Psalm 82
What do we do when we find out that we got it all wrong?
I've been getting it wrong for so long that I sometimes forget what is right. For as long as I can remember, I have been given instruction and rules to follow. We can sometimes call these rules moral codes. The things that supposed to teach us the right way to live.
Take all this into consideration, and I've messed them up from day one. Oh, I've tried to get it right and I've gone out of my way to do the right thing.
The thing is, I think that we all get lazy and let our guard down, and that's where the trouble lies.
It has been said that there is no one so blind as those who refuse to see. That's a very true saying that was true a long time ago, and lives on to this day. Let's face it. We start out with good intentions and then we let things like, oh let's just say, favoritism or laziness, fog our outlook on what we are truly supposed to do.
1 God calls the judges into his courtroom, he puts all the judges in the dock.
2 "Enough! You’ve corrupted justice long enough, you’ve let the wicked get away with murder.
3 You’re here to defend the defenseless, to make sure that underdogs get a fair break;
4 Your job is to stand up for the powerless, and prosecute all those who exploit them."
Oops. Where did we go wrong with this one?
Is it because of greed?
I don't really know. What we do know is that the example here applies to today.
We sometimes just take our eyes off the ball, and it hits us in the face. From then on we take what we think are the proper precautions to save face, forgetting what we are called to do, and do the thing that is easiest to do, or sometimes the thing that offers us the most profit.
5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven’t a clue to what’s going on. And now everything’s falling apart, the world’s coming unglued.
6 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God,
7 But you’ve betrayed your commission and now you’re stripped of your rank, busted."
8 O God, give them their just deserts! You’ve got the whole world in your hands!
Problem is, we get called out on our missteps. We are accountable for what we do whether we think it is fair or not.
The Bible tells us that we will have to stand before God and give an account of our lives. I hope that I can eventually get it right, listen to what I've been instructed to do, and do the right thing.
I really do want to. How about you?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
WHEN WRONG IS RIGHT, AND RIGHT WRONG.
Isaiah 5: 18 – 23
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
In the world that we live in today, things seem to have flip-flopped from the way we used to live. I don't think that my recollections are that far off, I mean, things that we used to think of as sinful, are now just referred to as “alternative lifestyles”'.
What we used to call murder is now called choice, we have wiped our foundational beliefs from the public square.
Even the Wicked Witch of the west, is now shown to be a sympathetic character, rather than the depiction of evil that we all grew up with. (remember, She controlled those evil flying monkeys)
In other words; what we knew as right, is now called wrong.
During the time of the prophet Isaiah, there was a great moral reversal. People began to leave the teachings of their elders behind. Some folks even thought that murder, idolatry, and adultery, were good things. Like today, the weight of their sin was lifted, not by confession and repentance, but by bringing those sins into the light of day and proclaiming to them it just feels right, and that their sin should be celebrated.
Boy am I getting preachy. What I'm trying to point out is that the prophets, like Isaiah, were true prophets and visionaries.
It is said that the one test that a person is a prophet, is to see if what they said becomes truth.
Unfortunately, I think that Isaiah came through with flying colors on this topic, and very fortunate for us on others.
We can see that popular culture is constantly challenging Biblical values, turning things upside down in doing so.
The only defense we have is to read, study, memorize, and live out the word of God.
18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so that we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so that we may know it."
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks,
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
True words then, true words now.
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
In the world that we live in today, things seem to have flip-flopped from the way we used to live. I don't think that my recollections are that far off, I mean, things that we used to think of as sinful, are now just referred to as “alternative lifestyles”'.
What we used to call murder is now called choice, we have wiped our foundational beliefs from the public square.
Even the Wicked Witch of the west, is now shown to be a sympathetic character, rather than the depiction of evil that we all grew up with. (remember, She controlled those evil flying monkeys)
In other words; what we knew as right, is now called wrong.
During the time of the prophet Isaiah, there was a great moral reversal. People began to leave the teachings of their elders behind. Some folks even thought that murder, idolatry, and adultery, were good things. Like today, the weight of their sin was lifted, not by confession and repentance, but by bringing those sins into the light of day and proclaiming to them it just feels right, and that their sin should be celebrated.
Boy am I getting preachy. What I'm trying to point out is that the prophets, like Isaiah, were true prophets and visionaries.
It is said that the one test that a person is a prophet, is to see if what they said becomes truth.
Unfortunately, I think that Isaiah came through with flying colors on this topic, and very fortunate for us on others.
We can see that popular culture is constantly challenging Biblical values, turning things upside down in doing so.
The only defense we have is to read, study, memorize, and live out the word of God.
18 Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,
19 to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so that we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so that we may know it."
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks,
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
True words then, true words now.
Monday, May 25, 2009
PATRIOT GUARD
Mathew 26: 6 – 13
These are strange times we live in, and to be honest, I feel confused and amazed at the way we treat our armed forces, and those who have paid the ultimate price while in the service of this nation.
I hate to say this, but, there are people in this country that will protest, and say the most vile things at a fallen soldiers wake and funeral. I am also ashamed to say that one of the most vocal groups doing and saying these things are a group of people who claim to be Christian.
It's bad enough that the protesters dishonor the memory of the fallen hero, but it hurts the surviving family members to the core.
And the protesters are proud of their actions.
Thankfully there is a group started by veterans, who ride motorcycles, that form a shield around the funeral home and the cemetery to ensure that the family and friends of the fallen loved one, won't be disturbed by these misled yahoos.
6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper,
7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Okay. Maybe the disciples weren't a bunch of yahoos and protesters, but they were confused in their thinking about the actions of the woman with the jar of perfume.
She, like the Patriot Guard Riders do today, was honoring Jesus by preparing Jesus for his body for burial, as he was preparing to give the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.
Jesus showed the importance of paying tribute. He said that she would be remembered for years to come. The disciples were indignant, and thought her actions were wasteful, but Jesus called it a good work that would be honored.
