Turning Over a New Leaf?

Well, here we stand on the threshold of a new calendar.  You know what that means?  Resolutions.  Regrets.  It’s almost tax time again.  For virtually all of us, it means it’s time to turn over a new leaf.  What does that mean, anyway?  We all understand it means to start something over or change something from our past.  But the term itself has nothing to do with the leaves that grace our trees from May through October (you can tell I live in the north).  It has to do with books. 

Each piece of paper that is bound together to create the book is called a leaf.  As any printer knows, the “page” is what is printed on one side of the paper, with perhaps another page printed on the reverse side.  What you actually turn are the leaves of the book.  Or calendar.  Or sketch pad.  Or coloring book (for our sensitive millennials). 

You get the idea – by turning a leaf, we get a clean page upon which to write, sketch, draw, and formulate our new direction and attitude.  Many of us take the opportunity to delineate fresh hopes; to outline the behaviors that need modifying; to reallocate our priorities.  We try not to dwell too long on the failures of the past, but to refocus our efforts on the hopes of the future.

It seems we naturally share the thoughts of God as we focus more on what’s ahead than what lies behind.  Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Philippi:

…But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 3:13-14

Any good preacher could make a whole sermon series from those two verses, but just zero in on the three ideas that are underlined.  This process Paul describes involves forgetting.  While the philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, I’m going with the Holy Spirit on this one.  Sure, we need to learn from past mistakes, but to move forward – to turn a new leaf – requires that we not keep the book open to our failed past. 

Paul’s second admonition is to reach out for what’s coming.  New days bring new opportunities, new challenges, and new relationships.  There are better days ahead, so seek after them!  If you anticipate only an undesirable future, guess what you’ll find?  See the good stuff that’s out there and go for it.

And finally, when Paul says to “press” toward the goal, it carries with it the idea of never quitting.  Like that fly that keeps pestering you, or the family dog that never can be petted enough.  That should be you as you pursue the honor of living a life that is pleasing to God.

Are you turning over a new leaf?  Are you at least a little excited about what tomorrow holds?  Then you can’t wallow in self-pity over whatever happened yesterday.  You can’t be intimidated by your failure last week.  And you can’t quit moving forward if you ever hope to get where you want to go!  That new leaf you turn has infinite possibilities – it’s a blank page just waiting for you to make something amazing and beautiful.  Happy New Leaf!

Jacob

Is It About Getting or Giving?

Tell me about the best gift you received this Christmas.  Perhaps you got a new iPhone or tablet?  Maybe something bigger, like a new car?  Or even diamonds?  Maybe not, because sometimes the best things don’t cost the most, but are the gifts chosen or made with love. 

Still, I wonder if the very best thing you got this Christmas was the look on the face of someone you blessed with a gift?  Perhaps the hug or tears that followed – either yours or theirs!  Why is it that we feel better when someone receives a gift FROM us than when they give a gift TO us?  Maturity may have a lot to do with it, but I remember the first Christmas gifts I bought for my grandmothers with my own money, so many years ago.  I can even still recall what they looked like, even though they would be considered mundane by gift-giving standards.  They were small metal trash cans!  But they were cherished trash cans, and a gift I’ve remembered for decades.

God designed us to want to give gifts to those we love.  Even those who don’t know or recognize God for who He is have the same desire.  Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount:

So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.  Matthew 7:11

Not everything Jesus said about gift-giving is even recorded in the Gospel accounts.  But we can find this short, oft-repeated statement by Jesus recorded later, courtesy of the Apostle Paul:

I have shown you in every way…that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”   Acts 20:35

How many times have you heard that in your life?  Jesus wasn’t just encouraging us to give to others, He was telling us that we’re BUILT to give.  It does more for us than it does for them.  I know, you’ve heard that before, too.  But it’s true.  Giving makes you feel better in your spirit – that part of you that is connected to the all-time great Gift-Giver.

Do you recall that moment you trusted Jesus as your Savior?  The overwhelming sense of gratitude when you realized you had just opened the greatest gift ever given – forgiveness and eternal life, all wrapped in grace.  Did you smile or cry?  Your response is what made the Father’s sacrifice for you all worth it.  That’s what gift-giving with love is all about.

If you missed the boat this Christmas and worried more about what you were getting than about what you were giving, there’s still time.  Gift giving isn’t limited by the season.  Start tomorrow for next year!  But pause this one last time and imagine the look on the faces of the shepherds or magi as they gazed on the little face in the manger.  In your mind, are there tears or smiles?  Maybe both.  That’s what giving does.

Jacob  

Oh, What a Night!

Oh, what a night!  The shepherds tending flocks in the nearby fields didn’t hear the faint jingle of bells as they watched, but they were serenaded by an angelic choir.[1]  Wise men travelling from the Far East didn’t look up to the sky in the hope they might spot a sleigh, but instead to follow a star.[2]  And the focus of the night wasn’t the old face with rosy cheeks of a bearded gift-giver, but the cherubic face of the newly delivered Life-giver who had been laid in a manger in the only place His family could find shelter.[3]

Oh, holy night!  The shepherds left the hills where they watched a flock of sacrificial sheep so they might behold the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world.[4]  Wise men left the comfort of their palace homes to bring comfort and gifts to the One who left His glorious home to offer them the greatest gift of all – eternal life.[5]  This Child lay sheltered from the night and the stars He created, tended to by those He came to serve and to save.[6]

This Christmas, may you know the Hope and Peace that Jesus came to offer.  May your holiday reflect the Joy that eternal life through Christ can bring.  May you live in a way that honors the gift that began in a manger, but ended with a cross and an empty tomb.  That gift of eternal life is always available to those who believe.[7] 

Joy to you this Christmas!

