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Bible Heroes: MT e43

We all know that glasses are used to give us clarity of vision so we can see better. For the next few moments the desire is to give you a better vision of Bible heros.

There have been Bible type books produced mostly for children in which, as the title suggests, there are story after story of people who did great things. People like David, a young boy who defeated a battle tested giant named Golliath.

There are several stories of people like Esther, Samson, Moses and more of whom we learn in Scripture. They did great and powerful things and are given the title hero.

I absolutely agree in the things that these people accomplished are amazing feates. Feates that are hero status. But then I read in James of Elijah:

Who, “was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain and for three ears and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” James 5:17-18

Did you catch that? Elijah was a man, with a nature like ours. He was a person like you and me but God worked through him.

Seeing this was a clarifying moment. It really helped to gain a good vision of Bible heros. There are not multiple heros in Scripture. There is really only one hero: Jesus.

Next time, this thought will be developed a bit further and linked to the passage of Jesus serving by washing feet.

Until then S.D.G.

Served Twice: MT e42

“For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you.” John 13:15

Last time the thought surrounded this passage of Jesus washing feet and how serving can be inconvenient. When considering everything that Jesus was about to face I would have failed here. I would have demanded service. “Come on guys!”

This was a defining moment of the inconvenience of serving.

The reason I would fail is because If I was in Jesus place, my focus would be on me and what I am about to do and what I am about to endure.

There is no doubt what Jesus was about to face was on his mind but he did not allow that to get in the way.

Rather, he looked at the larger picture and saw a teachable moment. He served twice here. Once by washing feet: this was filling an immediate need. The second time by teaching. “I have given you an example, now go and do what I have done for you.”

The reality here is that you and I can be so wrapped up in ourselves, in our lives, that we miss these wonderful opportunities to add to the serving we are already doing.

To be clear, this is not a pastor sharing that we need to dig deeper and try harder. This is a pastor who wants to lead by praying, “Lord, by Your Spirit, open my eyes and soften my heart so I can serve better.”

The Inconvenience of Serving: MT e41

Unusual talent that I have is the ability to look at a chip dip container and take a bag of chips and without pencil and paper, without AI or math, gauge how to eat the proper amount of dip on each chip so that when the bag is empty the container is empty.

This is important because if you have ever purchased a thing of chip dip and there is dip left over after the bad is empty, most often it sits in the fridge until it becomes a science experiment.

Back in college there was a fellow dorm resident that was just a little off socially. He came to talk to me one night and I was in the process of eating a bag of chips and dip. A spirit of serving over came me so I offered some to him. He said, “sure thing,” and then proceeded to dip his chip and use a massive amount of my dip.

In my head I was like WHOA! He was throwing off everything, now I am going to have left over chips because the dip is going to run out. He continued to sit there and eat the dip for the next 20 minutes and then back to his room.

Recently, I was considering this true and insignificant moment in life in relation to serving. Serving is not always easy. Most often, serving is inconvenient.

We could spend hours discussing the examples of Jesus in serving. They were inconvenient but let us consider one passage:

“As I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:14-15

Jesus is literal hours away from the cross yet he is serving. Of all the people that have ever lived in the all of the world, Jesus was the last person anyone would expect to wash feet here. This is one golden example of the inconvenience of serving.

I would like to hang out in this passage for a while but until our next time together, be looking out for opportunities to serve.

Until then S.D.G.

Build Each Other Up: MT e40

While driving to the church building a couple of weeks ago I noticed a new structure being built on one of the nearby farms. It is easy to admire watching the progress as the building goes up.

Last week though, something was noticeable that I have not seen before. Here is a picture of the structure and outside there are supports holding the frame in place.

What immediately came to mind is the church congregation. The framing of this building is a visual reminder of what the church is.

The writer of Hebrews says this:

²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

This is a support passage. All of those 2x4s all around the building are supporting the frame so it can be built up.

The Hebrews text is teaching, when you gather as a body, you are a support for each other. This is vital. This can’t be skipped. When you meet you are keeping each other from potentially falling down.

Do you see your time with your church family like this? I have heard people say, “My church is nature.” This video is too short to address how silly that is and I don’t want to get too preachy.

The point is, we are to be, in the family of God, like this. A support. A strength. A stability. All of us working together in Christ Jesus. It is a beautiful thing.

