1 Corinthians 12:24 tells us that "God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
What makes this hard is that some people despise the body of Christ. They are believers, but "no one was there for them when they suffered." This may be the case, but it might've been self-inflicted. Like a wounded dog, some people lash out at others when they are hurt. Not everyone is equipped to deal with self-centeredness like that. They get insulted or lashed out at and they turn away. It's hard to minister to a porcupine. But thank God that some of us have people nearby that "know how to deal with us" and get close even when we're not so lovable. Holding past hurts against the body of Christ is a mistake, though. The fear of "getting hurt again" is real, though. Sometimes you just have to take a risk, forgive others, and step out in faith.
Others love the body of Christ and cling to it in gratitude, because they've seen or received healing from it. This is beautiful.
I like this verse, which talks about suffering with each other and rejoicing with each other. That's what family does.
Each morning during this family reunion/vacation that we're having, my dad is leading a Bible study. Of course, I am sleeping in until after the studies are over each morning. He is using a great topical Bible study that my grandad put together. I've got it stored on a hard drive somewhere as a Word document (if anyone wants a copy, let me know). It has several topics and then a couple dozen Scripture references that "speak" on the topic, as well as a paraphrase of what the verse is saying.
Today's study was on WORRY.
The Bible says a lot about this subject. Doctors have probably written much on the subject, because worry doesn't help our bodies. I'm sure there is much negative activity going on inside (our nervous system, our circulatory system, even our breathing is effected).
Phillippians 4:6-7: Do not worry. Pray, be thankful. God's peace brings joy.
Psalm 34:4: The Lord will free me from my worries and fears.
1 Peter 5:7-8: Let God have all your worries and troubles.
Matthew 6:31: Don't worry about having enough food and clothing.
Luke 12:25: What good does worrying do? Will it add a single day to your life?
1 Corinthians 7:32: I want you to be free from worry.
Matthew 13:22: Worry, through the cares of this life and longing for money, chokes out the Word of God.
Psalm 127:2: Don't work hard, early until late at night. God wants His loved ones to get proper rest.
James 1:2-3: Be happy when you have trials and temptations, for when the way is rough your patience can grow.
John 16:33: Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, I have overcome the world.
What is it about materialism that digs its claws into my heart? I've got an mp3 player, but I desired an iPod. I got an iPod (a nice 60g photo iPod), but now that I've seen a nano, I want one of those? When one model comes out, the next is being designed. I don't need a nano. If I had one, I'd probably give it to a family member, but there is a yearning inside somewhere for that cool little gadget. That yearning has to be bridled (and told no), or otherwise I get taken on a roller coaster ride seeking a satisfaction that never comes. That's weird.
In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul mentions some parts of the body (the ones that seem to be weaker) as "indispensable." He mentions that the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. "And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment."
I think of a Christian musician or artist that is "famous" at a certain level. He or she does not need to be honored at every turn. In fact, many famous people yearn for a place to be "normal," where they're not being looked at. But I think this passage also speaks to the person with a healthy self-esteem. He or she does not need to puffed up or complimented each and every day. Their encouragement is not as crucial (we all need encouragement, but some can use more than others). The strong help the weak. Then, when the weak are stronger, they in turn help the weak as well.
Sounds like a good plan to help a multi-part body to function well to me...
Haha. Sometimes us people have a way of disagreeing, bickering, and making a mess. I remember writing a blog not too long ago about meat sacrificed to idols and laying down freedoms and liberties for those with weaker faith. I kind of knew I'd be tested or pressed in this area.
It's funny. I'm on a family vacation and I have a precious brother in the Lord that has been pressing me about personal holiness and worldliness (i.e. Christian rock music artists that "dance around just like the world.") I've probably had numerous arguments with this line of thinking in my head, knowing exactly what to say when pressed on this, but it's always more of a challenge when you know and care about the person you're talking to. The desire to "blow that person out of the water" is lessened. Hmmm... Maybe there's a lesson to be learned here -- that maybe all people (especially strangers) should be treated with the kind of love and tenderness that we almost automatically afford family members. Not that we can't disagree or make a sharp point, but we can always craft the "hard" words we have to say with "cushion" and kindness.
1 Corinthians 12 12 starts defining the body of Christ as being just like a human body -- "though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free -- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body...But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body."
While it is good to know that we are many parts yet unified, it presents a greater challenge when we are faced with differences. We can't just blow people off. We're pressed to work things out. This pleases the Father, I'm sure.
1 Corinthians chapter12 is kind of famous and noteworthy as a discourse about "spiritual gifts." There is a humorous kind of phenomenon between a few different parties within the body of Christ -- those that embrace the "gifts of the Spirit" for today and those that think these gifts are ancient activities that happened in New Testament times but not now. Both will come to chapters 12, 13 (the "Love chapter") and 14, as Paul directly discusses their use in the church. Whenever I think about spiritual gifts, I long for the gift of healing. Wouldn't it be neat to walk into a hospital, lay hands on people, pray for their healing, and see them walk out healthy? It would also be neat to have the gift of prophecy. That could be helpful as well. Some of the gifts Paul talks about, though, are often ignored (at least in my mind) as not being as attractive as the "power gifts," yet they are all powered by the Holy Spirit and all useful.
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines."
When seen in that light, I will gratefully receive any of these gifts, for they all help in the building up of and strengthening and helping the body of Christ. Serving the church can sometimes be seen in an unattractive light (I don't know why), where service to the saints seems like a lesser role or status. For some reason it might sound nobler to assist and serve the lost, the broken, the atheist drunk, the drug addict estranged from God. While these are quite noble and loving roles as well, they shouldn't have an elevated status above helping the church, should they? The vice-versa would be true as well, wouldn't it? None of us should look at another and think that what we're doing in service to the Lord is more important than what another is doing.
Maybe next time I see someone I know serving as an usher or a greeter at my church, or maybe the volunteer who helps clean up after Sunday School class, I should honor them in my heart and silently thank the Lord for their service and ask for His blessing upon them. Maybe a big smile and hearty welcome would be appropriate. One thing I've learned about serving is that many folks doing this do not want to be honored in a public way. They don't serve for recognition, but for love. They will almost resist public honor. One thing that I know I can do for someone like that is to simply "honor them in my heart" (and in my mind). I want to be that man that recognizes the value in the people around me.
