Luke 5:20-23
And when he saw their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
Today I've got a quick thought on a quick piece of Scripture. Check out this part: "...Jesus perceived their thoughts...".
One thing that we have to remember as Christians is that our Savior was not half god and half human; He was fully God and fully human: he was painfully aware of his purpose on Earth.
When people thought hurtful thoughts about Him, He heard them. When He woke up in the morning, He knew how many days He had left. And when He washed the disciples feet as a sign of sacrifice and service, He washed Judas' feet knowing exactly how Judas would betray Him.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Burning Bush - Part 3: Meaning for Us
So here we are, finally at the third and final post in our series on the burning bush. Today's is definitely my favorite section: what the burning bush miracle and surrounding story means to us. We've already talked about what it meant to Moses, and if you haven't read that post yet, you should. I'll draw a lot of parallels between what the miracle meant to Moses & what it means to us. Let's dive right in.
In Exodus 3, we see God call Moses to play a major role in God's plan. We've already talked about Moses' past as an orphaned murderer, etc, so if we see God using Moses in such a major way after all he has done, we should easily accept that God wants to call us too. God not only calls Moses, but throughout their relationship, God reveals himself to Moses in ways that he could have never imagined. I think that part of the story is very important because it shows that God doesn't just want to use us to do His bidding, but He truly wants to know us.
The next portion of the burning bush story has God telling Moses to remove his shoes because he is on holy ground. We have already discussed, in the previous post, that it was God's presence there that made the ground holy. With that in mind, think about what we know about God's presence in the lives of Christians: when we accept Christ, God's Spirit dwells in us. Knowing that we have God's presence with us at all times, everywhere a believer walks is holy ground.
God tells Moses that he has seen His people's troubles; Moses didn't have to tell God about it, He already knew about their troubles, felt compassion on them, and had a plan to rescue them which he begins to carry out through Moses. Our situation as Christians is no different: we experience troubles, God sees them and feels compassion for us, and He has a plan to rescue us. The only difference is that our rescue is permanent and eternal; God has offered His son for our rescue. In Christ, we are saved.
As the story of the burning bush draws to a close, God sends Moses out and says that He will be with Moses just as God promises to be with us through His spirit that dwells in us. And in the same way as Moses: God's spirit is not only in us to comfort us, but to provide the power that is not optional, the power that is required for anyone who desires to accomplish the plan that God has for them,
In Exodus 3, we see God call Moses to play a major role in God's plan. We've already talked about Moses' past as an orphaned murderer, etc, so if we see God using Moses in such a major way after all he has done, we should easily accept that God wants to call us too. God not only calls Moses, but throughout their relationship, God reveals himself to Moses in ways that he could have never imagined. I think that part of the story is very important because it shows that God doesn't just want to use us to do His bidding, but He truly wants to know us.
The next portion of the burning bush story has God telling Moses to remove his shoes because he is on holy ground. We have already discussed, in the previous post, that it was God's presence there that made the ground holy. With that in mind, think about what we know about God's presence in the lives of Christians: when we accept Christ, God's Spirit dwells in us. Knowing that we have God's presence with us at all times, everywhere a believer walks is holy ground.
God tells Moses that he has seen His people's troubles; Moses didn't have to tell God about it, He already knew about their troubles, felt compassion on them, and had a plan to rescue them which he begins to carry out through Moses. Our situation as Christians is no different: we experience troubles, God sees them and feels compassion for us, and He has a plan to rescue us. The only difference is that our rescue is permanent and eternal; God has offered His son for our rescue. In Christ, we are saved.
As the story of the burning bush draws to a close, God sends Moses out and says that He will be with Moses just as God promises to be with us through His spirit that dwells in us. And in the same way as Moses: God's spirit is not only in us to comfort us, but to provide the power that is not optional, the power that is required for anyone who desires to accomplish the plan that God has for them,
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Burning Bush - Part 2: Meaning for Moses
In my last post, we started talking about the burning bush and how it (from a scientific perspective) might have happened. Today we'll begin to dig in to the spiritual meat and will talk about what the burning bush meant for Moses (and Israel). In the next post, we'll finish our series with a look at what this miracle means for us.