Jacob

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[1] Luke 2:8-17

[2] Matthew 2:1-12

[3] Luke 2:1-7

[4] John 1:29-34

[5] Philippians 2:5-11

[6] Colossians 1:13-17; Matthew 20:28

[7] Romans 10:9-13

The Forgotten Story of Christmas

God has a way of using lasting images to make a point – Isaac saved from the blade of Abraham; 5,000 people fed by the gift of a young boy; the Gift of Heaven hanging on a cross for you and me.  Christmas is certainly filled with those awe-inspiring images we know and love.  Lowly shepherds pointed to the manger by an angelic messenger; wise men following a star to offer gifts for the newly-born Priest-King; and that Little Baby Boy napping in a place made for animals instead of the King of Glory.[i]

While we sing tales of that night in Bethlehem, there is a little-known prophecy that makes the realities of Jesus’ birth that much more amazing.  The prophet, Micah, foretold the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in this passage:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”  (Micah 5:2)

Yet a few verses earlier, Micah shared a truth that I doubt you’ve ever heard:

…So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.  And you, O tower of the flock (Migdal Eder) [זה מגדל in Hebrew], the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”  (Micah 4:7-8)

Bethlehem was a special place because the lambs raised in the hills north of there were destined for sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem.  Migdal Eder was a watchtower just north of Bethlehem that allowed the shepherds to keep an eye out for threats to the flock.  When lambs were to be born, the ewes were brought in from the fields and kept in the cave at the tower’s base, which essentially became a birthing station for sacrificial lambs.  After inspecting the lambs to assure they were unblemished and fit for sacrifice, shepherds, like those in our Christmas story, would bind the newborn lambs with rags, or swaddling cloths, and place them in a manger to keep them calm and free from harm. 

If you re-read Luke 2, you’ll notice the angel only instructed the shepherds: “You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  God offered the magi a star; He only gave the shepherds a general location!  While they likely wondered WHY Jesus would be born in a place and manner reserved for sacrificial lambs, they didn’t have to think very hard about WHERE to find Him.  Because there was only one manger where sacrificial lambs were laid – the cave under the Tower of Eder.

Those blessed shepherds found the Baby where they expected, and discovered more than they had ever hoped.  They beheld the Lamb of God who would take away their sin.[ii]  They were awed by the Star of Jacob.[iii]  That’s what happens when we seek after Jesus.  We encounter all the love and light and hope and life we could ever imagine.  All found in the lovely face of that precious Child.  The One is the manger at Migdal Eder.

May you find what you really seek this Christmas.

Jacob

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[i] Psalm 24

[ii] John 1:29

[iii] Numbers 24:17

The Misfits of Bethlehem

Are you a camper?  You know, one of those folks who likes to go into the woods, find a spot by the lake, pitch your tent, build a fire, eat some S’mores and watch the stars come out at night?  I am not.  (Though I do like S’mores.)  My only real tent-camping experience came one rainy night in a pup tent with my best friend as a young boy.  The clouds opened and we were drenched.  Welcome to the world of the outdoors!  Maybe that’s why I never did it again?

Not everyone has a choice about sleeping under the stars.  In the days surrounding the birth of Jesus, a mini-industry had been created that supplied sheep for sacrifice in the temple in Jerusalem.  Since Bethlehem was only about 6 miles away and the area supported the grazing flocks, it made sense to locate the shepherds and their charges in that region.  Unfortunately, the nature of the job required that the shepherds were ruled unfit to worship because they couldn’t meet the Rabbinic standards for cleanliness.  They couldn’t wash properly; they would enclose their flocks in make-shift stone enclosures at night; and then lay across the entrance to the sheep pen to protect these would-be sacrifices.  That life made it impossible to meet the strict standards to be “religiously acceptable”.

Instead, these dedicated servants watched the sun set and the stars come out each night, committed to the well-being of each member of the flock.  I’m sure they swapped stories around the fire after dinner and slept in shifts so someone was always awake to “man the watch”.  But on one special night, these misfits of Bethlehem became the chosen audience for a once-in-eternity event:

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you…When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.  After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.   Luke 2:8-18

These shepherds didn’t feel very religious, but the God of Creation thought them special enough to send His special angelic messenger to share the breaking news of the Messiah’s arrival with THEM.  Think about how significant that was!  Outcasts from their own religion who were told they were saved by this Child, not by some complicated system.  And then they shared that truth with others who were equally amazed!  While not everyone is cut out to be a camper or a shepherd, we who believe in the One who came that starry night to save a band of misfits are also called to share the same Good News.  This Christmas, share the truth – and share a gift – that will take that amazing story to lives you may never touch yourself.  I’ve included some links to help you share the wonderful story of Christ.  It’s great news!  Pass it on!

Jacob

https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/gift-catalog

https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=national_donation_form

The Star of Heaven, Shadow of His Glory

We all understand how shadows work.  If there is a light source, you cast a shadow.  But what if you ARE the light source?  Of course, I’m not speaking about you specifically being a light, but about Jesus.  And not really the Jesus in a manger, because He certainly cast a shadow as a human being.  But what about before that?  Before He left heaven to come to earth?  The Jesus spoken of by the apostle John:

Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.  That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it…The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.    John 1:4-5, 9

Jesus, before He came to earth as a man, was the light of life for all of creation.  He was filled with all the glory of God Himself, according to Hebrews 1:3:

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature…

A few of the disciples got a glimpse of the brightness of His glory just once in Jesus’ life with them:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transformed in front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes became as white as the light.

