Category: Bible

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Beautiful Creation

I want you to step into your imagination for a moment. Imagine you’ve never heard about the Bible; you know nothing about it at all. You and I are talking, and I explain that this is a magnificent book that contains incredible stories. It’s filled with violence, sex, hate, greed, and much, much more! But when you step back and take it in as a whole, you’ll discover it’s really a love story about reconciliation. In our conversation, I give you just enough information to whet your appetite, and then I hand you a copy of this amazing manuscript for your very own. In your eagerness to discover the treasure, you open the Bible to Acts 2, and here’s what you read:

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!… Acts 2:14-15

Right off the bat, you get the idea that there’s something exciting happening. This character, Peter, addresses a large group of people that must have been at some huge party. You continue to read.

This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Acts 2:23-24, 32

Now, this is really getting interesting! Apparently, a bunch of people brutally killed someone that somehow escaped death. Fascinating!

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:41

In just a few minutes, you’re hooked! The description you heard about this book is beyond comprehension. This guy, Peter, must be one of the main characters, someone who is amazing. After his speech, thousands of people are converted. Peter is incredible, right?

But wait.

The very same man you admire here was afraid to admit he even knew Jesus just a few months before the event you’re reading about now. Take a moment and think about what you were doing 10 weeks ago. Here’s an example of Peter about that same timeframe:

And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. Luke 22:55-57

A servant girl called him out. Peter would go on to deny Jesus two more times before sunrise. You probably know the story.

It gets worse. Sometime earlier, Jesus was trying to explain to the disciples that he would have to die on the cross for all the world when Peter objects:

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Matthew 16:22-23

Peter rebuking Jesus. Yep, this is the same Peter in Acts 2. Well, it is the same person, but something has dramatically changed.

Frankly, I’m surprised that Jesus didn’t eliminate Peter from the select group of disciples at this point. He is unworthy to be on the shortlist of leaders from all accounts, let alone the primary preacher we are currently reading about.

Take a look at moments before that last quote from Matthew:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:15-18

Which is it? Peter, the Rock, or Peter possessed by Satan? Crazy, isn’t it?

Through all of the ups and downs we watch Peter go through, we get a glimpse of our own shortcomings. I’m most certainly not trying to compare myself to the Apostle Peter, but the stories presented in the Bible give me hope. If someone as hot-headed as Peter can become the pastor we see in Acts, there is hope for each of us.

Beautiful Creation

Here’s the challenge, the main purpose of this post. While we’re quick to write ourselves into the story and show gratitude for God’s grace and mercy, my goal here is to help us see the Imago Dei (image of God) in every person we meet.

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to men and women from various helping agencies from Anderson, South Carolina, who do this very thing. Those they serve daily may not look like Peter today, but they are served with respect, love, and kindness, for each has been created in the image of God. And what God creates is not just good; it is very good indeed. If time would have permitted, I could have gone around the room and shared an example of those who were transformed, who probably looked like Peter in his early days. Myself included. The sin that held me in its grasp has been forgiven, but more than that, the man I am today is no longer tainted by my past failures. Jesus has forgiven me. He stands ready to forgive you and anyone else who repents and receives the gift so freely given.

The outward appearance of many we meet might not look like a powerful disciple of Christ, but let’s learn to look beyond current circumstances and see the potential that exists in each person through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray we can see the potential future that resides in every person we meet, a story that looks very different than the one that defines them today.

Jesus could have easily dismissed Peter from the disciples, but our Lord is gracious, abounding in love. He was able to see what Peter would become. I believe we have the privilege of reading about Peter throughout the Gospel accounts (and Acts) to inspire us to disciple others.

May we look at those we meet, wealthy or poor, in the mistaken eyes of our society and see who they can become, who they really are in Christ Jesus. Let us be a people that help people find their identity in Christ for his sake and God’s glory through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

 

 

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The Miracle of the Bible

As I was reading Acts 20, I couldn’t help but stop and wonder about Luke, the author, and the Bible itself. I don’t want to forget the human element that is part of the divine inspiration which we believe is the result of this thing we call the Bible. Luke is the author who is inspired by God to narrate the story for future generations. This is incredibly remarkable when you stop and think about it. His careful selection of events that included himself, as in this chapter, and others that he knew about provide a timeless narrative that gives us direction today. I would suggest this concept should be known as The Miracle of the Bible.

It’s a book that is beyond fascinating. It captures the imagination of generations before and after Jesus’s appearance on earth. It’s not meant to be idolized, put on a shelf and worshiped, or cherry-picked apart to support our individual positions for or against anything. It is, rather, an invitation to hear the voice of God in narrative form.

