Pressing On

with THE WORD

A study of the Scriptures to discover who God is, what He is like, and how to partner with Him now.

Filtering by Category: 2 Timothy,1 John

When is a bible not a Bible?

My freshman year of college, I joined a fraternity.  At my pledge class’s first meeting, an upperclassman, who was our trainer/teacher, handed out a copy of the fraternity’s manual and said, “This is your Bible.  Study it.  Know what it says.  You will be tested on this.

Although there was an underlying ribbon of humor in his statement (he was Jewish and self-proclaimed “not a Christian”), we understood what he meant – this manual was going to have a significant influence in our lives.  We needed to not only read it, but understand it.  We would be expected to be able to recite the history it contained and know the motives behind our fraternity’s founding.  Parts of it were going to be memorized.  Understanding and applying the fraternity’s ideals would then influence how we, as representatives of the fraternity, would relate to each other and how we would treat other people.

At the time, his use of the word “bible” struck me, because I had grown up going to church and had never heard anything other than “The Bible” be referred to as “a bible.”  But, like I said, we all understood exactly what he meant. 

It seems that most people think the same way.  Or, at least, many authors think that people readily understand this kind of reference.  With a simple internet search for “The ________ Bible,” I found all sorts of books that have nothing to do with the Scriptures:

The Food Bible
The Triathlete’s Training Bible
The Shooter’s Bible
The Pro Football Handicapping Bible
The Sewing Bible
The Photography Bible
The Gaming Bible
The Computer Programming Bible

I’m sure if you tried the same search, you’d find all sorts of interesting “bibles”.  Whatever the topic, the author wants to convey a simple message: THIS BOOK is the authority on THIS TOPIC. 

When we go looking for information on food or sewing or photography, we’re drawn to this kind of title.  Isn’t it a little strange that we treat all these other books and their authors as instant authorities, but we don’t necessarily give the same emphasis to the Bible?

Let’s be honest – the Bible contains all sorts of claims, that if they are true, then the Bible deserves every sort of respect and priority the word “bible” has come to mean in our society.  Here are a few:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

In one verse, the Bible claims that in order to live life correctly and be best equipped to do good things – then we should be turning to it because it contains the words of God Himself.  That’s an incredible claim, and borderline absurd…unless it is true.

We also have to consider that the Bible’s central person, Jesus, makes an even more fantastical claim:

John 14:6-7
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you know Me, you will also know My Father.  From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

So many big claims here, in just four sentences.  Jesus states that He is the only way to reach God, and then takes it one step further and claims that God is His Father.  On top of that, Jesus declares that He is God’s representation to us.  These statements are absolutely bonkers…unless they are true.

And if the claims the Bible makes and the claims that Jesus makes are, in fact, true…then we should be treating the Bible with the same priority and authority that modern authors expect us to treat their “bible” books.

The Bible should have a significant influence in our lives.  We need to not only read it, but understand it.  We should know the history it contains and know the motives behind God’s plan for human history.  Parts of it should be memorized.  Understanding and applying God’s ideals will then influence how we, as representatives of God’s family, will relate to each other and how we will treat other people.

We also find this promise in James’ letter to believers:

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

Search for God in the Bible, and He will meet you there.  Not sure where to start?  When in doubt, go to the gospel of John.  Read one chapter a day, for 21 days.  Look for who Jesus is, what He says, and what He does.  Other good starting point options are Philippians and Colossians.  These are short letters that contain a lot of applicable truth.

So, when is a bible not a Bible?  When we don’t give it the priority it deserves.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

He believed in me

From 2006 to 2009, I was in a musical production put on by my church.  It was an annual play performance which focused on Jesus’ last week, leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection.  It was simply called “The Passion”, and it had been performed for many years.  For the years I was involved, I had the part of Judas.  I had a few speaking lines, and (thankfully) no singing parts.

By the time 2009 came, I was an established cast member, and I looked forward to the start of “Passion Season” which began with rehearsals in mid-January and ended with the last performance on Palm Sunday.  However, unbeknownst to me, this year was going to be different…and much harder.

