James 1-5
November 30, 2014

In Christ, there are no coincidences.  So, when the Pastor in church this morning quoted a part of James 1 (verses 22-23) I thought to myself "I'll write about that passage".   Which is good, because you really can't write about the whole book of James in a brief passage.

Anyway, this particular verse sort of sums up what the rest of the book goes into some detail describing.   It's not enough to listen to what the Bible says, we must put it into action.   Now, there isn't anything wrong with listening....in fact before we start trying to "do" we should listen.   Jesus in several places chastises people who are busy doing when they should be listening

But if all we ever do is listen, and consider and discuss and debate.....nothing ever gets done.   Therefore, our faith must become a balance of hearing what the Bible says, and then making some changes based on what we have heard.   James says that if we keep our tongue in check we are "perfect".  I don't know if he was speaking literally or not, but it doesn't matter....since I don't often keep my tongue in check anyway.   But I mention that to say this:  Since we have two ears and one mouth, we should listen twice as much as we talk.    You've heard that before....so let's add another part...Since we have two hands, we should act on everything we hear.   Listen and act, and talk less.   Hmmm.

So...back to the verse I mentioned earlier.  The Bible is meant to reflect to us "what we look like".  I often look in the mirror and see something I don't like...but I don't get mad at the mirror, or the person who created it.   Why be upset with God simply because His Word is reflecting back to us our inadequacies?   It is that same Word that will fill us with power and ability, the same Word that will show us the way to be forgiven of those sins.    When we see our reflection in The Word, we should make an effort to change.   That's what the verse is talking about...listening and changing.  It's a slow, and sometimes painful process....a journey filled with setbacks and drastic lifestyle changes.  But it's also filled with rewards and high points.   Speaking for myself, I remember what I used to look like, and I see what I look like now, and I am pleased with the change.   I'm not done, but then I don't claim to be, either.

I don't think we should get depressed when we look at ourselves in the mirror of God's Word.  Rather, we should be filled with excitement and anticipation.   Kind of like a person who sits down in the chair at the beauty salon and discusses with the stylist what they want to look like.

It's worth thinking about.    How much have you changed because of the Word?   Is your language different?   Your friends?  Your habits?    Maybe you can't look back at yesterday and see the change, but it should be visible over the last year, or so.   If not, let's pray together that God will do something powerful in your life, so that you can be encouraged by what you "see".


Be blessed,


PR

Acts 13-14
November 29, 2014

It's in this passage that Saul is also referred to as Paul.  Paul and Barnabus are selected to leave the people they have been worshiping with and travel to another country.   This couldn't have been an easy decision for the church.  I'm sure they valued the ministry of Paul and Barnabus.  I'm willing to bet that at least one person said "hey, we have a pretty good thing going here, and the Gospel is being preached, people are coming to the Lord.  Why should we send out two of our best teachers when they could be used here?    It is our good fortune that they spent enough time in prayer to recognize that the Holy Spirit was working in their community, and showing them how the faith would grow.

Then, on their journey they have almost constant problems.  Resistance from every conceivable area, including a false teacher who "poisons the well".  John Mark decides to leave somewhere along the line, and in spite of seeing God work powerfully among them, the people are still moved to try and kill the apostles in almost every town.

What would possess someone to try and kill a person that they just admitted is a "god"?   Why would you try and kill a person that just healed a crippled man?   Here lies one of the mysteries of the Christian church....Christians go around doing good, telling people about how they can live eternally in heaven, sharing their belongings and helping where ever they can..and in return they are persecuted.    Some who are immature in their faith have responded with violence, but they don't represent the true body of Christ.

Jesus tells us that disciples will do several things, regardless of what spiritual gifts we are given.   We will worship, share our faith and have problems as we go through the process.    Partners in ministry will come and go, converts will have misunderstandings, resistance from jealous people will certainly follow success in ministry.     Regardless, we should continue to share, serve and suffer.

Blessings,

PR

Acts 11-12
November 28, 2014

My grandson only gives me about 10 uninterrupted minutes at a time...so I'd better make this quick.

This morning I see Barnabus as an integral part of the development and spread of Christianity.   You could argue that Saul wouldn't have become the leader in the church that he was without him.   It's Barnabus that travels to Tarsus and convinces Saul to come with him, and the two of them minister together in Antioch.    It seems to be Barnabus that was the key player in Antioch, not Saul.   And since it was in Antioch that we were first called "Christians" it would seem that we owe part of that moniker to Barnabus as well.  The other impressive thing about his is how little that we know.  His name comes up several times, always in an encouraging or supporting role.  He clearly was held in high regard in the early church.   I would imagine that no matter who you asked, everyone would want Barnabus to be "on their team".   They may have worked well with Saul, or they may not... but I'd bet that everyone worked well with Barnabus.

That sends my thoughts to church growth, oddly enough.  We often hear the phrase repeated "without vision the people perish" or the John Maxwell quote "everything rises and falls on leadership".   But are the leaders effective without the encouragers?  If we don't have multipliers like Barnabus, to what extent can the ministry actually blossom?   Leaders inspire, but they also push and challenge.   I think we need a "Barnabus" in every ministry.   At least one, and maybe two people who are spiritually gifted to recognize good and foster it.    You might think that it would be nice to have a whole church full of Barnabus's...but that would be wasting them.   I don't think the gift is common enough to hoard in those numbers in each church.   To some extent we are all called to be considerate and filled with encouragement and compassion...but to be a Barnabus goes a step further.    I think this is a person who helps you to recognize your true potential, and keeps you in ministry on those days when you think you want to leave.

I smile when I read that when Barnabus returned to Jerusalem he collected John Mark and took him back onto the mission field with Saul.    John would have a difficult time of it, but he had a great mentor in Barnabus, who wouldn't let him fail easily.    

I have at least one Barnabus in my life at all times, it seems.   And the church has several who operate in different venues, encouraging, supporting, bringing cheer and new inspiration.  They are a joy to be around, and bring a smile to your face when you think of them.

Thank you Lord, for "Barnabus's"


PR

Acts 9-10
November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving.
Today I see more than a single story, unfolding or developing in sequence.  This is multi-faceted, and complex.  While Philip is speaking in one place, God is using Peter in another.   While both of them are witnessing and being challenged to go to different places, God is also preparing the next generation of witness in Saul.   If it weren't written down, we never could have kept track of it, that's how amazing it is.

I was chosen for job one time and found out some time later that men more qualified than myself had applied and were turned down.   I asked my superior why they chose me when more qualified people were denied.   He said "they knew more than you, but you were the right material.  We can teach you what you need to know, but we couldn't teach you the type of personality that we needed."

I see Jesus pursuing Saul because he is the right kind of material.  He is strong willed, able to learn and debate, and not afraid to do so.   Many people are intelligent, not all of them can speak in public.   And among those, even fewer are able to be humble.   Saul, later to become Paul, was a unique personality type, and Jesus chose to use him for a special task.

Could Christ have used others?  Yes.  Did Saul have to respond?  No.  Would the Gospel have been preached by another person if Saul refused?   Certainly.  It may have had a slightly different story line, but it would still be the Gospel, all doctrines unchanged.   If you and I are willing to allow Jesus to break through the fog of deception that the devil wraps us with, we will see clearly that Christ is the only rational solution to our fallen state.   Saul is "dead-set" against Christians, but that's because he has been deceived.  Who knows what lies Saul has believed.  He probably was told that the disciples stole the body of Jesus and hid it elsewhere.  After all, that was the official story that the Pharisees put out.   I imagine Saul to be both excited and disappointed as he realized that much of what he had believed in was not true, and that the people who had sent him on this mission were actually lying to him.    No one likes to be lied to, or used like a puppet to serve someone else's purpose.   I can only imagine the turmoil in Saul's head as he sat for several days in darkness considering all the terrible things that he had done, for a government that he no longer believed in.

The appearance of Jesus to Saul on the Damascus road serves as an illustration for Christians today.  We must all have a "damascus road" experience.  Generally when we say that, we mean a big, flashy and undeniable event where God speaks so clearly that we cannot miss it.    But what I mean is a turning point in what we chose to accept as truth.   Who are we going to believe, and what actions will we take, and what things will we no longer put up with, because of those beliefs?

From the time Saul makes up his mind he is changed.   He isn't always accepted by the other Christians.  In fact for a while they don't want to be around him.   And there is a period of time when Saul leaves Jerusalem and goes home to witness and continue his spiritual growth.   Even this serves as a clue to the type of ministry he will have...an itinerant, traveling ministry to gentiles, instead of a fixed and located ministry to the Jews.

