only will perseverance make us mature, but also "complete, not lacking anything."  

In addition, perseverance entitles one to the "crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12) 

In the fifth chapter of Romans, Paul tells the early Church, "we know that . . . perseverance (produces) character; and character (produces) hope." (Romans 5:3-4)

Perseverance is necessary to "receive what he (God) has promised". (Hebrews 10:36)

During times when we  seem to be just persevering, look past the troubles, trials and sorrows of the present situation to all that God promises to those who persevere.  The situation may not change, but attitudes and outlooks can.

January 27, 2013

Colossians 3:12-17   ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,. . .

Yesterday's entry was over the same set of verses above, but as I gave it a quick glance today, the Holy Spirit highlighted just what I was needing.   "Dearly loved".  For all I have written these past several days about joy, service, individual holiness, etc., the bottom line is that we are "dearly loved" by our heavenly Father.

Sinner, saint- dearly loved.  Homosexual, straight- dearly loved.  Prince, pauper- dearly loved.  While we were yet sinners, God loved us enough to send his ONLY Son to die a horrible death just to provide each of us a path to an eternity with Him.

We are dearly loved.  You are dearly loved.  I am dearly loved.  

January 26, 2013

Colossians 3:12-17   ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Just found the solution to declining church attendance, church membership and low incident rates of people accepting Christ as personal Lord and Savior!  No more studies are needed.  "Bring a Friend" campaigns unnecessary.  

If our churches and individuals would become the chosen people outlined in today's reading, we would need multiple services each week, folding chairs along the walls and additional clerical staff to send out all the "Glad You Were Here" letters each week.

Who would not want to be a part of an organization whose members were compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient?  Loving, forgiving and thankful.  What a great place to be!

Perhaps we are somewhat this way to members of our church, denomination or sect, but do we practice these same qualities toward those who worship a different God, worship in a different way, or deny God altogether?  Or are the images below how the world views the Christian church's outreach and message?

     

January 25, 2013

1Thessalonians 5:14-22  ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

¹⁶ Be joyful always; ¹⁷ pray continually; ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; ²⁰ do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹ Test everything. Hold on to the good. ²² Avoid every kind of evil.

"Encourage the timid, help with weak".  Words to live by for us all, but were especially meaningful for me.  Over the past couple of weeks I have allowed myself to become office-bound at work.  I have not been in the classroom encouraging and helping teachers.  

As I read today's passage, there were many action verbs- warn, encourage, help, pray, give thanks, test, hold on to, and avoid.  These things I can do.  Not well perhaps and not all the time, but at least I can attempt to be a "doer" of these.  

What is currently, and has been for years, my biggest challenge is the simple "be" mandate.  Be joyful.  I can "do" stuff- pray, help, avoid, etc.  But "be joyful"?  I know intellectually about joy.  Biblical joy is not situational.  Biblical joy is contentment, not just happiness.  Biblical joy is available to all Christians.  Biblical joy is internal.  Biblical joy is, for me, elusive.

This brings me to another question.  Are there some "do's" in order for us to "be".  In order to have joy what must I do in order to place myself in the position to (receive?, gain?, have?, possess?) joy?  
Which apply:
Pray?
Meditate?
Obey?
Gather with other believers?
Avoid evil?
Praise? (One of the toughest "do" commands for me.)
Memorize?
Study?
Give thanks?
Empty myself of self? (This one needs some 'splaining Lucy.)
Read?
Nothing?

Joy is a frustrating concept for me.  So promised through scripture.  Even commanded.  True joy is one of the most powerful witnessing tools we possess.  Joy calms the mind, body and soul.   It is the bringer of restful nights and laughter-filled days.  But it is not a resident in my heart.  It does come for a visit on occasion, but has yet to have its mail forwarded.

January 23, 2013

James 1:26-27  ²⁶ If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

How different would America, and perhaps the world, look if Christians were to implement these seemingly three simple acts.  

Tight rein on the tongue.  How many moms have told their children, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  Church foyers would be much quieter on Sunday mornings. 

"Better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."  Think about how many conversations would never take place if that platitude were put in place. 

One of my favorites- "A wise man keeps quiet because he has nothing to say.  A fool speaks because he has to say something." 

Caring for the orphans and widows.  Well, we had better form a committee to define "orphans and widows".  Let's form a committee to study the incident rates of orphans and widows.  Better yet- a TASK FORCE!   Or how about "each one, helps one".  Do you have a neighbor who might fall into the category?  Invite him/her over for dinner.  Someone at work in a bind?  Offer to buy those new tires she needs.  Committees, task forces and reports are necessary to tackle the big picture, but no excuse for individual Christians not allowing the Holy Spirit to direct them to one-on-one helping relationships.

