Part of Me; Philemon

May the mumbling commence!

How close do you feel towards your family?  My biological family is spread out over the United States – from San Diego to DC to Deltona.  Geographically speaking, we are far apart.  But, we are still close in our hearts and how we relate to one another over the physical miles.  We care for one another deeply.

Let me ask that question in a slightly different way: How close do you feel towards your near-by family?  You know, those people that you relate to on a daily basis.  For me, these people would include my family-in-love.  These people would include my co-workers.  These people would include my brothers and sisters in Christ at Community Church of Hutchinson.

In many ways, this near-by family is almost as deeply related to me.  They see me from day-to-day.  I see them.  We impact each other’s lives – in both positive and negative ways.  In a very real sense, they are a part of me and I am a part of them.  Some people are like parents to us or grandparents or aunts and uncles or brothers and sisters or like children to us.  And I begin to care deeply for each of them – as I hope they care for me.

It makes me think about the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon.  I especially like the Philips translation and how it brings this type of relationship out.  Read a passage from Philemon:

No, I am appealing to that love of yours, a simple personal appeal from Paul the old man, in prison for Jesus Christ's sake. I am appealing for my child. Yes I have become a father though I have been under lock and key, and the child's name is – Onesimus! Oh, I know you have found him pretty useless in the past but he is going to be useful now, to both of us.

I am sending him back to you: will you receive him as my son, part of me? I should have dearly loved to have kept him with me: he could have done what you would have done – looked after me here in prison for the Gospel's sake. But I would do nothing without consulting you first, for if you have a favor to give me, let it be spontaneous and not forced from you by circumstances! (Verses 9-14)

Paul appeals for his spiritual son, Onesimus (whose name means useful).  Paul met Onesimus, Philemon’s escaped slave, sometime while Paul was in prison.  Eventually, Onesimus began to see to Paul’s needs because Paul was imprisoned.

Paul, knowing who Onesimus was, did not feel right about keeping Onesimus at his side.  Paul knew that Onesimus must return to his master.  Paul also must have known the grace consequences that an escaped and recaptured slave faced – likely death.  So Paul wished to protect Onesimus.

Paul told Philemon that Onesimus is his child – a very part of him.  Would Philemon wish to seek to harm Paul?  And, like any good parent, Paul was willing to take on the punishment and payment for the misdeeds of his child.

Am I willing to risk this much for my near-by family – my family-in-love, my co-workers, my fellow Christian brothers and sisters?  Help me, O God, to form such a strong connection with the people around me that there hurt will become my own.  Make them like a part of my very body and soul.

Then, I will be more likely to act and speak and think in love rather than in distraction or in ambivalence or in frustration or in anger.  The people I am around help to form my attitudes and thoughts and words and actions.  And I help to form others attitudes and thoughts and words and actions.

Let us vow to be good influences.  Let us allow ourselves to be influenced by goodness.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out  

Christian Response to Disagreeable Climates; Titus

May the mumbling commence!

How are Christians to operate in a disagreeable climate?  It seems especially in presidential election years (which are unfairly always leap years!) that the rhetoric becomes especially disagreeable.  Talk about spiritual acid reflux, spiritual heartburn and persistent irregularity of the spiritual bowels!

How are Christians to respond?  We find some clues in Titus chapter three.  Read a passage from that chapter:

Remind your people to recognize the power of those who rule and bear authority. They must obey the laws of the state and be prepared to render whatever good service they can. They are not to speak evil of any man, they must not be argumentative but gentle, showing themselves agreeable to everybody.

For we ourselves have known what it is to be ignorant, disobedient and deceived, the slaves of various desires and pleasant feelings, while our lives were spent in malice and jealousy – we were hateful and we hated each other. But when the kindness of God our savior and his love towards man appeared, he saved us – not by virtue of any moral achievements of ours, but by the cleansing power of a new birth and the moral renewal of the Holy Spirit, which he gave us so generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. The result is that we are acquitted by his grace, and can look forward to inheriting life for evermore. This is solid truth: I want you to speak about these matters with absolute certainty, so that those who have believed in God may concentrate upon a life of goodness.

Subjects like this are always good and useful but mind you steer clear of stupid arguments, genealogies, controversies and quarrels over the Law. They settle nothing and lead nowhere. If a man is still argumentative after the second warning you should reject him. You can be sure that he has a moral twist, and he knows it. (Verses 1-11)

Step One: Recognize the power of those who rule and bear authority.  In this recognition, obey the laws of the state and be prepared to render good service where you can.  Know that sometimes that good service is challenging the laws of the state that run contrary to God’s Word.