Peter has a formative moment here as well.   We often reference the idea that we should "not call unclean what God has called clean".    We overlay that statement on food, on people, on music and styles of worship, on clothing and just about everything else.    Maybe we over use it, I don't know.   The point is:  God is bigger than what you and I can imagine or conceive of.  His purpose and His grace go beyond our ability, His mercy beyond our comprehension.  His plan is so much larger than ours we cannot possibly understand it all.   We must be content to do as the disciples did, trust and obey that God will give us enough light for the moment.  

We can only walk in the light that we have, obey the command that we understand, and wait patiently for the rest of the plan to be revealed for us.   Since it has so many facets, we must rest in the assurance that God is in control of it, and we don't have to worry about it.

I'd better bring my rambling thoughts to a close.  I'm visiting my son and his family today in South Carolina, and my grandson will be waking up soon.   I don't want to miss that.


PR

Acts 7-8
November 26, 2014

How do you choose between blogging about the powerful witness of Stephen, or the amazing witness of Phillip?   And then there's the first mention of Saul, who is intent in his desire to stamp out the church...

Okay, so it seems that Phillip has caught my attention for some reason.   I confess to having skipped over the part of chapter 8 where Phillip is taking the gospel to the city of Samaria, while I looked forward to him being miraculously transported away after teaching the eunuch.   Today the fact that Simon the sorcerer had accepted Jesus sort of jumps off the page.   Some would say that Simon hadn't really become a christian.  Others would say that Simon did accept, but the temptation to lust after power and fame choked out the new faith growing in him.   Simon does seem repentant however.  I wonder if we will see him in heaven?  I hope so.
My hat is off to Phillip.  He models true faith here, going to people who are antagonistic to the Jews and sharing the message with them.  I guess that sometimes God uses persecution, which is a bad thing, to bring about something good like the spread of the Gospel.  Phillip could have moaned and groaned about how terrible things were for Christians, but instead he chose to focus on the incredible story of Jesus Christ, and the miracles that he had witnessed.   Because of that, a whole community had the opportunity to receive Jesus.
And then, Phillip doesn't even have the chance to "rest on his laurels" before the Lord whisks him off to testify to others.
I notice that God doesn't give a whole bunch of information other than what is immediately needed.  "head south"  or "walk up next to the carriage".  Both times Phillip isn't told why, only a brief command.  Sometimes we have to be content knowing only a part of the plan.  In hindsight I'm sure that everything God has allowed will make sense....provided that we respond appropriately to it.

Looking back at my own life, I could say "wow, Lord.  how come I can't just find one job that I like and stay there?"   Until I look back and see that every single job I have ever had was preparing me for a part of the ministry.  Today it all makes sense, but at the time I was moving from job to job, retraining again and again it was pretty frustrating.    Looking back, I wouldn't change a single thing.   Thankfully, long before I ever had the sense to pray for God to have His way in my life, He was already laying the groundwork for me.

Phillip obeys and experiences wonderful blessings because of it.   my prayer is that I would always be as responsive and compelling in my witness as Phillip was.


PR

Acts 4-6
November 25, 2014


Peter and John have become famous because of the power of the Holy Spirit working through them.  and Peter has gone beyond famous to rock star status.   People line the streets to see him.  They bring ill family members out so that Peter's shadow can fall on them.   They might have done the same thing for Jesus, but I don't remember reading it.  In any case, Peter and his companions are fast becoming a problem for the establishment.    So when they heal a crippled beggar it draws a huge crowd.  The crowd follows them up onto the temple mount, and John and Peter begin teaching everything that Jesus taught them.  They are standing in Solomon's Colonnade,  which is a large area of huge stone columns on one side the temple mount.   When the Pharisees and the teachers of the law see that the crowd is looking to Peter and John and not to them, they become insanely jealous.   This pride and lust for power and control never comes from God.   Jesus taught that we should be humble.  He taught that we should celebrate everyone who is spreading the Gospel, not be in conflict or competition with them.   The Pharisees reveal their true character by their actions.

When Peter is confronted by them, he doesn't pull any punches.  I am amazed at his boldness in front of these men who just exercised their power to have Jesus killed a couple of months earlier.   Peter clearly must have no fear of death.  Gone is the man who is afraid to stand up and be counted as a follower of Jesus.   The Pharisees bring false witnesses to level charges against the apostles.   I suspect that same strategy is still being used today.   I wonder how many times our leaders (who often seem to be drunk with lust for power and control) have used their influence to squash opposition from Christians.   What happens in secret inside the United States happens blatantly abroad.   Jesus told us it would happen this way. "if they hate you, remember they hated me first".

When Peter and John are beaten unjustly, they don't file any charges, or try to incite a riot or begin a rebellion.  Instead, they celebrate!   In their way of thinking, they have been counted worthy of a great honor.  The honor of suffering for their faith, just like Jesus.

Honestly, I think this mindset is what we as American Christians need to be assimilating.  We are used to being in power and in control.  It positions us incorrectly to reflect the attributes of the Master.   Our role is to serve others, share with one another and suffer willingly.    When this happens, the Gospel spreads like wildfire.    It could be that our great success and wealth in the United States have actually dampened the work of the Holy Spirit.

PR

Acts 1-3
November 24, 2014


Beginning with verse 21 of Chapter one the Apostles discuss replacing Judas.  They choose from a group of men who have "been with us the whole time.."  which tells us that we only know a part of the story.  There were more than the 12 who followed Jesus from town to town over the three years of his ministry.   Jesus had a larger group who were with him, and from that group he selected His 12.  My mind has always envisioned Jesus walking around with 12 guys in single file behind Him.  That simply isn't the case.   Therefore, even though the rest of the disciples didn't become "Apostles" they must have spread the good news about Jesus far and wide after His death and resurrection.   The twelve are the ones we know about, but the story is so much greater.   For instance,  in 1:3 it says He gave "many convincing proofs that He was alive".  But it never tells us what He did.   Jesus did more than can be recorded.  So we absorb what is written, and accept that it is enough to guide us into the right decisions.

Most of the first few chapters of Acts are dedicated to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit came in power on the disciples 50 days after Passover (Easter).    It was already a Jewish holiday, called "the feast of weeks"among Gentiles, but known as Shavuot among the Jews.  It is the day they celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.   It can't be a coincidence that God chose Shavuot to send the Holy Spirit.  The Law was given to provide us guidance, to encourage and rebuke and show us how we could be restored.  The Holy Spirit has responsibility for all those things and more.   He is the Guide and the Comforter,   He corrects us when we are wrong, and encourages us when we are weary.  He guides us, carries our prayers to heaven and intercedes for us before the throne of God.    It is the Holy Spirit that reveals Scripture to us.  How appropriate that He comes on the same day The Word came.    

Some have taken the position that the Holy Spirit must be evidenced by the gift of speaking in tongues, since the Apostles spoke in tongues.  I highly doubt that is true.  I'm sure Peter spoke in tongues..at least I assume he did, but in today's reading he says in 2:15  "these men are not drunk".  If he were speaking in tongues that day he probably would have said "we are not drunk".  It's possible that the other disciples spoke in different languages and Peter was set aside to speak in Hebrew or Aramaic to the people who were gathered around for the spectacle.   So, speaking in tongues, while a necessary part of the gifts, isn't a mandatory one any more than insisting that a tongue of fire must appear above each persons head, or the sound of a rushing wind must fill the room when the Holy Spirit comes.   It can happen, but it doesn't have to.

The last part of today's reading is the healing of the crippled beggar, which sets the stage for the trouble Peter and John find themselves in (tomorrows reading).   I'll write about that tomorrow.


PR

John 20-21 and Luke 24
November 23, 2014


From time to time, as a Pastor I am frustrated by my inability to communicate effectively.  I try and cast a vision for what I think would work well, only to watch the people that I shepherd continue to do the same thing they have always done.   Even after we have changed our actions and seen great success I still witness people going back to the old habits, and old ways of doing things.   Maybe it's "muscle memory" or maybe it's unwillingness to change.   It could be that I haven't done a good enough job of getting my point across...who knows.

Whatever the reason, I have to smile as I read about Jesus walking along the Emmaus road trying to explain to his disciples what has just taken place.   Having just read it over the last several days, it is certainly more fresh in my mind than it would have been in theirs...but even still, Jesus was very direct when He told them He would be in the tomb for three days.    Even the chief priests knew that He intended to rise again.  That's why they had the tomb sealed and guarded.  This will sound crazy, but I'll bet that the unrepentant chief priests were more readily convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead than the disciples were!   Of course, Jesus appears to His disciples in person, and not the priests.  

