11You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord. 12Night is almost over, and day will soon appear. We must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live in the light. 13So behave properly, as people do in the day. Don't go to wild parties or get drunk or be vulgar or indecent. Don't quarrel or be jealous. 14Let the Lord Jesus Christ be as near to you as the clothes you wear. Then you won't try to satisfy your selfish desires.
We might call it "dignity".
My coach used to say "act like you've been there before". When we scored, he wanted us to show a little class, no showboating, no celebrating...just a humility that that suggests we've only done what was expected. .
We've all done it, I suppose...gotten so overwhelmed by our circumstances that we acted a little like country bumpkins. I visited Windsor Castle. If I recall, Mali was a little put out by me reactions. She, however, was acting like she'd been there before.
Paul says "we must stop behaving as people do in the dark and be ready to live in the light". The time is rapidly approaching when we will be called to live with God in glory. When we get there, how are we going to act? Like we've been there before? Or like bumpkins? The answer to this question is going to reveal how seriously we tried to serve God here and now.
Does it surprise us that Paul talks this way to Christians? "Don't go to wild parties or get drunk or be vulgar or indecent". Well, I'm a little old for wild parties, but...if we take our faith seriously, Paul could have left this part out of his letter altogether...
Live boldly out there today...
July 30, 2011
July 29, 2011
Romans 13:8-10, Love
8Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. 9In the Law there are many commands, such as, "Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others." But all of these are summed up in the command that says, "Love others as much as you love yourself." 10No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands.
C'mon...can love really be that powerful? It can actually serve to fulfill all the other laws? If so, I can't help but admit I haven't been doing it as well as I should. If I had, I wouldn't see all those dead and wounded in my wake. When Paul says "No one who loves others will harm them" I'm personally convicted.
In another letter (1 Corinthians 13) Paul describes love...
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.
Love isn't selfish or quick tempered.
Love doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.
Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
Love never fails!
Now, I think we can see that Paul might be right. Can we even imagine what the perfect application of love would do for our relationships?. So...how are we doing?
Live boldly out there today...
C'mon...can love really be that powerful? It can actually serve to fulfill all the other laws? If so, I can't help but admit I haven't been doing it as well as I should. If I had, I wouldn't see all those dead and wounded in my wake. When Paul says "No one who loves others will harm them" I'm personally convicted.
In another letter (1 Corinthians 13) Paul describes love...
Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.
Love isn't selfish or quick tempered.
Love doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.
Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
Love never fails!
Now, I think we can see that Paul might be right. Can we even imagine what the perfect application of love would do for our relationships?. So...how are we doing?
Live boldly out there today...
July 28, 2011
Romans 13:1-7, Obey Rulers
1Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. 2People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. 3Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need to be afraid of the authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. 4After all, they are God's servants, and it is their duty to help you.
If you do something wrong, you ought to be afraid, because these rulers have the right to punish you. They are God's servants who punish criminals to show how angry God is. 5But you should obey the rulers because you know it is the right thing to do, and not just because of God's anger.
6You must also pay your taxes. The authorities are God's servants, and it is their duty to take care of these matters. 7Pay all that you owe, whether it is taxes and fees or respect and honor.
We live in a democracy (well, representative republic). We don't freely subordinate ourselves to anybody. We are a government of the people, by the people and for the people...
This does fly in the face of biblical responsibility...even makes it a little confusing at times. "Obey the rulers who have authority over you" is sort of an anachronistic notion since we elect our authorities. They aren't appointed. This tends to breed a certain amount of contempt for authority with whom we disagree. After all, "my vote counts and I didn't vote for you!"
We put them in office...we can take them out!
The enigma is clear. Our leaders are a reflection of us. In america we get what we ask for. If we don't like our elected leaders we have only ourselves (collectively) to blame. We can't really blame the leader and we certainly can't blame God. We are the ones who stood in the voting booth and pulled the lever. To paraphrase a classic line..."we have met our leader and he is us".
So, we don't like our president?...he is us! Only in a democracy must we proclaim "we have a bad leader and it's our fault". Are we unhappy with our leaders? Then let's not look at them, but let's look into our own hearts and ask how we put him there...
Not honest? He's us...
Not fiscally responsible? She's us...
Not competent? They are us...
If, as Paul suggests, "we let God change the way we think", we might be thinking about choosing different leaders. And in America we have the great privilege and responsibility to do this every 2-4 years. Until we do, we owe obedience to the ones we have chosen.
Live boldly out there today...