I remember one Christmas Eve night many years ago when I was in Florida with my family, as I am now. I was either six or eighteen months into my newfound life as a returned prodigal son, who was serious about growing as a disciple and being obedient. I felt the Lord's leading about something, and here's how it played out:
I kept having these thoughts in my head, almost as if random daydream thoughts. Thoughts that wandered from the "reality" around me. It was Christmas Eve and I kept wondering about lonely (and perhaps lost) people that would be spending Christmas Eve in a bar, perhaps drinking away the pain or trying to forget the hurt that maybe being close to family members brought, be it real-time pain or bad memories. Even though I did not hear an audible voice tell me something through the air, I felt like God was talking to me in my thoughts. I should go to a local bar and just be there for someone.
So, close to or after midnight I crept out of my sister's house (where both my parents and I were staying) in the Palm Estates neightborhood and drove through a couple neighborhoods before I hit the small downtown artery of the city of Niceville (yep, that's really its name) and drove up to one of the many Cash's bars that were located around the Fort Walton Beach area. I felt kind of scandalous at the time, because most Christians I knew didn't spend much time around or in bars -- and probably less so on Christmas Eve.
As I walked in, I did not know what to expect. It's not like the Lord told me, "And when you see so & so, tell them this," but I did have a sense that my steps were ordered and that I'd see some evidence of this. I was a little bit nervous, because I wasn't sure how this would turn out, how I'd talk to a stranger, or what people might think. Some people get offended when spiritual things or "religion" is brought up in conversation.
I can't remember what I told the bartender when he offered me a drink as I sat up to the bar. It was probably a "No thanks." I might have said something unusual, like, "I'm just here for the conversation." I looked over to my right and was amazed to see this guy named Bobby, whom I had worked with on a construction crew a couple summers before. He was a real pleasant guy who always had a laugh and was quick to light up a joint when taking a break (which only happened once or twice during that summer's project on a large custom home we were building). While illegal drugs (and legal ones, like alcohol) are considered bad and have negative connotations to be sure, one thing I can say about that culture that I used to be a part of, is that people bond over that kind of shared experience (superficial or not). So, besides the fact that Bobby and I worked together (he was like the foreman's assistant, so he was superior to me on the job), we also shared a couple party moments.
I didn't immediately assume that Bobby was my "divine appointment," as I scanned the room for others to talk to as well, but it wasn't long before I felt like he was "the reason" for me being there that night. I was relieved that I wouldn't have to strike up a conversation with a stranger, but it was also awkward to bring up Jesus with someone I knew. It's always interesting to run into someone who knew me in my "BC Days" (as some put it), and see their reaction to the news that I'm a Christian now. I most often referred to myself like this, "I'm a Jesus freak now." I'd say this as a way of almost self-depricating my status, in a way that would identify with what might be the lowest measurement on someone's social scale. I guess I could have embarrassed myself and taken on the label, "fundamentalist Christian," but there was also a fun connotation to being thought of as a "freak," since I had come from the "freak" and "drug" culture so closely associated to the free-living hippie movement. For me it was also a way of letting someone know that I was serious about this Christianity thing. It wasn't just a "phase" I was going through, but a true allegiance to a person named Jesus.
Anyway, we talked about spiritual things. We caught with each other. I asked about Dennis, who was the foreman on that project and had gone through a painful separation or divorce. Bobby had a wife and a kid, I believe. I shared from my heart that I felt led by God to be here this night and that he was talking to me by some sort of divine appointment and that I believed God wanted me just to tell him that Jesus loved him. He told me he appreciated me for saying that, and it didn't feel like just a way of saying "Thank you" just to get a person to shut up, but it sounded sincere. We talked some more and I left at 1 or 2 in the morning.
I haven't talked to him since that meeting and I don't know where he's at, but I trust that this short encounter was significant for one reason or another. He might've really needed to hear that Jesus loved him and that someone cared. I probably benefitted by one more time obeying the voice in my head and learning to hear the voice of God, so to speak. I didn't lead Bobby in the sinner's prayer or even ask him if he wanted to accept Jesus, but simply came and did what I felt I was being instructed to do. While it was kind of strange, weird, and a little out of the comfort zone that staying asleep in my bed provided, I'm glad I did it.
I hope that I can still stay sensitive to hurting people. Often times there are easy ways to find someone hurting. Looking for that lone spot in a park or on a beach or bus station, stepping into a bar on a traditional family holiday, or sometimes even in the back row of a church. I hope that I don't get so consumed with myself that I miss out on real human interaction.
Merry Christmas!
Wow. 1 Corinthians 11 dives into some messy stuff. Scholars say Paul wrote 3 letters to the church in Corinth. They say 1 Corinthians is actually his second letter, and 2 Corinthians his third. Apparently he was offering correction to the body of believers in that city. It's cool how one letter could apeak to that many people. Like his epistle to the church in Galatia, this letter seems to be one of his more frustrating experiences in his role as an apostle.
I remember asking a pastor at a charismatic church once, "A prophet prophesies, an evangelist evangelizes, a pastor pastors, and a teacher teaches, but what do you think an apostle does?" His response was interesting: "He has a keen sense of church government, with the ability to walk into a situation and see what organizational things and structure are out of order. Paul seemed to excel in this office. His letters to Corinth's church exemplify this well.
It's weird to read his correction about women praying with their heads covered, or else it was a shame for them; and a man with long hair was a shame, as was a woman with short hair. He spoke directly to the situation and didn't waffle on his opinion one bit. It seems contradictory, though, to the Nazarite vows some of God's men took in the Old Testament (not letting a razor touch their hair and thus growing it long). It also seems to contradict his treatise about the law and its ceremonial regulations (found in Romans and Galatians). This discussion follows the chapter about laying down liberties for the sake of those with weaker faith, so its context seems to place it in the cultural setting of adapting to the customs and practices. If it were a new set of regulations and laws that he was permanently placing on Christians the world over and for all time to follow, you'd think that he'd make it clear that this was the case, and that he'd also repeat it in other letters.
Some say he wrote about this because temple prostitutes that made sex part of the spiritual worship of false gods in the city of Corinth had their head shaved, and any women that looked like that were obviously identified as prostitutes, and that women of the body should avoid confusing people about this. Paul ends this confusing chapter with the line, "And when I come I will give you further instructions."