About a week before our first rehearsal, I was playing a pickup game of basketball.  I had a step on my defender as I cut across the lane – but I felt a sudden pop in my right calf, almost as if part of the muscle had “unplugged” for a moment and went back in.  I went down like someone had shot me.  I got back up, but soon realized that I couldn’t put any weight on my right leg, with the pain and nausea quickly increasing.  A trip to a Quick Care facility and a visit with a Sports Doc a few days later revealed that I had three partial tears in my right Achilles and a small tear in my calf.  If my calf hadn’t torn, it’s likely that I would have had a complete Achilles tear.

Since all three tears were less than 50% across the tendon, surgery was not required.  Instead, I had to use crutches and a walking boot while attending a lot of physical therapy.  When I told “The Passion” director about my injury, he asked if I would be ready to go by performance week.  I assured him that I would be able to perform my part as I had in years past.

As the months went on, I hobbled around the stage in my walking boot, trying my best to work out the blocking and timing of the performance along with my fellow actors.  Physical therapy was exhausting, but I was making progress.  My therapists knew the importance of my part in the play and did everything they could to get me ready, including special pre-performance PT sessions that were akin to an athlete getting specialized treatment before a big game.  All of the showings went very well that year – with over 10,000 people attending altogether.  I still had a little tightness in my right leg, but I was able to manage it in a way that no one would have suspected that I had sustained a serious injury just a few months prior.

During the cast party, I asked the director: “Hey Dave.  I’m just curious, but what was your Plan B if I wasn’t able to rehab in time?”  We had never discussed me having an understudy, so I was trying to figure out who he would have tapped at the last minute if I had a setback or a reinjury.  His answer shocked me:

“I didn’t have a Plan B.  I believed you when you told me that you’d be ready.”

You could have knocked me out of the chair with a feather.  He took the word of a guy on crutches that in three-ish months, I would show up and play a principle character’s part for 10,000+ people to see the most important story ever told.  And he did so without a net.  No understudy.  No backup plan.  Think about the risk he took!  Think about the trust he had in me to fulfill my word!

Dave believed in me. 

This is a perfect example of what Jesus expects from us in order to join His family.  Jesus promises eternal life to those who believe in Him for it.  There are no other conditions.  Not repentance, not turning from sin, not confession, not promising to “do good deeds” or “go to church” or “give money to the needy”.  Over and over again, we see Jesus offering eternal life to those who would believe in Him.  Here are a few examples:

Luke 8:11-12
This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.  The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

John 1:12
But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name

John 3:16
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 6:40, 47
For this is the will of My Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day…Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life.

Here are some additional examples with the apostles reiterating this same message:

Acts 11:17
[Peter speaking about the Gentiles:] If, then, God gave them the same gift that He also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?

Romans 3:22
The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction
[between Jews and Gentiles].

1 Timothy 1:16
But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

1 John 5:11-13
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  The one who has the Son has life.  The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

There are so many more examples I could have shared, but I think you can see the recurring theme: If we believe in Jesus for the eternal life He offers, He gives it to us.

Jesus is good for His promise.  We don’t need a “Plan B”.  There is no backup plan.  We can trust Him to fulfill His word.

Eternal life is available, all we have to do is believe in Jesus for it.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I hate the Happy Birthday song

Is there anything more deflating at a birthday party than the actual singing of the Happy Birthday song? 

I don’t remember the last time I heard someone actually sing the song and sing it well.  Most of the time, “Happy Birthday” is performed as a group, completely off-key, with all the enthusiasm of a funeral dirge.  Go ahead and add your cha-cha-cha’s or silly second verse…but you won’t catch me singing along. 

But Ken…it’s TRADITION!
Well, sure…but that doesn’t mean it’s a GOOD tradition.

Before you call me too much of a party-pooper, here’s something that really takes the cake (…yes, pun intended): according to the CDC, singing “Happy Birthday” can be good for you.  Not because the song itself has any healthy, healing powers – but because the CDC wants you to wash your hands properly.

The CDC says you need to wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds.  Don’t want to count to 20?  Their suggestion is to sing “Happy Birthday”.  Twice.

For me, that’s just not going to happen.  I can barely tolerate the tune in its proper context, but to sing that song – TWICE – every time I wash my hands?  Nope, not happening.  Not a chance.