If you do something wrong, you ought to be afraid, because these rulers have the right to punish you. They are God's servants who punish criminals to show how angry God is. 5But you should obey the rulers because you know it is the right thing to do, and not just because of God's anger.
6You must also pay your taxes. The authorities are God's servants, and it is their duty to take care of these matters. 7Pay all that you owe, whether it is taxes and fees or respect and honor.
We live in a democracy (well, representative republic). We don't freely subordinate ourselves to anybody. We are a government of the people, by the people and for the people...
This does fly in the face of biblical responsibility...even makes it a little confusing at times. "Obey the rulers who have authority over you" is sort of an anachronistic notion since we elect our authorities. They aren't appointed. This tends to breed a certain amount of contempt for authority with whom we disagree. After all, "my vote counts and I didn't vote for you!"
We put them in office...we can take them out!
The enigma is clear. Our leaders are a reflection of us. In america we get what we ask for. If we don't like our elected leaders we have only ourselves (collectively) to blame. We can't really blame the leader and we certainly can't blame God. We are the ones who stood in the voting booth and pulled the lever. To paraphrase a classic line..."we have met our leader and he is us".
So, we don't like our president?...he is us! Only in a democracy must we proclaim "we have a bad leader and it's our fault". Are we unhappy with our leaders? Then let's not look at them, but let's look into our own hearts and ask how we put him there...
Not honest? He's us...
Not fiscally responsible? She's us...
Not competent? They are us...
If, as Paul suggests, "we let God change the way we think", we might be thinking about choosing different leaders. And in America we have the great privilege and responsibility to do this every 2-4 years. Until we do, we owe obedience to the ones we have chosen.
Live boldly out there today...
July 27, 2011
Romans 12:9-21, Rules for Christian Living
9Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. 10Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
14Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. 15When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. [a] 17Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18and do your best to live at peace with everyone. 19Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
"I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back."
20The Scriptures also say,
"If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads."
21Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
Yesterday Paul suggested (begged) that we present ourselves as a "living sacrifice". He stated that this was done by "letting God change the way we think". I suggested this is intimidating for all of us because it means we have to give up the core of our identity. Nevertheless, God expects it of us. It's His way of getting the most out of us.
Today Paul tells us what this should look like.
How we think about others...Empathetic Love!
Be sincere in your love for others.
Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.
When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad.
How we think about ourselves...Graceful Humility!
Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.
Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others,
Do your best to live at peace with everyone.
Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge.
Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them.
Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
How we think about Life...Confident Faith!
Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.
Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good.
How we think about service...Self-sacrifice!
Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
Exhausted yet? Think we can do this without letting God change the way we think?
Let me suggest that we DO NOT do these things in order to satisfy God's expectation of being a "living sacrifice". We see these qualities emanate from our lives and they prove we have become a "living sacrifice". I believe we all know the difference.
Live boldly out there today...How we think about life...Confident Faith!
14Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. 15When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. [a] 17Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, 18and do your best to live at peace with everyone. 19Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says,
"I am the one to take revenge
and pay them back."
20The Scriptures also say,
"If your enemies are hungry,
give them something to eat.
And if they are thirsty,
give them something
to drink.
This will be the same
as piling burning coals
on their heads."
21Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
Yesterday Paul suggested (begged) that we present ourselves as a "living sacrifice". He stated that this was done by "letting God change the way we think". I suggested this is intimidating for all of us because it means we have to give up the core of our identity. Nevertheless, God expects it of us. It's His way of getting the most out of us.
Today Paul tells us what this should look like.
How we think about others...Empathetic Love!
Be sincere in your love for others.
Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.
When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad.
How we think about ourselves...Graceful Humility!
Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people.
Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others,
Do your best to live at peace with everyone.
Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge.
Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them.
Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.
How we think about Life...Confident Faith!
Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.
Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good.
How we think about service...Self-sacrifice!
Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
Exhausted yet? Think we can do this without letting God change the way we think?
Let me suggest that we DO NOT do these things in order to satisfy God's expectation of being a "living sacrifice". We see these qualities emanate from our lives and they prove we have become a "living sacrifice". I believe we all know the difference.
Live boldly out there today...How we think about life...Confident Faith!
July 26, 2011
Romans 12:1-8, Christ Brings New Life
1Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. 2Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
3I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
6God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
It may be the "most sensible way" to serve God...but doesn't mean it's the "easiest".
If we "offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice", as Paul suggests (actually, begs), it implies all the typical things we imply from sacrifice...except we don't die. It means we turn over sovereignty of our lives to another. it means our lives exist for the use and pleasure of another. It means we don't get a vote on any outcome involving our lives.
