Weekly Meanderings

Here’s some stuff I came across this week…

Video of the week: I’m Not Afraid (remix)

Have a great weekend!

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Deuteronomy 6 – Love God, love neighbors

Deuteronomy 6:4-19 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 10 “Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. 14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. 16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah. 17 “You should diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18 “You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, 19 by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.

Jesus uses this passage when he is asked to give the greatest commandment; he tells the people to love the Lord their God. In referring back to this passage Jesus was implying all of the other things that Moses wrote down here: there is only one God, that God is the only God worthy of worship, and we are responsible for raising our families to know and honor that God.

But Jesus adds something. Jesus adds something that is not explicitly stated here. Jesus says to love your neighbor as well. To some extent loving your neighbor is emplied here in Deuteronomy; but, only if your neighbor is an Israelite. If your neighbor was “an enemy of Israel” then Israel was called to drive them out of the land.

Jesus made our faith more focused on the needs of the world around us. That makes sense. If we have found Jesus then we have been brought out of the slavery of sin, we are living in a communion with God that we did not earn, we are awaiting a future home in heaven that we do not deserve. If we have found Jesus then praise of our heavenly Father should be on our lips at every moment.

But, if we have found Jesus we have a responsibility to love those who are still looking for him. We are to love those who are still in slavery, who have not yet “come out of Egypt”. That is why Jesus added that we are to love our neighbors, rather than try to defeat them. If we can share a small portion of the love Christ has showered on us, then maybe they will realize who Jesus is, and decide to join his family.

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The Hitchhiker Queen by Alan Wise

It was somewhere between two and three o’clock on the second Thursday of July, but no one wanted to stop for the woman who waited patiently by the side of the road.

Elizabeth Ann had been waiting by the side of her car for almost an hour and no one had bothered to stop to ask why. She was not dirty. Her hair had been washed that morning and it fell around a plain square collar and a pale white face. She stood completely erect by the side of the open car door, her young son Alex in her arms. Alex rolled his blue-green eyes at each passing car and burbled happily. The sun shone brightly and he enjoyed the wait in his mother’s arms.

It was somewhere between two and three o’clock on the second Thursday of July, but no one wanted to stop for the woman who waited patiently by the side of the road. True, Elizabeth Ann made no signal of distress; she did not motion to other drivers that her car was incapacitated, that her post by the shoulder of the road was distasteful and uncomfortable. Perhaps if she had put the hood up, someone would have stopped to inquire after the tiny grey hatchback. And she, relieved that someone had finally cared enough to stop, would sigh and say that the engine began to sputter about a mile back and then started to cough black smoke from somewhere beneath the hood.

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Weekly Meanderings

Here’s some stuff I came across this week…

Have a great weekend!

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Romans 16 – I walk the line

Romans 16:17-20 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

If someone is leading away from Christ, do not follow them. Be obedient to God and the grace of Jesus will be on you.

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I’ll admit that I’m a fool for you
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I’ve known proves that it’s right
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

You’ve got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can’t hide
For you I know I’d even try to turn the tide
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

(I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash)

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Romans 15 – Bearing the weaknesses of brothers and sisters

Romans 15:1-2,7 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification… 7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

We have a responsibility to look out for those who are being trampled upon, those who are forgotten, those who are in need. Each of us has a responsibility to “bear the weaknesses” of those around us.

Christianity is not an individualist faith. Christianity is not just about my relationship with God. Christianity is about the family of God. I am to care for my brothers and sisters; I am to care for my potential brothers and sisters. More succinctly, I have some responsibility for everyone I meet. I am not ultimately responsible for their choices and circumstances; but, I am responsible for bearing some of their weaknesses.