I remember playing with GI Joes well beyond the year that most of the boys in my class had given up on them (yes, i still played with 'em in fifth grade).
One of my friends, this guy named David Lambert, used to call them "Joes," which was almost a euphimism to keep everyone from knowing exactly what he was playing with.
Well, we went over the river (the Atchafayala River) and through the woods (along I-10, with many blown over from Katrina and Rita), but we finally made it to grandma's house for Christmas!
Whoo-hoo!
Well, well, well.
I've got some good news and some frustrating news:
The good news is that we are working with a real estate agent, seller, bank, and title company in closing on some land to move the HM offices onto.
The frustrating news is that we hoped to close this deal on Tuesday, then Wednesday, then we delayed our vacation travel plans to compensate for closing today, and we are told it's a 60% chance to close today (and 100% that we could close tomorrow). We told them they could jump in a lake about that tomorrow plan, as we have already stuck around one day too long as it is, hehe.
I forgot to bring home my devotional Bible from the office, so my blogs might wander a bit from the current text (1 Corinthians 10) as we go on Christmas vacation (and that's if we get an internet connection there).
It's quite a wonderful blessing to be around family at any ole time, and the holidays often make that a possibility and it's a special gift to share times with family.
Does anyone have any Christmas stories to share?
One of the worst Lust Control songs of all time was called "Victim of Revolution." Musically it was a farce, as I tried to rap. One of the silly lines was a spoof of Pink Floyd, where we said: "We don't need sex education / Hey, Preacher, Leave us kids alone!" While the subject matter was serious and it may have impacted some, it was probably the poor art that kept the song from communicating what it could. One of the things the band majored on was discussing sexuality and sexual sin from a biblical viewpoint. The passage of 1 Corinthians that I read today contains what sort of became the band's verse -- 1 Cor. 10:13
"No temptation has siezed you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He wil not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Many people will say, rightly so, that God's promises are golden. We can trust Him and His promises. Unfortunately, some people take this philosophy and try to twist it to mean that they can claim anything they want (even things that God probably doesn't want for them), and they will get it, for "God promised." But this verse is surely a promise that we can rely on. It has nothing to do with materialism (which is almost the perfect test to find out if something is really a promise from God or not...), but everything to do with walking through real life situations and temptations.
It's good to know that we are not unusual -- that temptations are common to man. This is one reason why 12-step groups can really be places of healing. There is power in knowing that someone else can relate to you, that someone else has been where you are. This builds our confidence and gives us support. Sometimes the idea of God and His promises can be so lofty that they seem out of reach. This is a great purpose that the body of Christ (us) can fulfill on earth. Sometimes people need that tangible friend to reach out and talk to in order to make it through a tough time. This must be why God's Son left us on earth instead of just taking us all to heaven immediately upon being born again... It must be His design that we can live as one big family.
A family doesn't let someone split and just carry on. Imagine a family sitting down for dinner and someone saying, "Where's Johnny?" And someone else just mentioning, "I don't know. He just left." The normal family isn't going to shrug its shoulders and say, "Oh well. I'll take his corn." No, life will not be the same until they find Johnny. And, if they lose him to death or something, their life is marred with grief. People matter.
I love the theme that Trans-Siberian Orchestra were conveying in a song that started with "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, which was: "Every man is your brother; and every child is our own." We are family, and family is important. That kind of love can be given across family lines, across skin color lines, across rival school lines, across monetary lines, across religious lines.
Love is like magic. It heals things. It bonds things. It confronts and opens eyes and minds. It reconciles. It rejuvinates us. It is amazing.
Last night I took my daughter and friend Paul Q-Pek (and his son) to see the travelling Christmas rock show -- Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was a real blast. Those guys are great musicians who are extremely tight together. They rock out many traditional Christmas songs with their own progressive tweak. It was really cool to see my daughter's face light up when the snow fell, and she really enjoyed all the lasers, fog, and the pyro-technics. She really paid attention to the music. At one point the lead guitar player, flashing a sporty Charvell-Jackson flying-V (like the one Randy Rhoads played), jumped into the audience with the virtuoso violinist, and they marched around the packed auditorium. He looked at me while he was walking down the aisle, paused right in front of me and then leaned back for a real high string-bending note. Awesome!
I plan on interviewing the mastermind behind Trans-Siberian Orchestra for a future edition of Heaven's Metal Fanzine. Be on the lookout for it in the Feb/Mar issue.
Paul the Apostle could never be accused of being a lazy Christian. He was as serious as can be. He makes some references to athletics in chapter nine of First Corinthians. he talks about the strict training that Olympic runners go through. He says that he himself does "not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." His walk with Christ, his faith is like a race or a contest, in which he plans on winning. He takes his Christian faith seriously. He's not flimsy or wavering in his quest to know Christ, be like Him, and do His will.
I can remember the hard work it takes to prepare for athletic competition. You train your body, and quite literally (almost) beat it into submission. Your mind tells your muscles, "One more lap," or "one more sprint, one more press." Like with fasting, your head is telling your body (stomach) who's really in control. It's a great method of discipline. Sometimes this type of serious effort is needed to excel in spiritual growth.
1 Corinthians 8 discusses meat sacrificed to idols. This is not a scenerio we face in today's time -- not exactly. Some of us, though, have the knowledge that certain types of behavior are okay for a Christian to partake. Some examples might be alcohol, rock music, or even Christian rock music. A weaker brother in Christ, however, might be coming from a perspective of bondage in any of those areas. If they see you doing such and such, they might be "emboldened" to do the same, and thus destroy their faith. The mature believer will actually care about this weaker brother and will alter his or her behavior (that's right -- put self-imposed restrictions on their behavior) so as to not make this weaker brother stumble. Paul the apostle (and author of First and Second Corinthians) knew that eating meat sacrificed to idols was no big deal -- it was just meat. But he said, "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." This is an example of someone with knowledge setting aside the freedom they have in order to preserve the faith of a weaker, not so knowledgable brother. That kind of love is mature faith, knowing that such and such is not worth damaging another's walk.
