Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 29; from the New Living Translation (NLT)
This morning started out for me like nearly every other morning. I poured myself a cup from the fountain of life (that’s a coffee pot), sat down in my chair on the front porch, put on my headphones and started my music app. I chastised myself for not noticing things like I once did. After all, I want to be a Noticer. As the song Talking To Jesus was playing and I was singing, there it was! A meteor!!!
I don’t see that every morning! It was bright and moving fast across the sky; I mean really fast! I watched it until the trees and contour of the land blocked my view. I waited for a couple of minutes to see if that would be the meteor that would send us back to another Ice Age. Well, I’m sitting here writing; so I guess it didn’t! But. . .it did get me to thinking.
As a child, we called them shooting stars, even though in reality they weren’t stars at all. It’s just a piece of space rock that was trying to pass through our atmosphere. But this meteor was brighter than any star. What made it so bright was its encounter with resistance; the resistance of our atmosphere. As it encountered that atmosphere, it began heating up. For eons this piece of space rock had been moving across the universe, unimpeded by anything–until now. And now, it’s been consumed all because of the resistance of our atmosphere. (Well, maybe a small chunk made it to terra firma.)
Here’s what I learned from that meteor. We cannot resist God’s Truth without serious consequences. There are those who want us to throw out the tried and proven Truth of the Bible for an easier path that they vainly believe offers less resistance. They are teaching that as long as we love God by loving others (meaning we must accept as “truth” whatever they believe and want that “truth to be”), then nothing else in the Bible really matters. Life is easier when we do what we want to do–for a while.
So, they reject The Truth from the Bible. But their resistance to The Truth is like that space rock encountering our atmosphere. They make a really bright and exciting show–but sooner or later (usually sooner) their life is consumed by a lie and there’s nothing left to show. God reveals Himself through the Bible. And nothing outside that Bible reveals God and God’s plans. We can resist The Truth, but eventually The Truth will win. That meteor tried to push through the atmosphere and continue its journey unchanged. But that’s not how it ended.
Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.
1 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 12 and 13; (NLT)
All of this swill and drivel about we don’t have to worry about the holiness of heart and life revealed in Scripture? That we are free to choose our own paths? That it doesn’t matter to God? That it won’t affect our eternity? Think about that meteor–and then–think again!
O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.
Psalm 119, verses 137 thru 140; from the New Living Translation (NLT)
Ships sometimes wreck. Trains sometimes wreck. In spite of all the innovations, regulations, and safety requirements, ships and trains still wreck. And it’s never a good thing, as we’ve been reminded over the past several weeks with multiple train wrecks. And in nearly every event, the cause can be linked to human error, defective material or equipment, improper maintenance, or unforeseen circumstances. What does all this have to do with the Kingdom Life and the shipwreck-and-train-wreck-all-rolled-into-one-culture in which we currently reside? Glad you asked!
Boundaries are important! Ships don’t dare interact with icebergs. Trains and train tracks must be inspected and maintained on a frequent basis. Rules must be followed; otherwise it’s a disaster about to happen. Shipwrecks and train wrecks are never a good thing. Ships and trains have their “boundaries”. They are called regulations. Operators and crews are never free to “adjust” those regulations. They operate within those regulations; and if they don’t, they face the consequences of willfully violating those regulations. Sometimes they end up in prison.
And the same is happening when it comes to the moral boundaries of life. There are those who want to throw out the tried and proven true regulations of life–otherwise known as The Bible. Some want to establish new boundaries because the old-but-proven regulations (that’s The Bible) are getting in the way of what they want. Rather than adjusting the course of their life, they think that if they simply move the boundary markers, then instantly what they want is perfectly OK!
No! It’s not OK! God has placed boundaries for our lives, not to deny us joy and happiness–but to keep us from heartache and misery. Same gender sex and gender dysphoria are only 2 examples of living outside the boundaries of The Bible. The drug addict; the porn addict, the abuser; the greedy; and the list goes on and on and on. Too many are teaching that we, as human beings (flawed human beings) are capable of coming up with our own morality and acceptable conduct. But the truth is we aren’t capable of such life-altering decisions. That’s why God has made sure we have The Bible.
Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that you own 200 acres of land. Surveyors came out and established those property lines–i.e.–boundary lines. But your neighbor sees you have a nice 20 acre lake on your property. So he decides he wants that lake even though it is on the other side of that boundary line. So he goes to the courthouse and changes those property/boundary lines. Now the lake is on HIS property. How would that make you “feel”? Would that be fair and right?
You would probably argue (and rightly so) that your neighbor isn’t free to change the property/boundary lines just because he wanted something on the other side of the property/boundary line–something that wasn’t his to begin with. Today’s culture has done the very thing that God warned Israel NOT to do–they have trusted their reasoning rather than God.
“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade.”
Isaiah chapter 30, verses 1 and 2 (NLT)
Making an alliance with Egypt came from their human reasoning. It would be better to trust in Egypt at that time. Egypt would help protect them, and they would be happy. This made “sense” to them. I’ll let you read for yourself how that worked out for them. Today’s Egypt is allowing each person to choose their own form of acceptable morality. It’s at the core of progressive theology. And today’s Pharaoh is still the one back then–Satan!
Folks, we human beings do not have the wherewithal to establish boundaries for morality which creates our behavior. But God does–and His boundary lines are clearly drawn in The Bible. And again I say: God has placed boundaries for our lives, not to deny us joy and happiness–but to keep us from heartache and misery. Stepping outside those boundaries? Well, it’s a shipwreck and train wreck all-rolled-into-one about to happen. Getting what you want, won’t give you what you need! And getting the church to approve, bless, and sanctify what you want? It’s still sin. Plain old-fashioned sin! Disagreeing with me doesn’t make it right. It just means you’re still wrong.
‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”
Matthew chapter 15, verses 8-12; from the New Living Translation (NLT)
Ever given much thought to the words that come out of your mouth? That your words have an impact on others? Even your relationship with God? Some say, “It’s not what you say, but what you do that matters!” There’s no doubt about it, what we do matters! But did you know? That what you say also matters? It’s not what you intend to say, but what you actually say that matters! Jesus, Himself, said that what we say matters: It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.
It’s a given–we can be and are often Masters of Deception when it comes to our words. But eventually, sooner or later (usually sooner) our words will reveal our heart. That’s exactly what Jesus is saying. Let’s get the context of today’s passage. It all started over washing your hands. (Remember 2020?) But it was more than washing hands. It was all about their teaching; i.e. their words! The Pharisees were big on what they believed it meant to believe in God. If a person wanted to connect with God–and hopefully God connect with them–it was to be found only in their words/teachings!
Now, fast forward to the twenty-first century. The current Pharisees of our day is Progressive Theology. I seriously doubt that they consider themselves Pharisees. To the contrary, they see themselves as the liberators; liberators of ancient and out-of-touch-with-the-times teachings. But remember the true heart of the Pharisees: If a person wanted to connect with God it was to be found only in their teachings! It should seem to the rational thinking person, that progressive theology is built around a single verse: John chapter 15, verse 17: “Love one another.”
The words that come out of their mouths are that nothing else matters, except that we Love one another! Nothing wrong with love others, is it? Absolutely not! But. . .I said BUT–that’s not all the Jesus said, nor what The Bible teaches us. So their words are more about morality–but without salvation. Their words are more about connecting with God–but without dealing with our sin problem that prevents us from connecting with God. And thus they flung wide open the doors to what was taking hold people’s thinking in the 1960’s–the idea of situational ethics. The situation determines the ethos.
Their words are about being liberated! And who doesn’t want to be liberated? I sure do!!! But I have a serious question for my Progressive friends: How does the approval of a person’s preferential sin liberate them? Oh, and that brought up another serious question: You talk a lot about justice, mercy, and kindness. But how can this happen without admitting we all have a sin problem? You want to “fix” systems but ignore the root cause. I remind you of what Jesus said about the Pharisees of His day: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’
Now, I know I’ve just struck a nerve with my Progressive friends. And some might want to say to me what the disciples said to Jesus: Do you realize you just offended the Progressives? And’s another problem in our culture. Everyone is afraid of offending everyone else. And Progressives would chastise us Traditionalists by saying that you can’t love if you offend someone’s feelings or beliefs. Umm…wonder what Jesus thought when his disciples pointed out the obvious?
And so I speak to all of you readers: Be both careful and wise with your words. The words that come out of our mouths carry weight–and have an impact on others. While Progressives talk only about love (by the way, the fundamentalists talk only about sin), their hearts are far from God. Words do matter. Choose your words–words that are filled with both Truth and Grace! And remember, that there will always exist and tension between The Truth and Grace. So, let God deal with that tension.
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians chapter 2, verse 20; from the New Living Translation (NLT)
Just exactly who are you? What determines the essence of you? What is the bottom line? Fact Time: Everyone has a, call it, bottom-line identity. It is what you are known by to others. Are you identified by your roles? Dad? Mom? Lawyer? Plumber? Preacher? Son? Daughter? Sister? Brother? Accountant? OR is your bottom-line identity in what you do? Kind? Helpful? Patient? Caring? Friendly? Empathetic? Energetic? And when it comes to your spiritual life (and everyone has one of these), what is the singularity that marks your life?
Do you consider yourself a Christian? Maybe I should ask a tougher question: What makes you a Christian? Is it an identity based on things like confessing and repenting of your sins and saying the sinner’s prayer? Being baptized? That you are a member of a particular church? That you read your Bible and say your prayers? That you avoid certain vices? Or is it because you show love to others? That you volunteer at the local homeless shelter? That you support the local food bank? That you demand justice for animals? That you cry out for equality for all people? So tell me, which is it? What you say or what you do?
That it’s both? Being a Christian is more than a title or a label. It’s more than a statement about what you did. And it’s more than actions we think makes us a Christian! It begins with the recognition that it’s something we are totally powerless to become. It requires that admission that we ARE sinners. And more than admitting we ARE sinners, it’s being honest enough with self to say we are tired of being sinners! It demands a total surrender of heart, mind, and will to Jesus. Then, we trust that what Jesus did on the Cross was done purposefully by Him for us sinners. And that a whole new life is now in front of us!
And as difficult as they may seem for some, it’s only the beginning. Being a Christian isn’t a matter of personal holiness or social holiness. It’s both!!!! (Notice the extra exclamation marks!!!!) This is exactly what Paul was trying to tell the Galatian church. Following Jesus begins with faith. It continues with faith in actions. And to the Church in the United States, Jesus didn’t live, die, and rise up from the death to create a Christian nation. He did all this to call us to storm the strongholds of Satan and reclaim the territory he stole for the Kingdom of God. No, actions don’t save us. But our actions do determine if we are or are not saved.
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Romans chapter 12, verses 14 thru 16; from the New Living Translation (NLT)
I need to begin today’s thoughts with a confession and a recognition. The confession is that I started these thoughts back in 2019, but didn’t finish them; that is, until this morning. The recognition is that I may lose some followers because of what I am about to write. I’m OK with that. After all, I’m not seeking followers of me. I am, however, seeking to help those who will be followers of Jesus. And that desire sometimes causes people to turn away from me. And my heart breaks for them because they have either chosen to follow the god of this world, or in some way I have failed to reveal to them the true Jesus. The later is mine alone to repent of and seek His restoring and empowering forgiveness.
I am reading a book that, well, honestly, I’m having a hard time reading. It’s deep and uses a lot of big words like mahogany. But I find that big words makes me study more. The book is Rules For Reformers by Douglas Wilson. Usually I love books that are easy to read and understand, something that I can read quickly. But this book…it’s making me think deeply. And here is what The Spirit is prompting me to write.
I want to apologize to the LBGTQI+ community. My apology to you comes out of the lies and half-truths that have been told to you. And please remember that a half truth is still a lie because it’s not The Truth! I have been reflecting and meditating on this hot topic issue of our culture and in our churches. This apology has come out of the wrestling arena that looks like a “no-holds-barred-cage match with multiple participants”. The result for me has been a mix of sobering reality and personal heartbreak. It has led me to a place of repentance and confession to God, and now to this culture we all live in.