Why wasn’t Jesus glowing ALL the time?  Because He willingly left His glory along with His other God-like attributes when He stepped out of heaven to offer Himself for you and me.  The book of Philippians records this reverse-metamorphosis:

Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.  Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave (servant), taking on the likeness of men.  Philippians 2:5-7

Read that last underlined portion again.  He “emptied Himself”.  Of what?  He never stopped being God, but He had to peel off the glory and majesty that were His already so He could be just like us – a human being.  A poor parallel would be that of a beautiful butterfly choosing to lay aside its gossamer wings so it could crawl around with the other insects.  This One who left heaven was, and is, “…the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”  (Revelation 22:16)

Which brings me to the hillside just north of the village of Bethlehem where an angel appeared to the shepherds on the night Mary gave birth:

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…    Luke 2:9

The Glory of the Lord lit up the night around them.  The same brightness that filled the tabernacle when God was present.  The same brilliance that radiated from Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and again in the throne room of heaven when John shared “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength”.[i]  Though I can’t be certain, isn’t it possible that the glory that couldn’t be contained in the infant Son in the manger just had to point the shepherds and magi to His side?  May the Glory of God point you to the King of Righteousness this Christmas.

Jacob

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[i] Revelation 1:16

Six Miles From Christmas

Sometimes the things that bother me remind me I’m getting older.  One of those things is the crazy reliance on GPS navigation systems to get somewhere.  Not long ago I phoned someone traveling to my home to ask, “Where are you?”  The response?  “I don’t know – I’m just following the directions on the GPS.”  Whatever happened to maps?  How can someone head out on a journey with absolutely no knowledge of how to get there except for their reliance on some often-fallible electronic device?

Over two millennia ago some wise men, or magi, took off on a long trip with no knowledge of their destination, but were guided by something a bit better than a GPS system.  They were, of course, being directed by the Star appointed by the Creator God to guide them to His Only-Begotten Son.  What was the star?  That’s not critical to the story.  But there are certainly lessons to be learned from the journey of these travelers from the East.  The story is only recorded in the gospel of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”…and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  (Matthew 2:1-2;9-11)

You know the story as you’ve seen it portrayed in countless Christmas pageants.  Three young guys dressed in bathrobes and paper crowns presenting gifts to the baby in the manger, surrounded by shepherds, angels, and anthropomorphic animals.  Though the scene doesn’t jive with the actual account, it all fuses into an amazing story of worship.

So were there three wise men?  The Scripture doesn’t say.  Three gifts mentioned gave rise to that idea.  Some middle-eastern church traditions say there were twelve.  Did they have names?  I’m sure they did, but we don’t know them.  Where were they from?  The word in the Bible literally says “from the rising of the sun”.  Somewhere in the east, most likely Persia or Babylon or even Yemen.  Their knowledge about the coming King was no doubt influenced by the Jews who were held captive in the region 500 years before.

But getting back to the stellar GPS they followed, I must ask, “Why did the magi stop in Jerusalem?”  They had followed the star for nearly 1,000 miles, yet they stopped in Jerusalem instead of following it all the way to Bethlehem where the Child was born.  After traveling that far, they stopped SIX MILES short of their destination!  How does that happen?  By taking your eye off the star.  They had “seen His star” but there they were, asking directions from the wicked king, Herod. When they looked again, there was the Star to guide them to Jesus.

This Christmas, make sure YOUR spiritual GPS is fully functioning.  Your focus should be on the Star of Christmas, the Bright and Morning Star[i].  Don’t stop short in your search for Christ this holiday season.  It would be a terrible shame if you, like the wise men, stopped short just six miles from Christmas.

Jacob

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[i] Revelation 22:16

What Do You Mean, Turn the Other Cheek?!

Can we all agree that some things the Bible tells us to do are difficult at times, even for the most pious among us?  But when Jesus speaks, those red-letter-emphasized instructions direct from the Savior’s mouth seem to demand even more careful obedience.  So why is it that we all seem to choke on that most-famous command to “turn the other cheek”?  Here’s the verse in context:

You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.  (Matthew 5:38-40)

Jesus obviously understands that when someone hurts you, you want to obtain some sort of revenge.  Yet His advice – no, His COMMAND – is that we respond to the ultimate insult by turning the other cheek.  Is that where the saying “adding insult to injury” came from?  It seems from the text that Jesus’ admonition covers not only our personal pride, but our material possessions, as well.  Does Jesus expect us to be doormats for the bullies of the world?  To just take whatever the “meanies” in our lives want to dish out and never respond in anger or vengeance?  The short answer is, “Yes”.  But here’s the rest of the story from a plea by King David 3,000 years ago:

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me.  Deliver me from the workers of iniquity…The mighty gather against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord.  They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine…I will wait for You, O You his Strength; For God is my defense.  My God of mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies…But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  (Psalm 59)

I find it interesting that this same David stood against the giant, Goliath, and left him in a heap on the battlefield.  Goliath insulted God and David put him down.  THAT’S our kind of hero, right?  But Jesus tells us that if someone insults US, GOD will take care of it.  You see, David knew it was God that brought the victory over Goliath, not his skill with a sling and a stone.  David was simply fighting for God’s reputation; God directed the rock!  In the Psalm above, David is singing the same tune – God you protect me and I’ll sing your praises. 

Jesus wasn’t trying to convince us all to live like Timex watches that “take a licking and keep on ticking!”  God doesn’t expect that His children will be abused by the bad folks in the world.  He just wants to be the one to settle the account for us!  God doesn’t want us to have to figure out justice and to dole out mercy.  Only God is a fit judge.  What He asks from us is to trust HIM.  That’s what it’s always about in this life. 

So, the next time someone slaps you on your cheek or wants to bilk you out of your shirt, literally or figuratively, repeat the refrain of Psalm 59: “Deliver me…Defend me…and I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing of Your mercy.”  You do your job and let God do His.