Finally, keep oneself "from being polluted by the world."  Gotta' be careful here from becoming legalistic.  A list of "don'ts" could arise from such a verse; however, the Holy Spirit will guide individuals.  R-rated movies taboo?  Let the Holy Spirit be your Siskel and Ebert.  What secular music crosses the line?  Pray about it.  Is that glass of wine damaging your witness?  Ask God.  

A pollution-free Christian life may look different for each person.  Or would it?  Is there an ideal Christian life that is God's goal for all Christians?  If each individual Believer were to turn over ALL areas, how much "alikeness" would there be?  

There will always be differences in what we are called to do and how we are called to serve.  Paul reminds us on many occasions each person is called to serve the Lord using his/her unique gifts and talents, but would our attitudes, thoughts and actions start to align?

Imagine how much change American Christians could affect if our buying habits, our movie-going trends and our Internet viewing all aligned with Biblical principles?  Such righteous indignation about politicians' immorality, society's moral erosion and the "liberal" media's bias.  Yet, how different are most Christians?  How many "Christians" are on the lake on Sunday mornings?  Why is the divorce rate the same among Christians as nonChristians?  Does the average Christian's life look much different from the average person in America?  If not, why not?

January 22, 2013

Acts 13:1-4  In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
⁴ The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

January 18, 2013

2 Peter 3:14-18  ¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶ He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. ¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Two of the questions posed in today's study guide are, "Do you ever feel like Paul's writings, or other parts of the Bible are hard to understand?"  "What passage have you struggled with the most lately?"  I would do well do consistently implement Jose's 7/24 challenge, but that should be a starting point.  I wonder how many at Ridgecrest see it as the final goal?  I wonder what amount of time a survey would show most Christians spend in prayer, meditation and Bible study?

When a Mormon missionary knocks on my front door I often times try to engage in a doctrinal exchange only to find my grasp of knowledge is lacking in comparison.  While the conversation is polite and respectful, I realize right away I don't have the catalog of memorized scripture, the doctrinal background or ease of delivery as the young person at my door.  Regardless of your thoughts on Mormonism, people of the Mormon faith are well-versed in scripture, doctrine and defense of their belief system.  Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc. could all learn something from the Mormon faith when it comes to equipping their membership.

But that would take hard work, time and accountability.  Twenty-four minutes a day.  Great place to start.  Twenty-four minutes a day to create a powerful, world-changing Christian?  Not gonna' do it.

Maybe I am overlaying my personal bias on the past several day's of readings, but I am seeing a pattern emerge.  That is Christian growth requires sustained, dedicated, intentional work on the part of the Believer. Bible reading must become Bible study.  Meditation must become a time of focused connection with God.  Prayer must become intense and fervent.  Sitting my computer's desktop timer for 24 minutes, then peeking frequently in hopes it is about to "0", will not get me where I want/need to be as a Christian.

January 17, 2013

2 Peter 1:3-9  ³ His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

I deviated from today's Ridgecrest small group reading which was 2 Peter 1:16-20.  As I looked over the whole first chapter of 2 Peter, verses 3-9 spoke to me.

Verse 3 reminds Christians we have "everything we need" to live a life of godliness, but it is only through Christ that we possess these things.  I do wonder what are the "very great and precious promises" Peter references in verse 4.  Thoughts?

What is the "everything" to which Peter refers to in verse 3?  Is it the list from verses 5-7?  Peter does tell the reader that if we "possess these qualities in increasing measure" we will be effective and productive in our "knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ".  

Once again, I see a set of verses that combine God-given vs active participation parts of the Christian life.  God gives us "everything we need for life and godliness", but then we are to be participants in adding to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.  While a measure of these may be imparted to us at salvation, we must actively work to increase in these areas.  It should be noted that it all starts with FAITH.  Faith in Jesus Christ to save us.  Faith in the Holy Spirit to guide us.  Faith in God the Father to be true to His word.

One final note: Verse 9 makes the admission there will be Christians that do not have the goodness through love list from verses 5-7.  But Peter does not write this disqualifies that person from salvation.  That person is "nearsighted and blind", but still "cleansed from his past sins".  He may lose blessings, comfort, guidance and contentment, but not salvation.

Over the next several days, I will discuss each of the qualities listed in verses 5-7 in hopes that I will increase in each of these areas.

