Matthew 7:6 contains the words, “Don't give what is holy to the dogs and don't cast your pearls before the swine.” Lots of people have wondered what Jesus meant. Here's what I think.
This verse comes immediately after Jesus says that we should not judge others and that we should work on the log in our own eye before we take the speck out of someone else's eye. I believe that he adds the next part to help us set some boundaries for the verse on judging. See, we are to be loving people even to those who are not so kind to us. It’s possible that someone comes along and tells us that we shouldn't judge them no matter how they act with their words or deeds. So Jesus is telling us that we don't have to put his teaching out there in front of just anybody because these "anybodies" might just use our own loving ways to turn against us.
Let's take another example. Jesus tells us to forgive everyone. So someone in our life continues to hurt us because they know that we will continue to forgive them. Well, surprise, surprise. We are going to put our pearls back into our pocket and give them what for (in a manner of speaking).
Recall in John 18, when Jesus was arrested and officers hit him, he asked them forcefully to state what he had said that was wrong or give a good reason why they slapped him. You can only push loving people so far before they call you to account for yourself. Even Dietrich Bonhoeffer finally set the limit for Hitler.
Christians are to be generous from their hearts but they are not fools to be taken advantage of by the wiles of Satan or the world. And one day folks are going to have to answer for the way they have persecuted God's children.
And Christians, don't get snooty, because we are going to stand before the same Judge.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor George
7.03.2013
Come To The Table
Our home group has been studying the love of God; the unconditional affection that God has for us. Well, one evening we came across a poem. We don't read a lot of poetry at our home group but this poem was very – how do people say – “Right on.”
It was written a long time ago by George Herbert, an Anglican priest who lived in the early 1600's. His poetry is some of the most beautiful expressions of faith and love. The one we read that particular evening was simply entitled LOVE III. Here it is for your enjoyment and invitation to Communion this Sunday. Read it carefully and let it soak into you.
Love (III)
Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack,
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lack'd anything.
A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.
I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
Who made the eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I have marr'd them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.
And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I will serve.
You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit and eat.
Can you hear the call of love inviting you and me to have the humility and courage to surrender, knowing who it is who invites us?
Come to the table this Sunday, whoever you are. Come, let your hand be taken and be led to the table of Grace.
Yours in Christ,
George
It was written a long time ago by George Herbert, an Anglican priest who lived in the early 1600's. His poetry is some of the most beautiful expressions of faith and love. The one we read that particular evening was simply entitled LOVE III. Here it is for your enjoyment and invitation to Communion this Sunday. Read it carefully and let it soak into you.
Love (III)
Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack,
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lack'd anything.
A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here:
Love said, You shall be he.
I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
Who made the eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I have marr'd them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.
And know you not, says Love, who bore the blame?
My dear, then I will serve.
You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit and eat.
Can you hear the call of love inviting you and me to have the humility and courage to surrender, knowing who it is who invites us?
Come to the table this Sunday, whoever you are. Come, let your hand be taken and be led to the table of Grace.
Yours in Christ,
George
6.18.2013
It's All Coming Together
Philippians 3:17-21 (The Message paraphrase)
17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
20-21 But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.
There are a lot of people in the world today who are overly pessimistic. And while the daily news might make a good case for such pessimism, a better case for optimism can be made from reading the Bible passages such as the one above. Paul knows that a time will come when Christ will return and set everything up in a visible glorified Kingdom of God. Right now the Kingdom is quite subversive, moving into lives and communities in the world in more subtle ways. But one day God will make all things beautiful, radiating the splendorous love of the Father — that will be the new heaven and new earth.
Certainly now we work for justice, help the poor, love the enemies and do all that Jesus said to do. That's all part of what citizens of the Kingdom of God do and, I might add, will probably keep doing in some fashion when Christ returns. Not that there will be injustice or poverty but the essence of love is that it always seeks another to serve in some way.
We work hard here because we know what love the Father has for us and how that love will be consummated on the new earth. Our bodies will be changed (hallelujah) and our minds and spirits will finally 'get it'. Recall Paul writes that God, who began his good work in us — the transformation of our lives — will bring it to completion on the day of Christ's coming.
And so this world will run its course, satisfying itself, but the Father, Son and Spirit are moving within this world to finally transform it. God in Christ is reconciling all things to himself. Remember that. (Colossians 1:20)
This will be big. It will be historical. And it will take many by surprise. Jesus says, 'watch and pray' lest we will be led into temptation to run with the “belly belchers”.
“Hope” is a major operative word in the Kingdom-of-God-life on this earth. It is the anchor of our souls. It tells our spirits that God is going to work this all out for our good and his glory. And so in our sorrow we can be joyful, as Paul was when he lived and suffered in this world, knowing the love and work of the Father. (see 2Corinthians 6) Kenbe Kouraj.
Yours in Christ,
George
17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
20-21 But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.
There are a lot of people in the world today who are overly pessimistic. And while the daily news might make a good case for such pessimism, a better case for optimism can be made from reading the Bible passages such as the one above. Paul knows that a time will come when Christ will return and set everything up in a visible glorified Kingdom of God. Right now the Kingdom is quite subversive, moving into lives and communities in the world in more subtle ways. But one day God will make all things beautiful, radiating the splendorous love of the Father — that will be the new heaven and new earth.
Certainly now we work for justice, help the poor, love the enemies and do all that Jesus said to do. That's all part of what citizens of the Kingdom of God do and, I might add, will probably keep doing in some fashion when Christ returns. Not that there will be injustice or poverty but the essence of love is that it always seeks another to serve in some way.
