(Today's reading - Exodus 25-26; Matthew 21: 1-22)
The LORD spoke to Moses and told him that He would come dwell with His people. "Let them make me a sanctuary,
that I
may dwell in their midst" (Ex 25: 8) God wanted to dwell with His people; He wanted to be near them and let them be near to Him. I like that. Not some far off God that doesn't care about His people, rather a near God that wanted to to share life with those that love and serve Him. More on that later.
I find verse 9 to be very enlightening. He tells them to build Him a home and then he tells them that they must build it exactly as He specified. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle,
and of all its furniture, so you shall make it. (Ex 25: 9) As an engineer/ designer/ builder, this verse speaks directly to my core being. When I design a structure and put it in the hands of a contractor to build, I want it built by my plan. Nothing else will do. If I find something that does not meet my specifications, it is removed and replaced. God speaks of the same intent. He wasn't going to live in just any house. It had to be built by His plans and nothing else would do. If He was to live there, it was to be a structure that He designed.
The following two chapters are amazing in their detail. Take a moment and read chapters 25 and 26. Incredible isn't it. God, the Architect revealing His plans and specifications for His house. Why the detail? Why does God want things just so for His dwelling place? The human side of things would say, "what difference does it make?". God says, "it makes a difference". Moses knew it made a difference and so he made it "exactly" as God had specified. Would God have come to live there if the plans had not been followed exactly? I don't know. Maybe. But, Moses wasn't willing to risk it, so he did just as he had been told to do.
What can we learn from this? God is a detail person? For sure. We need to follow His directions as exact as possible? You betcha. God wants to live with His people? Absolutely. All of this is a prelude to what we get in on in now... no longer does God dwell in building or sanctuaries to be near His people; no, now he dwells in His people. We are now the temple that He lives in...
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected
by men but chosen by God
and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built
into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2: 4,5)
For we are the temple of the living God. As
God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them,
and I will be their God, and they will be my people". (2 Cor 6:16)
The lesson for us is pretty clear... God expects us to follow His pattern, exactly! When we look at His word to find out how we become His temple, we must be exact, just like Moses! His plan must be followed if we expect Him to move in and take up residence in us. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that
everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine
closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save
both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4: 15-16)
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Freedom and the Law
(Today's reading- Exodus 22-24; Matt 20:17-34)
The children of Israel had lived as slaves for hundreds of years. Think about that for a moment... their lives were not their own. They did as they were told, they went where they were told to go, they ate what they were told to eat; everything in their lives was determined by someone else. Their sense of right and wrong was given to them by a wicked ruler.
Moses comes to town and leads them out of slavery. They were still the same people, their moral compass had been established under the yoke of slavery and its' abuses. So, God gave them the Law of Moses. No longer were they to live by Pharaoh's distorted view of life, now they were to live as God intended. His law was to govern their lives and they were to be a model society for the rest of the world.
When we read theses sections of the Old Testament, sometimes it seems boring or even nonsensical to us. But, when we put ourselves in the shoes of these freed slaves, we see the importance of such a thorough legal system. They came from a place that had warped their consciences and they needed a system that would change their actions and then (hopefully) their hearts. The New Testament puts it like this... Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)
Paul tells us the the Law was a tutor. Its' purpose was to prepare the Jew for a faith that was to come through Jesus. All these rules and regulations were to serve to prepare a people for a time that their lives would no longer be ruled by external regulations; rather they would live by faith. Their actions would be ruled by love, not by the letter of the law. Jesus tells us in the 5th chapter of Matthew that it is no longer about the outward action, now it is about the intent of the heart. We can hate someone and not kill them; but Jesus says we are guilty if our hearts condemn us.
God wants us to allow Him to change us on the inside. He wants us to be changed, not just obedient. The Law of Love is far superior to the Law of Moses. Paul puts it this way in Romans...For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, (Romans 8:3) No one could ever keep the Law perfectly, so by being lawbreakers, all were condemned. And the Hebrew writer tells us... The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7: 18-19) The Law had its' purpose, it was to prepare a people for the coming of His Son.
His people came out of bondage and into freedom. They still do. We can learn a lot from the Old Law. We can see easily what God hates and learn the things that please Him. He is the same God, so understanding conduct that shames us and displeases Him should be something that we care about. Has the Old Law been done away with? Absolutely and thanks be to God! But it can still serve as our tutor and help us to understand the blessings we have in our Savior. Dig in, read it over and over again and gain understanding of the mighty God that we serve. Let it change your conduct... and your heart.
The children of Israel had lived as slaves for hundreds of years. Think about that for a moment... their lives were not their own. They did as they were told, they went where they were told to go, they ate what they were told to eat; everything in their lives was determined by someone else. Their sense of right and wrong was given to them by a wicked ruler.
Moses comes to town and leads them out of slavery. They were still the same people, their moral compass had been established under the yoke of slavery and its' abuses. So, God gave them the Law of Moses. No longer were they to live by Pharaoh's distorted view of life, now they were to live as God intended. His law was to govern their lives and they were to be a model society for the rest of the world.
When we read theses sections of the Old Testament, sometimes it seems boring or even nonsensical to us. But, when we put ourselves in the shoes of these freed slaves, we see the importance of such a thorough legal system. They came from a place that had warped their consciences and they needed a system that would change their actions and then (hopefully) their hearts. The New Testament puts it like this... Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)
Paul tells us the the Law was a tutor. Its' purpose was to prepare the Jew for a faith that was to come through Jesus. All these rules and regulations were to serve to prepare a people for a time that their lives would no longer be ruled by external regulations; rather they would live by faith. Their actions would be ruled by love, not by the letter of the law. Jesus tells us in the 5th chapter of Matthew that it is no longer about the outward action, now it is about the intent of the heart. We can hate someone and not kill them; but Jesus says we are guilty if our hearts condemn us.
God wants us to allow Him to change us on the inside. He wants us to be changed, not just obedient. The Law of Love is far superior to the Law of Moses. Paul puts it this way in Romans...For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, (Romans 8:3) No one could ever keep the Law perfectly, so by being lawbreakers, all were condemned. And the Hebrew writer tells us... The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7: 18-19) The Law had its' purpose, it was to prepare a people for the coming of His Son.
His people came out of bondage and into freedom. They still do. We can learn a lot from the Old Law. We can see easily what God hates and learn the things that please Him. He is the same God, so understanding conduct that shames us and displeases Him should be something that we care about. Has the Old Law been done away with? Absolutely and thanks be to God! But it can still serve as our tutor and help us to understand the blessings we have in our Savior. Dig in, read it over and over again and gain understanding of the mighty God that we serve. Let it change your conduct... and your heart.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
A Day's Wages
(Today's reading - Ex 19-21; Matt 20:1-16)
In the Old Testament part of our reading Moses was given the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. God made a covenant with the children of Israel... "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". So, they were off to a good start; tune in tomorrow for an update on their progress.
In the twentieth chapter of the book of Matthew, we are given a very interesting story by the Master. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to an estate owner and how he conducts his business. It goes like this... The estate owner goes out and finds workers for his vineyard. He does this throughout the day and at the end of the day he pays them all the same wage. He pays them what they had agreed to work for. Those hired first are upset that those hired last received the same pay, even though they had worked less time. Sound reasonable? The owner tells them that he payed them what they had agreed to and that it was his money anyway. He asks them if they are jealous because of his generosity.