January 16, 2013

Psalm 1:1-6
  1 Blessed is the man
    who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
   or stand in the way of sinners
    or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
  and whose leaf does not wither.
    Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Who are the wicked?  Are they all nonChristians or just the really bad ones?  Can a true Christian be wicked?  Who can give better investment advice- an unsaved financial planner or a Christian who prays over the Wall Street Journal?

What does "walking in counsel", or "standing in the way" or "sit in the seat of mockers" mean?  Does this refer to friendships, business partnerships, romantic relationships?

For all the questions verse 1 raises, verses two and three are clear enough. Delight in God's Word.  Think about God-things throughout the day.  Allow God to permeate your thoughts, which will in turn direct your actions and speech.  

Once again I see an "if-then" proposition.  If we "delight" and "meditate", then we will yield fruit and whatever we do will prosper.  Perhaps that prosperity will not be evident by our savings account, perhaps it will.  The prosperity may not be in the form of that promotion at work, perhaps it will.  But God promises if we are obedient to Him, He will prosper the work He has for us collectively and as individuals.

Finally, the first part of verse 6 is my solace for the day.  "For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous. . ."  What an encouraging promise to take into the workplace today.  May that be my meditation today.

January 15, 2013

Joshua 1:6-9  ⁶ “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I find it interesting that so many are quick to discard certain Old Testament verses.  The justification it that since Christ's life, death and resurrection we now live under New Testament mandates/teachings.  Yet, when certain OT passages come along that fit our NT paradigm, we hold those up as applicable to the NT church.   Thoughts?

Anywho, today's reading is supported in both the OT and NT so my previous rant is not applicable.

At risk of repeating myself from past blog entries, today's passage is yet one more reminder that the Christian life is not one of passivity.  Accept Christ and just passively wait for the blessings to follow is not a teaching I can find in the OT or NT.  Christians are called to be adopt certain attitudes, develop certain habits and actively engage in their Christian life.

In just the four verses from today reading, Believers are called upon to:

• Be strong and courageous- 3x (attitude)
• Be careful to obey (action)
• Do not turn (habit)
• Meditate on the Word day and night (action and habit)
• Do everything written in the Word (action)
• Do not be terrified (attitude)
• Do not be discouraged (attitude)

Verses 7 and 8 remind the believer that while our salvation is not based on our actions, attitudes or habits, the level of God's blessing just may be.  Now, that does not mean we act to earn, but I do believe today's reading speaks to a certain level of blessing that follows obedience.

Are disobedient Christians prosperous?  Depends on  your definition of "prosperous".  Are obedient Christians hurting?  Sure. So how is one to look at today's reading.

For me there are two take-aways:

First- We place ourselves in a position for God to bless us when we are obedient to Him.  Meditate on the Word.  Obedience to His direction.

Second- Adopt an attitude of fearlessness and confidence because in both the OT and NT we are assured that "the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

January 14, 2013

Please pray I will have another chance. . .

At yesterday's homeless lunch I was visiting with a gentleman who routinely visits the lunches visibly drunk.  In fact on more than one occasion, he has had us bring him a lunch to eat outside because he doesn't want to risk making a scene because of his level of intoxication.

As we were talking yesterday, he confided in me he doesn't want to continue drinking.  "I hate getting up each morning knowing I will end up this way."  We talked a bit about some of the rehab programs he has tried to no avail.  

I then asked him, "What do you think it will take for you to quit drinking?"

"Jesus," was his one word reply.

I froze.  I had nothing.  No offer to pray with him.  Not even a pamphlet. 

I have spend a lot of time since then trying to figure out what I should have done/said.  Nothing definite comes  mind.  I do know my lack of response was not out of fear, but came out of a lack of preparedness.  I  was not prayed up.  I had not entered into the conversation with him prepared to give a witness if the opportunity arose.  It arose and I froze!

This incident has weighed heavily on my mind.  I know I cannot get a "do-over" on yesterday's interaction, but my prayer is that in future exchanges I will "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

January 8, 2013

Matthew 8

As I become more and more involved with the downtown ministry, I find myself starting look for ways that scripture can guide me through this new ministry.  The first four verses of Matthew 8 raised a question in my mind.

In this chapter, Jesus heals a man with leprosy.  He tells the man, "See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

The question this raises for me is not why did Jesus tell the man not to tell anyone, but what became of the man after he had been declared "clean" by the priest.  Back in Jesus' time, leprosy was such a feared, untreatable disease that victims of this horrible condition were simply pushed out from civilization.  Lepers were made to live by the city trash heaps, outside the walled cities, shipped to leper colonies.  In fact as recent at 2001 leper colonies were known to exist in Japan.