Jacob

The King and I – a Look at Bible Translation

Part of overcoming the fear of reading the Bible for direction and insight is to find a translation that you can understand.  Typically, your church will have a favored translation – the one usually used by the pastor during preaching on Sunday or the translation found slipped into the rack on the back of the pew in front of you.  Churches might debate the validity of different translations, so I wanted to help you understand a bit more about where that Bible you hopefully read originated.

Let’s begin by looking at what the Bible says about itself:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.   2 Timothy 3:16-17

…When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.   1 Thessalonians 2:13

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  (2 Peter 1:20-21)

To summarize, God spoke through men by the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal His heart and will to us, so we can live the lives He intended.  Now that’s helpful, isn’t it?

But the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  That would be עִברִית

and Ελληνικά, and Google translate can’t even do English to Aramaic!  Obviously, translation is critical for us to understand.  But God’s effort in bringing His Word to us was targeted first at His beloved Hebrews using their wonderful picture-language that showed us images of things to come.  The meaning-specific Greek that connected the whole world of Jesus and the Apostles brought the truths of Christ to the four corners of the earth.  It doesn’t matter to us that many of the Greek texts were written SOTHEYWOULDREADSOMETHINGLIKETHIS!  All caps and no spaces.  Many others were written in a kind-of lower case cursive.  But all in all, the Word of God was written, preserved, and now translated into a form that can make sense to all of us.  Especially if we speak English. 

But what about the rest?  While more than 1,300 languages have access to the New Testament and some portions of Scripture in their language, and more than 550 languages have the complete translated Bible, there are about 7,000 languages known to be in use today.  That means up to 180 million people still need Bible translation to begin in their language.  Just under 2,300 languages across 130 countries have active translation and linguistic development work happening right now.  But up to 1,800 languages still need a Bible translation project to begin. Maybe that’s YOUR calling?  If you’d like more information, or to make a difference in reaching out to our world with the Word of God, check this out:  https://www.wycliffe.org/about/why

Happy I can read my Bible in English!

Jacob

                                                                                                                                                           

Be Thou Not Afraid (of the Bible)

Let’s face it.  The Bible can be an intimidating book.  Forget about the fact that it speaks of itself in these ominous tones:

“…the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12

It’s as if the Holy Spirit is promising spiritual surgery to everyone who reads it.  That is, in fact, God’s guarantee!  Who among us can stand up to the discerning truths of Scripture?  No one.  But God promises forgiveness and salvation to all who believe the words of our sacred text.  So why do we shy away from reading it for ourselves??

Maybe we think there’s not much in the Bible except for boring stuff and names we can’t pronounce? 

“The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.  The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah, Kittim, and Rodanim.”  (1 Chronicles 1:5-7)

So yes, there ARE names we struggle to pronounce, but if you knew that at least one of the names listed is your direct ancestor, would you be MORE interested?  (Because that is almost certainly true.)  Trust me when I say that there is an abundance of riches found in the different chronologies and in the “person A begat person B” sections of Scripture.  Why in the world is all that stuff there?  Because there is a story behind each name and life lived, sometimes for God and sometimes not.  Those who followed God deserve the recognition and attention; those who failed serve as a warning to us.  Your life, no matter whether you follow Christ or not, will do the same for someone who follows you.

Do you have trouble understanding the words you read because the language used in the King James version is different from 21^st century English?  Compare these two passages from Philippians 2:2-4:

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  (King James Version)

Fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.  Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.  Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  (Holman Christian Study Bible)

If you’d like to read different translations online or before buying a specific translation, try this website:  https://www.biblegateway.com/.  You can even look at two or three versions side-by-side in parallel translation if that helps you.

What’s most important?  READ YOUR BIBLE!  God penned a love-letter to you so you would know Him better.  If the Creator of the universe thought it was worth the time to write down what He believed was important, what is it that YOU think is MORE important? 

Jacob

I Can Clean That If You Want

Spot removal.  It can be a real bear sometimes!  We’ve all had it happen.  You wear your best outfit and manage to drop dinner in your lap.  No matter what you try, it seems like you can always see the defect, whether others can or not.  I’m still wearing a nice pair of dress pants that I inadvertently got paint on eight years ago!  I know, why am I wearing clothes that old?  I won’t even tell you how many seasons some of my unseen garments have been through.  But the point is that sometimes, a spot or stain stays no matter how hard we try to eliminate it.

Even Shakespeare wrote famously about that “darned spot” (with apologies to Will) that Lady Macbeth just couldn’t get out – the stain of her sin for her part in a murder plot (Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1).  While you may not have sin stains as stubborn or heinous as Lady Macbeth’s, the reminders of your own failures might sometimes steal your sleep as well.  We all have personal stains – let’s just call them past sins to be completely honest – that don’t seem to go away no matter how hard we wish they would.  Oh, I know if you are a believer in Christ, the blood of Jesus has washed them away so no one else should comment on them.  I know even God Himself doesn’t see them.  But I still do.  It doesn’t seem to matter that whatever terrible things I’ve done in the past are forgiven and covered by Christ’s blood, I still struggle with seeing the stain. 

King David had lots of stains that might have kept him awake at night.  His story is just as lurid and ghastly as any Shakespeare tale.  But instead of wandering the halls of his palace lamenting his sin, it seems he discovered a way to get those spots out:

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.       Psalm 51:1-7

If you’ve sought forgiveness like David, there is nothing else you can do.  No matter how dreadful the stain in your life, it doesn’t get any cleaner than when it’s been laundered by the Savior.  Your sin-stains are gone.  Your friends may remember where they were.  Your spouse might recall just how terrible the spot appeared when it was fresh.  You may still be able to visualize exactly what it looked like before it was washed away.  BUT IT IS GONE.   