First of all, I want to apologize on behalf of the Body of Christ. I apologize that some members of The Body have called you an abomination; as if you were one of a few people worse than the rest. It is detestable that you have been singled out for this word. The Truth is that all of us humans do and engage in things that are in fact, detestable to God. It’s called sin. Your sin is not worse than my, or anyone else’s sin. And our sin is just as bad as your sin. WE, you and I, are not detestable to God. We are all equally loved by God–pure, complete, and unconditional love.
However, and here is the other half of the truth, we have actions and attitudes that are detestable to Him. They are, in fact, detestable to Him because they are outside His Intended Design for us. These things, this sin, alienates us from God. He will not, and we cannot have a relationship with God as long as we embrace our sin. Thus, they are keeping us out of the relationship HE wants to have with us. The death of Jesus on that Cross wasn’t meant to take away the abomination of our preferred sin. But to reveal to us how hideous sin is to Him. And through faith in Jesus, He takes away the penalty and power that all forms of sin holds over us. In short, to help take away our desires to sin–and thus deliver all of us from sin’s dominion.
Secondly, I want to apologize to you that culture, society, and even science has taken away your true freedom. You have also been lied to in that culture, society, and even in some scientific circles, are telling you have that you have no choice with your life other than to live within your physical desires. They alone, bear the responsibility for any and all gender euphoria you may be experiencing. The proven science of biology clearly reveals there are two genders–male or female. There is a rare birth defect known as ambiguous genitalia which is a complicated thing. But it is just this: a birth defect. Not a “person” defect–but a biological defect. Something happened as the baby develops that causes this condition. But the 50+ forms of gender identity being passed out like candy? They are nothing but lies designed to keep you from your true God-given identity.
Labels are great for products. When I buy a can of pinto beans, I know I’m getting pinto beans. Not green beans, white beans, or even dog food. But I detest labels being put on people. I understand what it feels like to have the wrong label. Some have chosen to label me a divorced and remarried pastor; meaning I’m disqualified to do what God has called me to do. And if I had not admitted my sin, did not have the desire to never divorce again, and not put my faith and trust in God forgiving me and making me a brand new person, then I am disqualified. But that’s not what I chose to do. I confessed my sin–meaning I admitted it was wrong. I repented of that sin–meaning I do not want to ever divorce again. And I trusted God could and would take my broken mess of a life and transform it back into His image.
To the LBGTQI+ community, my hope and my deepest desire for you is that you find the liberty and freedom that only God provides. I pray that you will finally discover the wonderful person God created you to become. Not the person you feel like you are. Not the person you used to be. And definitely not the person that others say you are. And He provides that liberty and freedom to anyone and everyone who who longs to live life abundantly, joyfully, and fully–fully alive in Jesus–and not the chaos and death of sin. Yes, we are all sinners. But when we absolutely and unconditionally surrender to Him and His will–it just like Paul said it would be:
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
Colossians chapter 2, verses 6 & 7; from the New Living Translation (NLT)
What is your favorite place to “get away from it all”? No, I’m not talking about that place where you have to save and save or max out a credit card to get there. I’m talking about that place that is just a short walk or drive away. My “fortress of solitude” (remember Superman?) is the woods. It doesn’t have to be an enormous National Forest; just a place where there are enough trees to keep the view of the real world at bay for a moment. It is there I take a deep breath to regain my composure, or seek insights into what I should preach (or write), or simply but powerfully reconnect with my Savior. Perhaps I am drawn to the woods and trees because The Savior–my Savior, your Savior, and the world’s Savior–BECAME that Savior by dying on a rugged wood cross.
Not long ago I went for a walk in a new stretch of woods. I was not seeking to resolve any issues or find something to write about. It was one of those mornings when I just wanted to take a walk with The Savior. At the moment, I needed nothing from His hand; just to hold His hand was all I wanted. I was walking up a slight hill and I came to a level place, so I stopped for a moment just to take it all in (which is another way of saying I needed a rest). It was then I noticed it.
There was this tree I had stopped beside. Oh, I know there were lots of others trees around, but this one caught my attention. At eye level, it looked as if it were dead. Its trunk that should have been straight was bent and twisted. Obviously this tree, at some point, had encountered a severe storm and that storm had changed its shape. I also noticed that about half of its trunk was missing from near its base upwards to about 4 feet. Insects and perhaps disease had moved in after the storm that changed its shape. From my viewpoint, looking straight ahead at eye level, this tree had died and would soon fall and eventually rot away. And I also knew that process was a part of the cycle of life. This dead, decaying tree would provide nutrients for new life.
It was at that precise moment that I looked upward. I do not know what made me look up; perhaps it was The Savior who knew I was looking at the wrong part of that tree took his hands and made me look up. And I am glad He did because it changed my perspective about this twisted, bent tree. Right over my head, exactly over my head, there it was: a limb growing upward with green leaves. I am not a horticulturist by trade and I have never taken a botany class, but I knew enough to know that dead trees cannot produce green leaves. That limb was growing upward toward the sun and this happened because the tree was still alive even though at eye level it looked dead.
I took this experience as something the Savior was trying to teach me. The very first thought that entered my mind was, “The roots of this tree are still alive, so this tree isn’t dead! It’s alive!” (I know, I know, it doesn’t take much to amuse me!) At eye level there was not a single sign of life but below the surface life abounded, the roots were still working and there was still a connection in that bent and diseased tree to those roots, sending that life giving substance upward to that limb that was reaching up to the sun and producing leaves, that sign which said, “I am still alive! I am bent and damaged, but I AM alive because I am still connected to my roots!”
And this casual “for no particular reason” stroll though the woods became a classroom where I discovered an important lesson straight from The Savior. I reflected on the many storms that had happened in my own life; things which threatened to destroy me which were not my fault. I also reflected on the things I had done which allowed the insects and diseases to come into my life and start to destroy me. By the way, these “insects and diseases” are better known as “SIN”! I looked back and I knew there had been times in my life when at “eye level” I must have looked dead, to myself and certainly to others. But The Savior had another view, and that was at the roots of my life. HE is where my roots grow that holds me tight and gives me nourishment. He does this faithfully, even when I may not even be aware of His gracious work. In that bent and damaged tree, I saw my life, and in that limb reaching up toward the sun, I remembered my roots.
Paul, in writing to the believers at Colosse, gives us words to live by and certainly words to give any and all of us hope. The life of a tree is not in how straight its trunk is, but in how deep and how strong its roots are. Paul told the Colossians, and us, to let our roots grow deep in The Savior. We do this by being faithful to our private devotion times, by being faithful to worship and service as the Body of Christ, we do this by a daily persistent prayer life, and so many other ways. Our roots grow deep in The Savior when we focus on Him, His love and grace for us. And nothing makes our roots grow deeper than when we spend time at the foot of The Cross, The Cross made from a large straight growing tree. The more time we spend kneeling at The Savior’s Cross allows our roots to be stronger and deeper.
Perhaps there have been times in your life when storms, by no fault of you, have come along and bent and twisted your life. The dreams you held have now vanished like the early morning fog. The urge to throw in the towel on those dreams may be strong. If this is you right now, then I want to say to you the same thing The Savior said to me in that early morning stroll, “Remember the roots.” The storms do not change God’s purposes for your life. If anything, the storms you weather adds purpose to your life. Just as that tree taught me a lesson, so your life can teach others life changing lessons about the power of relationship–the relationship with The Savior because your own roots are growing down in Him.
Perhaps the disease and insects of sin have invaded your tree. You look eye level at yourself and may sincerely think that you are finished. You may feel that you have lost your usefulness in the Kingdom. If this is you this morning, then I want to say to you the same thing The Savior said to me in that early morning stroll, “Remember the roots.” Allow your roots to grow down into The One who still speaks those same words to every broken sinner, “I will not condemn you. I will release you to go and have a new start.” Grace and mercy are always available when we admit our inability to save our self and we intentionally choose to grow the roots of our life in Him.
And I discovered another lesson that revealed something about me that I thought I had managed to conquer, and it just hit me. (See, learning is not over just because you leave the classroom.) You may be familiar with this expression: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, God taught me a new expression: “Don’t judge a tree by its trunk at eye level.” I hate to admit it, but I must, that from time to time (and even once is not acceptable to The Savior) I judge people at eye level. I allow a bad experience, a moment of mistreatment, that eye level experience, to continue to shape my opinion of that person. I cannot see their roots, so I have to look up toward the Son and remember that there is still hope when there is still a connection to the roots. And by the way, if you have not figured it out yet, there is no way I or you or anyone can see the roots. Father, forgive me for my judgments and thank you for reminding me (again) that you are the judge, not I.
Let us pray: Father, above everything else, I want my roots to grow deep in you. I need the life giving substance of Your Spirit. Help me engage my life in those practices and disciplines that will keep me alive in You. Thanks for keeping this bent and diseased tree alive with new growth. And Lord, help me to stop making eye level judgments, not about trees, but about people. Amen and Amen!
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16; from the New Living Translation
The most popular and familiar verse of the Bible is easily John 3:16. Right? But what about the most unpopular verse of the Bible? That’s easy, too. It’s another 3:16, but so many just don’t like it because they choose to ignore it: 2 Timothy 3:16! Speaking for my Tribe (and I see it a lot in other Tribes, too), someone needs to be holding a sign at their gatherings which reads: 2 Timothy 3:16! You know, like they do at ballgames! If I understand Paul, and I do have a depth of understanding of him, when Paul wrote ALL that’s exactly what he meant. But gee whiz, so many today think of the Bible as a Cafeteria Of Suggestions. To reject any of it is to declare that the rest of it is Uninspired By God! And thus, it’s meant for the dung hill of life.
And as Paul prepares to pass the mantle on to young Timothy, he reminds Timothy of the importance of the Scriptures–that inspired, God-breathed word! The Greek word that Paul used was graphē which means a writing, thing written. And notice–carefully and with deep intentionality–why exactly The Written Word, A.K.A. The Bible, cannot be treatly lightly–nor is it up to us to decide what works for us and what doesn’t work for us!
to teach us what is true–not beliefs or opinions, but what is TRUE! About God and about us!
to make us realize what is wrong in our lives–and yes, there is much wrong in our lives; the Bible is the standard and measure when it comes to living a life that God desires and demands from us!
It corrects us when we are wrong–no one like to admit it, but sometimes we are wrong! Remember Leroy Jethro Gibbs Rule 51!
teaches us to do what is right–Like it or not, believe it or not, but we are all tainted somewhere by sin. Our views and opinions really don’t matter when it comes to what is right!
Now, I’m not a fundamentalist who thinks that God treated Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the rest like stenographers. “Write this down word for word. Type it up and let me review it before you mail it out!” But I do believe that God inspired them because He knew not only what the people at the time needed to know, but also for us today. And I know that a bunch of men with a lot of different viewpoints got together, argued and debated before they produced what we know today as The Bible!And I am confident that God was present and overseeing that process so that WE can know God and what He expects from us! Whether those men realized it or not (and I hope they did), God was present in that process insuring that HIS Word would be both accurate and reliable for His Image Bearers! I once made this same statement to a person of the progressive persuasion, and they laughed at me.
The Bible is 100% accurate and reliable when it comes to God, us, and our relationship with God! THERE!!!! I SAID IT! And at the risk of sounding like Dr. Seuss’ character Horton the elephant: “I meant what I said and I said what I meant.” I close with the next line Paul wrote to Timothy:
God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 7; from the NLT
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17; from The Message
Connections are important; very important! For example, if one is building a house it needs electricity, right? What if the electrician only ran the wire to the junction boxes but never connect the plugs and switches to the wire? Or, considering our current drought here, what if we ran some garden hoses to water the yard, flowers, or garden but never connected those hoses to a water faucet?