I also see that the first people to see Jesus were the women.  I'm not sure what to make of that, except that the women were "second class citizens" in His day.  Appearing to them first is in line with Jesus coming to the "least of these".   The disciples run to the tomb and see no one.  Mary Magdalene sees two angels, and then Jesus appears to her personally.    Jesus would have left the two men on the Emmaus road, had they not begged him to stay with them.   Their hospitality and concern for a stranger really paid off that day!

I used to be frustrated when I read about how the disciples had gone back to fishing after they had seen Jesus alive.  But as I read that account again, I notice that Jesus doesn't have any harsh words for them.   He isn't frustrated because they are fishing.   I guess He recognizes that they need the Holy Spirit in order to continue the mission, now that He is ascending to the Father.   In fact, He tells them to "sit tight" until the Holy Spirit shows up.    In one reading Jesus breathes on them and says "Receive the Holy Spirit" but there is no record of anything extraordinary happening to them when He does it.   I wonder if the presence of the Holy Spirit HAS to be exhibited by something fantastic.    Do you think it's possible to be filled with the Spirit and still be quiet?   Does everyone who is filled with the Spirit teach?   I wonder if the disciples received the Spirit earlier than we know, only to have the Spirit bring them a gift in the form of tongues of fire on each head.

I wouldn't want to create any doctrine based on this random thought, but it is fun to think about.

Today I take comfort in knowing that people don't always do what you want them to, or what you expect them to., or even what they are capable of doing.   Jesus knew it, and loved anyway.  He continued to teach until it was time for Him to go, and He left knowing that there was some work that only the Holy Spirit would be able to accomplish.

I guess that should be good enough for us as well...


PR

Mark 16 and Matthew 28
November 22, 2014

There simply is no way to emphasize enough the importance of the events that take place in todays readings.  The entire Christian faith rests upon these two chapters.  They are the keystone upon which our faith is built, they are the fulcrum from which we derive power.  They provide direction and purpose to our lives, they instill hope and chase away fear.

We hear these verses each year at Easter, and perhaps we reference them occasionally throughout the year, but we should be committing them to heart and memory.

That Jesus died for our sins is a demonstration of love.  That He rose from the dead is a demonstration of power.   Had He remained dead, sin would have won.  That He rises from the dead means that sin no longer has a hold on us...for eternity.    A battle has been won that we are only marginally aware is being fought.   With our eternal destiny in the balance, we have emerged victorious because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

What now, for the Christian?   A life for a life.   Jesus has redeemed our lives, and has promised an inheritance beyond imagination.  In return, we share this good news with everyone we meet.  We testify, we baptize, we teach and assist others to become disciples.  It's more than an obligation, it's an act of love.   It's a privilege to be able to say "thank you" in a small way for all that Christ has done for us.

As we fast approach an American holiday designed to remind us to be thankful, let us all be thankful for the unselfish sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who once and for all conquered death and sin, and is now seated in victory at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

May His name, and His alone receive glory and honor, praise and adulation!


PR

John 18-19 and Luke 23
November 21, 2014


Just a few comments today:   I see that the chief priests and the people demanded that Christ be crucified three times.  Three times Pilate tried to punish Jesus without crucifying Him.
The Jews did not go into the courtyard of the Roman Governor (Pilate) because they didn't want to be come ceremonially unclean.   At the same time, they had no problem executing a man who they knew was innocent.   You might forgive the idea that they didn't fully realize that Jesus was the Son of God....I'm not saying that we should, only that it's plausible.   But there is no excuse for intentionally condemning the righteous.
I have read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus more times that I can remember.  Today what stands out to me is WHO is the closest to belief.   I mean, the roman centurion takes a step back, observes everything that is happening around him (darkness during the day, earthquake, dead people rising) and he makes a good confession.   Pilate doesn't become a Christian, but even he is reticent to execute Jesus.   He probably wouldn't have, if the priests hadn't suggested that to allow Christ to live was tantamount to treason.   And then there is Pilate's wife...she has dreamed that Jesus is innocent.   And don't forget the thief on the cross!  Even he has the wisdom to recognize that an innocent man is being killed.

How is it that the ungodly have an easier time recognizing Jesus than the chosen people do?   What possible reason would anyone have to contradict the will of God?

Now, there are certainly many men and women who are following Jesus at that very time who truly believe, and let's not forget Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who went at some risk to themselves to request the body and prepare it for burial.   It would not have been a politically correct request.

I pray to find myself on the right side of history in my actions and in my conversation.  It's no small prayer request....history has shown that pride and self aggrandizement are the precursors to disconnection from the Holy Spirit, and that leaves us to make decisions on our own.  Of course, that's always dangerous.  

The main theme of the death of Jesus Christ is that He died for our sins, and that because He suffered in the manner that He did we don't have to suffer eternal death in hell.    The thoughts I offer are a subtext at best.   Humility is required when attempting to determine the will of God in any situation.   That's probably because God thinks on such a broader scale than we do.   The crucifixion certainly proves that.  

PR

Mark 15 and Matthew 27
November 20, 2014


After  watching "The Passion of the Christ" this passage has never been quite the same.  The words don't do justice to the horror that Christ suffered.   I shudder for two reasons:  First, that they would persecute a perfect man in such a brutal way, and secondly, if the innocent are treated like this, what hope is there for the guilty (like myself)?
If Jesus were treated in such a way, then shouldn't we expect to endure the same?   I pray that my
faith grows strong enough to support me in times of distress.

On the other hand, we don't have to suffer such atrocities because Jesus suffered them for us.  His death on our behalf pays the price for our sins.   Because of him, we can be "sin free" in the eyes of the Father.

The people asked that Jesus be crucified, and they said "let His blood be on our heads, and on our children".    I find myself asking the same thing, except with a very different motive.   I know that it is God's will for Christ to be crucified, so I humbly ask that He suffer in my place...not because I am worthy of it, or because I think I deserve it in any way...but because God the Father wants it to be this way.   I am the recipient of great merc., and I will not turn it down.    I also pray that the blood of Jesus cover my head as well, but I ask with the idea of being forgiven because of the blood, not as a testimony to my conviction that He was guilty of anything.     I am certain that Jesus was innocent, and that His death had nothing to do with His guilt, and everything to do with mine.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could remain silent when charged and ridiculed like this.   I tend to become short tempered when I am sick or in pain......or when I'm tired, or hungry, or generally not getting my own way.     Jesus is beaten, mocked, spit upon, ridiculed by authorities, religious leaders, soldiers, servants, the general public and even other prisoners.  He is abandoned by everyone into whom He as poured his life.    He healed Peter's mother in law, and helped Peter to walk on water, but Peter has walked away.   The crowds that loved him and gladly ate the fish he multiplied are gone now.  Golgotha is a lonely place for one who has done so much for the human race.

Anytime I start feeling sorry for myself I need to remember what Christ endured in just those few hours.  His suffering there is more than the life accumulation of my suffering.    I truly have nothing to complain about.


PR

John 14-17
November 19, 2014

Our reading covers so much ground today there is no way to give appropriate attention to all of it.   So I have selected one thought to comment on here.

I have the impression in chapters 14 and 15 that Jesus has a key teaching He is trying to get across, and that is to love one another.    If we truly love one another most of the Gospel works itself out.  Service and worship become times of regeneration and not a drain on our energy.    Much has been said and written about obeying the commands of God.   There is so much to do, and so many different ways in which it could be accomplished....how do we know we are doing the right things, and doing them in the right way?
I think as long as we love the Lord, we will do several things: 1.  we will read what He has said (the Bible) and 2. we will talk with Him (prayer).    These two activities, motivated by love for the person Jesus Christ will inform the rest of our decisions.  Study and prayer will help us realize that the people who have different opinions than ours are loved equally by the Master.    The manner in which we worship may not be preferred, but it will always be tolerable, perhaps even enjoyable...in spite of the fact that it isn't our preference
We will find energy in serving.  Sharing our faith will not drain us, it will invigorate us and motivate us.   We will be filled with inexpressible happiness in spite of the dire circumstances that we occasionally find ourselves in.
I have personally witnessed this joy in others when they did not seem to have anything to be delighted about.   Yet their joy was in the knowing of the Savior.   In that knowledge...in that relationship Jesus had somehow given them both a peace and a joy that was enviable by the most wealthy among us.
If we stay close to the Lord, we will remain obedient.  Not because of duty, but out of love.  It will not be burdensome to love our neighbor, or even our enemies, because the ability to love them will come from outside us, poured into our spirit by the Holy Spirit, who is the wellspring of all love.   If we truly love one another, and by that I mean love each other with Agape style love, sacrificing and giving up our own desires for one another we will see the Gospel lived out among us.