For sure this is dealing with the Jew and Gentile situation. Jesus ushered in a kingdom that was open to everyone and the Jew was accustomed to being God's chosen. (see our OT reading for today) The Jew would see that they had been working for God for generations and the Gentile was given the same reward even though they had just started a relationship with God. So, for sure the Jew was to understand that they were to view the Gentile as an equal partner with them in service to the Father. They were to put aside jealousy and accept the new worker.
So, is there a lesson in this for us today? How about this... you have been a faithful member of the Lord's church since you were a teenager. You have been faithful in attendance and given your offerings every Sunday. You have taught classes and put on VBS programs. You have lived a life in submission to His commands. Now, this Sunday, the local drunk visits your assembly and comes forward and gives his life to Christ. He is immersed and his sins are forgiven. He is 60 years old and has lived a life of depravity, yet he now gets the same reward as you. How you feeling now?
Or, in walks a person who left the church decades ago to live a life of debauchery. He has lived with dozens of women, sold drugs on the street corner and been a frequent resident of the county jail. He comes forward after the lesson and says that he realizes his mistakes and asks for forgiveness and wants to be a member again. How you feeling now?
You see, God wants us to understand that is isn't about time; it's about relationship. When a person becomes His child, at any age, he is His child and therefore an heir of the King. He wants us to see that He is fair and that the reward has to be the same if He is to be fair. If we understand that the reward is life eternal with Him, then whatever the circumstances of someones life, we want them to have the same thing we have. I love to hear of the 80 year old that comes to Jesus and I love to hear of the 16 year old that pledges their life to Him. Both get in on the greatest gift ever given and that is fair.
Of course God wants you to come to Him now, whatever your age is; He will adopt you and put you to work for Him. The blessings start the day you start wearing His name and become part of his kingdom. Do it now!!!
In the Old Testament part of our reading Moses was given the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. God made a covenant with the children of Israel... "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation". So, they were off to a good start; tune in tomorrow for an update on their progress.
In the twentieth chapter of the book of Matthew, we are given a very interesting story by the Master. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to an estate owner and how he conducts his business. It goes like this... The estate owner goes out and finds workers for his vineyard. He does this throughout the day and at the end of the day he pays them all the same wage. He pays them what they had agreed to work for. Those hired first are upset that those hired last received the same pay, even though they had worked less time. Sound reasonable? The owner tells them that he payed them what they had agreed to and that it was his money anyway. He asks them if they are jealous because of his generosity.
For sure this is dealing with the Jew and Gentile situation. Jesus ushered in a kingdom that was open to everyone and the Jew was accustomed to being God's chosen. (see our OT reading for today) The Jew would see that they had been working for God for generations and the Gentile was given the same reward even though they had just started a relationship with God. So, for sure the Jew was to understand that they were to view the Gentile as an equal partner with them in service to the Father. They were to put aside jealousy and accept the new worker.
So, is there a lesson in this for us today? How about this... you have been a faithful member of the Lord's church since you were a teenager. You have been faithful in attendance and given your offerings every Sunday. You have taught classes and put on VBS programs. You have lived a life in submission to His commands. Now, this Sunday, the local drunk visits your assembly and comes forward and gives his life to Christ. He is immersed and his sins are forgiven. He is 60 years old and has lived a life of depravity, yet he now gets the same reward as you. How you feeling now?
Or, in walks a person who left the church decades ago to live a life of debauchery. He has lived with dozens of women, sold drugs on the street corner and been a frequent resident of the county jail. He comes forward after the lesson and says that he realizes his mistakes and asks for forgiveness and wants to be a member again. How you feeling now?
You see, God wants us to understand that is isn't about time; it's about relationship. When a person becomes His child, at any age, he is His child and therefore an heir of the King. He wants us to see that He is fair and that the reward has to be the same if He is to be fair. If we understand that the reward is life eternal with Him, then whatever the circumstances of someones life, we want them to have the same thing we have. I love to hear of the 80 year old that comes to Jesus and I love to hear of the 16 year old that pledges their life to Him. Both get in on the greatest gift ever given and that is fair.
Of course God wants you to come to Him now, whatever your age is; He will adopt you and put you to work for Him. The blessings start the day you start wearing His name and become part of his kingdom. Do it now!!!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Riches and Reality
(Today's reading - Ex 16-18; Matt 19:16-30)
The story in Matthew 19: 16-30 is not an assault on the rich, rather it is a statement of reality. Jesus is approached by a rich young man who is obviously very religious. He asks Jesus to tell him the thing he must do to be saved. Jesus tells him to obey the commands. Sounds simple enough... don't kill, don't steal, don't lie, honor your parents and love your neighbor; but not your neighbor's wife (i.e. don't commit adultery). He tells Jesus that he has kept all the law. That is impressive, he has lived a life of obedience to the law, yet he still feels like something is amiss. So, he asks Jesus... “What do I still lack?”
Something in his life told him that obeying rules was not what it was all about. Are we to live in submission to God and His laws, absolutely! But that alone is not enough and the young man knew it. He felt that God demanded more than he had given. He asked the tough question and Jesus gave the tough answer. He knew that something stood between this young man and a real relationship with God. He knew that this man had made money his god. He knew that as long as the dollar was on the throne of this young man's life, there was no room for Him there. “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Jesus didn't pull punches. When He was asked questions, He gave a direct answer. (wish I could be more like that) I can see it now... with love in His eyes, Jesus looks directly into his eyes and confronts the one thing that stands between this man and Heaven... cash. When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. I don't know if sometime later in his life this man finally got rid of the false god of wealth and let God reign in his life; but I know that at this moment he chose wealth over a relationship with the Father. He chose the temporary over the eternal. (we would never do that)
Jesus tells His disciples that it is "hard" for a rich man to enter the kingdom. He tells them that it is like a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle. I have heard many explanations of this reference and I don't care which is right; what matters is the Jesus tells them and us that the rich are going to struggle with the conflict of their wealth and putting God first in their lives. He says that it is possible for them to be saved, but that possibility is only found in God. God is strong enough, His call is loud enough, His love is powerful enough that even the rich can hear and respond. Some will listen and make the decision to exchange the wealth of the world for a home in heaven. Most will not.
In the end it is about value. What do we value the most? What do you value the most? What takes up you time? What do you invest in? What do I give my life to? Jesus calls on us to "sell" out for Him. Get rid of everything that stands between you and God. Then, He says you will have treasure in heaven, where it really counts. What about you? Anything in the way of a relationship with the Savior? If He looked into your eyes, what would he have you "sell"? You can obey your earthly father your entire life and never have a real realtionship with him. Jesus calls on us to move beyond obedience and into a realtionship with Him. Think about it.....
The story in Matthew 19: 16-30 is not an assault on the rich, rather it is a statement of reality. Jesus is approached by a rich young man who is obviously very religious. He asks Jesus to tell him the thing he must do to be saved. Jesus tells him to obey the commands. Sounds simple enough... don't kill, don't steal, don't lie, honor your parents and love your neighbor; but not your neighbor's wife (i.e. don't commit adultery). He tells Jesus that he has kept all the law. That is impressive, he has lived a life of obedience to the law, yet he still feels like something is amiss. So, he asks Jesus... “What do I still lack?”