Step Two: Do not speak evil about any man.  Note that it does not say: Do not speak evil falsely about anyone.  It says do not speak evil about anyone.

Step Three: Transform argument so that disagreement is gentle and agreeable to people of all persuasion and belief.  Why destroy fellowship when God calls us into fellowship with Him and with all creation?

Step Four: Recognize our propensity to be ignorant, disobedient and deceived.  Don’t be enslaved to your passions.  And don’t mistake the idea that “if it feels good it must be right”.

Step Five: Remind yourself about the grace of God that is extended to you.  We have no merit to receive the gift of Christ and the Holy Spirit.  We are acquitted only by grace.

Step Six: Steer clear of stupid arguments and genealogies and controversies and quarrels over the Law.  They settle nothing and lead nowhere (but to division – which is just what Satan would want).  If we insist on these arguments, then we must recognize our own moral twist.  In other words, stop trying to set the agenda and allow the Holy Spirit to lead.

These are pretty clear calls to respond in a disagreeable climate.  They are also very simple and very hard to do.

God, with the empowerment of Your Holy Spirit, help us to work together to be Christ-like in our response to disagreeable climates – whether they occur in politics within or without the church body.  

This is my fervent prayer.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Forever UnChained; 2 Timothy

May the mumbling commence!

God’s Word is forever unchained.  Nothing in all creation can stop the Word of God.  Guess it’s high time to get on board!  Read from Second Timothy chapter two:

Remember always, as the centre of everything, Jesus Christ, a man of human ancestry, yet raised by God from the dead according to my Gospel. For preaching this I am having to endure being chained in prison as if I were some sort of a criminal. But they cannot chain the Word of God, and I can endure all these things for the sake of those whom God is calling, so that they too may receive the salvation of Jesus Christ, and its complement of glory after the world of time. I rely on this saying: If we died with him we shall also live with him: if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him. If we deny him he will also deny us: yet if we are faithless he always remains faithful. He cannot deny his own nature. (Verses 8-13)

Christ is the center of everything.  Jesus be the center of my life, my worldview.  Jesus is faithful – by definition.  No matter what we or anyone else does, Jesus remains forever faithful to his heavenly Father and to all creation.

Jesus lived in the ever-flowing stream of humanity.  Jesus died on the Roman cross on trumped-up charges of treason.  And God raised Jesus from the dead.  There is no better proof of God’s pleasure in Christ.  No one can rightfully claim this designation.

The testimony of Christ through his life, death, and resurrection cannot be chained.  Though Christ’s followers continue the suffering of Jesus, nothing will keep the Word of God from prevailing.  And all these things mean the glorification of God.

So, let us bind ourselves to the death of Jesus, through baptism.  Let us join the resurrection of Jesus to new life.  Let us accept both the benefits and the suffering that goes along with walking the way that Jesus walked.  If we do, we are promised a place in the kingdom of God to come. 

To pursue the establishment of the kingdom of God is to remain faithful.  If we stumble in our goal of chasing after God’s heart, it will not stop Christ from being faithful and successful in the establishment of the heavenly kingdom.

Now that is the best reason for hope and faith!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Hit the Reset Button; 1 Timothy 5-6

May the mumbling commence!

There are many temptations in this old world.  Money and riches are one of the oldest of temptations.  Many people assume that wealth will make them happy.  But, I’ve known plenty of grumpy wealthy people and plenty of happy “poor” people. Dollars and cents do not make happiness or joy – neither do possessions.  Just think about this: if wealth provides security, why do so many wealthy people feel the need for security systems?

The Bible and Jesus talk much about money and true wealth.  Read from First Timothy chapter six:

For men who set their hearts on being wealthy expose themselves to temptation. They fall into one of the world's traps, and lay themselves open to all sorts of silly and wicked desires, which are quite capable of utterly ruining and destroying their souls. For loving money leads to all kinds of evil, and some men in the struggle to be rich have lost their faith and caused themselves untold agonies of mind.

But you, the man of God, keep clear of such things. Set your heart not on riches, but on goodness, Christ-likeness, faith, love, patience and humility. Fight the worthwhile battle of the faith, keep your grip on that life eternal to which you have been called, and to which you boldly professed your loyalty before many witnesses.

I charge you in the sight of God who gives us life, and Jesus Christ who fearlessly witnessed to the truth before Pontius Pilate, to keep your commission clean and above reproach until the final coming of Christ. This will be, in his own time, the final dénouement of God, who is the blessed controller of all things, the king over all kings and the master of all masters, the only source of immortality, the one who lives in unapproachable light, the one whom no mortal eye has ever seen or ever can see. To him be acknowledged all honor and power for ever, amen!

