Is That Really Funny?

There have been times when I would laugh at jokes about gays, disabled people and minorities. I even told some. There are other groups that are the subject of humor. You might understand what I’m talking about; People who aren’t like me; People who have different value systems.

Many of these jokes are for the purpose of dividing people into us and them.

Dividing; That is kind of the opposite of what I understand to be my calling as a follower of Jesus.

Jesus tells us to “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations”, (that’s a lot of people not like me). In John 17:21 Jesus prays that we might all be one.

If I am taking part in divisive humor how can I truly have any part in creating the unity that Jesus has in mind for me?

I believe this is a serious matter for me. Jesus speaks of a plant having good fruit and bad. He says it is not possible (Matthew 7:15-20). And James speaks of a fountain bringing forth sweet water and bitter (James 3:11).

It’s something to think about.

FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU SHALL BE JUSTIFIED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU SHALL BE CONDEMNED. (Matthew 12:37)

Jesus Didn't have a Webpage

Today I began by thinking about prayer and how my prayer practice has developed over the years and I may write about that at another time. But then I was thinking about Isaiah 42:1-4 which talks about the servant of God that he will uphold, and of course refers ultimately to Jesus. But as a disciple, Jesus is a pattern for me to consider.

In thinking about the Isaiah passage I was thinking about how Jesus didn’t have any media to announce his upcoming revival meeting. There was no webpage for people to find out where he would be next. Jesus simply went around healing the sick and telling stories. Or providing free lunches for a lot of people, and telling stories.

Matthew 13:34 tells us that

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

Those who came to Jesus seeking, searching, requesting more understanding, more in depth teaching were shown more.

I see three things that I need to give close attention.

First: I need to suppress my desire to make others see the valuable truth that I have found. Mostly they are not interested.

Second: I need to be among those who ask, seek and knock.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:8)

And finally or maybe first I need to be finding the good that I can do and be doing that.

Following Jesus is a matter of doing what I can see he did and doing the things he says I am to do. 

Wars and Fighting

Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. You want things, but you don't get them. So, you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So, you argue and fight. You don't get what you want because you don't ask God. Or when you ask, you don't receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure.

Does this sound familiar?

How many ways do I try to justify my selfish, self-righteous attitudes?

So many times, I find myself getting angry with religious people who build little kingdoms so they can rule over others and get their living from others. Other times I see business people taking the larger part from the labors of others and I am angered by their greed. Politicians, take extreme wages when most of them are already wealthy, because they want to rule over others.

It is easy to point the finger. All pointing of the finger is just another way of wanting to rule over others.

The first paragraph is a quote from the Easy to Read Version of James 4:1-3. The passage goes on to say that this attitude is the manifestation of our unfaithfulness toward God, and that this love of power and things makes us the enemy of God.

God is a jealous God. You may not like that but it is true. The really good side of that is that He only wants us for our very best. We make ourselves God’s enemy when we make demands and strive to rule over others. God’s greatest desire is to bless us, but he can only bless us according to righteousness. That is why it says,

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6

It’s something to think about.

MUCH MORE... MUCH MORE

For a long time, I have really loved the book of Romans. In Hebrews, it says “The Word of God is Living and active…”, and as I go through Romans again and again, new things appear that have always been there. Just recently, as I was going through Romans with some friends, I saw something I had missed in several trips through this wonderful book.

In the introduction of the letter, Paul mentions the “obedience of faith”, (Romans 1:5).

After that, he proceeds to explain our condition as rebellious children who have rejected our inheritance and turned to away from our Heavenly Father to invent our own ideas of ‘what is good and pleasant.’ And he shows us the results that these actions produce in chapter 2 verses 6 to 10.

From there to almost the middle of chapter five, he exclaims the wonderful message of the redemption that God has made available, through Jesus. And he has shown us how that, because of this, we can be made right with God. By believing this message we are righteous before God because of Jesus’ righteousness. This is truly Wonderful!

But then in Romans 5:9-10 he says,

MUCH MORE then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

NOTICE: the message of the statement is repeated. “MUCH MORE… MUCH MORE”! We were justified and MUCH MORE we shall be saved. We were reconciled, and MUCH MORE we shall be saved.

