Simple Instructions

I love the simplicity of the instructions in Hebrews chapter 13:

"Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you..." (He 13:1-5 ESV)

The topic in the book is holding on to a faith that may cause troubles for you on earth. The author gives us confidence to hope and trust in God until the end. And after all of these heart wrenching chapters pleading with holding on, we are told simply to love, show hospitality, and other "simple" things.

Though they may be simple to understand, they're not always simple to act on. Nevertheless, we're encouraged to hold on to these good works and a faith that will lead us to God in the end.

I need to remember to love, show hospitality and seek out ways to help others.

"And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed ..." (Lk 5:18 ESV)

"... and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with a his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you.'" (Lk 5:18-20 ESV)

This man would not have been healed without his friends' help. There was no way he would reach Jesus without their help and support.

This man would not have been healed without his friends being persistent. There was no way they would have made it through the crowds if they had not been diligent and serious about their task.

More importantly, this man would not have been saved without their trust in Jesus. They weren't the ones who forgave the man his sins, but Jesus forgave the man's sins because of their faith. Their faith was exhibited through their effort. The effort was made because of their love for the man.

There are a lot of people out there who we need to carry to Jesus. Maybe they can't make it on their own. Maybe their too tired or afraid. Maybe they're afraid of the crowds or the jeering Pharisees. There are a lot of friends who need our help, faith and trust.

I need to be a busy worker.

Presenting the Gospel - 1 Thessalonians 1:5

How did Paul present the gospel to the people of Thessalonica? "... our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake." (1Th 1:5 ESV)

What do you think Paul's referring to? I usually guess it's a mixture of the following ideas:
1) I'm sure Paul was a very convincing speaker
2) It's probable that miracles helped demonstrate the power of God with the word

Beyond this, however, the Thessalonian brethren themselves demonstrate that there was power involved, when Paul says, "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." (1Th 1:6-7 ESV)

Now there's power! They were a strong bunch of people to have the nerve to listen to a "man on the run" and begin to suffer in the same way. Their conviction was 'loud' enough to be heard by cities all around them. Their behavior seems to have been a direct result of the power of God.

I don't think we need to wait for miraculous or emotionally exciting moments to see the power of God working in others. God's word does it simply enough on its own. These Christians heard the message and believed it. They believed it with enough 'gumption' to withstand troubles of their own!

I need to take more time to appreciate the effectiveness God's word on its' own level, before I try to present it to others.

"Out of Egypt I called my son" (Ho 11:1, Mt 2:15 ESV)

Matthew devotes a lot of his gospel to commentary on Old Testament prophecy. Through many examples, Matthew shows how Jesus fulfilled even the most obscure prophecies.

When we look at the story of Jesus fleeing from Herod to Egypt as a child, Matthew writes "This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'" (Mt 2:15 ESV) At first glance, the passage Matthew uses seems to barely relate to Jesus at all.

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more they were called,
the more they went away;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
and burning offerings to idols.
(Hosea 11:1-2 ESV)

This didn't seem to point to Jesus at all. How could you compare Jesus with Israel?
* When Israel came out of Egypt, the worshipped idols. When Jesus came out he was a holy and obedient son.
* When Israel came out of Egypt, they wanted to return to slavery. When Jesus came out he led others closer to God.
* Most of the Israelites who came out of Egypt died in the wilderness. But Jesus says that he keeps and protects his own.

Where originally I was looking for similarities, I should have been looking for contrasts! This is what Jon Focht pointed out to me when we were studying this today. Israel suffered and withered away in shame and selfishness. Jesus was an honorable and obedient child who willingly suffered to save everyone.

God called his children out of Egypt, and one was perfect. How do we respond to his call? Let's follow his perfect son.

"What does it mean when Jesus says ...?"

People ask me this question all the time, and I've just recently learned how to help them answer the question for themselves.

Here is a good illustration: "Another of the disciples said to him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' And Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.'" (Mt 8:20-21 ESV).

When people ask, "What does it mean when Jesus says to let the dead bury themselves?" we should use questions to help them answer it for themselves

Ask your students questions like:
a) Did Jesus care for the feelings of others?
b) Did Jesus mourn for the dead?
c) Did Jesus empathize with the cares and concerns of other people?

The answer to all three is YES! We all know Jesus was in tears to see his friends mourning Lazarus' death. Now we say, "If we know that Jesus does care about these things, why would he say this in Matthew 8:21?" The student will soon come to the realization: "He must have been teaching a lesson!"

"Now," we reply, "what do you think is the lesson in this story?"

"For many deceivers have gone out into the world ..." (2Jo 7 ESV)

In this short letter, John warns a dear friend about the dangers of deceivers. "Deceiver" & "False Teacher" are loaded words today. Sometimes people are afraid to use them because they're so harsh. Whatever our feelings about the words, they're just as valid today as when John used them.