But if we’re going to make sure our hands are properly washed, we’ll need to come up with something better.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

Because I grew up in church, I’ve had multiple kids church songs burned into my brain.  One particular song was 1 John 4:7-8 set to music.  It takes about 25 seconds for me to sing through.  Now, I happened to learn it using the King James translation, so this is how it goes:

Beloved, let us love one another (love one another)
for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love (God is love)
Beloved, let us love one another. 1 John 4:7-8

Pretty good 25 second reminder that God is love, He loves us, and because of that, we should love each other.  If I remind myself of this every time I wash my hands, that’s several mental resets I’ve suddenly placed into my day – before I put my contacts in, when I use the restroom before my next meeting, when I wash my hands before a meal…when I sing this tune, God can use each one of those transition moments to reframe my thinking.

Don’t know a verse set to music?  No problem – just recite verses that you know.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

(repeat 3x to get the full 20 seconds)

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.  For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that so the world may be saved through Him.
(repeat 2x to get the full 20 seconds)

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.  For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.  So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

(repeat 1x to get the full 20 seconds)

Maybe you don’t know these verses from memory in order to say them while you wash your hands.  No worries!  Just recite what you can, and do it several times.  Trust me, a few days of you washing your hands and you’ll be surprised at how many verses you suddenly have memorized!

Lastly, feel free to take 20 seconds and talk to God.  Use your handwashing as a reminder of when you believed in Jesus for eternal life, He washed you clean from the eternal penalty of your sin (John 3:16).  Remember that as a child of God, He forgives us and cleans us from all wrong-doing when we confess our sins to Him (1 John 1:7, 9).  Ask Him to help you speak kindly during your next meeting.  Thank Him for available soap and running water.

There are many ways to fill 20 seconds of hand washing that are infinitely better than singing a tune that few people actually like.  It all depends on what you choose to fill the time with.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Help! I married my opposite.

At one point, I was very interested in personality traits and tendencies.  I read up on different personality assessments and took a number of assessment quizzes.  The results of one particular Myers-Briggs assessment included pairing of your personality type with others, so that you would know what type of person would be your “best friend”, “marriage material”, or “likely competition”.  Curious, I convinced my wife to take the test.

Three of her four traits were opposite mine…and I couldn’t find our pairing in any of their categories.  Not friend, not foe, not hiking buddy, not marriage partner, not even preferred acquaintance.  Finally, after bouncing around multiple pages on their website, I found their one-word description of a relationship between my set of four traits and her set of four traits: novelty.

According to the personality typing, she thinks I’m oddly intriguing.  I see her the same way.  “Opposites attract” – it’s a culturally accepted norm that all of us have plenty of experience with.  We certainly came from different families, and we’ve had our share of differences to work through over the years.  When you boil it all down…she’s an artist and I’m a nerd…and a prime example of our differences is in how we express and receive love. 

If you’re familiar with the Five Love Languages (Gift Giving, Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, and Physical Touch), you’ll probably empathize with what I’m about to say.  My love language is not the same as my wife’s love language…in fact, hers is probably my lowest ranking choice and mine is probably her lowest ranking choice.

I think I’m quite simple to love…after all, as an Acts of Service lover, just do something for me and I feel loved by you.  A clean home, laundry done, and dinner on the table makes me the happiest person on the planet.  Whereas my wife desires Physical Touch – hand held lovingly, hugs, cuddles, closeness.  Problem is…I’m not a touchy-feely person.  If you initiate a hug, I’ll reciprocate, but don’t expect me to go seeking one out.  On the flip-side, my wife’s clue that dishes are today’s priority is when we’ve run out of cups or skillets.

So we run into the constant problem: if I’m not reaching for her hand, giving hugs, etc. then she’s even less inclined to do something for me.  And if she’s not helping me out, I’m even less inclined to initiate loving contact with her.  It’s a vicious cycle, really.  It doesn’t start spiraling down out of spite or meanness…just the normal everyday busyness pulls us away from actively thinking about how the other person receives love.  When we’re distracted, we default to acting out in the way we want love to look like…I keep busy doing things around the house “for her” and she reaches for my hand “for him”…and those actions are easily misinterpreted. 

So, the question is…Who gives in first?  Who makes the first “loving move”?

When writing to the church in Ephesus, Paul spent the first two-thirds of the letter describing the relationship between Jesus and the church.  This relationship was previously a mystery (Ephesians 3:3-4), there is unity (4:4-6), there is diversity of gifts (4:11-13), and it results in a new way of living (4:17-5:21).  Paul wraps up his main discussion by giving the highest earthly example of the relationship between Jesus and the church – marriage. 