A person suffering from leprosy in the first century would not only be cut off from any social or family interaction, but property rights would be abolished, employment unattainable, etc.  Therefore, when a person was healed from the disease, I imagine that many people had to start from scratch.  No job, no home, no friends and perhaps no supportive family.  Much like many of the people we meet each Sunday at the APO.

I am left wondering, what happened to the cured leper?  How did he make it from the initial miraculous healing to being a contributing member of society again?  I think this Biblical story points to the two levels of assistance needed.

First, there is the need for immediate relief.  But it cannot stop there.  The road to productivity and contribution is more than just a "cure" from one single ailment.  If we are going to move downtown and truly help those in need, there needs to be a commitment to the long haul with individuals connecting with individuals.  Not a one-and-done mentality.  That might prove to be the biggest hurdle of all.

January 5, 2012

Matthew 7

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Perhaps verses 15-20 are dealing specifically with prophets, or false prophets, but the whole bad tree bears bad fruit reference.  I would never presume to disagree with the direct words of Jesus Christ, but . . .
Do not nonChristians the world over "bear good fruit"?  People of many nonChristian faiths, no faith at all or nonChristian members of Christian churches are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and advocating the the weak and oppressed.  Are these not examples of "good fruit"?  

So what is true:
A.  These types of activities are not "good fruit".
B.  These types of activities are not "good fruit" unless performed by Christians.
C.  These types of activities are "good fruit" regardless of who performs them.

If C is true, then can "grapes (come) from thornbushes"?  Or are nonChristians who perform "good fruit" activities not considered "thornbushes" in God's eyes?  If that is the case, then there is no delineation between  believers and nonbelievers in God's eyes in regards to good deeds.


Then there is the whole "good tree cannot bear bad fruit" line.  I have been a Christian since I was a young lad in Bolivar, but believe me when say that my life has borne a lot of "bad fruit".  Does that mean I was not a Christian, even though I had accepted Christ all those years ago?  Did I lose my Christianity during those years?  There are several scriptures that would seem to refute that even being a possibility.

Feel free to weigh in on any of all of these questions.

January 2, 2013

Matthew 6

^{15 "}But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  

Okay, Biblical biblical inerrantists, how literal is Matthew 6:15?  If taken at face value, Christ would seem to be teaching there is an unpardonable sin-  unforgiveness.  But that conflicts with other verses in the New Testament.  Soooooooo, perhaps the Bible has to be read with common sense and a discerning spirit.

Verse 16- "When you fast. . ." Not "if" you fast.  Is fasting a Biblical expectation today?  What are the benefits of fasting?  Negative consequences?

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" 

This is getting harder and harder in today's world.  Victoria's Secret commercials push the limit of soft core porn.  Web sites abound that can quickly fill a person with darkness.  How much more relevant is that Vacation Bible song, "Be Careful Little Eyes" now more than ever.

January 1, 2013

Matthew 5

"Blessed."  What does it mean to be blessed in the sense of the Beatitudes blessings?  Happy?  Wealthy?  Trouble free?  In fact, the blessings Jesus refers to in the fifth chapter of Matthew are none of these.  The meek, poor in spirit, merciful and peacemakers will be blessed with a divine peace of mind and spirit.  It is a calm confidence that comes from realizing the second half of each beatitude is a guarantee for obedient children of God.

I remember in college I had to take a very rudimentary computer programming language.  Remember this was 30 years ago, so most likely this "language" is no longer even used.  Part of the class' requirements was to write programs using "basic".   One assignment was to use all the specific commands and signs to set up an amortization table for a car loan, including interest paid.  I remember little from the course.  I do recall "if then" statements.  These were statements that told the computer, "if a certain value is present, then take a particular action."

The Beatitudes are a sort of Christian "if then" statements.  The blessings promised will not be available until a person adopts the attitude or action that precedes that blessing.  We cannot expect God to endow us with the blessings of Christian life if we are not willing to act, think and speak in accordance with His word.  Are we earning God's blessings?  I think to some extent we are.  Salvation is not earned, but the promised blessings are more of the actions we take.  Rethink Alert:  "Earned" is not the term for which I was searching, but a Christian can place oneself in the position of receiving God's blessings when we are obedient to his Word.

If one wishes for a more blessed 2013, then self-reflection and self-examination may be a good place to begin.