* bible etc *

Temptation — a nasty trick with more than one goal

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 5:05 am
Oswald Chambers I LOVE “My Utmost for His Highest.”  It is my favorite “devotional” in the world - the only one I have ever cared for until recently discovering one by Eugene Peterson.  My Utmost is new every day online and you can buy it at any Christian bookstore.  The one I read today is below… oh, and the reason I like today’s so much is two-fold:
  1. It talks about the difference or “change” between temptation before becoming a Christian (mostly our own bad desires pulling us to bad places) and after becoming a Christian (very often the Devil tempting us - although we are still “pulled on” by our sin-nature).
  2. It talks about when the Devil tempts a Christian, that it is probably more to disrupt their relationship with God, not so much just to get them to do “bad stuff.”  Think about it, if Satan tempts us to do a bad thing, and we do it, we have this feeling of guilt or a sense of separation from God and we are less likely to be courgeous enough to be obedient.  Right?  Satan’s goal is probably not just to get you to do bad things — it is more likely to keep you from doing the “good things” God wants his followers to do… maybe something God specifically wants YOU to do.

His Temptation and Ours
We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin —Hebrews 4:15

Until we are born again, the only kind of temptation we understand is the kind mentioned in James 1:14, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” But through regeneration we are lifted into another realm where there are other temptations to face, namely, the kind of temptations our Lord faced. The temptations of Jesus had no appeal to us as unbelievers because they were not at home in our human nature. Our Lord’s temptations and ours are in different realms until we are born again and become His brothers. The temptations of Jesus are not those of a mere man, but the temptations of God as Man. Through regeneration, the Son of God is formed in us (see Galatians 4:19 ), and in our physical life He has the same setting that He had on earth. Satan does not tempt us just to make us do wrong things— he tempts us to make us lose what God has put into us through regeneration, namely, the possibility of being of value to God. He does not come to us on the premise of tempting us to sin, but on the premise of shifting our point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

Temptation means a test of the possessions held within the inner, spiritual part of our being by a power outside us and foreign to us. This makes the temptation of our Lord explainable. After Jesus’ baptism, having accepted His mission of being the One “who takes away the sin of the world” ( John 1:29 ) He “was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness” ( Matthew 4:1 ) and into the testing devices of the devil. Yet He did not become weary or exhausted. He went through the temptation “without sin,” and He retained all the possessions of His spiritual nature completely intact. 
 
 

ARGUING WITH YOURSELF — good and bad at war inside you

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 5:04 am
Romans 7:18 (NIV)
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

Romans 7:25 (The Message)
… He [Jesus Christ] acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Have you ever thought something like this to yourself… "what is my problem? I can’t seem to do anything right… I am such a failure! I am never where God wants me to be, why doesn’t He just give up on me." It’s OK to admit that you feel this way at times… you aren’t alone. Look at these verse from the New Testament of the Bible —

Galatians 5:17 (NIV) — For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Romans 7:15 (The Message) — What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.

These verses refer to the battle that goes on inside you when you become a Christian. It’s like an internal game of dodgeball: On the one side, you have this great new Spiritual desire to do what God wants you to do (the Good team, the Average Joes). One the other side, you have the part of you that wants to do things you know God doesn’t want you to do (the Bad team, the Purple Cobras). And you get to be the referee in the middle, deciding which side wins, and occasionally getting nailed by the crossfire.

Is there no hope? As with every situation that involves God - you better believe there is hope!

Yes, you have two "natures" at war with each other. The good vs. the bad. But here is one of the most important things that happened when Jesus died and rose again. Follow the progression:John 8:34 (NIV) — Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

John 3:16 (The Message) — This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting [or Eternal] life.

Romans 6:6 (NIV) — For we know that our old self was crucified with him [Jesus] so that the body of sin might be done away with [Or that sin will be rendered powerless], that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

Romans 6:18 (NIV) — You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:22 (NIV) — But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

There is the hope. Jesus and His sacrifice on our behalf is the hope. Faith in God through Christ brings us to a place where we can battle with our sin nature, but win. We aren’t chained to sin anymore… we are chained to Jesus! We don’t HAVE to sin anymore… we can do the good things we want to do, and God wants us to do.

Until Heaven, you will always have that internal dodgeball game going on… but once you accept Christ, the game is "fixed." Jesus has paid off the judges and as long as you want to, you can win. There is no magic formula for winning over sin, but here are some verses to help you on your way:

James 4:7 (The Message) — So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper.

