Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
WOW! What a contrast of today's world! Think about it. What is normal in this world? Aren't we always inpatient? We want everything fast, we want the convenience of not having to wait. I was thinking today about Google and the Internet... before those two things existed and we needed information, we had to go to the library! That required a great amount of patience for sure! Now, if we can't find the info in seconds, we surely get inpatient!
The greekbible.com has some interesting words relating to the original term used here for "patience": μακροθυμέω,verb \{mak-roth-oo-meh'-o}
1) to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart 1a) to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles 1b) to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others 1b1) to be mild and slow in avenging 1b2) to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.
Kindness? There is example after example of how we can be so unkind to each other every day. Even people who are "religious" can be some of the most unkind people in this world. Intolerant of what some people choose to do, rather than approach those people with kindness and love, they spout vitriol from their mouths.
Envy? Our whole society is constantly bombarded with marketing messages that are designed to evoke envy in our hearts that leads us to buy something just because the Joneses have it. While we all acknowledge that outright envy is bad, we indulge in it every day.
Again, here are some sobering words on the original word meaning for "envy": ζηλόω,verb \{dzay-lo'-o}
1) to burn with zeal 1a) to be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger 1a1) in a good sense, to be zealous in the pursuit of good 1b) to desire earnestly, pursue 1b1) to desire one earnestly, to strive after, busy one's self about him 1b2) to exert one's self for one (that he may not be torn from me) 1b3) to be the object of the zeal of others, to be zealously sought after 1c) to envy (greekbible.com)
Boast? Love does not boast... yet it is one of our favorite things to do. We look at what we have done, what we have, what others don't have and we boast about it, it's the American way. Yet, the word says that love does not boast. Meaning that if we act in love, we would never boast, we would never gain joy at the expense of another.
Love is not proud? Yet we thrive on pride every day. Pride is the other side of the coin from envy. We are proud when people envy us, it's part of the American dream, to work hard so you can own stuff and be proud.
Notice how all these things that love is not are connected. Imagine someone walking into a room and immediately you see that person impatiently working through the crowd, boasting and pridefully speaking, what would be your first impression? Probably that they are rude and self seeking. And in this verse it says love is never those thins so your first impression might also be that this person has no love.
Ever know someone who has no love? They are usually easily angered and you hate to speak to them about any issue because you are afraid of the "blow up". They will spare no time to point out the flaws of others and flash into explosive diatribes but never stop to account for their own flaws or wrong doings. Sadly, that's more common that needs to be.
In the end, if we were to really understand LOVE, our lives would be way different. But in a society that "loves" everything, I love coke, I love Chevy, I love this and I love that, we have become desensitized to the word "love" and have lost the true meaning of it.
In Spanish there are different words for love. For example, you would never say "Yo amo Coca Cola" - You would say "Me gusta la Coca Cola" or "I like Coke". You use the word "amor" only when it relates to God and family. "Yo amo a Dios", I love God, "Yo te amo", I love you. I don't "amo" my friends, I "quiero" my friends. It's the same thing with the Greek words for love where you have "agape" God's absolute unconditional love, "phileo", brotherly love and "eros", a sensual impulsive love.
As pointed out above, the verse uses "agape" for love. So when we seek for the meaning of true love, when we ask ourselves, "do we really know what love is?" we should refer to God's unconditional love. Because if we believe that God is in us, then his agape love resides in us and we can simply pray to God that he loves others through us, even when we fail to love ourselves.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Your punishment has already been executed
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 NIV
This morning I woke up and it was like God whispering into my ear saying "the law is for the lawless"... I knew exactly what verse He was talking about and I immediately started to think... "NO I don't want to write about this verse...!"
You see, I believe these is one of those verses in the Bible that can be used for good as well as for evil. While I'm no Bible scholar, perhaps you will allow me to share some thoughts about this very difficult verse.
Why do I say it is difficult? To start with, the word "homosexuality" appears in today's verse. Immediately, the readership is potentially divided into two and now this very blog post is at the risk of alienating one person or another. No matter what your thoughts might be about homosexuality, can you hang in here with me for a while?
I chose to focus on the word "homosexuality" in this verse because it can be such a divisive word when it comes to "religion". The sadness of it all is that this passage really has nothing to do with that. Yet, taken out of context (as the devil is good at doing) the verse can be used to condemn people who might not be thought of as fit for "the church."
When read in context of the previous verses, what the Apostle Paul is trying to do with this letter is settle the record straight with "false teachers." Those are teachers who teach a gospel of works. You do this, you do that and you are saved. In other words, follow the law and you are saved. This kind of thinking leads people astray and away from the true Gospel which points to a Savior. Someone who saves you despite who you are instead of the effort to save yourself by keeping rules.
It's ironic that Paul's writing which is meant to free us from the law, is used to bind us to it even further. Please don't misunderstand my choice of words when I say "free us from the law." I didn't say we now have license to do whatever the hell we want! What I meant is that Paul's words are meant to free us from condemnation.