At the time of the burning bush, Moses is taking care of his father-in-law's sheep in the region of Midian. Now, think to yourself, what is Moses doing in Midian? Aren't the Israelites suffering in Egypt? Oh right, Moses ran away after he murdered someone. So, from what we know about Moses: first his mother floats him down the river, he's found by a woman in Pharaoh's household, he murders someone, and now he's a shepherd; interesting career path.
The first part of the burning bush story has God revealing himself to Moses and then warning Moses to take off his shoes because he is on holy ground. Now what is it that makes this ground holy? We've discussed Midian; is it inherently holy? No. What makes this ground holy is God's presence there.
Next, God tells Moses that he has seen His people's affliction, has heard their cry, and knows their suffering; he then reveals that he will be sending Moses to rescue them. For Moses, this is what we'd consider his official 'call' from God; this is where God turns an orphaned royal stepchild, murdering shepherd into a savior (lowercase s).
Finally, Moses, among the most reluctant of Biblical characters, asks God how he could possibly go before Pharaoh, etc. God responds with little more than "I will be with you", not only as a comfort to Moses, but answering his question "How?" Not only is God's presence comforting to Moses, but it is necessary.
At the time of the burning bush, Moses is taking care of his father-in-law's sheep in the region of Midian. Now, think to yourself, what is Moses doing in Midian? Aren't the Israelites suffering in Egypt? Oh right, Moses ran away after he murdered someone. So, from what we know about Moses: first his mother floats him down the river, he's found by a woman in Pharaoh's household, he murders someone, and now he's a shepherd; interesting career path.
The first part of the burning bush story has God revealing himself to Moses and then warning Moses to take off his shoes because he is on holy ground. Now what is it that makes this ground holy? We've discussed Midian; is it inherently holy? No. What makes this ground holy is God's presence there.
Next, God tells Moses that he has seen His people's affliction, has heard their cry, and knows their suffering; he then reveals that he will be sending Moses to rescue them. For Moses, this is what we'd consider his official 'call' from God; this is where God turns an orphaned royal stepchild, murdering shepherd into a savior (lowercase s).
Finally, Moses, among the most reluctant of Biblical characters, asks God how he could possibly go before Pharaoh, etc. God responds with little more than "I will be with you", not only as a comfort to Moses, but answering his question "How?" Not only is God's presence comforting to Moses, but it is necessary.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Burning Bush - Part 1: Intro
Exodus 3:1-12
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned." When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
I recently took a look at this passage as part of a Sunday morning series: Miracles in Exodus. We took a number of the miracles in the book of Exodus and really looked at them in-depth: how does science help us better understand this miracle, what it meant to Moses (or Israel), and what it means to us as present-day Christians. Our focus throughout this series was really on God's provision.
Well, my favorite miracle in Exodus is the burning bush, so I would like to take three blog posts and take a look at it. Today, we'll take a brief look at how science helps us better understand this miracle. Keep an eye out for the next two posts.
At this time, Moses is in Midian, taking care of his father-in-law's sheep. There are a couple of important facts about Midian that will help us better understand the burning bush. First, Midian had a history of volcanic activity; this was important for Moses because volcanic soil is very fertile (good for grazing) and helps explain why shepherd hung out in this area. Midian also contained (contains) many natural gas deposits.
With those two facts in mind, we can offer two highly-plausible explanations for the natural occurrences that God might have used to orchestrate the burning bush. Both explanations revolve around the fact that volcanic activity leads to deep cracks in the soil and both explanations are forms of what I call "The Cracker Barrel Effect". If you have never been to a Cracker Barrel, they always have a huge wood fire going in the fireplace, but when you look closely, you notice that the fire is assisted by a steady stream of natural gas. The same situation is likely for the burning bush: with known deposits of natural gas and volcanic gases and the presence of deep cracks in the soil (from volcanic activity), either flammable gas could easily escape and be ignited by intense heat or another ignition source.
Pretty interesting, right? I hope you'll check back for the next two posts where I'll really get into the spiritual implications of the burning bush.
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned." When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
I recently took a look at this passage as part of a Sunday morning series: Miracles in Exodus. We took a number of the miracles in the book of Exodus and really looked at them in-depth: how does science help us better understand this miracle, what it meant to Moses (or Israel), and what it means to us as present-day Christians. Our focus throughout this series was really on God's provision.