Connections are also essential for what today is being called “The Church”. Interestingly, in the beginning followers of Jesus weren’t called “The Church”; it was The Koinonia! It’s a Greek word that means a life that is shared together with commitment to each other and to our Lord, Jesus Christ!Connection is also an important word to us of the Wesleyan Family. But. . .what is it that needs to connect us? Alas, the answer to this question is what has broken my beloved Tribe and created this current hot mess in The United Methodist Church.
For our more progressive sisters and brothers, our connection is that God loves everyone. Sounds innocuous enough. How would we, or anyone, have hope without that unconditional Agape Love? But for our progressive sisters and brothers, this Agape Love means that if someone feels they need to live outside God’s Sexual Ethic (man/husband and woman/wife), then that’s perfectly OK. This belief and conviction they hold is framed around an unproven concept–that God created some of us to be gay, binary, or some other gender that our plumbing contradicts. Progressives want us who are convinced that The Koinonia is framed around The Truth of God’s Word (found in the Bible) to ignore The Truth and embrace this “new” understanding of human nature.
So, for the progressives, this situation and moment is framed around the LBGTQI community. But is it really? As I guide the two congregations I serve through this season of discernment, I am very clear to these congregations that our discussions are not to be about the LBGTQI community. And I refuse to be “in charge” of this season. I am not leading them to stay or to leave. Their decision isn’t about me, it’s all about the vision, ministry, and mission of these congregations; about where they can live faithfully to the God who has saved us and is calling us in His Mission!
So, what will we frame our future around? Progressives believe our connection is love. Us Orthodox folks believe our connectionion is The Truth. Consider what Paul told the Corinthian Koinonia as we frame our future:
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God withiniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 14 and 15 from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Now, Progressives will quickly say, “Hey! I’m a believer, too! You’ve taken Paul completely out of context. That doesn’t fit our situation!” But have I? Framing a connection outside of The Truth is like framing a house without nails or screws. It simply cannot stand. Read again the latter part of verse 14: For what partnership have right living and right standing with God withiniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?” Light and darkness do not, can not have a connection. It’s either one or the other.
My friends in the United Methodist Church–this is our moment to frame our future. What I am about to write will get me kicked out of the circle of fundamentalists–but I’m saying it anyway! I am strongly opposed to any discrimination against LBGTQI persons in the secular places. They should not be discriminated in the workplace–nor in their Constitutional Rights. If they want to be “legally” married, I will defend their right to do so. But I will not perform the ceremony. Besides, in Alabama all one needs is a notary public to sign and to put their seal on a document; if your state laws do not allow this, then all a person has to do is get online, fill out a form, and become qualified. You see, I’m this weirdo who doesn’t mix up or confuse my patriotism to my Walk with Jesus.
And while this should be allowed (not to be discriminated against) in our legal system, it does not mean that it should be OK in The Koinonia! Trying to frame our Connection around accepting any sexuality outside of The Biblical Ethic, just doesn’t work. It hasn’t ever worked. Nor will it ever work! So, if you want a better future, make sure your frame that future around the Unchanging Truth Of God’s Word. You see, there is NO Connection between right living and wrong living.
Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.
Luke chapter 9 verse 62 from The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
Yesterday’s new cuss word was ACCOUNTABILITY. Today the new cuss word is CONSISTENCY! We are being told that it’s OK to leave behind (Using a big word like mahogany,) The Orthodox Faith for a more enlightened version of the Good News. One of the things that our Council of Bishops is telling us is that they are not changing our historic “Doctrinal Standards And General Rules”; most of which came from John Wesley’s writings and sermons. Sounds good, right? But somewhere between their words and their actions something has gone terribly awry.
Those in leadership insist that many things the Bible clearly says is sin isn’t really a sin. “They”, our leaders, want us to believe that some things (meaning beliefs about ourselves) thought to be a “sin”, well, they aren’t really sins. That it is all a part of our God-created design. Well, buckeroos, what about Article VII which says this, and I quote from John Wesley himself:
Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk) but it is in the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engenders of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.
Paragraph 104 from The Book of Discipline; emphasis mine
As Wesley so eloquently put it, our our nature is inclined to evil, and that continually! In simple terms–we want to sin! Our natural path is to always go away from God. And simply to ignore that and call sin a part of our Creator’s Design is, well, INCONSISTENT. You see, it doesn’t matter what one says–it’s how they think and how they act. Our Bishops want us to believe that our nature is good and ordained by God–even though it’s not. They say we do not have to give up our “historic” faith–yet here they are–promoting and wanting to lead us away from The Bible and our Historic Faith.
Now tell me! Where is the CONSISTENCY in this? And my friends at StayUMC wants us to see the United Methodist Church as this big tent where traditionalists, moderates, and progressives can live together in peace and harmony. But how can we live under this big tent without being CONSISTENT with The Bible and our Historic, Orthodox Faith? We can’t, contrary to their opinion, because it doesn’t work, it isn’t working, and it will never work. Our leadership and StayUMC firmly believe that CONSISTENCY is a cuss word. Oh, they won’t say it is a cuss word. But their words and actions do. I leave you with these words from Paul:
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?
2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 14 from The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition; emphasis mine
Our historic faith says our natural self is always going towards sin. They say it doesn’t. Inconsistency is the order of the day for the Bishops and leadership of the United Methodist Church. And CONSISTENCY is a cuss word not to be spoken out loud. Does it make sense to you to “say” they are not leading you away from The Bible and our Historic when they clearly stand outside of Article VII? You decide!
Well, here we are at another Fourth of July, or as they call it in Great Britain–Traitors Day. For my readers across the pond, it was when our founding fathers declared they and future generations would no longer be under the rule of England; now they would choose their own future. We also call it Independence Day. And that’s prompting today’s verbage flowing out of my mind and heart. The first thing I thought about in the dark, early hours of this morning is that question: Where do we get our freedom from? In the middle of all the cookouts, celebrations, and fireworks of today, our nation is a hot mess. Understandment, right?
And I have reached another conclusion about why we are in a hot mess in the good old U.S. of A. It comes from the theme of today: Freedom! Hard to believe or even think that freedom is one of the major causes of our hot mess. Nonetheless, it is! Some think their freedom comes from pursuing their desires. Just to have the freedom to go after their deepest, event darkest, desires. Well, prisons are full of those who pursued their desires. Families are torn apart by those who used freedom to pursue their desires. Many of the homeless are on the streets because of those desires. Homes and vehicles are repossed all because of desires.
Some think their freedom comes from their feelings, especially in the realm of sexuality. If they could just be free to be who they feel like being. There is gender identity chaos and confusion everywhere; all because of feelings. And those who seek freedom through their feelings believe that everyone else needs to affirm and promote that they are right in their feelings. That’s how seeking freedom through feelings works. But this kind of thinking serves only to enslave the person.
Still others think that freedom comes through the government. Fundamentalists confuse being followers of Jesus with being followers of the U.S. Constitution; treating the two as if they were one. Not only goofy fundamentalists think this way, so do many others. Just look at some of the reactions to the recent SCOTUS Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision where they corrected the error of Roe v. Wade (which by the way, isn’t about abortion–but about the Fourth and Tenth Amendments). If history has taught us anything (and it’s obvious that a lot of folks haven’t learned anything from history) is that we cannot count on any government to provide us freedom.
These and so many other fruitless and futile attempts to find and establish freedom are rooted in an unrecognized fallacy: “This is true!” What is “true” may not be The Truth! Feelings a person or group possesses are indeed true to them and in them. But they may not be The Truth. What is true is subject to our feelings, beliefs, and convictions. And way too many are living by what is true; all the while ignoring The Truth.
The Truth is unchanging. It was true that it was once believed that when a person was sick that they needed to let out that bad blood. It was true that it was once believed that mental illness was a psychological problem, not a biological problem. It was true that it was once believed that slavery was acceptable. It was true that it was once believed women were property, not persons. My point is clear–what is true is not the same as The Truth.
The Truth has a name–Jesus! Jesus proclaimed it in John’s Gospel, chapter 8 and verse 32: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”The Truth is that God has established a way to live that works in every place, every situation, every person, and all the time. That way to live is found in The Bible. God was overseeing the process of the canonization of books and letters to make sure that when they are all put together–they clearly reveal The Truth. And to be free, to live every moment in freedom, all it takes is our surrender to The Truth. Nothing is more liberating that to be a slave and servant to our Heavenly Father! Now, that’s true Freedom that will never, ever change. It works even when governments are oppressive–and the culture calls it crazy!
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 from the New Living Translation
Ever heard the expression, “There’s a storm on the horizon!”? I’m no meteriologist, but I’m telling you it’s NOT on the horizon–but it’s already upon us. It’s all around us and it ripping our culture into unrecognizable pieces! And it ain’t going away anytime soon! It’s a Category 12 hurricane, an F-22 tornado, and a tsunami mashed up together and it’s destroying the human race. Contrary to the view from the left–it’s not global warming! Excuse me, the term is now climate change (I guess it’s because the polar caps aren’t melting as fast as they claimed).
The Storm is all about Truth–rather that distinct and discernable ABSENCE of THE Truth! Truth has been relegated and demoted to how one feels and thinks. Even the science of biology has been defrocked and dishonored by those who say gender is determined by feelings. “Holy Cow, Batman! What are we going to do now?” Great question, Robin! What device or weapon does Batman have on his Bat Belt that will get rid of this Storm? But alas, poor Yorick, no such device exists. But. . .could it be there is still hope for our culture? If you listen to churchians and tenured pew sitters the answer is a resounding NO! But they ain’t worth listening to! They are just like politicians running for election or re-election–full of des conneries!
People are trying in vain to seek truth–and more they seek? Well, the more miserable they become! Instead of giving up the fruitless and pointless search through what they think and feel–they persist! They are looking for a life filled with purpose and meaning. But their thinking and feeling keeps that PEACE hidden. And anyone who offers a different opinion? Well, they are called mean, ugly, and if it’s Kingdom People talking–they are full of hate. And it’s all because of The Truth!
There is a solution–a path forward–that will dissipate this calamitous Storm. It’s so simple that most folks cannot see it so they trip right over it. It’s child’s play, really! All it requires is our embrace and commitment to the above words of Jesus! SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM AND WHAT HE SAYS IS RIGHT FIRST! And to seek God’s Kingdom and what HE says is right–we all have to begin with this single thought: “I may be wrong about what I think and what I feel!” And while our culture keeps right on seeking but never finding, WE, who are unashamed and unafraid to be called Disciple of Jesus, Citizens Of The Kingdom Of God, (notice, I didn’t mention the word “church”) must become and BE examples of what it means to Seek and Find what is hidden to so many. And that, my friends, is The Truth.
Remember that old TV series “The X-Files”? There is a line that is famous from the show. “The truth is out there,” says Scully, before following up with “but so are lies”. Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to Him!
Question for you this morning: Do we speak for the Bible or does the Bible speak for us? No, it’s not the same thing! Folks, believe this or not, it doesn’t matter one single iota! The church today has a serious problem–when it comes to the answer of this question. In my own Tribe, the United Methodist Tribe, the given answer by leadership is literally ripping us apart. But before you Baptists gloat over our split, look at the beam sticking out of your own eye. And this isn’t just a 21st Century problem. It’s plagued the history of The Body Of Christ. The disease is speaking for the Bible rather than the Bible speaking for us–and thus–to us!
It was even a problem back when Jesus walked this earth as one of us. The Pharisees and Sadducces saw their job was to speak for The Word Of God. They thought it was their job description–but it wasn’t. And today, it isn’t in anyone’s job description to speak for the Bible. In my own Tribe we have those who are doing just that. Speaking FOR the Bible means it’s up to us to determine what it means and how it applies to daily life!Mishegas! Oy vey, nosh, klutz! It’s pure schlock! Pure bupkis! I love Yiddish words and phrases. Here’s some examples of speaking for the Bible.
