Shark Week Always Starts on Sunday

If you are younger than 30 years old, you have never known a summer without Shark Week.  It has become a summertime rite of passage on the Discovery Channel and most of us have grabbed the TV remote to check in on those sandpaper-skinned denizens of the deep.  What you may not realize is that the number one location IN THE WORLD for shark attacks is Volusia County, Florida.  Not the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, or the Cape of Africa, or Nantucket – but the sun-drenched beaches just south of Daytona Beach.  Why do 15% of all shark attacks worldwide occur here?  Lots of people are in the water and most attacks are “test bites” by baby bull sharks.  These non-lethal attacks occur when these small sharks nibble on surfers and swimmers who have been mistaken for normal prey.  Once the shark realizes your foot dangling from your surfboard isn’t the fish it sought, it will release its toothy grip.  Oh, pardon me! 

Is there a spiritual application to Shark Week?  You know there is.  Paul writes in Galatians:

For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.   ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.   Galatians 5:14-15

You likely recall that when Jesus was asked:

“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”  He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and most important command.  The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.   Matthew 22:36-39

You may be surprised to learn that the command to “Love your neighbor” was first given in Leviticus 19.  Then it was repeated three times by Jesus in Matthew; followed by Paul’s reminder in both Romans and Galatians; and finally urged by James, the half-brother of Jesus, in the book he penned.  Once should have been enough, but apparently all the urging fell on deaf ears in the early church, as it still does today!  Why so many reminders?  Because – as Paul said in Galatians 5 – we continue to “bite and devour one another” rather than loving one another.  It seems it’s ALWAYS Shark Week in the Church!

Why do we do that?  Why do we choose to inflict non-lethal damage on others in the church or our families by taking a “bite”?  I didn’t say the bites don’t hurt, but they usually don’t destroy our fellow believers.  But after every test bite, someone who cares about our victim (apparently more than we do) must administer first aid to repair the damage we’ve done.  Someone did something to you this week and now you see them at church – CHOMP.  The Pastor didn’t do as well on his message as you thought he should – CHOMP.  That mother of five really has lots of trouble controlling her children in public – CHOMP. 

Let me make this clear.  Your fellow Christ-followers are not your prey.  Your family members are not intended to be dinner.  Taking a bite out of them, no matter what you might think at the time, will not satisfy you, nor will it leave them unharmed.  Paul was so worried about the bad habits of his fellow Christians that he lamented they would “consume” one another.  What a shame that an admonition that belongs more appropriately in a Peter Benchley novel would have to be penned by an apostle to those who say they love one another! 

John 13:35 says, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Can we agree that it’s a good idea to live in such a way that you make sure your relatives and church family know you love them?  And if you’re too disobedient to do that, at least leave them off the menu!

Jacob

Chasing Chickens is Good, Right?

Diaspora.  I’m betting that’s a word you may have never used in conversation.  It’s a word that’s been transliterated from the Greek, and means “dispersion, or scattering”.  The first thing that popped into my mind when I thought of “dispersion” was the days on my grandparent’s farm when I ignored their orders and chased chickens around the barnyard.  In my experience, chickens tended to congregate in large bunches, pecking at the corn that has been cast onto the ground for them.  It just seemed “right” to me that when they congregated together, it was my chief duty to scatter them!  I’d run right into the middle of the flock and they would take off in every direction, no doubt irritated by the disruption.  But that picture – of wings flapping and drumsticks fleeing – helps me understand what took place in the New Testament and before.

There were many times before the early Church formed that Jews has been dispersed.  Many chose not to return to Israel after the Babylonian captivity and were scattered throughout Persia.  Before the birth of Jesus, it’s estimated that there were over one million Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt.  Persecution under Roman rule had caused many Jews to leave Israel, so Jews could be found in all the cities throughout the Roman empire.  Most of the Jewish dispersion had occurred because of persecution, but God’s purpose was being worked out in all of it.

Peter wrote to believers in the early church about what was happening then:

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.   1 Peter 1:1-2

The persecution of the Church and the consequent dispersion that took place in the 1^st century had resulted in the scattering of believers in every direction from Jerusalem.  Remember what Jesus had spoken in Acts 1:8 regarding the spread of the Gospel?

“You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Diaspora made it all easier.  Jews had been spread throughout the Roman world, taking with them the knowledge of the one true God.  And now believers in Christ could share with those Jews and others in their cities about the promised Messiah.  Read the book of Acts carefully, and you’ll see how many times the Gospel is spread through the communities that had been prepared by previous dispersions of Jews.

What’s my point in all this?  Even now, as there is turmoil in the world; as refugees flee persecution in many countries; God is at work.  While many who flee as refugees are immersed in a false religion, there are also those Christians who are being scattered for the sake of the Gospel!  In refugee camps filled with Muslims who resist the Gospel, God has sent Christian believers from African countries to suffer alongside them.  I’m fairly certain these Christ-followers may not see God at work in their predicament, but God’s plans to advance the Gospel are never thwarted.  One young missionary couple[i] committed to helping the refugees shared that in the last year, the camp they serve in Greece has seen churches started within that camp by African refugees who are housed there!  In the midst of suffering and persecution, the Gospel is being advanced. 