Back to false teachers: I remember the book series "Left Behind" as it featured a pastor who was left behind after the "rapture". Throughout the story, the pastor realized what he had done wrong. He was left behind because he did not REALLY believe in the Gospel of a Savior but taught the Gospel of works which is totally dependent on the law. This is really Paul's central theme of his message.
When you look at the list of sins it's not just about "homosexuality". This is an all inclusive list. He covers ALL of humanity with his list and to make sure, at the end he says "whatever else". In other words, if you think you are good enough to escape this list, consider anything else you do that you KNOW is against God. If you say you don't sin, you are deceived.
Paul's specific point in doing this is to point the reader to God's plan to save us (the lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious) and without a Savior, we are reduced to just that. With a savior, even though we deserve death, we are free in that our debt is paid for and because of that, God does not see our sinful nature, he sees HIS purity in all of us.
Let me close with this simple analogy to explain how I see the true Gospel Paul is talking about. Maybe it can help you too:
When you come to your "judgment day" you find yourself in a court room. In this court room you find a VERY SMALL guy with lots of notes. He is yelling in the court, going through a litany of "violations." You realize that he is talking about YOU. You are all the sudden reliving all of the wrong choices you made in your life, all of your transgressions, your lies, EVERYTHING. You suddenly realize this is the DEVIL and you are amazed at how little and un-intimidating he really is. Yet, his words continue to pierce your heart and you realize you are in a hell of a desperate situation as the judge is intently listening to his words.
That's about when you notice Jesus next to you. He is calmly waiting for the devil to finish. Finally, after a hellish account of your actions the devil says "I rest my case". Then Jesus gets up, calmly, and says "Your honor, may I submit the 'Book of Life' as Exhibit A? There you will find the defendant's name. As you see, his transgressions as so eloquently put forth by the devil have been already prosecuted and paid for. Therefore, the defendant's record is clean without any blemish. I ask that you dismiss the accused immediately."
That's the true Gospel. You believe in a Savior. Someone who can do what YOU CANNOT do. He kept EVERY aspect of the law and was sacrificed for you. He took your place in death so when you hear the painful account of all your wrong doings, you can be confident that He will step in to declare that your punishment has already been executed. Now imagine the alternative, arguing with the devil, trying to justify your existence. Trying to make a case that your "good deeds" outweigh the bad ones.
Now it is up to you, it's your choice. Do you trust yourself to keep up with a litany of rules, traditions and religious activities in order to save yourself? Or do you want to rely on faith that the little child "Emmanuel" which we celebrate during Christmas came to us to serve as our stand-in for the punishment we deserve?
If your choice is the latter, its really easy. Romans 10:9 says: "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Whatever your choice, I would love to know.
This morning I woke up and it was like God whispering into my ear saying "the law is for the lawless"... I knew exactly what verse He was talking about and I immediately started to think... "NO I don't want to write about this verse...!"
You see, I believe these is one of those verses in the Bible that can be used for good as well as for evil. While I'm no Bible scholar, perhaps you will allow me to share some thoughts about this very difficult verse.
Why do I say it is difficult? To start with, the word "homosexuality" appears in today's verse. Immediately, the readership is potentially divided into two and now this very blog post is at the risk of alienating one person or another. No matter what your thoughts might be about homosexuality, can you hang in here with me for a while?
I chose to focus on the word "homosexuality" in this verse because it can be such a divisive word when it comes to "religion". The sadness of it all is that this passage really has nothing to do with that. Yet, taken out of context (as the devil is good at doing) the verse can be used to condemn people who might not be thought of as fit for "the church."
When read in context of the previous verses, what the Apostle Paul is trying to do with this letter is settle the record straight with "false teachers." Those are teachers who teach a gospel of works. You do this, you do that and you are saved. In other words, follow the law and you are saved. This kind of thinking leads people astray and away from the true Gospel which points to a Savior. Someone who saves you despite who you are instead of the effort to save yourself by keeping rules.
It's ironic that Paul's writing which is meant to free us from the law, is used to bind us to it even further. Please don't misunderstand my choice of words when I say "free us from the law." I didn't say we now have license to do whatever the hell we want! What I meant is that Paul's words are meant to free us from condemnation.
Back to false teachers: I remember the book series "Left Behind" as it featured a pastor who was left behind after the "rapture". Throughout the story, the pastor realized what he had done wrong. He was left behind because he did not REALLY believe in the Gospel of a Savior but taught the Gospel of works which is totally dependent on the law. This is really Paul's central theme of his message.
When you look at the list of sins it's not just about "homosexuality". This is an all inclusive list. He covers ALL of humanity with his list and to make sure, at the end he says "whatever else". In other words, if you think you are good enough to escape this list, consider anything else you do that you KNOW is against God. If you say you don't sin, you are deceived.
Paul's specific point in doing this is to point the reader to God's plan to save us (the lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious) and without a Savior, we are reduced to just that. With a savior, even though we deserve death, we are free in that our debt is paid for and because of that, God does not see our sinful nature, he sees HIS purity in all of us.