Torturing and killing anyone NOT a “christian”–by their definition
Judging others based solely on their race
Justification of slavery
Making women as second class citizens by saying they can’t do certain things
Jesus only died for certain people (predestination)
The blood of Jesus wipes away every sin and gives us all a new beginning–except when it comes to divorce
Jesus came to show us how to love, so this eliminates the long-standing sexual ethic, so it’s OK to be how you feel, sexually speaking
On that last example–Oy, Oy Vey, Oy Gevalt! It’s Dreck! Our Tribal leaders feel it is their job description (remember how Jesus felt about the Pharisees and Sadducces?) to tell the world that the tried and proven sexual ethic from the Bible is outdated. It takes an enlightened person, like them, to straighten out what the Bible got wrong. And if we don’t agree with them, then we’re mean, ugly, phobic, and hateful. What a bunch of schmucks!
Allow me to begin my thoughts by saying that you are my President. Even though I did not vote for you, nonetheless, you are my President because. . .because the laws and procedures of our Great Nation have declared you to be so. Therefore I pray for you every day, that our great God will endow you with wisdom in these times.
My letter to you, sir, is void of politics. Like myself, I am confident that you are exhausted from all this political caterwauling. Let us communicate as citizen to citizen. After all, this is what our Founding Fathers envisioned for this great nation. Amazing, isn’t it, that those men possessed such great wisdom and forward thinking. Accordingly there is an issue for which I must address concerning your recent Presidential Mandate in regards to COVID-19 vaccinations.
Through Hipaa Laws my personal medical information is Federally protected, but I make the conscious choice to freely share with you that I have received both of the Moderna Vaccinations. This was my decision based on the best available scientific information out there. I also observed friends who had received the Vaccine and noticed no ill effects. My point is, Sir, that I made the best decision possible for myself, my family, my friends, and my community. And I am pleased to share with you that thus far we have been safe from this horrid virus. It was my choice, Mr. President. And this leads into the express purpose of this communication, Sir.
I am seeking and asking you to reverse your Presidential Mandate concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations. I do indeed understand your desire, and mine, that this scourge be vanquished from this great nation and the world. But a Presidential Mandate will not, nor can it triumph over this dreaded disease. I am sure your intentions are noble and honorable. And if we are truthful with each other, you and I know that intentions rarely, if ever, resolve complicated issues–such as this pandemic.
Our Founding Fathers created this Nation because decisions, mandates and laws were chosen and enacted by those who were far removed from real life as it happened in real time in real places. Those laws, decisions, and mandates stirred up that great desire for freedom and self-determination. Let us be honest with each other, Sir. Washington D.C. is far removed from the real life that is experienced everyday throughout this great land. Sir, this remark is not an attempt by me to disparage you nor your administration. This has been going on long before you sat in the Oval Office for the first time. For decades, Washington D.C. has been a isolated and insulated from the American citizenry, the citizenry for which the U.S. Constitution was thoughtfully, and sometimes heatedly debated–for the citizens of this Nation.
I will not be so presumptuous as to say I have the solution. Far too many people today are quick to point out the problems but never offer a viable solution. May I suggest, Sir, that you make a decision to repeal the Vaccine Mandate. But repealing one thing also requires choices in a different direction. May I pose to you an alternative path. Exercise your Presidential Mandate for more research on all proposed and existing vaccines.
Not to say I am qualified to take your position, but I want to offer for your consideration a different approach for this research. Since there is so much suspicion surrounding big pharmaceutical companies, have independent researchers who do not have even the appearance of being influenced by the big pharmaceutical companies review their findings and pursue paths from their perspectives and knowledge. Have their research totally transparent and available to the general public. With the tool known as the Internet, at the end of each day they would report what they did, what they discovered, and what, if any conclusions they have reached.
Mr. President, neither you nor anyone else can prevent some people from being–and please pardon my bluntness–from being Stupid! My definition of stupidity is the choice to ignore both facts and truth. Ignorance, on the other hand, is easily defeated with solid and truthful information. What I am attempting to say, Sir, is let’s win the hearts of minds of those who readily respond to factual truth. Transparency in research will go much further than Mandates–regardless of how well intentioned those Mandates are.
Mr. President, I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to these thoughts and reflections. Your duties and responsibilities are both intense and immense; so I pray for you and your administration every day.
Respectfully yours, Randy Burbank Citizen of the greatest nation on Earth
Yes, I am old enough to remember Walter Cronkite. Perhaps it is because of the way he ended every newscast: “And that’s the way it is” followed by the date. That was back in the day when newscasters knew their responsibility was to report the news, not BE the news. Not so much anymore. It seems to me at least, that so many, not just newscasters but others as well, want to create a Narrative that fits their world view.
Look carefully at number 4 definition of Narrative: a story that connects and explains a carefully selected set of supposedly true events, experiences, or the like, intended to support a particular viewpoint or thesis. (emphasis mine) What is happening today is the desire of so many that if one doesn’t like the truth, then they create a Narrative that supports their viewpoint. And in a tout de suite, the Truth is also changed. The fact of the matter is that Truth never changes; but many are trying but it is supercilious exercise.
Just this week, I watched and listened to an interview with Michael Regan, the current head of the EPA. True to the current administration, he touted that the current weather related disasters were the direct result of climate change. His narrative stated that something need to be done to reduce pollutants because people of color are being disproportionately being affected by these recent disasters. I wonder, how many disasters has he personally responded to? I have been actively involved in disaster response since Hurricane Katrina. And I have never seen a disaster that avoided the homes of whites. While discrimination still exists in the hearts and minds of some–natural disasters discriminates against no one. Mr. Regan wants to change the narrative of being good stewards of creation, to a narrative of social justice for people of color (his term not mine).
Or how about this one: Sexuality is fluid and not determined by gender at birth. Or this one: Children with gender dysphoria should be allowed to explore whatever they want when it comes to their sexual “orientation”. Or how about this one: The government needs to protect the most vulnerable, while at the same time advocating for and sponsoring abortions. See? Narratives! And this morning I’m left feeling baffled, perplexed, addled, and flummoxed. Whatever happened to The Truth? I leave you this morning with two thoughts, which are not even close to being a Narrative, but rises above the idea of all other narratives:
What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.
Isaiah 5:20 (NLT)
They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself
Romans 1:25 (NLT)
Postscript: It’s not just progressives/liberals that change the Narrative, even fundamentalists and conservatives do the same. There, I said it! Bring it on!
Does one have to be “my” age to know about 411? Hopefully not. For readers not familiar with it, it is the number one would call to contact the phone company if you needed information about someone’s phone number. I think it’s still around. If it’s a business, I just use Google. What does this have to do with today’s musings? I am so glad you asked.
We all need to be INFORMED. The issue is, who or what is INFORMING you? I came across this recently:
People want to be INFORMED–but alas, they make one of these mistakes; or both. They get their INFORMATION from the wrong places. Or, they process that INFORMATION the wrong way. There are three ways for processing INFORMATION from any and every source.
One way is to rely on how we feel about the information. Gee whiz! What the what? Blech! Arghhhh! Hmph! Oy, oy, oy! Tsk-tsk!It makes my head ache when people use feelings to process INFORMATION. Feelings fluctuate like a politician’s views. It’s like trying to erect a vertical wall without using a plumb. Oh, my, the chaos in the United Methodist Church should be enough to show the imbecility of this approach. In spite of the fact that their feelings continue to undermine the church, they persist with the ferocity not seen in even the animal kingdom. Feelings change more in a day than weather does in a typical Alabama day.
Another way is to accept what THEY say. OMG! Jeeezus Christ! This is doltishness and stupefaction to the Nth degree! Or as Buzz Lightyear would say:
Who, in the name of all that’s sane, is THEY? You’ve heard it, may even said it: “They say blah, blah, blah. . . .” It may be the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Libertarian party or some institute of alleged (but not proven to be) institute of higher learning. Or it may be some Instagram Idiot, or Twitter Twit, or Facebook Fatuity, or maybe some YouTube Boob. Often times they are anonymously unknown. Absorbing the views of they is like drinking a glass of water dipped right out of Love Canal. No thank you!!!!!
If the first two ways are exasperating and rankle your sensibilities, then maybe this will help–more than MAYBE–it WILL help. Turn to the Truth of The Bible. Not someone else’s explanations about The Bible–just The Bible itself. What some people say about The Bible–well–it sometimes verges on, and other times go beyond the obtuse. Oh, it may take some time–it may even take a lot of time–but God’s Word is both relevant and reliable.
When it comes to processing INFORMATION, you can rely on The Bible. Our world is filled with all kinds of alleged truth. God’s Word will give us the tools, skills, and wisdom to process all that IMFORMATION in the way that builds us up, and keeps us from falling apart.
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
Well, here I go with yet another one of those incongruous and cacophonous things some people believe are in the Bible. Today’s episode is:
The Lord Helps Those Who Help Themselves!
Now, I do agree that way too many people live out their paltry and pathetic lives as if there are no consequences for their decisions, choices and actions. Way too many are waiting for a free lunch that isn’t going to be delivered. Heck, there’s no one even in the kitchen cooking that free lunch. And The Bible is clear that whatever kind of seeds we plant, THAT is going to be the crop we produce. But this? The Lord helps those who help themselves? That’s a train of thought that derailed at the station! This kind of thinking isn’t a train without a caboose (this analogy goes back to the days when trains had a caboose)–it’s a train without an engine! It doesn’t get us anywhere!
It’s preposterous and maniacal to think that God is waiting for us to do something to help ourselves before He is willing to lift a finger to help us. It only makes sense to those who live in the futility of believing that we, broken and messed-up human beings are au fait when it comes to fixing the messes we create. Do you want the truth about the human (in)ability to help ourselves?
SPOILER ALERT! We cannot help ourselves. Our best efforts are always tainted by our sinful and fallen nature. Here’s the Truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! It takes the Grace of God to help us, period! God doesn’t give His Grace to those who are trying–and certainly not to those who think they deserve His Grace. If we deserve Grace, then it’s no longer Grace. It’s payment for our efforts. Do you want a Bible Verse to prove it, and thus make me “Biblical” in this assertion? OK, buckaroo, you got it!
The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Romans 8:3 (NLT)
So, quit tell others that if they want their lives to change, they have to help themselves first before God will help them. And if you still believe this anathema and abomination–all I can say is: God help you! Please God, help them!
This is the first of I don’t know how many blogs on Things In The Bible–NOT! Isn’t it amazing how many things people believe are in the Bible–but it’s just not there. Maybe amazing isn’t the word–sad is a more apt description. Some of my fellow members of The Order Of The Backwards Collar (a.k.a. preachers) have done a whole series of sermons on this issue. I promise you that these thoughts are my thoughts–not someone else’s. With this said, please put your trays in the upright position, turn off all electronic devices (except the one you are reading this on), and fasten your seatbelts. We are about to take off!
The Lord never puts more on you than you can handle!
Oy vey! This one is absolute bupkes (Yiddish word for “goat droppings” or “horse droppings”, and in the South we say “bull s&%#”)! Show me in The Bible where it says such a heinous and horrid thing! This is wrong on so many levels, where do I begin? What besotted person would even contemplate such a thought?
Well, what does the Bible actually say? I hear some referring to 1 Corinthians 10:13–“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Now, this I do believe. God will not allow a temptation to be more than I can handle and will be with me in it to show me the way out. That’s temptations, not life.
Listen! There’s a difference between temptations and life as it happens on this spherical orb called earth. NEWS FLASH! God doesn’t cause everything to happen that happens on this spherical orb called earth! Sorry Calvinists! NOT SORRY! Here’s another NEWS FLASH! We live in smack dab in the middle of a fallen creation. And right now, I’m still struggling with something that is too hard for me to handle. I’m having trouble focusing on the tasks in front of me. I’m grieving. I’m grieving for my Dad. I’m grieving for my family. One more NEWS FLASH! It’s more than I can handle! And God didn’t put this on me. Life did; more exactly–death is the cause. And God doesn’t cause death! And I pity the fool who believes God is the cause of any death.