Well, my favorite miracle in Exodus is the burning bush, so I would like to take three blog posts and take a look at it. Today, we'll take a brief look at how science helps us better understand this miracle. Keep an eye out for the next two posts.
At this time, Moses is in Midian, taking care of his father-in-law's sheep. There are a couple of important facts about Midian that will help us better understand the burning bush. First, Midian had a history of volcanic activity; this was important for Moses because volcanic soil is very fertile (good for grazing) and helps explain why shepherd hung out in this area. Midian also contained (contains) many natural gas deposits.
With those two facts in mind, we can offer two highly-plausible explanations for the natural occurrences that God might have used to orchestrate the burning bush. Both explanations revolve around the fact that volcanic activity leads to deep cracks in the soil and both explanations are forms of what I call "The Cracker Barrel Effect". If you have never been to a Cracker Barrel, they always have a huge wood fire going in the fireplace, but when you look closely, you notice that the fire is assisted by a steady stream of natural gas. The same situation is likely for the burning bush: with known deposits of natural gas and volcanic gases and the presence of deep cracks in the soil (from volcanic activity), either flammable gas could easily escape and be ignited by intense heat or another ignition source.
Pretty interesting, right? I hope you'll check back for the next two posts where I'll really get into the spiritual implications of the burning bush.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Restrained
Exodus 36:3-7
They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
This passage really hit me hard. What an awesome example of what a group of people can accomplish when they allow the Lord to stir up their hearts (Ex36:2)!
I mean, take a look: the Israelites gave of themselves so much that the had to be 'restrained'! They had given more than enough to accomplish what God was calling them to. What would this sort of sacrifice look like in modern Christianity? How do church leaders compel their communities to this point?
As a church staff member, I get a unique perspective on the needs of a community and on the people's willingness to provide. What is it about this passage that makes it personal for you?
They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, "The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do." So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
This passage really hit me hard. What an awesome example of what a group of people can accomplish when they allow the Lord to stir up their hearts (Ex36:2)!
I mean, take a look: the Israelites gave of themselves so much that the had to be 'restrained'! They had given more than enough to accomplish what God was calling them to. What would this sort of sacrifice look like in modern Christianity? How do church leaders compel their communities to this point?
As a church staff member, I get a unique perspective on the needs of a community and on the people's willingness to provide. What is it about this passage that makes it personal for you?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Silent Fight
Exodus 14:14
"The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."
A great quote from a frustrated Moses. Talk about short and sweet: How many trials and struggles in my own life would have been so much faster and smoother if I had taken Moses' advice?
We need to begin to view silence as the first line of defense and not the last resort. God will fight for you. Will you let him?
"The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."
A great quote from a frustrated Moses. Talk about short and sweet: How many trials and struggles in my own life would have been so much faster and smoother if I had taken Moses' advice?
We need to begin to view silence as the first line of defense and not the last resort. God will fight for you. Will you let him?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Repetitive Instruction
Exodus 12:14-20
"This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread."
In this passage, God is establishing Passover. When I first read this passage, I had to do a double-take. I said to myself, "Is it just me, or did God just repeat himself?" But then I thought, "How many times, in my life, has God had to repeat himself?" It seems that many times, I act as a disobedient child and have to be told the same thing over and over before I act on it. Do you all see that in your own lives? How do you grow from that?
"This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread."
In this passage, God is establishing Passover. When I first read this passage, I had to do a double-take. I said to myself, "Is it just me, or did God just repeat himself?" But then I thought, "How many times, in my life, has God had to repeat himself?" It seems that many times, I act as a disobedient child and have to be told the same thing over and over before I act on it. Do you all see that in your own lives? How do you grow from that?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Food for Thought?
Matthew 6:9-13
Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
What really struck me in this passage ("The Lord's Prayer", Jesus' example of how we should pray) was the part about food (yes, I am a huge fan of both Jesus and food so I was pretty excited to find them both in Matthew 6).
If you re-read the passage, paying extra attention to food part, you see that when Jesus teaches us to pray, he does so in the future tense. So often, for many of us, the only consistent time we pray is when there is food in front of us or even after we've already eaten, but Jesus example was about, before anything happened and before we even thought about where our next meal was coming from, recognizing that it is God who sustains us and provides for us. I think for many of us we ignore God all day long, sit down to dinner and, in our hearts, pray "God, this food looks great and I worked my butt off earning the money to buy it and/or cook it. Oh, PS, thanks for anything you might have had to do with it. Amen."