When we face challenges in life, God always has a way of working through them.  If you are a believer who has suffered through chemotherapy, can’t you see how your faith has influenced the caregivers you’ve encountered?  If you’ve lost your job and were forced to find another, can you imagine that God is bringing the Gospel with you to share with your new co-workers?  If your world is turned upside-down, don’t despair.  God is at work in you and through you no matter how it seems.  As Joshua was preparing to do something new among God’s people, God reminded him, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)  Good advice for each of us.

I’m not the bravest person – in fact in some ways, you might even call me a “chicken” when it comes to putting myself at risk.  But when too many of us “chickens” congregate in the same spot, just feeding away, God has a way of making us scatter.  So, chasing chickens is a good thing, right?  Maybe even a “God-thing”.

Jacob

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[i]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIBg2isZsdo&t=254s

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden…

The first time I heard the words, I was stirred deep in my spirit.  Though Bill Gaither borrowed the title to A Few Good Men from the US Marines, the recruiting requirements it describes come straight from the Scriptures:

God doesn't need an Orator who knows what just to say;
He doesn't need authorities to reason Him away;
He doesn't need an army to guarantee a win;
He just needs a Few Good Men.

Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry -
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die -
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again -
He just needs a Few Good Men.

Being called to serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, does require goodness, courage, and compassion.  We must love our Savior and His Church more than we love life itself.  Luke tells us about the priorities of the kingdom in this exchange:

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  He said to another man, “Follow me.”  But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”   Luke 9:57-62

Does that seem harsh to you?  Did anyone promise you that walking with Jesus would be easy?  Each of the three men in the story WANTED to follow Jesus, they just didn’t have what it takes.  They wanted to live life on their terms, not God’s.  They desired comfort and convenience rather than risk and sacrifice.  Does that sound familiar?  Believers in Jesus’ day faced difficulties and even death – challenges that are beyond our imagination and likely beyond our commitment level.  But Jesus told his disciples (and us) what to expect:

If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple…In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Luke 14:26-27,33

What do you think Jesus meant when He spoke about “carrying your cross”?  What about “hating your family and even your own life”?  He wants to know if YOU love Him more than your family.  He wants to know if you love the Church more than the world.  He wants to know if you love the Kingdom more than you love your wealth.  He wants to know if you love your neighbor more than yourself.  Why do those questions matter?  They don’t – unless you want to be His disciple.

I’ve never been a Marine, and I’m sure bootcamp is no picnic.  But I’m confident that those who make it through are proud to wear the uniform.  Believers should feel the same commitment and dedication when they are set apart by the power of the Holy Spirit to serve the ultimate King.  While you might think you were chosen by God because you’re “good” or “worthy”, guess again!  You were chosen because the Father loves you and wants you to be His.  But you were also chosen because He knows you are strong and courageous.  Now go prove Him right!

Jacob

#IHateHashtags!

When was the last time you received a letter?  Not an email, but a real, pen-to-paper letter?  It seems the ability to write carefully, expressing one’s deepest feelings in words that are well thought out, has fallen into disfavor.  People don’t even send real cards on birthdays anymore – they just post greetings on Facebook!  The well-mannered epistle has been replaced by the indiscreet tweet.  How sad.  Can you imagine the apostle Paul expressing his views on church doctrine in 140 characters or less?  Or perhaps the apostle Peter might just post a picture of Jesus on Facebook for you to “like” or not (how dare you pass up the opportunity!)  I am grateful for all of us that the Gospel was introduced to the world in the 1^st century and not the 21^st.

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved so deeply, shared his heart with his fellow believers (and us) when he took the time to pen these words:

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. ² He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.  ³ And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. ⁴ If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. ⁵ But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. ⁶ Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

I didn’t count characters, but John’s beautiful words wouldn’t fit in a single tweet.  They do, however, fit nicely into the heart of a believer, and they encompass everything we need to know to live life as God intended.

John reminds us that sin has no place in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ.  Wow!  Does that create guilt in you like it does me?  While I’m no bank robber, or child molester, I’m guilty of allowing sin to creep into my life in other ways, just as offensive to God.  But, all praise to God, Jesus Himself pleads for me before the throne of heaven, reminding the Father that my righteousness is in Him, not in my own failed attempt at sinless living. 

But John is careful to remind us that the sacrifice of Christ isn’t a purely personal gift to be cherished and packed away for our own use, but Jesus’ death for sins is a universal call to repentance and forgiveness.  Your struggle with sin is the same life-stealing cancer that eats at every person in the world, and only Jesus has a cure.  How dare we keep the Gospel to ourselves when people are perishing all around us?  The blood of Christ is not limited by geography or heritage or race and is sufficient to bring cleansing to the souls of mankind wherever it is applied.

John’s words are also meant to help us learn the key to being assured of our place in the Body of Christ.  He says, “We can be sure that we know Him IF we obey His commandments.”   Doubt doesn’t usually haunt the believer who is walking faithfully with Christ.  It is the “follower” who isn’t following who is plagued by insecurity.  Yet John says we should just “live our lives like Jesus did.”  Seems simple enough, right?  Just always subordinate your will to the Father’s.  Always love others, even when they hate you.  Turn your back on sin so you can honor God and bring glory to Him.  Invest your life to help others find peace with God.  Simple, right?  The Holy Spirit inspired John to share that challenge with us because it IS possible, not because it’s impossible.

Perhaps today is a good day to find that old stationery and a nice pen, and jot a note to someone you care about?  Sure, it takes more time than tweeting or FB Messaging, but can you imagine their response when they open that envelope and find your heart there?   I promise it’s worth the time – for both of you.

Jacob