Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:3

I had not thought of this before, but last week at bible study someone brought up the story of Abraham and Isaac. How God wanted Abraham to kill his only son. The person brought this up because they could not believe God would ask anyone to even consider doing this. And I agree with him, that is a horrible thing to ask anyone to do.

But it made me think about God. And it made me think about the 10 commandments. Then I thought about John 3:16.

I when God is demanding that we have no other gods before him. That we get rid of our idolatry  he isn't asking us to do anything he hasn't already done. God made us the priority in his life, and he was willing to put his son away for us. He made us the ultimate thing in his life. Nothing was more important than us to Him.

It just seems weird to think that in some ways the 10 commandments are for God too.

Amen.

Wanted: Alive

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son

John 3:16

Here is a Person who wants to hang out with me, that He gave up everything to do it. He gave up his most prized possession. He had no other person before me. He wants me. He found an appropriate way to hang out with me (called reconciliation).

I can't tell you what it does to me when I find out that I am wanted. Now I want to want those around me. I find myself want to express respect for them, to show them how much I value them. I just pray that it is not in a sniveling selfish wanting way that so often characterizes want.

Want is not need for it breeds greed.

All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:20

Curse Your Face

But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.

Job 1:11

I think this is one of my greatest struggles. Take away all the good things and will I still bless the Lord. More importantly, perhaps, will I do that with the people around me? Will I continue to respect them, honor them, and love them, even when, especially when, they do not return that respect, honor, or love.

It seems to me this is what God is calling me to do every day, in every way. It seems the weakest thing to do, to love and respect those who don't do the same. But it is the way of cross, and the crown.

Amen.

I Give No Respect

 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Romans 2:11

God respects nobody by respecting everybody. I think as a human it is my job to find more and more ways to respect those around me. Respect is value. God so valued the World, that He sent his only son. That is the heart of Christianity. Respect, ever deepening, ever widening for those around me is the aim. Respect makes me, and all of those around me, more and more deeply human, as I demonstrate in real concrete ways that I value those around me.

Amen.

Just Me

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:4

I heard a sermon today about justification. This is a weighty topic that a simple write up cannot tackle. What I liked about the sermon was the discussion of justification being more than forgiveness. For me it seems not only forgiveness but addition.

Addition because in addition to forgiveness it seems that justification is a status as well. That status is one of justified, or declared to be in the right. Not only do I avoid punishment, but the store houses are opened to me as well. My rights have been restored.

The other thing that I thought was interesting was related to Job 1. Wherein Job is tested to see if he loves God just for God, and not for the goodies he gets. Turns out in Job 1 anyway, he does. The speaker in the sermon pointed out that if we love good just because we fear punishment, we don't really love good.

Amen.

Respecting Fear

 “Why shouldn’t he respect you?” Satan remarked.

Job 1:9

Job was tested to see if he respected God for who God was, and not because God treated him well. I am struck with the horrifying thought that I must likewise respect God (and everyone else) simply for being God (or everyone else).

This is tough to swallow. In my younger days I wanted to be an iconoclast, a destroyer of tradition (and hence disrespectful), and here I find that what God wants to destroy is disrespect.

Amen.

The Divine Improv

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom Silvanus, Timothy and I have preached to you, is himself no doubtful quantity, he is the divine “yes”.

2 Corinthians 1:19

You want to know the will of God for your life? Don't worry it shows up every day at 60 seconds a minute. Life tells you what God wills. You want that friendship to continue, but they move away, you want that relationship with that girl (or boy) to continue, but they say no. You want that new job, new car, new house, more groceries, and you can't get them.

I am not saying you shouldn't try, but you'll know, you will, when something just isn't going to go your way. That is when you can know God's will.

And the answer to it all is to say "yes, and" typical improv to it.

Not easy, but easier than being miserable.

Amen

Be a Farmer

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

 

Without a doubt the Spirit brings the harvest, and makes it come into season. Without the Spirit, like the rain, the sun, or the soil, there would be and could be no fruit.

But what about the farmer?

In these more civilized times, farmers can feed the world, and yet it is not they that make the fruit grow. And yet their work is not in vain. In fact it is essential to feed the world. Without the organized effort of farmers, we would certainly have fruit, but it would not be in abundance. 

Farmers prepare, plant, pick, and wait.

And so must we if we would enjoy a harvest of fruit that will feed the world. 

Amen

A "Biblical" Friendship

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

                                                                                John 15:13
Right up front I'll say it. I am no greek scholar, I just read the entry for this subject and had a thought, that is what I am a thinker. So here is my thought.

First of all, I have never, and most likely never will have the chance, to physically die for a friend (or anyone else for that matter). And I have always hated this verse for that reason. It seemed to call me to an action I never would get to take.

But then I was introduced to word translated as "life" in English. The greek word is "psyche" (the transliterated word, whatever that is). If you look it up on Strong's concordance. It can mean a couple of different things:

Breath or Soul

Not that odd. Under the entry for Soul it reads:

the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions

This definition got me the most. Because it answered for me how I could fulfill this verse in my own life. It pointed out that life is more than just the physical body I have, but also my wants, my ways, my will. And so I put this verse into practice.

With a friend I cherish very much, I put away what I wanted out of the relationship, and let him lead. It was not easy (I hate football) but I was just glad to spend time with him. Of course this didn't guarantee our friendship, but my choosing to lay down my desires surly helped us to become the fast friends we are today.

And I think it is all about learning to do this with God. He wants me to follow him, and that involves giving up my own will and way. It isn't easy, but just like with my friend(s) I want to get to the point that I am willing to do it for the simple fact that I get to spend time with this Person.

Amen.

Salvation of Suffering

There was a guy who loved God, Satan thought he only loved God because God gave him stuff, so God agreed to let Satan take all of the goodies God had given him. His name was Job, all his goodies were gone, and he sinned not by blaming God.

                          Job 1 summary

I heard a podcast about this by Timothy Kellor, I had not noticed before that the conflict between Satan and God was about Idolatry. 

Idolatry in the Ten Commandments is defined thus: You shall have no other gods before me. Suffering is about destroying those gods.

In many ways Satan is right, I do love God for the goodies he gives me. I love others because of the goodies they give me (things like a job, smiles, hugs, jokes, companionship)

But what if I loved them just for them? Just because they are? Not because of what they give me? 

I don't, that was sent home very recently. My job has gone through some recent turmoil. We have had to make some very quick and drastic changes. I found myself moody and upset, and then I read Job 1, and realized what it was all about. 

I found myself in a similar situation. Did I love my job because of the building we were in? Because of the lovely people I work with? Did I really think they were lovely? Or was it just because they laughed at my jokes, complimented me, and gave me a job? 

My suffering revealed my heart, and brought me closer to God.

In it all I think suffering asks us the question:

Am I - alone - enough for thee?

To which I respond

No, oh Lord, make it so.

Suffering Salvation

Who believes what we’ve heard and seen?
    Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?
                                                                            Isa 53:1
I wanted superman, I got a savior.

Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
                                                                           Isa 53:10
                                                                                                                
And not a city destroying, enemy mashing Savior either. A beaten and tortured and suffering Savior. Then I learned that in Judaism, this chapter (as well as others no doubt) isn't applied to some savior in the future, but to the people of Israel themselves. The person being crushed is them.

It made me ponder: as a christian I often think of it as my duty to be loving, kind, and helpful. But what if my ministry has to include suffering as well.

I don't like that at all, and I don't think I want to be a Christian any more.