Let me close with this simple analogy to explain how I see the true Gospel Paul is talking about. Maybe it can help you too:
When you come to your "judgment day" you find yourself in a court room. In this court room you find a VERY SMALL guy with lots of notes. He is yelling in the court, going through a litany of "violations." You realize that he is talking about YOU. You are all the sudden reliving all of the wrong choices you made in your life, all of your transgressions, your lies, EVERYTHING. You suddenly realize this is the DEVIL and you are amazed at how little and un-intimidating he really is. Yet, his words continue to pierce your heart and you realize you are in a hell of a desperate situation as the judge is intently listening to his words.
That's about when you notice Jesus next to you. He is calmly waiting for the devil to finish. Finally, after a hellish account of your actions the devil says "I rest my case". Then Jesus gets up, calmly, and says "Your honor, may I submit the 'Book of Life' as Exhibit A? There you will find the defendant's name. As you see, his transgressions as so eloquently put forth by the devil have been already prosecuted and paid for. Therefore, the defendant's record is clean without any blemish. I ask that you dismiss the accused immediately."
That's the true Gospel. You believe in a Savior. Someone who can do what YOU CANNOT do. He kept EVERY aspect of the law and was sacrificed for you. He took your place in death so when you hear the painful account of all your wrong doings, you can be confident that He will step in to declare that your punishment has already been executed. Now imagine the alternative, arguing with the devil, trying to justify your existence. Trying to make a case that your "good deeds" outweigh the bad ones.
Now it is up to you, it's your choice. Do you trust yourself to keep up with a litany of rules, traditions and religious activities in order to save yourself? Or do you want to rely on faith that the little child "Emmanuel" which we celebrate during Christmas came to us to serve as our stand-in for the punishment we deserve?
If your choice is the latter, its really easy. Romans 10:9 says: "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Whatever your choice, I would love to know.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
God's love reigns.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
Here in the United States many celebrate Christmas. The stores are adorned and the feeding frenzy of Christmas shoppers is at is height. We celebrate but often without any understanding or reverence for the reason for the season. After all, we are talking about CHRISTmas, so who is this Christ?
Today's verse happens after Jesus washes the disciples' feet as a sign of his servant heart. He then predicts his demise and Peter boldly proclaims his loyalty but Jesus breaks his bubble when he predicts that Peter will deny him three times. Then he tells his disciples to not let their hearts be troubled because he is going ahead to prepare a place for them in his father's house. Finally he tells them "You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Doubting Thomas takes his place in saying “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” That's when Jesus finally delivers today's verse: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Now many will take offense to this verse. Certainly people of other religions can't submit to this and they will not consider it truth. Someone who is agnostic or atheist doesn't comprehend this verse and will dismiss it as religious dogma. I can certainly understand the sentiment, Jesus' statement is divisive. It divides believers from unbelievers. In this statement lies a line, the line that you either cross into faith or stand in disbelieve of the REAL central message behind CHRISTmas which is so eloquently stated by the Apostle John in the famous verse John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Now I am obviously a believer but I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of an unbeliever. There was a time in my life that I didn't want to even talk about this. I didn't care to know truth, dogma or anything that challenged the mere physical nature of my existence. I operated under the laws of physics, living day to day and relying on my self to get me through each day. Looking back I remember that I used to call myself a "born again agnostic." Although I was an unbeliever, I could not get past the acknowledgement that something bigger than me operated in this world. I think that's the case for most people. Maybe they haven't submitted to a particular religion or believe but deep in their hearts, they know something is out there watching over them.
My point in today's message is not going to be to convince you one way or the other. I can't do that. Nobody can do that. Its about God speaking into YOUR heart and reveling truths that only you can decide on. What I hope to do here is just let you peek into my heart and listen to MY experience in hope that you open your heart and we can connect. After all, I believe this to be God's will, for us to love each other despite all our flaws, believes and shortcomings.
I believe that when we connect through our hearts, we can see God. After all, God is in us. When we let our walls down, when we become vulnerable and connect, we put aside our pride, our envy, anger and everything that entangles us and we finally can have moments of clarity that show us God's will for us. To love and help each other. To love and help each other when we most need help and we are praying to a higher power for help. That's when God operates THROUGH us to send us love and help. Psalm 138:8 says "The LORD will perfect that which concerns me" - I believe he does this through people that open their hearts to you.
So, whether you believe or not that Jesus is THE ONE that God sent to us as a sacrifice, to be our Savior, the reason for the season should still make some sense to you. That at least it should be a celebration of God's love and how he wants to operate in our lives if only we allow him to cultivate his will in our hearts and we would open our hearts to others. Even in a world full of strife, God's love reigns and his people will connect.
Here in the United States many celebrate Christmas. The stores are adorned and the feeding frenzy of Christmas shoppers is at is height. We celebrate but often without any understanding or reverence for the reason for the season. After all, we are talking about CHRISTmas, so who is this Christ?