1 John 1:9 (NIV) — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Ephesians 6:13-18 (The Message) — Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) — No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

HEAVENLY WINDEX — it’s hard to see the whole picture here

Filed under: th1nk about it, take it to heart — September 18, 2005 @ 5:03 am

 

1 Corinthians 13:12 (The NIV, then the Message) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

It is impossible to understand everything. And when it comes to the mysteries in the Bible, you will never understand some of them until Heaven. Relax if you don’t "get it all." You can’t get it all… We are supposed to love God with all of our mind, heart, soul, and strength… notice that your mind is in that list. THINK. In my opinion, you should try to know as much as possible, but be easy on yourself and confident in God when you get stumped. One sunny day you will see it all so clearly and be able to get the story straight from Jesus Himself, in a more perfect condition than you are now. My father-in-law often says that all of the stories in the Bible will be on DVD in Heaven (well, he actually says VHS, but I think God will upgrade), and you will be able to go to a sort of Eternal Blockbuster and understand everything with clarity. Life’s often blurry… someday God will bring it all in to focus for us.

1 John 3:2 (The Message) But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him–and in seeing him, become like him.

AMERICAN IDOL — looking at idolatry in our western world

Filed under: th1nk about it, challenge — September 18, 2005 @ 5:02 am
Exodus 20:3 (The Message)
No other gods, only Me.

Leviticus 19:4 (NIV)
Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.

"Idolatry? In my everyday life? How does this apply to me?!?"

This is how many people react to reading passages in the Bible about idol worship. It’s understandable seeing as how most American Christians have never had to deal with the temptation to follow "other gods." Or have they? I don’t pretend to have all the answers here, but it is unlikely that God would have the first of the Ten Commandments become "outdated." That fact seems to beg the question; "how does this verse apply to me… NOW?"

Religions that do not worship the same God we do often have idols associated with their gods and goddesses. But the Ten Commandments were and are for God’s people. Not unbelievers. That means we have to look at ourselves to make sure that we are not breaking this commandment. That’s how I understand it. Idols were often used when the Israelites did not have confidence that the One true God would come through for them in a specific situation… they lacked faith in the Lord and put their trust in other "gods" to deliver. Idols to help win wars, fertility gods to help a barren woman conceive a child, prosperity gods to make you rich. Here are some questions for you to think about:

  • have you ever worshipped or prayed to a physical idol, like a Buddha?
  • have you ever thought of Earth as "your mother?"
  • are you superstitious?
  • could the lottery be a kind of "prosperity god?"
  • have you ever put something as a higher priority than God? Sports? School? Dating?
Exodus 20:3 (NIV) You shall have no other gods before (or besides) Me. — "Whatever comes short of perfect love, gratitude, reverence, or worship, breaks this commandment." (The statement after the verse is from a commentary, or biblical analysis, on the Exodus passage above)
  • Do you agree with the commentator? Is anything less than "your best for God" breaking the First Commandment to "have no other gods" before The real God?
  • Have you ever broken this commandment?
  • Do you trust yourself to take care of day-to-day and crisis situations, then if that doesn’t work, you pray? …or do you pray first?

This is important stuff for a Christian, even today. This is not simply a history lesson. When pressed about which was the most important of the Ten Commandments, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy when He said:

Matthew 22:36-40 (The Message)

Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?"
Jesus said, ""Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list."

next time we’ll look at the second half of his response:

But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

HOWDY NEIGHBOR — it isn’t enough to only love God

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 5:02 am

Matthew 22:36-40 (The Message)
Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?"
Jesus said, ""Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Nope. It isn’t enough to love God and stop there… you also have to love the things that God loves, and that means the people around you. That can be challenging.

If you read the post about obedience, you read about how obedience isn’t about our feelings - it’s about what God wants. In a lot of ways so is love. Most of us think about feelings when we think about the word "love" and how we show it; kissing, hugging, sending cards in the mail, "liking" someone, dating, marrying someone. But love is more than that. Sometimes love is a decision made because it is the right thing to do. Sometimes love is telling someone what they DON’T want to hear because it is what they NEED to hear. True love has the other person’s well-being in mind.. and that may mean saying or doing things they do not want you to say or do:

So love is more of a logical decision, not a feeling, right? That’s not the entire story… sorry. To end this section on loving others, look at this story from the Bible. A young man asks Jesus how to get eternal life… Jesus quotes the Ten Commandments… the guy says he has kept them as long as he could remember… Jesus says there’s more to it than that. What? Jesus asks him to sell everything he has and follow… the ruler can’t do that because he was rich, and that’s a lot to give up. Jesus isn’t saying we all have to sell everything we have, He’s saying we have to be willing to give anything up if God asks. It’s about the heart. That’s why the rich young ruler didn’t get it… he was keeping the laws, but it wasn’t from his heart. Love is a commitment, yes, but it is a commitment made from the head AND the heart. Some days you may not feel like loving your husband, friend, sister, or neighbor/ stranger. God says that we love Him when we obey Him. Going back to the study on obedience; you will have times when you do not want to do what God says… but do it anyway - because you love God. Jesus also says that what you do for the people around you, especailly the "least of these," the people who are looked down upon, you do it for Him. Loving others IS loving God. So… CHOOSE to love God and others, even if you don’t feel like it, but do it with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Luke 18:18-23 (NIV) — The Rich Ruler A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’"
"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.

CHRIST ISN’T JESUS’ LAST NAME — from the Matrix to the Messiah

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 5:02 am
I think the first Matrix is one of my favorite movies of all time. One thing I particularly like about it is the way it makes me think about Jesus.

Morpheus refers to Neo as The One so many times that it annoys people a little. Some of the characters in the Matrtix believe Neo is The One, some aren’t sure - but they want him to be, and some of them just plain don’t believe it. It isn’t all that different than the way people feel about Jesus. And yes, sometimes Christians annoy others around them with their Morpheus-esque confidence that Jesis is The One.

Jesus Christ is not his first and last name. Jesus is his name, Christ is his title. It is who He is. It is what He is. The Christ is the Messiah, which means "the annointed one," and Israel had been waiting for him to come for hundreds of years to "save them." So when Morpheus calls Neo "The One," Morpheus is saying "this is the guy we have been waiting for… he is going to save us." When Peter says Jesus is the Christ, Peter is saying "you are the guy written about in the Scriptures hundreds of years ago, The One who will save us." This confession by Peter is similar to the confession Trinity makes about Neo when she admits that she believes he is The One. John Anderson is his name; Neo is what they call him - his "Matrix name"; The One is his title - who and what he is.

Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph and Mary is His name; Immanuel is what they call Him (Immanuel means "God with Us"); the Messiah (or the Christ) is what and who He is.

Some of you are sure Jesus is The One, some of you aren’t sure - but you deseprately want Him to be so He can save you, and some of you may not believe Jesus is who He says He is.

John 17:3 (NIV) — Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER? — accepting God’s grace

Filed under: th1nk about it, pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 5:01 am

Matthew 12:32 (The Message)
If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.

This may be a confusing statement to you. It is a difficult statement. Please read Matthew 12:22-37 to understand what we are talking about here. As best as I understand it, here is the walk-though of the passage:

  • Jesus was talking to the Pharisees when he said this, so keep that in mind
  • Jesus had healed a demon-possesed man
  • people around made a statement about Jesus that implied Jesus was the Messiah
  • the Pharisees said Jesus used some form of magic or demonic power
  • Jesus called their bluff and asked why in the world the Devil would grant power to cast himself out of someone? "if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left?"
  • Jesus points out that if it is by God’s power that he kicks demons out of people, then the Kingdom of Heaven is here for sure, meaning, Jesus is who the crowd said he is - the Messiah.
  • Jesus tells the people and the Pharisees, if you aren’t for me, you’re against me. There is no neutral ground. (see the post: HOT OR COLD — there’s no "in between" with God)
  • Jesus says that if you reject God altogether, there is no hope for forgiveness for you.
  • In this passage Jesus says, the only unforgivable sin is rejecting God’s Spirit… saying "no thank you" to the grace of God. Not adultry, murder, hatered, even Devil worship can be forgiven if you come to a place where you repent and turn to God.

So the point is… no matter what you may have done in your life, you can be forgiven… the point is; what is your final answer to Jesus’ question? who do you say I am? Your answer determines who you will be, how you will act, and as the Bible states, whether you believe it or not - your eternal destiny.