John writes, "And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world..." (2Jo 6-7 ESV). John wanted his listeners to listen to and live by God's commandments. Not the deception others had to offer.

He warns, "Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward ... If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works." (2Jo 8-11 ESV). John was afraid that all the hard effort Christians had made would wash away when deceitful teachers showed up. Christians were warned to keep away from them and not even greet the teachers. Giving a deceiving teacher "God speed" would be participating in their effort!

Most people today have a real relaxed attitude about religion & God's rules. To hear someone say, "I'm a Baptist, but I attend a Lutheran church" (or some other church) is a common thing. It seems no one really cares about the truth anymore. It's depressing for me to see. We can't ignore it if preachers and teachers who aren't speaking the truth. We need to say something! Going to church somewhere that teaches something wrong is just not right. It might seem awkward in todays day and age to act this way, but if we give in here, we'll slip up in a bunch of other ways too.

Reading John's letter gives me the encouragement to stick to the truth I've read, re-investigate it to be sure it's right, and teach others to do the same.

"...no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah" (Lk 11:29 ESV)

When people needed saving, Jesus would save; but when people wanted a show, Jesus was less than enthusiastic. Jesus tells the crowds, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation." (Lk 11:29-30 ESV) This has to be my favorite prophecy/allusion to Christ rising from the grave.

Jesus then tells his audience that they would be condemned by the city of Nineveh and the Queen of the South at the Judgment. Most Jews probably thought that Nineveh & the Queen of the South owed their lives and salvation to Jonah, Solomon and all of the other children of Abraham. To hear that these foreign gentiles would condemn them would be a pretty big insult indeed.

Why would the generation be condemned? Because they saw the power of Jesus and ignored it! Because they heard the wisdom of Jesus and ignored it! The Queen & Nineveh didn't ignore what God sent to them.

The phrase I usually think of in this story is, "They should have known better!" That's the same phrase I use with myself when I sin today, "I should have known better."

"Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk 9:23 ESV)

I use some passages more often than others. I try to memorize their locations in the Bible so that I can reference them when speaking with other people. Luke 9:23-27 is one of those passages.

Sometimes when I see people reacting to the word of God, I second guess what's going on. I tend to think, "Are they good soil, rocky soil? I feel uncomfortable when I react this way. Jesus seemed to understand this feeling, however.

In Luke 9 Jesus lets everyone following him know that they needed to consider what they were getting themselves into. He says they'll need to carry their cross daily if they were going to follow him. Nowadays the cross is a romantic symbol of Christianity. Back when Jesus made this statement it was an ugly torturous tool of execution. There was nothing romantic about it at all.

Jesus warns his followers that they'll need to deny everything about themselves if they wanted to follow him. I think we need to warn the world also. Though Jesus is our only hope of salvation, we can't make a half hearted effort. Jesus demands everything we've got.

I need to pray more often for help in denying myself in favor of his desires.

"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me" Luke 7:23 (KJV)

I like thinking about how the Bible uses the word offense & offend. We're caught up in a fear of offending people, and rightly so. We should be Peacemakers, Humble & Meek.

However, if Jesus blessed those who did not take offense in him ... it makes me wonder what he does with those who do take offense in him.

The real key is that when "offended" is used in Luke 7, Jesus is referring to people who choose to be offended (more accurately translated "stumble") over what they hear. That's exactly what his following argument against the Pharisees, with regard to John the Baptist, was about.

"They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling to one another, and saying, 'We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.'" (Lk 7:32 KJV) The Pharisees were annoyed when John didn't behave like they wanted him to. Jesus describes their reaction to John by saying: "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, 'He hath a devil'" (Lk 7:33 KJV).

They were all offended by what Jesus said and did. They chose to stumble over who and what he was, and ended up killing him. "But wisdom is justified of all her her children." (Lk 7:34 KJV)

I pray that I'm wisely listening to the Bible's teaching and not stumbling over what I hear.

Repentance is more than Intent

Reflections from the lesson book "God's Perfect Plan", by Kelly Ellis (pg 9).

In a discussion about God's grace, Mr. Ellis makes an interesting point: "The grace of God does not allow for the unconditional pardon of sins which the Christian 'intended' to make right, but somehow never got around to correcting." Correcting what he calls the "religion of intent", Mr. Ellis is describing God's expectations in repentance.

Repentance is a change of mind. It doesn't mean to "have a new idea", but to convert your present worldview to something completely different. I often use a political illustration: If someone repents from being a Republican, they don't merely vote Independent, but Democrat.

When we repent to God there should be a shock to our system. Your friends will be shocked about the change too: "With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you" (1Pe 4:4 ESV).

No pain no gain: If we're not hurting from the sin we left behind, we need to reevaluate whether we've actually left it or not. Think about it this way. If, before we saw the light of God's grace, we stole cars, we need to do more than merely stop stealing cars. We need to return the cars!

God doesn't call people righteous for only feeling sorry about their sin. Our old sin needs to be completely abandoned!