Merry Christmas

The Christmas Season and New Year's holiday, for many, signifies new beginnings. For the last several years, I have titled my blog "Preacher without a Pulpit." because I was a wandering minister not regularly preaching from any church. Suddenly, I find myself as an interim Pastor of a Free Methodist church. In this season, I take a step with my family into regular ministry. But I know that it is God who has put together this transition for me.

When things go wrong or things come together, we have to understand that it is God "the author and finisher of our faith" who is truly in control. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord and are called to be conformed unto His image. In other words, God can use all things for good in the lives of those who keep seeking and keep going. The Bible also tells us that "we shall reap in due season if we do not grow weary in doing well." This time of my life is a moment of reaping, because of God's faithfulness more so than my own. He has been true to me and my family, and has never relented on his call for my life to become a pastor. True, I am not a full-time pastor, but I am on that road.

Christmas is also a season of giving, and I like to remember the greatest gift that was ever given to us: God's only Son. As my two sons grow up, I learn every day how awesome it was that Jesus became flesh for our sake. There are days, when I feel like I have had enough as a father, but I would never give up any one of my children. But God, who so loved this world, gave His one and only son, so that anyone who believed in Him, would not suffer in Hell, but would have eternity with Him (John 3:16 paraphrase). Wow! Nothing in this world will ever match the great love that God has for each and every one of us. Don't let the world tell you that you are not important or that you are worthless, because that is so not true. Even if everybody forsakes you, remember that God loves you and will always be ready to come to you. He is one who never takes a nap, and He is always watching over us. In this time of celebrations, let us remember how important Jesus' birthday and God's love are to us all.

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Pastor Ryan

5 Minutes of Crazy

So, I haven't been able to blog in almost two months. What's going on? Well, life happens. As Christians we have this mindset that we should be able to juggle a thousand tasks at a time and never let anything fall to the wayside. It is this mindset that leads to burnout and disappointment in the ministry.

Realistically, we should listen more to the what God says than worry about how perfect our lives look. Jesus tells us that there is enough for us to deal with today (Matt 6:34). He was reminding us to not worry so much. It is very difficult for us as Christians to allow for the reality that priorities can and often do shift in our lives. We think that we are somehow making a mistake by setting something we always were responsible for aside and picking up something that seems to be a temporary situation.

That's how Jesus lived. Most of the time, Jesus went with whatever situation sprang up in front of him. When he was on the way to heal Jairus' daughter, he didn't ignore the woman who had the hemorrage for 12 years. Instead, he shifted priorities and blessed her. Then, when he finished that new priority, he continued on to his work.

This is my life... much to my annoyance. Often times, I am faced with shifting priorities and it frustrates me that I cannot keep working on the things that I am passionate about. I love getting on here and blogging about practical Christianity. I hope for the day when one of my readers comes back to me and mentions how something I wrote helped them get through a situation in their own life. But, I have to face facts that as a husband and father of four, part time grad student, therapist, bus driver, fill-in preacher, and person with Asperger's, I cannot keep it all going all the time. My hardest lesson in this time of my life is learning to change gears until I can get back to doing what I feel God wants me to.

For those of you going through trials of craziness, or business, hang on to Him. Remember, it's ok to set something aside to deal with the momentary issue. If God wants you to do something, He will let you get back to it. Don't let distractions worry you, because they are normal, and they are not failures. They are, however, reminders that we live on God's time, and not our own.

Blessings,

Ryan

The Church of Hypocrites

HYPOCRITE!

I'm about to weigh in on a subject that has become pretty controversial to the modern church: how much hypocrisy is in the church. This is a subject of extreme positions and sometimes extremely defensive responses. I have noticed three prevalent responses to the argument that there is too much hypocrisy:

1. Turnabout's fair play:

This response generally occurs like this:

Person 1: I won't go to church, too many hypocrites.
Christian: There's always room for one more.

This is a good psychological tactic. First, there is the ignoring of the statement. Then, the Christian basically turns the tables and says (cue PeeWee Herman voice) "I know you are, but what am I?" Really guys?! What about this response makes us think that we are being loving and genuine? This response is nothing more than a self-righteous attempt to overlook the truth that hypocrisy in the church is a problem. We act like it will go away if we just convert more people, or get more people to come. This is basically ignoring a brush fire hoping that more trees will help it calm down. This is partly why the church has become more hypocritical in the last few decades, rather than more solid. Deal with reality, every one of us Christians is flawed, but we are called to press toward the mark for God's high calling (Phil 3:14).

2. Not Me Syndrome

This happens a lot when you ask a child who broke the (whatever). In the church, this response goes something like this:

Person: I won't go to church, you're all a bunch of hypocrites.
Christian: Not all of us are that bad, get to know us and you'll find out.

My six year old is a bit more blunt with this tactic when she says "it wasn't me." If one of our Senators gets on the TV and is challenged by a reporter as to why a highly unfavorable new law was made, would we be satisfied with "Well, I'm not part of the group that voted for this" ? Again, denying that hypocrisy is a real problem in the church does not solve anything. Some people who use this defense, will even go extreme and start pointing fingers at other religions or blaming poor media relations. That does not seem very Christlike to me. Jesus said that he came to "seek and save" the lost, not to boast of his goodness. Wake up fellow Christians, God is not looking for us to have a goodness club in church. We were meant to be ambassador's of Christ. That means, that like Jesus, we are going to have to learn to start calling it like we see it.

3. The Silent Treatment

This one happens the most often. But it usually starts with option 1 or 2 first.

Person: I can't bring myself to go to church, too many hypocrites, too much judging.
Christian: Well, not everyone is bad. We have a lot of good people at are church.
Person: Are you sure that everyone is good, or are they just good at faking it?
Christian: Well, honestly... I don't know.

In other words, we don't really know how to cope with the reality that hypocrisy has begun to run rampant in the church. We don't have a good response for someone challenging us, because we really don't know how to deal with how bad we are. Basically, the church is out of touch with reality. Some people will stammer through a nonsensical response trying to make sense of the issues. Others will flee the conversation as quickly as possible. Still others, will agree with the non-Christian and slowly begin their own descent into to doubt and discontent.


Here's my suggestion, one that I have tried to use. It's not successful all the time, but it's honest and can be used with a clear conscience. I call it, Sincere Humility and it usually sounded like this.

Person: What's so great about church, you guys are all a bunch of hypocrites.
Christian: You're right. I know that I personally have been so hypocritical in so many areas of my life. I go to church, because God's love and His teachings help me get rid of that hypocrisy. I would like for others to see me as less hypocritical one year from now, which is what I believe God is doing in me.