The Patriot Guard Riders do good and honorable works that will be remembered by many people. If you see a biker with a Patriot Guard sticker on his bike, or helmet, take a minute and thank him/her for the service he/she provides.
These are strange times we live in, and to be honest, I feel confused and amazed at the way we treat our armed forces, and those who have paid the ultimate price while in the service of this nation.
I hate to say this, but, there are people in this country that will protest, and say the most vile things at a fallen soldiers wake and funeral. I am also ashamed to say that one of the most vocal groups doing and saying these things are a group of people who claim to be Christian.
It's bad enough that the protesters dishonor the memory of the fallen hero, but it hurts the surviving family members to the core.
And the protesters are proud of their actions.
Thankfully there is a group started by veterans, who ride motorcycles, that form a shield around the funeral home and the cemetery to ensure that the family and friends of the fallen loved one, won't be disturbed by these misled yahoos.
6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper,
7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
9 "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.
12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Okay. Maybe the disciples weren't a bunch of yahoos and protesters, but they were confused in their thinking about the actions of the woman with the jar of perfume.
She, like the Patriot Guard Riders do today, was honoring Jesus by preparing Jesus for his body for burial, as he was preparing to give the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.
Jesus showed the importance of paying tribute. He said that she would be remembered for years to come. The disciples were indignant, and thought her actions were wasteful, but Jesus called it a good work that would be honored.
The Patriot Guard Riders do good and honorable works that will be remembered by many people. If you see a biker with a Patriot Guard sticker on his bike, or helmet, take a minute and thank him/her for the service he/she provides.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
CLEAR THE ROAD
.
Isaiah 40: 3 – 5
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
This may sound odd, but when going on vacation, I love to drive. Put me behind the wheel and I will start eating up miles and looking at the changing scenery, until I get too tired to go on.
One of the best things about driving in this country is that we have an interstate highway system that is the best in the world.
When General Eisenhower came back to this country after W.W.II, he commissioned the building of the highways. This one act of engineering, made moving from coast to coast pretty simple. Mountains were leveled or tunneled through, valleys were crossed with bridges, and roads were straightened.
This was done to make it easy for the military to move large amounts of men and material anywhere easily for the defense of our nation.
I'm not here to write a travelogue or let out my secret desires. I hope that I am using barely veiled metaphor about scripture. As a nation, we did all the things called for in preparing the way of the Lord. But for different reasons.
The Bible tells us that we are to prepare the way for the Lord. This means that we are to make ready a place in our hearts for the presence of Jesus in our lives.
What needs to be done to give Jesus an all access pass to your heart?
Are there rough patches caused by bitterness in you that need to be bulldozed with forgiveness?
Do you have valleys of doubt that need to be filled with contentment?
Spiritual engineering is no easy feat. As I once read; “Salvation ain't for wimps”.
Building the highway system took decades, and I know that it seems like an impossible act to make access to our hearts, but we can't afford to neglect our salvation.
Prepare the way for the King.
Isaiah 40: 3 – 5
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
This may sound odd, but when going on vacation, I love to drive. Put me behind the wheel and I will start eating up miles and looking at the changing scenery, until I get too tired to go on.
One of the best things about driving in this country is that we have an interstate highway system that is the best in the world.
When General Eisenhower came back to this country after W.W.II, he commissioned the building of the highways. This one act of engineering, made moving from coast to coast pretty simple. Mountains were leveled or tunneled through, valleys were crossed with bridges, and roads were straightened.
This was done to make it easy for the military to move large amounts of men and material anywhere easily for the defense of our nation.
I'm not here to write a travelogue or let out my secret desires. I hope that I am using barely veiled metaphor about scripture. As a nation, we did all the things called for in preparing the way of the Lord. But for different reasons.
The Bible tells us that we are to prepare the way for the Lord. This means that we are to make ready a place in our hearts for the presence of Jesus in our lives.
What needs to be done to give Jesus an all access pass to your heart?
Are there rough patches caused by bitterness in you that need to be bulldozed with forgiveness?
Do you have valleys of doubt that need to be filled with contentment?
Spiritual engineering is no easy feat. As I once read; “Salvation ain't for wimps”.
Building the highway system took decades, and I know that it seems like an impossible act to make access to our hearts, but we can't afford to neglect our salvation.
Prepare the way for the King.
Friday, May 22, 2009
I'M RIGHT, YOU MUST BE WRONG.
Luke 6: 37 – 42
I don't know why other people can't see things my way. After all, my opinion is the right one. But, for some reason, those stubborn folk refuse to acknowledge that I am right.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I will bet that from time to time, we have all said words to that effect. We get it into our heads that we are right, and there is no shifting that idea or feeling. It's an ego thing.
The only problem seems to be, that when we get into that mind set, we are usually wrong or at least not right about the situation.
I hate Lilacs. They take over everything that comes near them. I mean just try to put a border of flowers around a Lilac bush and watch what happens. The flowers get choked out until only the Lilac remains. Plus, I am allergic to that dreaded plant which makes me suffer terribly when they come into bloom. On the other hand, I have met other people who think the opposite about these bushes. To them, the Lilac is a beautiful plant bursting with color only found in early spring, giving off a delightful aroma that greets the morning and lasts into the evening. Bringing along a cup of good coffee enhances the experience of the Lilac perfume enabling them to sit back sip the coffee and let the pleasant aroma fill their minds with peaceful thoughts.
Hogwash! Those people are foolish and need a good dose of logic.
So, who's right?
37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Here we go again. The word of God shows off our inequity. The word points out our human failures and imperfections. Our will can run riot and inflate our ego's to the bursting point so that we are unable to see that we may be mistaken with our opinions.
We must be on constant alert to keep our focus on the word, and not on our own personalities.
I don't know why other people can't see things my way. After all, my opinion is the right one. But, for some reason, those stubborn folk refuse to acknowledge that I am right.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I will bet that from time to time, we have all said words to that effect. We get it into our heads that we are right, and there is no shifting that idea or feeling. It's an ego thing.
The only problem seems to be, that when we get into that mind set, we are usually wrong or at least not right about the situation.