Today's verse happens after Jesus washes the disciples' feet as a sign of his servant heart. He then predicts his demise and Peter boldly proclaims his loyalty but Jesus breaks his bubble when he predicts that Peter will deny him three times. Then he tells his disciples to not let their hearts be troubled because he is going ahead to prepare a place for them in his father's house. Finally he tells them "You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Doubting Thomas takes his place in saying “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” That's when Jesus finally delivers today's verse: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Now many will take offense to this verse. Certainly people of other religions can't submit to this and they will not consider it truth. Someone who is agnostic or atheist doesn't comprehend this verse and will dismiss it as religious dogma. I can certainly understand the sentiment, Jesus' statement is divisive. It divides believers from unbelievers. In this statement lies a line, the line that you either cross into faith or stand in disbelieve of the REAL central message behind CHRISTmas which is so eloquently stated by the Apostle John in the famous verse John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Now I am obviously a believer but I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of an unbeliever. There was a time in my life that I didn't want to even talk about this. I didn't care to know truth, dogma or anything that challenged the mere physical nature of my existence. I operated under the laws of physics, living day to day and relying on my self to get me through each day. Looking back I remember that I used to call myself a "born again agnostic." Although I was an unbeliever, I could not get past the acknowledgement that something bigger than me operated in this world. I think that's the case for most people. Maybe they haven't submitted to a particular religion or believe but deep in their hearts, they know something is out there watching over them.
My point in today's message is not going to be to convince you one way or the other. I can't do that. Nobody can do that. Its about God speaking into YOUR heart and reveling truths that only you can decide on. What I hope to do here is just let you peek into my heart and listen to MY experience in hope that you open your heart and we can connect. After all, I believe this to be God's will, for us to love each other despite all our flaws, believes and shortcomings.
I believe that when we connect through our hearts, we can see God. After all, God is in us. When we let our walls down, when we become vulnerable and connect, we put aside our pride, our envy, anger and everything that entangles us and we finally can have moments of clarity that show us God's will for us. To love and help each other. To love and help each other when we most need help and we are praying to a higher power for help. That's when God operates THROUGH us to send us love and help. Psalm 138:8 says "The LORD will perfect that which concerns me" - I believe he does this through people that open their hearts to you.
So, whether you believe or not that Jesus is THE ONE that God sent to us as a sacrifice, to be our Savior, the reason for the season should still make some sense to you. That at least it should be a celebration of God's love and how he wants to operate in our lives if only we allow him to cultivate his will in our hearts and we would open our hearts to others. Even in a world full of strife, God's love reigns and his people will connect.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
He seems to always be our last resort.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
When you boil down our humanity, what is it that man is looking for ALL the time? Think about it, we look for shelter and we look for a way to feel stronger than we really are, that's about it. I like the way Tony Robbins (the famous motivation speaker) puts it: "we are always looking for ways to get out of pain and into pleasure." In my opinion, that's right on target!
What is our pain? How do we get out of it? There are always resting places we can manufacture. There is a the resting place in a good bottle of vodka. Maybe our resting place is cocaine, work or sex, etc. Our refuge, is whatever takes our minds away from the pain we are experiencing. But there is something in common with all these drugs of choice; it's always a temporary fix, a temporary high and in the end, we always crash back to reality.
So this verse says "God is our refuge and strength"... I think EVERYBODY actually knows this. Why do I say this? Well, when we get in trouble and we have exhausted every refuge we can think of and we are at the end of our wits, what do we usually say? "Oh God!!!" Isn't it funny how we call him when we have exhausted all our self made options and when we have no where else to turn, we cry out for him?
What if we just went to him in the first place? What if when trouble came, we said, "God, this is too much for me, this is beyond my capacity to fix! Help me!" It sounds too easy, it may even sound stupid and ineffective, perhaps "religious"... yet, HE seems to always be our last resort. However, God allows these afflictions on us so that we learn to turn to him.
Ultimately it is our choice to choose when to turn to Him. We can prolong the pain as long as we can stand it or we can call on Him who is always ready to help in the time of need.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
When you boil down our humanity, what is it that man is looking for ALL the time? Think about it, we look for shelter and we look for a way to feel stronger than we really are, that's about it. I like the way Tony Robbins (the famous motivation speaker) puts it: "we are always looking for ways to get out of pain and into pleasure." In my opinion, that's right on target!
What is our pain? How do we get out of it? There are always resting places we can manufacture. There is a the resting place in a good bottle of vodka. Maybe our resting place is cocaine, work or sex, etc. Our refuge, is whatever takes our minds away from the pain we are experiencing. But there is something in common with all these drugs of choice; it's always a temporary fix, a temporary high and in the end, we always crash back to reality.
So this verse says "God is our refuge and strength"... I think EVERYBODY actually knows this. Why do I say this? Well, when we get in trouble and we have exhausted every refuge we can think of and we are at the end of our wits, what do we usually say? "Oh God!!!" Isn't it funny how we call him when we have exhausted all our self made options and when we have no where else to turn, we cry out for him?