This is what Jesus had in mind when He prayed for us.  That we would find the motivation to love one another in spite of our differences, and that together we would live out Gospel.

The world is hungry for such devotion, people yearn to be filled with the passion that comes from a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.


PR

John 13 and Luke 22
Tuesday,  November 18, 2014

Since we have already discussed the idea of people being confused about who Jesus is, and acting badly because of it (Judas, Peter) I want to briefly talk about the last supper.

This all begins with the Passover, where God establishes a nation.  The angel of death is told to "pass over" the houses of any people (all Hebrews) who have the blood of the sacrificial lamb painted over the doorway, and on the door frame.   Inside the home, everyone is to be eating the sacrificial lamb, which has been roasted over the fire.    That very night, the death angel visited every home that did not have the blood of the lamb, and killed the firstborn.    With this final plague, Pharaoh let the Hebrews go.

Fast forward 1000 years (or so) the people have been celebrating the Passover as a national holiday for centuries.   At every meal they would pass around bread, wine and lamb and repeat certain prayers and sayings.     It is at that meal that Jesus re-identifies the wine as His blood, and the bread as His flesh.   So, from that time on, it becomes communion for us.   Jewish passover is Gentile communion.   It is the reminder that God is the one who delivers us from death.    Only with the blood of Jesus Christ painted on our hearts will we avoid the angel of death.

At the last day, when we are judged by The Father, if we are covered by the blood of His Son Jesus, then we will be found innocent, and will enter into heaven.  All others go to hell.

There is so much more to say about the Lamb that was offered, for instance:   Jesus is identified by John the Baptist as "the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world".   In the Old Testament, it was a female lamb that was used as a sin offering.   This tells us that it isn't just about men.  Jesus is greater than male or female.  He is beyond them both, and both are part of His being.

The lamb must be eaten, and Jesus himself said that His flesh was real food and His blood was real drink, and unless we eat his flesh and blood we could not enter the kingdom of heaven..   He was speaking figuratively of course, not promoting cannibalism.   But we must accept into our deepest being the idea that Jesus is Lord.   To "consume Him" in this way means that He takes over our life, and becomes the source and the resource from which we draw our strength and wisdom.

It is the last supper that binds us to the Jewish faith, and it is Passover that created the nation in the first place.   Therefore, by taking communion together we become one people, serving and loving one God.

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Mark 14 and Matthew 26
Monday,  November 17, 2014

In both of these readings we have people who are behaving badly because they don't fully understand the truth of who Jesus is.   Those who don't know Jesus cannot behave like Him.
A few key mistakes are made.  Judas seems too caught up in money.  I doubt that it's a coincidence that he leaves to betray Jesus to the High Priest right after the woman pours a years worth of perfume on Jesus.   Judas was one of those who protested, who felt that it was a waste of precious resources.  He was too caught up in the resources and not in the relationship.   The money mattered more than man, the purse more than the person.   He might have felt that He was doing the faith a great favor by adding some additional coin to the cause.  He could have believed that He was forcing Jesus to take the kingdom by "outing him" in front of the Romans.   Judas had never seen Jesus fail, so he could have believed that the Roman soldiers were going to be defeated if they went up against Him.    We can't know for sure, but whatever the reason, Judas was deceived and motivated by wrong impulses.   There's a lesson in that for us.

Then there's Peter, who believed too highly of himself.  He would never betray Christ, and was able to sleep at night instead of pray, confident in his own ability.  Had he know what was coming, he couldn't have slept a wink, and probably would have prayed all night...and then been victorious in the morning.    But he isn't listening.  He is the one who grabs the sword and cuts off Malchus' ear.   He is the one who follows at a distance, when the others have run away (John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark is thought to be the young man who ran off naked).
So Peter was afraid.  He has forgotten that this is the man who has calmed the seas, and raised the dead.  This is the man who has cast out demons and multiplied fishes.  This is the man who dandled children on his knee and argued the professors of the law into embarrassed silence.      Several hours ago Peter protested because Jesus was doing something he hadn't seen before.   He was washing feet.   It was too base, too common for a person of Jesus' stature.    Peter misunderstood then...and he misunderstands now.   He sees defeat where he should see fulfillment of prophecy.   He sees weakness where there is really wonderful restraint.   Even when Jesus says "I could call legions of angels if I wanted to" Peter doesn't understand that Jesus is willing to do this.    In his mind, Christ must have failed.   The mission is over, and it has collapsed.  The disciples are gone, the leader is defeated and life is in an uproar.    The cacophony of yelling soldiers and probing servants and screaming women are all swirling around Peter's head, creating a dizzying confusing atmosphere that leads him to doubt his own belief.

"I have no idea who He is" is the cry of one who simply doesn't understand what is going on.   How many of us have said the same thing when we see the innocent crushed and evil prosper?   Where is Jesus?   Does He even care?    Who would serve a God that would allow things like this to happen?

Some say that they will not serve.  They deny knowing Him and choose a different path that seems to make more sense.  "it's confusing and I don't want to be part of the discussion".....so they go back to fishing and trying to earn a living.    That's what the disciples did, and that's what we sometimes do when God acts in a way that we don't understand.

But the battle goes to those who are faithful, even in spite of the seeming defeat.   The battle is won by those who are bold enough to cling to the feet of the one who is crucified, to cry and mourn without developing a theology that says "He is not able".    We must be of that caliber.   We must learn to say "Lord, I don't understand why or how or even when....but I know WHO.   You are the One, the Christ.  However you chose to do what it is that you want to do, I surrender to it."

Only as we foster the relationship in this way can we fully realize the full potential of our christian faith.

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Matthew 25
November 16, 2014

The 10 virgins is an interesting account that seems to teach us several things about the second coming of Christ.
First, it seems that all the virgins were eligible to be with the bridegroom.  Let's assume that means they were all Christians.   Some of them brought extra oil in separate jars, in addition to the oil that was already in the lamp.   I suppose the oil in the lamp would stand for the ability to remain obedient to God for the long haul.   Perseverance is a highly sought after attribute in the Bible.   Remaining faithful and obedient in spite of persecution is required of a disciple.
So the 10 were at the door, waiting on the Bridegroom, and they all fall asleep.   None of the 10 know when the Bridegroom is coming, and none of the 10 were expecting Him that day.   But when the notice came, 5 of the 10 got ready.  The other 5 needed to repent, or something like it.  Whatever they needed couldn't be transferred from one person to another, and it wasn't immediately available.    I suspect that they had fallen away from the practice of their religion, and needed a recharge.
Whatever the case, those who didn't go in when the door was opened didn't get in at all.   The door opened once, and even if people came later in the day with a renewed faith, the door never opened again.  
We often hear that after Jesus comes the first time in the rapture, there will be another time of repentance where a second group has an opportunity to enter heaven.   The "Left Behind" series has been instrumental in keeping this idea alive in recent history.

The problem with a second group going to heaven is that it doesn't line up with history.  There was one door on Noah's Ark, and it closed one time and anyone who didn't get on board before it closed never got on board.     The 10 virgins waited until the door opened, and when it did, only those who were immediately ready went in, and the others never did.

If there are Christians here during the tribulation, it will be because we haven't been raptured yet.  It won't be because God is opening the door a second time to accommodate those who weren't ready the first time.