In John 13, Jesus tried to give us a visual reminder of His ability to clean away sin by washing the feet of His disciples.  It was His very last act of ministry TO them before He died FOR them.  Max Lucado referenced Jesus’ act in these words from his book, Just Like Jesus:

“Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, "I can clean that if you want." And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes away our sin.”

Wow.  The sin-stains are gone.  Is it possible you still see where those marks were because they’ve been replaced by the tear-stains of gratitude?  Those are spots you can live with.

Jacob

A Drop in the Bucket

Do we live in a great country, or what??  Where else can young people aspire to be anything they wish – and achieve it?!  Where else on this big, blue planet can someone be born with the freedoms we have, including the choice to not only BELIEVE in our God, but to speak about Him freely to anyone who will listen?  So why in this election cycle are so many followers of Christ discouraged about the future of this great nation?  Let me explain why we shouldn’t be concerned.  Or better still, let me simply quote the words of the prophet, Isaiah:

Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing…All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless…     (Isaiah 40:15-17)

Now admit it; you didn’t see that coming, did you?  The reason we disciples of Jesus Christ need not be concerned about the future of America is quite simply because God’s purposes are not thwarted by any president or king or dictator.  The fact that God says nations are “less than nothing and worthless” doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care about you.  It means He cares about you REGARDLESS of the country of your residence.  Regardless of the freedoms your government allows you.  Regardless of the color of your skin, whether you live in a red state or a blue state, and regardless of whether you carry a Glock, or believe you shouldn’t be allowed to do so. 

God was in the business of setting people free thousands of years before America was even a dream.  And He’ll be doing it for millennia after America has ceased to exist.  I’m not talking about political freedom, but the freedom that comes from being ransomed from the slavery of sin and being adopted into an eternal, loving relationship by the God who created you.  Are you listening??

Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  Has it not been told you from the beginning?  Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?  It is He who sits above the circle of the earth…Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.  He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.  Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things…by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing.   (Isaiah 40:21-26)

The Christian faith doesn’t require the freedoms of America to function.  In fact, the ease with which we can practice our faith may be undermining our commitment to it.  Early Christians maintained holiness in pagan cultures filled with sensual temptations much worse than ours.  Many 1st-century believers were slaves who worshipped alongside their masters knowing that their circumstance was only temporary when compared with eternity.  I understand your angst over the next four-year term, but what if it’s 48 years and not just four?  Are you up to the challenge?  God told Isaiah to tell you this:

Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the children shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.  They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.   (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Jacob

Does Character Matter Anymore in America?

My writings are intended to be distinctly apolitical, yielding my only allegiance to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But the abhorrent state of American politics requires a statement on how we ended up on the edge of the moral abyss, ready to elect a lying, self-seeking, narcissistic misogynist regardless of which candidate wins the election.  Though this post is a little longer than normal, I pray you read it to the end and take it to heart.

Alexis de Tocqueville, the famous 19th century French statesman and social philosopher, traveled to America in the 1830s to discover the reasons for the incredible success of this new nation. In his classic work, Democracy in America, de Tocqueville extols the virtue of America as being rooted in her religious character. Some particularly relevant excerpts from his writing include:

Upon my arrival in the United States the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; …In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions. But in America I found they were intimately united…

Religion in America...must be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of that country; for if it does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of it.

In the United States, the sovereign authority is religious...there is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America…

I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors...; in her…fields and…forests; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her…Congress and in her matchless Constitution.  Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.  The safeguard of morality is religion, and morality is the best security of law as well as the surest pledge of freedom.

Two hundred years have brought amazing and wonderful changes in our country, but not all change has been good.  No longer do children learn Scripture in school – instead those who openly honor God and His Word are judged to be “hateful” because the precepts of faith allow no comfortable resting place for sin.  Righteousness is labeled as intolerance.  Godliness makes people uncomfortable.  And piety?  Who even understands the word anymore?  The Scriptures teach us:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?    (Jeremiah 17:9)

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.   (Matthew 15:18)

Do you know who is to blame for our current predicament?  WE ARE.  You and Me.  We have tolerated, compromised, conceded, and cooperated ourselves into this pathetic, lukewarm state of being where we have religious hearts, but our voices and efforts have been muted by a nation offended by the truths of God.  It would seem our “chickens have come home to roost”. 

Jacob

#characteralwaysmatters  #whathappenedtous?

Are You a Fat Little Baby?

As I write this, 100 mile per hour winds are buffeting the southeastern coast of the United States as a hurricane works its way north.  Winds and waves like that tend to relocate boats, uproot trees, and weaken the foundations of homes that are susceptible.  When the apostle Paul wrote these words to the Ephesian church, he was concerned about the same thing happening to his readers:

“…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”    Ephesians 4:14

Those words immediately follow Paul’s explanation about the function of the leadership in any church.  That leadership is there:

 “…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”    Ephesians 4:12-13

That last phrase is talking about growing up; becoming mature in the faith.  The idea is picturing ripened fruit – fully mature and not still too “green” to eat.  That’s what is SUPPOSED to happen to ALL of us who follow after Christ.  We are “born again” as babes in the faith, and then we grow and mature, becoming like fully ripened fruit attached to the life-giving vine of our Savior (see John 15).

However, this is where the fat little baby* part comes in.  Take a look in the mirror.  Do you see a fully mature follower of Jesus looking back at you?  And if not, why not? The writer of Hebrews has at least a partial explanation:

 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age...   Hebrews 5:12-14

Instead of growing up and stepping into the leadership roles Paul was speaking about in Ephesians 4, you struggle with the solid food necessary to grow up in your faith.  The milk is easier, but that’s BABY food!  We don’t feed babies steak for good reason – they aren’t ready for it.  But for heaven’s sake, GET READY for it!  The wind and waves of life are crashing all around us, assaulting the foundations of our faith.  Our solution is to dig a deeper foundation by tunneling deep into the complexities of the Word. 