AGREEING TO DISAGREE AGREEABLY — a truth about obedience

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:59 am
God doesn’t want you to do His will unless you feel like it. If you aren’t excited about what God asks you to do, well, you probably shouldn’t do it. Right?

wrong. being obedient

There WILL be times when you don’t want to obey God. There WILL be times when you don’t want to do what Jesus is asking you to do… you just won’t want to do it. Maybe it’s scary, maybe it hurts, maybe it makes you mad, maybe you just don’t understand. DO IT ANYWAY. I know, that’s a little too simple, right? It’s the way it is. There will be those times when doing the will of God may lead you to things you don’t want; being scared, being confused, stepping out of your comfort zone, maybe even death. You may not want to do it, but you should go along with God’s plan… He kows the outcome already. That should bring us more comfort than it often does.

God will give you the strength if you are willing to obey. He is a supportive father, something some of you may have never known here on Earth. It’s OK not to want to do what God asks you to do… as long as you do it. The Lord created the entire world, I’m sure He knows that He asks us to do things that are difficult for us. Moses didn’t want to do what God asked. Look at Jesus’ own words as He prayed in the garden, with little time before He would be killed; "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Beth B. brings up a good point… just because we do not always feel like being obedient, that doesn’t mean that if we don’t want to do it - it must be right. People can go down that road to a place where they see obedience to Christ as a misearable experience. The point is that obedience has VERY LITTLE to do with our feelings at all, they are all over the place depending on our mood, our circumstances, if we have eaten lately, our hormones, and all sorts of other things. Obedience to the Lord’s will has everything to do with a constant: God’s truth revealed in the Bible.

No one said surrendering your life and your will to Christ was easy, but He was a real leader - one who leads by example. He didn’t want to die. But He did because He wanted to be obedient to his Father. So He allowed Himself to be killed… for us, by the way.


Luke 22:41-44 (The Message)
He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,
"Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?" At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.

OOPS I DID IT AGAIN — making good choices makes a difference

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:58 am

If you make a bad decision you should expect some sort of consequences, or at least not be surprised if and when they come. Right? Right.

One of the most important and cool things you will EVER read in the Bible is this: Romans 6:23 (The Message) — Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

That means we all deserve death for the sins we have committed. And believe me, we have ALL committed sins. And what do God and Paul mean by "death" in this verse? Just that we eventually die? We all die… so what? If you read through the Bible and read commentaries (other smart people’s study notes) on the subject of the "death" experienced as a result of a sinful life that NEVER chooses to accept God’s grace, you will see a few different ideas. Here are a couple of them:

  • death = eternal death, meaning Hell - eternal separation from God
  • death = being "spiritually dead" on this Earth while we are alive

What do you think? Is one more right than the other? Are they both right?

OK, that was the first half of the verse… the death part. Now, about the life part… Once you become a Christian, and you are free from the "death" of sin, does that mean you can just do whatever you want and have no consequences? Nope. Not at all. If you steal something, you may go to jail. If you get in a fight, you may get a broken jaw. If you cheat on your girlfriend or boyfriend, they may break up with you. You do bad things and you will still have consequences, you just don’t have to go to hell for them. But look what Paul says in the beginning of the same chapter: Romans 6:1-3 (The Message) — So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace–a new life in a new land!
That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means.

Making good choices and not sinning isn’t just a good idea… it’s what we must do now. We’ve left the "old country" of sin behind us, we live in a new country now. It’s like when Moses lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt… they Hebrews complained and wanted to go back because their new life was hard. But they could never go back. That’s not how it works. Plus, their life may have been hard at the time, but they had the "promised land" to look forward to. And so do we. Our life may be hard now, and we may want to go back… but we can’t. And Heaven awaits those who know the One with the keys - Jesus Christ. So make good choices, and live your life like you represent Jesus, because you do. Life a life "worthy of the calling you have received."

Want to read more about Moses leading the Hebrew (Jewish) people out of Egypt to the promised land? Click here.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?! — another reason prayer is so important

Filed under: pray about it, take it to heart — September 18, 2005 @ 4:52 am

Psalm 116:1-2 (the Message)
I love GOD because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him.

All of us are "bad people." There are no "good people" as the world likes to say. Don’t get me wrong, I think many of you are great folks, and I would call you a good person… but when you get down to the nitty-gritty of what "good" really means - none of us are good. We lie, cheat, steal, get angry when it isn’t appropriate, are mean to people we don’t like, don’t pay our debts like we should, are selfish… and the list goes on. We may be "good" some of the time, but not all the time. Jesus says it this way in the Bible; "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God." Of course Jesus was being a little tricky, because Jesus IS God, but that’s not what we are talking about today.

"…wow, thanks for the pick me up, buddy…"

But here’s the point to that less-than-cheery intro. We have all messed up, but God still listens to us, even when we have made mistakes. He also hears us when we are crushed and frustrated - feeling like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders… or that we are at the end of our rope, ready to drop. If we talk, He listens.

