Faithfulness April 13, 2010

Faithfulness

One of the definitions of the word ‘faithful’ is:  to do what you say you will do (Lulu 2010),

–adjective:  1. strict or thorough in the performance of duty: a faithful worker. (Dictionary.com)

The incredible thing about the use of this word throughout the bible is that it is used to describe not only an attribute of God, but it says:

Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

In this verse, the words go before you mean to be laid out in front of in anticipation of…

“will make a way for his footsteps” (http://biblos.com/psalms/85-13.htm)

To me this is one of the most impactful scriptures I have read all week.  To me this scripture indicates what is expected of me to demonstrate my faithfulness to the Lord – that I would do what I say I will do- and to do that for others, to prepare a way for God into their heart.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people are shocked at the concept of someone who means what they say- and does what they say to the very best of their ability.

What does not surprise me is how powerful the spoken word can be.  How one broken promise can crush a heart – and one missed commitment can damage a relationship, and yet, many people speak without that kind of gravity in mind.

Why is it we make it a point to show up for work every day – but we blow off our friends and family without a second thought?  Is it because our job is important to us then our family?  Or because we fail to understand the impact of our unfaithfulness?

Many people hear the word faithful and automatically associate it with an intimate relationship with a spouse.  How would our lives be different if we looked at the word faithful (which we all promised to be when getting married) and we implemented this definition of doing what we say we will do, in every aspect of our lives?

Pride March 9, 2010

Pride- Arrogance, To be elevated

The bible clearly states that if you elevate yourself you are proud, but if you are elevated in deed and in the eyes of your peers then you are honored.

• Proverbs 18:12 NIV

12 Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud,

but humility comes before honor.

• Proverbs 11:2 NIV

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

• Proverbs 29:23 NIV

23 A man’s pride brings him low,

but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

There is little else that I find more repulsive than arrogance.  What I understand of Arrogance is a belief that you are entitled to preferential treatment or circumstances.   I believe this self-entitlement is the denial of our own fallacies and weaknesses which bring us to (Repentance) or the understanding that we need a Savior –Christ Jesus.   I believe this is why pride is so damaging, because it directly separates us from God.

• Psalm 10:4 NIV

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

One of the uses for the Hebrew word Pride is also used interchangeably used to name Lucifer.   So pride can either mean to shine brightly, or to be self- righteous.    We all know that in the story of the fall, Lucifer was both the one who shone the brightest, and the one with a pride-full heart.

Aristotle makes yet another distinction between a proud man, proud being a man who is given honor by what he deserves, and a vain man, who believes himself deserving of what the proud man is honored for, without any honor within himself.

• Aristotle: “Honours and dishonours, therefore, are the objects with respect to which the proud man is as he should be. And even apart from argument it is with honour that proud men appear to be concerned; for it is honour that they chiefly claim, but in accordance with their deserts. The unduly humble man falls short both in comparison with his own merits and in comparison with the proud man’s claims. The vain man goes to excess in comparison with his own merits, but does not exceed the proud man’s claims.”

From Aristotle’s views pride is in part a comparison that a man does within his own heart, which places himself either in accordance with the truth of himself, or to an extreme towards excessive pride or undue humility.

Jesus demonstrated this kind of undue humility, which is what set Him apart from many of the theologians and astute keepers of the law in his day, the law being with no separation from the principals which are believed to be right or wrong according to God.  I believe that Jesus was teaching us that if there were ever a choice between the two, undue humility would be the best decision, as it leaves room to elevate others, which is called love born of sacrifice.  He said in John 15:9-17 –

9″As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

“13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

But what if the word life in John 15:13 was substituted for pride?  How much differently would we act had Jesus asked us to lay down our pride?  In an average life, when have we ever called to lay down our life?  So far we are all still here.  How many times have we hopelessly and stubbornly clung to our pride without budging?  How many times have we seen our loved ones hurt, and still clung to what we thing we are entitled to have?  Weather what we believe we are entitled to be honor, or space, or possessions, or attention, or compassion.  When we take a realistic look at what we deserve, using the bible as our standard for what is right and wrong, we barley deserve the breath we take each day.