Babies don’t aspire to grow up because they don’t understand enough to want that.  I’m writing this so you don’t have any excuse.  Don’t keep feeding on the easy milk of your faith – dig in to a hearty meal so you can grow up big and strong.  While advertising will tell you that “Milk does a body good”, I’m telling you on good authority that it keeps you a fat little baby.  Put away the kiddie menu and step up to the buffet.

Jacob

*By the way, the name of this post is inspired by Amy Grant’s song that you can hear at this link (with apologies to Archie Bunker): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnV1aoobQSU 

Have You Had Your Surgery Today?

Who among us doesn’t enjoy slicing into a thick, juicy steak?  (Unless, of course, you’re Vegan?)  But think about how it feels to be the “slicee” rather than the “slicer”.  Most of us have had surgery of some sort, so you already know how it feels!  You’re given some kind of pain-altering anesthesia and then a hopefully-well-trained doctor begins to slice you open, looking for something that either needs repair or removal.  And your last thought before drifting off to la-la-land is, “I hope the doc remembers everything from anatomy class!”  Meanwhile, the doctor is thinking, “Now which one of these is the gall bladder, anyway?”  In any case, when you awake, the result is usually that you’re in better shape than you were before the cutting took place, even though your sick part has been replaced by searing pain.

God does something like that for us when we open the Bible.  The writer of Hebrews describes the process by which our “surgery” takes place:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.   (Hebrews 4:12)

Many who follow Christ read a passage like this and nod in agreement without really understanding what happens.  We open the Bible and begin to read; and this WORD (logos in the Greek) that emanates from the Creator of the universe begins to slice into the intricacies of our being to help us see what’s wrong and what’s right about who we are.  Kind of like having an x-ray and surgery all at the same time.  Our spiritual surgery is performed using a knife that is razor-sharp, literally alive, completely powerful, and wielded by the perfectly-skilled hands of the Holy Spirit.  But I FEEL OK, why is God slicing into me today?

We are, as the Bible declares in Psalm 139, “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the image of God.  An aspect of what that means is the three-fold nature of our being: body, soul, and spirit.  Sometimes we confuse the words “soul” and “spirit” and assume they are the same thing.  They are not, hence this wonderful statement from Hebrews about the need for discerning between the motives of the two. 

Our SPIRIT (not to be confused with the Holy Spirit that indwells believers in Christ) is that part of us that is made alive when we confess and repent of our sin, and acknowledge Jesus as the only source of our much-needed salvation.  Our spirit can then commune with the Spirit of God directly.  Prior to being regenerated by the saving power of God, our spirits are dead and unresponsive.

The SOUL, by contrast, is a part of every person, believer or not, comprised of those mental aspects of thought, will, and emotion.  We humans are driven by what we think, what we feel, and what we want, and the habits and drives generated by those kinds of motivations are sometimes hard to separate from what God Himself wants for us.  That’s why we so badly need the skilled hands of the Holy Spirit to guide the powerful Word of God to separate the motives of our own souls from what our spirits should desire. 

We should schedule time for “surgery” every day!  Yes, it hurts, but I can’t really be healthy without it.  “Paging Dr. Logos….”

Jacob

How Could I Say “NO”?

Have you ever been accused of being a negative person?  Do you sometimes feel like you need to start saying “YES” to things instead of always responding with a quick, “NO”?  That’s me much of the time, and certainly for any request that might require me to be socially interactive.  But the huge exception to my “NO” mentality comes in response to requests to do “good” things for people.  Many of you are just like me!  Someone needs a favor and you just can’t deny them or the church needs someone to work in the nursery and you just can’t say “No”.  Instead, you say, “Yes”, even when your plate is full and you can’t afford the time!  Often when you feel ill-equipped to meet the need, you still respond with, “I’d love to help.”  It’s a good thing those you help can’t read your actual thoughts at that moment, isn’t it??

If you’ve read many of my posts, you understand that at this point, I’m probably going to invoke some story from Jesus’ life that will make you feel worse for WANTING to say “NO”, even if you can’t force yourself to do it.  Well, hold on to your hat, because Jesus taught us alright – but He taught us to say “NO” when necessary:

 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. ³³ And the whole city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴ Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons….  ³⁵ Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. ³⁷ When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”  ³⁸ But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”     (Mark 1:32-38)

“Jesus, everyone is lined up again for You to take care of them!  C’mon, let’s go!”  To which Jesus responds, “NO.”  My words, not His, but you get the idea from what He said to the disciples.  People who had serious needs that could ONLY be met by Jesus, yet He walked away from them.  How could He do that?  Because He knew these truths:

A.    The purpose for which He came was bigger than just healing people – He came to save them!

B.    There will ALWAYS be needs that exist in the lives of others in this life.  It’s not possible to solve all the problems created by sin and neglect.

C.    He couldn’t do everything for everyone and still accomplish that for which He was born.

So what can I apply to myself from Jesus’ example? 

1.    I, too, have a spiritual purpose for which I was created and I need figure out what that is (if I don’t know) so I can be effective in living out God’s plan for me.

2.    No matter how much I do, I can’t fix everything that’s wrong with the people in my life or my church or my community.  Jesus couldn’t, so where do I get off thinking I can?

3.    Everything I say “YES” to that isn’t meant for me distracts me from doing something I AM supposed to do AND it keeps the person who would have done it if I hadn’t from getting to meet the need.

So here it comes: “Who will help if you don’t?”  Uh…whoever God has put in your life for that purpose?  I know it’s not me, so I have to say, “NO”.  How dare me!

Jacob

No Sissies Allowed!

If you listen carefully in many churches that “preach the Gospel”, the appeal to repentance and faith sounds more like a sales pitch to join a local 24/7 gym.  “You can have it all on terms that are convenient for you and God will be available to you any time, day or night.  All you need to do is sign on the dotted line….”