I hate Lilacs. They take over everything that comes near them. I mean just try to put a border of flowers around a Lilac bush and watch what happens. The flowers get choked out until only the Lilac remains. Plus, I am allergic to that dreaded plant which makes me suffer terribly when they come into bloom. On the other hand, I have met other people who think the opposite about these bushes. To them, the Lilac is a beautiful plant bursting with color only found in early spring, giving off a delightful aroma that greets the morning and lasts into the evening. Bringing along a cup of good coffee enhances the experience of the Lilac perfume enabling them to sit back sip the coffee and let the pleasant aroma fill their minds with peaceful thoughts.
Hogwash! Those people are foolish and need a good dose of logic.
So, who's right?
37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Here we go again. The word of God shows off our inequity. The word points out our human failures and imperfections. Our will can run riot and inflate our ego's to the bursting point so that we are unable to see that we may be mistaken with our opinions.
We must be on constant alert to keep our focus on the word, and not on our own personalities.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
THAT IS THE QUESTION.
Acts 3: 1 – 10
my wife has this CD that she listens to quite frequently.
If I'm not mistaken, the CD is by Ann Graham Lott, Billy's daughter.
The title of this is; “Just Give Me Jesus”, because she thinks that the bottom line is, that's all we need.
One of the questions that many of us have, especially when we are new at this Christianity. Is Jesus enough?
I'm sure that we all have our opinions on that question. I know that I have mine. It's not that I doubt, I just have these times in my life when, in times of stress, I try to take things into my own hands and leave Jesus behind. Trust me that never works. I think that it must just be human nature.
When we let Jesus be the center, things change.
1 ¶ One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.
2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
Jesus was enough for the crippled man at the gate. His life was changed the second that he was introduced to Jesus.
Many of us have had similar experiences. We may not have been physically crippled, sometimes we have a crippled spirit, even our behaviors can be crippling.
When we find ourselves in these situations, the introduction of Jesus fills the hole that we have had in our hearts for a long time. We begin to jump about and praise God. Then we run into a problem.
Almost as soon as we turn our lives over to Jesus, we take it right back.
What a foolish lot we are.
I pray for, and long for, the day when I can say that Jesus is more than enough for me, mean it, and not let my spirit separate me from God.
I love you guys
Roadblock
><>
my wife has this CD that she listens to quite frequently.
If I'm not mistaken, the CD is by Ann Graham Lott, Billy's daughter.
The title of this is; “Just Give Me Jesus”, because she thinks that the bottom line is, that's all we need.
One of the questions that many of us have, especially when we are new at this Christianity. Is Jesus enough?
I'm sure that we all have our opinions on that question. I know that I have mine. It's not that I doubt, I just have these times in my life when, in times of stress, I try to take things into my own hands and leave Jesus behind. Trust me that never works. I think that it must just be human nature.
When we let Jesus be the center, things change.
1 ¶ One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.
2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
Jesus was enough for the crippled man at the gate. His life was changed the second that he was introduced to Jesus.
Many of us have had similar experiences. We may not have been physically crippled, sometimes we have a crippled spirit, even our behaviors can be crippling.
When we find ourselves in these situations, the introduction of Jesus fills the hole that we have had in our hearts for a long time. We begin to jump about and praise God. Then we run into a problem.
Almost as soon as we turn our lives over to Jesus, we take it right back.
What a foolish lot we are.
I pray for, and long for, the day when I can say that Jesus is more than enough for me, mean it, and not let my spirit separate me from God.
I love you guys
Roadblock
><>
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE.
John 9: 1 – 11
The first two hymns I ever learned were; “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace”. I remember just loving those songs, and would sing them when I was playing by myself in the backyard.
In Amazing Grace, the line that always made me stop and think was; “Was blind but now I see”.
To the mind of a four year old, that seemed to be something. Was that person in the song really blind? How did hr get around? Was it scary not being able to see?
The only thing was that I didn't have anyone to answer those questions, so in youthful frustration, I put the subject away and thought of other things.
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
If I take the story of this blind man at face value, I can tell that it is about a true healing. The man whom had no eye sight, now could see with the best of them. But, it also tells us the the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Now that I am older than that thoughtful youth I once was, I find myself leaning a bit towards the spiritual blindness as well.
Unless we believe, how will we see God's work in anybodies life?
10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.
11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
To me that is a statement of belief. He told him, he went, he got his reward.
Simple. Period point blank. Nothing more need be said.
Yet, it still seems muddy to me. Yes there is a physical healing of this mans blindness but, if he didn't believe that “man they call Jesus”, he would not have been healed.
So , I guess no matter how we look at that hymn, and the word, we will always have that double minded approach to the word of God. Especially when we try to apply the word to our lives.
The word contains absolute truth, there is no doubt about that, but it can also be metaphorical, thereby lending itself to our better understanding of our faith.
There is an old saying that we hear bandied about in every movie, TV show, or radio show whenever the protagonist is in a dilemma. “The truth will set you free”. As good advice as I've ever heard. The truth is by telling the truth, it will be cathartic taking a great weight of your shoulders.
Then again, Jesus said that He was the truth. And, He will set you truly free indeed.
The first two hymns I ever learned were; “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace”. I remember just loving those songs, and would sing them when I was playing by myself in the backyard.
In Amazing Grace, the line that always made me stop and think was; “Was blind but now I see”.
To the mind of a four year old, that seemed to be something. Was that person in the song really blind? How did hr get around? Was it scary not being able to see?
The only thing was that I didn't have anyone to answer those questions, so in youthful frustration, I put the subject away and thought of other things.
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
If I take the story of this blind man at face value, I can tell that it is about a true healing. The man whom had no eye sight, now could see with the best of them. But, it also tells us the the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Now that I am older than that thoughtful youth I once was, I find myself leaning a bit towards the spiritual blindness as well.
Unless we believe, how will we see God's work in anybodies life?
10 "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.
11 He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
To me that is a statement of belief. He told him, he went, he got his reward.