This is not a sure fire response. It is not perfect in the wording selected above. It is simply meant to show what sincere humility embodies. 1. You admit that the problem that they see is one that exists. Don't deny it, or ignore it. Christians are a bunch of hypocrites. 2. We don't make it seem like we're better than anyone else. The reality of a Christian is this, anything that could be considered worthwhile about us was given to us by God. If you were a criminal, coming to Christ would not cancel out your crimes. Faith in Jesus covers our sins, but it does not remove the stain that they made in the world around us. Furthermore, Jesus does not make us perfect, but gives us regular tests to increase our faith and commitment to Him. Thus, we are just like everyone else on this planet, only we realize that Jesus died for us and rose again and this allows the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. 3. Finally, this response uses one thing that is most important to a Christian witness: personal testimony. People can argue about what God may have done in ancient times. They can dispute who God is and whether or not he is real. But, no matter how hard they try, they can never tell you who God has revealed Himself to be to you, nor what He has done in your life.

This may seem like a bunch of cliches rolled together, but I think of it more as applied wisdom. Stop trying to answer the world in their attacks on Christianity and start trying to show them God's awesomeness. The Bible says that it is folly to try and answer a fool. Timothy was urged to avoid foolish questions. The reality of our situation is simple. Christians are just as bad of people as the rest of the world. But, if we were seeking our God and following Him with a whole heart, we would become conformed to Christ's example. There is the rub of it all... if we were seeking. Hypocrisy in the church happens. But, it becomes rampant and flagrant when Christians stop seeking God. Sincere humility, can only occur by being honest with ourselves and recognizing how it is God that imparts worthwhile attributes to us.

Well, think about it at least.

Blessings,

Rev Ryan.

Where are you?

I am a philosopher, poet, theologian, and scientist. When it comes to my personal faith, I try to look at each tenet from all of the angles so that I might better understand the person of who my God is. I am as flawed as any man can be, and often wonder why God would even have offered his love to me, let alone die on a cross and rise again for my sins. The point I'm making, is that I often get so wrapped up in the natural course of my life that I forget to stop and keep regular tally of who I am in relationship to who He is.

I was a guest preacher for my father-in-law's church this morning, and I made several mistakes in the worship order and process. My message was meant to be an encouragement to the body for the building project that they have undertaken to improve their church. Normally, visitor's are limited to 1 or 2. Today, there were at least 11 young persons from a local camp sitting in on the sermon. My message was not deep or involved. I barely scratched the surface of the material. But what happened after the sermon was nothing short of a God moment.

Normally, when I finish a sermon, I head straight to the exit to shake hands and talk to people as I go. Today, I never made it to the back of the church. I was surrounded by the young visitors almost immediately as I stepped down from the pulpit. Some were discussing how they could relate to my message, others were mentioning how they enjoyed the sermon. One young man, however, touched me. He told me that he had not been attending church lately, but after listening to me, was considering going back.

I was floored! First of all, my message was not intended for this small group of kids. Second, I know that the Holy Spirit has awesome power because I did not speak a single word about challenging sin, getting your life in tune with God, or deepening your relationship with God through Jesus (themes which are usually present when I preach.) To say that I am humbled, would be an understatement. Let me put it to you this way: WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD!

In Ephesians, we are told that God is able to do above all that we ask or think. Romans tells us that God works all things together for good, to them that love the Lord. But I think the Psalmist says it the best: "The Lord is on my side, I shall not fear, what can man do to me?" I did not expect these young visitors today. Beyond that, I barely put any deep thoughts into what I related to these kids from the pulpit. Still, God brought out a result in them that still tugs at my heart strings. I went to church to preach for a group of people that I know and love, to encourage them. I walked away, having been God's tool to encourage a group of strangers. I can honestly say it: it was all God and very little of me. I was a bumbling idiot today, but somehow that resonated with a larger audience. This is proof that God can use anyone.

The point of this whole rambling: God was much nearer to me than I realized. I have been very distracted by so many things lately (road trips, work, job interviews, household maintenance, etc.) that I did not do my normal deep research for today's message. In fact, I planned to only use the surface encouragement for the people to keep working on the improvements that God has put on their hearts to do. I was hoping it could help focus them on doing things to increase worship of Him. I felt that I was in a pretty secure place for this sermon. But God threw me a curveball. I had to cope with a different than usual church order (I have guest preached here before), and a large group of visitors sitting front and center. My own weaknesses were great, and I should have struck out. But, God stepped up to the plate for me, hit it out of the park, and gave me the honor of running the bases. For those who missed the analogy: God was right there, moving in a deeper manner than I could have expected. That's why I realized that He was so close to me, closer than my own breath. I thought I knew where I was in relationship to God, and He took me further in faith and ministry than I expected. It was wonderful.

Honestly, I don't know why God was so close today. But I am glad that he was. My encouragement to everyone out there who reads this, take a moment to look past the distractions of your life, look for God, and embrace Him... because He is closer to you than your breath. He will NEVER leave  you or forsake you. Don't trust in your worthiness, but rather trust in

What is a Mom?

Tomorrow, I will be preaching at a little country church for Mother's Day. The people of this church have become very dear to us, like our own family. I thought that this would be a good way to organize my thoughts for my sermon, and share them with anyone out there who is still interested.

The Bible is fairly quiet on the topic of motherhood. It speaks of good parenting and family values. But, it does not say very much about what it means to be a mom. So this makes this more a matter of Christian opinion than doctrine. However, I would like to point out that so many in this world know what a mom is, without ever being taught. This post is not to show women how to be a good mom, but to help all Christians see that being a mom is an important calling.

Proverbs 22:6 says to "train up a child in the way he should go." We know that this responsibility is so often settled on the mom's shoulders. She is expected to be the manager of the children's behavior, know what makes them tick, heal their wounds, provide their emotional support, and intervene when they step out of line. So many men in this world think that the "child rearing" is a woman's job, and they stand back and let them handle it. But it is not that simple. Too many times in the last 8 years, I have heard stories of mother's who couldn't take it anymore and did horrible things (even killing) their children. Mother's are being abandoned and the idea of being a "mommy" is not really popular anymore.

Look at the media. Most modern sitcoms portray Mom's as loving but interfering. They are shown to be selfish, strict, and not understanding and only come around when given a "shake up" experience. The reality is quite different. Mom's are loving, but a real mom is also accepting. She is not interfering, but protective and consistent toward family values. Many moms that I know are the most self-sacrificing people, even giving up "careers" for the right to raise their children. Good moms are persistent and consistent on rules, but show mercy to their kids when it is needed. In reality, I have only met two or three "mothers" in the last 10 years who would be equivalent to the modern portrayal of a mom. We have got to stop letting sitcoms and movies, whose only purpose is to evoke your feelings, be the authority on what makes a mom.

When I look beyond the society's parodies, I see that moms are the most underrated creature of our society. A stay-at-home mom is considered to be wasting her life, when in truth she is making a lasting investment. A career mom is criticized for being too "absent" for her children when she is striving to provide for them. The reality is, mom's are not a one-size fits all type of person. Rather, they are unique individuals who all share one thing in common: they care about their kids. It is their investment and concern for their children that makes them "moms" as opposed to those who are just "mothers."