Something in his life told him that obeying rules was not what it was all about. Are we to live in submission to God and His laws, absolutely! But that alone is not enough and the young man knew it. He felt that God demanded more than he had given. He asked the tough question and Jesus gave the tough answer. He knew that something stood between this young man and a real relationship with God. He knew that this man had made money his god. He knew that as long as the dollar was on the throne of this young man's life, there was no room for Him there. “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Jesus didn't pull punches. When He was asked questions, He gave a direct answer. (wish I could be more like that) I can see it now... with love in His eyes, Jesus looks directly into his eyes and confronts the one thing that stands between this man and Heaven... cash. When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. I don't know if sometime later in his life this man finally got rid of the false god of wealth and let God reign in his life; but I know that at this moment he chose wealth over a relationship with the Father. He chose the temporary over the eternal. (we would never do that)
Jesus tells His disciples that it is "hard" for a rich man to enter the kingdom. He tells them that it is like a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle. I have heard many explanations of this reference and I don't care which is right; what matters is the Jesus tells them and us that the rich are going to struggle with the conflict of their wealth and putting God first in their lives. He says that it is possible for them to be saved, but that possibility is only found in God. God is strong enough, His call is loud enough, His love is powerful enough that even the rich can hear and respond. Some will listen and make the decision to exchange the wealth of the world for a home in heaven. Most will not.
In the end it is about value. What do we value the most? What do you value the most? What takes up you time? What do you invest in? What do I give my life to? Jesus calls on us to "sell" out for Him. Get rid of everything that stands between you and God. Then, He says you will have treasure in heaven, where it really counts. What about you? Anything in the way of a relationship with the Savior? If He looked into your eyes, what would he have you "sell"? You can obey your earthly father your entire life and never have a real realtionship with him. Jesus calls on us to move beyond obedience and into a realtionship with Him. Think about it.....
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Taxes and the Christian
(Today's reading - Exodus 7-8; Matthew 17)
Our daily reading contains an interesting story about Jesus paying taxes. Strange to think that God had to pay taxes... takes me back to the old saying, "only two things are sure in this life... death and taxes". Jesus experienced both. But what is this little story telling us? Why did God see fit to include this in His word? I am certain there are thousands of events in Jesus' life that are left out, but this one is included. So... it must be important. Let's contemplate a moment.
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Jesus first makes the point that the sons of the kings are exempt from taxes. Surely this is saying that Jesus, as God's Son doesn't have to pay the Temple tax. Surely God was the King when it came to the Temple. And if so, no tax should be paid. But Jesus, wanting to demonstrate that His disciples were to live above reproach, tells Peter to go fishing. His disciples were to make every effort to pay what they were obligated to pay.
So, what about us. There is a lot of talk about taxes these days. Some saying that others are not paying their "fair share". How does a Christian respond to all the political dialogue? I believe that Jesus would remind us that what we have, God provided. Just like the fish that Peter caught and the coin he found, God has provided what we have and He calls on us to pay what the government demands. Can we speak our minds and work for lower taxes? Absolutely. We can support people who view the nations fiscal house the way we do. We can help to elect those that are responsible in how they handle the nation's tax dollars. But, irregardless of who is in the White House, when we are called on to pay our taxes... we must do it.
God provided the fish and He provided the coin. What if Peter had opened the fish's mouth and taken the coin only to say, "this belongs to me and I will decide what to do with it, I worked and caught the fish, so it is mine". We would never have that attitude... would we? Jesus provided for His taxes and Peters. There must be a lesson in there somewhere for us. Jesus wants us to be His light in this world and He draws people to Himself. Our light shines brightest when we live honorable, honest lives. Paying our taxes is one way to demonstrate to those around us that we not only read His word, we obey it. Get out that fishing rod and God will provide. April 15th never felt so good. Peace.
Our daily reading contains an interesting story about Jesus paying taxes. Strange to think that God had to pay taxes... takes me back to the old saying, "only two things are sure in this life... death and taxes". Jesus experienced both. But what is this little story telling us? Why did God see fit to include this in His word? I am certain there are thousands of events in Jesus' life that are left out, but this one is included. So... it must be important. Let's contemplate a moment.
After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Jesus first makes the point that the sons of the kings are exempt from taxes. Surely this is saying that Jesus, as God's Son doesn't have to pay the Temple tax. Surely God was the King when it came to the Temple. And if so, no tax should be paid. But Jesus, wanting to demonstrate that His disciples were to live above reproach, tells Peter to go fishing. His disciples were to make every effort to pay what they were obligated to pay.
So, what about us. There is a lot of talk about taxes these days. Some saying that others are not paying their "fair share". How does a Christian respond to all the political dialogue? I believe that Jesus would remind us that what we have, God provided. Just like the fish that Peter caught and the coin he found, God has provided what we have and He calls on us to pay what the government demands. Can we speak our minds and work for lower taxes? Absolutely. We can support people who view the nations fiscal house the way we do. We can help to elect those that are responsible in how they handle the nation's tax dollars. But, irregardless of who is in the White House, when we are called on to pay our taxes... we must do it.
God provided the fish and He provided the coin. What if Peter had opened the fish's mouth and taken the coin only to say, "this belongs to me and I will decide what to do with it, I worked and caught the fish, so it is mine". We would never have that attitude... would we? Jesus provided for His taxes and Peters. There must be a lesson in there somewhere for us. Jesus wants us to be His light in this world and He draws people to Himself. Our light shines brightest when we live honorable, honest lives. Paying our taxes is one way to demonstrate to those around us that we not only read His word, we obey it. Get out that fishing rod and God will provide. April 15th never felt so good. Peace.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Cost
(Today's reading - Exodus 4-6; Matthew 16)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt 16:24-26)
Following Jesus is expensive. Most people don't believe that, they were "saved" cheaply and they "live" cheaply. Most are told that God sent His Son, that He died on a cross and we need to pray Him into our hearts. That is the "drive by" gospel that many have accepted. A person sitting on the beach can hear the gospel and pray a prayer and be "saved" in a matter of minutes and then be left to fend for themselves. Someone makes a mark on a sheet of paper and another person is counted among the "saved". That is the cheap truth about the cheap gospel that is cheaply preached in our society.
The Bible doesn't teach anything even remotely similar to that. When Jesus is asked what it costs a person to follow Him, He gives a very clear response... "everything". After teaching someone the complete good news of Jesus, I count the costs with them. I want them to know that Jesus demands everything.
In Matthew 16, Jesus looks us in the eye and delivers difficult truths that must be understood if we are to follow Him. He tells us that if we are to follow Him, then three things must occur. 1. Deny self - if we are to follow Him, it is no longer about us. Our lives are no longer focused on us. Self is denied and Jesus has taken the throne of our lives. 2. Take up our cross - there is lots of debate about what this means. Some say that it means we must be willing to die for our faith. Others say that it is about suffering and others say it is symbolic of the putting to death of ourselves. And I say...ok, all of the above works for me. And 3. Follow Him - do what He did, go where He went and say what He said, in other words, we are to be like Him. That sums up the demands that He places on those that would choose to follow Him.
Next, He reasons with us about why it is worth it, why living a life of self-denial is worth considering. He tells us that if we try to save our lives, in other words live for ourselves, we will lose our lives. Happiness and satisfaction is not found in self-gratification. But, if we will live for Him, lose our lives, then we will find it. True living is found in the giving of ourselves, giving our lives in service to Him. He calls on us to understand the value of the eternal part of ourselves. Having everything this world has to offer is a poor substitute for having a fulfilling life as His follower. Additionally, Jesus wants us to consider what we would trade in this world for a life eternally with Him in Heaven. What is that worth?
