(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.
Monday, January 14, 2013
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.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Christmas and the Christian
Christmas... the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus. So, what about Christmas? Does the Bible say anything about Christmas? When did Christians begin celebrating Christmas? Are churches to celebrate Christmas? Can a Christian celebrate Christmas? All good questions that need Biblical answers.
To be sure, Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. The family is together. Gifts are exchanged. Santa comes down the chimney. Children are happy. Songs are sung. Food is eaten... what is not to like? As a child, I didn't really give a lot of thought to the fact that at my house it was Christmas, but at church it was not. We decorated a tree, put presents under it, waited for Santa and talked about Jesus birth... oh, and waited impatiently for the yearly showing of Rudolph. As I got older, my Sunday School teachers would be very careful to make sure I knew that Christmas was not really Jesus' birthday, but just a day that a person had selected to celebrate it. But what about the church celebrating a day that is a human tradition? Is that ok?
First things first, the Bible is completely, totally silent on the matter. Our only record is that His birth took place during the rule of Caesar Augustus and while Quirinius was governing Syria. No day, no month of the year or even the year. So how did we get to December 25th? Ok, here goes... the Jews believed that a prophet died on the same date as their conception. They believed that Jesus died on March 25th, so he was conceived on March 25th, so nine months later... December 25th. Early Christians, like Origen denounced the idea of celebrating His birth, but somewhere around 354 AD, his birth shows up on a calendar on December 25th. Little by little, this spread and soon churches were holding this day a special, Constantinople in 379 AD, Antioch in 380 AD and Alexandria in 430 AD.
Among Protestant churches that arose during the Reformation, Christmas was denounced as the "trappings of popery", since Christmas literally means the "Mass of Christ". It was banned by church leaders in England in 1647. It was outlawed by the New England government in 1659 and completely fell out of favor in the USA after the American Revolution. Over time, through literature and immigration, Christmas was revived in America and in 1870, Christmas was declared a U. S. federal holiday.
So, should Christmas be the work of the church? Should we as a church celebrate Christmas in our assemblies? Should we as individuals celebrate Christmas? Two different questions, with two different answers. First, as a church, we have no authorization to celebrate Christmas. The only remembrance that we are commanded to hold is the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of His death. In fact, Jesus was very strong in condemning human traditions being forced onto God's people as commands. (read Mark 7: 1-13) Christmas is a human tradition, very clearly so; therefore to bind it anyone in our assemblies is to violate a very clear Biblical principle. Traditions of men are wrong when they become matters of doctrine and are bound upon all, so to bind the observance of a human tradition on a congregation of the Lord's people would be in violation of the Jesus' teaching and is at least unwise, if not wrong.
Ok, can I celebrate it in my home? What does the Bible teach in regard to this? Paul gives us teaching that will help us in this discussion... So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ (Col2:16-17) Paul teaches us that as individuals we can hold days as special, but that we must not bind that on others. In Romans 14: 5-6, Paul teaches our personal liberty on the matter... One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. When we consider these teachings, it becomes clear that we have the personal freedom to hold a day as "special" if we choose, but again, the rub comes when we push that onto others.
In closing, let me make it clear that I love Christmas. I love being with my family and enjoying the fellowship, food and fun. I am free to do that. But, I am not free to bind that on anyone else. You are free to enjoy the day as you see fit, celebrate it or not and no one has the right to condemn either action. Christmas is a human tradition and a very beautiful one at that, but it is not a day set apart by our Lord for remembrance of His birthday. Our Lord set apart each Sunday as the day to remember Him in a special way by the church joining together to eat the Supper. That is what the Bible teaches and that is what His church should do. Individually, hold the 25th of December as a special day or don't, either way is fine, but don't condemn others for their actions... that is not fine.
To be sure, Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. The family is together. Gifts are exchanged. Santa comes down the chimney. Children are happy. Songs are sung. Food is eaten... what is not to like? As a child, I didn't really give a lot of thought to the fact that at my house it was Christmas, but at church it was not. We decorated a tree, put presents under it, waited for Santa and talked about Jesus birth... oh, and waited impatiently for the yearly showing of Rudolph. As I got older, my Sunday School teachers would be very careful to make sure I knew that Christmas was not really Jesus' birthday, but just a day that a person had selected to celebrate it. But what about the church celebrating a day that is a human tradition? Is that ok?