Simple. Period point blank. Nothing more need be said.
Yet, it still seems muddy to me. Yes there is a physical healing of this mans blindness but, if he didn't believe that “man they call Jesus”, he would not have been healed.
So , I guess no matter how we look at that hymn, and the word, we will always have that double minded approach to the word of God. Especially when we try to apply the word to our lives.
The word contains absolute truth, there is no doubt about that, but it can also be metaphorical, thereby lending itself to our better understanding of our faith.
There is an old saying that we hear bandied about in every movie, TV show, or radio show whenever the protagonist is in a dilemma. “The truth will set you free”. As good advice as I've ever heard. The truth is by telling the truth, it will be cathartic taking a great weight of your shoulders.
Then again, Jesus said that He was the truth. And, He will set you truly free indeed.
Monday, May 18, 2009
NOT HAND MADE, TAILOR MADE.
2 Corinthians 5: 1 – 11
1 For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade
2 —and we’ll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies!
Lately I've been reading the Message translation. I find that, every now and then, it shows an insight that word for word translations don't. It somehow makes sense to me.
Paul refers to our bodies as tents to be folded away only to be dressed in our resurrection bodies.
When asked on their birthday how it felt to be a year older? I have heard people say that it beats the alternative.
Let's consider what the alternative to life is. The alternative to life is death. Even though I don't want to die, nor do I have suicidal feelings, being alive means being separated from God (physically), while death is like a homecoming.
5 The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
9 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions.
Now, I hate to settle for less. I did that enough times in my life when I was lost in my addictions.
But, now that I have gotten that glimpse of what awaits, I can't help but live to please God.
That means that we don't let a few little problems distract us from our purpose in life. We don't fall by the wayside and lose our faith just because things don't go the way we want them to.
Why?
10 Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.
11 That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care.
So we have to ask ourselves; Are we ready to face the judgment that is to come?
Be vigilant.
Keep working to please God.
Be ready to fold up that tent of yours to exchange it for a new covering that is not handmade.
1 For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade
2 —and we’ll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies!
Lately I've been reading the Message translation. I find that, every now and then, it shows an insight that word for word translations don't. It somehow makes sense to me.
Paul refers to our bodies as tents to be folded away only to be dressed in our resurrection bodies.
When asked on their birthday how it felt to be a year older? I have heard people say that it beats the alternative.
Let's consider what the alternative to life is. The alternative to life is death. Even though I don't want to die, nor do I have suicidal feelings, being alive means being separated from God (physically), while death is like a homecoming.
5 The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
9 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions.
Now, I hate to settle for less. I did that enough times in my life when I was lost in my addictions.
But, now that I have gotten that glimpse of what awaits, I can't help but live to please God.
That means that we don't let a few little problems distract us from our purpose in life. We don't fall by the wayside and lose our faith just because things don't go the way we want them to.
Why?
10 Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.
11 That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care.
So we have to ask ourselves; Are we ready to face the judgment that is to come?
Be vigilant.
Keep working to please God.
Be ready to fold up that tent of yours to exchange it for a new covering that is not handmade.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDREL
Ezekiel 16: 48 – 63
Arrogance gets us into trouble all the time. It can start when we begin to feel that we are better than the guy next to us. Once that feeling begins, our ego's grow by leaps and bounds until we reach the “Don't you know who I am” stage when somebody finally slaps us down.
The unfortunate thing about being arrogant is that we don't notice it as it grows in us. It's sort of like that whole boiling a frog thing. You know the one that says that if you try to boil a frog by putting it into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out every time. But if you put the same frog in a pot of cool water, and slowly turn up the heat, the frog won't notice the change in temperature and will let itself be cooked.
And cooked we become when we act in sinful ways.
48 As sure as I am the living God!—Decree of GOD, the Master—your sister Sodom and her daughters never even came close to what you and your daughters have done
51 "’And Samaria. Samaria didn’t sin half as much as you. You’ve committed far more obscenities than she ever did. Why, you make your two sisters look good in comparison with what you’ve done!
52 Face it, your sisters look mighty good compared with you. Because you’ve out sinned them so completely, you’ve actually made them look righteous. Aren’t you ashamed? But you’re going to have to live with it. What a reputation to carry into history: out sinning your two sisters!
Yeesh. It hits me in the gut once again. When the word of God points out the character flaws that we have (I have), it kinda makes me feel uncomfortable.
There I go again having to change the way I behave, and change the way I act towards others.
Again!
Thankfully God gives us a chance at redemption. Thankfully He offers us a way to change our ways, and receive salvation and forgiveness.
53 "’But I’m going to reverse their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters. And—get this—your fortunes right along with them!
56 Remember the days when you were putting on airs, acting so high and mighty, looking down on sister Sodom?
62 I’ll firmly establish my covenant with you and you’ll know that I am GOD.
63 You’ll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you, make everything right after all you’ve done, it will leave you speechless.’" Decree of GOD, the Master. (The Message)
How lovely it is to be in a relationship with the living God.
He sees us for the dirty rotten people we are, give us the opportunity to change our ways, then forgets our transgressions so that we be together for all time.
I don't know about you, but, that makes me feel pretty good, and makes me want to face the rest of my shameful behaviors, confront them, confess them, and receive God's grace.
Arrogance gets us into trouble all the time. It can start when we begin to feel that we are better than the guy next to us. Once that feeling begins, our ego's grow by leaps and bounds until we reach the “Don't you know who I am” stage when somebody finally slaps us down.
The unfortunate thing about being arrogant is that we don't notice it as it grows in us. It's sort of like that whole boiling a frog thing. You know the one that says that if you try to boil a frog by putting it into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out every time. But if you put the same frog in a pot of cool water, and slowly turn up the heat, the frog won't notice the change in temperature and will let itself be cooked.
And cooked we become when we act in sinful ways.
48 As sure as I am the living God!—Decree of GOD, the Master—your sister Sodom and her daughters never even came close to what you and your daughters have done
51 "’And Samaria. Samaria didn’t sin half as much as you. You’ve committed far more obscenities than she ever did. Why, you make your two sisters look good in comparison with what you’ve done!
