Not So Strange--Feb.5th One of the strangest teachings I have ever heard was taught to a young girl by her grandmother. She was taught that if you want to know what God wants you to do, take your Bible, open it to Ruth 1:16 and then balance it on something such as a pencil or stick. Then ask any “Yes” or “No” question to God. If the Bible rotates it means God is answering. I honestly don’t remember if moving meant “Yes” or “No”. I was too flabbergasted to connect at that point. The young girl firmly believed in what he grandmother had taught her. Catch this: “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings” (Hebrews 13:9). Truthfully, any strange teaching is anything outside what the Bible says. And believe me, there are some strange teachings out there. Belief must have a foundation, a structure built on that, and a reason to hope in it. This is why the Bible is the one necessary part to establishing faith, expanding on that faith and maturing that faith. Your faith will not grow if you do not feed your soul, spirit, mind and being on the word of God. We must never equate reading or hearing the Word of God to listening to the radio, watching TV, or being entertained at a movie. The main difference between the Bible and all the other stuff is that the Bible is speaking of important, imminent, and eternal matters. We have all got to do more than just veg our souls. There are too many strange teachings out there today. It is only as we are filled with his Word that we can spot the counterfeit, identify the false, and stand for the truth. New and strange does not mean better and more correct. Stick to the truths in God’s Word. You do know the truth that sets you free, right?Taught by him, Jim
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He Was, Is and Will Always Be--Feb 4th Who is the most consistent and constantly persistent person you know? They are exactly now what they used to be. They have not changed their ways, their minds, their characteristics and their motives at all in all the time you have known them. That would either preclude such a person is out of touch with reality, a very strong willed refusing to change person, someone who hasn’t learned anything new, or someone who learned a whole lot of life and reality before you knew them and has consistently held to their beliefs and positions. It is hard to imagine any person being the same today as they were, say 30 years ago. Life is coming at us so fast. Information is flooding our lives. The world isn’t the same as it was “back then”. Yet, aren’t you still the same person you were back then? We don’t really change personhood, even though the body we dwell in does change. When the Hebrew writer makes this statement what comes to your mind: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (13:8). The verse reads, literally, “Jesus Christ yesterday and today is the same, and until the ages.’ (Hagner) He is consistent, constant, unchanging, unflinching, unmovable, unswerving, stable, strong, powerful, capable, and unimprovable. I suspect that are other words you would add to these. The great point of the verse is that as the Church moved into the first century, many of the great and dynamic leaders has sacrificed their lives. They had left great legacies for all the believers. Their great lives had ended. The apostles are gone, the eyewitnesses are deceased, the first students are also passing away. What one of us wouldn’t like to be able to sit and learn from them? Will anything ever be the same without them? Barclay’s commentary on Hebrews says it wisely, “It is the nature of things that all earthly leaders must come and go. They have their part in the drama of life and then the curtain comes down. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. His pre-eminence is permanent; his leadership is for ever. Therein lies the secret of earthly leadership; the real leader is the man who is himself led by Jesus Christ. He who walked the ways of Galilee is as powerful as ever to smite evil and to love the sinner; and, as then he chose twelve to be with him and sent them out to do his work, so now he is still seeking those who will bring men to him and him to men.” (Page 195). As important as the consistency and constancy of our leaders is, it is Jesus who is the true leader, the unchanging leader, the persistent savior of all men, the perfect Lord of all eternity. He is the same yesterday, today and until all the ages of time. Yes, even for all eternity. Is he the one you are following? Following him, Jim
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The Right Imitation--Feb.3rd The news talked yesterday of all the counterfeit products that are being produced and sold representing the Super Bowl Teams names and logo’s. Imitation is the in thing, until the NFL steps in and calls “foul”. The foul is that they are supposed to get a commission on all the “true” products from the teams. Imitation is a cheap form of flattery, or an easy way to wealth. Not all imitations are cheap or bad. Although I have seen a few Elvis impersonators that I thought we both. When I was a youngster, we had a preacher in my home church that I admired and tried to imitate. He had a habit of speaking out of the corner of his mouth. Guess what, I started to imitate his way of speaking. My mother quickly informed me that it was okay to imitate him, but not his bad habits. The Hebrew writer tells us, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). In my home congregation, there were some men and women that I looked up to as my leaders. Their lives left deep impressions on me as Christians and examples. Interestingly, it is often more the life of the leader that we remember more than the words or teachings they taught. When their life matched their teachings, both came into focus, took on influence, and created lasting impressions as well as good memories. Those who lives matched their teachings were certainly worthy of imitating. One of the foundational principles of the Christian faith is that all leaders are expected to marry their life and teachings together. Any teacher or leader, whose life did not match his teaching, was to be removed from teaching. They were not worthy nor did they deserve to be imitated. This high ideal is still the strong standard for all leaders and teachers today. It is the “outcome” of their life and teachings, we are to focus on and imitate. The way their lives are touched and blessed, and the result of what they believe and what they teach will last eternally. And when we let them influence us toward believing God and following his plan, we too shall share in their “outcome”. Whom do you remember as your childhood leaders and teachers? Sandy King was my favorite teacher, right next to my Grandma Rowlett. Who are you influencing with your life and teachings today? That’s a privileged responsibility.Influencing to him, Jim