God is good. One reason prayer is important because He listens to us when we pray for the kinds of things that God is for: grace, forgiveness, help, courage, humility, faith. And the odds are that if you pray for the things of God, He will answer your prayers.

Another reason that prayer should be important to a believer is what Eugene Peterson (the translator of the Message\\Remix) says in his book Where Your Treasure Is: when you are pray regularly, you may find yourself "getting more interested in and excited about what God is doing, rather than in figuring out what I can do to express myself or improve the world."

God can hear you now.

YOU NEED HELP! — some of the benefits of Hebrews 10:24-25

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:51 am
Hebrews 10:24-25 (New International Version)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

“You need help!” That statement is usually a put-down. But when it comes to living a holy life, it is the plain and honest truth. We all need help - and there are times when a Godly friend makes all the difference. The friendly reminders to read the Bible on a regular basis. The firm correction you receive when you have clearly disrespected your parents, instead of honoring them. The encouragement to keep going, even though life is tough and will continue to be tough with an endless energy you just don’t have. The Apostle Paul is encouraging people to “keep on keepin’ on” through this whole chapter of Hebrews. To not give up.

A Good friend will do these things for you. They will do their best to make you feel better (or at least be there for you) when you are sad, they will call you on the stupid things you are doing and give ideas on how to live better, and they will leave a breadcrumb trail of encouragement as you trek through life with them. Count yourself lucky if you have a friend like this in your life… and if you don’t have anyone who does these things for you… do them for someone else.

a few Questions to think about:

 

BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER!

Hebrews 10:24-25 (The Message) — Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM — self-sacrifice can be simple

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:51 am
Hebrews 2:9b
… In that death, by God’s grace, he (Jesus) fully experienced death in every person’s place.

1 John 3:16
This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.

John 15:13
This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.

#1 Be obedient to your parents, teachers, and bosses. Serving others and submitting to people "over you" is not weak. Do you have any idea what strength it takes to submit? Or to serve someone in REAL humility? Which shows greater strength and self-control:

  • Asserting your power over someone - because you can. Power which has probably been given to you by your employer, or maybe power that you got in the way of physical size from your parents and their genes. These things amount to bullies and ego-trips.
  • Submitting yourself to someone "over" you - because you are able to. Your boss may not even be worthy of the respect, as a person, but you do it because you should.

#2 Here’s another "simple" way to be self-sacrificing: offer your time to people who need it. Maybe this is at a soup-kitchen, or helping kids with disabilities. You could visit a retirement community or big brothers and sisters and sing, read, or just hang out with them.  Send money to help the victims of disaster, like Hurricane Katrina.

self-sacrifice can be simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

IT’S ALL ABOUT MESUS — remembering the Lord our God

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:50 am
ok… this is a little sarcastic, but there is a point.

MeSUS = elevating "me" above God and Christ in my worship.

  • We bow down…
  • I will worship You…
  • it is the cry of my heart…
  • I bless you lord…
  • I cry holy…
  • You are so good to me…
  • I will never let you go…
  • my heart is yours…
  • all I want to do is worship you…

 

Forgive me for being cynical, but isn’t the point of worshiping God, um, to worship GOD? This is not a criticizm of all worship/ praise music, not by any means. It’s just that so much of modern worship music revolves around what we will do… how happy we are because of God… how we are not going to do this, or we are going to do that.

If you look up the word "God" in an online Bible, He gets 3930 entries. Sin gets 1415. Jesus gets 1277, Christ gets 531, and Messiah gets 2 for a grand total of 1810 (not counting the scores of prophecies about the messiah not mentioning those words). Heaven gets 606. Sure, some of those entries for "God" are for the generic word "god," like, do not worship other gods. Lowercase "g." You get the point. But this post is not about numbers any more than it is about "us." Here are some verses to think about that speak of what GOD does and has done; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and why He is deserving of the praise.

 

Is there any place for "me" songs? You bet. Our response to God for what He has done and who He is, well, that’s the whole point of worshipping - giving God His due. We were created to worship Him. Just remember that worshiping Him should sound like the Lord is the star of the show, not us.

Exodus 15:2 (The Message)
GOD is my strength, GOD is my song, and, yes! GOD is my salvation.
This is the kind of God I have
and I’m telling the world!
This is the God of my father–
I’m spreading the news far and wide!