Total surrender...In order to be "pure and holy"
How? By letting God "change the way we think".
I read someplace that there are only six basic body types. This is why we constantly look around the mall and feel like we've seen many of those folks before. "They all look alike", at least every sixth person does. No so with our thoughts. Descartes said "I think...therefore, I am". Our thoughts are the only things that truly and uniquely define us. My thoughts make me "me". My thoughts distinguish me from every other living being. I guard that part of myself jealously. My boss can make me do something but she can't make me like it!
Let God change the way I think? Really, would I even be me anymore? This feels like intellectual suicide.
What's so sensible about something so frightening? And, if we piously say "it's not so frightening" why aren't we all doing it?
Paul alludes to a possible reason. "I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are". OK, sure...I may be truly unique in my cerebral being. That doesn't mean my uniquity (great word I just invented) is all that great. If we take honest inventory of our lives we may actually recognize that we are better off if we let God change the way we think.
And, if we do, we will become valuable resources that God can invest for His kingdom...exponentially increasing our worth. God can put us exactly where we can accomplish the most good.
I'm still very nervous...but that's just me thinking, not God.
Live boldly out there today...
3I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you. 4A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5That's how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.
6God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
It may be the "most sensible way" to serve God...but doesn't mean it's the "easiest".
If we "offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice", as Paul suggests (actually, begs), it implies all the typical things we imply from sacrifice...except we don't die. It means we turn over sovereignty of our lives to another. it means our lives exist for the use and pleasure of another. It means we don't get a vote on any outcome involving our lives.
Total surrender...In order to be "pure and holy"
How? By letting God "change the way we think".
I read someplace that there are only six basic body types. This is why we constantly look around the mall and feel like we've seen many of those folks before. "They all look alike", at least every sixth person does. No so with our thoughts. Descartes said "I think...therefore, I am". Our thoughts are the only things that truly and uniquely define us. My thoughts make me "me". My thoughts distinguish me from every other living being. I guard that part of myself jealously. My boss can make me do something but she can't make me like it!
Let God change the way I think? Really, would I even be me anymore? This feels like intellectual suicide.
What's so sensible about something so frightening? And, if we piously say "it's not so frightening" why aren't we all doing it?
Paul alludes to a possible reason. "I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are". OK, sure...I may be truly unique in my cerebral being. That doesn't mean my uniquity (great word I just invented) is all that great. If we take honest inventory of our lives we may actually recognize that we are better off if we let God change the way we think.
And, if we do, we will become valuable resources that God can invest for His kingdom...exponentially increasing our worth. God can put us exactly where we can accomplish the most good.
I'm still very nervous...but that's just me thinking, not God.
Live boldly out there today...
July 25, 2011
Romans 11:25-36, The People of Israel Will Be Brought Back
25My friends, I don't want you Gentiles to be too proud of yourselves. So I will explain the mystery of what has happened to the people of Israel. Some of them have become stubborn, and they will stay like that until the complete number of you Gentiles has come in. 26In this way all of Israel will be saved, as the Scriptures say,
"From Zion someone will come
to rescue us.
Then Jacob's descendants
will stop being evil.
27This is what the Lord
has promised to do
when he forgives their sins."
28The people of Israel are treated as God's enemies, so that the good news can come to you Gentiles. But they are still the chosen ones, and God loves them because of their famous ancestors. 29God doesn't take back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen.
30At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy. 31And because of the mercy shown to you, they will also be shown mercy. 32All people have disobeyed God, and that's why he treats them as prisoners. But he does this, so that he can have mercy on all of them.
33Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?
34"Has anyone known
the thoughts of the Lord
or given him advice?
35Has anyone loaned
something to the Lord
that must be repaid?"
36Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever! Amen.
Every single member of the Body of Christ has, by faith, turned from evil and decided to obey God. 100%. The world doesn't really see it that way because the world rolls everybody that claims to be a Christian into that number. But...you and I know. It's not really that amazing because, by definition, faith in Christ is what is required to join the Body of Christ.
What "is" amazing is the fact that God, at some point in history, is going to open the hearts of every Jew and they will turn from evil...100% of them. Considering faith is not a prerequisite for being Jewish I'd say God is planning something never seen before.
Paul is right...being Jewish is very special indeed.
Sound unbelievable? Well, Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?
This leaves us only two possible courses of action. We pray (and work) for the salvation of all the Jews who will die before God performs this mighty feat...or we pray that God will act before another of His chosen passes into eternity without Christ.