Maybe it's time for a change.
Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
What really struck me in this passage ("The Lord's Prayer", Jesus' example of how we should pray) was the part about food (yes, I am a huge fan of both Jesus and food so I was pretty excited to find them both in Matthew 6).
If you re-read the passage, paying extra attention to food part, you see that when Jesus teaches us to pray, he does so in the future tense. So often, for many of us, the only consistent time we pray is when there is food in front of us or even after we've already eaten, but Jesus example was about, before anything happened and before we even thought about where our next meal was coming from, recognizing that it is God who sustains us and provides for us. I think for many of us we ignore God all day long, sit down to dinner and, in our hearts, pray "God, this food looks great and I worked my butt off earning the money to buy it and/or cook it. Oh, PS, thanks for anything you might have had to do with it. Amen."
Maybe it's time for a change.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Admiring the Vision
Matthew 6:1
Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Not long ago, I visited an unfamiliar church. I was seated in one of their pews and decided to entertain myself by rifling through the many cards and pamphlets that were available. Among others, I found one card that said in big, bold letters: "I give electronically". It had a spot to write your name and date and included fine print that read: "If you donate online or by bank draft you may use this card to participate in the offering during worship services." I felt an immediate unsettling in my spirit: this is not right.
What should a gift to God look like? Well, my friends at Merriam-Webster define a gift as "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation" and I see nothing in that definition that conflicts with Scripture. So, both Jesus and M-W tell us that when we give a gift, we should give it without expectation of compensation, whether that looks like the choice piece of Communion bread (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about), a stroked ego, or even the praise and admiration of our peers.
So why then would a church use a card like this? Well, since the people using it "donate online or by bank draft", both the congregant and the church would already have a record of the transaction, so that's not it. The card states that its purpose is to allow the user to "participate in the offering", but if you donate online or by bank draft, haven't you already participated in the offering? You are left with no choice but to believe that this card is a modern-day example of exactly what Jesus was speaking out against in Matthew 6: sinners' need to be admired by others and their willingness to trade that admiration for the reward that God has for them.
Do I think the leadership of this particular church have no regard for the vision that God has for their church? Not at all. My guess is that they have let the wants a few misguided congregants (who also happen to give electronically) interfere with that vision. I think one of the strongest signs of the spiritual health of a church (or almost any organization or individual) is the willingness of the leadership to discern the vision that God has for them and then to pursue that vision despite all of the distractions that the masses have to offer. Isn't that something that we have all experienced?
Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Not long ago, I visited an unfamiliar church. I was seated in one of their pews and decided to entertain myself by rifling through the many cards and pamphlets that were available. Among others, I found one card that said in big, bold letters: "I give electronically". It had a spot to write your name and date and included fine print that read: "If you donate online or by bank draft you may use this card to participate in the offering during worship services." I felt an immediate unsettling in my spirit: this is not right.
What should a gift to God look like? Well, my friends at Merriam-Webster define a gift as "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation" and I see nothing in that definition that conflicts with Scripture. So, both Jesus and M-W tell us that when we give a gift, we should give it without expectation of compensation, whether that looks like the choice piece of Communion bread (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about), a stroked ego, or even the praise and admiration of our peers.
So why then would a church use a card like this? Well, since the people using it "donate online or by bank draft", both the congregant and the church would already have a record of the transaction, so that's not it. The card states that its purpose is to allow the user to "participate in the offering", but if you donate online or by bank draft, haven't you already participated in the offering? You are left with no choice but to believe that this card is a modern-day example of exactly what Jesus was speaking out against in Matthew 6: sinners' need to be admired by others and their willingness to trade that admiration for the reward that God has for them.
Do I think the leadership of this particular church have no regard for the vision that God has for their church? Not at all. My guess is that they have let the wants a few misguided congregants (who also happen to give electronically) interfere with that vision. I think one of the strongest signs of the spiritual health of a church (or almost any organization or individual) is the willingness of the leadership to discern the vision that God has for them and then to pursue that vision despite all of the distractions that the masses have to offer. Isn't that something that we have all experienced?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Spirit of the Law
Matthew 12:9-14
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"— so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
I read this passage today, and it really struck a chord with me; not because I had tons of deep, theological thoughts on it, but because I think this passage shows us a little nugget of Jesus' character that I can really appreciate: he's pretty crafty.