Don't be fooled by the cheap gospel that makes no demands on you and offers Heaven with no cost to you. That is not what is found in God's word. That is not what Jesus told His disciples. He says it costs us everything, but in return we get everything. I like the way Paul puts in 2 Cor 4:17, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." Whatever we face "here and now" is nothing compared to what God has planned for us "there and then". Is it worth it"? You bet it is! Paul says it "far outweighs them all". It's not even close.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt 16:24-26)
Following Jesus is expensive. Most people don't believe that, they were "saved" cheaply and they "live" cheaply. Most are told that God sent His Son, that He died on a cross and we need to pray Him into our hearts. That is the "drive by" gospel that many have accepted. A person sitting on the beach can hear the gospel and pray a prayer and be "saved" in a matter of minutes and then be left to fend for themselves. Someone makes a mark on a sheet of paper and another person is counted among the "saved". That is the cheap truth about the cheap gospel that is cheaply preached in our society.
The Bible doesn't teach anything even remotely similar to that. When Jesus is asked what it costs a person to follow Him, He gives a very clear response... "everything". After teaching someone the complete good news of Jesus, I count the costs with them. I want them to know that Jesus demands everything.
In Matthew 16, Jesus looks us in the eye and delivers difficult truths that must be understood if we are to follow Him. He tells us that if we are to follow Him, then three things must occur. 1. Deny self - if we are to follow Him, it is no longer about us. Our lives are no longer focused on us. Self is denied and Jesus has taken the throne of our lives. 2. Take up our cross - there is lots of debate about what this means. Some say that it means we must be willing to die for our faith. Others say that it is about suffering and others say it is symbolic of the putting to death of ourselves. And I say...ok, all of the above works for me. And 3. Follow Him - do what He did, go where He went and say what He said, in other words, we are to be like Him. That sums up the demands that He places on those that would choose to follow Him.
Next, He reasons with us about why it is worth it, why living a life of self-denial is worth considering. He tells us that if we try to save our lives, in other words live for ourselves, we will lose our lives. Happiness and satisfaction is not found in self-gratification. But, if we will live for Him, lose our lives, then we will find it. True living is found in the giving of ourselves, giving our lives in service to Him. He calls on us to understand the value of the eternal part of ourselves. Having everything this world has to offer is a poor substitute for having a fulfilling life as His follower. Additionally, Jesus wants us to consider what we would trade in this world for a life eternally with Him in Heaven. What is that worth?
Don't be fooled by the cheap gospel that makes no demands on you and offers Heaven with no cost to you. That is not what is found in God's word. That is not what Jesus told His disciples. He says it costs us everything, but in return we get everything. I like the way Paul puts in 2 Cor 4:17, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." Whatever we face "here and now" is nothing compared to what God has planned for us "there and then". Is it worth it"? You bet it is! Paul says it "far outweighs them all". It's not even close.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
What's In A Name?
(Today's reading - Exodus 1-3; Matt 15:21-39
I am going to try something a little different today... I am going to try the adage... when writing a blog, shorter is better. Let me know.
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Moses is living in Midian after fleeing Egypt. God appears to him and tells him to return to Egypt to tell Pharaoh that he is let the children of Israel go free. He tells Moses to tell the Israelites that "the LORD", "the God of your fathers" had sent him. Moses needed the people to understand that he had been sent by God for the purpose of freeing them. If he was to lead them, they had to accept his leadership. So, God says, "tell them I sent you".
Everywhere you read "LORD", all capitalized in the Old Testament, the Hebrew name YHWH is being translated. There continues to be some dispute among "Bible scholars" as the proper pronunciation of His name. Some hold to Yahweh, while others hold to Jehovah. I don't know which it is. The point is really about what the name reveals about our God. Where you read "God" in the verses above, the word being translated is Elohim.
We can learn a lot about our God by these two names. Names today rarely give insight into the nature of the person who wears it; not so in Bible times. God's names describe Him and gives us understanding of His attributes. "Yahweh" means "the eternal one, self existent and the one who creates". God "was and is and is to come" is the way John describes Him in Revelation 4:8. No one made Him. He made everything. Hebrews 4:6 tells us of the "unchanging" nature of His purpose. Who He was is the same as who He is and who He will ever be. "Yahweh" communicates His faithfulness toward His people. We can trust Him, we can rely on Him. "Yahweh" is found in the Old Testament some 6500 times.
"Elohim" is the first name we read for God in the Bible, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) The Hebrew word Elohim means the supreme God, the creator and the one who judges. This name is found throughout the Old Testament nearly 3000 times. So, what is Moses trying to communicate by the Spirit when he uses these names for God. He wants us to see Him as the all powerful, self-existent creator who will judge the world. He is like no other and we can count on Him. Who He was is who He is and who He will be. That's our God.
I am going to try something a little different today... I am going to try the adage... when writing a blog, shorter is better. Let me know.
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Moses is living in Midian after fleeing Egypt. God appears to him and tells him to return to Egypt to tell Pharaoh that he is let the children of Israel go free. He tells Moses to tell the Israelites that "the LORD", "the God of your fathers" had sent him. Moses needed the people to understand that he had been sent by God for the purpose of freeing them. If he was to lead them, they had to accept his leadership. So, God says, "tell them I sent you".
Everywhere you read "LORD", all capitalized in the Old Testament, the Hebrew name YHWH is being translated. There continues to be some dispute among "Bible scholars" as the proper pronunciation of His name. Some hold to Yahweh, while others hold to Jehovah. I don't know which it is. The point is really about what the name reveals about our God. Where you read "God" in the verses above, the word being translated is Elohim.
We can learn a lot about our God by these two names. Names today rarely give insight into the nature of the person who wears it; not so in Bible times. God's names describe Him and gives us understanding of His attributes. "Yahweh" means "the eternal one, self existent and the one who creates". God "was and is and is to come" is the way John describes Him in Revelation 4:8. No one made Him. He made everything. Hebrews 4:6 tells us of the "unchanging" nature of His purpose. Who He was is the same as who He is and who He will ever be. "Yahweh" communicates His faithfulness toward His people. We can trust Him, we can rely on Him. "Yahweh" is found in the Old Testament some 6500 times.
"Elohim" is the first name we read for God in the Bible, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) The Hebrew word Elohim means the supreme God, the creator and the one who judges. This name is found throughout the Old Testament nearly 3000 times. So, what is Moses trying to communicate by the Spirit when he uses these names for God. He wants us to see Him as the all powerful, self-existent creator who will judge the world. He is like no other and we can count on Him. Who He was is who He is and who He will be. That's our God.
Monday, January 21, 2013
They Worship Me In Vain
(Today's reading - Gen 49-50, Matt 15:1-20)
First things first... I am loving this years change in our reading plan, thanks Lowell!
In the Old Testament portion of our reading, Israel blesses his twelve sons and dies. Joseph lives to be 110 and he dies. The straight forward telling of these events makes it clear that we are here but for a few years on this planet. As Job put it, "Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." No matter how healthy we live, no matter how much exercise we do, no matter how much organic food we eat, we are all going to die. Our days are determined!
In our New Testament read, Jesus is once again confronted by the Pharisees. They are the religious elite. They are the clergy, the Bible scholars; yet Jesus finds them lacking at every meeting. He calls them "white washed tombs", pretty on the outside, but inside decay and filth. This encounter brings a scathing review of their entire religious lives...