This type of scenerio is not a fun thing to work through, but prioritizing another person over yourself has its own rewards. It helps to know that such and such freedom does not control you, but that you are in control of it. It feels good to help others, and by helping one brother you help the whole body grow. I can imagine a type of abuse being done using this passage, though. It doesn't talk about offending people of weaker faith, it talks about making them stumble. Perhaps some behavior offends someone but doesn't make them prone to partake of the same behavior. In this sort of scenerio, we are dealing with someone whose sense of propriety or piety or their own sense of what is righteous is being disagreed with and offended. Perhaps that brother or sister is not really weak, but just argumentative. If they quote 1 Corinthians 6 to you, odds are they're not very weak in this area, just opinionated. In that case, perhaps another course of action is appropriate. A gentle answer, maybe.
Well, the Hutto Hippos did not win the state championship. They sure played well against a team that seemed loaded with more speed, size, and talent (did I mention speed?) at several skill positions. Somehow the Hippos found a way to move the line of scrimmage, several times springing a run right up the middle for several yards (a few of which were long touchdowns, of 41 and 51 yards). At the end of the second quarter we punted to Tatum (you see I've left the objective journalist angle far behind) and it bounced into a player and one of our guys picked up the punt and ran into the endzone, increasing Hutto's lead. But the refs for some reason called it a dead ball. The problem with the call, I guess, is that I think the refs blew the play dead as the Hutto player was picking up the fumble. When that happens, if even if it's a terrible mistake like a ball becoming live after it touches a player's foot, the play is over. When the ref blows his whistle, you can stop running. Hutto's defense, however, stopped the team from scoring, though, and they got the ball again and scored. Hutto put together a drive that seemed to show them back in control, leading 19-10. They kicked off to one of Tatum's skill players, who ran it back straight up the middle for an 87-yard touchdown. Then, in a brilliant coaching move, Tatum kicked a pooch kick that our player fumbled, giving Tatum the ball near the 30-yard line. In a few plays, Tatum has put up 14 points, making the half-time score 19-25. Hutto came out in the third quarter and scored on another run by Shiloh Wampler (21 yards). This kid lost his dad midway through the season to a heart attack suffered on a police training course during an academy tryout. The local paper ran a real heartwarming story on the front page of the sports section yesterday about how this kid played his heart out this year, often looking up in the stands and expecting to see his dad. Many fathers in the community had taken to wearing big black cowboy hats like Wampler's dad as a way to show support. This kid deicated the game to his dad and he sure played like it, running through tackles like he refused to go down. Late in the fourth quarter, after seven (yes, 7) lead changes, Hutto had the ball with just under 3 minutes to go and about 80 yards for the state championship. I happen to know the offensive coordnator (who was the husband of one of my wife's close buddies from Nursing School), and while he called a terrific game with good strategic moves all night, I'm not sure why he changed to a passing-only strategy after a whole game of running the ball. He must've thought the pass was the only way to win this game at this point. It's hard to blame him when you've got a shorter Vince Young kind of player at quarterback. Jeremy Kerly is one of those competitive players that practically refuses to lose. An important first down was made early on in this final drive on a key third down scramble. Perhaps with few timeouts and so much yardage to make up, it seemed like the passing game was the best way to go. I would have loved to have seen the game put in the hands of another player who wouldn't give up, though, one Shiloh Wampler on a draw play. The Tatum defensive line was able to pin its ears back and rush the quarterback, and the last two plays of the Hutto 2005 season were quarterback sacks. The last snap was rushed and barely got off as the clock went down to zero seconds. After a mad scramble, he was down, the Tatum bench was on the field, and the game was over. It was shocking and numbing to watch as spectators (one can only imagine living the moment as players). Just like that many of these senior players' football playing days were over. This was a 3A class title game, and while some of these players had enough talent to possibly compete on an NCAA Division I level, for most high schoolers at this level, this is as far as they go.
All in all, it was fun to watch our local high school chase the dream of a state championship. It was cool to pack into 3 school buses with many of the small town's population (which is growing exponentially; and at one time this year was the #1 fastest growing city in all of America) show their support by trekking all the way to Irving, TX for this matchup. High school football is truly a phenomenon in our culture. It makes for great memories. I enjoyed looking over at my daughters, ages 7 and 9, and seeing them chanting and shouting along with the stands as we cheered the Hippos on.
I hope our local Texas Longhorns do better in their pursuit of a national championship. It's funny, but the Hippos have UT burnt orange as its school colors, and even co-opt the Texas fight song as its own.
Tomorrow morning we'll walk the property of the land we're trying to buy to move the office building onto. One of the owners will be there to show exactly where the boundaries are, etc.
I'm off to the post office in Austin. That's where our PO Box has stayed since we moved office locations. And the copies of Heaven's Metal Fanzine (Dec/Jan issue) finally came in (at 11:30pm last night), so I jumped on stuffing and sealing those envelopes upon arrival this morning. I'm going to go deliver those and then come back and write a blog.
I'm back. I meant to drop in sooner...
Our family is going to Texas Stadium tomorrow...to watch our beloved Hutto Hippos football team play for the state championship. It should be a lot of fun. Today is Sam's last day. We're going to miss him. Be sure to read his "Intern Diary."
1 Corinthians 3 discusses diet and foundation building...and the "building" that is our body. Paul makes reference to "milk" and "meat," as a parallel to what babies versus adults can eat. Milk is for babes, and meat is for grown-ups. I wonder what "meat" is in Paul's mind. It's easier to assume that "milk" are those foundational principles that we should build our relationship with God on. Knowing who we are, what we've done (sin), and knowing Who God is, and what He's done (forgiven sin), and then becoming a new person as we understand that. The good deeds and work we do later is a foundation we build our life on.
There's a verse in here that's always weighed heavy on my heart. I imagine it's where people have built their doctrine about suicide on (the "mortal sin"), which says,
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
I'm not sure Paul meant death when he said "destroy," but it's a pretty compelling argument. I don't plan on finding out if it's sound doctrine or not. My biggest argument against suicide is this: "You have no idea what the future holds? The darkness around you could be flooded with brilliant light next week or next year. While it may be hard to keep going on, real change -- miraculous and brilliant change -- could be 'just around the corner,' so hold on." I wrote a song about that many years ago, called "Don't Kill You," which states many of these things. I like some of those lines, like "Don't kill you, let someone else see through the fog..." A good friend can really be a life saver in deep, dark times.