52 Face it, your sisters look mighty good compared with you. Because you’ve out sinned them so completely, you’ve actually made them look righteous. Aren’t you ashamed? But you’re going to have to live with it. What a reputation to carry into history: out sinning your two sisters!
Yeesh. It hits me in the gut once again. When the word of God points out the character flaws that we have (I have), it kinda makes me feel uncomfortable.
There I go again having to change the way I behave, and change the way I act towards others.
Again!
Thankfully God gives us a chance at redemption. Thankfully He offers us a way to change our ways, and receive salvation and forgiveness.
53 "’But I’m going to reverse their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters. And—get this—your fortunes right along with them!
56 Remember the days when you were putting on airs, acting so high and mighty, looking down on sister Sodom?
62 I’ll firmly establish my covenant with you and you’ll know that I am GOD.
63 You’ll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you, make everything right after all you’ve done, it will leave you speechless.’" Decree of GOD, the Master. (The Message)
How lovely it is to be in a relationship with the living God.
He sees us for the dirty rotten people we are, give us the opportunity to change our ways, then forgets our transgressions so that we be together for all time.
I don't know about you, but, that makes me feel pretty good, and makes me want to face the rest of my shameful behaviors, confront them, confess them, and receive God's grace.
Friday, May 15, 2009
I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY!
1 Corinthians 2: 6 – 16
Popular culture, today, tells us that all we need to have a fulfilling life is to find happiness. Wow. Cool. Just be happy. That should be easy enough to attain. After all, there are the laws of attraction to follow that will lead us to our happy place.
Yep, there is something called the law of attraction. The only thing we need to do, according to the law, is to think only of things that make you happy, and as if by “magic” happy things will be attracted to you.
And they say that there are no more philosophers around today.
The Bible, however, tells us something completely different about reaching the secret of a fulfilling life.
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
I think that it's looking bad for the happy attraction people.
Things are not as simple as they appear.
Sure, we all want to be happy and live a fulfilling life, but that has more to do with our growth in the Holy Spirit, and a more intimate relationship with God.
9 That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—What God has arranged for those who love him.
10 But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.
11 Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking,
12 but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.
15 Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics.
16 Isaiah’s question, "Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit. (The message)
There are times when the Message says it best.
We want a relationship with God, but if we don't know how to do that, let alone know what other people think, how do we achieve this goal?
We get to know Jesus more thoroughly gaining in the law of the spirit that we seek for after the laws of sin and death weigh heavily upon us.
These things help us to know God more fully, and achieve that true happiness of a life worth living.
Popular culture, today, tells us that all we need to have a fulfilling life is to find happiness. Wow. Cool. Just be happy. That should be easy enough to attain. After all, there are the laws of attraction to follow that will lead us to our happy place.
Yep, there is something called the law of attraction. The only thing we need to do, according to the law, is to think only of things that make you happy, and as if by “magic” happy things will be attracted to you.
And they say that there are no more philosophers around today.
The Bible, however, tells us something completely different about reaching the secret of a fulfilling life.
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
I think that it's looking bad for the happy attraction people.
Things are not as simple as they appear.
Sure, we all want to be happy and live a fulfilling life, but that has more to do with our growth in the Holy Spirit, and a more intimate relationship with God.
9 That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—What God has arranged for those who love him.
10 But you’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.
11 Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking,
12 but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.
15 Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics.
16 Isaiah’s question, "Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit. (The message)
There are times when the Message says it best.
We want a relationship with God, but if we don't know how to do that, let alone know what other people think, how do we achieve this goal?
We get to know Jesus more thoroughly gaining in the law of the spirit that we seek for after the laws of sin and death weigh heavily upon us.
These things help us to know God more fully, and achieve that true happiness of a life worth living.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
THE INVITATION.
Mathew 3: 18 – 22
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
We all know this story of how Jesus selected his twelve disciples. Follow me was all He needed to say, and they followed. But, why? They already held jobs in the family business, yet they dropped what they were doing and left with Him. And, it wasn't just because He was Jesus.
Back in those days, every boy in the village, was visited by the local Rabbi who asked them to follow him. It was common to see a Rabbi walking through the village with a large entourage of young boys at his heel. They were there to learn what we call today the “Old Testament”. The Rabbi would whittle down the boys until only the best were left to become the Rabbinical students.
All this means, to us, that Peter, John, James, and the rest of them were failures at becoming Rabbis. They all had lost the chance at being one of the most respected people in their community.
God, being God, used castaways for His glory and gave us an example of His forgiveness and grace.
He affirms the fact that He is the God of the second chance.
God took a broke down, no good, dirty rotten drunk like me, whom had no redeeming qualities, and turned my life around as I responded to His invitation to follow Him.
Hey, I'm not trying to equate myself with those famous twelve guys, all I'm saying is that God can and will call to us and invite us to follow His lead. We have the choice to do so or not, but, unlike those Rabbi's of old, rather than whittle us down, Christ builds us up. Where we fail, He covers our errors. When we fall, He picks us up.
So, come on. Follow Him.
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
We all know this story of how Jesus selected his twelve disciples. Follow me was all He needed to say, and they followed. But, why? They already held jobs in the family business, yet they dropped what they were doing and left with Him. And, it wasn't just because He was Jesus.
Back in those days, every boy in the village, was visited by the local Rabbi who asked them to follow him. It was common to see a Rabbi walking through the village with a large entourage of young boys at his heel. They were there to learn what we call today the “Old Testament”. The Rabbi would whittle down the boys until only the best were left to become the Rabbinical students.
All this means, to us, that Peter, John, James, and the rest of them were failures at becoming Rabbis. They all had lost the chance at being one of the most respected people in their community.
God, being God, used castaways for His glory and gave us an example of His forgiveness and grace.
He affirms the fact that He is the God of the second chance.
God took a broke down, no good, dirty rotten drunk like me, whom had no redeeming qualities, and turned my life around as I responded to His invitation to follow Him.