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.”
What are the key points to His statement? You think about it here.... thinking, thinking.
He tells us that these "very religious" people talk the talk. They say all the right things. From a human perspective, they would appear to be "the" followers of God. But, Jesus sees through the fine words and fancy recitations. He sees the truth behind the masks of the hypocrites. He sees the heart. What He is saying to us is that we can be a mess, yet appear to be doing great. We can pray the right prayers, sing the right songs and even preach the right sermons, yet be far from God. That does not please Him!
Secondly, He calls attention to their obedience to traditions. He calls that vain worship. Worthless worship. Jesus is saying that when we worship in ways that are not in compliance to what God has asked for... we are worshiping in vain. In other words, when we offer Him worship that we have created, that we have developed; He does not find it worthy. He calls this "rules taught by men". To restate it another way, "if we want our worship to be acceptable to God, we need to follow His rules".
Sometimes, it seems that our worship of God is more about what we like and less about what pleases Him. In this area, we must be very careful. We must be sure that we are allowing Him to change our hearts and not just our words. We must be sure that what we do in worship to Him is what He has stipulated and not what we want. Jesus calls on those that will follow Him to "keep His commands". "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) So, it is up to you to make sure that your heart is right before God and it is up to you to study His word and to make sure that you are offering worship that is acceptable to Him.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about your worship. Open your Bibles and study and then call on the leaders in your church to comply with His commands. If you are doing something that you cannot find in His word... it is a commandment of men. Is that always wrong, no. Sometimes traditions allow us to carry out His commands. Example... their is not one mention of a song book in the New Testament, but we are commanded to sing. Song books facilitate our singing. But to say that we must use song books, would make it a commandment of men. (hope that helps)
Jesus wants real worshippers. Jesus wants pure hearts. Jesus wants those that love Him to demonstrate it by how they live their lives. That is what he wants... what do you want? Thinking, thinking.
First things first... I am loving this years change in our reading plan, thanks Lowell!
In the Old Testament portion of our reading, Israel blesses his twelve sons and dies. Joseph lives to be 110 and he dies. The straight forward telling of these events makes it clear that we are here but for a few years on this planet. As Job put it, "Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed." No matter how healthy we live, no matter how much exercise we do, no matter how much organic food we eat, we are all going to die. Our days are determined!
In our New Testament read, Jesus is once again confronted by the Pharisees. They are the religious elite. They are the clergy, the Bible scholars; yet Jesus finds them lacking at every meeting. He calls them "white washed tombs", pretty on the outside, but inside decay and filth. This encounter brings a scathing review of their entire religious lives...
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.”
What are the key points to His statement? You think about it here.... thinking, thinking.
He tells us that these "very religious" people talk the talk. They say all the right things. From a human perspective, they would appear to be "the" followers of God. But, Jesus sees through the fine words and fancy recitations. He sees the truth behind the masks of the hypocrites. He sees the heart. What He is saying to us is that we can be a mess, yet appear to be doing great. We can pray the right prayers, sing the right songs and even preach the right sermons, yet be far from God. That does not please Him!
Secondly, He calls attention to their obedience to traditions. He calls that vain worship. Worthless worship. Jesus is saying that when we worship in ways that are not in compliance to what God has asked for... we are worshiping in vain. In other words, when we offer Him worship that we have created, that we have developed; He does not find it worthy. He calls this "rules taught by men". To restate it another way, "if we want our worship to be acceptable to God, we need to follow His rules".
Sometimes, it seems that our worship of God is more about what we like and less about what pleases Him. In this area, we must be very careful. We must be sure that we are allowing Him to change our hearts and not just our words. We must be sure that what we do in worship to Him is what He has stipulated and not what we want. Jesus calls on those that will follow Him to "keep His commands". "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) So, it is up to you to make sure that your heart is right before God and it is up to you to study His word and to make sure that you are offering worship that is acceptable to Him.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about your worship. Open your Bibles and study and then call on the leaders in your church to comply with His commands. If you are doing something that you cannot find in His word... it is a commandment of men. Is that always wrong, no. Sometimes traditions allow us to carry out His commands. Example... their is not one mention of a song book in the New Testament, but we are commanded to sing. Song books facilitate our singing. But to say that we must use song books, would make it a commandment of men. (hope that helps)
Jesus wants real worshippers. Jesus wants pure hearts. Jesus wants those that love Him to demonstrate it by how they live their lives. That is what he wants... what do you want? Thinking, thinking.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Joseph and Prosperity
(Today's reading - Gen 38-40; Matt 12:22-50)
Genesis 39 contains the story of Joseph and Potiphar. If you have been a Christian long you know the story, but if you haven't, it goes like this...
Potiphar bought Joseph from the men who had bought him from his brothers. Potiphar saw that Joseph was a God fearing man and that God blessed what Joseph did, so he put him in charge of his household. He was in charge of everything that Potiphar owed and he did a great job of looking after it. Potiphar's wife liked the way Joseph looked and sought to have a affair with him. Joseph refused and she accused him of attempted rape. Joseph went to prison for a crime he didn't commit. That is it in a nutshell.
So, what can a follower of God learn from a story like this? As we start reading, maybe we think that if we follow God, only good things will happen to us... The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. That is a message we like. If we follow God, only good things will come our way.
We love the idea that God prospers us financially when we follow him, but is that the message of this story? Let's keep reading... When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. Potiphar's wife makes up a the story of Joseph attempting to rape her. Based on the previous conclusions we had drawn, Joseph would be exonerated and the wife would go to prison for filing a false police report... right? Wrong!
But that is not what happens. Joseph goes to prison. Where is the LORD's blessing now? Where is prosperity now? Joseph did right and still he sits in a prison cell. Is God unjust? Are we not under his protection? Now, it gets a little more complicated; a good man, following God, doing what is right goes to prison. Do you guess Joseph lost his faith? Did he give up on God? When prosperity ended, did Joseph choose to end his relationship with the LORD?
I don't know about you, but for me this story is life affirming. I trust in God, I do my best to be obedient to His will; yet bad things still happen in my life. Is that my failure... or God's? If my world view is tied up in the idea that God blesses or punishes people here and now because of their actions, then I have to say it is one or the other. But if I hold that view, I am going to have a difficult time with the prosperity of those who totally reject God. You see, bad people also prosper. So, that cannot be the proper view of things.
If that is a wrong view, what is the right one? While I don't claim to have great understanding, I will give you my best thoughts based on these verses. Joseph lived by God's principles. This world is set up by God and so honesty, hard work, respecting others, etc. will bring good things into our lives... we call that God's blessing. This world is also corrupted; when sin entered the world, the world was forever changed. Murder, lying, stealing, sexual impurity... and on and on became the normal way of life. (Just start in Genesis 1 and keep reading) We are impacted by sin, even when it is not our sin. Live the best you can, follow God the best you can and you will still be impacted by sin. (just ask Jesus) Even in prison, Joseph continued to live for God and because of that, he was blessed. When we follow Him, we will be blessed; even in times of trouble and distress... blessings.