First things first, the Bible is completely, totally silent on the matter. Our only record is that His birth took place during the rule of Caesar Augustus and while Quirinius was governing Syria. No day, no month of the year or even the year. So how did we get to December 25th? Ok, here goes... the Jews believed that a prophet died on the same date as their conception. They believed that Jesus died on March 25th, so he was conceived on March 25th, so nine months later... December 25th. Early Christians, like Origen denounced the idea of celebrating His birth, but somewhere around 354 AD, his birth shows up on a calendar on December 25th. Little by little, this spread and soon churches were holding this day a special, Constantinople in 379 AD, Antioch in 380 AD and Alexandria in 430 AD.
Among Protestant churches that arose during the Reformation, Christmas was denounced as the "trappings of popery", since Christmas literally means the "Mass of Christ". It was banned by church leaders in England in 1647. It was outlawed by the New England government in 1659 and completely fell out of favor in the USA after the American Revolution. Over time, through literature and immigration, Christmas was revived in America and in 1870, Christmas was declared a U. S. federal holiday.
So, should Christmas be the work of the church? Should we as a church celebrate Christmas in our assemblies? Should we as individuals celebrate Christmas? Two different questions, with two different answers. First, as a church, we have no authorization to celebrate Christmas. The only remembrance that we are commanded to hold is the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of His death. In fact, Jesus was very strong in condemning human traditions being forced onto God's people as commands. (read Mark 7: 1-13) Christmas is a human tradition, very clearly so; therefore to bind it anyone in our assemblies is to violate a very clear Biblical principle. Traditions of men are wrong when they become matters of doctrine and are bound upon all, so to bind the observance of a human tradition on a congregation of the Lord's people would be in violation of the Jesus' teaching and is at least unwise, if not wrong.
Ok, can I celebrate it in my home? What does the Bible teach in regard to this? Paul gives us teaching that will help us in this discussion... So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ (Col2:16-17) Paul teaches us that as individuals we can hold days as special, but that we must not bind that on others. In Romans 14: 5-6, Paul teaches our personal liberty on the matter... One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. When we consider these teachings, it becomes clear that we have the personal freedom to hold a day as "special" if we choose, but again, the rub comes when we push that onto others.
In closing, let me make it clear that I love Christmas. I love being with my family and enjoying the fellowship, food and fun. I am free to do that. But, I am not free to bind that on anyone else. You are free to enjoy the day as you see fit, celebrate it or not and no one has the right to condemn either action. Christmas is a human tradition and a very beautiful one at that, but it is not a day set apart by our Lord for remembrance of His birthday. Our Lord set apart each Sunday as the day to remember Him in a special way by the church joining together to eat the Supper. That is what the Bible teaches and that is what His church should do. Individually, hold the 25th of December as a special day or don't, either way is fine, but don't condemn others for their actions... that is not fine.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Good Deeds
Today's reading is Paul's letter to Titus. A short little letter packed full of instruction. I am always amazed at how much teaching Paul, through the Spirit can pack into a paragraph. So, today I want to unpack Titus 3:3-8...
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
Sometimes being reminded of our past is useful. Sure, it can bring on feelings of guilt, even shame when we consider some of the things that we were involved in. But Paul uses our pasts to highlight what our present condition looks like in comparison. In the past, I was "foolish", yep; "disobedient", for sure; "led astray", check; "slaves to my passions and pleasures", you got it; "malice and envy", been there, done that; "hated and hating", true that. The mirror doesn't lie, before I met Jesus and made Him Lord and Master of my life, it was all about me. I did things that I now regret. You were probably in the same boat, involved with the wrong people, doing the wrong things; if not, you are fortunate. Paul wants us to take a moment and consider who we were, what we did and the outcome of such conduct. So, let's do that.... (take a moment and think on the matter)
When the scriptures throw in a "but", it is usually a very good thing and in this case Paul gives us a "but" that changes everything. He says this is how you once were, but... this is how you are now. He says when Jesus appeared, (the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior), HE saved us! That is good news! We once were lost, but now we are found; we once were blind, but now we see... (thanks John Newton). He changed everything! Paul wants us to understand that it is not our goodness, our acts of kindness that save us; it is God's rich mercy. He tells us that this all occurs at our "washing of regeneration" and ""renewal of the Holy Spirit". (see Acts 2:38) It is not an accomplishment of ours, rather Paul tells us that we are "justified" by His grace. It is His unmerited favor that we get through Jesus!
What is our reaction to this mercy, this grace? We are to devote ourselves to good deeds. As "heirs" according to the hope of eternal life, we are to start living like His children. The past was focused on ourselves and what we want, as renewed people we begin focusing on what God wants and He wants us to show His mercy, His grace to those around us by doing good deeds. He says "these things are excellent and profitable for people". Not only is doing good the response to His grace, doing good is to our profit. It benefits others, but it also brings a return to us. I don't know how all that works, but this I know, when I focus on the needs of others and serve them, I always receive a blessing. My life is enriched, I am encouraged as I encourage others.