Hey, I'm not trying to equate myself with those famous twelve guys, all I'm saying is that God can and will call to us and invite us to follow His lead. We have the choice to do so or not, but, unlike those Rabbi's of old, rather than whittle us down, Christ builds us up. Where we fail, He covers our errors. When we fall, He picks us up.
So, come on. Follow Him.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
WHAT DOES IT MATTER?
Philippians 1: 19 – 26
Hamlet asked the right question. To be, or not to be. We are familiar with quote from the Shakespeare play, and I am sure that we have asked the question of our own situation. Hamlet was contemplating suicide after all the shenanigans happening at Elsinore castle with his family.
I think that Paul was kinda talking about the same thing after being a prisoner in Rome and felt that his race may have come to the finish line. But he also had a great reason and goal to continue the fight that give us so much comfort in the Bible.
Paul knows the situation that he is in and what the consequences would be if he chose not to be.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Even today, I am sure that there are some of us whom contemplate the issues of their own life or death, for as Paul says, “to die is gain”. This doesn't mean that we are all a bunch of suicidal lunatics, it just means that we are aware of what lays before us in the life to come.
We know that the world is crumbling all around us and it seems as if our message of love and hope rings hollow in the ears of many who hear us. Nothing appears to be getting any better and we feel helpless to make a difference. Maybe it is time to check out and dance with Jesus?
But then again, if we don't at least tell people about Christ, then who will?
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
Paul knew, as did God, that there was, is, and always will be a remnant of people who believe who will spread His word. His gospel. We are part of that remnant and must soldier on in our quest to make disciples of all nations and tongues.
To live is Christ!
Let's start living'.
Hamlet asked the right question. To be, or not to be. We are familiar with quote from the Shakespeare play, and I am sure that we have asked the question of our own situation. Hamlet was contemplating suicide after all the shenanigans happening at Elsinore castle with his family.
I think that Paul was kinda talking about the same thing after being a prisoner in Rome and felt that his race may have come to the finish line. But he also had a great reason and goal to continue the fight that give us so much comfort in the Bible.
Paul knows the situation that he is in and what the consequences would be if he chose not to be.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
Even today, I am sure that there are some of us whom contemplate the issues of their own life or death, for as Paul says, “to die is gain”. This doesn't mean that we are all a bunch of suicidal lunatics, it just means that we are aware of what lays before us in the life to come.
We know that the world is crumbling all around us and it seems as if our message of love and hope rings hollow in the ears of many who hear us. Nothing appears to be getting any better and we feel helpless to make a difference. Maybe it is time to check out and dance with Jesus?
But then again, if we don't at least tell people about Christ, then who will?
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
Paul knew, as did God, that there was, is, and always will be a remnant of people who believe who will spread His word. His gospel. We are part of that remnant and must soldier on in our quest to make disciples of all nations and tongues.
To live is Christ!
Let's start living'.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR
Mathew 8: 5 – 10
All of us, who call ourselves, Christian have faith. And, we all have different levels, feelings, and thoughts about faith. We know that people can be justified by faith and are said to have righteousness bestowed upon them by the Lord.
But I sometimes struggle with just what faith is. Oh, I know the classic definition about the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1) I also know that I have faith. I just struggle with the depth of that faith. I am also sure that others suffer the same issues.
We all claim that we have faith that God will provide for our needs. But, how many of us remain calm when there is too much month at the end of the money? Or, who of us doesn't freak out (just a little) when we find out that a loved one is seriously ill?
Why do we “lose” faith when things don't work out the way we want?
What would it be like for us if we had the strong faith we claim to have, along with the simple faith of a child? That unshakable faith that leaves no doubt.
Remember the story of the Roman Centurion?
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Now that's what I call faith. And, apparently Jesus agrees with me.
10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
I pray that someday, Jesus would say that of me. But, boy howdy, I sure have a long way to go before that can be said.
We may all fall short of the goal of the perfect faith, but God gave us a blueprint to follow to attain the faith that we hope to have one day.
All of us, who call ourselves, Christian have faith. And, we all have different levels, feelings, and thoughts about faith. We know that people can be justified by faith and are said to have righteousness bestowed upon them by the Lord.
But I sometimes struggle with just what faith is. Oh, I know the classic definition about the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1) I also know that I have faith. I just struggle with the depth of that faith. I am also sure that others suffer the same issues.
We all claim that we have faith that God will provide for our needs. But, how many of us remain calm when there is too much month at the end of the money? Or, who of us doesn't freak out (just a little) when we find out that a loved one is seriously ill?
Why do we “lose” faith when things don't work out the way we want?
What would it be like for us if we had the strong faith we claim to have, along with the simple faith of a child? That unshakable faith that leaves no doubt.
Remember the story of the Roman Centurion?
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Now that's what I call faith. And, apparently Jesus agrees with me.
10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
I pray that someday, Jesus would say that of me. But, boy howdy, I sure have a long way to go before that can be said.
We may all fall short of the goal of the perfect faith, but God gave us a blueprint to follow to attain the faith that we hope to have one day.
Friday, May 8, 2009
WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE
2 Kings 5: 1 – 16
It has been said that every cloud has a silver lining and that out of every tragedy comes something good.
What good can come out of a car accident? What good can come from the death of a loved one? What good thing comes to us from being kidnapped, or having a serious illness?
Why did I ask that last question? Well, for one thing, it's talked about in 2 Kings 5.
God does nothing by coincidence.
There was this young unnamed girl who was taken from her family and country, and eventually ended up as a servant in the house of Naaman the General of the army of King Aram.
Why, or how was God going to use a kidnapped girl and her captor to bring glory to His name?
Because He's God that's why!
Naaman suffered from leprosy and was desperate for a cure. The slave girl was a devout Jew who could have been angry about her position and cause nothing but discomfort for her master, but, instead gave him some good counsel about Elisha the prophet.
3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
Now. Here's when God steps in to show how a good thing can come from a bad thing.