If someone is selling you the idea that following God brings only prosperity, they are lying to you. Cancer does not know the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The burglar doesn't know the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The person with an assault rifle shooting up a theater doesn't know the difference either. But, here you go... the world will know the difference when they see how the Christian responds to these troubles. When tough times come, and they will, the Christian responds differently. Cancer... hope and knowledge that this world is not our home. (2 Cor 5:1) Burglary... no problem, it is only possessions that can be replaced. (Matthew 6:19) Death at the hands of a shooter... do not fear the one who can kill the body. (Matthew 10:28)
You see, prosperity is not the goal, it is the result. Follow God, prosperity. It may not be here and now, but is certain. The question that we need to ask is simple and complex... For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36-37) Prosperity... what child of the King isn't prospered? The most valuable thing you possess is an eternal soul. The question isn't homes, cars, flat screen televisions, nice clothing... the question isn't what do you own, the question is "who or what owns you?". Who does your life belong to? If God, then you have real prosperity. Home, eternal with the King. Now go tell it.
Genesis 39 contains the story of Joseph and Potiphar. If you have been a Christian long you know the story, but if you haven't, it goes like this...
Potiphar bought Joseph from the men who had bought him from his brothers. Potiphar saw that Joseph was a God fearing man and that God blessed what Joseph did, so he put him in charge of his household. He was in charge of everything that Potiphar owed and he did a great job of looking after it. Potiphar's wife liked the way Joseph looked and sought to have a affair with him. Joseph refused and she accused him of attempted rape. Joseph went to prison for a crime he didn't commit. That is it in a nutshell.
So, what can a follower of God learn from a story like this? As we start reading, maybe we think that if we follow God, only good things will happen to us... The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. That is a message we like. If we follow God, only good things will come our way.
We love the idea that God prospers us financially when we follow him, but is that the message of this story? Let's keep reading... When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. Potiphar's wife makes up a the story of Joseph attempting to rape her. Based on the previous conclusions we had drawn, Joseph would be exonerated and the wife would go to prison for filing a false police report... right? Wrong!
But that is not what happens. Joseph goes to prison. Where is the LORD's blessing now? Where is prosperity now? Joseph did right and still he sits in a prison cell. Is God unjust? Are we not under his protection? Now, it gets a little more complicated; a good man, following God, doing what is right goes to prison. Do you guess Joseph lost his faith? Did he give up on God? When prosperity ended, did Joseph choose to end his relationship with the LORD?
I don't know about you, but for me this story is life affirming. I trust in God, I do my best to be obedient to His will; yet bad things still happen in my life. Is that my failure... or God's? If my world view is tied up in the idea that God blesses or punishes people here and now because of their actions, then I have to say it is one or the other. But if I hold that view, I am going to have a difficult time with the prosperity of those who totally reject God. You see, bad people also prosper. So, that cannot be the proper view of things.
If that is a wrong view, what is the right one? While I don't claim to have great understanding, I will give you my best thoughts based on these verses. Joseph lived by God's principles. This world is set up by God and so honesty, hard work, respecting others, etc. will bring good things into our lives... we call that God's blessing. This world is also corrupted; when sin entered the world, the world was forever changed. Murder, lying, stealing, sexual impurity... and on and on became the normal way of life. (Just start in Genesis 1 and keep reading) We are impacted by sin, even when it is not our sin. Live the best you can, follow God the best you can and you will still be impacted by sin. (just ask Jesus) Even in prison, Joseph continued to live for God and because of that, he was blessed. When we follow Him, we will be blessed; even in times of trouble and distress... blessings.
If someone is selling you the idea that following God brings only prosperity, they are lying to you. Cancer does not know the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The burglar doesn't know the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. The person with an assault rifle shooting up a theater doesn't know the difference either. But, here you go... the world will know the difference when they see how the Christian responds to these troubles. When tough times come, and they will, the Christian responds differently. Cancer... hope and knowledge that this world is not our home. (2 Cor 5:1) Burglary... no problem, it is only possessions that can be replaced. (Matthew 6:19) Death at the hands of a shooter... do not fear the one who can kill the body. (Matthew 10:28)
You see, prosperity is not the goal, it is the result. Follow God, prosperity. It may not be here and now, but is certain. The question that we need to ask is simple and complex... For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36-37) Prosperity... what child of the King isn't prospered? The most valuable thing you possess is an eternal soul. The question isn't homes, cars, flat screen televisions, nice clothing... the question isn't what do you own, the question is "who or what owns you?". Who does your life belong to? If God, then you have real prosperity. Home, eternal with the King. Now go tell it.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Weary and Burdened
(Today's reading - Gen 33-35; Matt 11)
It would seem that everyone is tired. Maybe it is the result of the Holiday Season or maybe our lives are just too full of things that wear us out. We think that our lives are different than those we read about in the Bible, and for sure they are in some ways. They certainly had it more difficult than we do. Our modern conveniences were supposed to make us a society of leisure, but the opposite seems to have happened.
We are a people that are weary and burdened. The very things that were to make our lives simpler have in fact made us busier. Reading a good book is a thing of the past for most people. Taking a stroll in the park is a luxury that most never partake of. Going fishing with dad is something that we see Andy and Opie do, but we can never find the time. Does that sound like your life? We are a busy people and we are tired and we feel burdened.
Life here will never be perfect. If we allow it, our lives will always be pulled in many directions and we will always get our priorities mixed up and put work ahead of family time. We are driven by the desire to succeed and have the best things in this life. We want more and when we have more, we want even more. That is enough to wear anyone out. But, and thankfully there is a but, Jesus calls us to a better way of life.
In Matthew 11: 28-30, Jesus makes us an offer...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Who doesn't like rest? Jesus calls us to come to him and he will give us rest. His people should look different than the weary and burdened world. His people should be rested and ready! When we come to Him, our world view changes; our priorities are rearranged. Getting that promotion, buying that new car, building that bigger house... all the things that wear people out are less important. He says learn of Him; see how He lived, see what He did and live like that. He tells us that following Him will bring rest to our souls.
He lived for others. He gave His life for others. He found time to pray. He found time to worship. He found time to train others to live like Him. He poured Himself into the lives of those that chose to follow Him. That is to be our burden, our yoke. We are to love others and give ourselves in service to them. He tells us that when we do that, our souls find rest. We find satisfaction and our lives count for something. And... He gives us rest. The endless pursuit of stuff ends. The focus on ourselves melts into a focus on others. Our world is turned right-side-up!
Take a few minutes right now and look at your life. Are you truly following Him? Does your life look like His? Or, are you on the treadmill of life, chasing that "American Dream". Jesus says, "step off that treadmill, and begin to walk in My steps, and you will find rest, yes even rest for your souls". Two thousand years later, we are still in need of His rest. Weary and Burdened? Come to Jesus.
It would seem that everyone is tired. Maybe it is the result of the Holiday Season or maybe our lives are just too full of things that wear us out. We think that our lives are different than those we read about in the Bible, and for sure they are in some ways. They certainly had it more difficult than we do. Our modern conveniences were supposed to make us a society of leisure, but the opposite seems to have happened.
We are a people that are weary and burdened. The very things that were to make our lives simpler have in fact made us busier. Reading a good book is a thing of the past for most people. Taking a stroll in the park is a luxury that most never partake of. Going fishing with dad is something that we see Andy and Opie do, but we can never find the time. Does that sound like your life? We are a busy people and we are tired and we feel burdened.
Life here will never be perfect. If we allow it, our lives will always be pulled in many directions and we will always get our priorities mixed up and put work ahead of family time. We are driven by the desire to succeed and have the best things in this life. We want more and when we have more, we want even more. That is enough to wear anyone out. But, and thankfully there is a but, Jesus calls us to a better way of life.