How are you doing in all this? Have you considered where you were before Him and where you are now? Has the result of God's mercy been the outpouring of good deeds in your life? Have you changed from a "it's all about me person" to a "it's all about God and people" person? At the Wilkesboro church, our mission statement is simple and easy to learn... "Love God and Love People"; this fulfills the commands of God. If you are still trapped in "me", God has grace and mercy waiting on you. If you have forgotten where you came from and have slipped back into your former life, Paul says take a moment and reflect on these things and get busy doing good deeds. God expects change. He paid our debt, but He expects change. May He bless you in the doing of it!
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
Sometimes being reminded of our past is useful. Sure, it can bring on feelings of guilt, even shame when we consider some of the things that we were involved in. But Paul uses our pasts to highlight what our present condition looks like in comparison. In the past, I was "foolish", yep; "disobedient", for sure; "led astray", check; "slaves to my passions and pleasures", you got it; "malice and envy", been there, done that; "hated and hating", true that. The mirror doesn't lie, before I met Jesus and made Him Lord and Master of my life, it was all about me. I did things that I now regret. You were probably in the same boat, involved with the wrong people, doing the wrong things; if not, you are fortunate. Paul wants us to take a moment and consider who we were, what we did and the outcome of such conduct. So, let's do that.... (take a moment and think on the matter)
When the scriptures throw in a "but", it is usually a very good thing and in this case Paul gives us a "but" that changes everything. He says this is how you once were, but... this is how you are now. He says when Jesus appeared, (the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior), HE saved us! That is good news! We once were lost, but now we are found; we once were blind, but now we see... (thanks John Newton). He changed everything! Paul wants us to understand that it is not our goodness, our acts of kindness that save us; it is God's rich mercy. He tells us that this all occurs at our "washing of regeneration" and ""renewal of the Holy Spirit". (see Acts 2:38) It is not an accomplishment of ours, rather Paul tells us that we are "justified" by His grace. It is His unmerited favor that we get through Jesus!
What is our reaction to this mercy, this grace? We are to devote ourselves to good deeds. As "heirs" according to the hope of eternal life, we are to start living like His children. The past was focused on ourselves and what we want, as renewed people we begin focusing on what God wants and He wants us to show His mercy, His grace to those around us by doing good deeds. He says "these things are excellent and profitable for people". Not only is doing good the response to His grace, doing good is to our profit. It benefits others, but it also brings a return to us. I don't know how all that works, but this I know, when I focus on the needs of others and serve them, I always receive a blessing. My life is enriched, I am encouraged as I encourage others.
How are you doing in all this? Have you considered where you were before Him and where you are now? Has the result of God's mercy been the outpouring of good deeds in your life? Have you changed from a "it's all about me person" to a "it's all about God and people" person? At the Wilkesboro church, our mission statement is simple and easy to learn... "Love God and Love People"; this fulfills the commands of God. If you are still trapped in "me", God has grace and mercy waiting on you. If you have forgotten where you came from and have slipped back into your former life, Paul says take a moment and reflect on these things and get busy doing good deeds. God expects change. He paid our debt, but He expects change. May He bless you in the doing of it!
Friday, December 14, 2012
You Were Dead!
Today's reading takes us to the letter to the church in Colosse. Paul is under house arrest and learns of the struggles the church is having in Colosse and writes this letter to help them understand their relationship to Christ and how their lives are to reflect Jesus. As far as we know, he has never visited the church in Colosse, but hears reports from his friend, Epaphras (more on him at a later date). I am always encouraged when I read Paul's letter to the church in Colosse and know that it contains words that are just applicable to the church in Wilkesboro. So, take a moment and read the short little letter to the Colosse church of Christ.
Paul begins his letter with encouragement for the Christians there and builds them up by telling them all the wonderful things he has heard about the church. He tells them they are in his prayers. What an uplifting thing to know others are praying for you... especially an apostle! He declares to them the preeminence of Christ, that He is the God made flesh (2:9) and that He is the firstborn from among the dead. (others had been raised, but they would die again, not so with Jesus) (1:15-20)
As I read today, the section that really came alive for me is found in Chapter 2, verses 9-14.