What if we just went to him in the first place? What if when trouble came, we said, "God, this is too much for me, this is beyond my capacity to fix! Help me!" It sounds too easy, it may even sound stupid and ineffective, perhaps "religious"... yet, HE seems to always be our last resort. However, God allows these afflictions on us so that we learn to turn to him.
Ultimately it is our choice to choose when to turn to Him. We can prolong the pain as long as we can stand it or we can call on Him who is always ready to help in the time of need.
Friday, November 26, 2010
When you dislike yourself, how will you treat others?
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Imagine your body in war with itself. You wake up one day and your hand hates your face. What a mess would that be!
Now think of what happens every single day. The "body of Christ" is at war with itself. The "hands and feet" of God not working together towards a common goal but rather working against each other. This is the reality we live in today.
The ridiculous notion of waking up with the scenario of your hand hating your face but this is reality for the "Body of Christ" and "religion" for that matter. We've lost touch with the simplicity of faith. We have mixed in so much human drama into the church that being a part of it is often unattractive and down right offensive to A LOT of people.
I recall Jesus' words that should resonate to most of the people that are turned off by the "church" - when asked what is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus replied:
That's it! The ENTIRE law are based on these two commandments! I think that even most "none religious" people will agree with the first commandment. Even if your sense of "God" is not based on the God of the Bible, you would still agree with the command and its importance.
The second command (which is EQUALLY important) would get the nod from all kinds of people. People of all faiths and even unbelievers. It is just common sense that you treat others as you would like to be treated.
So what's my point of this message? I've been pondering that for a couple of days. Wrestling with "Love your neighbor as yourself." - why is that so hard some times? If I analyze the command I realize that if you truly comply with it then you would never steal, covet, slander, kill, etc.
So why do I continue to do these things when the command seems so simple and clear? I believe I found the answer.
We don't love ourselves! I don't mean in a selfish, arrogant and prideful sense. We don't love who we are. In a sense, we are not "meek" as Jesus said in Matthew 5:5 (Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth).
Meekness is grossly misunderstood, as it sounds like weakness. But the word is really closer to humility. It is the virtue that makes you feel satisfied and comfortable with who you are, no less, no more.
But we live in a world that is bombarding us with messages that encourage the exact opposite. Every advertisement sends your spirit and soul encouragement for you to unsatisfied with yourself. We constantly hear that there is a particular reason why you should not love yourself. You must buy this or that to feel complete. How could you love yourself if you are not driving that new convertible? How could you love yourself if you don't have this makeup? You are too fat and you should loose weight! You are too flabby, you need better abs! On and on and on... YOU SHOULD NOT LOVE YOURSELF AS YOU ARE, YOU CAN BE BETTER!
So as you realize the constant onslaught of these messages, it may be clear how the second commandment is nearly impossible to comply with. When you dislike yourself, how will you treat others?
That might sound like a really harsh or unfair question. You might not want to admit that you dislike or even hate yourself. But go to a quiet space and meditate on your actions, your motives and what drives you on a daily basis. Think of specific times you have been driven by the negative force of self deprecation, self chastisement or even self criticism. Considering this, there is a high chance that you have loved your neighbor as you love yourself, which is unfortunately, very little.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Imagine your body in war with itself. You wake up one day and your hand hates your face. What a mess would that be!
Now think of what happens every single day. The "body of Christ" is at war with itself. The "hands and feet" of God not working together towards a common goal but rather working against each other. This is the reality we live in today.
The ridiculous notion of waking up with the scenario of your hand hating your face but this is reality for the "Body of Christ" and "religion" for that matter. We've lost touch with the simplicity of faith. We have mixed in so much human drama into the church that being a part of it is often unattractive and down right offensive to A LOT of people.
I recall Jesus' words that should resonate to most of the people that are turned off by the "church" - when asked what is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus replied:
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
That's it! The ENTIRE law are based on these two commandments! I think that even most "none religious" people will agree with the first commandment. Even if your sense of "God" is not based on the God of the Bible, you would still agree with the command and its importance.
The second command (which is EQUALLY important) would get the nod from all kinds of people. People of all faiths and even unbelievers. It is just common sense that you treat others as you would like to be treated.
So what's my point of this message? I've been pondering that for a couple of days. Wrestling with "Love your neighbor as yourself." - why is that so hard some times? If I analyze the command I realize that if you truly comply with it then you would never steal, covet, slander, kill, etc.
So why do I continue to do these things when the command seems so simple and clear? I believe I found the answer.
We don't love ourselves! I don't mean in a selfish, arrogant and prideful sense. We don't love who we are. In a sense, we are not "meek" as Jesus said in Matthew 5:5 (Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth).
Meekness is grossly misunderstood, as it sounds like weakness. But the word is really closer to humility. It is the virtue that makes you feel satisfied and comfortable with who you are, no less, no more.