I often tell my children: "Look for that person in your class who doesn't have any friends...and be their friend." I would love to instill in them an others-centered giving attitude. Most of us are normal and not social outcasts. It can be easy for us "normal people" to get caught up in petty things, like materialism and consumerism and popularity hunts, and then start acting (maybe in very subtle ways) that we are better than others. Perhaps we think our fashion sense is better or we have a better taste in music. Somehow we make small unimportant things dividing walls between us and others. We don't have to be friends with everyone, but it would be a better world if we just did our part and loved people (especially those deemed "unlovable"). It's not easy, and rewards may not be very visible, but sometimes certain things are worth it just because. Take, for example, someone who is so sick or ill that they can't move, can't speak, can't thank you for feeding them, reading to them, or caring for them. Does that "lack of visible reward" make it less of a service, less of a good thing to do? Of course not. Sometimes we give, period. It's unconditional love in action.
I have a definition of love that I like: "Love is a commitment to serve no matter what."
Paul reminds the believers in 1 Corinthians that, "Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth ('before you were called,' that is). But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."
On a slightly unrelated subject, I like the simple adage, that the "strong should help the weak." If we have any strength, confidence, power, we should use it to help others. When we are down, we'd sure appreciate having someone stronger help us. Think about it...
The website has been updated with new content. Be sure to check out the interview with Dog the Bounty Hunter.
I'm at the end of the book of Romans. What a great book. In this final chapter (16), Paul greets many people. I notice that he's not the only one that's in prison. It reminds me of something I truly want to do. I want to visit some people in prison. I am not sure how fun it will be or if I will have any "impact," but I just want to obey the Gospel and visit those who are sick and in prison. It's not to earn a brownie point. I don't think there are brownie points with Christ. I believe His acceptance of us is full and complete. Doing little good deeds don't earn any special status, per se. But visiting a prisoner and giving them someone to talk to might just be a nice little gift to give (time). It's kind of weird, though, not knowing anyone behind bars. I might ask a chaplain if there's anyone that would appreciate a visit and then visit them. Maybe it's someone who's lonely, or maybe it'll be someone who wants to grow in the Lord and just talk Bible and Jesus with someone else.
I haven't quite grasped my fingers around the concept of "when you do this (for them) you are doing it for Me," like Jesus said, but it's awfully cool to look at someone and love them as you would love on the One you love the most. My wife's neat grandfather, Jack Maddox, has a really cool saying:
"You always love those who love the ones you love."
It's true. Anyone that treats your loved ones with kindness and love earns a really warm spot in your heart.
There is also some mention of people in here that get refered to as "the church that meets at their house." I think it's cool to remember that the church is people, not a building, and that the body of Christ is a beautiful person. Even if one member acts unbecomingly or fails miserably, there is a bridegroom awaiting her Who cares for her and might very well defend her (I'm thinking more in terms of a verbal/spiritual rebuke than any sort of physical punishment, of course). It helps me to remember that. Not only are the underdogs, poor, and disenfranchised precious in the eyes of the Lord, but His saints are -- His people. Remembering that helps give me perspective and not go off the deep end or judge too harshly a fellow believer. I still keep my eyes open, and the Lord definitely gave us methods (the word of two or three witnesses for an accusation, confrontation, etc) of dealing with error and problems within the church, but it should probably be tempered with this perspective that we are one.
As much as I believe in these methods of dealing with error, I am not particularly fond of confrontation. And judgment is even worse. Verse 17, however, says: "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet."
It is heartbreaking to ever live that advice out (and keep away from someone -- especially a professing believer -- because of their divisiveness), and that is the best way to go about it (in my opinion): with weeping and intercessory prayer. We are cautioned to never think better of ourselves than anyone else, which is especially hard when it comes to judgment. This is where the "Judge not, lest ye be judged" and "when you do judge, judge rightly" passages are best remembered. We must be careful and remember not to show unjust favoritism and not let pride sneak in. This should be a time of grieving, sorrow, and broken prayer. When we allow ourselves to hurt for another person, then (and probably ONLY then) are we in a position to rightly judge someone. And judgment is only used temporarily for the hope of restoration.
There was a guy in Corinth who was sleeping with his step-mom. The church allowed it to go on. It was even said that some boasted, like, "Look how full of grace we are, we even allow this..." Paul told the church to judge that guy, in the hopes that he would change his ways and be restored. It is said that when he refers to a nameless guy in his third letter to the church (2 Corinthians), that he's asking for that exact guy to be restored to fellowship (after being kicked out, as instructed in the previous letter).
I love that verse at the end, where Paul urges us to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. I think we would better spend our money on books about virtue and helping people, than we would those juicy books on the evils of the occult and all kinds of evil. We don't have to "educate ourselves about the enemy." We can do just fine in this world by focusing on good. Should we forbid literature that "exposes or studies evil?" Of course not. There's a balance. I think we should just check ourselves and our motives when we find ourselves caught up in investigating the occult, etc.
Another cool thing worth pointing out is how Paul is greeting so many women in the church at Rome. Phoebe was called a deaconess, and some even say that some of these women (maybe Priscilla) were apostles. Even if that were not the case, women were rising up and being counted, obeying Christ and serving the church. It's a shame that there is a stereotype of a Christian that is a woman (as in women are the only ones who go to church, tell their kids about Christ, and so on), because the men have neglected spiritual leadership. Shame on those men, but honor is due those women who do lead and serve in obedience. We benefit from all parts of the body of Christ, and no one part is better than or worse than another.
Living Sacrifice was a great band. I think in many ways we held them high in the magazine and rallied around and/or "championed" them as a stellar example, like: "Yeah, THIS is what we cover!" In some ways I wonder if we took them for granted. I don't really think so (3 cover stories, posters, and always keeping up with them), but maybe as fans we took them for granted. I don't know. It's too bad they never broke big-time in the mainstream. They seemed a faithful and excellent band, though, who certainly did all you could ask of a band.