Ephesians 5:21-22, 25
Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.  Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her

To answer our question, it would be easy to quote the above verses and say “See!  We both should swallow our pride and selfishness.  We need to think of the other person first.”  And I understand that sentiment.  I see the verses above.  Who should make the first move?  Whichever of us is more mature and humble in the moment.

However…I can’t help but notice two things.

1.       When I read the entire marriage section in Paul’s letter (5:22-33), he talks a lot more about how us men need to love our wives than he does about wives loving their husbands.  Paul places the burden on us to love our wife just as much as we love and care for ourselves.

2.       If I look at the timeline of when the church loved Jesus vs when Jesus loved the church – I find that Jesus loved first.  And if I’m to love my wife just as Christ loved the church…again, Paul is placing the first-step responsibility on me.

Then, I am reminded of other verses like these:

1 John 4:19
We love because He first loved us.

Romans 5:8
But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus loved us before we could do anything to deserve it.  He loved us when we thought ourselves unlovable.  He continues to love us, even when we are unlovely. 

So, fellas…I have to break it to you: we are the ones who should move first and show our wife the love she needs in the way she needs it.  Even if you don’t understand why she likes the kind of love communication that she does.  Get her a little gift, run the vacuum, block out your schedule to do something with her, compliment her, or – as I need to do – take her hand and give her a hug without being asked to.

It’s not wrong if she beats you to the punch and speaks your love language first – just speak hers back.  Opposites do attract, but they stay together only when we’re intentional with how we show our love.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

For my son - The snooze button is a liar

My youngest son has officially finished high school and is getting ready to embark on the next phase of his life.  As I am nostalgically thinking of that time in my own life, I am also thinking of the things God has taught me since then.

This is the first post in a three-part series where I am remembering lessons I have learned later in life that I would love for my son know now...

I chose this post because, as an adult, he is now fully responsible for his choices in life.  The successes and failures of his time management will be his alone.  While there’s not a specifically required time of day to spend with God, first thing in the morning is often the best…provided we do not give in to repeatedly hitting the snooze button.

The snooze button is a liar
Originally posted on December 13, 2018 

A blaring alarm clock is not the thing you want to hear first thing in the morning.  The alarm tone is purposely loud and obnoxious so we are awakened from our slumber to start the day at the right time.  Even though we’re the ones who picked the time for the alarm, we still resent that the alarm is interrupting our sleep.

We’ve got a ton of things to do, and a schedule to keep if we want to do them well.  Yet, sitting deceptively close to the “Alarm Off” button is another button.  It is usually several times larger than the one to stop the alarm – the Snooze Button.

When the alarm is blaring, the main thing I care about is hitting the button to make it stop…but this other button makes an enticing offer: I could lay my groggy head back down on the pillow for an additional 9 minutes.  The Snooze Button invites me to give up “just a tiny fraction” of my morning so I can get that much more rest before starting my day.  I let it convince me that I will feel better and more active, if I could just get a few more minutes of sleep.

But let’s be honest: I rarely hit the Snooze Button only once.  And when I do eventually get up, the morning is super-rushed because I’m now pressed for time.  I barely have time to shower, dress, grab my work bag, and stuff some food in my face before running out the door, all of which could have been easily managed had I not pressed the Snooze Button.

But I’ve noticed two things – First, I am NOT more rested when I take the Snooze Button’s offer of additional sleep, broken up into 9 minute chunks.  If anything, I feel more tired and frazzled at the start of my day.  Secondly, whenever I “sleep in” the first item on my to-do list that gets dropped is my time reading God’s Word.

All throughout the Bible we see examples of God wanting to spend time with us, but what we also see is that God expects us to put in some effort and desire to be with Him.  Look at the three “IFs” Solomon gives his son, and what result will come if he actually follows through:

Proverbs 2:1-5
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding;
furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.

Why do we need to spend time in the Bible?  Paul reminded Timothy of the Scripture’s usefulness and effect on his life:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

One last example.  Peter is reminding his readers of their main source of food for spiritual growth:

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation

There are numerous other references and examples I could give, but I think you get the point.  God wants to meet with us, but we need to intentionally set aside time to do so.  Perhaps you need to take the small step I need to take: stop hitting the Snooze Button.  That button lies to us – we don’t get what it promises.  We end up starting our day rushed and feeling bad, while missing out on something much, much better.