As a crime/legal drama junkie (Law & Order of all persuasions, Boston Legal, CSI in any location, Outlaw, you name it), there was another part of this passage that stuck out to me: Jesus sought to carry out the spirit of the law rather than the letter.
Reminiscent of one of my favorite Law & Order characters (ADA Jack McCoy), Jesus does not allow the letter of the law to prevent him from using any means necessary to carry out the spirit of the law. I think that may be my little take-home nugget today: don't get so hung up on doing things the right way that you don't do the right thing.
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"— so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
I read this passage today, and it really struck a chord with me; not because I had tons of deep, theological thoughts on it, but because I think this passage shows us a little nugget of Jesus' character that I can really appreciate: he's pretty crafty.
As a crime/legal drama junkie (Law & Order of all persuasions, Boston Legal, CSI in any location, Outlaw, you name it), there was another part of this passage that stuck out to me: Jesus sought to carry out the spirit of the law rather than the letter.
Reminiscent of one of my favorite Law & Order characters (ADA Jack McCoy), Jesus does not allow the letter of the law to prevent him from using any means necessary to carry out the spirit of the law. I think that may be my little take-home nugget today: don't get so hung up on doing things the right way that you don't do the right thing.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Family Ties
Matthew 10:37-39
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
This piece of scripture has always been a wake-up call for me, which I guess is a good thing, sort of. You see, I've always had a great family, and have always really loved my family. I count my wife, parents, brother, in-laws, and extended families not only as relatives, but as friends. I tell and show my wife that I love her every chance I get, I try to talk to my parents and spend time with them as often as I can, I regularly have meals and hang with my brother; you get the idea. But with all of the ways that my love for my family is evident in my life, it leaves me wondering: "Is my love for my Savior that evident?"
I think that's something that I'll continue to ponder and strive for for a long time.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
This piece of scripture has always been a wake-up call for me, which I guess is a good thing, sort of. You see, I've always had a great family, and have always really loved my family. I count my wife, parents, brother, in-laws, and extended families not only as relatives, but as friends. I tell and show my wife that I love her every chance I get, I try to talk to my parents and spend time with them as often as I can, I regularly have meals and hang with my brother; you get the idea. But with all of the ways that my love for my family is evident in my life, it leaves me wondering: "Is my love for my Savior that evident?"
I think that's something that I'll continue to ponder and strive for for a long time.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
'Sticky' Friends
Proverbs 18:24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
In my personal reading and study, I almost always use one of two translations of the Bible: the English Standard Version or the New Living Translation. When I read this passage, I was using the NLT (which is printed above). Although the ESV is a newer translation, the NLT is more "modern"; and that impacted the way that I read this verse.
In this passage, the NLT uses quotation marks in "...'friends' who destroy each other..." as a modern, tongue-in-cheek way of indicating that friends who destroy each other are not really friends at all. I think we have all witnessed that in one way or another; whether you have experienced that firsthand or not. We've all seen friendships that were based on something temporary and trivial implode, but we've also seen two people, who seemed to be great friends, slowly drift apart and then proceed to start tearing each other apart, whether with words, physical actions, or attitudes.
So what is a real friend? What does that sort of relationship look like?
To me, a real friend, someone who is in my 'core' group of friends knows more of you than you would ever show to a casual acquaintance. For me, a real friend is someone who is more than a casual acquaintance that also happens to be nice, fun, and trustworthy. A real friend is someone I have intimacy with, someone I can count on in all situations, and someone who knows and believes in my character and values enough to stand up for them. (Maybe this is why I've always had a very small, quality group of close friends...)
If you identify with my description of my real friends, you know how important they are; how awesome it is to have a real friend. From what I know about God's character and from what I've read in His Word, I fully believe that God wants us to have real friends. I also believe that if we are Christian, we should emulate the character of God and we should want other people to have real friends too.
We see people every day in our schools, jobs, and families that could benefit greatly from having a real friend. It's time for us to step up and be that friend.
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
In my personal reading and study, I almost always use one of two translations of the Bible: the English Standard Version or the New Living Translation. When I read this passage, I was using the NLT (which is printed above). Although the ESV is a newer translation, the NLT is more "modern"; and that impacted the way that I read this verse.