SDG

God Gave: MT e39

When I was younger in the faith, it was really easy for me to play the hero. When I was immature in the faith it was easy to see myself as David. That I would go get the five smooth stones, or I would be Shadrach, Meshack or Abednego in the fiery furnace and my faith would be unshaken.

I have matured I have seen that maybe I am not so much of a hero.

In our last time together we were in Matthew 13 where we find the parable of the “Pearl of Great Value.” We were making a comparison that just as Jay Leno found this $10 million car in the middle of the field and it was rare and of great value (to someone), that it was a hidden treasure.

There are a series of parables in Matthew 13 of talking about the Kingdom. There is:

The parable of the sower
The parable of the wheat and tares
The parable the mustard seed and the leaven

Jesus is making the point that the kingdom of heaven has a hidden value. The main character in each of the parables that lead up to our parable of the Pearl of Great price is God. He is the hero. God is the hero in these passages.

It is easy for me to say, “I have found the kingdom and I am going to give up everything for the kingdom.” Please, I invite you, read the whole chapter. The hero in each parable in Matthew 13 is God. That is the main character.

It is possible that the pearl of great price is Jesus. It is not me who gives up everything. It is possible that this is one interpretation. That “God so love the world that he gave His only Son” (John3:16). God gave everything for this pearl of great price that we have in Christ.

Let me know what you think of this. Commentators are split. Some see it one way and others see it differently.

In my book, Jesus is ALWAYS the hero.

S.D.G.

Great Value: MT e38

There is a man named Jay Leno, some of you know he use to host “The Tonight Show” on NBC.

Jay has always been a car enthusiast and quite a number of people know of his collection of automobiles.

Recently, Jay came across a car that was sitting in a barn in the middle of a junk yard. The car was worth $10 million. It was a Mercedes and there were less than 30 of this particular car made. The one he found was the only one of this model that had not been refurbished.

Ten million dollars for a car. Very hard to comprehend. It is incredible.

It reminds me of a story that Jesus told, found in Matthew 13. It was about a pearl of great price. Someone found it and sold all that they had to buy that pearl.

As Jesus is telling this story he is giving laser focus that there is treasure in this world. Treasure is something that we value. What treasure is differs for each of us. We will sacrifice for what we treasure. That is the point of Jesus’ story.

When you find something you greatly value, you make sacrifice to gain it. Someone, somewhere will pay $10 million for this old car Jay Leno found. They are paying that because this is the value that they place on that car. They will pay with an actual money amount.

With Christ, and His kingdom, you do not buy your way in like this. You do give up yourself. You sacrifice yourself.

What does that look like? What is the deeper meaning of the Pearl of Great Price?

We can explore that next time. Until then,

S.D.G.

Letting God Speak To You: MT e37

In our last time together we were considering Psalm chapter one: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, or sits in the seat of scoffers or stands in the way of sinners. His delight is in the law of the Lord and on this law he meditates day and night.

Regarding this, our focus was upon how time for most people who say they are Christians spend such little time in God’s word. That is a real problem.

It would be very similar to me saying to Tina, someone that I love, “I love you, but please do not speak to me.” That would be crazy right?

Yet, that is what we do when we say, “I love Jesus,” or “I love the Lord,” but then do not spend anytime in His word. He speaks to us through His word.

So today I what I wanted to focus upon is a couple of ideas to help you in reading more, getting into the Scriptures and reading more.

The first thing I would like for us to consider is having the word read to you. There is, for no cost and totally free, and there are other options where the cost is minimal, a whole bunch of phone applications and web sites where the Bible can be read to you.

For some people, reading is difficult. Some are slow readers and this can be a source of discouragement. There are other people that are distracted easily. They begin to read something and then the mind begins to wander off and there is no focus.

Having the Bible read to you is one way to combat these issues. You can block out a time to have the Bible read to you (which is what I prefer one do), or you can do it while you are driving on commute or working out.

DO not consider this cheating. The literacy level for many early Christians was very low. Not only that but there were not the number of copies of the Bible therefore they would read the Bible when they came together in assembly. This is how the Bible was shared back then.

Another idea and suggestion is that you do not start your reading time by carving out 30 minutes or an hour everyday. If you are not currently reading, start small. Start with like ten minutes a day. Do this for 21 days and you have a habit.