Are you skeptical that God couldn’t use 9 minutes with Him to make a difference in your life?  I dare you to try it this next week and find out.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Prosper

Much like the word happy, the word prosper can be surprisingly divisive in Christian circles.  Some believers go so far as to say that if you’re not wealthy, you’re not doing “God’s Will” for your life.  Other believers, at the opposite end of the spectrum seem to begrudge those who are “too successful”.  Typically, we define success in monetary terms…but maybe God has a different definition.

For context:

Psalm 1:1-2
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked or
stand in the pathway with sinners or
sit in the company of mockers!

Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.

Notice when the psalmist inserts prosperity into the picture:

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams
that bears its fruit in its season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Whatever he does prospers…that is a huge promise!  But is that what it really means?  Whatever he does prospers…literally anything?

In context, this would be as he follows the way of the righteous…remember, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, so his endeavors and goals will be in accordance with that.  This doesn’t mean there is just one linear path for us to follow (i.e. – God wants me to have this specific job and marry this specific person and attend this specific school, and if I don’t…then I’m not in “God’s will”).  Instead, God’s instructions are principles for us to apply as we travel through life.  As we continue to apply His teachings, we are walking the path of the righteous and are rewarded with prosperity.

The Hebrew word for prospers (tsaleach) shows up 65 times in the Old Testament, so this is something God brought up regularly to the Israelites.  The word means to succeed, generally expressing the idea of a successful venture, as contrasted with failure.  The source of such success is God.

The same word is rendered as success in 2 Chronicles 26:5, when describing the best part of King Uzziah’s reign:

2 Chronicles 26:5
He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God.  During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

The same word also appeared as prosper in God’s direction to Joshua, as he was receiving instructions from God just prior to leading the Israelites into the Promised Land:

Joshua 1:8
This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it.  For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

Do you see the pattern showing up in each of the texts?

meditate on God’s word then do the work given then be prosperous

A godly, prosperous person isn’t a sinless person, they are not someone who does everything right.  Instead, it’s someone who is walking in the counsel of God…and that involves a variety of appropriate actions at appropriate times: confessing sins, serving, learning under sound teaching, putting into action the lessons we learn from God, loving others as we have been loved, and looking at life through God’s perspective.

So far in Psalm 1, we’re finding that the difference between a godly man and a wicked man is the constant input from the Word of God.  Time in God’s Word is their delight and focus – I’m not talking about a 5 minute devotional here – but a primary focus…soaking in the Word, allowing it to permeate his mind and change his actions (take a look at Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 for more examples)

So what is prosperity and success, then?  While the world defines those terms mainly in finances, in contrast, God is telling us that prosperity is something much greater.

The psalmist’s tree analogy defines success as well-timed fruitfulness: your life is producing good things for the people around you, you are achieving your true potential.  A fruit tree was made to produce fruit, because that is what it is designed to do – and if it’s not producing fruit, then it is missing out on what it was made to do.  And it’s the same with us, but as we have seen, fruitfulness only happens when the Word transforms us. (This is similar to the abiding theme we find in John 15 and the apostle’s discussion throughout 1 John)

In Psalm 1:3, we have a promise to claim: That God’s Word will sustain/grow me and there is happiness, delight, and prosperity in doing so.  However, our look at other Scriptures confirmed what we’ve seen in Psalm 1, that there is also a condition to meet in order to have this God-defined prosperity: Intentionally spend time in God’s Word, purposely meditate on it, and delight to do so…knowing that God can/will develop me in the way I was created to grow and mature.  And then I will find happiness and prosperity.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

How to see the good

There’s a lot of negative vying for our attention.  Election ads have been in our face for months.  Constant worries about the rapid swings in the stock market, the jobless claims reports, and individual company earnings.  Closer to home, we’ve all seen small businesses in our communities decide to close permanently – perhaps you’re one of them that had to make that painful choice.  And then there’s a pandemic to deal with.  2020 just seems to bring one hit after another.  No one has been left unaffected.  Families are struggling, churches are struggling, communities are struggling…leaders, governments, and nations – struggle, struggle, and struggle.

I’d say it feels a little overwhelming at times, but that wouldn’t be an honest statement.  Truthfully, it feels INCREDIBLY overwhelming A LOT of the time.  There’s so much negative and so much muck to wade through…where’s God while we’re in the midst of all this?