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Trust and Entrust--Feb.1st Take a thoughtful review of David’s life from a shepherd boy throughout his kingly life. Was it a life of ease and luxury? Was it a life of fame and wealth? Was it a life of adventure and intrigue? Was it a life of burden and blight? Was it a life of continual ups and downs? Was it a life of push and shove or be pushed and shoved? As a shepherd, he killed at least one bear and one lion. As a young musician, he played the harp and soothed Saul’s troubled spirit. As a deliverer of supplies to his brothers in Saul’s army, he took up Goliath’s challenge and slay him. As the anointed future king of Israel, he never forgot his place under Saul even when his jealousy sought to kill him. As a warrior, when he had Saul within his death grasp, he refused to kill God’s anointed. As a warrior king, he constantly sought God’s guidance in battle and gave him praise for victories. As a man, he miserably messed up his life with Bathsheba. As a father, he was far less than a good model as exampled in Absalom and Amnon who raped Tamar. As a religious worshipper, he brought the ark to Jerusalem. As a king of all authority, he chose not to destroy Shimei when he cursed him and threw stones at him. David knew grief, deep guilt, betrayal, loyalty, and troubles that plagued him all his life. All 40 years of his kingship, he was at war. Because he was a warrior king with blood on his hands, he was forbidden to build the House of God. He amassed the materials to build it, but turned it over to his son, Solomon to build. He wrote in the 118 Psalm “What can man do to me?” Almost anything and everything that any man has ever had done was done to him by other men, including his own family and wives The only thing they didn’t do was kill him. Truthfully David wrote, “In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid….The LORD is with me; he is my helper….It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes” (Psalm 118:5-9). David had experience almost everything a man can do to another man. He had experienced loyalty, disloyalty, love and betrayal. No wonder he wrote, “What can man do to me?” It almost makes me wonder if he didn’t want to write, “What more can man do to me?” There is a statement that John makes regarding Jesus that I have often pondered. What comes to your mind when you read this: “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man” (John 2:24-25). 1 Peter 2:23 states that he “entrusted himself to him who judges justly” as the reason why he didn’t retaliate or threaten. Would it be wise of us to put our trust in God and be cautious about putting our trust in people? Who do you trust? Who do you entrust yourself under?Trusting him, Jim
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The Place To Be--Jan.31st What is the true source of contentment? Having all that you need? Having more than you need? Giving up on getting more and resigning yourself to the this-is-all-there-is-going-to-be mentality? Or recognizing the true source of the satisfaction that leads to contentment? The Hebrew writer nailed it precisely. Being content with what you have is “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you: never will I forsake you’.” (Hebrews 13:5) When God says “never” he means it. Few of us can say “never” because if just once we fail to do something or just once did it, we can’t say “never”, but God can and does. He never leaves his people and he never forsakes us. That confidence leads us to learn what the writer goes on to emphasize: “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’(Hebrews 13:6). Let’s be real here. Just because God doesn’t do what we want, or answer our every prayer the way we think he should, does not mean that he has forsaken us or left us alone. God isn’t about us using him to do or get what we want. It is about us doing and getting to do the things he wants. Consider this, in countries like China where you can be arrested for sharing your faith, would you pray for release or pray that you would be faithful to Christ during your imprisonment? It is not about escaping, it is about enduring and persevering. Is this where and how your faith works? God promises us that he will help us, and enable us to not be afraid of what man can do to us. Who is man compared to God? How much more can God do that any man can do to us? God is the faithful one, man is the unfaithful or inconsistent one. The source of our contentment is God’s consistency, permanence and help. So sit back, relax, God is directing, guiding and helping you get where he wants you to be. And that is where I want to be.Confident in him, Jim
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The Place--Jan.30th What do discontent and malcontent have in common? What is their exact opposite? What does to indulge, to yield to or gratify as desires and whims refer to? These words are antonyms for what word: cheerless, disagreeable, dissatisfied, distressed, dreary, forlorn, miserable, suffering, uncomfortable, or wretched. The word speaks of a rest of mind; satisfaction; freedom from worry; not inclined to complain or desire something more or different from what one has. It is to have ones hopes and expectations fulfilled or realized. What is the word? Do you have a word in mind? There is one word that all of the above words are referring to, or standing in distinct contrast to. It is …. The Hebrew writer and Paul both utilized this word and understood its benefit, power and purpose. In Hebrews 13:5, we read, “be content with what you have”. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul wrote: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who give me strength.” He also made this insightful summation: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Are you content? Does that word speak of where you are in Christ? Is it your intentional goal today—be content where you are in him? Content in him, Jim
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Money is...Jan.29th How rich does one have to be to be rich? Most people in surveys had indicated that having twice what they make now, would make them rich. Yet those who got there still believed making twice as much as they had now would make them rich. Is there ever enough money? Money—a gift, a blessings, a necessity or a curse? Is money ever a problem? Or is having or not having money the problem? Paul succinctly put it right when he said that the “love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). The Hebrew writer states it as clearly: “Keep your lives free from the love of money” (13:5). He indicates that money enslaves, entraps and distorts reality. How can anyone in our culture live without money? Does having money cause us to become evil? Is the Bible saying that having money is an evil thing? Or that people become evil who have money? How do you love money? Does the Bible condemn being rich? The kind of love for money that is described is philos. That means it is a friendship kind of love. It becomes your best friend. The problem is it turns into a covetous drive to acquire more, and to covet what money can get and do for you. It can turn into using people to get more money. It turns living into the acquiring of money. It even can focus a person’s creative energy into ingenious ways of making money. It can become the driving passion and intentional purpose in all one does. This is the love of money. Such love of money is a sure root of self-destruction and the abuse of others to get more of it. This is idolatry! Anything that we love more than God, or anything that we put between us and God, or put ahead of God is idolatry. God always knows the motives and intentions of our hearts and minds. This is why we are commanded to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, spirit and strength. Is this you kind of love for God? Don’t love money nor the things that money can acquire. Love God supremely!Loving him, Jim