I just wrote “one more NEWS FLASH”–but that’s not so. I have yet another–let’s call this one a GOOD NEWS FLASH! I’m not alone! I have the Body Of Christ surrounding me with prayer, compassion, and presence–literally being the presence of Jesus to me in this season of life when it is too much for me to handle. And just what does the Bible say exactly, when life is too much to handle? Does it say that I just need more faith? Oh, heck NO! A million times NO!
I choose to listen to the one who experienced life’s crushing experiences–Jesus! As a matter of fact, here’s what Jesus and The Bible says: “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT) He overcame the world AFTER He fell beneath the weight of that cross when he was being led to His place of execution!
God doesn’t put grief, pain, disappointment, hurt, nor anything else that crushes our hearts. But He is with us in the crucible–and He will guide us out of it. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God hasn’t given me more than I can handle. But life has–so I cling to the one who conquered both life and death!
Oh–and if you have a favorite pet peeve on something that people say is in The Bible, but it’s not, share it in the comments section! See ya’ tomorrow!
16) There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: 19) a false witness who pours out lies
Proverbs 6:6, 19 (New Living Translations
And it seems like I’ve come back at a time when–well a time when I am the most guilty one. I promised I was back–and not leave again. Well, it seems I did–and Solomon’s words hit me square between the eyes. Excuse me, I need to wipe the blood off my face and get a couple of stitches.
OK, I’m back from God’s Mercy Emergency Room. This started out as the things that God finds disgusting; and I might as well finish it before I start off on another tangent of my (in)famous random thoughts. And the next detestable thing God hates is what I did–rather what I didn’t do. The sting I feel from this disgusting thing comes from the word Solomon used for lies. It is kāzāḇ and here is the meaning: “untruth, falsehood, deceptive thing”.
Let’s do a high school biology dissection of this word–and on yours truly broken promise of using this gift and passion of writing that God has given me:
Untruth: My intentions were to keep on writing. But the reality is I stopped. So my actions reveals that statement to be UNtrue. Intentions do not reveal the truth. It takes actions! Strike one against me!
Falsehood: The Hebrew word for falsehood is šeqer and on of its meanings is: “in vain”. My promise to write was in vain, and there can be no justification for my lack of character to keep that promise. Strike two against me!
Deceptive Thing: It was this part of the word that really got to me. For the few of you who enjoy my writing, I deceived you. Deception is–well deceptive–it describes trickery and betrayal. And for this, I humbly and contritely ask for your forgiveness. Strike three! I’m out!
Some people intend to tell lies; but not all of us intend to tell lies. Yet, it is what we end up doing. Intentions doesn’t soften the hard blow of reality–if we are truly seeking to be a Disciple and Follower of Jesus. If anything, it makes the blow of Truth, the very value we ignored, hurt even more. We can thank this to the Holy Spirit. He does excellent work in this area–speaking from my experiences.
So, what can I do, since I have done this detestable thing to God? I have two options:
I can believe Satan (who is full of lies) that I’m so messed up that I might as well give up.
Or I can believe God, who says “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.“Though your sins are like scarlet,I will make them as white as snow.Though they are red like crimson,I will make them as white as wool.If you will only obey me.” (Isaiah 1:18-19)
I think I will believe God. Take it from the one who knows how it feels when we become deceptive–Keep those commitments and promises; whether you make them to another person or to God, Himself.
I’ll see y’all tomorrow–and THAT’S the Truth! God helping me.
There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests:
. . .a lying tongue
Proverbs 6:16-17
And the category is: Things That Disgust God! Today’s subject is a lying tongue. I have been in deep thought about this one. On one hand, it is easy to understand. It is when someone doesn’t tell the truth; trying to hide something; or attempting to cover up the truth. But I think differently from most folks, so I am not satisfied with just that explanation. It is easy to just excuse ourselves by saying, “It’s just a little white lie” and never consider that it is disgusting to God. It’s like that word “white” makes it digestible for God.
At the core of a lying tongue is something much deeper and darker. The word I use to describe it is a word not just much anymore. That word is Chicanery. I like this word because it is a strong word–something we don’t see much of anymore for fear of offending someone. I would define Chicanery as the art of deception. And isn’t that what lying is all about? To deceive? To promote a lie as being true?
Chicanery uses a process called Sophistry (another strong word). Sophistry is defined as: “a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.” Over the years I’ve seen a lot of theological chicanery. At one time it was what I called “the name it and claim it” fallacious method of reasoning. It claimed that you could have whatever you wanted if you just had enough faith. If you didn’t get it, then you just needed more faith.
Today there is “the prosperity” fallacious method of reasoning. God wants all of His people to be wealthy. And the most prominent (at least in the United States) for is “the progressive” fallacious method of reasoning. It states that Jesus came to show us how to love–by eliminating the idea of any form of sin that contradicts how one feels. All one has to do is show unconditional love to everyone–well, except to those who cannot agree with them. Then it’s OK to be mean, hateful, and downright ugly.
Anyone can be wrong about something we believe as true. To exclude one’s self from being wrong is–well just wrong. This is why it is essential that we constantly evaluate and re-evaluate anything and everything we believe. If we are willing to listen, The Holy Spirit does what Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do. (John 16:13) “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.” Notice the word Jesus carefully chose: “Guide”. It’s not instantaneous. The Greek word used means “to give guidance, instruction or assistance to another“. And it is in the future tense–which means we haven’t arrived at the point of perfection–in this life. Personally, I’ve learned more the past 15 years of my life than the previous 50 years.
When deception is used to promote an idea or belief, it is plain old-fashioned Sophistry. And Sophistry, no matter how cleverly disguised, is just odious, trickery, treachery to God. And He finds that disgusting!
I took the above picture on Monday of this week. We had an inch or so of snow! I know for you folks north of the Mason-Dixon Line you are thinking, “So what? Why is that a big deal?” In west central Alabama it’s a big deal because we do not see a lot of the white stuff. For you who see this regularly it’s not a big deal. But for us? It’s a really big deal–and that got me to thinking. It took me until this morning–but I finally figured it out.
For those who see a lot of snow, an inch or so doesn’t mean much if anything at all. For us, it meant we pulled up a chair and watched it fall with great admiration at its beauty. Many of us were mesmerized by the scene as we watched it fall, collect on the tree limbs and cover the ground. Facebook blew up with pictures people were taking–each one showing the unique beauty of this very rare event. What does this all say about Kingdom Living? Glad you asked and I am even more glad to tell you.
Let’s start with something straight out of the Bible! What a novel idea in times like this! Look at Psalm 119:18–
Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.
(New Living Translation)
There is a deep crisis within the U.S. church. It has replaced The Truth with a cultural truth. The source of the problem is that many have embraced their personal interpretations of The Truth. Churchians and Tenured Pew sitters have become so accustomed to their views on The Truth that they have stopped seeing the wonder of The Truth. Just like people who are accustomed to seeing snow on a regular basis–they miss the wonder of God’s Creation. And just like us Alabamians who rarely see snow and stop what we doing to take pictures and post them on social media–people who walk closely with Jesus understand that The Truth is always amazing to us, teaching us the beauty of the life God wants us to live.
When we are locked into our personal views, opinions, and beliefs it leaves little to no room for God to WOW us. This entire Psalm is full of WOW moments, not because it’s the longest one–but because of the way the verses are divided. Each section begins, not with the name of a person, but a Word. The Word for verse 18 is Gamal–it means to ripen, to produce. David is sharing the way to a life that is full and rich; a life that produces what God created us to produce–each in our own way. And it’s found in THE Truth–call it His Law, His Instruction–better yet, call Him by His name–Jesus!
The chaos of this day is the result of NOT living by God’s instructions. We need to stop seeing The Truth of The Bible in the ways we are accustomed to seeing it. We need to see it the way we Alabamians see snow–with wonder and amazement. When you see a lot of snow–an inch or so is no big deal. When you are accustomed to your own views of The Bible you leave no room for God to ripen our life in order to produce what HE created you to produce. So stop seeing The Bible with the same-old-same-old view. What has that view produced? Watch the evening news. That will tell you what that view produces.
Hymns and songs have been written about this verse. But let me leave you with a story about what happen when God opens our eyes to HIS Truth rather than our truth. It’s found in 2 Kings chapter 6. Elisha’s servant goes out one morning and is filled with panic. An army has surrounded him and his teacher. Listen and learn from Elisha:
17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
2 Kings 6:17
It takes God to open our eyes–what when He opens our eyes–an inch or so of snow becomes an experience! And what an experience it is!
As of last night the CDC reports there are 122,653 of confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 reported to CDC or tested at CDC since January 21, 2020 in the United States. This number is up from Saturday evening’s number of 103,321. People in the U.S. are panic buying. It started with toilet paper and hand sanitizer and now it’s milk, bread, eggs and God knows what else. People are scooping up self-rising flour who have never made a biscuit in their life! And the jury has reached a verdict.
Most people in the United States are found GUILTY of Having No Common Sense And Are Acting Stupid! It took the jury only 3 seconds to reach this verdict. When you consider the evidence it is no surprise at all. Just look at the evidence:
You ask a student “You have 3 apples and give 1 apple to your friend, how many are left?” and rather than the student imagine 3 apples, take away 1 and count what’s left, which is 1 then 2, 2 apples left, they have replaced it with common core math. To find the answer you take the circumference of Saturn, divide that by the number of species of ducks, multiply that answer by the temperature on the surface of Mercury, then subtract the number of Wal-Marts in the world, divided by 7.68345690 and subtract the number of people who will buy eggs today and Voila! The answer is 2!
Participation Trophies! You have achieved greatness by simply being present. Forget effort. Forget skill and ability. Besides, it’s plain meanness to reward success!
Entitlement has become the norm. Who needs perseverance? What’s the value in trying and learning from failure? You exist therefore you deserve!
Administrators tell teachers, “You have to teach for the state tests. Forget knowledge and wisdom–it’s the scores on those tests that matter most. NOT the students needs, but OUR need to score high on those tests!”
Many school systems have taken out vocational/technical schools because it’s more important for the students to go to college in order for them to ask “Would you like a fried apple pie with this order?” The number of high school students who receive a college degree looks great on the paperwork!
Speaking of college, OY VEY! Professors have concluded that they are the experts in their fields and are the sole depository of knowledge, and expect their students to be their little minions who perpetuate their jabber and twaddle. (if you don’t know the meaning of twaddle, look it up!) Cemetery Professors, excuse me, that should have been Seminary Professors, are the absolute worst!
And parents? OY VEY!OY VEY!OY VEY! They want to be their child’s friend! Great gobbledygook! This is enough evidence by itself to arrive at that Guilty Verdict!
Morality, what is right and wrong, good and bad, is determined by the individual rather than proven standards, such as the Bible. They even encourage their children to find their own gender rather than accept what nature gave them.
Consequences? What’s that? People are protected from the consequences of their choices and actions. There is always someone else, something else to blame. Oygevalt!Bupkes! That’s mishegas! It’s bupkes! Go ahead and kvetsh if it makes you feel better!(I love Yiddish!)
And finally, it’s more important to be kind than truthful–especially when truth hurts. A president once challenged this nation to be a kinder and gentler nation. Well, people accepted the challenge, and look at the mess we’re in!
Look at this nation now. More and more people are thinking more and more about themselves while thinking less and less about others. I heard one story of a shopper who was buying up milk. The business only allowed 2 gallons to be purchased. So she bought 2 gallons; then went back in a went through the self checkout with 2 more gallons. This continued until she had her minivan full of milk. Another shopper was doing the same with toilet paper until an astute associate saw what she was doing and cut her off!
There was a time when you didn’t need a declaration from the government to stay at home if you were sick. It was called Common Sense and Decency! There was a time when people cared more about others than themselves. There was a time when valor and restraint were considered virtues. There was a time when hard work was noble and the dream people held dear. And there was a time when it was appropriate to call out, in a kind way, stupidity in others. Well. . . what can I say? Too many people are null and void when it comes to common sense–and are stupid, I say, absolutely stupid! They make the 3 Stooges look like clones of Albert Einstein.