My church recently reopened for in-person services (with COVID protocols in place), and I was able to teach in the large group meeting for the elementary-age kids.  I’ve been doing it for years, and it was so good to be back with them again.  And it was in their lesson that I found the answer to our problem question of Where’s God in all this mess?

The verse their lesson focused on was one that most of us Christians would be familiar with.  Prepare yourself to not be shocked by which verse I’m about to quote.  It’s not taken from some obscure Old Testament passage.  There’s no deep-dive into the Greek words needed to figure out what Paul was saying.  God made this one easy for us…so easy, a child can apply it:

Philippians 4:8
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is lovely, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.

Yep, that’s it.  Class dismissed.

Well, not quite.

I couldn’t just leave them with a simple thought of you know, you should just think about the good stuff even when bad stuff is happening…so after I talked about this verse, I gave them a very simple way to apply it:

I pointed out how every month, our elementary kids program focuses on a memory verse.  I explained to them that if they want to apply what Paul is saying in Philippians 4:8, then they need to learn their memory verse.  I told them how when I was their age, because of my mom, I memorized verses too.  And many of the verses I learned when I was their size are still burned into my brain.

If I need a verse that reminds me of how much God loves me, I have that (John 3:16-17).  If I need to be reminded that God’s path is best, then I know that, too (Proverbs 3:5-6).  When the Holy Spirit needs to kick me in the rear and remind me that I’m supposed to intentionally love others, He brings to mind 1 John 4:7-8.

However, memorizing Scripture isn’t just a kid’s activity.  I’ve continued it well into my adult life.  I’ve added verses like Genesis 1:1, Proverbs 22:29, and 2 Corinthians 5:10.  I’ve also learned to quote several verses together so I can grab hold of a complete God-thought on a subject – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and I’m currently working a chunk of verses found in Philippians 1:20-30.  Right now, I’ve made through verse 27 and will add 28 soon.  I’ve also memorized Titus.  Not just a verse or passage, but all of it. 

Before you put me on a pedestal of any level, hear me out.  Titus isn’t very long, just 46 verses.  At the time I was working on it, I was driving over an hour, one-way, to work each day.  My radio was lousy.  Satellite radio and streaming music wasn’t a thing back then.  So spending time during each drive memorizing Scripture broke up the monotony of driving the same roads for 3+ years.  It took many months to get the entire book down, but it was time well spent.  Over the years, God has honored that investment in more ways that I can recount in this post.

Again, I do not admit these things to build myself up or to look good in your eyes.  Instead, I want you to realize that Scripture memorization is both possible and beneficial…just like I was conveying to the elementary-age kids (for the record, I didn’t tell them about Titus, just the first 3 verses I listed above).

Having Scripture at the front of our brain and the tip of our tongue will help us keep perspective in a world that constantly feels like everything is upside-down and spinning sideways.  Having Scripture handy helps us dwell on the good things that God has all around us.  And lastly, having Scripture memorized fulfills what Paul wrote to another group of believers:

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Memorizing Scripture will renew your mind and transform your thinking…only then, with clear thoughts, can we discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Yeah, it’s easier to memorize when you’re younger, but that’s no excuse not to start now.  Better yet, help a child memorize a verse and you’ll end up learning it, too.  Maybe you’ll be the one that inspires them to have God’s Word burned into their brain for the rest of their life.

Keep Pressing,
Ken  

The MVP - rocky soil

We’re looking into The parable of the sower.  It was this parable that Jesus referred to as the “key” to understanding all His parables (Mark 4:13).  As such, I’m calling it: The Most Valuable Parable – The MVP.  All three of the synoptic gospel writers included this parable.  It can be found in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15.  So far, we have looked at the sower and the soil of the path.  We’ve also observed that the word of God produced new life in the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil.  Now we’re taking a closer look at the rocky soil:

Let’s remind ourselves of the setting.  Farmers didn’t have fancy, fast machines to prepare the ground.  Oxen could pull a plow to turn over the soil, so the farmer would do what he could to break up the ground.  The ideal seed depth was 1-3 inches in favorable conditions, but that wasn’t always attainable.  Terrain was often rocky and uneven, sometimes with only a thin layer of top soil.  With scant amount of nutrients and depth, this type of soil presents less than ideal prospects for growth, let alone maturity.