Notice what I didn't say was a mom... biology. Being a mom is more than just giving birth to a new human being. Being a mom is a personal commitment that a woman makes to be there for her child. She is not perfect, but she never gives up. Mother's are unfairly blamed many times for special needs of their children, when they are often the only ones who truly try to understand. My son is autistic, but he would be lost without his mom. SHE committed to learning about Autism. SHE researched treatments and therapies and advocated for him when he was a kid. SHE was the one who navigated his night terrors, major tantrums, and developmental successes. SHE is the one who knows how to make him smile, and she is the one he always insists on showing love to. My son helped me become the dad I am, but I made a huge share of mistakes. My wife, however, has always been an awesome mom in my eyes because she was always committed to helping her children grow up well.


The Bible tells us repeatedly to honor our "fathers and mothers." Do so, but remember to see those "moms" who may not have their own children. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I think it just takes a good mom and a good dad. Being a mom is a commitment, one not every woman is willing to make. Thank God, however, that there are many who are..... and I was lucky enough to marry one.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Personal Grief

Normally, I don't put a post together unless I have time to research the Scriptures and organize my thoughts. This is why I post only once every three months typically, because a one page post takes like three hours to do. What can I say, I blog like I preach... hours of work for a quick delivery.

Anyway, my wife and I have begun a trying time in our lives and I wanted to offer some hope and understanding to others based on the beliefs and values we hold in our understanding of God's word. You see, we were expecting our fourth child, until last Wednesday when my wife suffered a miscarriage. There are so many things that people try to bombard you with when you are grieving, but it has been our faith and our love for each other that has been our comfort in this time. In regards to our faith:

1. We believe that we will see our baby again some day. It was David that mourned over the child he had with Bathsheba until the child died. After the child died, David expressed that he could do no more for the child in this world, and he could only hope to see him in the next. We believe that life begins at conception. This is why we don't agree with abortion and why we grieve the loss of our baby (not our fetus). We also believe that those who are not able to understand the message of the Scriptures are not held accountable to their truths (this is known as the Age of Accountability). These precious little ones were ones that Jesus died for, and we believe in his merciful love. Paul in Romans supports this belief by expressing that God condemns those who have the ability to perceive God's existence but deny it. What baby is capable of such a thought?

2. We have three other blessings of God. This recent loss and the bonding that our family has felt (yes our children had their time of grief too) has shown us the power of God's love to carry us through difficult times. Children are a blessing, and we were overjoyed at the prospect of adding another one, now we are comforted at knowing that He has our little one, and we still have the rest of ours.

3. This happened because we live in a fallen/sinful world. We did not commit a major sin or blasphemy to bring this about, although we still struggle with sins in our lives. Also, God did not "take our baby" to teach us a lesson, nor was this in any way a direct result of His will and activity in our lives. God's plans are intended to prosper us (As he tells Jeremiah) and children are a blessing from Him. He views each person as a special creative act (Psalm 139, Jeremiah) and does not intend suffering and pain for His beloved children. There is no need to understand why it happened (unless it becomes a recurring medical issue) because God will work in us and through us for our greatest good from this unfortunate circumstance. God was in control of the whole situation and gave us peace and comfort. He did not, however, micromanage the affair.

4. And finally, God's love is not compromised because this "bad thing" happened to us. God allowed such a thing to happen because He loves everybody. He does not protect his children from bad things unless that bad thing is bad for them. Otherwise, He lets the rain fall where it will on good or bad, and He makes Himself available to comfort and bless His children who must go through the trying times. Trials in life will make us stronger in our faith, if we let the comforting presences of our Lord draw near to us. For my wife and me, this has been a time of His amazing presence. I personally, have felt a peace in my life that truly surpasses human understanding. In all truth, God's love is more clear and real to me now than it has been at any other time.

The loss of our baby has been a deep tragedy. We have mourned and we woke up this morning and we worshiped God. Life moves always forward to that day when Christ will return for His followers. In that day, we will be fulfilled in the hope that we have of our lost little one. Until that day, we press on... because we can through Him (Phil 3:14, 4:13).

Thanks for listening,

Pastor Ryan

In this corner.... controversy

I now pronounce you man and man? Really?! I know that I haven't written on this blog in a while, I am a once every 3 months blogger... but I am sick of seeing Christians debate gay marriage like it's only a social issue, and not a spiritual issue. So, now I'd like to weigh in with both philosophical and spiritual considerations.

First, let me say that the Bible is more important to us than any other source of truth. We cannot trust our feelings and need to stop making judgements based on what seems to be right. That shows our ignorance to Satan's devices. After all, Satan utilized the Scriptures to try and tempt Jesus to do his will rather than to do God's will. In many ways, Christians are letting social media decide for them. So what does the Bible say?

Start in Genesis chapter 2. Adam says, "This in now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Translation (for those of you who don't quite see the relevance): Woman was created especially for man and the institution of marriage was based on the order and purpose God made for it. It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. It is hard to determine that this order of man and wife, can be equally applied to man and husband or woman and wife.

Move on to Genesis 19:4-5. If God was OK with homosexual relations, why would his angels have objected to the men of Sodom's request to have relations with them. More importantly, why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if not in part because of their rampant homosexuality?

Let's now go to Romans 1:26-27. Homosexuality is termed "degrading passions" and "abandoned the natural function" and "committing indecent acts." They received in their own persons the due penalty of their error (sin). Point blank Christians, Homosexuality is a sin. It is a willful choice of lifestyle and it disobeys the order of God's creation, His law (Leviticus 18:22), and the teachings for His church. In that process alone, gay marriage is wrong.

Even with that, look at the error in the world's philosophy regarding gay marriage. They have adopted an amoral approach (it's right for those who believe in it). It is this same amoral approach that has determined that evolution is the explanation for all life on the planet. Now... according to the main tenets of evolution, survival is of the fittest. Ok, so if humans engage in sexual acts that cannot in any biological manner produce a child, doesn't that mean that they are not fit to survive? But instead, society says that we should give them children to raise even though their very lifestyle is set to determine a non-propogating system. I mean, really, society has so lost its senses that it is considered biased and close-minded to be opposed to gay marriage. So, I'm biased and close-minded. But, the Bible tells us the biggest truth about this... "We ought to obey God, rather than men."

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to drop a comment at any time. Take care everyone, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

Blessings,

Ryan

Christian Activism

I don't want to say much on this subject, especially since this has been a very busy time of the year for me. But Christmas and Easter are the two times of the year when I see so many Christians rolling over and playing dead. Let's consider some things that are not true of every Christian, but if present, are the reason that Christians need to be activists for Christ all year.