We work hard here because we know what love the Father has for us and how that love will be consummated on the new earth. Our bodies will be changed (hallelujah) and our minds and spirits will finally 'get it'. Recall Paul writes that God, who began his good work in us — the transformation of our lives — will bring it to completion on the day of Christ's coming.
And so this world will run its course, satisfying itself, but the Father, Son and Spirit are moving within this world to finally transform it. God in Christ is reconciling all things to himself. Remember that. (Colossians 1:20)
This will be big. It will be historical. And it will take many by surprise. Jesus says, 'watch and pray' lest we will be led into temptation to run with the “belly belchers”.
“Hope” is a major operative word in the Kingdom-of-God-life on this earth. It is the anchor of our souls. It tells our spirits that God is going to work this all out for our good and his glory. And so in our sorrow we can be joyful, as Paul was when he lived and suffered in this world, knowing the love and work of the Father. (see 2Corinthians 6) Kenbe Kouraj.
Yours in Christ,
George
6.04.2013
Too Fast
I watch my dog, Lucy, eat her meals. She wolfs them down, like she might never see another bowlful of Natural Advantage again. I watch people eat that way too. I enjoy seeing people who take a bite and actually put their fork down, not worried that someone will steal it. Slow eating people are probably healthier too.
In my neighborhood of Foxwood Village, people go too fast. The speed limit is 15 mph but some folks are just in too much of a hurry to pay attention to any limits. I am thinking of getting a checkered flag and while I walk I can give the speeders the flag. Gigi says we haven't lived here long enough to make enemies.
But, really. Let's take it easy, live in the slow lane once in a while. Stop and smell the flowers. Take a moment to just daydream. Jesus said to not get all worked up about the tomorrows. I would like to suggest that we not get stressed about the next hour of our life.
Gigi sometimes tells me to slow down when driving so we can take in the scenery. I get annoyed but that's my problem.
So let's slow down and enjoy the good gifts around us. Maybe summertime is a good time to change the pace a bit and enjoy the presence of God. You don't even need a Bible to do that. Just be still and know that God is really God, the God of our lives who even Himself took a Sabbath rest.
Gotta go. Have an appointment. Have to rush off, sorry. No, only kidding. I have the whole evening off.
Blessings
George
In my neighborhood of Foxwood Village, people go too fast. The speed limit is 15 mph but some folks are just in too much of a hurry to pay attention to any limits. I am thinking of getting a checkered flag and while I walk I can give the speeders the flag. Gigi says we haven't lived here long enough to make enemies.
But, really. Let's take it easy, live in the slow lane once in a while. Stop and smell the flowers. Take a moment to just daydream. Jesus said to not get all worked up about the tomorrows. I would like to suggest that we not get stressed about the next hour of our life.
Gigi sometimes tells me to slow down when driving so we can take in the scenery. I get annoyed but that's my problem.
So let's slow down and enjoy the good gifts around us. Maybe summertime is a good time to change the pace a bit and enjoy the presence of God. You don't even need a Bible to do that. Just be still and know that God is really God, the God of our lives who even Himself took a Sabbath rest.
Gotta go. Have an appointment. Have to rush off, sorry. No, only kidding. I have the whole evening off.
Blessings
George
5.28.2013
On The Way To Perfect
Remember the bumper sticker, 'Not perfect, just forgiven'? Well, take that bumper sticker off because it's bad theology.
We ARE being perfected. Jesus tells us to be perfect. Forgiveness may be in a moment but perfection, which is sanctification, is happening our whole lives. Sanctification means being separate and holy. We are people who are constantly being separated from the ways of the world to be more conformed into the likeness of Christ. Our character is becoming more like Christ's.
When Paul writes in Philippians 2 that we are to work out our salvation, that is what sanctification is about. For not only are we making an effort but God is working his will in our lives. It's God's work of grace that allows us to keep working out our salvation. Remember that our effort to be more like Christ is not 'earning' salvation. That was done for us by God through Christ. Now the Holy Spirit is alive and at work within us to bring us into an ever deeper relationship with God. And, as the Keith Green song lyrics tell it, 'You give God your best and he'll take care of the rest.'
We ARE being perfected. Jesus tells us to be perfect. Forgiveness may be in a moment but perfection, which is sanctification, is happening our whole lives. Sanctification means being separate and holy. We are people who are constantly being separated from the ways of the world to be more conformed into the likeness of Christ. Our character is becoming more like Christ's.
When Paul writes in Philippians 2 that we are to work out our salvation, that is what sanctification is about. For not only are we making an effort but God is working his will in our lives. It's God's work of grace that allows us to keep working out our salvation. Remember that our effort to be more like Christ is not 'earning' salvation. That was done for us by God through Christ. Now the Holy Spirit is alive and at work within us to bring us into an ever deeper relationship with God. And, as the Keith Green song lyrics tell it, 'You give God your best and he'll take care of the rest.'
5.21.2013
Only A Suffering God Can Help Us
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2:5-8
[Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, was condemned to death on April 8, 1945 in Flossenbürg concentration camp by SS judge Otto Thorbeck. There were no witnesses, no records of proceedings nor a defense at his court-martial. He was executed there by hanging at dawn on April 9, 1945, just two days before soldiers from the United States 90th and 97th Infantry Divisions liberated the camp. Within three weeks the Soviets would capture Berlin and within a month Nazi Germany would capitulate.]
“Only a suffering God can help us.”
Recently I have been talking with people who are going through particularly horrible times of suffering — for themselves and for their families — and they are looking for a word of consolation and comfort. Sometimes all one can do is give a warm embrace and speak a word of love into their spirits.