As you read the text, focus on what happens to the seed in the rocky soil:

Luke 8:4-8, 11-13
As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, He said in a parable:

“A sower went out to sow his seed.  As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.  Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.”  As He said this, He called out, “Let anyone who as ears to hear listen.”

…“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.  The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.  And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy.  Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing. 

As we can see from the rocky soil, a believer can experience the initial joy of salvation…but then fizzle out when life gets hard and their beliefs go through a time of testing.  Jesus said that believers akin to rocky soil lack moisture and have no root.  Their growth has been stunted due to the limited room for resources in their lives.

A key word to look at is the Greek word Jesus uses here for fall awayaphistemi – which means to withdraw, to remove, or desert.  Rocky soil believers joyfully trust God for their eternal salvation, but when times get tough, they don’t trust God with their circumstances.  Their choice leaves them painfully withered; however, there’s no indication that God abandons them.  These believers do not lose their salvation, but they lack the life-giving relationship Christ offers for their current circumstances because they have not developed roots.

But that leave us to wonder…what happens to those believers who fall away?  Many commentators advocate that their “falling” means they either lost their salvation, or they take it as proof that they were not “real believers” in the first place.  However, I don’t think either explanation is accurate.

Later on, in the book of Acts, Luke uses aphistemi again.  And it’s when he uses it that provides us with an interesting example and explanation of Jesus’ use of the word in the parable.  Luke uses the word to describe John Mark’s abandoning of Paul and Barnabas (translated to English this time as deserted):

Acts 15:38
But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

John Mark had bailed on Paul’s first missionary journey at about the halfway point.  He abruptly left both the Apostle Paul and his cousin Barnabas, who was an influential member of the first century church.  The first part of their journey saw huge success in preaching Jesus to the island of Cyprus. Afterwards (and Scripture doesn’t say why), John Mark high-tailed it for home.  It’s interesting to note that Paul and Barnabas faced many trials during the second part of their missionary journey, which was the part John Mark avoided when left his companions in the lurch.  John Mark’s story fits the model that Jesus described for a rocky soil believer: when they hear, receive the word with joy.  Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.

However, John Mark’s falling away didn’t permanently banish him from fellowship with Paul, Barnabas, or the rest of the church.  There’s no indication anywhere in Scripture that other believers questioned John Mark’s salvation.  Instead, Paul considered John Mark unworthy of a later opportunity to partner with him, and Paul rejected John Mark’s inclusion in the mission trip.  Ultimately, it was John Mark’s previous desertion that left him disqualified from the next significant opportunity to serve God (Acts 15:36-41). 

However, the good news is that John Mark’s story does not end there.  After Paul’s rejection, Barnabas took John Mark under his wing and mentored him.  Over the years that followed, John Mark went on to do great things for God: he returned to Cyprus with Barnabas (Acts 15:39), many years later Paul calls him useful in the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11), and he also worked with the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:13).  During his time with Peter, John Mark collected Peter’s stories and teaching of Jesus’ time on earth – and we now refer to that collection as The Gospel of Mark.

Left to themselves, rocky soil believers will struggle mightily and not produce a fruitful life in Christ.  They need moisture and help to remove significant boulders from their life.  Purposeful mentoring is necessary for them to grow the roots needed so they can endure a time of testing

If you are a rocky soil believer, please find a mentor ASAP.  If you want to know what that looks like, I suggest reading a series of blog posts on Biblical mentoring I wrote beginning in February 2106.

If you are a mature believer, please be on the look out for rocky soil believers.  They need your help, more than they realize.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Everyone needs a Savior

Can you feel it?  The world is looking for a savior right now. 

Everything happening in the world – COVID19, racial injustice, riots, mental illness, emotional suffering, medical malpractice, economic uncertainty, cancer, insect plagues, political posturing and games, and on and on and on – add to that list our personal issues and burdens…we all ache for someone to step forward and FIX all that is seemingly broken beyond repair.

As we wrap up our study of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, we find something that can help us today:

John 4:39-42
Now many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days.  Many more believed because of what He said.  And they told the woman. “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

But what, exactly, do we mean by the word Savior?  The Greek word (soter) means savior, one who delivers from grave danger.  Note that in the New Testament, this always refers to God the Father and Jesus as the Savior of those who believe…saved from experiencing God’s righteous wrath, and saved to a proper relationship with God.  Sometimes the saving is from eternal consequences (like here in John 4), and other times the saving is from living under God’s wrath in the here and now because of willful sin in our lives.