But we live in a world that is bombarding us with messages that encourage the exact opposite. Every advertisement sends your spirit and soul encouragement for you to unsatisfied with yourself. We constantly hear that there is a particular reason why you should not love yourself. You must buy this or that to feel complete. How could you love yourself if you are not driving that new convertible? How could you love yourself if you don't have this makeup? You are too fat and you should loose weight! You are too flabby, you need better abs! On and on and on... YOU SHOULD NOT LOVE YOURSELF AS YOU ARE, YOU CAN BE BETTER!
So as you realize the constant onslaught of these messages, it may be clear how the second commandment is nearly impossible to comply with. When you dislike yourself, how will you treat others?
That might sound like a really harsh or unfair question. You might not want to admit that you dislike or even hate yourself. But go to a quiet space and meditate on your actions, your motives and what drives you on a daily basis. Think of specific times you have been driven by the negative force of self deprecation, self chastisement or even self criticism. Considering this, there is a high chance that you have loved your neighbor as you love yourself, which is unfortunately, very little.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Trust in him today and move from fear to a world of possibilities.
Proverbs 9:10
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
What's your fear? Does a day ever go by without you thinking about your fears? Think about it, we fear every time the clock turns the hour. If it's not your bills, its your inadequacies, maybe a sickness or the economy. There seems to be no shortage of fear in our lives today.
Then I read this passage which starts with "Fear of the Lord" and if it wasn't bad enough that we have all these fears, this verse is telling us to fear the Lord? Of course we fear him don't we? Isn't that why we try to turn him off when we are doing something wrong? Can you see yourself driving down the highway 30 miles over the speed limit while singing "How great is our God"? Of course not, because at that point, you probably have AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" blaring out the speakers! Been there, done that!
We do this because we think that the Lord is not always watching us, so when we tune him out like that, we seem to loose fear of him. Think about Adam in the garden after his run in with Satan. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 2:9) Where did Adam go? He knew he had done wrong and he was hiding from God! It's not like God couldn't find him you know.
So now back to "Fear the Lord" - I ask something, how does this make any sense when we know of the grace of God in the new testament? Why should we fear the Lord given that he has given us the ultimate gift of Grace? And could we possibly misunderstand this statement given that when we do wrong things, we fear and hide from God just as Adam did?
After careful thought, I thought of it this way, you tell me what you think. Why should I fear the Lord? Many of us have come to know that God gives us "free will" - but I looked everywhere in the bible and struggled to find where it specifically says that.
So at this point of this message, I took a two month break. I saved the draft and didn't know where to go with this message. Lots has transpired since then and I'm still struggling with the topic. Despite not finding specific information in the Bible about "free will" I reflect on countless stories and accounts throughout the Bible in which "free will" plays such a huge part of the daily human drama.
So I come to the thought, what if we didn't have free will? We would just be drones, taking every command and executing them perfectly in the will of God? How would we even enjoy the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!)
So in my continued search, I found what I think the closest thing that points to free will. How do we find salvation? Some religions have a litany of tasks for you to accomplish in a daily, weekly, yearly and or lifetime basis. Some people rely on self salvation. But in Christianity, you find the ultimate exercise of free will in Romans 10:9-10 to find salvation:
So while it is God who prompts you to do this in your heart, it is ultimately your faith and free will that activates your salvation which is already bought and paid for. And the gift is simple, with trust and faith in God, you are free from the litany of religious requirements men has created in order to find self-worth.
So when you evaluate "what's your fear?" think of the ultimate choice God has given you to deal with every fear you've ever had in your life. He will never forsake you when you trust in him and he will never let you be without help to conquer these fears.
Trust in him today and move from fear to a world of possibilities.
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
What's your fear? Does a day ever go by without you thinking about your fears? Think about it, we fear every time the clock turns the hour. If it's not your bills, its your inadequacies, maybe a sickness or the economy. There seems to be no shortage of fear in our lives today.
Then I read this passage which starts with "Fear of the Lord" and if it wasn't bad enough that we have all these fears, this verse is telling us to fear the Lord? Of course we fear him don't we? Isn't that why we try to turn him off when we are doing something wrong? Can you see yourself driving down the highway 30 miles over the speed limit while singing "How great is our God"? Of course not, because at that point, you probably have AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" blaring out the speakers! Been there, done that!
We do this because we think that the Lord is not always watching us, so when we tune him out like that, we seem to loose fear of him. Think about Adam in the garden after his run in with Satan. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 2:9) Where did Adam go? He knew he had done wrong and he was hiding from God! It's not like God couldn't find him you know.
So now back to "Fear the Lord" - I ask something, how does this make any sense when we know of the grace of God in the new testament? Why should we fear the Lord given that he has given us the ultimate gift of Grace? And could we possibly misunderstand this statement given that when we do wrong things, we fear and hide from God just as Adam did?
After careful thought, I thought of it this way, you tell me what you think. Why should I fear the Lord? Many of us have come to know that God gives us "free will" - but I looked everywhere in the bible and struggled to find where it specifically says that.