But then I thought of Bonhoeffer and his quote (see above) and realized that he is so on target. It is only when we consider that God entered this world to suffer along with us that we can even bear to think about suffering and God together. His life, in Christ, is the greatest comfort. He was not immune to suffering. He lived in it and with it for other people. He took suffering into his body and bore the pain, rejection, and death that is part of this world.
Christ is the High Priest who sympathizes with us because he is with us in the suffering, dying, and the establishing of life for all who would place their confidence in him. Without suffering we would never know his love; the love that led him to lay down his heavenly powers and take up residence in human flesh.
Yes, only a suffering God can help us. And such is the God we worship. The God who is ultimately good. The God from whose love we can never be separated. Bonhoeffer knew suffering — it was all around him and, finally, it was his own. All the while he helped others to live and believe. Oh, he sorrowed but he kept faith in the goodness of a suffering God.
Keeping faith is our profession of confidence in the work and presence of Christ. Keeping faith is our trust that the goodness of God will prevail over all evil. Keeping faith is living life with Christ in this present moment without regret for the past or anxiety for the future. Keeping faith is not always easy but the alternative is to live in darkness or to attempt to satisfy our deepest longings with the most shallow of comforts.
We read in Romans 5:1-5 that the greatest comfort comes from God's love poured into our hearts through His Spirit. May such comfort be our ultimate sustenance.
[Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, was condemned to death on April 8, 1945 in Flossenbürg concentration camp by SS judge Otto Thorbeck. There were no witnesses, no records of proceedings nor a defense at his court-martial. He was executed there by hanging at dawn on April 9, 1945, just two days before soldiers from the United States 90th and 97th Infantry Divisions liberated the camp. Within three weeks the Soviets would capture Berlin and within a month Nazi Germany would capitulate.]
“Only a suffering God can help us.”
Recently I have been talking with people who are going through particularly horrible times of suffering — for themselves and for their families — and they are looking for a word of consolation and comfort. Sometimes all one can do is give a warm embrace and speak a word of love into their spirits.
But then I thought of Bonhoeffer and his quote (see above) and realized that he is so on target. It is only when we consider that God entered this world to suffer along with us that we can even bear to think about suffering and God together. His life, in Christ, is the greatest comfort. He was not immune to suffering. He lived in it and with it for other people. He took suffering into his body and bore the pain, rejection, and death that is part of this world.
Christ is the High Priest who sympathizes with us because he is with us in the suffering, dying, and the establishing of life for all who would place their confidence in him. Without suffering we would never know his love; the love that led him to lay down his heavenly powers and take up residence in human flesh.
Yes, only a suffering God can help us. And such is the God we worship. The God who is ultimately good. The God from whose love we can never be separated. Bonhoeffer knew suffering — it was all around him and, finally, it was his own. All the while he helped others to live and believe. Oh, he sorrowed but he kept faith in the goodness of a suffering God.
Keeping faith is our profession of confidence in the work and presence of Christ. Keeping faith is our trust that the goodness of God will prevail over all evil. Keeping faith is living life with Christ in this present moment without regret for the past or anxiety for the future. Keeping faith is not always easy but the alternative is to live in darkness or to attempt to satisfy our deepest longings with the most shallow of comforts.
We read in Romans 5:1-5 that the greatest comfort comes from God's love poured into our hearts through His Spirit. May such comfort be our ultimate sustenance.
5.14.2013
The Last Word -- Kingdom Living
Spiritual disciplines are simply exercises that allow us to deny our own self-needs and draw closer to God. They are the ways in which we let go of our Kingdom and live in God's Kingdom, where we learn that indeed “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
One of the most wonderful disciplines is silence; in not having to fill the voids with words, not having to fill our minds with noise. This discipline can be practiced in a group of people or between two people in which we discipline ourselves to NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD. Ask yourself why you or I need to jump in with our opinion or our story or our last calamity. It is because we would like our Kingdom to reign, our “selfs” to rise to an importance above others. Jesus would say “deny yourself” so that you may actually discover in yourself the presence of a greater 'self' – God’s self.
So give it a try when there is a group discussion going on or just when you are with other people. Let someone else have the last word or any words. Try being quiet and see if the world will not keep turning without your wisdom. You will be surprised at how deeply God dwells in such silence.
Yours in Christ,
George
One of the most wonderful disciplines is silence; in not having to fill the voids with words, not having to fill our minds with noise. This discipline can be practiced in a group of people or between two people in which we discipline ourselves to NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD. Ask yourself why you or I need to jump in with our opinion or our story or our last calamity. It is because we would like our Kingdom to reign, our “selfs” to rise to an importance above others. Jesus would say “deny yourself” so that you may actually discover in yourself the presence of a greater 'self' – God’s self.
So give it a try when there is a group discussion going on or just when you are with other people. Let someone else have the last word or any words. Try being quiet and see if the world will not keep turning without your wisdom. You will be surprised at how deeply God dwells in such silence.
Yours in Christ,
George
5.08.2013
Anger
So today I was thinking about anger. I would like to define it as our response to that which trespasses on our own will.
Our own will is our Kingdom. We like our Kingdom territory and we don't like it when someone or some circumstance attempts an overthrow of our sovereignty.
For example, a driver cuts in front of us; a rainstorm cancels our golf outing; a spouse asks for a favor that cuts into our plans. Anger can also be a response during an argument when our being right is questioned or we are confronted by someone else's contrary ideas. When a little child commences rule over his or her kingdom they might throw a tantrum if their toys are taken by another child or if they’re told it’s nap time.