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Romans 14 – Accept your brother/sister in Christ without passing judgment

Romans 14:1,4,7-8,10 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions… 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand… 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s… 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

If you believe Democrats/Republicans are evil, what should your attitude be toward the Democratic/Republican Christian in your church? “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

If you are a theologically liberal/conservative Christian, what should your attitude be toward the conservative/liberal Christian in your church? “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

If you do not believe women should be in leadership/ministry, what should your attitude be toward a woman who feels God’s call to enter leadership/ministry? “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

If you believe homosexuality is a sin, what should your attitude be toward the gay Christians in your church? “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

It seems Paul is saying that if we share a faith in Jesus Christ then we are to accept the other’s faith without passing judgment on their opinions.

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Romans 10 – Church litmus tests

Romans 10:9-13 if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Christians can be very good at creating litmus tests. In the past when I have applied for pastoral positions I have always been fascinated by the litmus tests that churches put on their applications.

What is the role of women in church leadership? What is the definition of marriage? Which translation of the Bible do you preach from? Are you reformed? Are you evangelical? How old is the earth?

To some extent we can divide churches into two groups. The first is the boundary based church that defines the theological boundaries within which the church body must remain. The second is the center based church that focuses on moving people closer to Jesus. Neither is in and of itself wrong; both have advantages and disadvantages. I prefer the second.

In my view, most churches spend far too much time setting up boundaries to keep “them” out (or “us” in). We would be far better off if we spent that time and energy pointing people toward Jesus.

If we confess and believe in Jesus as risen Lord we are reunited with God, we are brought into fellowship with God, we are adopted into God’s family, we are redeemed, we are saved, we are a friend of God.

The main thing is to confess and believe in Jesus as risen Lord. Everything else is secondary, and is far less important.

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Romans 9 – Tricky little rock…

Romans 9:30-33 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written, “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

The thing about stumbling blocks is that their not very sneaky. They don’t jump out from a hiding place. They don’t sneak up on you. A stumbling block is out there, in the open, totally obvious, totally available. There’s nothing secretive about a stumbling block.

So why do we stumble over them? Why do we stumble over rocks sitting right in the middle of the road? Usually because we’re too busy looking at something else.

May Jesus grab a hold of your toe and trip you to the ground; and when you get up, take the time to look around and see what made you fall.

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Romans 6 – Live your life

Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:11-14 consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus does not make us perfect. Jesus does not keep us from committing sins. Jesus does not take away all pain and sorrow. Jesus represents grace; when we live with Christ we live with the grace of God spread over all of our doings (right or wrong). Jesus does not give us a license to sin, rather Jesus gives us a reason to avoid sin.

We are not to be mastered by sin. I have seen people mastered in two different ways. One is obvious; the individual who, for whatever reason, can not give up a vice that has mastery over his or her life. The other is the person so fearful of sin that they can not live the life God has given them.

Do not live in sin and do not live in fear of sin. Live your life, to the fullest, recognizing the grace of Jesus Christ in every moment of every day.

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Romans 5 – Jesus loves me

Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is John 17. In John 17, Jesus is praying prior to his arrest and crucifixion. During his prayer he prays for himself and for his disciples; he prays that God would finish the work that was started at Jesus’ birth; but, for me, the most important part is when Jesus prayers for those who would come after. Jesus, as he prepared for his death, prayed for you and me.

While we were helpless, before we could do anything to restore our own relationship with God, Jesus died for us. God has known, loved, and wanted the best for each one of us since the creation of the world. Jesus was the pivot point of history upon which God’s love is anchored.

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Romans 2 – In which I discuss homosexuality and make no one happy

“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

I think the issue of homosexuality in Christianity is often a distraction from doing the actual work of Christ. Romans 1 speaks of the sinfulness into which humanity has fallen and specifically references homosexuality as being something that was not a part of God’s created order. However, this passage also lists greed, arrogance, disobedience, lacking in love, lacking in understanding, and lacking in mercy, as being outside of God’s created order.

Can you be a gay/lesbian Christian? That’s like asking, can you be an arrogant Christian? I have met many of both.

As Christians we are not called to stand on street corners and call people sinners; we are called to love people and be examples of Jesus Christ.