In Matthew 11: 28-30, Jesus makes us an offer...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Who doesn't like rest? Jesus calls us to come to him and he will give us rest. His people should look different than the weary and burdened world. His people should be rested and ready! When we come to Him, our world view changes; our priorities are rearranged. Getting that promotion, buying that new car, building that bigger house... all the things that wear people out are less important. He says learn of Him; see how He lived, see what He did and live like that. He tells us that following Him will bring rest to our souls.
He lived for others. He gave His life for others. He found time to pray. He found time to worship. He found time to train others to live like Him. He poured Himself into the lives of those that chose to follow Him. That is to be our burden, our yoke. We are to love others and give ourselves in service to them. He tells us that when we do that, our souls find rest. We find satisfaction and our lives count for something. And... He gives us rest. The endless pursuit of stuff ends. The focus on ourselves melts into a focus on others. Our world is turned right-side-up!
Take a few minutes right now and look at your life. Are you truly following Him? Does your life look like His? Or, are you on the treadmill of life, chasing that "American Dream". Jesus says, "step off that treadmill, and begin to walk in My steps, and you will find rest, yes even rest for your souls". Two thousand years later, we are still in need of His rest. Weary and Burdened? Come to Jesus.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Storms of Life
(Today's reading - Gen 23-24; Matt 8)
Great read today! Sarah goes home to be with the LORD, Abraham mourns the lose of his wife and sends a servant to find his son a wife. Rebekah agrees to marry Isaac and God's promise to Abraham continues to be fulfilled. In Matthew, Jesus goes about healing many people. One healing that stands out to me is the man with leprosy.
I am sure this man spent many years being shunned by his village and no one dared come near him, but Jesus touched him. He could have just spoken and healed him, but this man needed someone to reach out a hand and touch the untouchable. This should be a reading that moves us as we think of our sin-sick lives and how Jesus is willing to touch each of us and cure us of our sinfulness. I like that.
In Matt 8:23-26, we read about a storm.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Interesting! A boat full of disciples that have witnessed His power think that He is going to drown. They have been there for the miracles. They have seen the paralyzed walk and demons cast out. I cannot imagine the things they have seen and heard, yet when the storm came, they panicked. They forgot what He had done for them and began to focus on the problems of the moment. They were overwhelmed by fear and suddenly the faith that had carried them through other "storms" left them.
We would never do that. Would we? We would never live under His blessing and learn of His power and goodness and forget it all in an instant. Would we? What "storm" could produce that kind of response from you? Just this week a friend of mine learned that his young son has bone cancer. Another friend had surgery to remove cancer from her body. Is cancer the "storm" that could cause this in your life? In the last few years, many of our friends and family have lost their homes and jobs because of the economic "storm" that this nation is facing. Would that shake your faith? What about divorce? What about the death of a son or daughter? Storms. It would seem that that we are confronted with "storms" in this life on a regular basis.
Jesus response to His disciple's fear... “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. He calms the storm. Sure, he rebukes their lack of faith, but he doesn't leave them in the storm. Whatever the storms in our lives, the Master is able to bring calm. Cancer... calm. Death... calm. Financial ruin... calm. Jesus calls on us to approach every "storm" by trusting in Him. He says to us, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”.
One of my favorite songs is "Master the Tempest is Raging". It calms me when I sing it. The song contains the the idea contained in the verses from Matthew...
The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, peace, be still!
No waters can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean, and earth, and skies; they all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, be still! Get it? If the Master is on your ship, it is secure. Nothing can sink that ship. The unsinkable Titanic rests at the bottom of the ocean, but any ship that Jesus is a resident of is safe. Is He the master of your ship? Is He the one whose hands are on wheel of your life? Anything less than that will leave you trembling when the waves sweep over your boat. Peace, peace, be still!
Great read today! Sarah goes home to be with the LORD, Abraham mourns the lose of his wife and sends a servant to find his son a wife. Rebekah agrees to marry Isaac and God's promise to Abraham continues to be fulfilled. In Matthew, Jesus goes about healing many people. One healing that stands out to me is the man with leprosy.
I am sure this man spent many years being shunned by his village and no one dared come near him, but Jesus touched him. He could have just spoken and healed him, but this man needed someone to reach out a hand and touch the untouchable. This should be a reading that moves us as we think of our sin-sick lives and how Jesus is willing to touch each of us and cure us of our sinfulness. I like that.
In Matt 8:23-26, we read about a storm.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Interesting! A boat full of disciples that have witnessed His power think that He is going to drown. They have been there for the miracles. They have seen the paralyzed walk and demons cast out. I cannot imagine the things they have seen and heard, yet when the storm came, they panicked. They forgot what He had done for them and began to focus on the problems of the moment. They were overwhelmed by fear and suddenly the faith that had carried them through other "storms" left them.
We would never do that. Would we? We would never live under His blessing and learn of His power and goodness and forget it all in an instant. Would we? What "storm" could produce that kind of response from you? Just this week a friend of mine learned that his young son has bone cancer. Another friend had surgery to remove cancer from her body. Is cancer the "storm" that could cause this in your life? In the last few years, many of our friends and family have lost their homes and jobs because of the economic "storm" that this nation is facing. Would that shake your faith? What about divorce? What about the death of a son or daughter? Storms. It would seem that that we are confronted with "storms" in this life on a regular basis.
Jesus response to His disciple's fear... “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. He calms the storm. Sure, he rebukes their lack of faith, but he doesn't leave them in the storm. Whatever the storms in our lives, the Master is able to bring calm. Cancer... calm. Death... calm. Financial ruin... calm. Jesus calls on us to approach every "storm" by trusting in Him. He says to us, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”.
One of my favorite songs is "Master the Tempest is Raging". It calms me when I sing it. The song contains the the idea contained in the verses from Matthew...
The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, peace, be still!
No waters can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean, and earth, and skies; they all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, be still! Get it? If the Master is on your ship, it is secure. Nothing can sink that ship. The unsinkable Titanic rests at the bottom of the ocean, but any ship that Jesus is a resident of is safe. Is He the master of your ship? Is He the one whose hands are on wheel of your life? Anything less than that will leave you trembling when the waves sweep over your boat. Peace, peace, be still!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Worry...
(Today's Reading - Gen 18-19; Matt 6)
Today's reading had some difficult things to digest. That's the way it is with scripture... sometimes it is simple; other times you scratch your head. I am going to deal with the simpler stuff :). Who doesn't worry? Sometimes I worry about being worried. Finances, children, marriage, job, friends... lots and lots to worry about. I have spent many nights sitting alone on the sofa, consumed by worry and waiting for the first rays of daylight so I could get back at it. That is the human way of dealing with worry. Overeating, not sleeping, fussing, stressing... you get the idea, many of you have been on that couch with me. But God has a different idea when it comes to worry and His plan is found in Matthew 6, verses 25-27.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
There you go. Do not worry. That settles it. One command and all my worries are gone. I wish it were that simple. Worry is about faith. If we have faith in God and understand that He is in control, we cast our worries on Him. If we believe that it is all dependant on us, we hold onto our worries, because we are the ones that have to "fix it". God wants us to rely on Him. He wants us to understand that our worry is worthless and that He will take care of us. Does that mean we quit work and sit at home? Absolutely not! But what it does mean is this, when we have done all we can do, then place it in His hands for the result. It is about trust. Do we, do you, do I trust Him to give the right result?