SAY WHAT? — know what you’re saying when you say it

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:50 am
preacher 
Exchanges like the ones below happen all the time at churches across the country and in conversations between friends, and on TV. These two are completely made up.

PASTOR: this church is going to do big things!
CONGREGATION: hallelujah!
PASTOR: can I get an “amen?”
CONGREGATION: amen!

~~~

Girl 1: I’m so glad Tyler asked you to the prom and not Chet!
Girl 2: Amen to that! Chet… Ew!

Have you ever wondered what you are saying when you say those words - Amen and hallelujah? They aren’t even English words… so what are we saying? We sing them… we pray them… we say them. I have often been a bit paranoid that every time I listen to a song in another language that it is secretly making fun of me for not understanding it, but that’s just me. It can only make us appreciate saying and singing these words more to know what they mean:

Hallelujah
Hallelujah means, “Praise ye Jehovah,” or “Praise ye the LORD:” (Jehovah is one of the names of God.) You can find the word hallelujah through the book of Revelation and at the beginning of ten of the Psalms (106,111-113,135,146-150), so they occasionally call them the “hallelujah psalms.” Now it is mostly used as a kind of praise. The Greek version of the word (alleluia) is found in Revelation 19:1,3,4,6.

Amen
The Hebrew word amen means “firm,” and it can also mean “faithful,” like it does in Revelation 3:14. In Isaiah 65:16, the NIV has the phrase “the God of truth,” which in Hebrew means “the God of Amen.” Jesus often used this word to give emphasis to what He was saying, you may have seen it translated as “verily,” depending on what translation of the Bible you read. Sometimes in John’s Gospel it is repeated, “Verily, verily.” Sometimes you see it at the end of prayers (Psalms 41:13; 72:19; 89:52) as a way of agreeing with what was said, or prayed, and to affirm that “this is gonna happen because God says so, and He is true to His word.” It is used on occasion when being bound by an oath to someone or something (Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15-26; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6; 1 Chronicles 16:36). In the “primitive” churches, and today, it was common for the congregation to say “Amen” at the close of the prayer (1 Corinthians 14:16). The promises of God are “Amen;” meaning they are all true and sure (2 Corinthians 1:20).

~~~

Will knowing the meanings of these words change your life? Probably not. Will it make you think twice before you use them in an offhanded, silly way? Hope so. Will it make you think more about the fact that God’s promises are for you if you choose to believe them, and are for sure… unbreakable and rock-solid? I truly hope so. What God promises to His children will be done. Now that deserves an AMEN and a HALLELUJAH.

IT’S ALL GOOD — being content with Paul

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:50 am

Philippians 4:10-14 (The Message)
I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess–happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me–it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.
First, a little history; if you don’t know who is talking above, it is one of the coolest guys in the Bible (in my opinion)… the Apostle Paul. Here’s why I like him:
  • Paul used to be named Saul, and he hunted Christians down and had them killed or arrested. He was also probably a Pharisee (the only people to ever get a full-blown verbal beat-down by Jesus). I know, not someone you’d probably invite to your church potluck, and he doesn’t sound cool… but just wait!
  • He was confronted by Jesus after Jesus ascended to heaven.
  • God decided this terrible man would be the one to bring much change and goodness to the very church Saul was out to destroy. That gives me hope that God may choose to use me.
  • Look at some of what Paul went through for the Name of Christ:

2 Corinthians 11:21-30 (The Message) Since you admire the egomaniacs of the pulpit so much (remember, this is your old friend, the fool, talking), let me try my hand at it. Do they brag of being Hebrews, Israelites, the pure race of Abraham? I’m their match. Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can’t believe I’m saying these things. It’s crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I’m going to finish.)
I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.
If I have to "brag" about myself, I’ll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus.

That was one brief intro in to who Paul was, and why I really like him. I like that he was gutsy, he took risks for God, he would not back down when faced with anything - even physical harm. I like that he tried his best to be humble. I like that he was not perfect. What does any of that mean for you? If Paul can be content with having more than enough, and content with less than enough… we should be, too. We probably won’t suffer as much as he did. Don’t complain about your hard life… do your best to be thankful, even when your life is hard. It could always be harder. And no matter what, God is with you, and that is enough to be thankful for. Be courageous. Have the guts to do what it takes to be a Believer. Don’t try to find a way to stuff God in to your busy life, find out how your busy life should look because of your faith in God. Do you do your best to make time for "church stuff" and God in your busy schedule of football, school, beauty pageants, relaxation and sleep, and all of the things that take up our time? Don’t do it that way. Put God first. And remember, I am talking to myself every bit as much as to you: I love how Paul puts himself in to perspective… we should, too.