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Matthew 24
November 15, 2014


I used to think that the "abomination that causes desolation" that was standing in the holy place was a nuclear bomb on it's launch pad.  I'm not sure why I thought that..probably because the water being poisoned and the large numbers of people all dying at once seemed to fit with the description of a nuclear holocaust.
But, these days I don't think that's what it means at all.  This abomination is an idol.  And today, if you look at the holy place, which is the temple mount in Jerusalem, you will see a very large, very ornate and beautiful temple there called the Dome of the Rock.   It is a muslim holy place, the second most important place in all Islam, second only to Mecca.   The temple has been there for over a thousand years, and it is partially constructed with the stones from the Hebrew temple, that was built by Zerubbabel, enlarged by Herod, and eventually destroyed by the Romans in 69 AD.   I have been to this site, and put my hands on the temple itself.  In one respect it is a historical treasure.   It is clearly a very ornate and very holy place.    But it's standing where the temple of God is meant to be, and it doesn't recognize Jesus as the Son of God.  Therefore, it fits the description of an abomination that causes desolation.   There it is, right square in the middle of the most sacred spot in all of the world.  The place where Abraham offered Isaac, the place where the angel of God appeared to David.  The place where the temple of God was built and rebuilt.   The place where Jesus himself walked through the streets and taught and healed.
It is inconceivable that the Jewish people would allow this to remain in the holy place...but these are strange times.    I remember when it dawned on me that the Israelites were in control of the temple mount, but hadn't torn down the Dome of the Rock.   I was walking up onto the mount, and I saw Israelite soldiers everywhere, standing guard.   It hadn't occurred to me that they would ever allow this to happen.
That informs my opinion of the last days.
I think that the tribulation will be terrible, but there will be those who are inspired by the false prophet to "stay the course" and will eventually go to their doom.    Some will gladly take the mark of the beast, Thinking they are doing something wonderful, or at least necessary.
Some will probably say "we can resist later, let's not make a big fuss over this right now"
Perhaps, like the Dome of the Rock, we will become so used to having the wrong thing in the right place that we won't be willing to allow it to be removed.

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Mark 13
November 14, 2014


The more I read my Bible, the more convinced I become that Christians are going to be here for at least some part of the tribulation.   It has become popular thought to believe that the rapture will occur before the tribulation, but when I read verses like 13:24, where it says "FOLLOWING that distress (caps mine) the sun will be darkened...."   Clearly Jesus intended to tell his followers that the Son of Man would not return in the clouds until after the sun and moon go dark, and the stars fall from the sky.   Or at least, immediately following the false Christs (plural!) which would be partway through the tribulation.    Why speak of deceiving the elect if Christians weren't going to be here?   I'm sure we could develop some convoluted theory about how there will be mysterious unknown others who will appear at that time...but isn't easier to accept that Christians don't leave until Jesus comes back, and Jesus doesn't come back until the tribulation is over?

 After the sun and moon are darkened, the Son of Man sends his angels to collect the elect.   In Revelation 7 the sixth seal is broken, and the people who came out of the tribulation are seen standing in heaven.   There is still another seal (where the flaming mountains are cast onto the earth) and then trumpets and bowls to be sounded and poured out.   So, there seems to be plenty of destruction to go around, and the saint apparently have left by this time.   So maybe the rapture is partway through the tribulation.

It is comforting to know that generations have studied this passage, and we haven't come up with a clear answer other than to say that we need to be ready at all times, because Jesus could come back at any time.   For those who live lives ready to meet the Savior, his  return will be a welcome and pleasant surprise.   Like waking up and realizing it's your birthday and Christmas and you won the lottery and all your grandkids are moving back to town (all at one time).    Better than that...even.


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Luke 20-21 and Matthew 23
Thursday,   November 13th, 2014


Luke's record here is often misinterpreted, I think.   I hear people talking about "wars and rumors of wars as if that were a sign that the earth is about to end.  But that's not what the passage says.  It says that "these things are the beginning of birth pains" which means that there is still time before the end.  Obviously, since wars have been fought since the dawn of time and Jesus hasn't returned yet.   Then there is the mention of "strange signs in the sky and oceans".  It reminds me of the opening of the seals in Revelation.   At one time a large mountain that is on fire (I imagine a meteorite) falls on the earth and the fresh water is poisoned.   Then the same thing happens in the sea.  Each time 1/3 of the population dies.   If Jesus is speaking of those events, then the rapture doesn't occur until after the tribulation...because those events are part of the tribulation.     He could be referring to different events altogether, but I don't think so.

In Matthew 23 I begin to see why the teachers of the law and the Pharisees hated Jesus so much.   They were corrupt, of course, but he pulled no punches in telling them about it.  And He did it publicly.   Seven times in this passage he charges them with some sort of misdeed..any one of them would be embarrassing enough...but seven, all at once...and in front of all the people in the temple?   You might think that Jesus is going a little over the top...but it's all part of the plan.  These men have to stir up trouble against Him and take Him to Herod and Pilate.   Jesus knew that if He confronted them they would plot against Him instead of repenting.

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Mark 12, Matthew 22
November 12, 2014


I learned today (from a study guide note on Matthew 22) that when the Pharisees sent their disciples to confront Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar, they sent along with them some Herodians.   The Herodians were Jews who approved of Roman rule.  The Pharisees hated the Romans, as they were fierce nationalists.   Why then did the two sides join together to see Jesus?  Because if Jesus answered that we should not pay taxes, then the Herodians would run right back to the Roman officers and have Jesus executed.  If Jesus said that we should pay taxes, then the Pharisees could go back and say that Jesus supported Rome, and not Israel.   Jesus answers wisely, and avoids the trap.   This reminds me that there are those in the community who are opposed to Christianity, who will deliberately try to trip us up.   We should pray for wisdom on how to answer.

The passages on marriage in heaven are tantalizing, aren't they?   Of course it stands to reason that we won't marry in heaven.  Maybe because marriage is above all else an intimate sexual relationship (which won't be in heaven) and a deeply personal communal relationship (which will be even deeper than marriage among everyone in heaven).
It seems that marriage will be outmoded in heaven.  We will have deeper and more intimate relationships than were possible on earth.  For now, marriage is the most personal, but there it will be but a memory of how shallow we used to be.     Some would say that they don't want to go to heaven if there isn't a sexual component.   Here's the deal:  I doubt that there will be sex in hell, and even if there was, it would be deviant, painful and something to be afraid of.   So by my way of thinking, we will be mentally and emotionally advanced beyond the desire for it.   Perhaps God gives that gift to a few souls here on earth even now, who live celibate lives as a tribute to God.

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Mark 11 and John 12
November 11, 2014


Lord, bless our veterans, and all those who serve this country selflessly.
I was thinking about what I might blog about as I read over the passages for today, and it occurred to me that the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem sort of overshadows the other events that are listed there.  Yet, they must be very important or they wouldn't be mentioned, would they?

Jesus curses a fig tree that has no fruit...but it wasn't the season for fruit!   I doubt that fact escaped Jesus' attention.   I never go up  to an apple tree in May expecting to see apples, I know they aren't produced until later in the year.   Jesus would have known that.

So, even though He was hungry, and looking for figs, there must be another reason for cursing the tree.  It wouldn't make sense that He lost his temper and said something rash.  There's no evidence in the Bible that Jesus ever did that. And the tree could have produced a fig right in front of Him, if that's what He wanted.   So, why curse the tree?   Probably so that the disciples could see the miracle, Any tree that does not have fruit when the Master expects it will wither and die, void of His favor.   And all this will occur based solely on a Word from Him.

Jesus then give this wonderful instruction "if you have the smallest amount of faith, you will be able to do the greatest things".  (my paraphrase).    If only we could accept that!   There is literally NOTHING that is impossible for the Christian.   Death itself cannot contain us.  We will rise again, much to the consternation of the devil.   If we have faith, we will produce fruit.  The fruit that Christ speaks of is not to be acquired by human labor alone, nor can it ever be.  It must be obtained by good works done in faith and obedience.

Jesus speaks several times here about "following him".  I suspect that is synonymous with "producing fruit".   Those who call themselves disciples should be actively working to please the Master.


Then, we have the brief account of Mary pouring perfume on the feet of Jesus.
It seems to me that we have several different "types" of people in our churches.  The pragmatic, common sense and reserved group,  and the expressive, artistic, emotive and impulsive group.   Not to make too much of this rather small point, but I believe that the two groups need each other.   And of course, there are different degrees of each, even to where the lines blur between them.   I suppose there are a few out there who are the perfect balance of both expression and pragmatism, but most of us fall to one side or the other.   Such is the case with Mary and Martha.   Martha is serving, working and Mary is pouring a years worth of wages on Jesus' feet, and then wiping them with her hair...either because she didn't think about bringing a wiping cloth, or because she wanted this to be deeply personal and intimate.   In either case, it's hard to imagine the roles between sisters reversed.  And yet, both of them are integral parts of the story.    Most of us who understand what it is to think like Martha would secretly wish to be Mary...yet we cannot all be Mary.  What if everyone there poured a pint of nard on Jesus?   That wouldn't be nearly as special, and at some point, I think Jesus himself would have objected.     What Mary did was touching and intimate, it stirs our passion and motivates us to risk expressing ourselves in deeply personal ways.   It was truly a beautiful thing that she did.   I see some today who have the gift of expressing themselves in similar manner, and I value their contribution as well.    I also recognize that the expression of Martha, while not as captivating as what Mary is doing, is also a valid expression of love and devotion.   It is more common, more practical and less emotive, but I believe that it is equally appreciated by the Father.