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The Other Word--Jan.28th If I used the words fornication, sexual immorality and marital unfaithfulness, what would you assume that I was referring to? Almost everyone I know believes that. There is a very definite word for adultery in the Greek language. It is moicheuo. In Matthew 5:32; 15:19; Mark 7:21; John 8:41; Acts 15:20,29; 21:25; Romans 1:29; 1Corinthians 5:1; 6:13,18; 7:2; 2Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3;3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Revelation 2:21; 9:21; 14:8; 17:2,4; 18:3; 19:2 the word is porneia. In 1 Corinthains 6:18; Rev.2:14,20, 17:2; 18:3.9 the word is porneuo. In Jude 7, the word is ekporneuo. In 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9 and Hebrews 12;16; 13:4 the word is pornos. The King James version translated it as “fornication”. The American Standard and New American Standard version as “sexual immorality” and the NIV translates it as marital unfaithfulness and sexual immorality. Is this then the same thing as adultery? Or is it something different? By the way, rabbinic teachings holds that an adulterer is a practicing atheist, since he believes no one is watching (thanks Terrence). It is the from the Greek word, pornea, that the problem develops. It is the word from which we get the word pornography. One question I ask lots of folks is to define pornography. No one has been able to give me a definition. Most are like the Senator serving on a commission to study pornography who said, “I don’t know what it is, but I know what it is when I see it.” After lots of study and deep digging this is the definition and description that best utilizes the original intent of the word. It is to make someone or something an object that is used to serve one’s own sensual, selfish or sexual desires. The person or thing that is made into an object to meet one’s own desires becomes nothing more than a thing to be used and even abused. It conveys that you exist only to meet my desires. A spouse, one’s children, things, friends and even God can be so made an object to get what we desire. This word by the way is the except clause Jesus used as the grounds for permitable (Matthew 19:8) divorce in Matthew 5:32. It is a very separate action from adultery. It is often the motive and actions that leads to adultery and to the other reasons why people divorce. There are more biblical grounds for divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1) than just adultery, otherwise Jesus would have agreed with the Sadducees view of the grounds for divorce (Matthew 19:7). And he certainly disagreed strongly with the Pharisees view of the “displeasing” grounds for divorce (Matthew 19:3-6; 5:31-32). The Pharisees held that a man could divorce his wife for anything she did that displeased him. Not only did they teach it, they also practiced it. The average Pharisee was divorced 25 times and married 26 times in Jesus’ day. The Sadducees held that the only grounds for divorce was adultery. If your spouse committed adultery, then they commanded you to divorce them. They did not allow for reconciliation or restoration of the marriage. Jesus viewed both theologies as wrong. The foundational passage to study on this matter is Deuteronomy 24:1 taking a look at the word “displeasing” and in particular the word “indecency” (ervah). The death sentence of Deuteronomy 22:22 for adultery is not the point of the “certificate of divorce” in 24:1. The Greeks used porneia to describe any one of the great five kinds of love that had gone in the wrong direction and that had made one’s wife, children, things, friends or God as objects to provide for their sensual, selfish or sexual desires and pleasures. This abuse of love was and is a grounds for divorce. The whole point of this is that we are to make very sure that we do not ever make anyone or anything an object that we use for our own sensual, selfish or sexual desires and pleasures. Treat your spouse as an equal, a help-meet, a God given compliment to complete you, as your life-partner, as the one who makes the two of you one. In case you are wondering, I have studied this subject deeper than almost anything else that I have ever had to confront in the ministry and counseling. I am still learning. This raise questions for you, let me know.Loving like him, Jim
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Purity In Marriage--Jan.27th Do you remember Ivory soap used to be advertised as 99 and 44/100% pure? Did you ever ask “pure what?” When the Hebrew writer instructs us to keep the marriage bed “pure” (13:4), what did he mean by pure? First of all, he meant that the marriage bed refers to a couples sexual relations. No other person is to have sexual relations with either spouse upon that bed, or anywhere else for that matter. The word “pure” here isn’t connected to holy (agianos) as though it is set apart for God and therefore to be regarded as reverent or hallowed. It is from the Greek word amiantos which refers to unstained, unsoiled, chaste, inviolate, unimpaired, and undefiled. To do so to a bed is to bring another person other than one’s spouse into that bed for sexual relations. The marriage bed is to be kept unstained, undefiled and unsoiled. God feels so strongly about this that he “will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Vs.4). Take note that the adulterer and the sexually immoral are two different things. Jesus made this same distinction in Matthew 5:32. Adultery comes from the Greek word, moicheuo. It specifically refers to having sexual intercourse with someone other than your spouse. From the beginning of time, this sin has been forbidden and condemned. It was the seventh commandment (Exodus 5:18). There is no dispute as to its meaning. Adultery will be judged by God! We men need to make the same commitment with our eyes that Job did with his (Job.31:1), to look at no other woman in the way we look at our wives. We must guard against looking lustfully after any woman as to already commit adultery in our heart (Matthew 5:27-28). It all starts where we set our desire. If our desire is to please ourselves, our wants will follow those desires, our plans (Jesus word for lust) will lead us to take action. This sin process always starts with our own desires. If we set our desires in the right directions for the right things, then what we want, make plans to do and then do leads us to joy and righteousness. Husbands and wives, set your desires for your marriage to be your gift from God and your gift to each other, your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Keep it undefiled, unsoiled, and unadulterated. Keep it pure. What will you do today to make your marriage more pure?Married like him, Jim