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Make the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
A simple thing to do right? All Naaman had to do was dunk in the Jordan seven times, yet he wouldn't do it, because he felt it was beneath him to do so.
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?"
Convinced by his servants plea, Naaman did what was required to be cleansed and went into the Jordan seven times.
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
16 The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
There it is. God used a poor kidnapped slave girl, and her captor who need a healing to show God's glory. Nothing changed for the girl, as far as we know she remained a slave, but she was willing to share the God of Israel with someone and something good came out of her bad situation.
Naaman got baptized and came out of the water clean and praising God. Now that's a good thing out of misery.
All we have to do today is listen to Him follow where God leads us and then just see what He has in mind. Even when such bad thing happen to us that we think that we can never go on, a good thing will somehow come from it.
It has been said that every cloud has a silver lining and that out of every tragedy comes something good.
What good can come out of a car accident? What good can come from the death of a loved one? What good thing comes to us from being kidnapped, or having a serious illness?
Why did I ask that last question? Well, for one thing, it's talked about in 2 Kings 5.
God does nothing by coincidence.
There was this young unnamed girl who was taken from her family and country, and eventually ended up as a servant in the house of Naaman the General of the army of King Aram.
Why, or how was God going to use a kidnapped girl and her captor to bring glory to His name?
Because He's God that's why!
Naaman suffered from leprosy and was desperate for a cure. The slave girl was a devout Jew who could have been angry about her position and cause nothing but discomfort for her master, but, instead gave him some good counsel about Elisha the prophet.
3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
Now. Here's when God steps in to show how a good thing can come from a bad thing.
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Make the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
A simple thing to do right? All Naaman had to do was dunk in the Jordan seven times, yet he wouldn't do it, because he felt it was beneath him to do so.
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?"
Convinced by his servants plea, Naaman did what was required to be cleansed and went into the Jordan seven times.
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
16 The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
There it is. God used a poor kidnapped slave girl, and her captor who need a healing to show God's glory. Nothing changed for the girl, as far as we know she remained a slave, but she was willing to share the God of Israel with someone and something good came out of her bad situation.
Naaman got baptized and came out of the water clean and praising God. Now that's a good thing out of misery.
All we have to do today is listen to Him follow where God leads us and then just see what He has in mind. Even when such bad thing happen to us that we think that we can never go on, a good thing will somehow come from it.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
YOU CAN'T SAVE TIME, YOU CAN ONLY WASTE IT
Galatians 4: 1 – 7
In the old western movies, just when the good guys were about to be over run by the bad guys or the Indians, the calvary would arrive just in the nick of time to save everybody.
I have had that experience with God.
As I am sure that I am not the only one to have gone through this, we all know what it's like to be at the end of our ropes with no hope of rescue. That's when God shows up. Right on time. Just in the nick of time to save us.
I have a friend who uses this old chestnut; “God is old, and He's slow, but, he always is n time.”
True words.
Having established the fact that God arrives on time, we have to wonder why He sent his son when He did.
The timing could not have been better. There was a common language, ease of travel, good roads, and Pax Romana (Roman peace) plus the fact that the world was aching for a savior.
Explaining how God comes to the rescue, Paul wrote about it in the book of Galatians.
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Clear and simple. Not only that, it makes sense. The Bible tells us plainly that if we put our faith in God, He will be there for us when we need him most, riding to the rescue just like in the movies.
In the old western movies, just when the good guys were about to be over run by the bad guys or the Indians, the calvary would arrive just in the nick of time to save everybody.
I have had that experience with God.
As I am sure that I am not the only one to have gone through this, we all know what it's like to be at the end of our ropes with no hope of rescue. That's when God shows up. Right on time. Just in the nick of time to save us.
I have a friend who uses this old chestnut; “God is old, and He's slow, but, he always is n time.”
True words.
Having established the fact that God arrives on time, we have to wonder why He sent his son when He did.
The timing could not have been better. There was a common language, ease of travel, good roads, and Pax Romana (Roman peace) plus the fact that the world was aching for a savior.
Explaining how God comes to the rescue, Paul wrote about it in the book of Galatians.
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Clear and simple. Not only that, it makes sense. The Bible tells us plainly that if we put our faith in God, He will be there for us when we need him most, riding to the rescue just like in the movies.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
WHY ME?
1 Kings 19: 11 – 18
there was this guy that I worked with a couple of years ago who thought that everything was against him. He asked me one day what the weather was going to be like tomorrow to which I replied cold and snowy. (it was winter) he then said; “Why does this always happen to me”!
I was amazed when I heard that thinking boy is this guy self centered.
Elijah seems to have felt the same way, when he thought that he was all alone in his dedication to the Lord. Why else would he go to hide in a mountain cave scared for his life from the queen Jezebel.
10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
Kind of a long way of saying; Why me?
But, just like that guy I worked with Elijah had it all wrong. He was not the only one left as he thought he was. There were many in Israel that had chosen to not follow false gods.
18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
Elijah had done many amazing things as a prophet of God, yet he didn't see what God had in mind. He was hiding in a cave on the mountain when God told him to come out as He was about to pass by.
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
God did not present Himself in a grand and glorious way as many would think. No He made His presence known in a soft quiet voice, instantly showing Elijah how foolish his actions were. He was not alone as he thought, there was a multitude just waiting for him.
When we think that we stand alone, or that we are the only ones effected, let's listen to that soft voice to give us confidence and strength.
there was this guy that I worked with a couple of years ago who thought that everything was against him. He asked me one day what the weather was going to be like tomorrow to which I replied cold and snowy. (it was winter) he then said; “Why does this always happen to me”!
I was amazed when I heard that thinking boy is this guy self centered.
Elijah seems to have felt the same way, when he thought that he was all alone in his dedication to the Lord. Why else would he go to hide in a mountain cave scared for his life from the queen Jezebel.
10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
Kind of a long way of saying; Why me?
But, just like that guy I worked with Elijah had it all wrong. He was not the only one left as he thought he was. There were many in Israel that had chosen to not follow false gods.