Praise the Lord for those who lead us in worship and in expression in worship!   And praise the Lord also for those who are willingly relegated to the dishroom and kitchen sink as we offer meals to the community!

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Luke 18:15  to  Luke 19:48
November 10, 2014


I mentioned just about everything in today's reading in yesterday's blog, except for Zacchaeus.
I hadn't considered before how late in ministry that the Lord encountered Zacchaeus.   Since he was a tax collector, and so was Levi (Matthew) my mind seemed to put him earlier in the ministry than he really is.    Zacchaeus is close to the last encounter Jesus has outside of Jerusalem.

His account is a good example of what it means to be truly repentant.   He goes out of his way to encounter Jesus, He responds when Jesus calls him, He takes Jesus back to his home (allows him access to his life) and then, ignoring the criticism of those around him, he makes drastic changes in his life.  We would identify that whole process as being repentant.   Truly, Zacchaeus is sorry enough about the way he has been living to want to quit.   Oddly, there isn't any physical motivation behind his desire.  Zacchaeus isn't sick, he isn't demon possessed or blind, or have any other problems that we are told of.   He isn't a poor beggar.   In fact Zacchaeus isn't just a tax collector, he's the chief of the tax collectors, which would make him fairly important, and had made him pretty wealthy.  
I suspect that the people were muttering about Jesus going to eat with a "sinner" because they didn't want Jesus OR Zacchaeus to hear that they were talking about them.   In his old life, Zacchaeus could be a formidable enemy, I'm sure.    Probably not someone you wanted to make mad.

But there is a change in him.  Today, Zacchaeus is thinking differently, he sees his life and views his wealth differently.   The exact moment that he becomes a follower of Jesus isn't defined for us.  It could be the very moment he says "here, Lord today I give...." or it could have been a moment lost to history around the dinner table.   It isn't important, what's important is that it happened at all.   Zacchaeus has confessed, and has repented and Jesus has accepted him.  He is adopted into the kingdom.   A tax collector has entered ahead of the teachers of the law.  Just like Jesus said was going to happen.

His story can be our story.   Figuratively speaking we can identify with the blind man, because we don't have spiritual sight, and we can identify with the crippled man, because before Christ touches us we are incapable and ill equipped.  We can identify with the poor man, because before Jesus, we really have no riches of any consequence.

But the person with whom we can relate most accurately could be Zacchaeus.   As Americans we are among the wealthiest people on the earth.  Our health care system is second to none.  People travel from all over the globe to the United States to receive health care.  We live in ease and comfort for the most part, and with few exceptions we are treated with a measure of respect around the world.    We cannot identify with most of the problems that plague those who live in third world countries.  We have much, and our lives are good.

But the teacher is passing by, and He has something that makes all that we have seem worthless.  In fact, if we are to become His followers, and inherit the kingdom of God, and be adopted as His sons and daughters, we will have to be willing to discard all other things.   Are we willing to surrender our wealth, unlike the rich young ruler?   Are we willing to endure the criticism and whispering of others?  Are we willing to humble ourselves by climbing into a tree (fairly undignified) in order to meet the Master?

If we are, then excitement and adventure await in both this life, and the next!


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Matthew 20-21
November 9th, 2014


Jesus seems to be saying that the reward in heaven is the same for people who serve God all their lives, and for those who enter at the last minute.   On the other hand, the Bible tells us to "store up treasures in heaven" which implies that we can accumulate reward.  And, it also says "many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first" which also implies some sort of order or priority beyond the pearly gates.

We must learn to be content with the information we have been given, and to do all that we can to ensure our future.   "work while it is day" and store up treasures if that's possible.   When we arrive we will find out, and be content regardless.     On one hand I want to have accumulation in heaven, but then again, when I think of my children, I want them to have more than me, even if they enter at a later point in life.   I don't want my kids or grand-kids, or great-great-great grandkids to have less while I have more.   Maybe for that reason I want us all to have the same.    Just to know that my family will be with me in heaven is enough for me.    My grandfather's dying wish was condensed into this one sentence "serve the Lord, meet me in heaven".   I carry that with me as a charge to my children.    I am positive that both of my grandfathers would want me to have more than they did.   That's just the kind of men they were.

Matthew tells us that the mother of James and John was the one who made the request, where Mark conveniently leaves that out.  Both accounts are true, given that women were not regarded in the same way as they are today.   And in Matthew we "see" that there were two blind men, we know from yesterday's reading that one of the was Bartimaeus.  The other man isn't named.

While listening to Pastor Kathy in Bible study, I learned that what Jesus was doing on "Palm Sunday" was a prelude to taking the throne.   Being led into town on a horse or donkey, having the crowd cheer and honor you by paving the way ahead with palms, coats and other items was a ride reserved for the king.  

If you came into town this way, you were claiming that YOU were the King, and it would be a direct challenge to anyone who disputed it....say for instance the person who was in charge of the city.
So when Jesus came into town, no wonder the people were saying "you need to calm these people down".  They knew the soldiers would come out and kill whoever dared to take such an honor upon themselves.
In fact, Jesus isn't stopped, which only adds to the hype.  And then he goes into the temple and throws out the money changers, chasing them out with a whip....and the Pharisees and teachers don't seem to do anything about it.   Certainly there were big expectations being fueled that last week in Jerusalem. The people were building themselves up for a calamitous fall.  

But it's only because they weren't listening in the first place.   Before Jesus arrives in town he plainly tells them that He is going to Jerusalem to be tortured and die by crucifixion.   He even tells them He will rise again on the third day.   For some reason they just don't seem to be listening.   Maybe it's because they only wanted to hear what they wanted themselves.


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Matthew 19 and Mark 10
November 8, 2014


As if the passage on divorces isn't difficult enough to digest, we also hear today of the death of Christ, the difficulty of entering the kingdom with riches and the need to become like children.   I suspect that we could spend quite a few days trying to understand the depth of these passages.

Generally speaking however, Jesus is pointing to a work of the heart, not a work of the hands.   Adultery isn't to be defined as having intimate relations with one person while married to another, it's even more defined than that.  Marriage isn't simply something that happens to us outwardly, but inwardly.  God joins the two of us together in spirit.  That's more than what we see happening at a wedding ceremony.   Something spiritual and unseen occurs when we accept our marriage partner, and since it's God that does it, we cannot undo it.   If it can be undone, only God can do it.   The marriage ceremony and the rules and laws constructed by society for the beginning and dissolution of marriage are more about man than God.   What God does when we get married is mysterious.   Beautiful, wonderful and mysterious.

The same could be said for the wealthy trying to enter the kingdom of heaven.  It really isn't so much a matter of how much money you possess, but how much your money possesses you.  The rich young ruler was held captive by his wealth.  He could not surrender it, because it was a greater priority to him than his desire to follow Christ.   That is the exact reason Jesus asked him to give it away.  It isn't because everyone who follows Christ must be poor, it's because Jesus must be the greatest priority.   Christ knew that this man valued his wealth more than his faith...ironically, I don't think the man realized it himself.    The Bible tells us that the young man went away sad, but I would like to think that later on, perhaps some years later in life he realizes the error of his thinking and becomes fully devoted to Christ.    

And as for children, again we see a mindset, not a call to become like physical infants.  Children are trusting, and by necessity humble.  They know they depend on others who are older and wiser than themselves.   We must become like children, innocent and trusting, humble and obedient to Jesus in order to receive the kingdom.   The idea that we can really know much of anything about what heaven is really like is proved false by the actions of two men who spent years with Jesus.   Here they are arguing about who will sit on his left and right, without any thought for the spiritual beings and billions of other created persons who might deserve those seats....if there even are seats to the right and left of Jesus.    We simply aren't thinking on that level while we are here on earth.    Part of discipleship is learning to see physical life as a beginning of eternal life, and not an end in itself.

I feel I don't do Bartimaeus justice to quickly mention his name, but his account teaches us to be persistent in our prayers, to ignore the rebuke of those who tell us that we should be quiet and not bother Jesus with our problems, and to quickly come when we hear Him call.    I love the verse that says "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you!"

Jesus responds to everyone who calls on him, and continues to call and believe that He will respond.    In several ways, Bartimaeus is a good example of several things we read today:  he sees himself as needy in God's eyes, and is like a child crying out for help.  