(This is NOT a political post, though it addresses politics and other matters. I remind you that if you cannot think for yourself, or respect a person who has different views than you, then Reader Discretion is advised. Any resemblance to any political party or theological view past or present, is strictly coincidental. After all, it’s not my “intention” to offend you.)
Ever since the final results of the 2016 election were announced, there has been a movement by a group that shall remain nameless, to undo the results, and are even attempting to change our current form of government that they consider unfair because their candidate didn’t win. By the way, it’s a process that has served this nation well since 1804. Then this unnamed political movement attempted to unseat the winner of the 2016 election with an impeachment movement. Since November 2016, this unnamed political party has espoused nothing but disdain and hatred for the POTUS. All this hate against one person has created a culture of hated and disrespect. Here’s a couple of examples.
February 10, 2020 Gregory Timm drove his van into a voters registration tent in Jacksonville, Florida because of hate. Mr. Timm had no regard for the safety or life of these volunteers who were simply exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right. His hatred for the POTUS turned toward people engaging in our Democratic Republic. Hate consumed Mr. Timm.
Then on February 28, 2020 Denver, Colorado Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca declared that if she ever contracted the Coronavirus she would attend every Trump Rally. Deep is the hate that would cause Councilwoman CdeBaca to want to infect people–mothers, fathers, children–with the Coronavirus because they have a different political view. Really Councilwoman CdeBaca? You want the Coronavirus to spread even further?
The outcome of “not my president” and “impeach Trump” is that people desire to harm, even kill anyone who doesn’t agree with them. At one time this unnamed political party cared about all people. Now this unnamed political party only cares about those who agree with them. This unnamed political party has created an outcome with the environment of hate.
Now, those of you who support that unnamed political party will vehemently disagree with me. You will tell me, “We didn’t produce this outcome of hate and disregard of human life because that wasn’t our intention. Our intention was to make our nation stronger and better.” Well, guess what Snowflake–Intentions are NOT the same as outcomes. If I offended anyone by calling you a Snowflake, that wasn’t my INTENTION. Don’t blame me or say I’m being divisive or ugly. Remember, that’s not my INTENTION.
You see, your beliefs and your attitudes about your beliefs regardless of your intentions produces OUTCOMES. Those Outcomes then take on a life of their own. Think of those Outcomes as making a snowball at the top of a peak overlooking a town. You wonder how big that snowball would get if you rolled it down that slope. Then you roll that snowball and it begins moving down the slope. It gets bigger and bigger and obliterates the town below. Don’t act surprised that your little snowball destroyed that town. You didn’t INTEND to destroy that town. But the Outcome remains–you were responsible.
Intentions will hide the truth; but Outcomes will always reveal the truth.
So, in the future, don’t think about your intentions, because the road to hell is well paved with intentions. Think about OUTCOMES. Outcomes requires that you look beyond the immediate–beyond what you want–beyond what others tell you what you want. Intentions won’t change the direction of our great, but sinking nation. By working together on a set of Outcomes that shows respect and dignity for everyone we can see real culture change. Outcomes that will build people up–not run over them with a van or wish they had the Coronavirus are what we need.
The above quote of George Orwell is certainly apapoe in today culture. I’m not certain when he wrote this, but it is prophetic, nonetheless. Though he was a staunch democratic socialist, decades later his perspectives are ringing true. I remember reading 1984 back in high school. In 1973 I remember thinking, “This could never happen here in the U.S.” It didn’t in 1984, but if he had entitled that book 2020, I wouldn’t be so naive.
It’s happening now. Truth is being redefined by cultural experiences and the views of a few who become vocal. Case in point: Hallmark. Hallmark dropped ads on their channels because of same gender people were getting married and kissing. Now Hallmark Spineless Board of Directors have changed their minds due to the threats of 3.5% of the people. This statistic comes from The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
It is not just the sexual identity, or lack thereof, that is at the core of this sickly and unsound illness that is imbuing our current culture with it’s foul regurgitation that traces its roots to the Garden of Eden. Truth is no longer a measuring stick–but an ethos that is concerned with those concepts that make people feel comfortable, at ease and justified. It is a commodious truth that people have gone after. Maybe I should have said “commode”.
Society today certainly hates Truth tellers because “truth” no longer means TRUTH! Truth means feelings, unsubstantiated hypotheses, and whatever a small group feels is truth. Those who embrace time tested and proven TRUTH are hated and berated because they do not follow a commodious truth. A small percentage of the population wants to dictate to the rest of us how we should feel, what we should think, what we should say, how we should act, and most importantly–surrender Truth to them to define.
I am not a conspiracy wacko, though someone had to be on the grassy knoll, but friends and readers, 1984 is quickly coming upon us. . .UNLESS we choose to be undeterred with the real meaning of TRUTH and to speak it. . .speak it with love. . .speak it with resolve. . .speak it regardless if anyone agrees with it. . .and not compromise the TRUTH for a commodious lie.
“Whenever the inappropriate fear of people eclipses the appropriate fear of God, it’s a short step to image management and control tactics. When we fear people, we tend to develop appeasement strategies in order to manage any perceived volatility. The tendency is to manage appearances in order to keep the peace. The truth? It’s really just conflict avoidance in order to get around dealing with dysfunction.“
J. D. Walt
The above words were the opening lines of one of my daily morning readings. We hear a lot, I mean a lot, of people saying, “Can’t we just get along?” My answer is a resounding
Does this mean I’ve lost all hope for and in humanity?
It’s thin sometimes, but no, I haven’t lost hope for and in humanity. This being said. . . we can’t get along. Now hear me carefully: WE CAN’T GET ALONG. . .IN THIS CURRENT CLIMATE. . .UNTIL WE CHANGE OUR PERSPECTIVE! You might have thought I would say “attitude” rather than “perspective”. But that’s not how this works. . .that’s not how any of this works!
Perspective is what influences and creates attitude. And in the current climate, the perspective is “peace at all costs.” Some call it “political correctness”. . .so do I. Now, I’m not advocating attitudinal anarchy. . . but there comes a moment when we have to accept that this fallen human nature is incapable of getting along. I said “fallen” human nature.
Fellow Disciples Of Jesus, Followers Of The Way, we cannot get along with the world . . . nor with each other as long as “getting along with each other” involves keeping the peace through compromise. Again, I’m not promoting attitudinal anarchy–but truth is–there’s a lot of it out there, including in the church.
So, what’s the option? Is there an option? There is an option–but we have to accept that not everyone is going to agree with it. The option we can choose . . . MUST choose . . . is to be true to God by becoming like Jesus. Jesus is the perfect model of graciousness AND truthfulness. Jesus chose appropriate moments and words that intentionally dwindled the number of “followers”.
Why? Because Jesus would not offer nor accept a fake peace built on compromise. Jesus DOES offer peace and it happens as we live each moment of each day by God’s Truth. And we offer the world The TRUTH. Not with arrogance . . . there’s too much of that already . . . but with the perspective of Jesus . . . the perspective that formed his attitude in life. What is that perspective? So glad you asked. . .
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT)
There comes a time, a moment in a culture, when the desire to get along must die in order for the attitude of Jesus to be clearly seen so that Truth becomes clear. And it will be clear if we speak with graciousness and truthfulness. Today is such a time. We can’t get along–but we can be kind, like Jesus . . . and be faithful to God.
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!
(Final message in the series “YAHWEH–The I Am Sayings Of Jesus”
The Eternal Name—The Name for all generations to remember—The Name that God has chosen to reveal to us all is YAHWEH—I Am! His Name says that He exists as Himself. He isn’t shaped or twisted by our own ideas and conceptions. Whatever it is that we may think about HIM, doesn’t change who He really is. Whatever you say about God doesn’t change Him. Whatever you may believe about God, does not change the identity and nature of our God.
He is who HE says He is; not
necessarily who we think He is and not necessarily who others say He is. He exists as He truly is—
In Indescribable Glory,
Immeasurable Power,
Overwhelming Holiness,
Pure, Uncontaminated Beauty
And All This In Awesome And Breathtaking Majesty.
He has never been weaker nor stronger than He is right now in eternity, nor will He ever be. Think about the changes that have happened in the history of humanity. We have gone from walking everywhere to riding a horse to an automobile, to flying across the skies, even made the journey to the moon and back.
Think
about all the changes that have happened just in your lifetime. Yet, God has never ever changed—not even a
fraction. He Is Constant And
Consistent To The Point We Really Cannot Describe All That He Is. This Is The Eternal Name For All Generations
To Remember.
As we have been looking through John’s Gospel, Jesus has been publicly using His Eternal Name. And it has caused a lot of discomfort and anger with the Pharisees because we are not supposed to say that name—even though God wants His Eternal Name remembered by all generations.
They felt like, “We can’t have this guy going around calling himself God. We’ve got to put a stop to it. We’ve tried to be reasonable. We’ve tried to show that He’s a phony, but many don’t believe us. We must put an end to Jesus!” So they begin to formulate their plans, but what they don’t understand is that God already has a plan. They want to wait until AFTER Passover, but God has ordained that this Passover is THE time for THE perfect sacrifice that will end all sacrifices. And now, it is time for THE Passover. Jesus has gathered His inner circle in that upper room. Everything is in place and they think it’s just another Passover. They know the ritual; after all, they grew up with it. But Jesus now changes everything. In public He had been using the Eternal Name, and now in a very private moment, He uses it once more. Let’s turn to John 14:1-7 (NLT)
“Don’t
let your hearts be troubled. Trust in
God, and trust also in me. There
is more than enough room in my Father’s home.
If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a
place for you? When
everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with
me where I am. And you know
the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am The Way, The Truth, And The Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
All
that Jesus said He is–The Great I Am—The Living Bread, The Light Of
The World, The Door, The Good Shepherd—is so true—truer than you may
even realize. But here, in a private and
intimate moment, Jesus reveals the Deepest Part Of The Heart Of God. He Doesn’t Say This In Public,
But Rather To Those Hearts That Are Longing For God’s Heart.
This leads me to The one thing you need to remember: You Do Not Follow Jesus In Order To Love Him. You Love Him In Order To Follow Him.
Love
comes first—before the following. But—If
you follow Jesus in order to love Him, it becomes a list of rules and things to
do. This way becomes legalistic. And
after a while, you either love the rules more than you love Him; or you will
give up.
But…if you love Jesus first—it gives you the desire to follow Him. Here is how it works: You see His beauty and that Beauty pulls you in deeper. Then You Begin Seeking His Beauty, And His Heart So That You May Be Transformed BY His Beauty INTO His Beauty. In Other Words, You Follow Him!
In this very sacred moment, Jesus says something to every heart. For inside every heart is that deep, deep longing to be near to and close to God’s very heart. The heart knows what the heart needs but the problem is we don’t always listen to it. Many try to ignore it, but the longing is still there. Others try to fill it with everything else, but the heart is still empty. Jesus Knows What Their Hearts Long For, Thirst For, Hunger For—So He Reveals What Every Heart Around That Table Longs To Know. And it is true in your heart. Listen with your heart what Jesus is saying to it.
1. He Is The Way!
When Jesus said He is The Way He means He is the ONLY way to find release from the guilt and shame of our sin. And we have to get rid of all that sin because it’s standing in the way of us entering God’s heart and God entering our heart. He Is That Entrance Into Freedom From All That Holds Us Back, All That Puts Us In Bondage, And All That Chains Us To Fear And Condemnation. Jesus is the only entrance to God’s heart. Contrary to the view of many, there are not many ways to discover God.