No one in the human situation really wants their Kingdom threatened, even by God's will. We like to say we trust God but the truth of our Kingdom is that we will like God and believe as long as God's will conforms pretty much with ours. Terms like submit, surrender, give up, and relent are not a natural part of our vocabulary. Sovereigns don't do that kind of thing. We are the Generals of our own armies and we don't cower under any other power.
So if we are to be less angry, here's what we will need to do. Say to God, “your will, not mine be done”. We will need to stop thinking mine, my plans, my way. Instead, trust God for each moment of our lives, believing that He looks out for us, that he cares for us and that his Kingdom is best. See, nothing can thwart the Kingdom of God. Not a rude driver, or a natural disaster; not infirmity, or any rude, pushy person.
Keep believing that you are loved and that God is setting your way in life.
Being “born again” means seeing that there really is a bigger and better Kingdom than our measly little plot of ground we call “our will”.
So start today by examining what it is that makes you angry and why it does.
Let the word surrender become a regular part of your vocabulary. Learn in little ways to go out of your way to care about someone else.
One more thing. Since you are loved by God, take care of yourself. Part of your own Kingdom issue may be your need to meet others’ needs — and that may not always be God's will for you. So stop, be still and realize that you are not God. That's found in Psalm 46.
Anger as a response to wrong against the will of God can be trusted to people like Jesus but not to us. So take a look at ole mr. or miss anger and say, 'get back Jack.'
Yours in Christ,
George
5.01.2013
It’s Not What You Know But . . .
Give Christ his place then but deny entry to all others. – Thomas à Kempis
When Jesus spoke the words we now know as the Sermon on the Mount, he explained the availability of the Kingdom of God for everyone, many who before that time had been shut out, marginalized as it were. He announced to the people around him that the Kingdom, the Reign, the Love of God was literally “in their midst”. No matter who they were, they were all invited into God's presence, to be children of God whether they were descendants of Abraham or not. Jesus invited them to himself, to have confidence in him, to follow him. He told the people that to follow him meant to walk in the light, being able therefore to see the way into God's love received and given.
That same message, the Good News, is also for us today. We are invited, literally, to follow this Jesus into life, real life, the truest life, abundant life, the life in the Spirit, the life now and for all eternity.
Before we embark on this life we ought to carefully read Jesus words that come at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 7 of Matthew's Gospel. He tells his audience that not everyone who calls him “Lord” is a member of the Kingdom, but only those who do the will of God.
Read the last verses of chapter 7. They are instructions for building a good life, an acceptable life to God.
That's all there is to it. It's not about what you know but about how you live. And Christ desires to be right there in the center of YOU.
4.24.2013
Romans 6:8-11 - a random thought
In Kingdom Living we begin to understand that faith is not for death but it is for this life - where death and sin no longer have the final word. See, Jesus is alive now; the grave could not hold him down. So he lives to God, for God, for the glory of the Trinity and we get to live that life right now with him. We are as alive as Christ, provided we give him the mastery of our lives. That's what apprentices do. They find someone who is real good at a particular trade and they attach themselves to that person.
In our case that 'someone' is Jesus and day by day we show up to work with him, to walk with him, to 'learn the rhythms of grace', to use a phrase from Jesus in The Message Paraphrase of Matthew 11:28-30.
There are lots of dead people walking and I don't want to be one of them. I want life and Jesus, being the author of life (see John 1), is the best instructor there is. I do not have just faith in him. I also have confidence and trust that he knows best. And like any apprentice, I know the work is not always easy. But as Jesus once said, With God all things are possible.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
In Kingdom Living we begin to understand that faith is not for death but it is for this life - where death and sin no longer have the final word. See, Jesus is alive now; the grave could not hold him down. So he lives to God, for God, for the glory of the Trinity and we get to live that life right now with him. We are as alive as Christ, provided we give him the mastery of our lives. That's what apprentices do. They find someone who is real good at a particular trade and they attach themselves to that person.
In our case that 'someone' is Jesus and day by day we show up to work with him, to walk with him, to 'learn the rhythms of grace', to use a phrase from Jesus in The Message Paraphrase of Matthew 11:28-30.
There are lots of dead people walking and I don't want to be one of them. I want life and Jesus, being the author of life (see John 1), is the best instructor there is. I do not have just faith in him. I also have confidence and trust that he knows best. And like any apprentice, I know the work is not always easy. But as Jesus once said, With God all things are possible.
Despising the World (Kingdom Life #2)
Thomas à Kempis was a monk who lived in the late 1300's to early 1400's. He wrote THE IMITATION OF CHRIST, allegedly the best selling book after the Bible. It's quite a masterpiece of writing, instructing Christians on how to live with Christ at the center of all they do and are. It is a book for apprentices of Jesus and it is in some ways a very difficult book.
Thomas repeats often that you and I are to despise the world, hate the world, have little to do with the things of the world. He is writing about the world the same way that John writes when he says that you cannot love God and love the things of the world (1John 2:15). If you are a friend of the world you are an enemy of God, writes James (4:4). Jesus called us “out of the world” (John 15:19) and Paul writes that we are not to be conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12).
This is all pretty hard stuff for apprentices of Jesus since we live so fully in the world, dependent on its material assets and satisfied by its pleasures.
I have been watching police crime shows, action and adventure all combined as SWAT teams make their way into the lairs of criminals. It's an adrenaline rush to be sure but when it's over I am not all that satisfied and no better a person for it. So I am learning to watch more wholesome shows, not all necessarily PG but shows with a good narrative for life. Is that despising the world? Probably not. But it is despising the violent narratives and ego-satisfying nature of some of my world.