Forgiveness March 2, 2010

Forgiveness is something we must accept, or so we are taught.  There are, however very different perspectives that are depicted in the Word.  Jesus teaches us that forgiveness comes as grace, and is not something that we decide to accept or not.

So how do we obtain forgiveness if at all?  Do we earn it? Or is it only given at the discretion of God?

Luke 5:17-26 says:

17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

This goes to show me that sins and healing are closely related, and although the emphasis is on the healing, there is yet another part of this story that goes unnoticed.  The determination of the people seeking healing is what gave testimony to the desire for Jesus.

How many people does it take to make up a “crowd”?  How many people in our lives stand in the way of our healing or forgiveness, and we do not persist, but turn away without our inheritance?  These three men not only faced a crowd of people standing between them and their inheritance, but also climbed up to the roof with a paralyzed man on a stretcher in essence.  How possible does that seem to you?  How much effort did it take for those three men to carry their friend up to that roof? And why did they not give up?

Ephesians 1:3-14 gives yet another perspective of forgiveness, and how it comes to us.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he[c] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

11In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

So to me, forgiveness is twofold, first it is given, but the power of that forgiveness does us no good without understanding the truth of it.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean we won’t face issues, and it doesn’t even mean things will be easy, it just means we have an inheritance to join Jesus in what we were originally created to be, His perfection.  That which we can understand has to be deep enough for us to put aside obstacles and push through difficulties to see the healing and forgiveness on the other side.  I firmly believe that all in all, it is our determination and ability to reach for Jesus that brings us closer to Him.

Go and live in Peace March 2, 2010

Go and live in Peace…

Many times in the bible God/Jesus instructs us to go and live in peace.  Not many people will doubt that God is a God of peace, and we should be people of peace also, but how do we live in peace in a practical way?  What types of actions are counted as not peaceful?  What actions are commonly used in the name of peace, which are false securities?

When did the concept of peace begin?

The first talk of peace was when God addressed Abraham about the sin of his people.

Genesis 15:12-16

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.  Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.  But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.  In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

This was a promise of peace that God gave Abraham as a hope.  The wars and need for peace followed God’s people from there to here and now.

Actions which are not peaceful:

• Rage and Ridicule
  • Proverbs 29:9 – If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
  • Envy
    • Proverbs 14:30 – A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
    • Manipulation
      • Proverbs 12:20 – There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.
      • Lies and Accusations
        • Psalm 35:19-20 – Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.  They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.

Now many of us know these actions which cause peace to flee from us… yet still we are unsure how to institute peace within our own lives.  There is a common misconception that apathy is the same as peace.  Telling others and yourself that you don’t care is not the same as peace.  The definition of peace is: (Merriam-Webster 2010)

1 : a state of tranquility or quiet: as a : freedom from civil disturbance b : a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom <a breach of the peace>

2 : freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions

3 : harmony in personal relations

4 a : a state or period of mutual concord between governments b : a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity

5 —used interjectionally to ask for silence or calm or as a greeting or farewell

So what does a man/woman of Peace look like?

• They are Wise
  • Proverbs 3:13-17 – Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,  for she is more profitable than silver  and yields better returns than gold.  She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.   Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.  Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.
  • They are Righteous through love and faithfulness
    • Psalm 85:10 – Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
    • They are Blameless in the sight of God
      • Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future  for the man of peace.
      • They turn from evildoing
        • Psalm 34:14 – Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Is peace always the answer?

• Peace or War?
  • Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 – There is a time for everything,  and a season for every activity under heaven:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,  a time to kill and a time to heal,  a time to tear down and a time to build,  a time to weep and a time to laugh,  a time to mourn and a time to dance,  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,  a time to embrace and a time to refrain,  a time to search and a time to give up,  a time to keep and a time to throw away,  a time to tear and a time to mend,  a time to be silent and a time to speak,  a time to love and a time to hate,  a time for war and a time for peace.

How do we know when to follow peace and when not to?

I believe we should not stand idle when injustice is made known to us, and we should always take up the cause of those who cannot take it up for themselves.   This is my standard for weather to break peace or not… I ask myself if there is some form of injustice that I must protest.