1. Have you ever noticed that sermons around Christmas time get so focused on the Christmas story that pastors forget to address the needs of the people listening to those stories. Honestly, the Christmas stories are the same every year. As a preacher, I feel that the pastor should always be concerned for his flock and never lose sight of that, even in the Christmas holiday. This is a time of celebration, true, but make sure you do not get so wrapped up in your personal celebration of Christ's birth that you lose the body of the church. This is also a time of great stress, depression, and hurt for many people who will sit in that pew on Sunday morning. Granted, there might only be one pastor who reads this, but sometimes I speak my mind just so I can remind myself of what I should be doing when I stand behind a pulpit.

2. It's ok to say "Merry Christmas." I have not yet met a person who got so offended that I said Merry Christmas to them that they lost their cool. True, I've had a few people inform me that they do not celebrate Christmas, but I simply reply to that by asking them politely if they do observe a holiday, then wish them well on that holiday. Does this seem like a compromise, perhaps. However, I look at it this way. I cannot choose for anyone to believe as I do, and I know they will not care a wit about what I believe unless I first show them that I am respectful and courteous about what they believe. It is not a sure fire win, but I have made more openings to share the gospel with this method than with any other method that I have ever tried. Remember, your beliefs are yours and nobody should be allowed to tell you not to believe them.

3. My final point for our activism this Christmas season is this: do not forget that the world is falling apart. Just because it's a season of celebration does not meant that we should ignore our responsibility to the world around us. It also means that this should not be the only time that we think of our fellow man either. Instead, we should continue to be involved in speaking out against social wrongs, support humanitarian causes, and even keep watch on our government to be aware of the moral direction of our nation. If you find yourself being more charitable during the holiday season, then you should try to find a means to keep that charity alive when Christmas has passed.

These are not the necessities of Christian life, and you all have the freedom to celebrate Christmas as you so desire. I hope, though, that I have encouraged some of you to put the Christ into Christmas by being a shining ambassador of our Lord. When life has passed us by, I hope that we will have done something to understand and communicate the truth of what Christ's birthday really means.

Blessings and Merry Christmas,

Ryan

Take up Your Cross

When you think about what Christianity has to offer you, is this what you see? Just a person and their cross, is that what it's all about? Recently, I have been battling with God about what I should be doing with my life and my faith. His answer, was to lead me to Luke 14:26-35. For those of you who are wondering, this is the passage where Jesus talks about a person carrying his cross and following Jesus.


Here are a few of the things implicated  by this passage:

1) Before you can be devoted to God in discipleship, you must be willing to give up everything for the sake of following Him. In verse 26, he tells us to not regard personal relationships above following Him. In verse 28 and 31 He talks about counting the cost before deciding to commit. In reality, this is a problem in Christianity - and the world for that matter- that we lack true commitment. We want for all the blessings, we expect good gifts, but we are not committed enough to lay aside those things which withhold us from fully living out the gospel in our communities and world.

2) Discipleship is worthless when you hold on to this world. In verse 34 & 35, Jesus explains that salt that is no longer salty is useless. What does that mean to us? In part, I think it means this: if you are not able to be the right kind of person to impact this world for Christ, you are useless as an ambassador. In other words, you are wasting both your time and His.

Take this image and consider this. If that salt were worthless, the man has a handful of nothing. However, it that salt were of purest quality, then the man in the picture has the best enhancement for his sustenance that anyone could hope for. The reality is, he won't know unless he tastes the salt. In the same way, people won't know what Christ has to offer them until they interact with you, a Christian. Therefore, you must ask yourself this question: do I give people the best of Christ when I deal with them, or do I give them something else? Unless you are committed to Christ, you really have very little to offer this world that is of any lasting value. It may sound harsh, but it is true. Either you live for Christ, or live for Satan. You either exemplify Jesus in your life, or you are doing exactly what the devil wants you to do.

Just think about it.

The 5 Minute Check-Up

There is a point for every Christian when they will get caught in a difficult situation without time to sit down and study their Bible or engage in deep meditative prayer. A certain coworker is having a bad day and is taking it out on everyone else, your child just broke something expensive or seemingly indispensable, or maybe your car broke down as you were on your way to work. How do you handle these moments?

Well, this is not the end all of suggestions for getting through those moments, but this is a tactic that I use that I have found to be helpful. Perhaps, some reader might come across this post some day and it might be helpful.

1. Quickly ask God for wisdom. James 1:5 tells us that God will give us wisdom if we ask for it. He has all the knowledge of the universe, and even more importantly, He wants to use it to interact with you. Asking God for wisdom is your way of acknowledging that He should be allowed to call the shots in your life.

2. Focus on scripture that you have studied and memorized. Psalm 119:11 tells us that memorizing Scripture can help keep you from sinning. In every situation of your life, it is important to learn to apply and utilize the Bible in how you respond. By so doing, you will fulfill the concept of meditating on the Word of God day and night as presented in Psalm 1.

3. Thank God for being there, and for things past He has brought you through. By taking time to reflect on God in thankfulness, you will find yourself less worried about the situation at hand. Also, Philippians 4:6-7 shows us that thankfulness is part of how we let go of our anxiety to approach God in prayer.

These steps are only effective if you live a disciplined life and make regular time to seek God in His word and talk to Him in prayer. Basically, the suggestion of these steps help you refocus in a situation so that you can get through God's way rather than letting your natural flesh respond. Maybe it will help some of you, maybe it won't. But, it is something that helps me... when I am wise enough to remember to do it. We've all still got a long way to go.

Blessings

What is a Christian?

I sat in a Bible study last night and the question was asked: "What do people think of when they hear the word Christian?" There was quite a list of things, but strangely none of them once mentioned a people that were imitating Christ Jesus with their lives. It makes you wonder, what is a Christian really? Do we know, do we understand, and do we live it?

First of all, I think that most Christians do know what it really means to be a follower of Christ. But, I think they also choose to ignore a lot of things that Christ commands them to do because it is either inconvenient or it is uncomfortable. This is not all Christians, mind you, but it is enough that the world has noticed. Do we ever feel guilty that we are associated not with the loving God of the universe, but are rather associated with a selfish, sometimes snobby community? I have had many times when I though to call myself something other than a "Christian" just to get the stigma off of me, but I have to admit that I am no better than the rest of my brothers and sisters.That's when God hit me... right in the heart.

Christ told us that loving God with our entire being and loving others was the basis for all of God's laws and commandments (Matt 22:37-40). In other words, the very central theme of Christianity is a deeper love for God and an outpouring of love toward our fellow man. Notice here, that personal ambitions are ignored. In fact, Paul includes selfish ambitions as part of the list of things not to do as a Christian (2 Cor 12:20, Gal 5:20). In Philippians 2:3-12, we are told that laying aside ourselves is what it means to follow Christ, who laid aside His majesty as Almighty God and became human flesh. And not just that He became man, but that He suffered and died despite His authority over the universe.