I suspect despising the world is more about self-denial. Thomas à Kempis will write more about mortifying the flesh, which is a good thing (just short of a 'hair shirt'). But I am thinking about Jesus words: that you can't worship two masters. And so I am trying my best, as an apprentice, to spend a lot more time with God than with th world and its influence. I find that I enjoy listening to the Bible on my car CD player (of course I use The Message Paraphrase). Prayer time is becoming more pleasurable and reading books with some kind of spiritual message is a better choice for me.But there are certain ways that I love the satisfactions of this world. I am hopeful to enjoy them with Christ.
So it is a good exercise in faith to think on just how much we love God with ALL our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves.
One final note. I think that despising the world means to abhor or detest its POWER. There is no humility, or self-denial in power, especially the kind we see at work around us these days.
Juska la fin,
George
Thomas à Kempis was a monk who lived in the late 1300's to early 1400's. He wrote THE IMITATION OF CHRIST, allegedly the best selling book after the Bible. It's quite a masterpiece of writing, instructing Christians on how to live with Christ at the center of all they do and are. It is a book for apprentices of Jesus and it is in some ways a very difficult book.
Thomas repeats often that you and I are to despise the world, hate the world, have little to do with the things of the world. He is writing about the world the same way that John writes when he says that you cannot love God and love the things of the world (1John 2:15). If you are a friend of the world you are an enemy of God, writes James (4:4). Jesus called us “out of the world” (John 15:19) and Paul writes that we are not to be conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12).
This is all pretty hard stuff for apprentices of Jesus since we live so fully in the world, dependent on its material assets and satisfied by its pleasures.
I have been watching police crime shows, action and adventure all combined as SWAT teams make their way into the lairs of criminals. It's an adrenaline rush to be sure but when it's over I am not all that satisfied and no better a person for it. So I am learning to watch more wholesome shows, not all necessarily PG but shows with a good narrative for life. Is that despising the world? Probably not. But it is despising the violent narratives and ego-satisfying nature of some of my world.
I suspect despising the world is more about self-denial. Thomas à Kempis will write more about mortifying the flesh, which is a good thing (just short of a 'hair shirt'). But I am thinking about Jesus words: that you can't worship two masters. And so I am trying my best, as an apprentice, to spend a lot more time with God than with th world and its influence. I find that I enjoy listening to the Bible on my car CD player (of course I use The Message Paraphrase). Prayer time is becoming more pleasurable and reading books with some kind of spiritual message is a better choice for me.But there are certain ways that I love the satisfactions of this world. I am hopeful to enjoy them with Christ.
So it is a good exercise in faith to think on just how much we love God with ALL our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves.
One final note. I think that despising the world means to abhor or detest its POWER. There is no humility, or self-denial in power, especially the kind we see at work around us these days.
Juska la fin,
George
Free - a random thought
Last night Gigi and I watched October Baby, the story of a young woman who discovers that she is the survivor of an attempted abortion. I thought it was a great movie with a surprising ending. You can get it on Netflix, at least that much I know.
Anyway, early on in the movie the young woman writes in her journal, "The truth will set you free?" It is more of a question for her than an answer and the movie takes her and us on a journey, a quest for the truth.
Jesus is the one who said that the truth shall set us free. It will break the chains within us; that fetter our hearts to a relentless thought process that hides, deceives, and otherwise suppresses all truth about ourselves, our God, our place with God and, above all, His love and forgiveness.
And the only way to know this truth is to follow Jesus. He is after all, the one who lights the way for us, sometimes shining the greatest light into the depth of our souls.
Last night Gigi and I watched October Baby, the story of a young woman who discovers that she is the survivor of an attempted abortion. I thought it was a great movie with a surprising ending. You can get it on Netflix, at least that much I know.
Anyway, early on in the movie the young woman writes in her journal, "The truth will set you free?" It is more of a question for her than an answer and the movie takes her and us on a journey, a quest for the truth.
Jesus is the one who said that the truth shall set us free. It will break the chains within us; that fetter our hearts to a relentless thought process that hides, deceives, and otherwise suppresses all truth about ourselves, our God, our place with God and, above all, His love and forgiveness.
And the only way to know this truth is to follow Jesus. He is after all, the one who lights the way for us, sometimes shining the greatest light into the depth of our souls.
4.23.2013
Kingdom Life (# 1)
So here begin my thoughts (very few of them original) on Kingdom Life: the way Jesus taught it particularly, but not limited to, the Sermon on the Mount. Much of my thinking has been informed by Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at USC, and his students. He substitutes the term “apprentice” for disciple. I like that. It connotes one who is in the process of learning in order to be able to finally do well, with joy and quite naturally, what one has been practicing in the school of the Master.
So begin by asking, “To whom does the Kingdom of God belong?" And the answer is everyone and anyone who desires to trust the Master in how best to live life on this earth. All those “blesseds”' that begin the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 signal that God favors people in all walks and lots in life. The Kingdom of God (which we shall take to mean where God dwells and all places where is love is found, especially in Jesus) was kept and is still kept from certain people.
But God's love can not be restrained by any of us. That love reaches from the farthest points of eternity into the most intimate places of our lives.
Take the first “blessed”: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God. Let's rephrase that from all we know about God. The people who know nothing about God and who well might be atheists are favored by God. They are not favored because of their situation but in spite of it. The Kingdom, the love of God, has come for them as evidenced by Jesus talking with them in this context. Willard sometimes paraphrases them as the “spiritual nobodies”. There are folks who are not born again but the Kingdom has come for them. It is open to them. And once they know it, they will want to begin life again with the love of God. His Kingdom, his reign, his will to love his creation is available to all. Everyone.