In this passage, the NLT uses quotation marks in "...'friends' who destroy each other..." as a modern, tongue-in-cheek way of indicating that friends who destroy each other are not really friends at all. I think we have all witnessed that in one way or another; whether you have experienced that firsthand or not. We've all seen friendships that were based on something temporary and trivial implode, but we've also seen two people, who seemed to be great friends, slowly drift apart and then proceed to start tearing each other apart, whether with words, physical actions, or attitudes.
So what is a real friend? What does that sort of relationship look like?
To me, a real friend, someone who is in my 'core' group of friends knows more of you than you would ever show to a casual acquaintance. For me, a real friend is someone who is more than a casual acquaintance that also happens to be nice, fun, and trustworthy. A real friend is someone I have intimacy with, someone I can count on in all situations, and someone who knows and believes in my character and values enough to stand up for them. (Maybe this is why I've always had a very small, quality group of close friends...)
If you identify with my description of my real friends, you know how important they are; how awesome it is to have a real friend. From what I know about God's character and from what I've read in His Word, I fully believe that God wants us to have real friends. I also believe that if we are Christian, we should emulate the character of God and we should want other people to have real friends too.
We see people every day in our schools, jobs, and families that could benefit greatly from having a real friend. It's time for us to step up and be that friend.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hurt at Home
Matthew 5:44-45
Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.
Recently, our small groups have been talking about persecution. Persecution is something that we usually associate with foreign countries, so I want to look at it a little closer to home.
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that he was persecuted in His own country and by His own people. As Christians, we are called to act as Christ did; to literally be 'little Christs'. So, to me, if we're doing our job and acting as Christ acted, we should probably expect the same treatment Christ received.
If we take a look at recent headlines, we see Church burnings, shootings, and illustrations of the growing prejudice against Christians in our country. Whether the methods involve intimidation or violence, the intent is to prevent Christianity from spreading.
Persecution is a daily occurrence in this country, and although it is not always as severe as some of the stories that we hear from around the world, the frequency and severity seem to be increasing.
More and more we are told where we can display scriptures and religious symbols, prayer is often frowned upon or even prohibited in public, and the word 'Christmas' is increasingly replaced by 'holiday'.
With all that said, you may be surprised to learn that I think a good deal of this is our fault. You see, by standing around and watching these events occur, we tell the world that our freedom of religious expression is not important to us. Every time shop at a 'holiday' sale, we're telling retailers that we don’t care whether they call it Christmas or not. And, every time we are too weak or scarred to start a prayer group or Bible study in our school or office, we're saying "You might as well ban Bible studies, because none of us care enough to start one anyway."
The good news about this struggle is this: The outcome is clear; God wins and no one can stop him. In the mean time, we have two choices: we can let the persecution, name calling, and nasty looks bother us, we can quit praying when we go out to eat, we can keep our Christianity a secret and just slide by, or we can hold our heads high, stand firm, and use persecution as a means to share our faith and grow the Kingdom.
It's really your choice. Either way, we’re going to be persecuted. But, for us, I don't think it should be not about the persecution that we endure, but about how we use that persecution as a means to love people into a relationship with Christ.
Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.
Recently, our small groups have been talking about persecution. Persecution is something that we usually associate with foreign countries, so I want to look at it a little closer to home.
When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that he was persecuted in His own country and by His own people. As Christians, we are called to act as Christ did; to literally be 'little Christs'. So, to me, if we're doing our job and acting as Christ acted, we should probably expect the same treatment Christ received.
If we take a look at recent headlines, we see Church burnings, shootings, and illustrations of the growing prejudice against Christians in our country. Whether the methods involve intimidation or violence, the intent is to prevent Christianity from spreading.
Persecution is a daily occurrence in this country, and although it is not always as severe as some of the stories that we hear from around the world, the frequency and severity seem to be increasing.
More and more we are told where we can display scriptures and religious symbols, prayer is often frowned upon or even prohibited in public, and the word 'Christmas' is increasingly replaced by 'holiday'.
With all that said, you may be surprised to learn that I think a good deal of this is our fault. You see, by standing around and watching these events occur, we tell the world that our freedom of religious expression is not important to us. Every time shop at a 'holiday' sale, we're telling retailers that we don’t care whether they call it Christmas or not. And, every time we are too weak or scarred to start a prayer group or Bible study in our school or office, we're saying "You might as well ban Bible studies, because none of us care enough to start one anyway."