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Marriage is...--Jan.25th “Marriage should be….” How do you suppose the Hebrew writer would finish that sentence with his practical counsel? Marriage should be sacred. Marriage should be required. Marriage should be set up as the highest ideal. Marriage should be a personal choice. Marriage should be anything you want it to be. Marriage should be your private choice and no one should tell you whether to be married or not. My singleness or marriage should be none of your business. He wrote, “Marriage should be honored by all.” The word for honored is timos referring to that which is precious, costly and of great price or worth. It is to be esteemed highly and to be respected for what it is. Marriage was and is God’s idea, ideal and intention for most people. There are some that he has gifted with celibacy. A good marriage can be one of life’s most fulfilling aspects. Thus to marry is a good thing. To be married is an esteemed relationship. To uphold marriage is an honorable thing. To see marriage as a precious, valuable and worth the cost enterprise is wise. Hence, everyone should honor marriage. It is not an indictment of God that he made marriage what it can be. It is an indictment against men and women who aren’t making it all that God designed it to be. The closest on earth we will get to understanding Christ’s relationship with the church is in our marriages (Ephesians 5:21-33). We, men, are to love our wives as Christ loved the church. Did or would Christ ever speak to his bride, the church, the way some of you men speak to your wives? Would he treat the church the way you treat your wives? And vice versa, to you ladies. Marriage isn’t about us, it is about him and what he has given to us. Are we receiving, enjoying, developing and investing ourselves into our marriages as Christ has and is the church?He is our model, not Hollywood, nor Penthouse, nor pornography. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27). Yes, the honorable thing is to make your marriage your gift to each other and to God.Married to him, Jim
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Remembering To Remember--Jan.24th Have you ever said, “I know how you feel”? How do you know how they feel? When someone loses a parent or a child to death, how do you know how they feel? You may know how you felt when you lost a loved one, but that doesn’t mean that you really are feeling what they are feeling. You can identify with their experience. You can relate to their loss in comparison to your loss, but you don’t really know how they feel. If you were being imprisoned for your faith, or being mistreated, or persecuted for your faith, would you really want someone to say to you, “Oh, I know how you feel, that happened to me once.” Or would you want someone to encourage you, to remember you during your hard time, and keep you in their prayers. The Hebrew writer is telling us to remember the plight of those in prison as if we were their fellow prisoner. Try to identify with what they are going through every moment of every day. Prison then was no luxury hotel, nor even like a cheap motel. We are to remember what our brothers and sisters are enduring in prison, especially when it is because of their faith that they are imprisoned. In their day, they might soon be imprisoned themselves. That would be more than remembering, and wouldn’t you want to be remembered while you were imprisoned? When someone is mistreated or persecuted for their faith, how can we identify with them? If we have been mistreated or persecuted for our faith, we never forget the experiences. We need to focus on their need, instead of our memories of what happened to us. What did we need when bad things happened to us? What we needed to know was that someone was remembering us in prayer, and working for our release. That is how we are to remember those who are being so treated. How about a visit, or card or prayer focused on them? Maybe they have some need that we can meet? Don’t go for the “if only he had kept his mouth shut, no one would have known about his faith”. Or the “it was stupid to so openly display his faith, when he knows the authorities are watching to arrest any who would dare to share his faith in public”. When Dietrich Bonheoffer was in a Nazi prison camp, a fellow minister came to visit and asked him why he was there. If he had just kept his mouth shut and stayed behind the scenes, he would be a free man. To which Bonheoffer simply replied, “Why aren’t you here!” Most Christians and their leaders chose to go along with Hitler’s dreams and devastation. They didn’t want him to persecute them. The comforts of time and place, robbed them of the glories of heaven. Germany was supposedly a Christian nation that either turned its back on the Jews, or chose to participate with a blind eye to what Hitler was doing to “those people”. They ignored the smoke from the gas chambers and the stench and harshness of the concentration camps in or near their towns. Could we ever be so callous, self-serving, or self-contained to ignore what is happening to God’s people in our world? We dare not let out-of-sight- out-of-mind mentality set in when it comes to our brothers and sisters imprisoned or suffering. God never leaves us or abandons us, nor any of his family members. Nor should we!Remembering with him, Jim >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The Prisoner--Jan.23rd Prison? What does that word convey to you? Were you as dumbfounded by the prisoner who wants to change his guilty plea and get a new trial. Not because he isn’t guilty of what he did. He wants a new trial because being in prison he can’t pursue his right to life, liberty and ownership of property. Prison is unfair, he says. It is robbing him of his rights. Well, duh, that is what punishment in prison is. You lose your rights, especially as a convicted felon. What does it say to you that some Christians are imprisoned because of their faith? The Voice of the Martyrs ministry focuses on Christians who have been arrested for their faith, and in some cases are facing death. They ask Christians to pray for their release and to write letters both to them, and in their behalf to government officials. The letters are to let the officials know that the plight of the prisoner is well known. The hope is that both prayer and pressure will bring about their release. The Hebrew writer penned, “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 13:3). The idea of remember is to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It seems to me that this writer has had firsthand experience in prisons and persecution. Throughout the history of Christianity, there have been hundreds of thousands, and probably millions who have been and are now imprisoned for their beliefs. Many of them face daily persecution, starvation, no medical care and isolation. Such folks need us to remember them, pray for them and do what we can to seek their release. Who among us can forget Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:42-45 where he says that when we minister to those in prison, that we are doing such ministry to him. Who have you visited in prison lately? When you do, you are ministering to Jesus himself. Is that one of your high motive actions you set out to do every day for him? That seems to me to be a wise place to serve Christ.Serving him, Jim