Love is considered the greatest virtue and the most important aspect of the Christian life, to the point of bringing unity (1 Cor 13, Col 3:10-14). It is the only commandment that Christ gives that is specifically pointed out by John in his letter to the churches (John 13:34, 1 John 2:7-11). In Galatians, we are told that the whole law is fulfilled in the statement, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). In fact the entire theme of the Bible is to love each other, and even to love those who are your enemies. By doing so, you fulfill the Law of Christ, making you a follower of Christ.

Two points then, to consider. First, if we are supposed to overflow with love, where does that love come from. 1 John tells us that God is the source of love, and it therefore stands to reason that a deeper relationship with Him will give you that abundance of love. Perhaps I'll do a post on drawing from the source another time. Second, don't expect to just start loving people because you have Christ. It is natural to classify people as acceptable or unacceptable. But, Christians must work beyond their natural tendencies and aim to accept people for who they are. You do not ever have to love or condone the sin that a person commits, but you should always love the sinner. And then, when news such as that of when Osama Bin Laden was killed comes, you can feel the regret in your hearts that he is cursed to an eternity without God. That is what God's love does for you, it makes every life precious, and makes every person important... just because God made them. Think about it.

Psalm 23, a Revision

I like to take a different perspective on the Word of God sometimes. It does not mean that I get it right, I just see it from a different perspective. You have to understand that to rephrase the Scriptures into a form that makes it more understandable for you can easily be misunderstanding. What I mean, is that you always have to understand that it is just your "take" on the Bible, not the actual meaning of God's Word. True, paraphrasing can simplify the truths of God's Word, but it lacks the deep technical understanding that comes from studying the original language. In the end, this is not an authorized translitation, but is just a transliteration of the Word as I understand it. Today, I'm going to do Psalm 23.

1 The Lord watches over me, I want for nothing.
     2 He finds comfortable places for me to rest, and quiet places to be refreshed
3 He revitalizes me. He shows me right ways of living to honor His name.
     4 Even if death seems imminent, I will not be afraid, because He is with me and nobody can stand against Him. Your correction and protection are comforting to me.
5 Even when my enemies threaten, you provide me with everything. You give me the honor of princes and give me more than I deserve.
     6. Truly, blessings and mercy will be present all through my life, and I will abide with God forever.

Below is the NIV version... which is also a transliteration from the King James Version.


1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The NIV version came through much scholarship... my version is just a personal understanding of this passage. If it helps you, I am glad. If not, remember it is not the absolute authority on the Word of God, it is just what God has shown me up to this point in my life. Ok, so maybe it was a little overkill with that point, but I want to make sure that you realize when reading this, that I am not proclaiming any authority. I just want to offer you some extra perspective.

God Bless, and happy reading!

Sickness is not Sinfulness

I'm sick right now. Somewhere during the past week I contracted an upper respiratory infection. This has made me think of something that has been misrepresented in modern Christianity: sickness. There are a few perspectives being thrown around regarding this issue right now.

Perspective 1: (Prosperity Gospel) Those who are following God's Will accordingly will not get sick and do not have to fear getting sick. Therefore sickness occurs due to lack of a good relationship with God and a lack of faith.

Perspective 2: (Hyper-conservatism) Sickness is a judgment from God. Those who fall ill or are sick are being sent a message from God and need to repent of their sins and get their lives straightened out.

Perspective 3: (Liberal view) Sickness is part of a sinful world that afflicts Christians because of our presence in that world. God does not regularly intervene, so get to a doctor at your earliest convenience.

Perspective 4: (Balanced view) Sickness and illness are the result of a sinful, fallen world. It occurs for many reasons, but is never outside of God's sovereignty and plan.

I prefer a balanced view, because I consider what God has taught us about sickness and illness. Some sicknesses and illnesses were judgments from God. In 2 Kings 5 we find the story of how Gehazi was punished for his greed with Leprosy. In Leviticus, we see that some illnesses were judgments and God gave specific ordinances to test for that sin. Also, however, we see in  2 Kings 20 that Hezekiah fell sick, but it was not from God. God, however, used that as a point to show His power to Hezekiah. In the New Testament, there is the point where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law... no commentary on sin at all. Paul in Philippians 2 talks about a man named Epaphroditus who was sick and almost died. It was not an affliction for God, and it happened because of his sacrificial service to God.

My conclusion: God made man. Man sinned. Sickness entered the world. People get sick. God is sovereign and uses that sickness to try and draw men closer to Him. Occasionally, God might intentionally make a person sick, but it is for His own purposes. In all of this, we are not the judges or determiners of why a person is sick, we are just commanded to love them and provide support (Matt 22:39 & 25:31-46, Gal 6:2, and 1 Thess 5:14). In the end, God is in control and let's leave it that way. If you get sick, I'm sorry, but stop searching for deeper purpose and just ride it out. Let your attitude towards God and your heart focus remain unchanged whether or not you get sick. But, also, don't forget to take in some rest.

God Bless, and Hope you feel better soon.

Ancient History... A Biblical View... Part 1 (the flood)

At the outset of this, I have to proclaim that I am not an archaeologist. I am just a person who is fascinated by ancient history and wants to understand how the Bible fits into history. That being said, I have found that there are some ramifications of ancient history that we ignore sometimes, when we listen to archaeologists tell us like it is.

Let's start at the beginning. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1). During the six "days" of creation, God made man. Now some have considered the term "day" in the first passage to refer to ages, rather than literal days. However, I have to point out that the Hebrew word used here is yowm which is most often translated as "day" (24 hours). Study for yourself and decide which theory matches the Bible and history the best.

Now I'm going to start a timeline that runs from major historical events (i.e. A.A. for after Adam, and P.F. for post flood). From the creation of Adam and Eve, the Bible tells us specifically how long of a time we had from Adam to Flood. Because you cannot be certain of the total month count, I have approximated the number of years from Adam to Flood to be 1756 years (give or take 5 years). So, a few key things about this pre-flood time: First of all, if you carefully measure on a timeline, with all overlaps taken into account, you will find that the oldest man recorded in the Bible (Methuselah) died in the same year as the flood. This brings up the startling question, did he die by the Flood? This is an interesting consideration when you realize that Methuselah's father (Enoch) is mentioned in Jude as being a preacher of righteousness. Enoch was raptured because of his walk with God (that is what the Bible tells us in Genesis 5).

Prior to the flood, we have several descriptions of all sorts of technological advances. The society was fully invested in arts, music, and probably had a culture that would rival modern society. However, they would not have had computers or such, since they didn't need them. They themselves were probably smarter and could handle the complex equations that computers usually do by themselves. In fact, if you believe in the 7 literal days of creation you can easily accept that men were genetically and mentally superior in the pre-flood society which began to decay following the flood. Scientifically, this is probably a direct result of UV radiation.