When I was a student at N.C. State, I spent a lot of time worrying about tests. I would walk around telling everyone who would listen about my awful plight as a student. Finally a friend had the courage to say what needed to be said..."Dale, if you spent half the time studying that you spend telling everyone about how worried you are about your tests, you would make an A". I needed to hear that then and we all need to hear Matthew 6 now.
The economy has been bad for years, jobs are scarce and prices are high. That's a lot for us to worry about. But has the worry of our nation changed the situation? Have we gotten any closer to fixing the problem or will we ever? As a Christian, my outlook is to be different. I am not to worry about the economy, I trust God to do right. I am not to worry about my job, God is my boss. Can I change the price of milk? No. God says, "work hard, as if you are working for Me" and leave everything else in My hands". (Col 3:23)
When we understand that, when we are at peace in difficult times; then those around us will want what we have. If we are ringing our hands, just like them they don't see any difference and what we have is of no value to them. God says, "relax, I've got this". When we were young we sang... "He's got the whole world in His hands", maybe we need to go back to singing that now. If He's got the whole world in His hands (and He does), what do we have to be worried about? We are the King's kids, let's act like it.
Today's reading had some difficult things to digest. That's the way it is with scripture... sometimes it is simple; other times you scratch your head. I am going to deal with the simpler stuff :). Who doesn't worry? Sometimes I worry about being worried. Finances, children, marriage, job, friends... lots and lots to worry about. I have spent many nights sitting alone on the sofa, consumed by worry and waiting for the first rays of daylight so I could get back at it. That is the human way of dealing with worry. Overeating, not sleeping, fussing, stressing... you get the idea, many of you have been on that couch with me. But God has a different idea when it comes to worry and His plan is found in Matthew 6, verses 25-27.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
There you go. Do not worry. That settles it. One command and all my worries are gone. I wish it were that simple. Worry is about faith. If we have faith in God and understand that He is in control, we cast our worries on Him. If we believe that it is all dependant on us, we hold onto our worries, because we are the ones that have to "fix it". God wants us to rely on Him. He wants us to understand that our worry is worthless and that He will take care of us. Does that mean we quit work and sit at home? Absolutely not! But what it does mean is this, when we have done all we can do, then place it in His hands for the result. It is about trust. Do we, do you, do I trust Him to give the right result?
When I was a student at N.C. State, I spent a lot of time worrying about tests. I would walk around telling everyone who would listen about my awful plight as a student. Finally a friend had the courage to say what needed to be said..."Dale, if you spent half the time studying that you spend telling everyone about how worried you are about your tests, you would make an A". I needed to hear that then and we all need to hear Matthew 6 now.
The economy has been bad for years, jobs are scarce and prices are high. That's a lot for us to worry about. But has the worry of our nation changed the situation? Have we gotten any closer to fixing the problem or will we ever? As a Christian, my outlook is to be different. I am not to worry about the economy, I trust God to do right. I am not to worry about my job, God is my boss. Can I change the price of milk? No. God says, "work hard, as if you are working for Me" and leave everything else in My hands". (Col 3:23)
When we understand that, when we are at peace in difficult times; then those around us will want what we have. If we are ringing our hands, just like them they don't see any difference and what we have is of no value to them. God says, "relax, I've got this". When we were young we sang... "He's got the whole world in His hands", maybe we need to go back to singing that now. If He's got the whole world in His hands (and He does), what do we have to be worried about? We are the King's kids, let's act like it.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Producing Fruit and Repentance
But
when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was
baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce
fruit in keeping with repentance.
And do
not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I
tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
The ax
is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:7-10)
The setting is the Jordan River. John is baptizing and the Pharisees and Sadducees come to him. These are very religious people! Every time I read this, the same question comes to my mind... "were they really coming to be baptized by John or were they coming to make trouble for the one who is stealing their disciples?". His response to them would indicate that he saw through their facade and was able to identify their purpose.
Maybe John greeted everyone with these words.. "You brood of vipers", but I doubt it. I think that he saw these religious men as those who had an outward appearance that didn't match up with who they were inside. We would call them hypocrites today. He tells them to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance". He wanted to see evidence of a changed heart before he would immerse them. Produce fruit... an apple tree produces apples, an orange tree produces oranges... so, what would fruit look like that came from repentance?
The Greek word here is metanoia. The word carries the idea of remorse for doing something bad and includes the action needed to reform the action. In order for them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance, they needed to feel bad for what they had done and take some action to change it. In other words, stop doing the things that we shouldn't do and start doing the things we should. Forrest Gump told us, "Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been." John knew that a person's actions, what they did when no one was looking, was who they really were. Forrest was a shoe inspector, he could tell a lot about a person by how their shoes looked. John was a fruit inspector, by looking at their actions, he could tell where they were going and where they had been.
Take a moment to consider what John would say to you. There he is... standing in the river, waiting for you to show up... how would he greet you? What do your shoes say about you? Where have you been? Where are you going? John tells us that repentance is needed. If we have not done so, we need to see that our shoes are scuffed and worn and take action to get them shined and repaired. Does our fruit demonstrate a repentant life? Does mine? Does yours? I encourage you to take a moment to think about your life. Are you part of the brood of vipers or have you recognized your need for change and acted on it?
John concludes these thoughts with a frightening revelation... The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. He says the time is now. He says take action now! He says that the destination of those that don't produce this type of fruit is destruction. The choice was theirs and the choice is ours. Choose wisely.
The setting is the Jordan River. John is baptizing and the Pharisees and Sadducees come to him. These are very religious people! Every time I read this, the same question comes to my mind... "were they really coming to be baptized by John or were they coming to make trouble for the one who is stealing their disciples?". His response to them would indicate that he saw through their facade and was able to identify their purpose.
Maybe John greeted everyone with these words.. "You brood of vipers", but I doubt it. I think that he saw these religious men as those who had an outward appearance that didn't match up with who they were inside. We would call them hypocrites today. He tells them to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance". He wanted to see evidence of a changed heart before he would immerse them. Produce fruit... an apple tree produces apples, an orange tree produces oranges... so, what would fruit look like that came from repentance?
The Greek word here is metanoia. The word carries the idea of remorse for doing something bad and includes the action needed to reform the action. In order for them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance, they needed to feel bad for what they had done and take some action to change it. In other words, stop doing the things that we shouldn't do and start doing the things we should. Forrest Gump told us, "Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been." John knew that a person's actions, what they did when no one was looking, was who they really were. Forrest was a shoe inspector, he could tell a lot about a person by how their shoes looked. John was a fruit inspector, by looking at their actions, he could tell where they were going and where they had been.
Take a moment to consider what John would say to you. There he is... standing in the river, waiting for you to show up... how would he greet you? What do your shoes say about you? Where have you been? Where are you going? John tells us that repentance is needed. If we have not done so, we need to see that our shoes are scuffed and worn and take action to get them shined and repaired. Does our fruit demonstrate a repentant life? Does mine? Does yours? I encourage you to take a moment to think about your life. Are you part of the brood of vipers or have you recognized your need for change and acted on it?
John concludes these thoughts with a frightening revelation... The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. He says the time is now. He says take action now! He says that the destination of those that don't produce this type of fruit is destruction. The choice was theirs and the choice is ours. Choose wisely.
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