Proverbs 21:15 – When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

Proverbs 29:7 – The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

Isaiah 1:17 – learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. [a] Defend the cause of the fatherless,  plead the case of the widow.

We must be careful not to take out own will and turn it into a cause for justice.  We must always be patient with those who are in sin, be they followers of Christ or not.  If there is any question as to the time for war,  pray, seek God and read the bible for instructions.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 – Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?   So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Romans 13:14-18 – Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.   As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.   If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.   Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.   For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

1 Timothy 4:12-14 – Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.   Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.   Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

It’s been a while… March 2, 2010

I haven’t had much to say since Casey Anthony Crazies are over… so I decided to post my bible study notes here.  Please feel free to add your take on them!

Dear God January 7, 2009

A lot of people are hurting right now.  The economy is worse then anyone is willing to admit, and so are the hearts of so many.  You have enriched my life in countless ways.  Our children are healthy.  My marriage is aged well beyond our years, and more fulfilling then I ever thought possible.  Our ability to pay our bills is increasing, where so many others are decreasing.  Our daily drama load has been next to nothing.  On top of all of that, You have allowed us to see You in so many places, people, and events around us.

I am not worthy.

Friends and family look at us from the outside, and are compelled to wonder what we have that they don’t.

It’s You!

Even though we have made so many mistakes, you continue to forgive us and bless us.  I hope that the people around us draw closer to you.  Not so that they can pay their bills, but so they can feel what I feel right now.  I feel like I am being courted by You. The almighty God of all creation.  Forever sovereign, warden to the lightning and earthquakes, keeper of all life, giver of all love.

Broken little pathetic me, who cries at the thought of such a God; as would want me, who can add nothing to You.  I can give you nothing that you don’t already have, yet you chase after me.  How can there be so much love?  I can’t even comprehend, in my broken body or my broken mind, ever loving that much.   How can you not grow weary of my stupid mistakes and my selfish desires?  I try to justify myself, yet you await me with the ultimate justification… love.  What can I do in return, except be undeserving.

As minimalistic as it may be, all I have is my gratitude and praise, so… thank You Jesus!

Never, Forever, and Always January 5, 2009

When you are a kid, the summer lasts for a year, and the year lasts for a day. I remember being a kid just waiting to grow up. My sister and I used to mark the doors with our height to keep track of how big we had grown. My sister was always tall and lanky, and I was always short and fluffy. I remember thinking I would never grow to be as tall as my sister.

Then one day about a year and a half later I went to mark my height, and I was just above one of my sister’s marks. I decided on that day that I knew how long never was… it was about a year and a half.

Some time later I gave my heart to a boy, and we said that it would last forever. And for a very long time I thought it would. Then about three years later forever ended. I remember thinking that I now knew exactly how long forever was,…and it was twice as long as never.

After that I was still young and fearless to a fault. I thought to myself that I would always be wild and spontaneous, no matter whom I met or what I did. I had finally found myself. About two years later I had my first child. At that point I realized I now knew just how long always was as well… it was somewhere between never and forever.

In thinking about how I had some insight into the world and what people meant when they said the words forever, never, and always, I soon realized I would forever be a mommy, and my life would never be the same again… and I would always be thankful that I knew that.

Observations… January 5, 2009

People can be so uptight. Why is it that people, no matter who they are or where they come from, find the need to argue about minuscule things?

People place their own prisons around themselves. They fill their lives with drama and dissension until they are at the breaking point. There is a wonderful line in a movie I once saw that said “Guilt is like a bag of bricks, all you gotta do is set it down.”

Now let me tell you what I have been reflecting on…

- Life is as hard as you make it + a little extra, so why make it hard?
- Smiles are free
- People are mean, but nobody likes a mean person
- If you love what you have, you will have what you love
- Everyone has faith, its what they have faith in that differs
- Only enter into a relationship with a list of what you can give, not receive
- The value of a life is measured by the people who measure themselves by you -from The Bucket List

Joel’s letter September 2, 2008

Open Letter From Dr. Joel C. Hunter—Benediction Prayer

via Here@Northland by Robert Andrescik on 9/2/08

There are several things to remember when praying in a public setting:

1. Prayer is not a speech with a hidden agenda; it is a direct request to God for help.  Therefore, it demeans prayer to use it to get points across to an audience other than God.  My prayer was my request to God and an invitation for the people of all faith traditions that our country welcomes to join me in it.