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Angelic Visits--Jan.22nd If I said, “Do not forget” what would be your first thought based on the Book of Hebrews? In the 13th Chapter, the writer is totally focusing on the practical side of our faith. “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Vs.2). Does the idea of having entertained an angel surprise you, or cause you to think that angels are all around us and that we can actually entertain them in our homes? The word for angels in the text is aggelous translated as one sent, a messenger, and angels. The more important word is “strangers” which actually isn’t in the Greek text. The verse literally says: “Of hospitality, do not be forgetful; through this some unconsciously entertained angels/messengers.” Hospitality to strangers/travelers was important in the early church, especially in a time when facilities for travelers were few and often not reputable. Thus, exhortations such as the present one are found in several places in the NT (Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9; 1 Timothy 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8). Possibly, it is referring to traveling Christian workers who were looking for Christian homes to stay in. Or really referring to angels, as in Abraham and Lot’s visit from the angels in Genesis 18:1-19:3; or to Gideon (Judges 6:11-22); Manoah and the mother of Samson (Judges 13:3-21). It was a strong Jewish custom to invite strangers into your home as Lot did in Sodom. Here, Christians are encouraged to open their homes to others/strangers. Today, I have put folks up in motels rather than keep them in my home. Somehow, it just isn’t the same as keeping them in my home. If, however, I have reason to believe that they are traveling as a Christian and on their way to a ministry that God is leading them to do, I would not hesitate to invite them into my home. I honestly don’t know if we have to be more careful today, than they did in the New Testament times, but I am open, cautiously, to entertaining folks in my home. How about you? Lot, who knew the people of the city of Sodom, insisted that these strangers stay in his home. They were unsafe on the streets there at night. The visitors were God’s angels. Are angels all about us and can they take on physical forms and appear as humans? Yes, they can. But be very careful not to call any human an angel. Nor do we become angels when we enter into heaven. We will be above the angels. And don’t worship angels, nor turn to them instead of Jesus for help and comfort. They are his servants, his ministering spirits, his messengers. They have and never will save anyone. They are created beings, not gods. If an angel comes into your life, he is coming as a messenger. Your listening is the most important issue. They are speaking from God. So listen up.Listening for him, Jim |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Theology, then...Jan.21st Hebrews is a book deep in theology. We have walked the paths of God’s actions and activities from before creation. We have seen Jesus for who he is as the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (1:3). We have seen his superiority over Moses and angels. We have seen his role as high priest. We have been warned against falling away. We have been assured of God’s promises. We have looked intently into this new covenant between God and us. We have been strongly taught that worship is our main task and joy. We have realized Christ’s once and for all sacrifice. We have been challenged to persevere like the Hall of the Faithful whose faith led them through life. We have seen that God disciplines those he loves, and punishes those who reject his Son. What a book! What teachings! What truths! How would you close such a letter? Would it be wise to close it with “Our God is a consuming fire”? Or do we need to see the practical application of what we have been taught. Our faith must always move from head and heart to mouth and hands. Our faith must work in the trenches of life, or it is worthless on the battlefields of warfare. Our faith must be practical, doable, and realistic. Hence, we need the very practical advise given in the thirteenth chapter to close this great work. What better place to begin than with this statement: “Keep on loving each other as brothers” (13:1). The statement has been made that “blood is thicker than water” referring to how families stick together, and outsiders are often left out. In our case as the people of God, it is through Christ’s blood that we are saved and through the waters of baptism that we receive the forgiveness of our sins and the Holy Spirit himself. The one trait of the early church that astonished their world was how they served and cared for one another. This must still be the greatest trait of the church today. Remember that the church is the people—you and I . It must be the greatest trait of our life and faith today. We are the family of God. “Keep on loving each other as brothers.” It all starts here and ends here.Kin to him, Jim
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Jan 20th Is there any other kind of fire than a consuming fire? That would have to be a non-consuming fire? Is such a thing possible? What kind of fire was the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-3)? What kind of fire will there be in hell? Jesus said they would “go away to eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46) It is a fire that does not consume. When the Hebrew writer describes God as a “consuming fire”, what does that convey to you?Here are some passages that will assist you in understanding this phrase and its meaning: Deuteronomy 4,24; 9:9; Exodus 19:17-18; 24:17; Isaiah 26:11; 33:14; Zephaniah 1:18; 3:8; Hebrews 10:27; and Matthew 25:41,46. If your picture of God is only one of love and mercy, then you have a fatal flaw in your belief system. God will be merciful and compassion, forgiving and restoring to those who believe in his one and only Son, who repent and are baptized into him. All who reject his Son and who believe that they can worship anything, or not worship God will see his anger, wrath, as a consuming fire and will receive eternal punishment. Don’t play games with your eternal destiny. There is a direct connection between God’s consuming fire and his jealousy. Anyone who dares to think that they can worship any idol and God not notice or care, has deluded himself. God is not to be trifled with, nor should we ever presume that sin does not matter. Isaac Watts penned: “Who can behold the blazing light? Who can approach consuming fire? None but Thy wisdom knows Thy might; None but thy Word can speak thy name.” To all who think they can ignore what Jesus has said, he gives this warning: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).To all of us who do worship God in reverence and awe, we have no fear of God or his judgment. Here is where we build our hope and know that we will be with the Lord forever.Worshiping him, Jim
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Unshakable--Jan.17th Which of these lasts longer: a tsunami, a tornado or an earthquake? Which is the most devastating? Remember the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing more than 225,000 people in eleven countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters (100 feet). It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand were hardest hit.
