Category: Monday Thursday

A Peculiar People: MT episode 17

On Monday’s episode I closed our time together noting that while it is great Christ that was born into this world, it is more important Christ be born in you.  Let’s consider this thought further and from a different angle.

“Jesus, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous for good works.”  Titus 2:14

I picked this passage because it uses the word “peculiar.”  As Kenneth Weust says, “Christians are the peculiar people of God.”

This is a word sometimes we use for people who are odd or strange.  I have definitely met some people who claim Christ and are strange but that is not what is meant here. 

The word here in the original language is a compound of two words, “around” and another word “to be”.  Mentally, picture a circle with a dot in the middle.

As the circle is around the dot, so God is around His people.  He has the dot all to himself.  These people are His own unique possession. Peculiar!

There are days when my obedience and pursuit of God, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would put at a 7 or 8.  Then there are those days or seasons, where things just are not going well.  I might put it at a negative 5.

God is the constant.  In speaking about the believer’s security, Jesus says, “My Father, who has given me (the sheep) is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28

Good seasons and bad, we are circled by the Father.  Keep that picture in your head and let it be and encouragement.  As a believer, we are God’s circled people. His possession.

So, the different angle is, this season, it is not only to have Jesus in us (Colossians 1:27) but also, us in Christ (Colossians 2:6).  What a beautiful gift!

S.D.G.

Be Being Filled: MT episode 16

My wife Tina really loves Christmas.  She does a terrific job decorating the house for each holiday, but Christmas gets the most attention.

This year a new tree was delivered in early October.  I happened to come into the room where she had opened the box and began putting it together.  I laughed.  She heard me and then began to make an excuse, “I had to see if all the parts were there.”

We both laughed together, and I said, “keep it up.  Let’s make a Halloween Tree out of it.”  (This might drive the fundamentalist Baptists crazy right?)  But up went the purple and orange lights and various items were hung around the tree. 

Then it was Thanksgiving.  (My fav. Holiday) But I suggested let’s keep it up all year around.  It can be a Valentine’s Day tree; it can be a St. Patty’s tree. It can be the fourth of July tree.  I loved my idea.  I don’t think we will be doing it though.

Ephesians 5:18 Scripture says, be filled with the Holy Spirit.  It is not a command, but it is an encouragement.  For the sake of time, I will refer to earlier episodes (Here are links to those episodes 1, 2, 3) where we looked at sanctification (both a onetime AND ongoing event).  This is an instance of both present and ongoing sanctification.

You can’t tell in the English; this is where the original language helps.  The word and the verb tense – we do not have an English equivalent.  The literal reading is, “Be, being filled with the Spirit.” 

Be filled, present AND being filled, ongoing.  The Spirit’s presence in our lives in what leads us to more holiness (Ezekiel 36:25-27).  For believers, the Spirit is always in us.

This time of year, our culture remembers Christ’s birth.  It is a date that Scripture does not supply, but I have no problem celebrating it.  It is the Apostle Paul who gives us this freedom.

But there is a lot of similarity of Tina’s year around Christmas tree and Ephesians 5:18. The important part of Christmas is not WHEN Jesus was born but THAT Jesus was born.  Even more important is that Jesus is born in you (2 Corinthians 13:5).  The constant state of Christ be, being in us.  Each day of the year. 

S-D-G

The Great Exchange: MT episode 14

Little over a year ago while driving down the interstate there was a suitcase on the side of the road. It had sat there for over a week, and I just had to investigate.

One of the very few treasures that made me chuckle was these gloves. These gloves made me go back in time, all the way back to college. We had intramural football. My buddies and I were average, maybe a little below average football player.

I knew what I needed to be great was a pair of gloves. Yes, these would make me much better. The cheapest I could find were around $70 which is way too much on a college budget. So, I kissed intramural football greatness goodbye.

That is the thought that made me laugh at myself. The gloves, NOW FREE, would have made no difference in my ability to catch the ball (unless I lathered on some stick ‘em). My best with the gloves is horrible.

Those gloves on the hands of Jerry Rice? Now you are talking. That would be perfect. It is not the gloves that make the receiver, it is the receiver who makes the gloves. I would need Jerry Rice hands, arms, legs and the gloves to be better. This is the exchange I need- his for mine. This is unrealistic and silly to consider.

How does this relate to Jesus? One of my favorite New Testament passages in 2 Corinthians 5:21. Martin Luther called this passage, “The Great Exchange.” Why?

“For our sake, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

For the believer an exchange took place. Christ is my righteousness. Christ is in my place. Christ took my sorrow and shame (and there was and is plenty of it) and gave me His perfect righteousness. This is the exchange. realistic change. Christ in my place. I will take that all day!

S.D.G.

From East to West: MT e13

There is not a thanksgiving celebrated that at some point in the day I do not think of my oldest sister.  Many decades ago, when I was about 4, our family was getting ready for the Thanksgiving Day traditional meal: turkey. 

My sister was cutting the pieces of the turkey with an electric knife and somehow cut the end off one of her fingers.  Of course, panic ensues and quick action to wrap the injury and off to the emergency room.

They were able to stitch the injury and in due time normal use of that digit was restored (except she never regained the ability to feel in the end of that finger.)

Through all these years, I can only remember once that we even talked about this incident.  Every year, I think of this at least one time through this day.

What is the lesson for us?

  1. Be careful with this electric knife today
  2. Psalm 103 speaks of God’s great love and compassion for His people.  It says, He does not deal with us according to our sins. 

Then it makes 2 comparisons:

  1. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love towards those who fear him
  2. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us.

Why did it say east from west and not north from south?  I have an idea: when you begin from the south pole and start going north you eventually reach the north pole.  If you keep traveling, you will at that point stop going north and begin to go south.

But if you start in London and go to NYC you are going east from the west.  If you were to continue traveling, even if you make it all the way back to London  you will still be going west. 

It means, your sins are forever removed.  They are cut from you.  Not attached to you.  The thing they were able to do with my sisters finger all those years ago cannot be done to the believer. 

For this we who are in Christ are to be the MOST thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving (be careful Y’all) SDG