So, first of all the apprentice must know that he or she is welcomed by the Master. Many people feel unwelcome in the church because somehow the Master's way and the Master's love has not been communicated to them. Remember how Jesus told his disciples at the end of Matthew's Gospel: Go and make apprentices; show them God's love; baptize them as a demonstration that they are loved and teach them to obey all that I have commanded.
Jesus didn't say: Go and make Catholics, Calvinists, Mennonites or any other division of people. We have done that and by so doing we have shunned some folks. We have been unwelcoming.
Jesus gathered children of God, apprentices, people who longed for God. And they followed him. And throughout the Sermon on the Mount he will instruct them on how to live the best life possible, no matter their station or circumstances of life.
We won't look at all beatitudes but we will see next time just how Jesus walked through the crowds that day pointing out who was well off.
Yours in Christ for another day.
So here begin my thoughts (very few of them original) on Kingdom Life: the way Jesus taught it particularly, but not limited to, the Sermon on the Mount. Much of my thinking has been informed by Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at USC, and his students. He substitutes the term “apprentice” for disciple. I like that. It connotes one who is in the process of learning in order to be able to finally do well, with joy and quite naturally, what one has been practicing in the school of the Master.
So begin by asking, “To whom does the Kingdom of God belong?" And the answer is everyone and anyone who desires to trust the Master in how best to live life on this earth. All those “blesseds”' that begin the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 signal that God favors people in all walks and lots in life. The Kingdom of God (which we shall take to mean where God dwells and all places where is love is found, especially in Jesus) was kept and is still kept from certain people.
But God's love can not be restrained by any of us. That love reaches from the farthest points of eternity into the most intimate places of our lives.
Take the first “blessed”: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God. Let's rephrase that from all we know about God. The people who know nothing about God and who well might be atheists are favored by God. They are not favored because of their situation but in spite of it. The Kingdom, the love of God, has come for them as evidenced by Jesus talking with them in this context. Willard sometimes paraphrases them as the “spiritual nobodies”. There are folks who are not born again but the Kingdom has come for them. It is open to them. And once they know it, they will want to begin life again with the love of God. His Kingdom, his reign, his will to love his creation is available to all. Everyone.
So, first of all the apprentice must know that he or she is welcomed by the Master. Many people feel unwelcome in the church because somehow the Master's way and the Master's love has not been communicated to them. Remember how Jesus told his disciples at the end of Matthew's Gospel: Go and make apprentices; show them God's love; baptize them as a demonstration that they are loved and teach them to obey all that I have commanded.
Jesus didn't say: Go and make Catholics, Calvinists, Mennonites or any other division of people. We have done that and by so doing we have shunned some folks. We have been unwelcoming.
Jesus gathered children of God, apprentices, people who longed for God. And they followed him. And throughout the Sermon on the Mount he will instruct them on how to live the best life possible, no matter their station or circumstances of life.
We won't look at all beatitudes but we will see next time just how Jesus walked through the crowds that day pointing out who was well off.
Yours in Christ for another day.
9.28.2011
Grace on Main Street
So I'm driving down the Main Road and notice that some folks are trying to cross the street. I am not in a hurry so I stop to let them walk on over to the other side. I am happy to do it. It is my pleasure. But my pleasure turns to annoyance when I receive no acknowledgment for my act of kindness. Nothing; not even a slight wave of the hand. I always acknowledge the kindness of drivers… even when I’m in a crossing zone.
Now you might think this is a message about the unbelievable attitudes of some people who take the kindness of us drivers for granted. But it's not. It is an indictment of me. Here I am breaking the law of Jesus Christ by expecting something back from someone.
I am a Christian and yet at those moments I find my EGO is really apparent to me – my desire to be acknowledged. Didn’t Jesus say somewhere that if I only greet people who can greet me back what is the status of my heart before God? I do good because it is the will of God, not because I get a reward. My ego wants a reward. I find my ego is rather needy. I might instead call it sin that is dwelling in me – like Paul called it in Romans 7.
I don't need no stinkin' acknowledgement. I stop to be kind and merciful, not because I need someone's gratitude. That’s the attitude of Christ.
Now don't think this is just a lesson about street crossing delinquents. No, this is more about how I view all people I encounter. Can I be kind in my thoughts and deeds or is it about what I can get out of it (including some good gossip if things don't go my way).
So no more grumbling for me. I will still stop for pedestrians, and even hope that I am not appreciated. I do it because it's right. That’s all. And I love others because it is right; even if they annoy the heck out of me.
In fact, I should love them FOR annoying me because I might learn something about my ego. See, when I was young I needed that ego to get along in the world. Now that I am almost grown up it's time to let go of that ego....trade it for the one that Jesus wants to give me.
God bless you all.
George
Now you might think this is a message about the unbelievable attitudes of some people who take the kindness of us drivers for granted. But it's not. It is an indictment of me. Here I am breaking the law of Jesus Christ by expecting something back from someone.
I am a Christian and yet at those moments I find my EGO is really apparent to me – my desire to be acknowledged. Didn’t Jesus say somewhere that if I only greet people who can greet me back what is the status of my heart before God? I do good because it is the will of God, not because I get a reward. My ego wants a reward. I find my ego is rather needy. I might instead call it sin that is dwelling in me – like Paul called it in Romans 7.
I don't need no stinkin' acknowledgement. I stop to be kind and merciful, not because I need someone's gratitude. That’s the attitude of Christ.
Now don't think this is just a lesson about street crossing delinquents. No, this is more about how I view all people I encounter. Can I be kind in my thoughts and deeds or is it about what I can get out of it (including some good gossip if things don't go my way).
So no more grumbling for me. I will still stop for pedestrians, and even hope that I am not appreciated. I do it because it's right. That’s all. And I love others because it is right; even if they annoy the heck out of me.