With a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3, it is the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. This earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 cm (0.5 inches) and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska. This earthquake could literally be called the day the earth shook. From January 12th to the 17th of this year, 162 earthquakes of 2.5 plus magnitude have occurred around the world, with most of them in our North American Continent. Every year 10,000 earthquakes hit California. The earth is averaging about 30 earthquakes a day of the 2.5 plus magnitude. Is the earth stable or unstable? When the Bible talks about the earth being shaken, and a kingdom that cannot be not shaken where would you assume most folks would invest their lives and destinies--in earthquake proof houses, bridges and buildings or in God’s unshakable kingdom?
For an interesting study look up these verses: Ex.24:17; 15:7; 19:18; Dt.4:24; 9:3; Ps.97:3; Is.33:14; 2Sam.22:8-9; 2Th.1:7and draw a conclusion about the biblical view of the earth’s shaking. Have earthquakes been part of God’s judgment? Will earthquakes be part of the end of the earth? Hmmmm—what is going to happen to this earth in God’s plan? What is going to happen to you through God’s plan of salvation? Now that is something you can do something about. Live in the kingdom that cannot be shaken.Unshaken in him, Jim
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Warning!--Jan.15th How alert are you to a warning sign on a medication bottle? How careful are you when a flashing yellow light is at an intersection of a highway? What does the yellow light on a stoplight say to you—stop or gun it? What do you do when God gives a warning about what not to do? Some of us when told what to do or what not to do, tend to lean back on our heels and lock our knees. Our “Nobody is going to tell me what to do” attitude, stands pretty defiant and strongly independent. After all isn’t that what freedom is? Or isn’t that what our rights are about? When God warned folks not to do certain things, and they did them, he responded with just judgment. “How much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25)be condemned. At Sinai, God’s presence shook the mountain as a warning to them that he was God. He has also promised that at a future time he will shake the whole earth and all the heavens. “The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain” (12:27). As God created all that is on the earth and in the heavens, so he will uncreate at that he made. This is one of the translations of 2 Peter 3:7,10,12 which describe the earth and heavens as “reserved for fire” and that they will “disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” Everything will go back into nothingness. No, matter is not eternal. The spiritual is. Therefore, what kind of people ought we to be. We are to live holy and godly lives at we look forward to the day of God and speed its coming (2 Peter 3:11). Heed the warning!Warned by him, Jim
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Listen Up!--Jan.14th How do you hear God speaking--with a loud shout and a ear piercing trumpet blasting; in a calm quiet voice; in a prophets proclamation of finger pointing and guilt inducing messages; in an evangelist who jabs the Bible with his finger and tells you everything he says is in there (even though it isn’t); or in the jubilant singing of a choir, praise team, soloist or instrumentalist: or in listening to the great communicator preachers on the radio or TV; or maybe in the teaching method of a in-depth study led by an in-depth and insightful teacher; or have you found God in your own personal time with him where you listen for his voice to speak to you? The real issue is, are you listening to God speak to you? Don’t turn a deaf ear to his gracious words of life. “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks” (Hebrews 12:25). His words are life. To refuse to listen to them is to ignore the correct warnings from heaven. If people in the biblical times did not escape God’s judgments when they refused to obey him, neither will we escape his judgments if we ignore his word. It all comes down to what view you have of God’s speaking to you. If you are listening for him to guide and direct you, he will gently lead you. If you are listening for him to judge and condemn you, he will judge you with wrath. If you are listening for him to forgive you and restore you through repentance, he will lift you up. If you are listening for him to give you everything you ask for, he will respond according to your faith. If you are listening for him to take control over your life so you can go on auto-pilot, then you have misunderstood his grace and care. If you are listening to him so that you can become like him, he will reveal himself to you through his Word and through his people. A listener hears what is said and responds to what is said. Open your ears and listen carefully to what God is sayings to us, warning us about, and showing us will happen. Let God speak to your heart, mind, soul and strength so that you can love him in all those places and ways. Read his Word as a listener to him.Listening to him, Jim
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Unafraid and Joyful--Jan 12th Is your view of God one of terrifying fear that paralyzes you into motionless and thoughtlessness? Is your view of God one of absolute love that won’t send anyone to hell (except maybe those really evil people)? Is your view of God that he is just and fair and will treat every person just as he or she deserves? Is your view of God one that is based on his holiness that manifests itself in justice, mercy, pardon, and grace? Is your view of God that he responds to us just as our faith believes he will? Is your view of God the holding of a trump card that he uses whenever he wants to? Is your view of God godly? If you are in terror of God, then you haven’t been to Mt. Zion. If you have been there, you have no fear of God’s judgment, anger, power or trump cards (I really don’t know if he has them). If you have been “to Mt. Zion, you have been to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speak a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:22-24). Mt. Zion? Where is that? Mt. Zion is God’s holy hill that he chose for worship of himself. This is the very special place that he chose to be worshipped. It is also called the Temple Mount as well as is the whole city of Jerusalem. This is the very place where Jesus came to worship, to cleanse the Temple, to present himself as the sacrificial lamb, and to die for the sins of the world. If you know Jesus, you have been to Mt. Zion, you name is written down there, your sins were atoned for there, and you join in the joyful assembly of worship with the angels. One day you will live eternally in the heavenly Jerusalem. Now that’s a joyous thought for all day!Living with him, Jim ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Face To Face--Jan.11th What do you think it would be like to meet God face to face? To have him come down right where you are? Would you be casual, pious, terrified or jubilant? Put yourself here and then answer that question: “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the cap to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him” (Exodus 19:16-20). “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die’”(Exodus 20:18-19). God had forbidden them to touch the