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Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28
"Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
I share the following "modern-day parable" that was on a website owned by a friend of mine (who happens to be a mortician). It's funny, but it's also very insightful, and it had the Scripture verse I quoted above at the end of it originally. Enjoy -- and LEARN more about God and others through the humble story of some frogs:
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit.
The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die.
He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Why did you continue jumping. Didn’t you hear us?”
The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story holds two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.
The power of words….it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
Read 1 Kings 19:9-18
"Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' ... 'I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away' ... 'Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him'" (1 King 19:9,10,18).
I want to begin this post with an important confession: Sometimes I've felt sorry for myself when things haven't gone as I expected, even feeling a certain twinge of bitterness sometimes because I honestly felt like God "owed" me a different outcome.
I'd be willing to bet I'm not alone in this, am I? I'll be you, too, have reached low points in life when you were ready to join me and Elijah the prophet in our little pity party, haven't you? Be honest. No one knows about it except you and, uh, well, GOD -- and he's very aware every time we fall into the morass of doom, gloom, and self-loathing that generates such feelings of despair and/or self-pity.
This is one of the most vivid and meaningful Old Testament revelations, I think, of how God is and how he works in our lives, as well as what he expects of us.
Bottom line is probably this: God in his great grace has chosen to love and use us piddly little human beings in his plan for our world and our universe. Sometimes that doesn't work out the way WE might want. It's at those times we are most vulnerable to dropping the ball, to missing his plan and doing his will. So it's at those very times of discouragement or distress that we come to rely on him.
Here are some steps I've found effective for dealing with self-pity and the accompanying blues/depression. Take them for what they're worth and I prayerfully hope they'll be helpful when you find yourself feeling afraid, worried, or just plain down and out at the way life may be going:
1. Rant to God, just as Elijah did. Do you think trying to ignore your anger, fear, or bitterness will somehow make it go away? If you're like me, that only puts me in the odd situation of trying to convince God that I'm a "happy warrior" stronger or braver than I really am. If you re-read this passage carefully, you'll notice that God asked Elijah twice "What are you doing here, Elijah," and Elijah gave the same self-oriented answer both times.
I don't know why this process was repeated twice, but maybe it was because God wanted Elijah to realize God really, really knew just how Elijah was feeling and acting -- and wanted to emphasize he had something better and expected something more out of the prophet.
2. Wait for God and really listen for his response to our ranting. Oh, I don't mean you'll hear voices in the walls or angels' choruses doing backup singing for the mighty voice of God as it comes booming into your living room. Indeed, in Elijah's case it was in the silence following some pretty spectacular physical manifestations that carried the "voice" and presence of God to him.
3. Then remember what God has "called" you to do and get on about doing it, even if you don't feel like trying. God was pretty emphatic in his questioning/questioning and in Elijah's response/response that it was time to get up and get about doing God's will. Once you've poured your heart out to God, acknowledged your hurt and discouragement, it's time to stand back up (to "cowboy up" as some Western writer friends of mine would say!) and move on.
4. Never forget that you are not alone -- you are part of God's community. Here's the part that too many dear, sincere people seem to forget. Elijah was convinced he was the only disciple still left who was seeking God and seeking to follow him. It's really easy to see only the "box" we're in -- you know that box, right? It's the one everybody keeps telling us to think outside of. What a shocker it must have been to Elijah, after the narrow escape he'd made from Jezebel and Ahab, to discover there were still 7,000 faithful followers of God in Israel. (Here I would insert a somewhat old-fashioned, go-to-church plug: Find a like minded group of believers where you live right now and start meeting with them regularly. Turn off about 90 percent of the TV preachers you might be tempted to follow. Give your local church your time, best efforts, and -- yes! -- financial support.)
Hope some of that's worthwhile for you. It helps when I'm falling into the pity-party trap and taking my eyes of God and his purposes for me.
Read Romans 9:1-18
"This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants" (Romans 9:8).