In fact, I should love them FOR annoying me because I might learn something about my ego. See, when I was young I needed that ego to get along in the world. Now that I am almost grown up it's time to let go of that ego....trade it for the one that Jesus wants to give me.
God bless you all.
George
9.16.2011
Living on the Inside
Read Ephesians 3:16 and following
Life on the inside. I’m not referring here to jail but to the inner spirit within us where Christ resides (although that inner person might feel like jail sometimes).
But too often we live on the “outside”, affected by so much that is not helpful to our growth as Christians. We live by what we see, and how we think others see us. I know that for myself at times I am too concerned with what others think of me and so I forget to look inside of myself where Christ is telling me that I am his beloved. And others might define me by my appearance, my age, even my mistakes and my sins – rather than the relationship I have with Christ way down deep inside of me.
That's why prayer is so important.... looking inside and being with Christ.... just being quiet in the presence of God. We need to think more about God's love for us and not be caught up in the external pressures of life.
I don't want to live on the surface of life; I want to live deeper inside where Paul prays I will know Christ (Eph. 3:16). It is in this deep inner place that I can come to say, “Thy will be done”. Living on the surface of my life is too often about my will. But hopefully the more time I spend on the inner life, the better the life on the outside will be.
God invites us to go deeper, to abide with him, stay with him, rest with him, to be loved by him. That cannot happen until we obey him – “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD” (Psalm 46).
Life on the inside is where I come to know myself better and, to be honest, the first glance might not be all that pretty. But I present myself to Christ and he interacts with my spirit to give me new life.
Maybe that's why Paul writes in Colossians that our real lives are hid with Christ. See, if you are a believer in Christ, according to Colossians 3:3 the life you see in the mirror is not your real life. Your real life is the life that God sees through his Son Jesus Christ, who died for you. God sees you as His Beloved son or daughter. And believe me, God is at work in our lives even if we are not aware of it.
So next time you see me, remember to look deeper inside because that's where I am living.... with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
George
Life on the inside. I’m not referring here to jail but to the inner spirit within us where Christ resides (although that inner person might feel like jail sometimes).
But too often we live on the “outside”, affected by so much that is not helpful to our growth as Christians. We live by what we see, and how we think others see us. I know that for myself at times I am too concerned with what others think of me and so I forget to look inside of myself where Christ is telling me that I am his beloved. And others might define me by my appearance, my age, even my mistakes and my sins – rather than the relationship I have with Christ way down deep inside of me.
That's why prayer is so important.... looking inside and being with Christ.... just being quiet in the presence of God. We need to think more about God's love for us and not be caught up in the external pressures of life.
I don't want to live on the surface of life; I want to live deeper inside where Paul prays I will know Christ (Eph. 3:16). It is in this deep inner place that I can come to say, “Thy will be done”. Living on the surface of my life is too often about my will. But hopefully the more time I spend on the inner life, the better the life on the outside will be.
God invites us to go deeper, to abide with him, stay with him, rest with him, to be loved by him. That cannot happen until we obey him – “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD” (Psalm 46).
Life on the inside is where I come to know myself better and, to be honest, the first glance might not be all that pretty. But I present myself to Christ and he interacts with my spirit to give me new life.
Maybe that's why Paul writes in Colossians that our real lives are hid with Christ. See, if you are a believer in Christ, according to Colossians 3:3 the life you see in the mirror is not your real life. Your real life is the life that God sees through his Son Jesus Christ, who died for you. God sees you as His Beloved son or daughter. And believe me, God is at work in our lives even if we are not aware of it.
So next time you see me, remember to look deeper inside because that's where I am living.... with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
George
9.07.2011
Leaving and Returning
The late Henry Nouwen wrote a book called Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Prodigal Son. In it he speaks of the son’s leaving home and returning home as something we all experience on a spiritual level.The idea of leaving home and returning to God is a daily routine and theme. As each day comes, I am invited to remember that I am loved with an eternal love by God. This love isn’t because of what I have or what I do, but rather because of who I am in Christ. I am God's beloved child because of God's decision to make me so. I have God's blessings. When I choose to do my own thing, like the prodigal son I am leaving home. This happens daily whenever I step away from the Father and go to the far distant land of selfishness and ego-centered living. Whenever I worry, I am leaving home. Whenever I am greedy or jealous or lustful, I am leaving home. In all these ways I am saying, “Father, I am taking my blessings and leaving.” And it happens daily.
Returning home happens daily also. When I realize what I am doing, whom it is that I left, and where my real life resides, I am returning home. I come back to my heavenly Father and discover that he is running to greet me; to welcome me home and lavish his love on me with a feast of heavenly delights.
So let's get used to this leaving and returning. It will happen often on the road to our final home. But remember that the best part is the party, for it says in Luke 15 “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who comes back home than over all the others who think they have no need to return” (a slight paraphrase on my part).
Anyway, this whole story is found in Luke 15. You might want to read it again - for the first time.
Yours in Christ,
George
Returning home happens daily also. When I realize what I am doing, whom it is that I left, and where my real life resides, I am returning home. I come back to my heavenly Father and discover that he is running to greet me; to welcome me home and lavish his love on me with a feast of heavenly delights.
So let's get used to this leaving and returning. It will happen often on the road to our final home. But remember that the best part is the party, for it says in Luke 15 “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who comes back home than over all the others who think they have no need to return” (a slight paraphrase on my part).
Anyway, this whole story is found in Luke 15. You might want to read it again - for the first time.