Then on to the Flood! Could such a thing really have ever happened? Well, I think the evidence is pretty strong for it. Archaeological evidence has pulled up the "Epic of Gilgamesh" a tale from ancient Babylon that speaks of a great flood and a hero who survives it. While there are many scholars who suggest that this story pre-dates the Bible's account of the flood, I believe it gives accuracy to the Bible. The earliest known record of Gilgamesh is from about 2150-2000 B.C. This means that it would have been written about the time of Abraham. Now, from my calculations, Abraham left the Mesopotamian region about 380 years after the flood. What is more, is that Shem (a flood survivor) would still have been alive according to the Bible. So, if Shem was alive, why didn't he set the record straight? Well, the possibility is that Shem spoke a different language thanks to what his grand-nephew did at Babel 300 years before the legends of Mesopotamia were written down.

Scientifically, the evidence for the flood exists as well. First, many shells have been found on the tops of mountains. Some have suggested that this is caused by the lifting process that formed the mountains. However, that theory fails to explain why the shells are still shells and not fossils, since they are supposedly millions of years old. No, the reality is that Noah's flood covered every single mountain on the Earth, in fact, the flood probably caused some of those mountains. When the flood waters receded, we read that it was very gradual. The gentle decline of the water level would have left those shells resting comfortably on the mountain top without causing significant erosion. A second evidence for the flood is found in geological strata. Scientists suggest that strata are caused over long periods of time of material being left, petrified, and a new layer formed on top of it. The question to this theory then comes from hundreds of trees that have been petrified through several different layers signifying that the tree there for millions of years while it was petrified! No, it is much saner and more logical to just believe in a massive worldwide flood.

There are so many other things that can be considered when looking at the Bible, the Flood, and Creation. The simple reality that I see, however, is that evolution requires more faith to believe in than Creationism. What is more, the physical records of this world seem to support the Bible as accurate more than they support the gradual evolution and billion year development of the world. Take it as you will, but I will believe in a literal 7 day creation followed by a worldwide flood about 1750 years later. But for you, you either believe that the Bible is accurate, which supports that it is God given, or you think it is flawed, making it a useless document to modern society. But remember this, those who believe the Bible have a 50% chance of being right, and if they're wrong- according to modern society's beliefs- they still win. So I encourage you to look closer at the evidence.

Would Jesus Hang Out With Me?

Did you ever sit down and ask yourself: "If Jesus were here on Earth today, would he want me to be in his band of disciples?" That's a pretty important question for those of us who claim to be His disciples right now. When you think about what Jesus put up with from His own followers, ask yourself if you would make the cut so to speak were He recruiting today.

First, Simon Peter: always impetuous, spoke first, thought later. This man denied that He knew Christ when Jesus was standing before false witnesses. Despite his apparent cowardice, Peter had one thing that most people ignore: he was who he was. Peter did not claim to be holy or righteous. He had no delusions of grandeur about his position with God, although he was at times misguided about his commitment. When his mother-in-law was lying sick in bed, Peter didn't go to Jesus to ask a favor of healing. While mother-in-laws today can sometimes be portrayed as the "Wicked Witch of the West", back then, your wife's mother was your mother. Peter opened his home, but let Jesus be a guest, not a servant. You have to admire that. Later, Peter would jump out of the boat and walk on water when everyone else would stand in awe of Jesus walking on water. And finally, while Peter did deny the Lord during his trial, do not forget that when Jesus was first confronted, Peter was the only one who was willing to put up a fight. Peter was not perfect...but he was earnest in following Christ

Consider next, James and John: they did have presumptions about their position with God. They believed that they were in tight with the most high because they were in tight with Jesus. But when Jesus rebuked them, he gave them a difficult cross to bear. He let them know that they would have to face every inch of suffering that He Himself was to endure. James who wanted to be first in the kingdom, was first to get there. After all, he was the first martyr among the disciples. John, who died of old age, had to suffer many things, including torture and banishment. They were not perfect...but they were willing to change and see their faith through.

What of the rest: Andrew: started strong in the faith and recruited his brother Peter. After Jesus' death, Andrew stood with the rest on Pentecost to proclaim the wonders of Jesus' resurrection. Philip: used to preach to the Ethiopian. Thomas: even in doubting the resurrection, he committed wholeheartedly with a little proof from his Master. Matthew went on to write one of the four gospels.

The truth is that the disciples had something that we today need to consider getting: commitment. They endured persecutions, they continued when hope seemed lost, they abounded when the Holy Spirit moved. They weren't lost in a stupid TV series, or distracted by a new phone, computer, or other device. None of the disciples ever hung out in a bar just to see an old friend, nor did they work hard just to make money. When the chips fell, each one of them was committed to serving Christ. I would imagine that that is the reason that Jesus chose to hang out with them in the first place. So the question sits for us today, are we really committed to being a friend of Jesus? If there are distractions in your life, as there are in mine, it is time to pray them aside and get back in tune with God. We like to think we have plenty of time, but James reminds us that "life is a vapor." Don't wait, be the person that Jesus would want to hang out with, and bury the rest of you. The Bible tells us, that to be alive in Christ, is to be dead to sin. So, get out there and LIVE.

Praying Hands

I sat down to just set up a devotional thought for this blog and looked at the praying hand bookends that my wife inherited from her grandmother. My wife's grandmother was a woman of prayer. She knew how to pray, what to pray, when to pray, and usually the results of her prayers have reached deeply into my life. She is with Jesus now, so she no longer prays since she has no needs, and is at peace with God's will. When I consider her prayer life, it makes me wonder what truths about prayer she understood that made her a spiritual giant of intercession? How can we pray like that?

I have read the Prayer of Jabez and am working on The Power of a Praying Husband. I have studied the Scripture in prayer and I still have a lot to learn, but I have learned a few things. So here are some thoughts for you to consider for your own prayer life.

1. God is not interested in your eloquence, He is interested in your heart. When you read through the Psalms, you see raw emotion invested into the prayers that were recorded there. Psalm 83 opens with a plead to God to respond immediately (just one of many in the Psalms). The language of the prayers in the Psalms is sometimes desperate, sometimes angry, sometimes despairing, yet always honest. When you set yourself to speak with the God of the Universe, just remember that He knows every inch of you (Psalm 139:1-2). He just wants you to keep it real with Him... He is interested in your heart.

2. The posture of prayer is not as important as the posture of your heart. People need to stop thinking that God listens to the prayers of those who kneel, who bow their face to the dirt, who stand with heads bowed and eyes closed, etc. Again... God is looking at your heart. When confessing your sins, He desires a broken and contrite spirit. When making your requests known to God, He wants you to have faith in His will and be thankful for everything that He has done, is doing, and will do. Let the Spirit move you in prayer and your body will follow. The broken man will rarely have strength to stand, and the thankful man will sometimes be unable to remain bowed down... but the point is, be real with God and let your physical posture in prayer be a clear reflection of what God is doing in your spirit.