mountain where he was in any way. Anyone who dared would be killed. In Exodus 32, the people are alarmed because Moses has been on the mountain for so long they think God has killed him. Their reasoning is that if Moses wasn’t good enough to stay in God’s presence, then no one else dare go up there. So, they asked Aaron to make them one of the gods of the Egyptians who would go between them and God. They believed that if Moses wasn’t able to stand in God’s presence, then no human could either. So they asked him to make an idol to go between God and them. God wanted no such intermediaries. He had other plans. The Hebrew writer reminds his readers of this event. “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear with was commanded: ‘If an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned’. The sight was to terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear” (Hebrews 12:18-21). Now tell me again, about how you think you will feel when you meet God face to face? Are you so brash that you think you can just waltz in to God’s presence as you are? Hmmmmm? Can it really be possible that we would ever be in his presence? Maybe, if we just stay outside his throne room, that will be close enough? To stand in, to be in God’s presence, to talk to God face to face—could we really dare to do that? Yes, you will!Being with him, Jim
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Esau's Syndrome--Jan.10th Sometimes the Bible presents challenges in such a way, that you really have to stop and wonder, now just how do I do that? For example, the Hebrew author tells us twice to “see that no one misses” (12:15) and “To see that no one is” (Vs.16). How do you “see” that no one misses something or is something? Does “see” here mean “keep”? Does it mean that we are to “command” them in these things? How do we keep or command believers from missing the grace of God? How do we keep or command believers from being “sexually immoral, or godless”? Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of this section is a good handle on the entire section: “Word at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimplse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You will know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.” Esau? Yes, Jacob’s twin brother is the example of how to not see something right in front of your face. He didn’t see his father’s relationship with God. He didn’t see the value and importance of his first-born son inheritance rights, nor of the blessings his father had to give. Too late, he learns some of life’s hard lessons. There are some things that you cannot get back, undo or redo. You have to live with the consequences of your actions. Sometimes tears can not undo do or reverse what you have done. Esau never repented. He only regretted. Make sure you know the difference and repent of your sins. One thing that our author interjects into Easu’s life that wasn’t emphasized before was his sexual immorality and godlessness (Vs.16). The Greek word for sexual immorality is pornos. It comes from the basic word porneia. Porneia, even though it is mostly translated as sexual immorality, sexual sin, marital unfaithfulness, fornication and adultery, is not to be limited just to sexual issues. In its further applications, it refers to making someone or anything an object of your own sensual, selfish and sexual desires. It is to use someone or something to gratify your own desires. This is the sixth Greek word used to describe love. But it is always connoted a negative use and abuse of self-love. The Greek word for godless is bebelos and describes a person who is godless, irreligious, profane and worldly. This is the person who stands in opposition to what is sacred. He is sacrilegious, and devoid of any religion or piety. Is it any wonder than that God hated his behavior and choices? God didn’t hate his life or personality, but as with all that he hates it has to do with behavior (Proverbs 6:16-19). God hates the exact same things we hate. And he hates our sensual, selfish and sexual behaviors too! Don’t be like Esau? Don’t immerse yourself in the same kind of life-style he chose? Don’t neglect or reject God’s inheritance and sanctification that he wants to give to you! Hell will be filled with tears.Right with him, Jim
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The New Spirituality--Jan.9th What is the difference between spirituality and holiness? At one point in time, I viewed them as one and the same thing. But today they have vastly different meaning. Spirituality, today, can mean anything that gives you an experience outside yourself inside yourself. It is viewed as experiencing something that is uncommon, or unnatural. Its vast applications actually started in the drug culture’s mind enhancing, altering and hallucinating drig induced experiences. No one, it seems, ever equated such experiences or altered states as holiness. It is sad but in the church the word holiness has almost disappeared from our language and certainly from our thoughts. Holiness refers to being set apart for God’s use and for God’s service. It emphasizes God’s holiness as the standard for our holiness. Spirituality today, puts man’s experiences as the standard. You can have a spiritual experience just watching a sunrise or sunset. It has become a feeling experienced inside oneself through a joining with nature, others or oneself. It is a self-centered sought after experience—a high, an empirical buzz, a super-sensation of some chemical or esoteric otherness. Holiness is a sought after relationship with the holy God manifested in holy living. It is to seek God face to face for whom he is. It is to intend to be like him in our thoughts, attitudes, character, motivations, behaviors and purposes. It is to set our lives as servants of God. We don’t seek to get God to serve us, but rather, we seek in all our ways to serve him. He is God. We aren’t even gods. It is a relationship with God that we seeking and finding. The Hebrew writer exhorts us “to live in peace with all men and to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord” (12:14). So be holy in all you do!Holy like him, Jim
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The Bitter Root--Jan.8th What have you missed so far this year? Have you missed a day of work or school? Have you missed an appointment? Have you missed taking your medicine? Have you missed the grace of God? Wait? What was that last one—“missed the grace of God”? I thought it was available to all. How could anyone miss it? Yet that is what the Hebrew writer states. I guess you could miss it, if you never knew about it. I suppose you could miss it, by refusing to accept it. I know you could miss it by rejecting Jesus as your Savior. Is there another way to miss it? Hebrews 12:15 shows us that a bitter spirit can grow up and cause trouble and defile a person. The author makes the case that bitterness can cause a person to miss God’s grace. How is that? Bitterness poisons the soul and causes all kinds of wrong and sinful behaviors and attitudes. All of which they justify in their heart and mind. Such bitterness leads to sin and causes God’s grace to be missed. God’s grace leads us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Bitterness causes us to want to hurt others as they have hurt us. Bitterness is a wild fire burning in one’s soul. Bitterness is like a raging sea driving a tsunami against our own soul. Bitterness is the trigger of a machine gun. Bitterness seeks to bring as many people as it can into the scope of its range and either get them to join in on the rage against another or group, or spews its rage on all of them. Its call for justice isn’t justice, but vengeance and revenge. It is bent on exploding the bitterness into destroying others. There is no desire to forgive or restore a relationship. Bitterness sadly defiles a person and all who pick up their bitterness along with them. To let such bitterness take root and grow into the ugliness in its wake is to miss the grace of God. Never let that happen in you, to you or as much as you are able don’t let someone else miss the grace of God because of bitterness. Do you have any bitterness in your heart or soul? Deal with it right now! Don’t let it take root and bear fruit.Forgiving like him, Jim