18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
Elijah had done many amazing things as a prophet of God, yet he didn't see what God had in mind. He was hiding in a cave on the mountain when God told him to come out as He was about to pass by.
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
God did not present Himself in a grand and glorious way as many would think. No He made His presence known in a soft quiet voice, instantly showing Elijah how foolish his actions were. He was not alone as he thought, there was a multitude just waiting for him.
When we think that we stand alone, or that we are the only ones effected, let's listen to that soft voice to give us confidence and strength.
Monday, May 4, 2009
BARGAINS GALORE
1 Thessalonians 1
If we have a good experience somewhere, there is a tendency to tell our friends about it. Like when we discover a new restaurant, that we like, we recommend it to others. The examples can go on and on. But the basic thing is, if we like it we let people know about it.
Companies rely on friend to friend advertisement to improve business.
Ever watch kids at play? When I was a kid, we would pretend to be some hero or another when we played, I have noticed the same thing today. It doesn't matter if it's a sports hero or a TV character, kids imitate what they see, whether it's good or bad. Unfortunately, that applies to us too. Kids will imitate their parents.
But, we're not talking about TV, sports, or parents here, we're talking about one of the letters of Paul.
Paul was famous for telling others to follow him while he followed Christ.
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The “follow me” tactics really worked for the Thessalonian people, as well as others. We have to remember that the letters Paul wrote, as well as the other books of the new testament, were copied and read in all the churches just as they are today. Talk about getting the word out there, Boy Howdy.
Before long every Christian knew of the people of Thessalonica and how they were examples to follow.
8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,
The message of the gospel went to the known world through word of mouth means. And, I am pretty sure that everybody wanted to imitate not only the Thessalonians, but Paul as well.
How about you? Can anybody say that you're following the example of Paul?
If not, why not?
If we have a good experience somewhere, there is a tendency to tell our friends about it. Like when we discover a new restaurant, that we like, we recommend it to others. The examples can go on and on. But the basic thing is, if we like it we let people know about it.
Companies rely on friend to friend advertisement to improve business.
Ever watch kids at play? When I was a kid, we would pretend to be some hero or another when we played, I have noticed the same thing today. It doesn't matter if it's a sports hero or a TV character, kids imitate what they see, whether it's good or bad. Unfortunately, that applies to us too. Kids will imitate their parents.
But, we're not talking about TV, sports, or parents here, we're talking about one of the letters of Paul.
Paul was famous for telling others to follow him while he followed Christ.
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
The “follow me” tactics really worked for the Thessalonian people, as well as others. We have to remember that the letters Paul wrote, as well as the other books of the new testament, were copied and read in all the churches just as they are today. Talk about getting the word out there, Boy Howdy.
Before long every Christian knew of the people of Thessalonica and how they were examples to follow.
8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,
The message of the gospel went to the known world through word of mouth means. And, I am pretty sure that everybody wanted to imitate not only the Thessalonians, but Paul as well.
How about you? Can anybody say that you're following the example of Paul?
If not, why not?
Friday, May 1, 2009
MORAL BENCHMARK
Psalm 119: 129 – 136
129 ¶ Pe Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.
130 ¶ The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
I found this story on ODB;
Dan Ariely, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, conducted some tests on human behavior. In one experiment, the participants took an examination in which they would receive money for each correct answer. The participants didn’t know, however, that Ariely was not testing their knowledge but whether they would cheat. He set up the test so that the groups thought it would be easy to get away with cheating.
Prior to taking the exam, one group was asked to write down as many of the Ten Commandments as they could remember. To Ariely’s astonishment, none from this group cheated! But all the other groups did have those who cheated. Recalling a moral benchmark made the difference.
It is amazing what the word of God can do to our hearts.
There is a story written by Frank Perreti about a playground.
Once upon a time, there was a fence around the playground and a few easy to follow rules. Kids followed the rules and played every day on every inch of the fenced in park. Then one day, the people in charge of the playground felt that the fence around it and the rules were too constricting for the development of the children, so they had both removed.
When this was done, the kids still came to the park, but instead of playing, they just gathered in the middle of what was now an open piece of ground. Kids began acting out, fighting and finding other ways to get into trouble. Because there was no rules, then there were no rules to break, and everything seemed to be okay.
Like those kids, we all need a set of boundaries to free us to enjoy life. A moral benchmark, gives us the ability to live well with one another.
God gave us his word to be a “lamp unto our feet” to direct us in our moral choices. Otherwise, we would be like the groups of students that asked to remember the 10 commandments. As in our past, our lives would be out of control.
129 ¶ Pe Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.
130 ¶ The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
I found this story on ODB;
Dan Ariely, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, conducted some tests on human behavior. In one experiment, the participants took an examination in which they would receive money for each correct answer. The participants didn’t know, however, that Ariely was not testing their knowledge but whether they would cheat. He set up the test so that the groups thought it would be easy to get away with cheating.
Prior to taking the exam, one group was asked to write down as many of the Ten Commandments as they could remember. To Ariely’s astonishment, none from this group cheated! But all the other groups did have those who cheated. Recalling a moral benchmark made the difference.
It is amazing what the word of God can do to our hearts.
There is a story written by Frank Perreti about a playground.
Once upon a time, there was a fence around the playground and a few easy to follow rules. Kids followed the rules and played every day on every inch of the fenced in park. Then one day, the people in charge of the playground felt that the fence around it and the rules were too constricting for the development of the children, so they had both removed.
When this was done, the kids still came to the park, but instead of playing, they just gathered in the middle of what was now an open piece of ground. Kids began acting out, fighting and finding other ways to get into trouble. Because there was no rules, then there were no rules to break, and everything seemed to be okay.
Like those kids, we all need a set of boundaries to free us to enjoy life. A moral benchmark, gives us the ability to live well with one another.
God gave us his word to be a “lamp unto our feet” to direct us in our moral choices. Otherwise, we would be like the groups of students that asked to remember the 10 commandments. As in our past, our lives would be out of control.
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