2 Corinthians 12:6 (The Message) If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

BE MY ESCAPE — looking at the Bible with Relient K

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:49 am

Music is a great way of communicating about God. I’m curious to see what kind of connection there is between the Bible and Relient K’s song… if there is any at all.

———–

Be My Escape

I’ve given up on giving up slowly
I’m blending in so you won’t even know me
Apart from this whole world that shares my fate
This one last bullet you mention
It’s my one last shot at redemption
Cause I know to live you must give your life away

And I’ve been housing all this doubt
and insecurity
And I’ve been locked inside that house
All the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out
And that might be the death of me
And even though there’s no way of knowing
Where to go
I promise I’m going because…

I gotta get out of here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get out of here
And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape

I’ve given up on doing this alone now
Guess I failed and I’m ready to be shown now
You told me the way and now I’m trying to get there
And this life sentence that I’m serving
I admit that I’m every bit deserving
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair

Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt
and insecurity
And I’ve been locked inside that house
All the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out
And that might be the death of me
And even though there’s no way of knowing
Where to go
I promise I’m going because…

I gotta get out of here
Cause I’m afraid that this complacency is something I can’t shake (yeah)
I gotta get out of here
And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape

I am a hostage to my own humanity
Self-detained and forced to live in this mess I’ve made
And all I’m asking is for you to do what you can with me
But I can’t ask you to give what you already gave.

Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt
and insecurity
And I’ve been locked inside that house
All the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out
That might be the death of me
And even though there’s no way of knowing
Where to go
I promise I’m going because…

I gotta get out of here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get out of here
And I’m begging you, I’m begging you, I’m begging you to be my escape

I fought you for so long
I should have let you in
Oh how we regret those things we do
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin (oh)
But so were you
So were you

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? — why prayer is so important

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:49 am

OK. Why do we pray? Or, why are we supposed to pray? Look how many times prayer is mentioned in the Bible some time. Look at all of the different reasons to do it:
  • if you’re sick
  • if you want to be aware of what is going on in the spiritual world around you
  • if you have a friend who needs help and support
  • if you need to be forgiven
  • if you are worried about something but want to trust God
  • if you need to confess and "get right" with God - and want to pray powerfully
  • if you want to build a thankfulness for your fellow Christians
  • if you want to protect your weaker, hurting Christian friends and stand in between them and the devils that want to hurt them and mess with their minds
  • if you want to have a good perspective on life
  • if you want to be an ACTIVE part of the worship in your Church - praising your God
  • if you want to do what God wants you to do and you want to make Him happy
Do you need more reasons than that? If you do, we’ll find them together.

HOT OR COLD — there’s no “in between” with God

Filed under: th1nk about it, pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:48 am
Pick a side. Either you are for Him, or you are against Him.
If you read through the Bible, you may notice a theme about folks who do their faith half-heartedly. God hates it. Seriously, He hates it. It is the people who should know better that Jesus has the harshest words for… Jesus called the Pharisees and religious leaders of their day sneaky snakes, and it would be good to follow what they say, but make sure to not follow what they do! They were two-faced, all talk and no walk. I have heard that there was a thought the people of Jesus’ time had, and this is a simplified version of it: "hot water is useful… cold water is useful… luke-warm water is good for nothing." That could be part of this idea of being either hot or cold about God. Make up your mind about God… there is no middle ground.

  • Have you ever known someone who put on a Chrsitian "mask" at church, but outside of church you’d never know they believeed in God?
  • Have you ever been that way? Are that way now?
  • Do you think to yourself, "yeah, I guess there is a God, I suppose I believe the Bible is true, but I don’t really want to be a Christian."
  • Even worse - do you consider yourself a Christian, but do not live out your faith?

Don’t be a make-believer.

Revelation 3:15-17 (NIV)

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

FRUIT & FRUITCAKES — faith should result in, well, results

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:45 am
Galatians 5:19-25 — The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.