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Wholly Holy--Jan.7th Was the last time you used the word “holy”? Was it in a song you sang in worship? Do you refer to the Bible as the “Holy Bible”? Have you used the word “holy” in any reference to God or yourself in the past year? If “holy” and “holiness” are not part of how to think about ourselves, or have no place in our lives, what does Hebrews 12:14 say about us and say to us? “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy: without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Do you have any connection in your mind and heart between living in peace and being holy? I suppose you might ask, “Is peace with everyone attainable? Is holiness possible?” Is peace with everyone possible only when we are holy, or is holiness only possible when we are at peace with everyone? Are both of them what we do, or how God works in our lives? If something is impossible, God would not ask or tell us to do it. He, who made us, knows all about us, especially what we are capable of doing and attaining. Lest we have forgotten, God’s greatest trait is holiness. This is what the angels in his presence say (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). It is God who makes us holy (Exodus 33:13; Leviticus 20:8; Hebrews 10:10,14). We are to be holy as God is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:26; 22:9; 1 Peter 1:15-16). And above all we are to live holy lives (1 Thessalonians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 7:26; 2 Peter 3:11). Jesus summed it up this way: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). Therefore, is holiness something we can ignore, just choose to be, or is it a direct expectation of God about each of us? First, observe that it is a gift that that God gives and it is to be developed and matured. It is a life-style that is to be cultivated. It is a way of life that is to be sought after with intentionality. It is a daily goal, and our ultimate goal. There is no higher intention than to be holy as God is holy. What are you doing today that is holy? Be wholly like him.Be holy like him, Jim
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For The Road--Jan.2nd Is being disciplined by your parents just about you or about them? Is there any other residual impact from our being disciplined as children, and from disciplining our children than the discipline itself? If you are disciplining a child for the sake of discipline, you have missed the whole point and purpose of discipline. Discipline is about instructing and equipping a child for life. It is the main source of guiding a child toward maturity. It is to set a child on a path that will lead it intentionally onward for the rest of its life. The greatness of discipline is what it first does in each child. The other side of discipline is how that child lives the benefits of discipline when around other people. As the Hebrew writers says: “Later on…it (discipline) produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). That’s the personal beneficial side of discipline. Such discipline strengthens us when we feel too weak to carry a burden or resolve a problem, when we fear that we have no strength to take on a task, or to help another person in their life struggles. Discipline will make “level paths” for our feet. It will show us the way forward. The other side of discipline is that such discipline will enable us to help others on their paths of life. “Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (12:11b). An undisciplined life takes many wrong turns, tries to climb many a precarious cliff, and travel over hard and difficult ways. Discipline levels our paths and shows us the way to live. From our level paths, we can help other travelers. We know a better way and can show it to others. This may well keep them from becoming lame and unable to travel on life’s hard roads. Someone who knows the better way, can certainly assist those who don’t know the way. We get to help lost folks find the right path. Sometimes this is the good that God works through life’s bad. We get to use our life lessons and learned disciplines to help and heal others. I would rather listen to someone who has learned from his failures and found the right way, than someone who has never gone beyond the edge of a life pathway. Under, through and from God’s discipline in what is happening to you, look for God’s loving you through it. How is he working in your life struggles right now? Try to imagine how he will use your perseverance to encourage and guide others.Equipped by him, Jim
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Discipline--Yuk or Yeah-- Jan.1st As you look back on the discipline you received as a child, how do you remember it? Do you mostly remember what was done to you, the reason it was done to you, or the behavior and awareness of consequences that the discipline was dealing with? What good came out of that? Hebrews 12:7 -11 takes us back to childhood discipline for its intended good and purpose. Interestingly, the writer starts out with the worse part of discipline—the enduring of it. It is the what happened to you while it was happening to you. The author even tells us to “Endure hardship as discipline.” Surely he jests? But then he brings us to a very present reality. “God is treating you as sons (daughters).” It is a fact that God disciplines his sons and daughters, did that include Jesus too? Surely, Jesus was so perfect a child that he never needed any discipline, guidance or punishment, right? How could he be just like us and not need discipline, guidance and punishment? Does that mean he sinned? No, it means that he too needed to be loved properly. Suppose, you and I were to look at what we have to persevere through as God’s discipline for us? Suppose, he had a purpose, and a point for us to learn while going through it. Suppose, he has designed this situation to meet some specific growth need in our faith. Suppose, that he knows what’s best for us. Suppose, that his one primary goal is to bring us to holiness. Suppose, that while going through this we later realize how it produced in us a harvest of righteousness and peace in us. Suppose, God is doing it out of his sovereignty to teach us obedience, reliance, trust, and maturity. Remove the suppose, and you have God’s loving discipline framed in a context for each one of us. Remember, disciplines good comes later. Because he loves us he disciplines us. What is happening in your life right now that is God’s discipline? Since you are his son/daughter, he is disciplining you.Disciplined by him, Jim
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