Romans 12 calls offering your body as a living sacrifice to God as "a spiritual act of worship." A living sacrifice is a good way to describe "giving yourself over to God." Sometimes in prayer we do not know exactly what to do, but we can ask and we can listen. Sometimes it becomes obvious what we're to do, but it's just not what we want to do. Being obedient to God is not always convenient, but it is blessed...sometimes in ways we can't tell. There are probably many times where we may do something that we feel like God has put in our path, but we don't hear a confirmation and we step out and do it anyway. Sometimes these things don't achieve any sort of instant blessing or proof that it was a "God thing," but it was nevertheless. Maybe we'll find out one day about all those little deeds and their worth. Who knows?
Even though being a living sacrifice can be kind of vague, Paul gets pretty practical in Romans 12. He talks about the group of believers (refered to as "the body") has many different parts and functions. Each one of us is different and has a different role. One role, like teaching in front of people, is no more important than another, like serving or mopping up the Sunday school rooms. It's all good and it should all be done "cheerfully."
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."
He starts to sound like Jesus in the next few sentences:
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited..."
If I was going to speak those words to myself, I'd probably add: "Do not argue with them" to the first sentence. I think that's what I did early on in my walk. I argued or talked when I should've kept my mouth shut. But we live and we learn.
In Romans 14 we hear Paul very strongly talk about gray areas. This is always an area where it's easy to get into an argument. It's funny how some people see gray as white and others "see" it as black. I like what Paul says: "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another." The word "therefore" is preceded by the statement that "each of us will give an account of himself to God." It's not what other people think that matters...it's what God thinks.
I remember having a conversation with a very mature and wise man many years ago. This was the guy that "led me in the baptism of the Holy Spirit." He played an important role in my life, but he said something kind of stupid in this conversation. He was looking at my tape collection and mentioned that I may want to pray about removing some albums from my house. I can't remember why, but I knew he was talking about The Wall by Pink Floyd cassette that I had. I had already prayed and sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit about my record collection and, while I was not above making a mistake or overlooking something, I was confident that this particular tape was not an issue. My friend, who had some experience in exorcism, probably had a strong feeling inside about the attitudes, imagery and lyrics about that concept album. It was probably something that he should never have in his house or listen to. For me, I could not give a pile of dog poop about that album. I could've thrown it away and maybe he would've patted me on the back or something, but I just kept quiet. I'm kind of amazed that the behavior or "walk" of some very important people didn't throw me for a loop. Maybe that's proof that God is at work in my life.
Think of all the people that used to feed off the teaching of Jimmy Swaggart. I bet you that practically none of them "fell off the deep end" when Jimmy did. It's good to know that we have a connection with God that's not really dependent upon any other man. While it's good to have teachers and friends that love the Lord; and it's smart for those influential people to use caution in the examples they set, it's not the be-all, end-all connection to God that we live through. It can break our hearts when friends fall, and sometimes we can have the privilege of lifting them back up, but our foundation needs to be on something that isn't going to change or falter. I praise God that somehow (and I really don't know how) the behavior of others can't steal away or destroy that lifeline of faith that the Spirit gives us.
Romans 14 concludes with:
"So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."
Sometimes we partner with some really cool people that make me wanna shout. One such example is the email we just sent out and the banner ad we just put up for Multnomah Press. They published The Ragamuffin Gospel. This Brennan Manning guy is very cool. I highly recommend checking their site out. (and the contest they are running would be a great thing/opportunity to win).
Yeah!
The local high school in our small (but growing large) town of Hutto (outside of Austin, TX) has their football stadium right down our street. We often walk over to the games on Friday nights. We've been excited as they've gone to the state playoffs this year. We've seen 3 of the first 4 games/rounds of these playoffs. The fifth round, or semi-finals found them in San Antonio playing a #1 ranked team from Cuero, who also destroyed a team that beat Hutto badly earlier in the year. But Hutto upset them and is going to the state finals, which'll take place next weekend in Texas Stadium. That's got to be so exciting for those players.
Romans 8 makes a bold declaration; that we are "free from the law of sin and death." It says of believers: "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you."
I remember the first few months of my renewed walk with Christ (it's hard to pinpoint that stage of my life, since my story is like a "prodigal son," and thus my conversion happened many years prior...). It was apparent by a ton of things that happened internally and externally, that God was alive and in my life. I wasn't too conscious of any desire to prove that God existed for any skeptics. I was more like being too overwhelmed with my own skepticism being erased by God at work. I could truly sense the Spirit's activity in my life, giving me the ability to change when I didn't have that power before. These invisible actions acted as overwhelming evidence in my own mind. It's too bad I didn't record them to help explain this concept in Romans 8 many years later.
Some people will look at believers and doubt that anything is going on. They might want to see evidence, and they might try to explain away a changed life by using concepts like "willpower" and whatnot. This invisible stuff isn't real tangible and therefore not easy to use as evidence, but man I can sure testify on my own behalf that I had some help in changing my life. It was miraculous and it was love. I can still remember the feelings and the emotions and the deep conviction and gratitude, all of which can be slipped under the word "love." That's how I feel about Jesus.
"What a great friend!"
That's what Steve Rowe's father-in-law said of me when I arrived at Steve's house about 8 years ago. Sure, I hopped on a plane and spent over a grand on an airfare; but heck, I thought my friend was gonna die and I had to see him one more time and be with him. That's nothing in comparison to the lengths that Jesus went to be my friend.
I had a friend joke with me recently about trying paganism. I joked back, "Do you think Satan will take me back, after all I've done?" It's a sarcastic spin on an excuse that a lot of people seriously use and feel when they consider "turning to God." They feel like there's no way God could forgive them, for all that they've done. That is so wrong.
I remember saying "(bleep) God!" to a girl in my high school. I was just trying to freak her out and that was one of the most "extreme" things I could have said to have done so. Those words were an emotional and fiery insult to my Creator. I was such an idiot to use the very tongue that He gave me to curse Him. But that is what any willful sin is like to Him -- a slap in the face. (At least in my opinion) So, when we look at our sin as an affront to God -- a personal insult using the most extreme language -- then we can possibly know that God is infinitely merciful and will accept our apology for our wrongful behavior. There is nothing "SO BAD" that God won't forgive us. We can "change teams" and be on His side and receive His complete and total acceptance. That is amazing. That kind of forgiveness often leads to deep and un-ending love in response. That is why I think sinners make the best Christians.