One analogy I’ve used recently is to suggest reading the Bible is like getting a phone call from a dear friend, perhaps your best friend. I hope you have someone in your life that is so significant to you that you would answer the phone at all hours of the day or night, allow them to interrupt meetings, or drop everything to help you out anytime.

Reading the Bible is like one of those calls. When the phone rings, flashes, or vibrates, I’m eager to answer it. Depending on circumstances, I might answer with some anxiety if I sense something is wrong. If it rings at 2 am, I’m pretty sure something is amiss! There are many stories in the Bible that read like this. Stories of despair, anger, hostility, revolt, or just plain bad news. Other stories are exciting and encourage me to tell others.

This blog has been growing for some years now. What I’ve found is the more I read and write about what I’m learning, the more interesting the Bible becomes. Each time I learn something different. It might be a new angle or perhaps a gap was filled from some other source. Sometimes just doing life with another person exposes some Scripture that I seem to have missed in the past.

All I know is this: the more I read, the more I grow. The more I grow, the more I’m able to help others. Oddly enough, my definition of love has grown deeper. My patience for others is extended beyond my own understanding. My joy for hearing from God is difficult to explain. I’m not anywhere close to being done, but I have a peace in my heart that is there to share with others. I pray that I’m becoming kinder and gentler, but I have a lot of work to do in this regard.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

It’s not good enough for me to be encouraged or uplifted by God’s Word in the Bible. It’s only useful if it is shared with others. Dig deep, my friends. Find the treasure that’s buried within the inspired Word of God for all people and for all time. It’s amazing! It is The Miracle of the Bible.

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How to be Effective and Productive

The title of this post should be provocative, it should get you excited to read words that finally explain what it takes to be effective and productive. What is the answer? As you might expect, it’s rather simple and yet difficult at the same time. Simple because I can write the words; difficult because it requires effort.

Peter provides a list of qualities that we should pursue 2 Peter 1:5-7:

  • add to your faith goodness
  • to goodness, knowledge
  • to knowledge, self-control
  • to self-control, perseverance,
  • to perseverance, godliness
  • to godliness, mutual affection
  • to mutual affection, love.

You see, if we follow this progression we move from faith to love through several transformative steps: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness and mutual affection. Each of these steps is significant by themselves, but they are not the end goal, they are part of a process.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure…

In increasing measure? I don’t get to check this off my list, I need to continuously add to each of these qualities, to constantly increase each–all of the list. My favorite is knowledge, not so much self-control. Perhaps perseverance is a hard-headed trait, I’m good at that, but not so much mutual affection. Did you have to list all of these Peter? Why all of these things?

…they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If I want to be an effective ambassador of Jesus Christ, I need to work on all of these qualities.

Here’s the downside:

But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

If we don’t express these qualities we cannot lead others to Christ because we are nearsighted and blind, we can’t see beyond our own noses. How can we forget Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf? I think we forget by not loving others, by not truly demonstrating mutual affection, by giving up when it gets hard. Somehow we buy into the voices we hear in the world, the sound-bites of misguided information that disguises itself as knowledge and wisdom. We lose perspective when we forget we are made in the image of the Creator.

This passage (2 Peter 1:3-11) begins by explaining that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us…” His divine power, his dynamos, his dynamite, has been given to us. With this power comes responsibility. We are designed to participate in the process, called to action, let us hear these words and do something about it:

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

This week our country is in great pain as we witness evil desires taking over rational minds. Individuals choosing to impose their will over others. Corruption, anger, hate, violence, on and on, are all part of the world in which we live, but more importantly, this is the ministry field in which we serve.

If we believe we have the dynamos provided by the Holy Spirit, we actually have the answer. The world will continue to squelch our voice, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone–that is the nature of evil. This month, Russia has outlawed Christians sharing their faith anywhere except in government approved houses of worship. While this is rather overt, our own country continues to push God out of every corner which perpetuates moral relativism.

Here’s the thing, what if we pursued the qualities Peter lists? What if we did everything we could, individually, to be identified with those who are good, knowledgeable, have self-control and persevere with godliness, who show mutual affection and yes, love one another. What if we did these things?

If we do these things we will be effective and productive. People will listen because they will witness our faithfulness, not just hear it. Lord help us to be effective witnesses of your goodness in this hurting world.

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Grapes from Thornbushes

The Sermon on the Mount is an extensive collection of teachings by Jesus. There are many lessons we can learn by studying each section. In today’s Our Daily Bread devotional, the reference was to Matthew 7:12-23. This section starts with the Golden Rule and includes three themes.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.Matthew 7:12

  1. The Narrow and Wide Gates Matthew 7:13-14
  2. True and False Prophets Matthew 7:15-20
  3. True and False Disciples Matthew 7:21-23

Each of these four topics causes me to pause and think, but what caught my attention this morning comes from #2 above.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?Matthew 7:16

Much of what I currently do involves supporting pastors who are planting new churches. They look to me for direction, for advice and support. The contrast between the three passages above paints a picture that rather black and white, either you are or you are not. My thought this morning is simple, “am I a thornbush or thistle?” When I sense resistance, is that because I’m moving against the grain in the wrong direction or is the one I am leading moving in the wrong direction?