I am a native-born citizen of the United States of America and proud of it. This nation offers something most other nations in the world do not: The right to speak our minds and freely disagree with others. When I start to get disgruntled about all the politics, bickering, and other problems America has, or when I see all the injustices and social problems American's still must resolve, I remind myself that we still have an incredible lifestyle and some wonderful liberties that many other nations lack.
But I have never nor will I ever think of America as a "Christian nation."
When I look at the world today, and looking back throughout history from ancient times to the present, I see that God had a plan for the Jewish people. They were chosen by him to bear witness to his power and presence. They were given custody of the Law of God and were the people through whom God revealed himself and his love for the world.
But I have never nor will I ever think of Israel as "God's nation/people" in our world.
The "true Israel," the real "nation" or people of God are those of us who are followers of Christ, members of his Body. Let me say that again in a bit different way: God doesn't have a nation, God has people who have been "born again" (a phrase in the original Greek of the New Testament best translated "born from above"). People are Christians; nations are NOT Christians.
Why is this truth important today? It's important because too many folks have confused a sort of odd, religious nationalism with biblical Christianity. Biblical Christianity puts the Kingdom of God above every nation or kingdom on the Earth and says we, as believers in Christ and his followers, owe our ultimate allegiance not to ANY government in this world. We are members of God's Kingdom first and citizens of whatever earthly "kingdom" secondly.
With that perspective, we can see more clearly that there are times when America and Israel and every nation in the world may fall short of God's plan for his people -- understandably, of course, because no nation in the world is God's "people." God's people live in every nation and are united not by politics or governance, but by faith in Christ and obedience to him.
Jesus put the matter in perspective with those well-known words he spoke to the Pharisees when they tried to entrap him publicly and get him branded a traitor to Rome. He said: "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:21). We owe the allegiance of good citizenship to our "earthly" government, wherever we live. But we owe our highest allegiance to the Kingdom of God -- not a political nation, whether that's America or Israel.
Read John 16.
"A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:16,22).
A very misguided "preacher" or "pastor" -- or perhaps he was just an enterprising lifelong salesman who had made a ton of money off of spiritually gullible radio listeners and followers over the years -- caused quite a stir all over the English-speaking world not long ago when he confidently warned that May 21, 2011, was going to be the date of "the Rapture." According to this silly fellow and his equally silly followers, true believers would be caught up on May 21, 2011, to be with Jesus; the rest of the world would suffer terrible disasters and catastrophic events until the day of Final Judgement, which he said would happen on October 21, 2011 and end all of time as we know it.
Really?
You can guess, of course, what he did when May 21, 2011, came and went without believers being caught up from the world, and actually without the worldwide catastrophic events he said would happen. He concluded that his calculations were off. Or, no, wait -- May 21, 2011, was the "spiritual" judgment and October 21, 2011, will be the actual Final Judgment.
This silly fellow did the same thing in 1994, predicting the Rapture and/or Last Judgment (I haven't looked it up to be sure exactly WHAT he expected back then) for the autumn of that year.
My dear Lord -- and I say that as a sincere prayer, though a prayer of dismay -- how many foolish people with sincere hearts seeking to serve God will be duped by how many silly fools (let's call them what they are: "false prophets") before we'll learn. God has NOT put us in this world to seek after obscure "truths" of Scripture. He has put us in this world to love and serve him and to share that love in service to everyone we meet.
When will the Rapture happen? When will the Final Judgment take place? Are we living in the Last Days or the End Times today?
Who knows and who, really, is supposed to care outside of God himself??
Of course God intends for us to eagerly look forward to Jesus' return. That ought to be part of what motivates us to care about others and to share that love of God in Christ by the way we live and serve those all around us. But no where are we told to obsess over "Bible prophecy" or some of the "end times" wall charts so-called teachers throw out there to satisfy our curiosity for their financial gain. (Do they still use wall charts or have we progressed to Power Point presentations in Bible prophecy "seminars" these days?)
