pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Monthly Archives: February 2014


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Willingness to Give

In many places in the Bible we are called to give. We are called to give of our time, our talents, and our gifts. We find this call in other religions as well. On our confirmation trip to Denver this past weekend, we heard this call to give to those in need echoed in the foundational beliefs of the Jewish and the Muslim faiths. To give to those in need is such a basic human drive when we can set selfishness aside and allow our natural compassion to rise to the surface.

In Leviticus 19 God directs the farmers to leave the produce missed in the first picking so that the poor and the traveler may come and glean from the fields. God instructs them not to pick all the way to the edges and not to go over the field a second time. In the New Testament we see Jesus and his disciples being the recipient of this practice. When harvests were bountiful, this must not have been so hard to do. But in a year with drought and a poor crop coming in, a farmer would be tempted to get every last grape or head of grain out of the field. Society knew this practice was in place and that people could come glean from the harvested fields. Because it was a social norm, it removed the need for the poor and alien to have to come beg from the landowner. It was an early form of social justice and loving neighbor in the biggest sense of the word neighbor.

So… how do we seek to administer similar acts of social justice and giving? How do we honor the call to share our time, talents, and gifts? How intertwined these can be!! For most the simplest way is to share our gifts (money) – we give some back to the church to use in various outreach and mission projects or causes. Some also chose to donate directly to a cause or to sponsor a child in a third world country. We may volunteer to teach Sunday school or to help with Youth group or donate some time each week through a program like CASA that helps those in need. All great ways to say ‘thank you’ to God for all that he has blessed us with. All ways to share with our neighbor the things that God has given to us!

However we chose to make a difference in our world, it is all based on the same underlying idea. All that we have is God’s. In the days of old Israel, the farmers got to keep almost all of the crop that God had blessed them with. Today if you go so far as to tithe, you still get to keep 90% of what God has blessed you with. May we joyfully give from what we have been blessed with!! In the end, it is all God’s anyway!!


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Set on “Radical”

Early in our faith, Moses directed us to be a holy people, because our God is holy. Actually he directed the Israelites, but it applies to Christians today as well! In the original language of Hebrews the word was “qadash'” and it meant to consecrate, to dedicate, to sanctify our lives. It was and is meant as a mandate to live a life set apart from the worldly way of life. When we dedicate, sanctify, or consecrate our lives to God we are being called into an obedience to live as God’s representatives in this world. Our radical obedience to God’s call in our lives will set us apart.

Yet so often we are neither radical nor obedient. Does our daily walk of faith truly represent a holy God? Does our walk obediently tread where God is leading or where He is pointing us to go? Does our faith extend beyond Sunday morning worship AND outside the walls of the church? Or is our obedience and holiness limited?

God’s grace, love, and mercy for us are not limited. He does not ever hold any of this back from us. And so it should be with our obedience and our holy walk of faith. Our holiness should reflect a God who is loving and caring for all humanity, all of the time. Our obedience should be set on ‘radical’ constantly!


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Living Each Day in the Word

Blessing come to us as Christians when we seek God with all of our hearts. The blessings may be things like comfort and a good life. But this is not a guarantee. The only sure thing is that by seeking we can come to know Him more.

As we come to know and live by God’s ways and as we seek to live out Jesus’ example, our knowledge of God will grow. As we continue to do these things our relationship with God grows.

With knowledge comes understanding. The words on the page become more than just words. We come to see the Bible as the living, breathing Word of God. And we must stay in the Word as it can reveal something new to us each time we read a passage. When we are seeking, often the book will meet us where we are.

As our understanding grows, our relationship begins to shift from head to heart. We move from a concept of loving God and neighbor to actually living it out in our daily lives. Our faith becomes how we live. May we all seek to live each day in His name!!

 

[Side note – this and the last post were from this weekend.  I was without internet connections!!]


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A Narrow Road

At times in our faith journey we can be immature and rather un-Christlike. We can choose to quarrel or bicker – both within a church and between churches or denominations or religions.

At times we choose as individuals to withhold love or kindness or acts of mercy. There can be a variety of reasons – prejudice, stereotypes, past history…

But thanks be to God that He doesn’t treat us this way! For His love never fails and it never gives up on me. Praise God! At times I must frustrate Him and at times I must miss opportunities He places before me. But He always loves.

As Christians this is our call too. We must emulate this love of God. We are called to love and serve all we meet each day. When they don’t look like us or are different from us or annoy us, this challenge can be hard. But it is the narrow road we are called to walk. May our walks be straight and true every day!!