There is only ONE way and that way is Jesus. And The Way is a Journey, and The Journey is first to fall in love with God. Not what He does. And not by falling in love with His ways. Falling in love with God—with HIM! Being captivated by His Glory—which is His love for you. Until you see HIS Glory—you cannot love Him the way He deserves to be love Once we are in love with HIM, then He is The Way that leads us into that Holy Journey with God. The Way means that God invites us into this Journey with Him.
It Is A Journey Filled With Adventure And Excitement Where God Uses Us To Reveal Jesus To Our World.
It’s
A Journey That Can Be Difficult At Times, Especially When Things Don’t Work Out
Like We Hoped, And Even When We Can’t See Where This Journey Will Lead Us.
It’s The Journey That Requires We Surrender Control To Him. It’s The Journey Where We Will Be Stretched
At Times.
It’s
That Journey Where At Times The Only Thing We Can Hold On To Is God Himself. It May Even Be Frightening To Some.
But It’s Not A Journey We Make Alone. Jesus Is Right Here With Us Every Step Of The Way.
Jesus
didn’t say “I am the pew.” But many
treat Jesus that way; confident and comfortable in the pew. But Jesus didn’t say that, He said, “I Am The
Way!” He invites us to travel this road
called Grace, and it’s a road that is meant to be a life time journey. Along the journey we will see, do and
experience so many things. The journey
at the end will be different than at the beginning. But one thing will remain throughout this
lifetime journey: Jesus walks every step
with us. It’s the journey with Jesus
where He leads us to wherever and whatever He wants for us.
2. He Is The Truth
Since it is The Journey that Jesus invites us into, we need some guideposts, road signs that help us keep us on the right path for The Journey. And here is what it looks like to call Jesus The Truth.
The Truth Is He Has Saved Us And Forgiven Us Completely And Not A Single Sin Brought Under His Blood Exists In His Heart Or Memory.
The Truth Is He Lives In Us To Empower Us.
The Truth Is He Gives Us A Holy Calling And Task That He Wants And Expects Us To Do.
The Truth Is He Holds Us Accountable To Share The Grace He Has So Extravagantly Given To Each Of Us.
Truth Is We Live Each Moment Of Each Day By And IN The Truth.
The Truth Is That People Are More Important Than Things—Jesus Did Things For People Even If It Violated The Way Things Had Always Been Because People Are More Important Than Things.
The Truth That We Must Grow In This Grace—Grow More Confident—Grow Wiser About The Truth—Applying The Truth In Real Life Situations.“What Would Jesus Do?” is more than a cute saying for shirts, bracelets and bumper stickers, it’s the way we live and respond to every situation life throws at us.
The Truth Is Persistent And Consistent For All Times, Places And People. It Doesn’t Change Or Fluctuate With The Times, Nor The Culture.
The Truth Is That Service And Sacrifice Are Part Of The Way. Service And Sacrifice Are What Truly Marks Us As Disciples Of Jesus And Members Of The Body Of Christ.
This Truth—Lived By Jesus Every Day He Walked This Earth As One Of Us—Is The Anchor For Every Age, Every Generation, And Every Moment Of Every Day We Walk This Earth.
Jesus As The Truth Is More Than A Creed Or Belief. It is the convictions that hold us, hold us closely when we need assurance of God’s love—and that challenges us to follow Jesus in The Way! The Truth Is That Jesus Is The Alpha And Omega, The First And The Last, The Beginning And The End. And whatever it is we do as believers in Christ, makes each day all about him and not anything about us!
Truth isn’t a weapon we use
against others. It’s the discipline that
reminds us that we are in love with God—and that God is in love with us.
3. He Is The Life!
The Life gives the journey meaning. It is The Life that should be the force
that makes our feet hit the floor every morning. Jesus is The Life that brings us to life with
a passion and excitement to be a part of what God is doing in our world.
Some
people are waiting to die. They have
given up on the excitement and adventure of life. If Jesus is really in your heart, you don’t
have to wait to die to experience life, but you can start living, really living
with that sense of joy, purpose and anticipation of all that God wants to show
you every day. Jesus didn’t suffer and die
on that Cross for you to be sad and miserable; cranky and whiney; to grumble
and complain.
His Life Is About Life That
Has An Eternal Meaning In The Here And Now. Jesus wants you to live and breathe, not
exist. And The Life is offered to you through
The Gift—the Gift of Perfect Love when Jesus went to the Cross to die for
you. But He didn’t just die for you—He
conquered death for you, too.
And the Resurrection Life isn’t just for that day when
the body dies. The Resurrection Life Is For Here
And Now. It begins with the Journey.
And the Journey begins with falling love with God. God is in love with YOU. Not with what you can do or ought to do. He is in love with YOU right now! Jesus is The Way into that love. Truth reminds us of this—that God is in love
with us. Truth isn’t a set of creeds—it
is more—Truth is a Person—Jesus Christ—And this makes Truth a Love
Relationship. This Is The Life!
Life
is knowing we are loved by God—being in love with God—in the way that causes us
to be His Agents, Agents of Redemption for the world.
Next Steps
Are you simply waiting to die? Do you feel
that life has become too hard to do anything significant? Do you think it was easy for Jesus to forgive
the crowd while hanging on that cross?
Stop waiting to die—decide today to begin living.
What are you doing that is life-giving to others? Have you heard
of that TV series The Walking Dead? It’s
about the Zombie Apocalypse. Some call
it science fiction. It’s truer than you
may realize. The Walking Dead are all
around us. The thing is they don’t look
like those zombies on TV—they look like us.
But they are dead on the inside.
Well, here we are, my first entry from my journal as I read the Book of Acts. As a little more background to this adventure, I’m reading with critical eyes. Hold on now! I didn’t say “criticizing” eyes–I said “critical eyes”. I’m looking for things I may not have noticed before, those “nuances” that are not often pondered. Here in Chapter 1, I’ve found a few of them.
Acts 1 is primarily taught with the emphasis on the Ascension and the waiting in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. And as I was reading, I was captured and convicted by Verse 3 (emphasis mine):
During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
Here is why this verse captured and convicted me. I was taught, trained, and expected to grow “the church”. The problem today is that “church” doesn’t mean what it meant by then. Besides, the Greek word used wasn’t “church”. (Sniff, sniff…I smell smoke and the heating of tar….as in being tarred and feathered). Hey, I’m just sharing what The Book says.
One would think that since Jesus knows He is shortly to be ascending back to Heaven, that He would teach and train them about the “church” and His expectation that they were to grow the church. Now, if this Book of Acts is truly more about the Apostles than the Holy Spirit, that’s what we would read.
But if Jesus is anything, He is CONSISTENT! Jesus taught about The Kingdom, not the church. OK, OK, He did mention “the church” in Peter’s declaration of His true identity. But Jesus didn’t speak English. I know, shock, shock. (Or for some, “Blasphemer! Blasphemer!”) The Greek word used was ekklēsia, and it means a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place.
Jesus focused on the instrument of God’s Power and Authority–and that’s the Kingdom of God. And I’m wondering, “What if we stopped teaching and training people for the church and followed Jesus’ own example and taught and trained people in The Kingdom?” The Kingdom is important to Jesus, because it’s important to God. And it should be important to us.
But us “Americanized” Christians would rather have the church than the Kingdom for only 1 reason. It gives us the illusion of control. But Kingdom, on the other hand, presents us with the hard truth that there is an Absolute Ruler, and it ain’t us!
There must be a new language spoken in the ekklēsia. It’s the language of The Kingdom of God. Our terminology, mindset and focus must go back to what Jesus thought was most important. That was, and continues to be the focus of Jesus. If last words are important, and they are, then let’s listen to Jesus as He teaches about The Kingdom of God. If our emphasis was on the Rule and Authority of God, rather than our own, I strongly suspect we would see the same results found in the Book of Acts.
Let me leave you with this final thought, and it’s not an original one from me:
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to Him!
Well, here I go again on another Journey. It seems I’ve become a bit slack in my spiritual discipline of reading the Word. I was looking at my Bible on the desk and it was like I heard, “You know, it’s been a while since we talked. Don’t you think it’s time to catch up?” So I reached over and took it; then I found me a journal to write in, and an ink pen. That’s all: the Bible, a clean sheet of paper and a pen. No commentaries and not even Google to help me look up words and thoughts. Just me, The Book, and of course, the Holy Spirit.
Speaking of which (the Holy Spirit, that is), I’m wondering right now why did I have to have all those commentaries (because I started this journey with Jesus before the internet was so readily accessible)? And why do so many today have this book, that website, that author along side THAT Book? Over the past several years, I discovered to my amazement, that the Holy Spirit actually helps me understand what I’m reading! Who could have ever imagined such a thing? Well, God could.
Back to The Book. Where would I ever begin such a journey? There are so many books to choose from. One would think I would have to spend a lot of time deciding which book to begin with. This time, I had no trouble. He, the Holy Spirit, whispered, “The Book of Acts.” So that’s what I’m doing. I’m not reading a chapter a day–nothing against people who read the Book that way–just reading until I sense Him saying, “Let that sink in for a while.”
And this morning my Companion and Comforter said, “You know, you’ve been talking, I mean talking a lot, about starting back to regular blogging. Why not share what you’re discovering? After all, I did give you that gift of writing.” So who am I to argue with the Wisdom of The Ages.
Today’s entry is simply about the title applied to The Book Of Acts. It’s been titled “The Book Of The Acts Of The Apostles.” For many, many years I’ve insisted that those earliest editors misnamed this Book. I wish right now I could borrow Doc Brown’s time-traveling DeLorean and go back to that first group of editors when they came up with this title and ask: “What are you thinking? It’s NOT the acts of the Apostles. It’s the Acts of the Holy Spirit in surrendered people!” Gee whiz, guys. You’re better than that! Think, man, then listen to that title. A bit short-sighted, don’t you think?”
Why do I think that it’s an inaccurate title? I’m so glad you asked me that question. To read Dr. Luke’s stories with the title “Acts of the Apostles” taints your thought processes, and it’s easy to conclude that what happened then, was “limited to a handful of select special people and not really for me or my time.” Calling it the Acts Of The Apostles limits what this Book can do in you and I.
First, it relegates it just another History Book. Now, I love History more than most. I blame it on my High School History teacher Ronald Pettus. He is a collector of artifacts, many of which he brought into the classroom. He filled my little mind with more than memorizing dates–but left me hungering to know more about the people and the times. This is a priceless tool in understand THE BOOK! If we see Acts are only a history book of a select few people, we’ve missed the point of Dr. Luke’s work.
Second, we slam the door shut to the potential of the Holy Spirit using folks like us. There’s more going on here than dates and geography. If we agree that the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are all about Jesus (and they are), then Acts MUST be all about The Holy Spirit, and it is. Each Amen on that? The Book of Acts opens up with Jesus telling those first disciples about, guess who? The Holy Spirit! And in Chapter 2, all Heaven breaks loose on earth. And it all happens because of and through the power of The Holy Spirit!
Now, I want to add a little side bar comment about the current state of the church culture. For the last century, more emphasis is put on human understanding and abilities rather than The Holy Spirit. I see it in my Tribe as Progressives try to tell me they know more about what God wants and expects than the Bible. Add to this that so many in churches want to hear what someone else says about the Bible rather than read it for themselves.
The result has been that a powerful Stallion has been reduced to a gelding. People are following today, an impotent message about an impotent life. And once again, Jesus weeps. So staring tomorrow, I will share from my personal journal some of the insights and wonder I am discovering as The Teacher, teaches me.
And remember, Love God with all your heart. Love others and way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!
I am…started to say “surprised” but really I’m not because I saw it coming from a mile away. I am…started to say “amazed” but that’s not the word because there’s nothing profound or significant in it. I am…started to say “speechless” but there’s so much I could say. I am…started to say “fed-up” because I certainly am, but as a follower of Jesus I need to be more than just “fed-up”. I am…started to say “disgusted” and that certainly is an emotion that is present and prevalent in me right now. So, what’s the word I’m looking for?