Yet still, given the way human nature seems to crave a careful, simple plan for living, there will always be people who flock to the Bible prophecy industry, eagerly laying out big bucks to line the pockets of these wonderful teachers. A Harold Camping (I think that was the latest false teacher's name) seems to arise every 10-20 years. And every time, ignorant believers let themselves be duped by this latest false prophet's message. Time after time, it's as though otherwise thinking, intelligent people tell themselves, "No, really, I really think THIS time, this guy has it right ..."
No, not really. I honestly believe you ought to throw away your Bible if you aren't going to use it for anything more than some sort of sanctified "magic book" to see into the future.
Forget about seeing into the future and set about loving God fervently, serving God joyfully, and serving all those people in need who God brings into your life today!
Read 2 Peter 2:1-22
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them" (2 Peter 2:1,19).
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?
Wow! The Apostle Peter really went on a tear against false teachers, didn't he? As you read through this entire second chapter of 2 Peter, you clearly get the idea that false teachers, deceptive Christian leaders, etc., were worse than murderers! God's punishment for false teachers, according to verse 17, is reservation in the "deepest darkness."
And, indeed, we all sort of understand this, don't we? When someone swindles or scams people out of
their money or possessions, etc., we consider such a person to be a scoundrel. But if that scoundrel
does his dirty deeds in the name of the Lord, as a supposed teacher of truth and one who calls people to faith in God -- we absolutely can understand how much more terrible he is than a simple, garden variety scoundrel or swindler, can't we?
Because cheating or misleading people for your personal profit in the name of God goes beyond betraying the victim's trust in you -- that involves turning their precious faith in God into an avenue of mockery and financial profit.
It troubles me to see churches grow into "mega churches" numbering in the thousands, even tens of thousands. I see too much "performance" or "entertainment" worship in so many such churches, instead of the community of faith that God intends every church to be. As a result, there is tremendous risk that false prophets will gain footholds in such operations, eager to take advantage of people's financial generosity and turn the church into personal profit machines.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that every large church is a scam or is being used by the leadership for personal gain. But I am saying that as churches grow into huge groups, the potential for abuse grows.
What about those of us not in positions of leadership within a church? What about those of us who are simply seeking to be faithful to God and open to any ministry he sends our way? We, too, must watch ourselves carefully. We must seek to work for God and reflect the love of Christ to everyone we meet, both inside and outside the family of God found in our local church(es). We must be careful that we never take advantage of others' faith. Don't mislead others, under the guise of faith. If we do, we face some pretty awful consequences, don't you think?
Read Luke 1:59-80
"By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78,79).
What Does This Scripture Mean for Us?
How do you feel about light and darkness? Are you afraid of the darkness? Or how about this: Are you every afraid of the light?
As a kid, I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family. My father was an alcoholic who was away from home a lot doing construction work. When he came home, especially in later years during my late-childhood, early-teen years, he was given more and more to drinking bouts and anger. From an early age, generally unhappy situations caused by his drinking caused me to sometimes hate and fear darkness. At the same time, there were situations when I found darkness something comfortable and useful as a place to hide.
So when the Scriptures make frequent use of the terms "darkness" to represent sin and despair and "light" to represent forgiveness and the joy of God's presence -- I understand it. I also wonder whether life is really that simple. You've heard the old cliche about something being clear-cut "black and white."
Human behavior is never as simple as black and white, light and darkness, is it?
Yet God's reality is a very simple "kingdom of light" contrasted with a "kingdom of darkness." It is in Christ that we find the light which will cast away the darkness of sin and bring us, through God's "tender mercy" that comes to us in Christ we have our eyes opened to God's presence in our daily lives. Even in the midst of those dark times, when we don't feel God's presence and fret about not getting his help, he really is there.
So no matter how dark things may be for you today, open your eyes and see God's light in your darkness!
Read Romans 1:18-25
"Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles" (Romans 1:20-23).