But the Jews expected the Messiah to be their national savior.  For the Messiah to also be the Savior of the world would have been a foreign concept.  However, if Jesus is the Savior of the entire world, not just Savior of the Jews…this means that, through Him, the Samaritans could have what they have desired for many generations: they were finally included in God’s family.

Here’s an interesting observation from Dr. Constable:
The title “Savior of the world” is unique to John, occurring only in John 4:42 and 1 John 4:14 (cf John 1:29, 3:17).  John’s original readers would have been familiar with the title, because the Greeks and Romans gave it to several of their gods and emperors.  Nevertheless, Jesus was the true “Savior of the world”, whom these Samaritans recognized as such.  Jesus was “God in action”, saving the world.  This does not mean that everyone will experience eternal salvation, as the doctrine of universalism teaches, but that Jesus has made everyone savable, and that those who believe on Him obtain salvation.

For clarity, and because of what we’ve learned in our study of John 4, I would add after Dr. Constable’s last word salvation “and eternal life”. 

But did Jesus really atone (i.e. – pay) for the sins of the whole world?  Some people think that Jesus’ death on the cross only paid for the sins of believers, and that unbelievers were left out of the punishment that Jesus’ took on at the cross.  If that is what you have been taught, I suggest you consider these passages:

John 1:29
The next day John
[the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Jesus is the Savior of the world, not in the sense that everyone will be saved (the error-filled teaching of universalism) but that His light shines for all (John 1:9) and is available to all (John 12:32).  The light is not limited to the nation of Israel, but is for “every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9)

Because of Jesus, all of humanity no longer has a SIN problem anymore, we have a SON problem…i.e. – whose son are we?  Our need now is for eternal life…which only Jesus can give us.

And that’s what we’ve learned through the story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well.  He offered her – the societal outcast – living water and that with one drink, her belief in Him would become a wellspring of eternal life.  That same offer is available to Jews and non-Jews…everyone, including you.

Jesus truly is the Savior of the world.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

A Christian's wash cycle

The closing of Revelation contains these last words from Jesus:

Revelation 22:12-13
“Look, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to his work.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Christ is clearly not speaking of salvation from sins here, what He’s describing pertains to the reward for how a Christian has chosen to live life on earth.  Jesus then states what that choice looks like and what the future rewards could be:

Revelation 22:14
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.”

There’s quite a bit going on in that statement, so let’s break it down into pieces that we can evaluate and understand.

Blessed are those who wash their robes

To fully understand this phrase, we’ll need to once again look within the context of Revelation.

The phrase “wash their robes” appears within the book only one other time, when John is being instructed by one of the elders:

Revelation 7:14
Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

A few chapters later during the wedding feast of the Lamb, we are told this about the Bride:

Revelation 19:8
She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.  For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

Also helpful to our understanding is looking at the similar language Jesus used when He was dictating the letters to the believers at each of the seven churches in the beginning of the book:

To the church in Sardis, Jesus said:

Revelation 3:4-5
But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy.  In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes…

And to the church in Laodicea, Jesus said:

Revelation 3:18
I advise you to buy from Me…white clothes so that you may be dressed

All these references, taken together, give us a rich context to understand what Jesus meant during the final chapter:

The washing of the robes is something the believer does.
To have unsoiled, or white, clothes is representative of a believer’s godly actions.
The garments are a reward from Christ, and are “purchased” by the believer’s actions.

Other translations render the phrase Blessed are those who wash their robes as Blessed are those who do His commandments.  Now this makes sense and is relatable…the more I do His commandments, the more I act like Christ, and the more I rightly live a life that God rewards.

But how, exactly, are we to “wash” our robes?  How do we keep them from being soiled, or better yet, if we dirty our clothes, how do we clean them?

I’m certain that John would give us the same advice he gave to other believers:

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This is the washing cycle of our lives:

We do His commands, and when we fail, we ask God to forgive – and He does.  With all unrighteousness removed and our fellowship with Christ restored, we are empowered to do His commands once again.  And when we fail, we ask God to forgive – and He does.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Blessed are those who wash their robes

Keep Pressing,
Ken