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Luke 17:11 - 18:14
November 7, 2014

We bring up the story of the 10 men healed of leprosy every year at Thanksgiving as a reminder to us all to remember to be thankful for what God has done, and continues to do in our lives.  How ironic that we are close to Thanksgiving now, and this passage comes up.   It really is a good reminder.  Too often when things are really "going our way" we forget who caused it in the first place.

The kingdom of God is within us, but the "day of the Son of Man" is a specific, one time event.   It's compared to several other cataclysmic events that resulted in sudden death of almost everyone.   I would take this to mean "the rapture" where the people of earth who are true followers of Jesus Christ will be immediately taken away, and everyone else will perish.

In both Sodom and the days of Noah the salvation of the few and judgment on the rest was simultaneous, and there was no opportunity for people to be saved by some other means at a later date.     Since Jesus is using Noah's Ark as an example here, consider that there is only one way onto the Ark (through the single door) and once the door is closed, there are no other opportunities to climb aboard and be saved.   You are either in through the door before it closes, or you aren't in at all.   Having said that, I don't think it's likely that God will rapture his saints from the earth and then have a "second harvest" sometime later of the people who changed their minds and repented.   That flies in the face of both the Sodom and Gomorrah and Ark accounts.

Chapter 18
How often we forget that God is predisposed to favor our requests!  If the unrighteous judge will eventually give the widow (who has no political power) justice, how much more will our heavenly Father work on our behalf if we would only ask!    I think we look at prayer as a chore, or a task to be done more than a conversation with a benevolent friend.

I want to be confident in my salvation, and I am excited and honored to be a part of God's kingdom.  However I don't ever want that to transfer in my thoughts to pride.   I think it's possible to be happy and not be proud.   And I think it's possible to be thankful without being arrogant.    All it takes is a occasional reminder that I am no different in God's eyes from any other person on earth, when it comes to value or ability.

Last night I was watching something on CNN where a reporter was sitting in Iran interviewing a young man.  I remember thinking "that guy doesn't seem any different than me".   He had the same concerns, the same fears, the same perpective of the future.  We were even wearing the same types of clothing.    I have always viewed the Iranians by what I see in the leaders on TV, but I suspect that their people are very much like us.  Just like our leaders are often disconnected from us as well.

God loves us all, and it pays to remember that.   Even when we pray.

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John 11
November 6, 2014

The story of the resurrection of Lazarus is so familiar that I often miss some of the finer details of it.  Sure, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which is one of our first indications of just how far reaching the power of Christ is.   It must have seemed ironic to Jesus to be saying to the Jews, "roll the stone away" when he knew that in several weeks or months that he would be in the very same situation.   He called to Lazarus in  loud voice "come out",  knowing that He himself would respond to the loud voice of God (himself, even) calling him out of the tomb.    Someday you and I will pass away and be buried, and someday we will also hear the voice of God saying "it's time to come out" and we will rise again.   I suspect on that day everything will make sense, because we will finally see things clearly, freed from the perspective of our temporary human bodies.

Today I see that Jesus is glad that Lazarus has passed away.  Glad because He already knows that He will bring him back from the dead, and his disciples will get to see it, and be even more convinced that He is God in the flesh.

The text says that Jesus loved Martha and her sister.  We hear so much about Mary, sitting at Jesus' feet while Martha is working, and crying over him and wiping his feet with her hair.....Mary is definitely the more emotive and expressive of the two sisters.   But Jesus loved them both.
It's Martha that puts her grief aside for a moment so that she can travel out to meet the Master.   It's Martha that makes the good confession that Jesus is the Messiah.  One of the clearest descriptions and professions of faith that I have seen in the Bible.   It's in response to Martha's conversation with Him that Jesus says "your brother will live again".

Then I see that Jesus, with Mary and Martha at the grave site begins to weep.   There really is only one reason for it, and that would be emotive.   Jesus feels grief because his dear friends feel grief.   They are sad so He is sad.   God has, in some way of His own choosing, linked himself to us emotionally.   I suspect that it is through the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and in Him as well.   When we are grieved, or elated, our Spirit soars, or plummets.   And that essence is somehow felt within the Godhead.     This is speculation, of course.  No one can know something like this for certain.   But think of it for a moment:  "what possible reason does Jesus have to cry?"   He knows that He is going to resurrect Lazarus.  In a few moments they will be laughing and hugging and many in the crowd will realize that He is the Son of God.    This is a great day for the faith!   Why cry?   It can only be because his friends were sad.    Somehow it is comforting to me to know that when I am sad or lonely Jesus is sensitive to that.   It also pleases me to know that when I praise God it brings joy to Him as well.

Because of this powerful miracle the Jews will redouble their efforts to kill Jesus.  Their reasoning is simple, but also corrupt.   Jesus is going to create such a stir that the nation itself will become a stench in the nostrils of the Romans.   Jesus is clearly against the Pharisees and the Teachers, so they are about to lose their jobs, and the nation will be plunged into a conflict with Rome.
If they believed that Jesus was truly the Son of God, they wouldn't have a problem with that...but they don't believe it, so they think they have to "protect" the nation.    Protect the nation from the very person who gave it life in the first place.   Again, ironic.   Sad and ironic.

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Luke 16 - 17:10
November 5, 2014


The parable of the shrewd manager can be difficult to understand.  Jesus isn't saying that the rich man was a good guy, or that stealing things from your employer is okay.   I think what he's saying here is that "a sneaky person recognizes that same character trait in others, and can appreciate it".  It would be similar to an art thief appreciating the skill of a subordinate who was able to steal something from him.    16:8 tells us that the people of the world are more shrewd in dealing with one another than they are in dealing with honest people.    A criminal doesn't know how to deal with someone honest, but he speaks the same language as other criminals.  He knows how they think, and how they act.

The rich man was likely dishonest, or at least very shrewd in the way he dealt with others.   Often that is the way to becoming wealthy.  Purchasing valuable items at a great discount, because those who own them don't know what they are worth..or selling something for much more than it took you to manufacture it.    Of course it's possible to be both wealthy and honest as well.

The lesson we should take from this is to prepare for the future, and to be shrewd in the way we do it.  Not dishonest, but intelligently using our worldly wealth, which cannot be taken to heaven, to stimulate good feelings and create good will in the person who is in charge of eternal dwellings.   That would mean that we use worldly wealth to do the things that are important to Jesus  ie:  feed the hungry, take care of the sick, clothe the needy, care for the ill, etc.    When we invest our time and resources in doing these things we gain favor (treasures in heaven) with God.

Doing them will not guarantee our entrance into heaven.  That would be "salvation by works" which isn't what we believe.   We believe in salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the only path to eternal life is by confessing Him.    However, the good works should naturally follow for the one who truly has turned his life over to Jesus.    If we claim to know Him, but we still cling to our money and time as if it is our own, then we haven't truly been redeemed.    The redeemed person will value pleasing the Lord more than the acquisition and accumulation of wealth.


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Luke 14-15
November 4, 2014

The word "dropsy" is a medical term, only used in this book.  That's because Luke was a doctor and familiar with medical terminology.  Luke's gospel has some details that other accounts don't have.

Jesus often used current events to help illustrate a point.  In this instance it happens to be a feast.   It reminds me of a passage from elsewhere where it says "in humility consider others better than yourself".  Which is easy to say, but fairly difficult to practice.

The remainder of today's reading is talking about finding what is lost.  A lost sheep, coin or son.  The point is clear...Jesus looks intently for those who are lost, it's not the sheep looking for Jesus, it's Jesus looking for the sheep.   The coin doesn't know that it's lost, and it can't find itself.   Jesus cares so deeply for us that he invests time in searching for us.   I would say that we aren't worth that much, but actually He sets our value, not us.    If Jesus is looking for us, then we are worth something.

Then there's the celebration when the lost thing is found.   Everyone is invited to huge party, which is what Chapter 14 was talking about.

What a day of celebration that will be in heaven someday!   I can't even imagine the conversations we will have with people who lived during Bible times, and friends and relatives from our day...and even our great grandchildren whom we may never meet on earth.   To spend time celebrating with them would be reward enough...but when you consider that Jesus is there, it makes you wonder why anyone would ever turn down the invitation.