3. Prayer is a response to God, not an initiation of contact. When you take a request to the Lord, remember, He knows it already. Before a word is on your lips, He knows it. We so often get sucked up into this thinking that God is unaware or uncaring of the problems that we are facing. The reality, though, is that God is ready for every trial that we will face. There are several reasons that God seems distant from us: 1) we are going through the refining trial intended to make us stronger in our faith. 2) we are engaged in a sin that we refuse to let go for our relationship with God. 3) we simply have been neglecting our time with God each day.

Really, there are a lot more, but then this wouldn't be a devotional thought for the week or a discussion point. As we consider our prayer lives, let us remember that prayer is our half of our conversation with God. If we do not approach it properly, how can we expect it to have any effect? And worthless praying is simply insane babbling... like what other religions do. Think about it!

Time for a New Day

Did you ever sit down and look at your Bible and just think, I really don't feel like reading this right now? Do you have something more interesting you would like to be doing? Some people want to play video games, some people may want to spend time on facebook, some have shopping to do, etc. Maybe you just don't feel like trying to find something meaningful for your life. After all, it is not easy to make a personal life application out of every part of the Bible. Some of you reading this, though, are just lazy. Maybe life is going alright for you and you don't really need the extra spiritual guidance. You go to church every week, so you are getting your fill of the Word.

It is easy for us to find reasons to not have time for studying the Bible: busy work schedule, crazy family, interferes with your personal time to relax, out with friends, etc. There are hundreds of "reasons" that Bible study is inconvenient. The question then is this: who are we trying to convince? Do we really think that God accepts our reasoning. Imagine Him every day, "That's ok, I can see that you are very busy, perhaps you will find some time to talk with Me this weekend."

I didn't say talk to Him, since some of you are thinking: "but I pray every day." I meant talk with Him. A conversation always involves two people. When we spend time praying and praying without giving God His turn to speak, we make ourselves more important than Him. What He has to tell cannot possibly be as important as all the concerns that we have in our own lives. In essence, we are showing Him that we think of Him as our contracted help rather than the God for whom our lives are to be lived. We become more important than God.

Whoa! How did I jump to that conclusion... we're more important than God just because we don't study our Bibles every day. Isn't that be being a bit extreme? I really don't think so. You know, the most godly men and women that I have ever met in my life were all people who dug deep into the Word every day. It is not because their ritual of reading and studying the Bible that they are so in tune with God. Rather, I believe that they seek a deeper knowing of God in the Scriptures and they become "doers of the Word, not just hearers." Perhaps, they simply do it because they want to know how to respond to God in their lives each day.

Think about it. Do you live your life in reaction to the circumstances that you face or in response to the God who will carry you from valley to hilltop, from shame to joy, from desert to oasis? When you pray, is it to give God your spiritual laundry list, or are you responding to Him? In other words, do you give Him the option of leading the way in the various situations, or do you "suggest" what He should do?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The good stuff is in there, you just have to be willing to let God have His say. It will help you know what to believe (doctrine), know what not to do (reproof), know what to change (correction), and know what to do (instruction in righteousness). The purpose of the Word is to gear us up to handle every situation in a manner that brings honor and glory to God. This is why we are told to do all things as though it's for the Lord and not for men (Col. 3:23). The Bible contains the living breath of God in it, don't miss out because it won't just change your life, it will show you life as you never dreamed it could truly be.

This area has been one that I have been working on in my own life. I have used the excuses, I have ignored the Word some days, and I have seen the ick that grows in my life, in my family, in my worship because of it. The reality is, I know that giving Him time to speak to me each day is the best way to keep me moving in a positive direction. When I skip it, I take the effectiveness out of my prayers, I am less focused in doing right at work, and I easily lose track of the priorities that should be in my life. Just this morning, I found myself being sucked into a stupid video game while my wife was rushing around to get things accomplished for the family. That's why this post is here... God tapped me on the shoulder, and I just wanted to share it with you all.

God Bless you.

The Famous Sermon - Part 2

Matthew 5:20-

In continuing the study on the Sermon on the Mount, we are going to update our format slightly to provide more study points for all blog participants.

Beginning in Chapter 5, verse 20 0f Matthew we see that Jesus begins a discussion on sins as considered by the law, culture, and God.

v. 20 many people think that this is an easy verse to attain to since the righteousness of the Pharisees is considered to be a false righteousness. However, it should be noted that the Pharisees, in their falsehood, adhered to a standard of living that few others managed. As Paul stated (Phil 3.6), according to the righteous given in God's law they were blameless.

v.21 The reference made here is to the 10 Commandments posted in Exodus 20. Interestingly, the word translated "danger" in the KJV, NKJV, "subject to" NIV, and "liable" in the NAS is the Greek word "enochos." This word means, "guilty of a crime and deserving of punishment," but it has a personalizing quality. In other words, this was a word that meant you are guilty, not just found guilty.

v.22 Look now to the word "danger", "subject to", and "guilty" (KJV, NKJV, NIV, & NAS respectively). It is the same word used in v. 21 "Enochos." The first crime is being angry. The presentation here, however, refers to holding on to anger towards someone. Second, the term Raca, or "good-for-nothing". This seems to be superceding God's determination of value for a person with your own determination of worthlessness. Finally, "you fool". The indication here is that you are expressing detest for a person and determining them to be incapable of anything worthwhile. According to Christ, God equates these sins to murder, probably because each of them is a leading motivation to those who murder: strong anger, feeling them to be worthless, and a disgust for them. What Christ is beginning to present here, is you need to put an end to things early on, before they become what we consider horrible sins.

v. 23, 24 Christ continues, by stating that if you have caused strife with a brother, it is better to try to achieve reconciliation before you present your service to God. Notice that God does not say that He will not accept your offering. I think this then shows us that God is concerned for His namesake more than your act of service. He wants to make sure that you worship Him out of a pure heart in a manner that will not cause another to stumble. Now some of you are saying, "Huh?" God knows that if you have an argument with a brother (not righteous anger), then show yourself in public worship, you are sending the message that your actions were in clear conscious to God and they are the ones in the wrong. This is why God wants us to seek reconciliation with our brothers and sisters before worshiping Him.

v. 25 The idea of sticking to your guns is only useful when you are standing for God's promise and truths. Obey God rather than man. In every other circumstance, be peaceable and if necessary defrauded for the sake of the gospel (Prov. 25:8, 1 Cor. 6:7).

v. 26 If you don't listen to the advice given in verse 25, this is your likely result. Most people don't have compassion for those who fight them. But, even the unsaved show compassion to those who earnestly seek reconciliation.

v. 27-28 Again the inward attitude is considered an equal to the sin. In this case, lusting is shown to be equal to adultery since lusting is a foundational component of adultery. These verses help show us a very important truth regarding our spiritual lives: The attitude of your heart is just as important as the things that you say and do (Psalm 19:14)

v. 29-30 These two verses outline the cure for addictions and for the sins that so easily beset us: radical amputation. This concept is the idea of removing from you the thing which causes you to stumble. In other words, if you are tempted by television shows and commercials... turn the TV off; if there are books or magazines that keep you from God and Christ-likeness... throw them out; if you are addicted to alcohol, drugs, smoking, or pornography.... get rid of it as fast as you can. Jesus was telling us here, that we need to be drastic in how we live to get results from Him.