Live boldly out there today...
"From Zion someone will come
to rescue us.
Then Jacob's descendants
will stop being evil.
27This is what the Lord
has promised to do
when he forgives their sins."
28The people of Israel are treated as God's enemies, so that the good news can come to you Gentiles. But they are still the chosen ones, and God loves them because of their famous ancestors. 29God doesn't take back the gifts he has given or forget about the people he has chosen.
30At one time you Gentiles rejected God. But now Israel has rejected God, and you have been shown mercy. 31And because of the mercy shown to you, they will also be shown mercy. 32All people have disobeyed God, and that's why he treats them as prisoners. But he does this, so that he can have mercy on all of them.
33Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?
34"Has anyone known
the thoughts of the Lord
or given him advice?
35Has anyone loaned
something to the Lord
that must be repaid?"
36Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever! Amen.
Every single member of the Body of Christ has, by faith, turned from evil and decided to obey God. 100%. The world doesn't really see it that way because the world rolls everybody that claims to be a Christian into that number. But...you and I know. It's not really that amazing because, by definition, faith in Christ is what is required to join the Body of Christ.
What "is" amazing is the fact that God, at some point in history, is going to open the hearts of every Jew and they will turn from evil...100% of them. Considering faith is not a prerequisite for being Jewish I'd say God is planning something never seen before.
Paul is right...being Jewish is very special indeed.
Sound unbelievable? Well, Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does?
This leaves us only two possible courses of action. We pray (and work) for the salvation of all the Jews who will die before God performs this mighty feat...or we pray that God will act before another of His chosen passes into eternity without Christ.
Live boldly out there today...
July 24, 2011
Romans 11:11-24
Gentiles Will Be Saved
11Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous. 12But if the rest of the world's people were helped so much by Israel's sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.13I am now speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to you, I will take pride in my work. 14I hope in this way to make some of my own people jealous enough to be saved. 15When Israel rejected God, the rest of the people in the world were able to turn to him. So when God makes friends with Israel, it will be like bringing the dead back to life. 16If part of a batch of dough is made holy by being offered to God, then all of the dough is holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the rest of the tree is holy too. 17You Gentiles are like branches of a wild olive tree that were made to be part of a cultivated olive tree. You have taken the place of some branches that were cut away from it. And because of this, you enjoy the blessings that come from being part of that cultivated tree. 18But don't think you are better than the branches that were cut away. Just remember that you are not supporting the roots of that tree. Its roots are supporting you.
19Maybe you think those branches were cut away, so that you could be put in their place. 20That's true enough. But they were cut away because they did not have faith, and you are where you are because you do have faith. So don't be proud, but be afraid. 21If God cut away those natural branches, couldn't he do the same to you?
22Now you see both how kind and how hard God can be. He was hard on those who fell, but he was kind to you. And he will keep on being kind to you, if you keep on trusting in his kindness. Otherwise, you will be cut away too.
23If those other branches will start having faith, they will be made a part of that tree again. God has the power to put them back. 24After all, it wasn't natural for branches to be cut from a wild olive tree and to be made part of a cultivated olive tree. So it is much more likely that God will join the natural branches back to the cultivated olive tree.
It's really something being a Christian. We get credited for having a great moral influence by some, and we are responsible for all the world's woes according to others.
I understand the contradiction. Adolph Hitler was a "Christian". It was a "Christian" who killed the abortion doctor in Kansas. But, of course, that's only if we define Christian as "not a Jew, or "Not a Muslim", or "not a Buddhist". The point being, Christianity has now taken its place beside all the other of the world's great religions...we are defined as a group.
But, of course, Christianity is not a religion. And, it most certainly is not a group. It is a relationship with God through His son. It is individual and personal...based upon faith. and, anybody can have this relationship...even a Jew.
So Paul reminds us...just as the nation of Israel was pruned from the family of God it can just as easily be grafted back in by faith...on at a time. Just as you and I can be pruned out if we abandon our faith...if that were possible.
Paul writes these words to ensure we never allow ourselves to be deluded into thinking our relationship with God is defined by the group we belong to. I should be honest here. There was a time when I couldn't imagine any member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church not being a Christian. Actually, with that attitude I was defining Christianity as a group.
Today each of us needs to realize it is just God and me. Nobody else...even my wife...is part of that relationship. It is sacred. It is personal. It is intimate. No name dropping. No credit by association. Just me...and my faith. That's how God wants it. That's how things work best. That's when everything begins to make sense.
Live boldly out there today...
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