I have a dream, and I'm pursuing it. I'm writing a novel and many times, when I sit still or watch something that's inspiring, my dream starts churning ever louder and more prominent in my mind. I want the novel I'm writing to be made into a movie or a tv series. Whether or not that happens is up to someone else. I am just endeavoring to do my part -- making the book the best it can be. Heck, even getting the thing published is really out of my hands. I'll begin sending out query letters to publishers when I'm finished, and then the process of "please publish my book" starts. Usually the majority of responses are negative, but not all of them. So, we'll see. It's exciting to have something like this germinating in my soul/heart/mind. I hope I can make this thing great.
I saw The Chronicles Of Narnia this morning. It was so good. I bet C.S. Lewis would be proud.
Last night I saw King's X. It was an amazing show. They played every song on their new album, which was a fantastic choice. In fact, the entire set list was filled with great song choices. They even played "Visions" and "Goldilox" near the end. I know that some people (many people, in fact) don't share my enthusiasm for this band. That's okay. Even for me a steady diet of King's X is not appealing. But when listened to in moderation, it's a fantastic treat for the ears. They are so stinking good, have written some marvelous melodies, and those harmonies beg the listener to sing along. Awesome stuff. I loved it.
I'm going through the Bible in a year, and today I am at Romans 7. The book of Romans is an awesome one. It's like the crown of the New Testament, and chapter 8 is like the crown jewel / diamond, if you will. I'm looking forward to getting to chapter 8 over the weekend. However, it starts off with the word "therefore," so chapter 7 is a necessary and beautiful part. I love the way Paul explains how the law makes us conscious of sin. Paul says he wouldn't know what covetousness was except that the law said, "Do not covet." Now that law or force wages in him with all kinds of covetousness.
I love a story told by one of my favorite teachers -- a guy named Dudley Hall (I once did an interview with him at a Christian festival and broke it up into three articles by "Doctor Grace," as I called him, because he has such a cool understanding of the subject. He once told a story about one of his kids' birthday parties. He took all the little kids outside into the backyard and told him all the things they could do -- jumping on the trampoline, swinging on the swing, playing over here -- but there were not allowed to do just one thing, which was spit in his garden. "Just make sure none of you spits in my garden." Then he went inside and hid out behind the sliding glass door by the garden, waiting. Sure enough, one little boy came over to the garden fence, looked around, and then spit in it. Before long others joined in the fun, spitting big ole loogies into his garden. What a riot! This same law is at work in us even as children.
But the chapter also talks about laws having no more affect after death, comparing it to marriage. When one spouse marries another with an existing spouse still alive, he or she is an adulterer; but if one spouse dies the other can marry and is free from that law (the previous marriage). Paul says that when we "died" in Christ and came alive as a new spirit person, that we also died to the law and its control over us. That is cool
A little ice will shut down entire cities in the South ... or at least slow things way down. Ole Sam slammed into a concrete barrier last night (and he's from Memphis and Sacramento!), but his car is not hurt.
Romans Six gets into a great discourse about sin, the law, and grace. It asks the rhetorical question: "Should we go on sinning because we are not under law but under grace?" And the emphatic answer is: "By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey -- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
So, this concept bothers some and is confusing to some. Here's what I think:
While I still sin, I don't practice sin. It's like this: I fancy myself a drummer in my actions, tapping a pencil along to a good song; but I don't really think I'm a drummer. I don't sit down at a kit and put in the practice. So, while I drum, I don't practice drumming. Eh...not the best analogy, but it sorta makes sense, don't it?
I think the passage in Romans 6 is talking about the sins that we make choices to do. Some people like to split hairs over sin; and others think we sin unconsciously all the time. Right now, as you are reading this, you are sinning (or so some think). I don't quite buy it. I could be wrong, but I think the sin of murder and adultery, for instance, are sins that I choose not to commit. Making the choice to commit either of those sins requires steps, involving motive, opportunity, etc. Those are "easy ones" to avoid, so to speak. Taking drugs or getting drunk are "fairly easy," but it's those "subtle sins," like pride, arrogance, selfishness, and gossip that still seem to slip us up. Even these sins, though, involve choices. Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of "battling with pride." It is during these times that, if we "maintain communication" with God (on a regular basis) that we're more likely to be "sensitive" to the Holy Spirit, Who might point out sin or bring to light a temptation and in turn give us guidance away from sin and that deadly choice. If we do sin, we certainly do have grace and mercy that is offered to us. We need not worry or fret over our failure -- not wallowing it like a pig in mud. We can get up, "dust the dirt off our legs" (so to speak) and move on. If we keep repeating a sin over and over, then we certainly can focus prayerful attention to it (asking God for help in overcoming), but never should we surrender to sin willfully and "stay there" with no plans to change our patterns.
Does that make sense? There's arguments that can be made on every side of this discussion, but it seems clear that God doesn't want us to "live in" sin. He went to such a great cost to set us free from sin and its consequences, that diving back in and making poor choices would not seem to be the best choice.
I spent way too long looking for my keys this morning. That's usually aggravating to me -- losing stuff. I ended up finding it in a place I had looked previously, I had just not dug down deep enough to find them. Sometimes, even in the midst of frustration, I try to put what I'm experiencing and the emotions I'm feeling into perspective. There's no reason why some temporary feeling should dictate how I feel all day or "ruin my morning" or anything like that. In "the heat of the battle," so to speak, it's easier to say this than to actually do it. Emotions are tough to deal with sometimes. Perhaps it is our will that wins the day when we decide what to do and then do it. I'm reminded of exercise and how when I'm jogging I have to sometimes keep going even when my body protests. It's like fasting, too, when our head tells our stomach who's in charge.
Romans chapter 4 doesn't deal with this stuff, but instead focuses on faith. Abraham believed God for a child -- even in the face of the facts (that he was nearly 100 years old). Not only did the "impossible" thing happen, but God credited that faith as righteousness. This is really good news for us. "Why?" you say (playing the 'he's a patriarch' card)? Because Abraham was a coward and a liar. While travelling with his wife he told another king that she was his sister, so the king wouldn't kill him to take his wife. What a cowardly thing to do! This is failure and numb-skull foolishness. Yet it levels the playing field, so to speak, because we can now relate to Abraham as a "fellow idiot" along the journey of life. If he could believe God's promise and be credited as righteous, so we too can believe God's promise (the forgiveness one based upon the sacrificial and substitutional death of Jesus) and be credited as righteous.