So at this point of this message, I took a two month break. I saved the draft and didn't know where to go with this message. Lots has transpired since then and I'm still struggling with the topic. Despite not finding specific information in the Bible about "free will" I reflect on countless stories and accounts throughout the Bible in which "free will" plays such a huge part of the daily human drama.
So I come to the thought, what if we didn't have free will? We would just be drones, taking every command and executing them perfectly in the will of God? How would we even enjoy the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!)
So in my continued search, I found what I think the closest thing that points to free will. How do we find salvation? Some religions have a litany of tasks for you to accomplish in a daily, weekly, yearly and or lifetime basis. Some people rely on self salvation. But in Christianity, you find the ultimate exercise of free will in Romans 10:9-10 to find salvation:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
So while it is God who prompts you to do this in your heart, it is ultimately your faith and free will that activates your salvation which is already bought and paid for. And the gift is simple, with trust and faith in God, you are free from the litany of religious requirements men has created in order to find self-worth.
So when you evaluate "what's your fear?" think of the ultimate choice God has given you to deal with every fear you've ever had in your life. He will never forsake you when you trust in him and he will never let you be without help to conquer these fears.
Trust in him today and move from fear to a world of possibilities.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Are you going to press the easy button?
James 1:12.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
I like the way the Message version puts this verse: Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
Are you meeting a testing challenge right now? I would say most of the country is. We can meet one of these challenges one of two ways... head-on or side ways.
So lets think about this. If you try to side step through a testing challenge, you are always going to be on your own. You have to make your own side steps, you have to dodge, jump and do all kinds of acrobatics as you maneuver through hurdles. Your left with yourself to blame for every misstep, every failure. It's a tough place and many of us are there every day.
Then the alternative... If its a testing challenge, how do you take it head-on? If you even contemplate doing this you start to come up with a list of side steps immediately! challenges like this require faith. Faith in the God we love because only he can take the challenge head-on.
This is so easy to write, yet so difficult to even think. Challenges come with a plethora of issues, consequences, punches, etc. It is so hard not to sit down and calculate. Yet Gos is telling us, "it's not that hard if you grab my hand."
But what do we do? "No God, you grab my hand, I'll get through this and you stay next to me in case I get in trouble." Isn't that how it works? "Such persons loyally in love with God", in other words, those who totally trust him... are rewarded!
It makes me think of the Staples® Easy Button. Are you going to go through every day, side stepping your way, jumping through hurdles, ducking obstacles, all on your own strength?
Or are you going to press the easy button of God's grace?
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
I like the way the Message version puts this verse: Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
Are you meeting a testing challenge right now? I would say most of the country is. We can meet one of these challenges one of two ways... head-on or side ways.
So lets think about this. If you try to side step through a testing challenge, you are always going to be on your own. You have to make your own side steps, you have to dodge, jump and do all kinds of acrobatics as you maneuver through hurdles. Your left with yourself to blame for every misstep, every failure. It's a tough place and many of us are there every day.
Then the alternative... If its a testing challenge, how do you take it head-on? If you even contemplate doing this you start to come up with a list of side steps immediately! challenges like this require faith. Faith in the God we love because only he can take the challenge head-on.
This is so easy to write, yet so difficult to even think. Challenges come with a plethora of issues, consequences, punches, etc. It is so hard not to sit down and calculate. Yet Gos is telling us, "it's not that hard if you grab my hand."
But what do we do? "No God, you grab my hand, I'll get through this and you stay next to me in case I get in trouble." Isn't that how it works? "Such persons loyally in love with God", in other words, those who totally trust him... are rewarded!
It makes me think of the Staples® Easy Button. Are you going to go through every day, side stepping your way, jumping through hurdles, ducking obstacles, all on your own strength?
Or are you going to press the easy button of God's grace?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
We could learn from dogs!
1 John 3:18.
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
In this verse I find the use of the word "children" very interesting. How true since we often act like children in our lives. We seek to love amomgst a sea of words, yet our actions often contradict the very words that escape our tongues.
Imagine a world where people really applied this verse! A world where people actually did love and not only talked about it. How different would life be? How would politicians behave if they took this verse to heart.
When I read this verse again, I think it must have been written for dogs! Think about it, they live by this verse! They can't talk to you, but by their actions they express love even when their owner doesn't.
We could learn from dogs!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Troubled times...
Psalm 59:16
I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
Are we living in times of trouble? Every time I turn on the 10 o'clock news it sure seems so. Last week a dazed and confused woman was arrested after hacking her 1 and 3 year old to death. But I'm sure when this was written it was no different.
Millennium after millennium humanity has succumbed to the numbness of every day struggle which can often bring us trouble, daze and confusion. In today's verse, the psalmist allows God to cut through the fog of our daily war and boldly declares victory in God's name.
Most people (including myself) will want to say "yeah but you don't understand what I'm going through" - this is why it is important to read through the Psalms. David who wrote most of the Psalms went through more trouble than any of us. Through it all, he never lost faith in God.