Contrast that approach to that penned by the saint who authored The Cost of Discipleship: “When Christ calls a man, He bids him ‘Come and die’.”  This simple sentence written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer before his death at age 39 speaks volumes to those who will listen.  Bonhoeffer gave his life in 1945, a victim of Nazi hate.  Believers are always more happy to hear the Bible passage that declares “Whosoever will, come…” But the full text is found in Mark 8:34:

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

There it is in plain English (King James Version, no less!)  Everyone is welcome to come.  But being a disciple involves:

1.    Self-denial

2.    Assumption of personal risk, possibly even death

3.    Following in the footsteps of Jesus – who already has shown us what #1 and #2 look like

None other than the great theologian, Johnny Cash, said, “Being a Christian isn’t for sissies!”  I’m sure that last word has long since passed from the politically-correct lexicon, but he said it, I didn’t.  But I certainly agree. 

21^st Century faith in America seems but a faint shadow of what it must have been to our Christian forebears who plowed new ground in the 1^st Century.  Yet even in this age, followers of Christ in other parts of our world are waging war against the powers of darkness by enduring suffering and even death.  But they are winning! God is being exalted, the lost are being rescued from sin and death, and Christ is being proclaimed even with the last breath of believers. 

It’s been estimated that one million Christians have been killed in just the first 10 years of our century. I know it sounds unbelievable, but here’s the link to check it out:

http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/research/documents/csgc_Christian_martyrs.pdf

That’s 100,000 of your fellow believers who give their lives every year just because they are Christians.  Do you think “…take up his cross and follow…” means something different to them than it does to you?  Why is that??

It’s because we’ve bought into the idea that we can do #3 in the list above without doing #1 and #2.  WRONG!  Jesus said we need to love Him more than anything or we can’t be His disciple.  He said if we’re not willing to handle #2, following Him just isn’t going to work for us.  (Go back and read Luke 14:26-27).  There are some serious challenges to walking with Jesus!

I don’t know about you, but I need to wake up to the fact that getting up to go to the early service and sitting in an air-conditioned building isn’t “suffering for Jesus.”  Even if it’s raining and the sermon runs long….

There’s more expected than what I’m giving,

Jacob

What Are You Worried About?

As a young teenager, I became intimately acquainted with Alfred E. Neuman.  Not sure who that is?  He is the face of MAD Magazine (do they still publish that?) and as such, he became the face of satire in an otherwise crazy world.  A world filled with war, disease, drugs, a poor economy, and general uncertainty.  Sound familiar??  Alfred’s motto was, “What, me worry?”  But his words gave voice to an absence of worry apparently due to ignorance, rather than an honest conviction that everything would really be OK. While the magazine pointed out the hypocrisy and failings during a tumultuous time, fear and worry still remained once the laughter wore off, no matter what Alfred suggested.

People of faith still aren’t immune to the issues and struggles of life.  That’s why one of the very first teachings of Jesus was about worry:

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the sky: …Aren’t you worth more than they? ²⁷ Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread…³⁰ If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? ³¹ So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’…³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. ³⁴ Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:25-34

How can we understand worry?  We all feel like we know what it is, but do we?  Think about the things you CARE most about in life.  CARE implies thought, investment, concern, and even love.  CARE is a positive thing.  WORRY is the exact opposite.  Worry seems to derail the CARE train; it saps away our productive thoughts and replaces them with fear.  In the text above, the real point Jesus is trying to make is that worry can’t reside in us at the same time as faith and trust. We must choose whether we want God to care for us (v.33) or worry about caring for ourselves. 

But the issue isn’t just about our psychological well-being.  It’s about spiritual productivity!  In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about how worry defeats our desire to be fruitful for the kingdom:

Other (seeds) are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries of this age…and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”  Mark 4:18-20

I had always assumed that Jesus’ admonition NOT to worry was to free us from an emotional burden we need not bear.  But His rebuke was intended to free us from worry so that we could focus our energies on the productive opportunities we encounter each day.  But you can’t CARE about those if you’re worrying about yourself, now can you? 

No worries,

Jacob

Let the Games Begin!

With the advent of college football for this year, I must admit I am a fan(atic).  It just so happens that I graduated from THE best university, which also has THE best football team, and THE best band in the land.  While I understand you may feel the same way about your university, your judgement is obviously clouded by your allegiance!  But no matter what colors you choose to wear on football Saturdays, it is your passion that makes each game important.  Whether you travel to the stadium to cheer in person or just stay at home and yell at your 60-inch HDTV, you are committed. 

I find it interesting that we can be SO committed to a sport that 99.9% of us never played at the highest levels.  Yet every disciple of Jesus is a “starter” on His team.  Why then do we seem to lack a similar level of commitment to that high calling?  Perhaps we should start to encourage tailgating in our church parking lots for a few hours leading up to the Sunday services?  That would also solve the Baptist vs Methodist race to the restaurants after church dismisses!  Maybe offer snacks and drinks in the foyer (like at the ballgame) so worshipers can make it through the services.  Oh wait, we already do that!  Cheerleaders to get us excited?  Praise team usually has that covered.  So what will make a difference for us?

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”  1 Peter 2:9

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind…”  Luke 10:27

Forgive the continuing analogy, but when Jesus was picking teams, He picked YOU!  No, I don’t know why either, He just did.  But when many of us were passed over for lesser teams, the Creator of the universe thought enough of each of us to say, “Hey, you!  I want you to be a part of my special people; my holy nation.  You are royalty, whether you feel like it or not.  Get suited up!  You’re in the game!”