Tell those who are rich in this present world not to be contemptuous of others, and not to rest the weight of their confidence on the transitory power of wealth but on the living God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in kindly actions, to be ready to give to others and to sympathize with those in distress. Their security should be invested in the life to come so that they may be sure of holding a share in the life which is permanent. (Verses 9-19)

Set your heart on wealth and expose yourself to temptation.  The love of money is the root of much evil.  It can lead to the desire to make your million or billion no matter who you hurt in the process.  The love of money first destroys the family, and then it corrodes the neighborhood.  It is a ravenous beast that will not stop and the city or state or country or world. 

The warning is plain, and the signs of ruin and destruction are plain to see for those not enmeshed in denial.  So, what do we do?  Keep our minds clear of such things.

Hit the reset button on your heart.  Make your heart’s desire goodness.  Be Christ-like in everything you do.  Show your faith in action.  Sprinkle your life with love and patience and humility.  Keep yourself clean and above reproach until you pass away or until Christ returns – whichever comes last.

But what about those who are already wealthy – what should they do?  For wealthy people, bleed from your life any contempt that you have for those less fortunate.  Be careful not to put your confidence and hope in your wealth and possessions – these things are transitory at best. 

And the wealthy is not immune to the call to do good.  In fact, their wealth opens the door of opportunity to do more good.  Yes, be rich in kindly actions.  Be ready to give without any hope of a “return on your investments”.  Sympathize with people in distress.  Doing things like these will be fruits of the sure hold you have on eternal life.

Let’s hit the reset button on our hearts and chase after God’s heart – relationship and all things that restore relationship.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Pray, Watch, Pray, and Vote; 1 Timothy 2-4

May the mumbling commence!

This time of year, the political process can leave us craving for antacids.  Sometimes it is hard to be thankful for our political leaders.  It is even harder to pray for our political leaders when we are angry with their actions or our current conditions.  But, we are to pray for them.  We find that imperative in First Timothy chapter two:

Here then is my charge: First, supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings should be made on behalf of all men: for kings and rulers in positions of responsibility, so that our common life may be lived in peace and quiet, with a proper sense of God and of our responsibility to him for what we do with our lives.

In the sight of God our savior this is undoubtedly the right thing to pray for; for his purpose is that all men should be saved and come to realize the truth. And that is, that there is only one God, and only one intermediary between God and men, Jesus Christ the man. He gave himself as a ransom for us all – an act of redemption which happened once, but which stands for all times as a witness to what he is.

I was appointed proclaimer and messenger of this great act of his, to teach (incredible as it may sound) the Gentile world to believe and know the truth.

I want the men to pray in all the churches with sincerity, without resentment or doubt in their minds. (Verses 1-8)     

Pray for kings and rulers.  We can translate that here in the United States as: “Pray for the president and senators and representatives – from the White House all the way down to the local school board and every representative in between.  Oh, and pray for our judges too – from the Supreme Court to the local judge in your hometown.”

That is a tall order.  But it is necessary.  Why?  It is necessary because when our lives can happen in peace and quiet, we can more easily discern a proper sense of God and our collective responsibility to Him.  In our republic, it is important for the average Joe and Jane to be informed and contribute to the political process – which encourages a multiplicity of ideas and a stage for compromise. 

Compromise is not a dirty or a four-letter word – no matter what some people may tell you.  Without compromise, we will get nowhere fast.  Yes, that means that no one will get exactly what she or he wants.  It also means that we can begin to understand the ideal of both-and rather than either-or.

As a Christian, there is only one place that I cannot compromise.  Jesus and no other can be known as my Savior and Lord.  No one else can earn my faith – no candidate or political party to movement.  In no one else will I place me hope for the future.  There is only one intermediary between God and humanity – Christ Jesus.

Yet, we are to pray for our representatives from the school board to the White House.  We are to pray for our judges and our police officers.  We depend on them to maintain order so that we can more easily discern of proper sense of our responsibility to God in the way that we live our lives.

And we do NOT pray grudgingly.  We are to pray with sincerity – without resentment or doubt in our minds.  It is a tall order.  But, I do give thanks for the level of peace and quiet that we have.  Though the peace is far from perfect, there are some signs of its growth.

Pray for our political leaders.  Get informed from a multiplicity of sources (i.e. both liberal and conservative source and everywhere in between).  When you can, get sources that are from outside the US bubble.  Pray before you vote.  And, by all means vote the way that God leads you.  The way God leads you may not be the same as other Christians.  But that is okay.  Vote your conscience, knowing that our hope truly lies only in Christ Jesus.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out  

Revealing Prayers; 2 Thessalonians

May the mumbling commence!