That's cool.
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
God has shown man that He is there with creation. The sky, mountains, trees, oceans, birds, animals, stars, the sun -- all these things shout loudly that there is a God. It's become a cliche that people who believe in evolution are foolish. Yet the so-called "intelligent community" has made it a cliche in their circles that believers in God are myth-believing simpletons. It really is quite foolish to look at the world around us and think (or hope) that it all came about on its own. If that were true, then all matter would possess some sort of evolutionary magic. That's kind of hard to swallow.
Paul talks about the inherent law written upon man's heart in the first part of the book of Romans.
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."
Paul goes on to argue how Jews and Gentiles are both equal (and condemned by the law) before God. We all stink of sin. I read a devotional recently that made reference to a homeless person that didn't understand or sense his own scent. I thought about how my underarms are currently being disguised with deodorant and how seriously many of us take personal hygiene. Even the most casual of us usually shower and clean up once a day. I'm in favor of this behavior, but it is funny how we go to great lengths to disguise our body odor. When we do skip a shower for days on end, we can start to smell in such a way that people can smell us from a distance. Our noses get used to the smell, so we don't pick up on the scent that others do (and repel from). If we only knew how bad we smelled at such times, we'd probably do something different. It's a good metaphor as to how our sin smells before God. It's amazing that He doesn't repel from us. Our sin must disgust Him, yet He wraps His arms around us, so to speak, and embraces us.
It's amazing that much of the world does not seem to acknowledge God by His creation; and it's almost more amazing that those that do don't acknowledge God's forgiveness and mercy when they hear the story about Jesus.
When Paul the apostle was in Miletus, he sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus. He told them that he was going to Jerusalem and he did not know what would happen. He said, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace." He also knew that those he was talking to would never see him again. He also stated, "After I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!" His words weren't so positive. He said that in every city the Holy Spirit told him that prison and hardships were facing him.
It's a wonderful thing to have a "hotline" to God, but it would be an error to assume that the message would always be positive and about prosperity, wouldn't it? Paul was a brave man, and he not only spoke the truth in love, but he obeyed Jesus even though he was warned that it would be trouble. Back when he was first converted (which was simply Jesus revealing Himself to him and he choosing the only appropriate response -- repentance, which involved belief, trust, and obedience), some people were instructed by God to minister to him. Their first response was, "Don't You know what this guy did?" (He used to have Christians killed) And God responded, "I have already told him about what he must suffer." So Paul knew what was ahead of him, but he faced it willingly. Knowing that God and His Son are real is a powerful motivator.
When Paul was in Athens, he encountered Athenians and foreigners who lived there that spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. Paul told them, "I see in every way that you are very religious." He even made note of an altar with the inscription: "To An Unknown God." He used that as a stepping stone to describe the unknown, unseen God that created the universe.
"God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring.'"
Paul not only looked around the city to understand them better, but he read or listened to their poets. So it is that we, if we are to impact the culture around us for Christ and eternity, should study and learn about the very culture we are trying to reach. If you are going into an urban center that's big on hip-hop, it would be good to know some rhymes from the current big hip-hop favs -- especially the local ones. The same goes for whatever culture or place we're in. Musicians do this, at the very minimum, by knowing what city they are in and shouting that out sometime during the show: "Are you still with us, St. Louis?"
Paul concluded:
"Therefore, since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone -- an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead."
Some of the people sneered when he mentioned the resurrection of the dead, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." It's cool that they had an open mind to this "new idea."
In Acts 15 there were some people teaching believers in Jerusalem that you had to be circumcised according to the law of Moses in order to be saved. This brought Paul and Barnabas into "sharp dispute and debate with them." So they were appointed to go to Jerusalem and straighten out these kooks. While on the way they told many stories about how the Gentiles were being converted. This made "all the brothers" very glad, but some believers who (still?) belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." Peter got up and addressed them, and some of the things he said were awesome:
"Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the Gospel and believe. God, Who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
James later spoke up and uttered a passage from the prophets to show the Scripture's agreement with this whole "Gentiles getting saved" thing:
"'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men mayseek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear My Name,'
says the Lord, Who does these things
that have been known for ages."
This is a quote from Amos 9:11. A study on what "David's tent" was reveals that it was a "tabernacle" or a new, temporary place for worship until a temple was built. In this tent was placed the Ark of the Covenant, which was a huge symbol of God's presence for His people in those days. The Ark was a large box with rings on the side that poles could be slipped through for transportation (by specific people, as no ordinary person was even supposed to touch the Ark). On top of the box was a lid called the "mercy seat." This mercy seat separated anyone from the contents of the box, which included three things: Aaron's rod that budded, a jar of manna, and the tablets of the law. It's kind of like a picture of Jesus, because His mercy shields us from the full effect of the law. This was one of the objects that was formerly inside the "Holy of Holies" or the most inner and sacred place of the Tabernacle of Moses (a real building). Anyway, this was the only piece of furniture in this giant tent, which meant it was like a giant "Holy of Holies" or inner sacred chamber. But the tradition of one levitical (high) priest going into the Holy of Holies once a year was not kept. David selected musicians and worshippers to go in their with him and they surrounded the Ark and worshipped the Lord with song and music. God's glory came down upon this tent.
So, when a New Testament apostle describes God saving the Gentiles as being like God's Old Testament promise to "rebuild David's fallen tent," what is he talking about? Perhaps David's tent was like a "type" or "picture" or "symbol" of what the church or group of believers would become later -- where everyone who believes in Jesus could continually enter into God's presence, not just some hotshot priest once a year. The whole company of musicians "breaking the tradition" of only the high priest entering into the Holy of Holies is perhaps like how God allowed all men (and women, of course) to become His people, irregardless of their heritage. I think that's a beautiful picture.
Today's / Yesterday's blog never kind of appeared, cuz I went to look for some land in the morning, and then hit the ground running, trying to beat the deadline for the next issue of Heaven's Metal fanzine. I'm just waiting for a couple more pieces to fall into place and then that'll be at the printer, too.
Whew!
Lord willing, I'll be back today with a fresh blog.