This tension is important to work through and I think Jesus places these topics side by side to help us appreciate that will need to work through issues together, that we need to examine where the fruit is coming from. A thornbush produces thorns. In the heat of the battle, it’s often not so clear to see. Perhaps we’re supposed to backup a bit and look at the passage just before Matthew 7:7-11, to simply ask, to seek and to knock.

I wouldn’t intentionally grab a thornbush, but I might if I don’t slow down and consider the source. It’s my greatest desire to be a tree that produces good fruit–fruit approved by Christ. How do I do this? Primarily by seeking Christ first, by hearing His voice, reading His word. This is where strength comes from.

Jesus, help me learn from your actions, your words, your life. Teach me to be a tree of good fruit and help me see when I’m making mistakes in the process so I can turn and move with you.

 

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Love the Lord Your God

In Deuteronomy 6 we read the great words of Moses that are central to the Jewish faith, as well as those of us who follow Christ:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.Deuteronomy 6:4

Jesus cites this verse for the Pharisees when asked to name the greatest commandments in Matthew 22:34-40 and Mark 12:29-31. Throughout the Bible we are reminded to love the Lord our God. We are provided examples of those who do and those who do not. We are shown there are times when our great ancestors fall short. Still we come back to this great passage, the first part of the Jewish Shema. I pray that I can adopt this custom, not out of ritual routine, but out of the greatest reminder and reverence.

I was actually drawn to the verses that follow this passage this morning. In particular, the phrases in Deuteronomy 6:10-11:

  • “you did not build”
  • “you did not provide”
  • “you did not dig”
  • “you did not plant”

Repetition, I’m told, is there for emphasis. Like ALL CAPS, but more important and more significant. This flies in the face of the self-made-man, the righteous American. All too often we want credit for building, providing, digging and planting, whether or not we actually did the work. Make no mistake, when we put forth a small amount of effort to do the same we are quick to claim the credit: “I built, I provided, I dug, I planted.”

Pause.

Remember our time in the vessels of clay is temporary. Remember and do not forget to Love the Lord. Verse 12 wraps up this thought nicely,

be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.Deuteronomy 6:12

It is indeed my desire to remember, to not forget, and more importantly, to do something about that memory. I’m not content to be one who warms a seat on Sunday when there are so many who truly don’t love the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6 is preceded by the famous Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6-21). It’s worth taking a moment to remember these simple commandments:

  1. You shall have no other gods before me
  2. You shall not make idols
  3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God
  4. Observe the Sabbath by keeping it holy
  5. Honor your father and your mother
  6. You shall not commit murder
  7. You shall not commit adultery
  8. You shall not steal
  9. You shall not give false testimony
  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife…or anything that belongs to your neighbor

I wonder how many of us remember this, much less commit to following the spirit and intent behind them.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.Deuteronomy 6:7-9

Simple, yes? It is simple, but our society rejects the above as if it’s absurd. We have a lot of work to do. Lord, give us strength and courage and ENERGY to do your work.

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Psalm 27

I’m processing Psalm 27…digging deep. Makes me think of a Spoken Word piece. Here’s the way it came out as I typed an email a few days ago, slightly edited today.

Though King David’s problems dwarf my tiny issues,
I still cry out to the Lord of all through tears and tissues.

My enemies taunt and jeer and make their plans deceitfully
but my Lord will calm my fear and love me unconditionally.

Oh yes, I ask this from the Lord and this I constantly seek:
to see His beauty in His temple every day of the week.

For in the day of trouble, not when or if it might come,
I long to be hidden in His tent, His place to call home.

He will lift me above those who curse me I know
and I will lead the chorus for everyone to show
that our God is the merciful king of the strong and the meek.
Don’t hide your face from me Lord, I am terribly weak!

My savior, my Lord, do not reject me or turn away,
Though my parents have failed, perhaps lost their way,
teach me, lead me, because of my oppressors,
don’t let me follow the way of unholy transgressors.

I remain convinced of this truth every day of my life
that You will be good to those who are torn by strife
yet wait for the Lord, You are strong and courageous
yes wait for the Lord even though it’s outrageous.

Oh yes, I ask this from the Lord and this I constantly seek:
to see His beauty in His temple every day of the week.

I will wait for the Lord, You are strong and courageous
yes wait for the Lord even though it’s outrageous.

Amen.

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