Well, this wordsmith who usually finds something deep and profound is left with just this simple phrase: “I am sick and tired of it!” I realize these words lack spiritual depth and certainly are not words of grace and mercy, but they do describe where I am. I was feeling bad about it until I remembered Jesus, the week of His death, walking into the Court of the Gentiles and seeing that “spiritual flea market” of currency exchanges and sellers of animals for sacrifice. OK, so maybe it’s not so bad that I’m feeling sick and tired of it. I do think that Jesus was sick and tired of seeing those who were supposed to represent HIM on earth tied up to and wrapped up in so much that had absolutely nothing do to with the Heavenly Father. Hang on a minute while I take these cords and fashion me a whip.
Much has been said about the recent acts by NFL players hitting the knee or staying in the locker room while the National Anthem is played. And herein is my rub, those first 4 words–“Much has been said”! What “has been said” are words, lots of words, about anger and disgust. The only threat of action is to “stop watching them on TV”. Well, gee golly, that ought to change our culture and nation! But I didn’t see any change after Monday Night Football in our culture. Maybe after Sunday when sooooooo many are not watching NFL football our culture will change. Guess I’ll have to wait until Monday to see our culture change. Yet…..somehow I don’t think that act will bring about any real change, culture shift, or a “everyone lives happily ever after” narrative.
Look, people! That is their right and freedom. Even my son, Sargent First Class Matthew Burbank (combat veteran of 5 tours in some of the worst flea-infested-arm-pits parts of the world) acknowledges he paid a price (though he calls it a small price, but I, Dad, know better than that) for them to disrespect THE Flag that draped the coffins of his friends and comrades in arms. Before I continue my “sick and tired” thoughts, you need to think about this in a practical way. If we ban this form of protest it will not be long until another form of protest and another and another, until finally we will have lost one of the linchpin principles of this nation: Freedom of Speech. Remove that linchpin and soon thereafter all the other linchpins will be pulled and we will be living under tyranny, again!
Wait, I just heard something thinking, “OK, Mr. Kingdom Pastor, what would you suggest? Just go ahead and watch those games?” If that’s how you want to express your freedom to protest by not watching those games, then by all means, go ahead. But if you are wanting to hit those players in the pocketbook, then simply do NOT buy anything that has the Officially Licensed NFL logo. That’s where the money is made. By the way, that includes more than jerseys, t-shirts and caps. There are other products that are labeled “The Official _____________________(fill in the blank with a product or service) of the NFL.” But do you think that is really going to change our culture and our nation? You do? Look, contact me and I will arrange to sell you some great Gulf Coast property in New Mexico, or Montana if you prefer Montana.
What do I suggest? I am so glad you asked me that. Here’s my suggestion: HIT YOUR KNEES! Pray FOR, and not AGAINST those you see as the problem in our culture and nation. And then pray some more–for YOURSELF! Churchians and Tenured Pew Sitters, quit complaining and start doing something that will make a positive difference in another person. Mahatma Gandhi may not have been a committed follower of Jesus Christ, but he certainly gave clarity to the teaching of Jesus and our responsibilities to God’s creation when he challenged people saying, “You must be the change you want to see in others.” Do you remember that time when the disciples saw a problem, people were hungry and needed to be sent on their way? What was Jesus’ initial response? “YOU give them something to eat!” So you who passionately profess to follow Jesus but consistently “pass the buck” and expect others to do something, “What say ye now, to Jesus?”
Hit YOUR knees in prayer. Ask the God of infinite mercy and grace to forgive you of your whining when you should have been doing something to reveal the presence of Jesus in your own life. Genuinely regret that you are a part of the “when all is said and done, more is said than done” crowd. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and mind with the Presence, Power and Provisions of God Himself, the power that caused The Resurrection to happen for Jesus! Hit YOUR knees and ask God to open your eyes, mind and heart to all those people you will see today who need to see Hope, who need to be made whole in Jesus Christ!
Then look for practical ways to do it. Take them out to lunch, to Starbucks, to somewhere and listen to their story. Offer to take someone who can’t drive shopping with you. Find ways to live UN-selfishly. Caleb Kaltenbach, in his book, Messy Grace, reminds us that as Christians we need to be known what we are FOR, and NOT for what we are AGAINST! And what we should be for is people coming into the loving Relationship that God wants everyone to have with Him.
Churchians, Tenured Pew Sitters, and WATNFL (Whiners Against The NFL) card-holding-members, begin doing things FOR others that only Jesus would do. Watching re-runs on Sunday afternoons, Monday nights and Thursday nights will NOT change our culture and nation. But taking personal responsibility to show and share the love of Jesus, especially without words ever being said, WILL change our culture one life at a time. And the first life that needs to change may well be your own. I know this is true in my case.
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And makes sure all the glory goes to Him!
OK, I admit it. Sometimes I don’t keep up with all the current events. The past 7 days, though, I have a good, a very good excuse. But then, don’t we all? Well, I feel like mine has some merit. Last Wednesday I had a heart ablation from which I am recovering very well. Then there’s this thing called HARVEY. As our tribe’s (some call them denominations) Disaster Response & Recovery Coordinator there is much work I have to do in this role as a Bond Servant of Jesus.
This morning I checked my Twitter feed and was seeing all this stuff about The Nashville Statement. It was a diatribe of hate, so I decided to read it for myself rather than read what others said about. I know, how dumb can I be! Wanting to read it for myself rather than trust all those progressive voices telling me what it means. I saw some tweets comparing the writers and signers as supporters of the American Nazi movement. Well, I read it and was left scratching my head wondering, “Where is the hate? Did Google lead me to the wrong site?”
So I went back to those Tweets. Aren’t they always reliable and truthful? I found this link to an article written by John Pavlovitz titled The Nashville Statement (A Plain Language Translation). Well I thought, “OK! I love plain language translations. Here I can get to the heart of the real NASHVILLE STATEMENT, not the wrong one Google gave me.” Well, there I go thinking again. And thus why I am writing this morning.
His alleged “plain language translation” was simply a rehash of all the hate speech I had seen on Twitter. After careful review and reflection of John’s comments and other similar reviews, I have reached an assessment, call it conclusion, not only about many progressives, but our culture in general. And here it is: “If you do not agree with me and my views then you automatically hate me and others like me.”
Really, John, et.al.? I realize that in the arena of discussion about human sexuality that there is some hate speech going on, especially in the name of the Body of Christ. And to those who express hate speech and identify yourself as (an alleged) Christian, I say to you, “SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU! REPENT IMMEDIATELY AND TURN TO GOD!”
I realize a lot of morons, excuse me, “well-meaning people” have taken biblical texts out of context to justify their position and made the Bible say things it doesn’t say. But if one will take the time to see the whole picture of the Bible, there are only 2 stories. The first story is God’s creation and His Intended Design. It was perfect in every way. And in the realm of sexuality it is very clear: God created them biologically male and female, both equally revealing His image. And marriage was defined as 1 husband (a man) and 1 wife (a woman). Together they were to live in perfect relationship with God and together explore God’s creation. Story #1!
The second story begins with the Fall, which introduces into God’s Creation a totally different purpose. The rest of the Bible is the story of God attempting to restore fallen humanity back in His Original Intent and Design and away from this “Fallen” purpose. Now anyone like me, who believes that God is busy setting back right all that we humans have messed up, is simply filled with hate, well John, you are all wrong about that!
Our culture has gone into a moral and spiritual wasteland when anyone with a different view or belief, is labeled HATEFUL! Quite frankly, I’m getting sick of it! But then I remember those words of Jesus: (Matthew 5:44 NLT) “But I say, love your enemies! Prayfor those who persecute you!” I hear a lot of people like John, who label themselves as progressives, pray AGAINST their perceived enemy and all the while calling for love above all. Is it just me that sees the hypocracy of progressives? They rant, rail and pray against their “enemy” while insisting that love should rule the day.
Yes, we are called to love but not at the sacrifice of the Truth. I’ve heard the argument, “What did Jesus say about homosexuality? Nothing, so we shouldn’t.” Well, He didn’t say anything against using meth or cheating on your tax return, or keeping that extra change that the cashier gave you, or a lot of other every day “stuff”. But Peter made the connection in 1 Peter 1:15-16–“15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” And Holy is to be who and what God designed us to be. If that is hate, then maybe you need a new definition of hate.
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you, and make sure all the glory goes to Him!
I was just thinking this morning. In my world of those who know me, many shudder when I say this. Some even do the face palm thing while shaking their heads wondering to themselves, “Dear Lord, what is this man up to again?” And a few even run and hide. I’m OK with that because I am convinced God gave me a mind–a mind to learn with and a mind to question things–sometimes everything.
I am thinking about that word “TAME” and its partner word “DOMESTICATED”. Somehow, there are those who think that the purpose of a relationship with God is about taming us. There are many tribes (tribes are groups of people with a similar belief system and mindset about God, also known as denominations in some circles) who believe that in order to follow Jesus, we must be tamed. They treat desire as if it were the modern-day equivalent of Biblical times leprosy.
And so this idea of desire is pushed back and beaten down so that respectability can rule and reign. As I was thinking about that word TAME I realized that it rhymes with another word: LAME. So what if we started seeing DESIRE as something to, well DESIRE, to want, to insist on having? Not just any DESIRE, but to have DESIRE for God–for what God is doing–and especially for what God wants us to do!
Can we agree, at least those smart enough to believe in Intelligent Design, that we have been created in God’s image? OK! God has DESIRES. So if HE has DESIRES, why shouldn’t we? Unfortunately many have traded in the God who has Great Desires for a god who is nice and kind and always gentle. In others words, a domesticated god. When something is domesticated it means we have TAMED it for OUR use, to use the way we want.
The True and Living God is neither TAME nor DOMESTICATED. He is wild with DESIRE! Oops, someone just said, “I don’t believe that! Prove it from the Bible!” Okey Dokey, be careful what you ask for; you just might get it, as in this case. God sent a messenger to Eli the priest saying He, God, would take away the priesthood from Eli and his sons and raise up priests who do what, and I quote God, “I DESIRE!” And in Isaiah 55:11–“It (His word) will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what IDESIRE and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” And Jesus said in John 17:24–“Father, IDESIRE that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Now, when it comes to US, should their be desire? Now David was called a man after God’s own heart. When he selected a worship leader, he chose Asaph. I am sure David, who loved to worship God, wanted someone just as passionate as he. Read these words of Asaph:
24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I DESIRE you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. (Psalm 73:24-26 NLT)
Let’s stop being Tame And Lame, and reclaim that word DESIRE. The enemy has used it for too long as a sign of evil. Desire, as God put it in us, is both good and necessary. When we become “tame”, the enemy no longer fears us. He has domesticated us, meaning, we are here for his pleasure and guess what else. His “desires”, desires which are to keep us away from our created purpose and to prevent us from being Warriors. One of the things that makes the enemy tremble with fear and trepidation is when he sees one of God’s Image Bearer’s doing exactly what Asaph wanted, to DESIRE God more than anything else. When God’s designed DESIRE flows through you, the enemy runs and hides. He wants you domesticated, God wants you wild and free as He designed you. If you are not living out your relationship with God with that God-Designed-And-God-Pleasing DESIRE, you have been Tamed And Domesticated by the evil one. And you are just plain old LAME. And that is so sad, so very sad!
Love God with all you heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to Him and it will as you DESIRE Him more than anything else on earth.
nation. And then pray some more–for YOURSELF! Churchians and Tenured Pew Sitters, quit complaining and start doing something that will make a positive difference in another person. Mahatma Gandhi may not have been a committed follower of Jesus Christ, but he certainly gave clarity to the teaching of Jesus and our responsibilities to God’s creation when he challenged people saying, “You must be the change you want to see in others.” Do you remember that time when the disciples saw a problem, people were hungry and needed to be sent on their way? What was Jesus’ initial response? “YOU give them something to eat!” So you who passionately profess to follow Jesus but consistently “pass the buck” and expect others to do something, “What say ye now, to Jesus?”
Kingdom Pastor 