Today, no matter how much trouble we find ourselves in, we need to understand the utter simplicity of God's grace. His grace is not dependent on complex rules and rituals. It is not dependent on traditions or religion. It is a source of power freely available to those who simply plug in.
So today as you contemplate your troubles, slide in a CD of worship music and sing a song to the Lord. Let him minister you with his Word and soon you will feel His strength overcome your troubled times.
I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
Are we living in times of trouble? Every time I turn on the 10 o'clock news it sure seems so. Last week a dazed and confused woman was arrested after hacking her 1 and 3 year old to death. But I'm sure when this was written it was no different.
Millennium after millennium humanity has succumbed to the numbness of every day struggle which can often bring us trouble, daze and confusion. In today's verse, the psalmist allows God to cut through the fog of our daily war and boldly declares victory in God's name.
Most people (including myself) will want to say "yeah but you don't understand what I'm going through" - this is why it is important to read through the Psalms. David who wrote most of the Psalms went through more trouble than any of us. Through it all, he never lost faith in God.
Today, no matter how much trouble we find ourselves in, we need to understand the utter simplicity of God's grace. His grace is not dependent on complex rules and rituals. It is not dependent on traditions or religion. It is a source of power freely available to those who simply plug in.
So today as you contemplate your troubles, slide in a CD of worship music and sing a song to the Lord. Let him minister you with his Word and soon you will feel His strength overcome your troubled times.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
A new year, a new decade...
A new year and a new decade begins and I'm breaking from the tradition of writing a message based on a particular verse.
It's a new year and I wonder where did 2009 go. I had so many aspirations, yet the year flew by. I look at the last message I wrote and I wonder, has it really been almost two months since I last wrote?
I remember when I started this blog. I was so determined, never missed a day of writing. It became my "religious duty" to send out my message. The after a year or so, the Holy Spirit woke me up and impressed upon me that this blog shouldn't be part of my checklist of religious activity to do every day!
Fast forward to 2010 and it's been almost two months since I've written. The Holy Spirit reminds me of Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"
The "therefore" points back to the famous chapter Romans 7 where Paul wrote about his constant struggle between the flesh and the mind. For a long time, I thought this was Paul talking about who he was (as in the past). Now I realize that this was his struggle always, as it is for all of us whether we admit it or not.
So what is my point? No condemnation. We struggle so much of our lives because we always feel the weight of condemnation. Tony Robbins, the self-motivation speaker always says," we are always trying to move out of pain and into pleasure."
Think about it, that is so true. So many of our decisions in life are based on trying to get out of pain and into pleasure. Condemnation causes a lot of pain in our lives and therefore drives a lot of our decisions. That is a sad state of affairs but quite true for many.
Think about your past. What decisions have you made based on fear of condemnation? Probably too many to want to recollect!
And what did Paul mean by Romans 8:1? Great, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" but why do we still feel the condemnation, or fear from it?
I think in the end it is all about acknowledging the freedom Christ gave us at the cross. It is about coming to the realization that he paid the price for our sins. The bottom line is that most of us don't really comprehend that and we are always trying to do the work of redemption ourselves.
When are we going to learn? When will you stop listening to condemning voices who rob you of the freedom that was given to you, paid for by the blood of Jesus?
It's a new year and I wonder where did 2009 go. I had so many aspirations, yet the year flew by. I look at the last message I wrote and I wonder, has it really been almost two months since I last wrote?
I remember when I started this blog. I was so determined, never missed a day of writing. It became my "religious duty" to send out my message. The after a year or so, the Holy Spirit woke me up and impressed upon me that this blog shouldn't be part of my checklist of religious activity to do every day!
Fast forward to 2010 and it's been almost two months since I've written. The Holy Spirit reminds me of Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"
The "therefore" points back to the famous chapter Romans 7 where Paul wrote about his constant struggle between the flesh and the mind. For a long time, I thought this was Paul talking about who he was (as in the past). Now I realize that this was his struggle always, as it is for all of us whether we admit it or not.
So what is my point? No condemnation. We struggle so much of our lives because we always feel the weight of condemnation. Tony Robbins, the self-motivation speaker always says," we are always trying to move out of pain and into pleasure."
Think about it, that is so true. So many of our decisions in life are based on trying to get out of pain and into pleasure. Condemnation causes a lot of pain in our lives and therefore drives a lot of our decisions. That is a sad state of affairs but quite true for many.
Think about your past. What decisions have you made based on fear of condemnation? Probably too many to want to recollect!
And what did Paul mean by Romans 8:1? Great, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" but why do we still feel the condemnation, or fear from it?
I think in the end it is all about acknowledging the freedom Christ gave us at the cross. It is about coming to the realization that he paid the price for our sins. The bottom line is that most of us don't really comprehend that and we are always trying to do the work of redemption ourselves.
When are we going to learn? When will you stop listening to condemning voices who rob you of the freedom that was given to you, paid for by the blood of Jesus?
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