The good news about this struggle is this: The outcome is clear; God wins and no one can stop him. In the mean time, we have two choices: we can let the persecution, name calling, and nasty looks bother us, we can quit praying when we go out to eat, we can keep our Christianity a secret and just slide by, or we can hold our heads high, stand firm, and use persecution as a means to share our faith and grow the Kingdom.
It's really your choice. Either way, we’re going to be persecuted. But, for us, I don't think it should be not about the persecution that we endure, but about how we use that persecution as a means to love people into a relationship with Christ.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Focus on The Detail
Mark 16:1-8
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back— it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
As I read this account of the day of the resurrection, a couple of details struck me:
The women were already on their way to the tomb when they questioned who would roll the stone out of their way. To me, this says that they didn't worry about seemingly big details like how they were going to get into the tomb, but focused only on the biggest detail: that they were going to honor Jesus' body.
How many times do we talk ourselves out of doing something that we feel called to do simply because we can't figure out all the details? How much more effective would we be as Christians if we focused only on the biggest detail of our calling and took the rest on faith.
Just a little pondering that I've been doing this afternoon. Do y'all have any thoughts? Leave them in the comments section below.
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back— it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
As I read this account of the day of the resurrection, a couple of details struck me:
The women were already on their way to the tomb when they questioned who would roll the stone out of their way. To me, this says that they didn't worry about seemingly big details like how they were going to get into the tomb, but focused only on the biggest detail: that they were going to honor Jesus' body.
How many times do we talk ourselves out of doing something that we feel called to do simply because we can't figure out all the details? How much more effective would we be as Christians if we focused only on the biggest detail of our calling and took the rest on faith.
Just a little pondering that I've been doing this afternoon. Do y'all have any thoughts? Leave them in the comments section below.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Prepare the Way
Matthew 3:3
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"
As I was reading about John the Baptist today, I was challenged, so I'll pass that challenge on to you:
Do our words, actions, and attitudes prepare the way for Christ in others' lives? What about in your own life?
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"
As I was reading about John the Baptist today, I was challenged, so I'll pass that challenge on to you:
Do our words, actions, and attitudes prepare the way for Christ in others' lives? What about in your own life?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Dead Men Walking
Matthew 27:50-53
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
It's 'funny' how you can read the same passage of Scripture sixty times and get something different out of it every time.
I read this today and its imagery really struck me: you're standing in Jerusalem on the day of Jesus' death and not only does the temple curtain tear, the earth shake, and the sky go dark, but just to make sure you notice that something huge just happened, the bodies of Godly people who died years ago are wandering through the streets.
It's hard to halfheartedly believe something that crazy. The scripture isn't a metaphor; it's not a simile; it doesn't use 'like' or 'as'; it happened. Either you believe that real dead bodies hopped up out of their real graves and walked into real Jerusalem, or your Jesus is not the one described in the Bible. How's that for an acid test? Pretty crazy.
What are your thoughts? Leave them as comments.
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
It's 'funny' how you can read the same passage of Scripture sixty times and get something different out of it every time.
I read this today and its imagery really struck me: you're standing in Jerusalem on the day of Jesus' death and not only does the temple curtain tear, the earth shake, and the sky go dark, but just to make sure you notice that something huge just happened, the bodies of Godly people who died years ago are wandering through the streets.
It's hard to halfheartedly believe something that crazy. The scripture isn't a metaphor; it's not a simile; it doesn't use 'like' or 'as'; it happened. Either you believe that real dead bodies hopped up out of their real graves and walked into real Jerusalem, or your Jesus is not the one described in the Bible. How's that for an acid test? Pretty crazy.
What are your thoughts? Leave them as comments.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Promises
Jeremiah 33:20-21
“This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me.
As I read this passage this morning, it really hit home with me. I was reminded how small we are and how big God is: that we could no more disrupt God's plan than we could disrupt the rhythm of day and night. That is both humbling and comforting.
“This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me.
As I read this passage this morning, it really hit home with me. I was reminded how small we are and how big God is: that we could no more disrupt God's plan than we could disrupt the rhythm of day and night. That is both humbling and comforting.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Attitude Check? Praise the Lord.