So much to learn in these few verses... In Jesus, the fullness of deity dwells bodily... as the Christ, there is nothing lacking in Jesus. He is God, completely, fully. That is difficult to understand, we know He was also completely a human and faced the exact temptations and difficulties that we face today. We know that after His death on the cross, He tells His disciples that God had given Him "all" authority. (Matthew 28:18ff) So, we begin to get the idea that until He returns and takes His church home to be with the Father, He is in charge. He has the reigns; He is the captain of the ship.
Having established that Jesus is the One in charge, Paul tells us the He has done something to us. Under the Old Law, the Jew was to be circumcised on the eight day after his birth. It was a sign to the world that he belonged to God. Paul uses this reference to talk about something every Christan does and what the effect of the act is. He tells us that we are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands. He tells us that it is the Christ that performs this operation and it is done in our baptism. He says that when we are immersed we experience the putting off the body of the flesh. What does that mean? Thankfully Paul doesn't leave us in the dark. He says that before our baptisms, we were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. But after, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.
Paul wanted the disciples in Colosse to know that something very special had occurred when they were immersed into the Lord. He wanted them (and wants us) to know that this wasn't some meaningless symbol, but that something happens (actually happens!) when a person submits to Jesus in baptism. Some would argue that baptism is a work of man, but this scripture makes it very clear who is doing the work... having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. Our faith in God's ability to accomplish this work is what we do. What He does is raise us from the dead lives of sin, just as He raised Jesus from the dead (unless you believe that He didn't do that) ... And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him.
I imagine myself on the operating table, dead in my sin with God as the surgeon. He opens up my life and with the skills of a surgeon, cuts away all my sin and brings me to life. I come off the table alive, a new man made alive with Jesus. Thanks be to God, our Father for the provision of His Son, who bore our sins on the cross. And, that He applies the shed blood of Christ to our lives and removes our sins when we submit to His working in baptism. What about you, have you made the transaction of exchanging eternal death for eternal life. It is for you that He died. Make the decision and God will remove death and give life... life eternal.
Paul begins his letter with encouragement for the Christians there and builds them up by telling them all the wonderful things he has heard about the church. He tells them they are in his prayers. What an uplifting thing to know others are praying for you... especially an apostle! He declares to them the preeminence of Christ, that He is the God made flesh (2:9) and that He is the firstborn from among the dead. (others had been raised, but they would die again, not so with Jesus) (1:15-20)
As I read today, the section that really came alive for me is found in Chapter 2, verses 9-14.
For in
him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
and
you
have been filled in him, who is the
head of all rule and authority. In him also you
were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting
off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having
been buried with him in baptism, in which you
were also raised with him through faith in the
powerful working of God, who
raised him from the dead. And
you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God
made
alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling
the
record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside,
nailing it to the cross.
So much to learn in these few verses... In Jesus, the fullness of deity dwells bodily... as the Christ, there is nothing lacking in Jesus. He is God, completely, fully. That is difficult to understand, we know He was also completely a human and faced the exact temptations and difficulties that we face today. We know that after His death on the cross, He tells His disciples that God had given Him "all" authority. (Matthew 28:18ff) So, we begin to get the idea that until He returns and takes His church home to be with the Father, He is in charge. He has the reigns; He is the captain of the ship.
Having established that Jesus is the One in charge, Paul tells us the He has done something to us. Under the Old Law, the Jew was to be circumcised on the eight day after his birth. It was a sign to the world that he belonged to God. Paul uses this reference to talk about something every Christan does and what the effect of the act is. He tells us that we are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands. He tells us that it is the Christ that performs this operation and it is done in our baptism. He says that when we are immersed we experience the putting off the body of the flesh. What does that mean? Thankfully Paul doesn't leave us in the dark. He says that before our baptisms, we were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. But after, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.
Paul wanted the disciples in Colosse to know that something very special had occurred when they were immersed into the Lord. He wanted them (and wants us) to know that this wasn't some meaningless symbol, but that something happens (actually happens!) when a person submits to Jesus in baptism. Some would argue that baptism is a work of man, but this scripture makes it very clear who is doing the work... having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. Our faith in God's ability to accomplish this work is what we do. What He does is raise us from the dead lives of sin, just as He raised Jesus from the dead (unless you believe that He didn't do that) ... And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him.
I imagine myself on the operating table, dead in my sin with God as the surgeon. He opens up my life and with the skills of a surgeon, cuts away all my sin and brings me to life. I come off the table alive, a new man made alive with Jesus. Thanks be to God, our Father for the provision of His Son, who bore our sins on the cross. And, that He applies the shed blood of Christ to our lives and removes our sins when we submit to His working in baptism. What about you, have you made the transaction of exchanging eternal death for eternal life. It is for you that He died. Make the decision and God will remove death and give life... life eternal.
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