Lastly, pray over this, like the strength to get this done is outside of you. Hint: it is. Ask God to help you and I can guarantee you that He will help you. Pray, “Give me success in loving your word.”

You will start out with ten minutes, but then before long you will want more. You will want 20 minutes even more.

S.D.G.

Sit, Stand, Walk: MT episode 36

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the one who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is on the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night.”

It’s a beautiful passage and among my favorites. It poetically covers every aspect of the believer.

Most Christ followers can use some drastic improvements in time with Jesus. A recent survey revealed that A third of Americans who attend a Protestant church regularly (32%) say they read the Bible personally every day. Around a quarter (27%) say they read it a few times a week.

Fewer say they only read it once a week (12%), a few times a month (11%) or once a month (5%). Close to 1 in 8 (12%) admit they rarely or never read the Bible.

I have no idea exactly who is watching this short video. There are potentially some who watch this and are in the word daily. That would be commendable and great.

The purpose of highlighting these numbers is to bring attention to what influences our lives. Chances are some social platform, television show, Netflix or other similar service, has great influence in life. Distracting you from what matters more.

For some believers, Jesus gets the church assembly time, and the rest is for everything else. You can’t make it that way. Please don’t take this to the other extreme in there should be no time for leisure for there most certainly is.

But, through each day, we should read, pray and meditate (ponder and think) upon the WORD of GOD. You can do it daytime or nighttime; just make certain that if you consider yourself a believer, spending time with God’s word is absolutely necessary.

Next time we will consider this issue a bit further. Until then S.D.G.

Two Places at the Same Time: MT episode 35

The movie Mrs. Doubtfire is comedy about a divorced man who was simply wanted to spend time with his children and help raise them. Because had been denied access to his children, he then applied and was hired their nanny. This meant he had to dress up as an elderly woman. And it worked, until . . .

He was at a restaurant where his nanny persona and his actual father persona had to be there at the same time. There was a very comedic rush to transform back and forth into each persona.

It would be so difficult if not impossible to be ONE person in two things at the same time.

In the beginning of Colossians, we find this letter written to people who are two things at once. It reads, “To the Saints and faithful in Christ at Colossae.” (1:2)

Those who are reading this letter are 1. Saints and faithful and 2. In Colossae. The readers are in two places at the same time. In Christ and In Colossae.

What is the implication of this for us? We are also just like the people in Colossae. As believers, we are in Christ and in Springfield. Or in Christ and in Columbus. Or in Christ and in Cincinnati. You get the point right?

As believers we look to grow and mature in Christ while we also are where we live. Being in Christ means we represent Him where we live. This changes many things like how we talk, how we handle anger, how we present ourselves to others and even how we love.

Because we are IN two things at once. We do this to live for His glory alone.

Have a great day.

Bad Pie & Proverbs 14: MT episode 32

Around the age of 11 there was a moment when I was looking through our deep freezer. A frozen pie was found, and I was in the mood for pie.

My mother assured me that I would not like the pie, but I could not imagine any pie that I would not enjoy. A respectful argument ensued and oddly, she said, “Ok, I will make the pie.”

This pie was not microwaveable. It had to be heated in the oven so in about an hour the pie was ready.

Mom was correct. This pie was absolutely awful!

How could something with the word PIE in it taste bad? It was minced meat pie. To this day, I still do not know the ingredients for minced meat pie but based upon that experience I don’t really care to know.

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.”

This is a strong warning. The writer of Proverbs is making the point that there are times when we may perceive something as right, good, great, fun but in reality, it is not any of those things.

Just like I saw the pie box in the freezer. It said pie. I love pie. I desired something sweet. The picture on the box showed a pie. It was a circle like a pie. I desired that pie.

My heart desired the pie but in the end it was horrible. I had no idea of its ingredients.

In the same way, the world is so appealing. Just like the picture of the pie on the box was appealing the world appeals to our flesh but in the end, what is delivered is not what we expect.

My hope today is that any who are younger, please listen to those who are older who may have a helpful word. Any who are struggling with a matter which is at odds with what Scripture teaches, please do not ignore the Spirit’s leading.

Be cautious. Be aware of the things this fallen flesh desires. Keep the in mind. Pray for wisdom and discernment and God will aid and assist you in avoiding disheartening disappointments in your Christian growth.

S.D.G.