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Luke 12-13
November 3, 2014

It seems that most of Chapter 12 is about priorities.  It's okay to have food and clothing...it's even necessary, but it shouldn't be our #1 priority.   This kind of thinking turns Maslow's hierarchy on it's head.   The self actualization section, normally found at the pinnacle of the pyramid becomes the bottom, and the much larger base sections of safety, food and clothing become less important.   To say it another way,  being a Christian is counter-intuitive.   We spend most of our time doing three or four things:  working to earn money that we will use for food, clothing, shelter and worrying about how we will either make ends meet, or how much money will be left over for other things, like recreation.
Jesus tells us that most of what is occupying our thoughts is not priority.  We should be worried about what will happen to our eternal body, not just our physical one.   We should be more concerned with storing up treasures in heaven than on earth.   This is a different way of thinking.  In order to think like this, you have to be able to envision life as a journey to another destination instead of a destination in itself.

Really, chapter 13 feeds directly into this line of thought.   12 says to change your priorities, remain alert and know that the Master can return at any time.  Always be doing good, and serving others while you await his return.  In 13 Luke writes that Jesus then went on to warn the people to repent and follow Him.    This repentance leads to a change in life, that will work through your whole family, causing some to accept and others to deny Christ.  The change in you will be transferred beyond your family to your neighborhood, and your town..then your region and eventually the world.

beginning in verse 22, chapter 13 there is a discussion about who is going to be saved.   Jesus says that only those who enter through the narrow door will be saved.   He also says "many will try to enter and not be able to"  which could cause you to think that He is saying that "many are trying to enter through the narrow door, and cannot"  but I don't think that's what it means.   Jesus is saying that many are trying to get into the kingdom, but they are reluctant to enter through Him.  They want to depend on works, or on tradition, or heritage to get them in.  They are trying to enter heaven by some unauthorized way, and it won't work.   Anyone who wants into heaven can enter through Jesus, there's plenty of access for everyone to enter through Him, but He is the only way.   You will not get to heaven by believing that Muhammad can get you there, or Buddha or anyone else.   Only through Jesus Christ.    I understand that these seem to be irritating and argumentative words, but they are only intended to speak the truth, to help those who are trying to find a door to look in the right place.   Why should anyone who is trying to get into heaven be prevented from doing so, when we know the way in?   Tell them about Jesus, and let them make their own decision.   That's my thought.

These chapters end with Christ looking to the future, recognizing that He would suffer and die in Jerusalem, but also knowing that it is for our eternal good that He would do so.   He speaks of his torture and death as a "baptism" that He must undergo.    Many Christians have undergone that same baptism in the years since His crucifixion, and likely many more will follow between now and the end of the tribulation.   We should pray that God gives us strength and clarity to stay the course, in the event that we should be called to give our last full measure of devotion to Him.


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John 10,  Luke 10-11
November 2, 2014

Not that it has anything to do with devotions today, but it snowed for the first time this season last night.   Winter always surprises me when it comes.  I know it's coming, I am always getting prepared, but the day it begins snowing always comes as a surprise.   I somehow never have everything done I wanted to do before it snowed.
Someday Jesus is coming, and for as much as we have heard about Him, it will come as a surprise.   My hope is that unlike the advent of winter, I will have no regrets when the Master returns concerning my work and my witness.

John 10
I spoke of this yesterday in my devotions, but because the verses are about the same topic, I mention it again.  Many faiths profess to guide us to heaven.  Some even accept many of the teachings of Jesus, and several share our love of (part of) the Holy Bible.  However, there is only one faith that proclaims Jesus as the Messiah, the One and Only Son of God, and that is Christianity.   According to this passage, only those who call upon the name of Jesus as God will be saved.   Now, there are Jews who choose not be known as Christians, because of the atrocious acts against their race during the Crusades.  I don't blame them.  They believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and refer to themselves as Messianic Jews.   I do believe that they will be saved..in fact as the Bible is truth, they are ahead of the rest of us.   First the Jews, then the Gentiles.    So if anything, it would be better if we were referred to by their title, instead of vice versa.   Anyway....only those who believe in Jesus are getting in.  Period.    Every time I say that or preach that it riles someone up....but it is true...think about it.

Luke 10-11
Just as Jesus sent out the 12 to do miracles, now He sends out either 70 or 72.   Going two by two, and traveling to all the towns where he would soon be visiting.  That equals 35 or 36 towns.  I say that to acknowledge that Jesus is on the move.  He isn't letting any grass grow under His feet.

Also, the empowerment of the 72 tells us that the miracles weren't just for the 12.  Many people could be given the gift of healing or casting out demons, and the Holy Spirit has in fact continued to give those gifts to many people up to today.

Yet we aren't to gloat or even rejoice over these miracles, we should rejoice over something far more important..that our names are recorded in the Book of Life.   Unless our name is written there, we don't enter in.

I don't dare to skip over the passage about Mary and Martha.  For as much of a fuss we make over this passage, it seems to occupy a very small space in the Bible.   I relate more to Martha, and of course I recognize that I need to slow down (or stop) more often.   I also know that if we all were Mary, the laundry wouldn't ever be done, and sermons wouldn't be written or delivered, etc.   So somewhere in between there is the place we should live.   Taking time to hear from the Lord, and doing enough..but not overdoing.

Luke 11
Teaching on prayer:
Jesus didn't seem to mean that we were to use only these words as an incantation.  Rather, we should pray for daily needs, and daily assistance.  And praise should be part of our prayer life....even the beginning of our time in prayer.   Sin occurs and sadly, reoccurs....so we should often make confession and petition for forgiveness part of our prayer time.

The lamp of the body.
If our eyes receive good things (scripture, clean thoughts) we will be filled with good actions, which will be seen by all.   If not, they will see darkness through us (evil deeds, compromise, duality) and our witness will be even worse than if we didn't profess to believe.

Six woes  (three for Pharisees, and three for teachers, or experts)
Hypocrisy     They were faking it.    It's not listed as a "woe", but it is a condemnation.
1. Legalism     they performed the religious act, but didn't own it in their mind and spirit.
2. Pride    they wanted to be seen and credited for what they did.
3. I have no idea what sin it is be an unmarked grave.....   I would have to study that further.
4.  Making Salvation difficult, and not helping others.   Jesus said that His yoke was easy, and His burden was light.
5.  Harming or celebrating what is wrong.  I'm not sure, but it seems the intent of a tomb would be to celebrate the person...like the monuments we build for past presidents.   Somehow the tombs they built were not seen by Jesus in the same way.    In any case, we shouldn't ever call attention to evil intent as if something good had happened.
6.  finally, failure to relay to the people the truth.   If as teachers and preachers we don't instruct in an effective manner, or even worse, we obscure the truth....we grieve the Lord.    Our goal should always be to speak the scriptural truth, without adding or altering it based on our bias.

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John 9 - 10:21
November 1, 2014

The disciples don't understand, so Jesus heals a man.  He heals because He has compassion, but also to prove a point.  It was no accident that it occurs on the Sabbath.  The particular man isn't by happenstance.  Everything occurs for a reason.
The Bible doesn't record that the man asked for his sight.  Of course he wanted to see, but he was born this way.  He didn't have an accident, or gradually lose his sight as he grew old....He had never seen, and was resigned to the idea of blindness from the time of his birth.   Perhaps he was near Jesus to hear the teaching, or to hear about how Jesus cast out demons, or something similar.  It is entirely possible that he was simply another man begging alongside the road.   How he got there isn't important, only that he has an encounter with Christ.
No one who encounters Jesus will be the same afterwards.  The Pharisees and the blind man were both changed.  One grew fond of Christ, and worshiped, and the other grew distant and angry.
Consider this, Jesus loved them both.  He went to the Pharisee's house as well as the sinners.  He made attempts to proclaim truth to them both.   One group accepted it as truth, the other believed him to be lying.  
I submit that you and I have the same decisions to make.   We were born blind, and have had our encounter with Jesus.  What you believe about Him....what you truly believe and act on, concerning Him will change your life.
Since your life is going to change anyway, why not choose to change for the better?    In humility, accept that Jesus is the creator, and as such is wiser and more powerful than you.   Accept that He loves you, and wants the best for you, and allow Him to lead and inform your life.

In doing this, we will be saved.    And, as the beginning of Chapter 10 so clearly says, it is only through the name of Jesus that this will happen.

There simply is no other way into the Kingdom.  We cannot argue for a side or back door.  None has been revealed.   We enter through Jesus Christ, or we don't enter at all.    Call upon His name, and endure the rejection of some who are close to you.  Endure the resistance you will undoubtedly feel from those who oppose the truth.  Endure the questions meant to trip you up, and in the end you will find yourself basking in the full light of the presence of the One who is above all others.

Be blessed today!


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