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More Than “Things”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is seeking to take what was law and extend or expand it a bit more. Today is a visit to how we treat and look at other people. In verses 27-37 Jesus tackles adultery, divorce, and keeping our word. And as always with Jesus, it is not about the letter of the law but about what it means to us as people.

All of these ideas or concepts are about valuing the relationship and the individual. They are about seeing each other as children of God – invaluable in His sight. It is all about treating each other that way too.

Society and our culture teach us to look at other people as ‘things’. That way it is easier to step on them as one climbs the ladder of success or to simply walk right by them on the street as one is on the way to some more important event, meeting, or ‘thing’. If one looks at people as things, it becomes easier to lust, divorce, and lie.

But Jesus sees it differently and calls us to do the same. He teaches us that when we look at another with lust in our heart, we have committed adultery. He advises us that when we sin we should gouge out the eye or cut off the hand that causes us to sin rather than to end up in hell. (I imagine that if I were struggling with lust and gouged out an eye, that I would look at others a little differently – figuratively and literally!) He advises us to work on our marriage instead of simply walking away from that ‘thing’ we married. He teaches that in our relationships, our word should be solid. Let our yes be yes and our no be no.

All of this is based on how our heavenly Father looks at us and on how we expects us to look at others. For we are not ‘things’ but unique creations of God’s mighty hand. God is “especially fond” of each and every one of us (kudos to “The Shack”). Just as we should be of others!


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Ever Been There?

As a believer I am called to love my neighbor as myself.  All who follow Christ are called to do this and to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Both very tall orders!!

In Matthew 5:21-27, Jesus goes into a little depth about what this can mean.  He extends ‘do not murder’ to also mean do not be angry with another.  It is odd, but when someone else is upset over something little I can see this as trivial.  Yet when it affects me I can quickly make a mountain out of a molehill.  Ever been there?

In the same manner, Jesus calls us to always seek reconciliation with each other.  I don’t know which side of the fence is harder to be on.  To go to one I have hurt or offended means I must admit wrongdoing and seek mercy and forgiveness.  (This sometimes first includes the step of self-forgiveness too!). This requires that I am humble.  If I am on the other side, sometimes it is difficult to extend mercy and forgiveness.  Sometimes I like to hang onto the hurt or the grudge. I know it doesn’t make sense, but ever been there?

But here is the bottom line: if I don’t want God to be angry with me and if I want forgiveness when I sin, then I better not withhold these things from others either.  If I do, then I don’t love God as much as I think I do or as much as I say I do.  Yet in my weakness I know He is strong.  In my trials and temptations I know He is there with me.  If I’ll only call out, He will be there.  Have you ever been here?  I hope so!


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The Law and Our Life

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus strives to teach us how to live out our faith. Moses had brought the Law to the Israelites as a means to show them how to live out their love for God. But as time rolled along, they became bound to the letter of the law and not the intent of the law. Sometimes we do the same. Sometimes we get stuck on the principal of the matter instead of understanding what is really going on.

Beginning in verse 21, Jesus explains some basics of how to live. He reminds us that we can’t come to God seeking forgiveness if we are withholding forgiveness or not seeking forgiveness from our brothers. He reminds us that even lustful thoughts constitute adultery and that if our eye or hand causes us to sin, that we should gouge it out or cut it off. Jesus cautions us not to swear by anything but simply to let our yes be yes and our no be no. He is getting not at the literal letter of the law but at the ‘living it out’ concepts.

In the living it out, we can struggle. We are called to be right with our brothers and sisters, to live in correct relationship with them. How could we expect to be in a right or righteous relationship with God if we struggle with our earthly relationships? We are called to love our spouse like Jesus loves the church. How could we truly love our spouse while pining after another? We are called to be without sin. As humans we all sin, but here Jesus is calling us to come wholly before God. If we have sin in one part of our life, how can we come before the perfect Father and expect to be in His presence? We cannot be honest and have integrity some of the time – it has to be all of the time and with all of our being!

Jesus came to fulfill the law – to return the people to the intent of the law. This same challenge exists for us today as Christians – to love God and neighbor with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And what a challenge it is!! But we must remember that in Christ we have the greatest role model ever. Be a copycat today!!


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Blessings or Curses?

Blessings and curses. Like the ‘life or death’ choice this one seems so easy. Who wouldn’t choose blessings? Who in the world would ask for a big old heaping of curses? (At least not on themselves!)

When our choice is life with God, then we are committing to love Him, to listen to Him, and to trust in Him. Notice that all of these things involve us choosing to engage God in some way. All of these things involve us saying we are plugged into God and His plan for our life. The result is blessings. The blessings go both ways too!! We are blessed by God’s presence and how it affects the way we live out our days. God is blessed because when we are in this right relationship with Him, we are also in a right relationship with those in our worlds. We love and care for others.