Yours in Christ,
George
7.27.2011
Coming to Grips With Grace
I find it easier to be charitable to people who are more deserving of my kindness. I don’t know if it’s me or if we all struggle with that. It’s difficult for me to act nicely toward arrogant folks, people who think they’re hot stuff or who are prideful. I’d much rather be kind to those who ask for my mercy and tell me that they are sorry and make amends along the way. And what’s more - I can tell you which people fall into which category!
I guess this makes me a judge of what is right and wrong, which is really not my prerogative but God’s. Who am I to determine who gets mercy and who doesn’t?
I read in the Bible that God’s love is such that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. That’s pretty shocking when you think about it.
From that I deduce that while another person is against me in some way, I should be kind and loving towards them. Now why is that so difficult? I can only think of one reason - PRIDE. I have not been humbled before God; I have not experienced His grace to such a degree that I am able to dispense that same grace towards another. There are stories and parables about that in the Bible. And I believe that people like Ebeneezer Scrooge finally understand grace even if it is under threat and fear of death.
Every day is another opportunity for God to shed his grace on me. I don’t deserve it. What makes me think another person doesn’t deserve it? It’s my sin that keeps my eyes and heart shut. So every day I will make the effort one more time to extend to another that which God has already extended to me in Jesus Christ His Son. And if my effort is not enough I will surrender myself and the other person to my Lord. His lovingkindness lasts forever for both of us.
Yours in Christ,
George
I guess this makes me a judge of what is right and wrong, which is really not my prerogative but God’s. Who am I to determine who gets mercy and who doesn’t?
I read in the Bible that God’s love is such that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. That’s pretty shocking when you think about it.
From that I deduce that while another person is against me in some way, I should be kind and loving towards them. Now why is that so difficult? I can only think of one reason - PRIDE. I have not been humbled before God; I have not experienced His grace to such a degree that I am able to dispense that same grace towards another. There are stories and parables about that in the Bible. And I believe that people like Ebeneezer Scrooge finally understand grace even if it is under threat and fear of death.
Every day is another opportunity for God to shed his grace on me. I don’t deserve it. What makes me think another person doesn’t deserve it? It’s my sin that keeps my eyes and heart shut. So every day I will make the effort one more time to extend to another that which God has already extended to me in Jesus Christ His Son. And if my effort is not enough I will surrender myself and the other person to my Lord. His lovingkindness lasts forever for both of us.
Yours in Christ,
George
7.13.2011
How Do You Measure Success?
So here’s the question of the week. How do you tell if you are successful? Is it how much money you make? Maybe it’s how high up you are on the corporate ladder. Maybe it’s by the number of people you reach or the amount of satisfaction you feel at your job. How is success measured in your marriage, at school, or with your friends?
I really have no idea how to help you define success in any of those areas, but I will tell you how I measure success within the church, the community of faith. And I think it is probably the same way Jesus thought about success, if he in fact ever thought about being successful. So think about this measure of success for whatever community of faith to which you belong.
How well do we recognize God’s grace in Christ to forgive us and reconcile us to God and what are we doing to share that grace with others?
I like that. Don’t know if I stole it or thought it but I found it in some notes I had written.
If people in the community of faith can really recognize God’s grace in their lives, to know that they stand before the living God free from any guilt of sin, then I believe the church is successful in getting out the message of the Good News.
Time after time Jesus brought grace into people’s lives and they seemed to ‘get it’. Their lives were changed as they realized how much God loved them. They were brought into the circle of grace. They who lived so often on the outside were brought inside. They were accepted by God and forgiven by God and they realized that something new had happened to them.
This is the essence of the Good News and this is the mark of the successful church. How we measure it can only take place in intimate and honest conversation about the journey of faith. I hope you have such a place for such a conversation.
God Bless,
George
I really have no idea how to help you define success in any of those areas, but I will tell you how I measure success within the church, the community of faith. And I think it is probably the same way Jesus thought about success, if he in fact ever thought about being successful. So think about this measure of success for whatever community of faith to which you belong.
How well do we recognize God’s grace in Christ to forgive us and reconcile us to God and what are we doing to share that grace with others?
I like that. Don’t know if I stole it or thought it but I found it in some notes I had written.
If people in the community of faith can really recognize God’s grace in their lives, to know that they stand before the living God free from any guilt of sin, then I believe the church is successful in getting out the message of the Good News.
Time after time Jesus brought grace into people’s lives and they seemed to ‘get it’. Their lives were changed as they realized how much God loved them. They were brought into the circle of grace. They who lived so often on the outside were brought inside. They were accepted by God and forgiven by God and they realized that something new had happened to them.
This is the essence of the Good News and this is the mark of the successful church. How we measure it can only take place in intimate and honest conversation about the journey of faith. I hope you have such a place for such a conversation.
God Bless,
George
7.09.2011
I'm a Wanderer
Sometimes i find myself with what my wife Gigi calls ADD because I am all over the place. i start one project or one book and then Ii am on to another. I can multitask and work on several books and projects at the same time. Only God knows how effeciently this system works but I seem to get things done that need doing.
My friend Pat was telling me the other day that such behavior is not necessarily bad. He quoted from Lord of the Rings, Not all who wander are lost. Well, I am a wanderer for God. It's my style. Sometimes it's hard for people to keep up with me. In fact, some can't. But for those who can...let's get on with this journey called faith and remember this...we might just make a quick turn up ahead, so pay attention.
My friend Pat was telling me the other day that such behavior is not necessarily bad. He quoted from Lord of the Rings, Not all who wander are lost. Well, I am a wanderer for God. It's my style. Sometimes it's hard for people to keep up with me. In fact, some can't. But for those who can...let's get on with this journey called faith and remember this...we might just make a quick turn up ahead, so pay attention.
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