Psalm 150
As an assistant youth pastor, one of my favorite parts (if not the favorite part) of my job is leading worship. We have a youth worship service every Sunday morning, do a short worship set before Wednesday night small groups, and tend to salt and pepper all of our events with worship whenever possible.
As much as I love leading people in worship, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding; and sometimes, I just don't feel up to it. But, over the years, I've found that I can respond to my lack of feeling in one of two ways. I can say, to myself, either:
It is incredibly humbling to see the vast difference that my team and I experience when I choose B instead of A.
Have you let God work through you this week, or have you tried to do it on your own?
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
As an assistant youth pastor, one of my favorite parts (if not the favorite part) of my job is leading worship. We have a youth worship service every Sunday morning, do a short worship set before Wednesday night small groups, and tend to salt and pepper all of our events with worship whenever possible.
As much as I love leading people in worship, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding; and sometimes, I just don't feel up to it. But, over the years, I've found that I can respond to my lack of feeling in one of two ways. I can say, to myself, either:
A. "I don't feel like leading worship, but I'll push on and do my best."
or
B. "I don't feel like leading worship, so I can have even more confidence that God is the one leading worship."
or
B. "I don't feel like leading worship, so I can have even more confidence that God is the one leading worship."
It is incredibly humbling to see the vast difference that my team and I experience when I choose B instead of A.
Have you let God work through you this week, or have you tried to do it on your own?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Joy: An Inspiration
Philippians 1:3-6
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Well, this is the final, most important, most succinct aspect in our month-long discussion of joy (Greek: chara).
This aspect of joy picks up where last week's left off, continuing the idea that joy should not just be a personal event. However, this passage points out the most radical, yet least complicated aspect of joy yet.
What we see in this passage is pretty much Paul's standard greeting; he used similar greetings in most of his letters. In this greeting, Paul indicates that he is experiencing joy; not joy just for joy's sake, but joy that has stemmed from the Philippians and their ministry.
There is one point that you must take away from this discussion: that you, I, and all Christians are called to live our lives in such a way that we inspire joy in other people.
Does that idea rock your world like it does mine?
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Well, this is the final, most important, most succinct aspect in our month-long discussion of joy (Greek: chara).
This aspect of joy picks up where last week's left off, continuing the idea that joy should not just be a personal event. However, this passage points out the most radical, yet least complicated aspect of joy yet.
What we see in this passage is pretty much Paul's standard greeting; he used similar greetings in most of his letters. In this greeting, Paul indicates that he is experiencing joy; not joy just for joy's sake, but joy that has stemmed from the Philippians and their ministry.
There is one point that you must take away from this discussion: that you, I, and all Christians are called to live our lives in such a way that we inspire joy in other people.
Does that idea rock your world like it does mine?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Joy: A Community Event
Acts 8:4-8
But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
Alright, this is where our discussion of joy (Greek: chara) begins to turn a corner. In the past two passages, we've seen that joy should cause us to worship, that joy should cause us to sacrifice. In this passage, however, joy displays itself in a new way. Take a look. What I think this passage can teach us about joy is that it is not just about us.
What we see, in this passage, is demons being cast out of many of the lame and paralyzed people of the city and then the whole city experiencing joy. There is a command in Romans 12 that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn; to me, that is exactly what we see here. The ideal situation seems to be that we would not just experience joy in our personal, local church, or denominational bubbles, but that the whole body of Christ would experience joy together.
Does that strike a chord with you? Do you see how this is probably the most important aspect of joy that we've touched on so far?
But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
Alright, this is where our discussion of joy (Greek: chara) begins to turn a corner. In the past two passages, we've seen that joy should cause us to worship, that joy should cause us to sacrifice. In this passage, however, joy displays itself in a new way. Take a look. What I think this passage can teach us about joy is that it is not just about us.
What we see, in this passage, is demons being cast out of many of the lame and paralyzed people of the city and then the whole city experiencing joy. There is a command in Romans 12 that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn; to me, that is exactly what we see here. The ideal situation seems to be that we would not just experience joy in our personal, local church, or denominational bubbles, but that the whole body of Christ would experience joy together.
Does that strike a chord with you? Do you see how this is probably the most important aspect of joy that we've touched on so far?
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