Many Christians throughout the centuries have gotten caught up in legalism; worrying more about following "rules" than they do about following Christ. The Pharisees were masters of "the rules." They even made some up, making it even harder to fully follow all of the rules. They were crazy for rules and regulations, not for God! Legalism is bad because it can chain your value and your worth to how "good" you have been. Or how bad. Our value and our identity is in Christ, once we believe in Him (that’s a whole discussion in itself). But that doesn’t mean that following the rules is bad. Not by a long shot. Jesus himself said He didn’t come to get rid of the rules and God’s law, but to fullfill it, to put it all together. We are expected to follow God’s laws because we love Him… and although it is a harsh thought, the Bible says if we love Jesus, we will do what He has asked us to do - i suppose we can translate that to mean the less we obey Jesus, the less we love Him. The book of James is pretty clear that as a result of our faith and love for God, we should do what He asks us to… because we love Him. Yes, we are saved by grace, but the result of being saved by grace should be gratitude, which shows up in the way we choose to live our lives. Do it because you want to please God. Do it because Jesus loved you first.

Galatians 5:22-25 (the Message) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

HIDE & SEEK — avoiding God by avoiding the Bible

Filed under: pray about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:44 am



Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages in Scripture which trouble me most are those which I do understand. - Mark Twain

Mark Twain wrote brilliantly perceptive statements about life and God, even though he did not follow God closely in his own life. He seemed to know the ins and outs of people and why they act the way they do. Here, he is confessing that he doesn’t worry when he can’t understand a part of the bible, perhaps because he won’t feel guilty about what it is telling him. Why? Because the Bible is like a magnifying glass… it reveals who we really are, up close and personal. The details we think, and hope, people don’t ever see. If you are a believer, the Holy Spirit will convict us as we read God’s word. Mark Twain was coming from it in sort of a faithless way, but that’s who he was. If he understands what the Bible says, he will either be infuriated at its "nonsense" message, or convicted of how he falls short in that area, and will be reminded about how his life does not match up tp what God wants. We can’t hide from God. We try. But we can’t really do it successfully. Refusing to read the Bible may lessen your paranoia about whether God knows how bad you’ve been, but believe me… He still knows.

  • Do you agree or disagree that the Bible makes us see who we really are?
  • Have you been "avoiding God?" Why? What are you trying to hide from Him?
  • Do you read your Bible? Why? Why not?

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV)
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

THREE’S COMPANY — the body of Christ means more than just ME

Filed under: th1nk about it — September 18, 2005 @ 4:40 am











Genesis 1 (NIV)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

It is very normal for people to want to be alone. It is healthy to have time to yourself. But it can also become unhealthy if taken to the extreme. God never intended us to be alone, not in everyday life, not in our faith. You may be thinking… "But, isn’t our faith our own? I mean, isn’t it important to make sure you have a faith that is yours and it is not the faith of your parents or whatever?" Yep. It is important to make sure that it is YOU that believes in God. It is important that you don’t believe in God just because that’s what your parents do, so you do it, too. However… as a believer, your fellow Christians - the Body of Christ - play a vital role in keeping us on track and healthy, spiritually.

Don’t believe me? Still feeling like an island, self-sustaining and full of faith? Here’s a train of thought… hop on board and follow along. Ready?

  • God has been around forever, before there was time.
  • Jesus is God.
  • The Holy Spirit is God.
  • The Father is God.
  • The Trinity, three in One; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Right?
  • God created "man," meaning all of us, men and women, in His image.
  • God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, so He made Eve.
  • God created us in His image… not alone.
  • God was not alone and never has been.
  • Read John 1, the Word (Jesus) was with God from the beginning.
  • The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always been together. A community in one.
  • We are to live in community with fellow Christians, the New Testament is full of examples.

We shouldn’t try to do it on our own. It wasn’t meant to be that way. Adam and Eve, Paul and Silas, Elijah and Elisha, Mary and Joseph, Ruth and Naomi, Moses and Aaron, Jesus had his three knuckle-head disciples that He loved so much and shared special times with: Peter, James, and John (not to mention all 12 of the disciples).

Let your brothers and sisters help you through life. Let them "bear your burdens." Pray for you. Pray with you. Pray with them. Pride is a one way ticket to destruction… you don’t want to go that road. Follow the example of God and surround yourself with strength, real strength. Going it alone may make you look tough for a while, but when you crash and burn, it will be obvious that you needed help and support - just like everyone else. Even you. Are you better than Paul? Better than Moses? Better than Jesus?!? We all need to run the good race, but we need to remember that we aren’t the only ones on the track.

John 1:1-3 (The Message)
The Word was first,
the Word present to God, God present to the Word.
The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.
Everything was created through him;
nothing–not one thing!-
came into being without him.