When our choice is to not do all of these things, the result is curses. Maybe these sometimes come in the form of calamity and bad things. Maybe it looks like things just are not quite going right for us. But in either case, this is not the work of God. We are more suspect to the lies and work of the evil one when we are not close to God. When we are far from God we see things in a different way. Instead of turning to Him, we turn to ourselves or food or …

This choice between blessings and curses can be seen in big and small ways. In big ways we can see it in a tragedy. The family that loves and trusts in God looks at the loss of a loved one so much differently that a family of non-believers. Both families hurt for the human loss of life and grieve over the missing relationship. But the faithful family has a sense of peace and hope. They do not have the ‘what now’ questions and doubts.

In small ways faith allows us to get through a trial at work, an argument with our spouse, a challenge with one of our children a little differently – we know there is a higher purpose, a greater calling to our life. Our trust and faith in God allows us to see past the crisis while we are yet in the midst of it. The hope and peace that comes from Him allows us to work through the crisis filled with a sense of His presence – we know we are not alone. And this makes such a difference!

Blessings or curses? Just as Moses loved and wanted the people to choose God and life and blessings, so too should we want all people today to choose these things. And it is in the way we live out our faith in the real places of life that we are a witness to those in the dark. It is in the way we do the day to day things and it is in the ways we engage the world. May we choose to share faith, life, and blessings today!!


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Choices We Face

Life and prosperity or … death and destruction? Seems a pretty simple choice when put that way, doesn’t it? When one thinks in these terms concerning the big picture, it is hard to imagine many choosing death and destruction. But in the day to day decisions, we don’t always see things in this way. How easy it is to choose something that leads more toward death and destruction than towards life and prosperity!

In our decisions, if it is painted as “good” versus “evil” most would choose good. Few would explicitly choose evil. In life versus death we often think that death is so far away and it hardly seems a decision. If our neck were in a noose or if we had a gun to our head, then the choice would seem more real but it would hardly be a choice at that point! But Satan is much trickier than this!

Once one is on the path of following Christ it can seem almost easy. The daily following of God’s ways and His commands leads to a sense of contentment and knowing that no matter what, you are loved. Storms of life seem to be a bit less rocky; although they do come, there is a peace that resides in Christ that allows us to lean into Him during the trials of life.

But much can keep us from the path and much can pull at us once on the path. Sometimes is it just us – our ego, our judging attitudes, our need to be in control, ______ … you fill in your blank! Sometimes it is the messages culture and the media throw at us. So much points to other gods and idols. Sometimes it is so hard to see the path that leads to life eternal. But in those times, we can pray simple words asking the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. Through our faith, God will show the way. Come Holy Spirit, come!!


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Living the Law

As people we easily fall into the trap of judging others. We do it for so many reasons, but often it is to say we are better than them or that at least we don’t do what they are doing. Relatively speaking we are a better person, spouse, Christian, … Far from perfect but at least not the worst.

The Bible is composed of the Old and New Testaments. In Matthew 5 Jesus reminds those he is speaking to that the Law of the OT is still in existence. Not only that, but that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Jesus goes on to teach about the consequences of keeping and breaking the laws. Keeping them means we will be ‘great’ in heaven but when we break one we will be ‘least’ in heaven. But catch the important part – even the breakers of the law will be able o be in heaven!!

At the end of this section (verses 17-20) Jesus drops one on the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. He tells his listeners that unless their (our) righteousness exceeds that of these religious leaders, then we will NOT enter the kingdom of heaven. I can hear the leaders saying, “now hold on a minute!” because they knew the law inside and out, forward and backward. But they only knew it, they didn’t live it out. They only knew the letter of the law and not the intent. Maybe this is why they clashed so often w/Jesus on the Sabbath.

Although I understand that Jesus was making a couple points here with this comparative statement, we must be careful not to judge. When we fall into that comparative game, there is always someone ‘better’ out there. On the other end of the scale, do we really want a faith that simply seeks to be above whoever is ‘least’?

We need to hear both sides of Jesus’ point. Don’t get caught up in the rules and requirements – live out our faith in a real and honest way. Don’t think that because we are on the membership roles of a church that we are ‘in’ heaven. It is a day to day, moment by moment way of life that Jesus is calling us. Just because we helped the first person we encountered does it mean we can walk by the second and third and … It is a 24/7 type of commitment to which we are being called. Is it hard? Yes – the road is narrow. But His burden is easy and the yoke is light. Come to know Jesus and we come to know and live out the law because of the great love that dwells within us!