Being justified and reconciled to God, being made righteous before God are wonderful things that God has done for us.

Jesus has shown us the way, by living a life surrendered to the will of God. Therefore, following Jesus, we shall be saved.

And that is MUCH MORE!

Where Did That Come From?

In a discussion, last night someone said it again and I am really wondering where the idea comes from. Is it written in some newer translation that I haven’t seen. Whenever the subject of living the life that we are called to live comes up, someone almost always comes up with a statement similar to the one I got last night.

“I think we can try to (live the life we are called to) but also realize we’ll never achieve it in our lifetime, and what we do achieve, we achieve with the help of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus says, “Therefore be perfect even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Where does this other idea come from?

Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Where does this other idea come from?

John says, “My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin…” (1 John 2:1). He does go on to say that God has provided an advocate if we do sin, but the point is he is writing so that we may not sin. Where does that other idea come from?

Peter tells us, “according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

I think I found it. In Numbers 13, twelve spies were sent into the promised land to spy it out. The majority came back with an evil report and said we cannot take the land (that God has promised to give us) there are giants and we are like grasshoppers. (Numbers 13:31-33)

The people agreed with the 10 spies and died in the wilderness. Joshua and Caleb believed God and went into the promised land.

Think about it.

Freedom for All

Yesterday, when I woke up I was thinking about people who had made bad decisions for what seemed like good reasons. Somehow, I suspect some help from God, I ended up in Isaiah 58. Most of the rest of the day I was thinking about “yokes”. No, not yolks, yokes.

A yoke is a harness that was used to control large powerful draft animals, often oxen weighing 500 pounds or more. The yoke was solid and once it was on, the animal could not get free and was compelled to go were directed, pulling a wagon or a plow for example.

As I was thinking and praying about the things I wrote, especially about Isaiah 58:9, I came to thinking about how we put yokes on other people and how we end up with yokes that others put on us and sometimes we put on ourselves.

Christians may be the worse. I am sure it is more wretched for Christians to do than for anyone else. We are following Jesus, right? Jesus came to break the yokes and loose the bonds that hold us down and set us free to become like him.

When we see someone with a lot of tattoos (whatever that means), what do we think? Even if we talk kindly to them how do we view them? We are such hypocrites! Well maybe not you, but I certainly am. It doesn’t stop with ink. What about homosexuals, prostitutes, people of another race or political persuasion? What about people who go to another church or don’t go to any church?

LABELS! They are the same as a yoke. We have learned these things from infancy. They are buried deeply in our minds and hearts.

Jesus came and redeemed us from all of our sin and to remove the yokes that bind us. This means the yokes that we wear because of bad decisions we have made. It also means the yokes we place on others because we are still trying to be judges. These latter keep us from being salt and light in this dark world.

These things are so subtle and so powerful that we must have God’s help to be rid of them. I must humble myself, pray and mourn and seek God’s grace here. And He will be our help and salvation.

Be Faithful.

We Love the Promises of God

We simply Love the promises of God. They are so encouraging. In Sunday School, we used to sing,

“Every promise in the book is mine,

every chapter every verse every line.

All the blessings of his love divine,

every promise in the book is mine.”

And the Lord will be your guide at all times; in dry places, he will give you water in full measure, and will make strong your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like an ever-flowing spring. And your sons will be building again the old waste places: you will make strong the bases of old generations: and you will be named, He who puts up the broken walls, and, He who makes ready the ways for use. (Isaiah 58:11-12)

What wonderful, encouraging words. Shouldn’t we all just be really happy all the time? Why are so many Christians unhappy and down cast? Maybe we’ve missed something. Let’s look at another blessing in the same chapter. Verse 9 says.

Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

IF

thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Something that I don’t recall hearing very much about is the part that comes after the “if”. Every promise that I have found in God’s Word has an “if” of some kind, but we are really inclined to highlight the promise and ignore the condition.

News Flash: God doesn’t ignore them.

God is not vengeful and mean! He doesn’t just want to make us unhappy for some sadistic pleasure. God wants to give us the blessings, every one. No loving father will reward a child for bad behavior. Our Heavenly Father desires us to be like his Son, for our pleasure. He is eager to bless us as we learn to follow Jesus example.