v. 31-37 Two things to consider here: 1) Marriage is for life...period. All these reasons that Christians come up with for divorce are mainly materialistic or superficial. The truth is: marriage is a spiritual bond which is only broken by sexual immorality or adultery. These two sins cause a person to physically deviate from their vows and to spiritually discontinue their oneness with their partner. Don't be deceived, though, reconciliation can happen through repentance and forgiveness. But without it, the marriage responsibility was ended in God's eyes through those two sins. 2) Be careful about what you promise or make a vow on. It is no mistake that these concepts are presented back to back since marriage is a vow. Taking it further, though, Jesus warns us that breaking promises and vows is lying. Furthermore, God shows us that we cannot swear by anything because the only thing in this universe that we can control is ourselves. That is why we are to simply respond honestly with a "yes" or "no".

As we continue in the next series, we will see that Jesus was developing momentum towards a life of godliness that could only come from following Him. The next portion of this sermon considers relationships and positions.

The Famous Sermon - Part 1

Matt 5

When Jesus went up into the mountain and began teaching the multitudes, I wonder if the disciples realized that they were listening to one of the most important sermons the world has ever heard. Simple in structure, this sermon has been used by more people to develop philanthropic philosophy (or rules for men) than any other teaching I have heard of. In fact, if you evaluate other world religions you will find that they use some of the ideas presented by Jesus for their own teachings.

He starts out with what have become known as the Beattitudes. You know them by their start phrase, "Blessed are..."

v. 3 - Poor in spirit - to be honest this concept has baffled me for many years. It seems to be talking about those who are not self-fulfilled. But, since the reward for such a state is the kingdom of heaven, it seems it most likely refers to those who recognize their spiritual emptiness in need of Christ

v. 4 - pretty straight forward, those who see grief will also see comfort. When you think about it, comfort would not exist without the grief.

v.5 - the gentle (or meek), not referring to a namby pamby, but more of a Moses like frame of mind. If you recall, Moses was a reluctant leader, but he was a bear when the people crossed the line with God. I really think this is a mindset we can attain to, to only make an issue of the commandments of God and let everything else slide.

v. 6 - those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - these are people are truly seeking to be filled with Christ. God tells us in James if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us.

v. 7 - mercy - you get what you give. Jesus will explain this concept much later in a parable, but Paul also gives us perspective in Galatians 6:7 - 8 "whatever a man sows that he will also reap."

v. 8 - pure in heart - this indicates a state of sincerity and integrity that allows a person to maintain their proximity to God. Although, I think it also could mean that having a pure heart allows you to see God at work in things most other people take for granted.

v. 9 - the peacemakers - these are not the Colt brand, but are people who are concerned for reconciliation. This is frame of mind that Christians should hold in high regard and yet we are very often swayed by personality conflicts and selfish ambitions.

v. 10-12 - This last bit speaks of the blessings that come from being attacked and persecuted for your faith in God's Word. Paul and Silas illustrated this perfectly for us when they were beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel (Acts 16:22-34)

v. 13 - 16 - this is an important lesson for Christians to tell us how to behave in the world. We are salt and light and are supposed to stand out for our good deeds. I am so sick of hearing stories of judgmental and bitter church goers. I am tired of listening to the conversation and jokes of Christians that is not the least bit God honoring ( Eph. 5:3-13). In Philippians 2:12-18 further explains that this is a key mark of our salvation. Or as Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)"

v. 17-20 - God expresses to us that discipleship to Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, the whole law. We are not to be in bondage to manmade rules, only spiritually given over to what God wants from us. However, most importantly, we are not to change or ommit any part of God's commandments. I find that churches are especially good at this by developing a heirarchy of leadership based on government limits and necessity rather than on the spiritual guidelines that God gives us in His Word. This can only hinder the overflowing abundance of God's presence and also diminishes our reward and position in the kingdom. If you love Christ, then we really do need to pay attention and follow his commandments.

The theme that I noticed in all of this discussion is the markings of true disciples. God is not interested in the outward appearance we make in our religious workings. He wants a humble spirit with a loving heart to do all that He might ask of us. What do you think we could do to accomplish this in our lives?

An Interesting Start - John 2

Sorry about the long absence in posts. It has been a crazy time in my life with everything coming to a head at once. I am not in the clear yet, but I at least am able to focus on the Bible study again.

Did you ever notice that Jesus worked in the most peculiar manner? Let's first analyze the passage in John 2 regarding the first miracle of Jesus' ministry: the water into wine. This passage has sparked more than one controversial discussion.

Here are some things to think about? Did Jesus condone drinking as part of a cultural celebration ceremony? Verse 10 has the master of the feast asking about the wine using the statement, "after the guests are drunk?" While many pastors try to explain how this is not the case and the wine was actually just a tasty form of grape juice, I think it is a moot point. That is not the focus of the passage and should not be used as such to support an argument in either direction. The focus of the passage is on Jesus and his response to his mother. Perhaps it would be better to look at this passage from the perspective of how to be honoring to your parents. After all, Jesus was not acting on his own initiative, but was responding to his mother's request despite it not being a necessary element of the larger plan. There's something to think about: God allowed Jesus to exercise authority of miracles toward a situation that only brought glory to him in Jesus' act of honoring his earthly parents.

Another question to be considered is the level of faith maintained by Mary in this situation. As we discussed several weeks ago in our group setting, Mary did not take the happenings of God lightly when Jesus was conceived and born. She thought about everything with an open mind toward God. I say that, because she was a part of events that had never been seen in Israel or the world for that matter. Then about 30 years later, she sees a problem and turns to Jesus for help. In one regards, it is perfectly natural for verse 3 to take place since she was being a proper Jewish woman and seeking the advice of the head male for the family. (It is assumed that Joseph has passed away, making the eldest son, Jesus, the head of the family.) But her answer to Jesus' question, "what does this have to do with me..." is very peculiar. She tells the servants to obey Him to the letter. Why? My impression from this passage is that she judged by His response that He would help. She exhibits a curious faith here, because I would take that answer as a no.

When Jesus turns the water into wine, he does it as a silent miracle. Only the servants know about it, and they are in no position to explain to the wedding guests what has happened. Thus, the focus is still on Jesus and His mother. He responded to her request by politely reminding her that she was asking Him to perform an action that was not a requirement of His calling and purpose. Then, he does it. He did not have to, but he did. He showed honor to his mother. Jesus, Almighty God in human flesh, submitted to His earthly mother and fulfilled the law in honoring her. You can ponder that for years, and I wonder if the magnitude of it will ever sink in.

What do you think?