We may ask, “What’s the game plan?”  Well, Jesus already spelled that out.  “Leave it all on the field”, as they say.  “Give 110% all the time.”  (I don’t know why that mathematically-impossible expression has become so popular, but it makes the point.)  Jesus expects we will give it all – everything our hearts, minds, souls, and strength can yield. 

My favorite team spends all week getting ready, and then when game day comes, they leave it all out there between the lines – those markers and sidelines that define the playing field.  For followers of Christ, it’s important to realize that Sunday worship IS NOT the game!  Sunday is just practice.  What we do inside the walls of the church is to get us ready for game time!  And THAT happens Monday-Saturday when we interact with a world that badly needs to know the love of Jesus.  They will see it in us, the players who carry out the plan.  If you decide you’d rather sit the bench than get in the game, someone else will get to carry the ball.  But remember that you can’t be a part of the victory if you don’t fulfill your role on the team.  So say it with me, “Put me in, Coach!”

Jacob

All Work and No Play?

Growing up I was blessed to have wonderful friends, as were most of us.  Not long ago, my childhood best friend posted a picture on Facebook of his father taken decades ago.  I was immediately transported back to his living room and filled with the memories of days too quickly gone.  Those days were simplistic and carefree, filled with fun and laughter.  But not all the days were perfect.  You see, the kind, loving father in the picture died in his 30’s just a few years after the picture was taken.  Life is certainly filled with ups and downs, and all those memories remain to shape us.

Each of us lives our lives according to a fashion that is as unique as our fingerprints.  We might be wonderfully carefree; maybe a bit reckless; or perhaps stoically boring.  That last one is more like me than the other two.  You know the old adage, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”?  I make Jack look exciting!     

So when I read passages like this one spoken by Jesus, I have to consider if I’m on the right track:

“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10

Oh, I get the “life” part.  Jesus is speaking about life in Him – our spiritual life – both in this present world and in the eternal existence to come.  It would seem we are intended to enjoy THIS life completely, in part at least by knowing the fullness of our lives to come once this temporal period is over.  But I surmise it is His intention that we also get the most out of every day in this TEMPORAL life, too.  I think that’s what the “more abundantly” is about.  After all, how could life in the new heaven and new earth (see Revelation 21:1) in the presence of God Himself get any better?!  So “more abundantly” can’t be in reference to that.

Is it just possible that by knowing God personally now, by being sure of our futures, and believing that His providence and provision reign over our lives until we join Him in eternity, that we can live life differently than we have been?  What if we throw worry to the winds and live a more carefree existence?  What if the wisdom that comes from knowing Christ and His Word allows us to avoid the pitfalls about which we waste hours worrying?  Is your life filled with joy?  What about happiness (you DO know that’s different, right)?  I’m betting Jesus meant all of that when He said He wanted us to have a life that overflows.  And knowing Jesus, I’m thinking he’d want us to have fun, too.

Those days when we were lucky enough to have fathers and mothers who cared for our every need, who protected us, and who made sure we were pointed in the right direction allowed us to be carefree and fun and even a bit crazy!  Now I just need to remember that I still have a Father like that.  I need to loosen up quite a bit if I’m going to fulfill the mission Jesus has for me in life.  I WANT to live “more abundantly”.  And I want to let Jack back on the “dull boy” throne.  He can have it.  I’m going to go have some fun!  Want to join me?

Jacob

But What About THEM!

We seem to talk a lot about “they” and “them”.  You know you’ve heard, “Well, THEY think...” or “THEY said….”  Who are THEY anyway?  And all of us remember being asked to do something, like wash the dishes, or clean our rooms, or take out the trash, only to respond, “But what about THEM!”  Those “T” words remind us that there’s someone else out there, and it’s not us!  But what does it really matter what THEY think, or what THEY say?  And why do we focus on THEM when we are asked to perform some task or service which will benefit someone we care about or serve our collective good?  It’s a common problem, but is there a solution?

It’s always good to get Jesus’ opinion on anything, but He does speak directly to this kind of issue in dealing with the apostle, Peter, in the book of John in the New Testament:

So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. (This is his friend and fellow disciple, John – my note)… ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord—what about him?”  ²² “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.”  John 21:20-22

If you go back and read John 21:15-19, you’ll discover that Jesus had just challenged Peter to commit to carrying on the work that Jesus had begun with the disciples.  It was a huge commitment, and honestly, Peter was sort of hesitant to make it.  He had already denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion, and now, Jesus challenged him three times to “fish or cut bait”, as Peter might have understood the colloquialism.  (Jesus didn’t use those words, but Peter understood the challenge.)  It was time for Peter to act.  So what was his response?  “Hey Jesus, what about HIM?”

WHY DO WE DO THAT?  Do we imagine that by shifting the focus to someone else, we are relieved of the expectation?  Do we actually suppose that the one making the request will respond by reassigning it to the person to whom we’ve shifted attention?  Do we expect that by pointing to THEM we can get lost in the crowd?

Jesus’ answer to Peter should pierce our hearts when we try to waffle under a request to perform.  Our conscience should speak His words, “…What is that to you?”  You see, each of us is INDIVIDUALLY responsible to live out the challenges life places in front of us. Oh sure, we are placed in families, and we have classmates, co-workers, and fellow parishioners to rely on.  But when it gets down to it, what do THEY or THEM have to do with what God is doing in and through you?  Nothing.  And that was Jesus’ point to Peter. 

Peter wasn’t responsible for EVERYTHING, but he was responsible for HIS thing.  And so are you.  What, but the way, is YOUR THING?  What is it that your family really needs from you now?  What do folks rely on you to do at work that you should be doing, but aren’t?  What does GOD expect from you?  It’s important to know that, in life, you can’t just point your finger at someone else and shift away your responsibility.  Jesus saw to that.

Working hard at doing “my thing”,

Jacob