2. Prayer in public is not a tool of evangelism, but it has a tone that will set the stage for evangelism by taking people from where they are in their faith (Acts 17:22) and making possible follow up conversations.  I am hearing accounts from many Christians who were in the stadium (including my wife) who had conversations with non-Christians that resulted in Kingdom progress. I have many responses from non-Christians saying, in essence, “Thank you for including us in the prayer, I thought evangelicals only cared about scoring points for their faith. You made me think you cared enough about me that we could have a conversation.”  And I have also received responses from non-Christians who thought it was wrong for me to say “In Jesus’ name” because I had the microphone and those are the words that rang out through the stadium and resounded throughout the convention as many Christians scattered throughout the crowd voiced “In Jesus’ name” as well.

3. Christians must not be afraid to be the Truth in the midst of other religions.  Truth will always win, but it will be constrained if we “insist on our own way” of approaching the universality of Christ.  John 14:6 is true; how some can realize that Truth must come from a broader conversation than “my God is true; your god is false”.

4. I did not ask people to pray to another god; I asked them to finish a prayer according to their faith tradition. This may be a small point linguistically, but it is a huge point theologically.

5. Creating an environment where people can cooperate without having to compromise their core beliefs will eventually win more people to Christ than pronouncing Christ over them at the end of a prayer.

6. As I said in worship, to protect the integrity of “in Jesus’ name”, the person praying must make sure that either a) He or she is only emphasizing their own ending to the prayer, as Donald Miller did when he ended “I pray this in Jesus name” or b) He or she does not misrepresent people that they have asked to join them in prayer.  That would be taking the Lord’s name in vain.

I could go on from here, but you get the idea.  As you may imagine, I prayed long and hard before feeling like God had given me the precise words for this prayer.  I believe that He in His sovereign way will use it to bring people to Himself.

I also hope that you will see the mention of other religions as an opportunity to lift up the one true God, not as a threat to His universality.

With appreciation and blessings,

Joel

I am so proud of my pastor… August 29, 2008

Pastor Joel recently went to give the benediction at the Democratic Convention

I would like to say that Joel received many opposing views about his acceptance of this offer.  In a church service that I attended Joel said that he is going because they asked him to come pray.  He is not endorsing the democratic party, he is going to pray for them.  Jesus prayed for sinners and saints alike, and I am so proud that Joel decided to follow His example, instead of being bullied out of his decision.

Below is a transcript of the benediction, which obviously still upholds Joel’s moral beliefs.

We are all here to devote ourselves to the improvement of this country we love. In one of the best traditions of our country, would those of you who are people of faith join me in asking for God’s help?

Almighty God, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us a reverence for all life. Give us a compassion for the most vulnerable among us. The babies. The children. The poor. The sick. The enslaved. The persecuted. For all of those who have been left out of the advantaged world.

Give us a zeal to clean the environment we have polluted while we create an economy where everyone who can work can have a job. Help us to honor those who defend our country by working harder and smarter for peace. Help us to counter those that incite fear and hatred by becoming people who are informed and respectful and are known for the principles and projects that aim higher than merely our own group’s benefit.

Guide Barack Obama and all of our leaders to be agents of your will and recipients of your wisdom. And grant that all of us citizens will continually do our part to contribute to the common good so that we can truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Now I interrupt this prayer for a closing instruction. I want to personalize this. I want this to be a participatory prayer. And so therefore, because we are in a country that is still welcoming all faiths, I would like all of us to close this prayer in the way your faith tradition would close your prayer.

So on the count of three, I want all of you to end this prayer, your prayer, the way you usually end prayer. You ready? One, two, three.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When I heard Joel’s benediction my heart filled with pride for his accomplishment of showing the love of God, despite the ‘status’ of those who invited him, or those who would be listening.