What Does This Scripture Mean for Us?
Do you believe in "intelligent design"? Or do you believe in evolution? Or do you believe in both?
This Scripture passage certainly speaks to the importance of intelligent design, i.e., the fact that God "reveals" or makes himself somehow known as we observe the universe he has created.
It isn't my purpose here to prove or disprove either intelligent design or evolutionary theory. (Personally, I see that God has, can, and does work through both.) More importantly, I want us to think about what God wants us to understand here about sharing the gospel, his "Good News," with people everywhere in our world, as we go through each day's 24 hours.
Clearly, an important message here would be this: From the very beginning of human history right up to the present, God has made himself known to people everywhere in one way or another -- and in ways apart from those writings we Christians call "Scripture." It is because of this that people are "without excuse" if they turn away from goodness (God) and choose to live evil lives. Because in each heart, perhaps buried deeply but there nevertheless, is a "conscience," i.e., a voice from God calling.
I believe that the God of Scripture, working in each individual by the power of the Holy Spirit, speaks to and guides each life to come ultimately to a knowledge of the gospel in a "saving way" at some time and in some place.
But what happens to those who turn away from that small voice or inner leading? They experience an emptiness within, a lacking, a feeling that something is missing -- and they try to fill that inner spiritual void with everything (in our time at least) from video games to wealth to power to drugs, etc. They shape for themselves "false gods" to focus on instead of repenting of their basic human sinfulness and opening their hearts to that guiding voice eagerly leading them back to the One True God.
Wow. Sort of heavy duty theology today, I guess, yes? No?
Yes. Paul's letter to the believers at Rome is one of the weightier, "meatier" parts of Scripture. And it begins with this fundamental truth: All who turn away from God are turning their backs on his powerful love and will find no satisfaction living apart from the love of God in Christ.
We must keep our focus today on God in Christ. Don't allow the distractions and problems of the day come between you and that awesome love!
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:12,13).
What Does This Scripture Mean for Us?
Do we "share Christ's sufferings" in our lives? Are we truly suffering for him on any regular basis, or do we get off pretty easily in our world? Should we be concerned if we don't seem to be suffering for Christ?
That last question especially may seem sort of odd, but I've known people throughout my life, both individuals and church congregations, who seemed to think they were missing out on God's best or somehow falling short as Christians if they weren't getting out there, stirring things up, and generating suffering or persecution for themselves.
But, obviously, when Peter wrote these words to believers in the Early Church, they had no need to seek out persecution or suffering for Jesus' sake: They lived in a culture and a society that sought to destroy them, hence, they found plenty of very real suffering to go around!
I am aware that nations around today's world are actively persecuting, even killing, Christians in an effort to stamp out Christianity in their countries. But I fear, too, that many over-zealous believers in America and other "First World" countries are making a storm out of a "tempest in a tea cup" when it comes to persecution or suffering for Jesus.
With all due respect, folks who seem to think American Christians suffer persecution or are having their "religious rights" infringed upon simply aren't paying attention. In America, as in most European countries and other "First World" nations -- professing Christians are in the majority, and most laws, rules, and regulations are even tilted in favor of Christianity as a religion. The fact that Christians can choose to publicly argue and debate about such issues proves that point.
No, when we look at Peter's words here, we are looking at early believers who suffered persecution and death for their willingness to publicly identify with the sufferings of Christ. Not many years before Peter wrote his letter, believers had first been called "Christians" by outsiders, unbelievers in Antioch. (One study Bible I have suggests the term was a derogatory label put on followers of Christ to distinguish as a particular Jewish sect.) By the time Peter wrote this letter, it seems that Christians were adopting that term for themselves as a "badge of courage" so to speak, a joyous identification with Jesus himself.
So if you're suffering in any way for Jesus today, rejoice in the knowledge that you're joining a long, unbroken fellowship of believers stretching back all the way to that hill in Judea where he suffered and died for us all. If you're not so much suffering for Jesus today -- that's all right, too. You can focus your time, talents, energy, resources, and PRAYERS on helping those in your world who are suffering.