We can learn a lot from what people ask us to pray for them.  We can also learn a lot from how people pray for us.  Look at what Paul, Silvanus and Timothy asked prayers for from the people of Thessalonica.  And look at how these men prayed for the people of Thessalonica.  Read from Second Thessalonians chapter three:

Finally, my brothers, do pray for us here. Pray that the Lord's message may go forward unhindered and may bring him glory, as it has done with you. Pray, too, that we may not be embroiled with bigoted and wicked men; for all men, alas, have not faith.

Yet the Lord is utterly to be depended upon by all who have faith in him, and he will give you stability and protection against all that is evil. It is he who makes us feel confident about you, that you are acting and will act in accordance with our commands.

May he guide your hearts into ever deeper understanding of his love and the patient suffering of Christ. (Verses 1-5)

They ask the Thessalonians to pray that the Lord’s message go forward unhindered.  They ask the Thessalonians to pray for the Lord to receive glory.  They also ask for prayers so that they will not come enmeshed with bigoted and wicked men. 

Alas, there always seems to be bigoted and wicked people wherever one may go.  Indeed, we all need prayers on how to associate with such men in a healing and redemptive way. 

Alas, there will always be someone who does not have faith.  Or someone might struggle with their faith.  It seems that everyone, at one time or another has struggled with faith.

So Paul and his fellow workers remind the people of Thessalonica of who they are to have faith in.  The Lord is utterly to be depended upon.  God will provide protection against all that is evil.  It must have been a difficult lesson to learn when so many were being persecuted and were dying for their Christian faith.

Now, let’s turn and look at how Paul and his fellow workers pray for the people of Thessalonica.  They give thanks that the Thessalonians bring forward and unhindered glorification of God.  They pray that God might guide their hearts into an ever deeper understanding of the love and patient suffering of Christ Jesus.

Paul and his fellow workers are selfless.  They ask for nothing but what would help bring glory to God and what would help to spread the gospel message.  They wish for nothing but growth in faith and love for the people of Thessalonica.

It seems that Paul and his friends have discovered the path to JOY (Jesus first, Yourself last, and Others in between).

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Light Defeats Darkness; 1 Thessalonians 4-5

May the mumbling commence!

Light always defeats darkness.  When the light of Christ shines on our lives, we are called to make some adjustments in our lives.  Read from First Thessalonians chapter five:

But because you, my brothers, are not living in darkness the day cannot take you completely by surprise. After all, burglary only takes place at night! You are all sons of light, sons of the day, and none of us belongs to darkness or the night. Let us then never fall into the sleep that stupefies the rest of the world: let us keep awake, with our wits about us. Night is the time for sleep and the time when men get drunk, but we men of the daylight should be alert, with faith and love as our breastplate and the hope of our salvation as our helmet.

For God did not choose us to condemn us, but that we might secure his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. He died for us, so that whether we are "awake" or "asleep" we share his life. So go on cheering and strengthening each other with thoughts like these, as I have no doubt you have been doing. (Verses 4-11)

The final day of the Lord approaches – we know not when, we only know it will surely come.  That is why we must remain alert and awake.  Help us, O Holy Spirit, to shake off the forgetful sleep of the world that stupefies.  Let us permanently put aside any denial we harbor.

What does it mean to stay awake and alert?  We need to keep our wits about us.  How do we do that?  We armor ourselves with faith and love and hope.  Our faith and hope and love have foundations in the Lord alone.  When we operate with these truths our salvation is sure.

Why do we stay awake?  We stay awake for ourselves, yes.  But there is a deeper reason to stay awake.  We stay awake and alert so that we might wake other people from the stupor that this world has.  We stay awake for each other, too.  We stay awake to strengthen and cheer one another on.

Let all doubt give in to hope in Christ Jesus – just as darkness always gives way to light

These are the things we gain.  What is it that we lose?  We lose the many different ways we try to numb our senses and bodies from the truth of the Lord.  Drunkenness represents these numbing factors. 

It goes far beyond mere alcohol.  We may seek to numb ourselves through comfort foods or shopping sprees.  We may seek to numb ourselves through fiction or fleeting fame.  

Don’t get me wrong.  Rest is good.  But these numbing agents and many more besides give rest that does not revive.  Rest in these things is no rest at all.  Their end is only the drive to more and more excess.

Let us rest and hope in the Lord alone.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out