When we choose to judge someone else, it says far more about the state of our own heart than about the person we are judging. If I see evil in someone else’s life, I need to ask myself why that evil is so apparent to me. Typically, we are very good at seeing, in the lives of other people, the sins we are committing.

We cannot return the world to God’s created order. We can, however, care for all people living in this world. We need to love and defend all people; people openly living outside of God’s order.

What is the role of an openly LGBTQ Christian in the church? What is the role of an openly arrogant person in the church? To do that which God is calling them to do.

Now everyone can be unhappy with me.

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John 21 – The books that would be written of Jesus

‘So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”

Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.’

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John 20 – Receiving Jesus’ Spirit of peace

“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

At our darkest hour, in our loneliest circumstance, when we we feel doomed; Jesus will come to us and speak peace. All we need to do is recognize his presence in our midst. All we need to do is receive the blessing he is longing to breath out on us.

Recognize Jesus, receive the Spirit, go in peace; regardless of your circumstances.

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John 19 – Consistently in Christ

“After [Jesus' crucifixion] Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”

Joseph had been a secret disciple of Jesus because he feared that being a public disciple would ruin him. It was only after Jesus had died that Joseph was willing to publicly align himself with Jesus. It was not until he believed Jesus to have failed that Joseph was willing publicly proclaim faith in Jesus. We know nothing else about Joseph of Arimathea. I have often wondered what happened to him after Jesus resurrection. Was he one of the multitudes in the upper room on the day of Pentecost? Was he one of the disciples who ultimately deserted Jesus? We do not know.

It is not good for us to wait until a moment of failure to publicly proclaim our faith in Jesus. On Monday we need to be the same person we were on Sunday. In public we need to be the same person we are in private. In failure we need to be the same person we are in success.

Do not wait for failure to publicly proclaim Jesus. Live every moment of your life so that everyone can see the light of Jesus in you.

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John 18 – Truth is that which has been/is being revealed

Jesus: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.

Pilate: So You are a king?

Jesus: You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.

Pilate: What is truth?

Interestingly, Pilate does not allow Jesus to answer this rather philosophical question. Rather, Pilate goes out to the Jewish leaders and tries to barter with them.

What is truth? The Geek Word aletheia literally means the state of not being hidden; the state of being evident. Stealing a few lines from wikipedia, “aletheia is the truth that first appears when something is seen or revealed. It is to take out of hiddenness to uncover. It is not something that is connected with that which appears. Allowing something to appear is then the first act of truth; for example, one must give attention to something before it can be a candidate for any further understanding, for any understanding of space it must first somehow appear. Untruth, then, is something concealed or disguised.”

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John 17 – What hung heavy on the heart of Jesus?

Jesus prayed, “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

As Jesus was approaching his death he did not pray only for himself, he did not pray only for those disciples with him, and he did not pray for only his time and generation. Jesus also prayed for all those who would come after and believe in his name. Jesus prayed specifically for you and me that night. Two thousand years ago, the eternal destiny of you and I hung heavy on the heart of Jesus.

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John 13 – Humility

“Then [Jesus] poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

I have a really difficult time humbling myself to the level Jesus was willing to humble himself. We Christians talk a good game about “the first being last” and being “a servant of all”. But overall I don’t think we’re very good at living out lives focused on serving others.

What can I do this weekend to focus on being less selfish? What can I do to be more humble? What am I currently unwilling to do, that I need to get over?

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John 12 – More thoughts on judging

“Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.’”

There will be a time of ultimate judgment, and the one who makes the judgment is God.

What is the role for judgment in the world today? Are we to judge? What are we to judge? Who are we to judge?

I should be constantly judging my heart and determining if I am receiving and acting on the words of Jesus and on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Beyond that, my responsibility is to reveal Jesus to the world around me by my words, actions, and attitude. If my focus is on revealing Jesus then I can speak the words of Jesus and say, “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”

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John 11 – The fatalism of Thomas

“Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.’”

It is better to die with Christ than to live for self.

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