According to Peter's words in this passage of Scripture, that's a real "win-win" situation for us all!
Read 1 Corinthians 13.
"And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:3).
What Does This Scripture Mean for Us?
It's important to realize how important love really is to God, as evidenced by Jesus' words in the gospels and by writings throughout the New Testament. Jesus said there were two "great" commandments which ought to shape and guide our lives. He was asked by a lawyer which was the "greatest" commandment in the Law of Moses, and gave a very significant reply:
"He [Jesus] said to him [the lawyer], 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and the first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
The problem is, we have too much ego, I think. It's very human to feel passionate about those beliefs and practices which speak strongly to us. And that's all right -- until our egos take over and we decide our specific "pet" beliefs and practices are right and others are wrong.
Simply put: God has called us to love, not to argue doctrine, not to evaluate others' beliefs and behavior and sort of report 'em to God and to others. God has NOT made us his "Boy Scouts," placed here on earth to make sure others tow the line and measure up to our standards. God has, let me say it with emphasis, CALLED US TO LOVE -- love him and love others!
The great "Reformer" of the Church, Martin Luther, said this about the relationship between loving God, loving others, and the demands of the Old Testament Law of Moses:
"The commandment of love is not a long one; it is short. It is one injunction, not many. It is even not a commandment, and at the same time is all commandments.
"Brief, and a unit in itself, its meaning is easily comprehended. But in its exercise, it is far- reaching, for it includes and regulates all commandments. So far as works are enjoined, it is no commandment at all; it names no peculiar work. Yet it represents all commandments, because properly the fulfillment of all commandments is the fulfillment of this. The commandment of love suspends every commandment, yet it perpetuates all. Its whole purpose is that we may recognize no commandment, no work, except as love dictates.
"As life on earth apart from works is an impossibility, necessarily there must be various commandments involving works. Yet Love is supreme over these requirements, dictating the omission or the performance of works according to its own best interests, and permitting no works opposed to itself."
--(Taken from volume VII:56-75 of "The Sermons of Martin Luther," published by Baker Book House (Grand Rapids, MI).
My wife and I are members of a so-called "mainline" church and happily worship and work with wonderful people who love God in that church. One of the important things that drew us to that church and that keeps us committed as members there is the pastor's frequent explanation about the essence of this church: "We're a 'Two Commandment' church: We seek to love God and to love others."
No matter what church, i.e., local congregation or whatever you call the gathering of believers you're a part of, you belong to, that's sound, biblical advice. Let's show everyone today that we're "Two Commandment" people living and loving with the love of Christ in our hearts in the midst of this broken world.
Read Luke 13:10-17
"When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing" (Luke 13:17).
What Does This Scripture Mean for Us?
How do you "observe the Sabbath" in your life? Do you keep Sabbath on Saturday or Sunday? Do you restrict your activities on whichever day you see as the Sabbath, and make it a day of rest? Are there certain principles that guide your activities and decisions regarding the Sabbath?
If you are seriously concerned that those who view Sunday as the "Sabbath," when Scripture and Jewish tradition see it on Saturday, my advice to you would be that you're placing too much emphasis on the particular day and missing God's intentions for all of us: The Sabbath is to be a time when we honor God, and we honor God most as we do His work!
Jesus overlooked the 1,500+ Jewish rules and regulations for Sabbath observance and went about doing His Father's will. He healed this woman on the Sabbath to make a point: The Sabbath was created for mankind, mankind was not created for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).
We are told by the apostle Paul in Colossians 2:16-23 that special days and rituals decreed under the Law of Moses were but shadows of the reality that comes to us in Christ, and we are to live free in Christ from an undo obsession with such things.
Go about your "Sabbath" days, whether you choose Saturday or Sunday, making them days that honor God by being about His business and doing His work. Love Jesus and love others as He would love them!
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