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: Galatians,Deuteronomy

Revenge, a long time coming

Our oldest son has always been a fidgeter.  In his mind, anything can become a fidget toy…something to spin, twist, massage, or poke.  He’d wear out the battery cover on the remote control – open, closed, open, close.  Keys were for jingling and juggling.  Flashlights were for flickering.  Camera shutters were repeatedly opened and shut.  And let’s not forget one of his favorites – rolling up and down the windows in the car. 

I especially found the car window play to be rather annoying.  We’d be driving down the road, and then his window would randomly open, only to roll back up.  My quick fix would be to lock the windows from the driver’s door panel.  When I did that, he was instantly upset. 

“Why’d you lock my window?”

“Because you can’t play with it.”

“I’m not playing with it!  I just wanted to roll it down.”

“Not while we’re driving down the road.”

He’d sit and sulk until he got over it…at least, I thought he had gotten over it.  Let’s fast-forward 10 years.  He now has his learner’s permit.  I get in the passenger’s seat, and he slides into the driver’s seat.  After adjusting the car’s seat and mirrors, he reached over and pushed the button to lock the windows.  I’m quite certain there was a little smirk on his face when he did so.  At the very least, there was a sense of smugness now coming from the driver’s seat.

“Why’d you lock the windows?”

“Because I’m the driver and I get to now.”

“No, those can stay unlocked.”

“Why???  You always locked them on me!”

“I locked them so you wouldn’t play with the windows.  There’s no danger of the other people in the car doing that, so you don’t need to lock them now.”

“It’s not fair!”

Little did I know, he had held that grudge for 10+ years.  He felt slighted by someone in authority over him, and he nursed that pain without saying a word, waiting until the day that he, literally, sat in the driver’s seat.  He wanted revenge.  He wanted me to suffer the same way he had.  But when the day finally arrived – it didn’t play out the way he imagined all those years.

Throughout Scripture, multiple authors warn us about taking revenge:

1 Peter 3:8-9
Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Thessalonians 5:15
See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

Hebrews 10:30
For we know the one who has said,
“Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,”
and again,
“The Lord will judge His people.”

This last verse included a quote from the Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 32:35
[God speaking:] Vengeance and retribution belong to Me.  In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.

Jesus even said that the second greatest command is to “love your neighbor as yourself”, but did you know that Jesus’ statement is only the first part of the Old Testament command?  Here is the full verse:

Leviticus 19:18
Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself.

Desiring justice and hating wrongdoing are perfectly normal responses to what happens in our broken world.  The problem we encounter when we are wronged by members of our community is that we tend to “one up” the wrong that was done to us.  We want them to hurt at least as much as we have.  This is why God says to leave the punishment up to Him.  He knows all the angles of every person involved, and as such, His vengeance and retribution is perfectly just and balanced – something we cannot manage within ourselves.

Upon reflection, when we choose to love our neighbor as ourselves even going so far as to be compassionate and humble, we may even find – like my son did – that the grudge we hold is more of a “me-thing” and not so much that I was actually wronged.  We can easily slide toward grudges and wanting revenge when we don’t get our own way.  How much head-space and energy did my son needlessly spend while he waited for his chance at revenge?  Years-worth.  Don’t make the same mistake.  If the moment for revenge actually arrives…it won’t turn out like you’ve daydreamed.  Leave it for God to sort out.  He will do a much better job than you ever could.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I don't think God is working

Some days when you’re parenting young children, nothing can prepare you for what you encounter.

I had just reminded my early grade school-aged son that he needed to go take care of his chores, and his face twisted up in anger.  He didn’t want anything to do with the responsibility we had laid on him.  Doing his best to form his rage into words, he spat out at me, “Why don’t YOU do some chores around here?  Why do my brother and I have to clean everything? You don’t do anything around here.  All you do is go to ‘work’ every day.

If I hadn’t been so irritated by the indignant tone he used to justify his outburst, I might have laughed out loud at his ignorance.  But in that moment, my blood jumped immediately to a boil.  Fortunately, my wife stepped in and sent our son off to do the task he had been given.  I was both dumbfounded and aggravated that he would cast off the efforts of my career as being beneath the “slaving away” he was expected to do by sweeping the floors, or vacuuming the carpet, or cleaning a bathroom.

Since he didn’t hear from me while I was at work, he must’ve imagined “going to work” to be the same as going on a playdate in the park or seeing a movie.  My wife and I agreed that he really had no idea what I did each day after I left the house.  He didn’t understand the responsibilities I shouldered, or the reasons why I made the career choices I had.  In his anger, he also had forgotten all the other things I did take care of around the house: the landscaping, the maintenance, the repairs, and yes, even some cleaning chores.

But man, the gall was real.  He just didn’t see it.  And due to his ignorance, he imagined that the tasks placed on him were unfair and that his situation was amiss.  To top it all off, the one person he knew who could change his circumstances was the very one who put him there in the first place – and that guy obviously had no interest in helping him out of his sorry lot!

Looking back on the Christmas story, I think the Jewish nation probably felt a lot like my son did.  Even though God had brought the nation back from exile, times had not been easy.  Many nations opposed them reforming as a nation and even more so when they rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem.  The Greeks came in and conquered the land, which then led to many revolt attempts, political turmoil, and ultimately the Romans came in as their new occupiers.

They knew the Messiah was coming…but they weren’t seeing any signs of it actually happening.  It had been 400 years since God sent a prophet to the nation, and since that time – complete radio silence.  Not one word from God.  No encouragement or prophecy to rally the nation.  And the last thing they heard generations ago from that last prophet went like this:

Malachi 4:4-6
Remember the instruction of Moses my servant, the statues and ordinances I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.  Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.  Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.

The last thing God told them was to keep doing what He had already told them to do…and then God said nothing.  After 400 years of silence, it would have been easy for them to yell at God: “Why don’t you do something about the state of the world?  Why are we the ones left trying to clean it all up?  You’re not doing anything of value, God.  Your ‘work’ isn’t helping us at all!

But as we look back at the first century, God was working, even if it was in a way the Jews couldn’t see or couldn’t understand as they went about their daily lives.  The wars and the political upheaval brought about several changes to the world that helped rapidly spread Christianity in the first century.  The Greeks brought a common language to the known world.  The Roman rulership brought a relatively consistent peace in the land, as well as roads and civilization developments.  Just these three changes meant that the news about the life, death, and resurrection of an obscure Jewish teacher could quickly spread throughout the known world as believers could safely move along the well-traveled roads from different regions and connect with new people through their shared language. 

If I’m honest, the same thoughts can take hold in my mind when I don’t see God “working” in my life the way I think He should.  It’s hard to remember that God is looking at things from a much higher vantage point than we are.  Just like my son, it’s easy to get tunnel-visioned on our tasks and assume that we unfairly have to handle the brunt of everything.

In a few days, it’ll be Christmas.  We celebrate together and remember the birth of Jesus, and the Apostle Paul describe the event this way:

Galatians 4:4
When the time came to completion, God sent His Son…

The timing of Jesus’ arrival wasn’t random or on accident.  God sent Him at just the right time, when all His prep work had finally come to completion.  He does the same for our lives, as well.  Perhaps you think God isn’t moving fast enough…well, maybe he’s got some other work to do first.  Fortunately, God handles our frustration-filled outbursts better than I did with my son.  When we begin to feel that anxious anger because God hasn’t done what we wanted Him to do, we can cool down a bit as we remember how Christmas is the best example of God’s timing being the “best timing” and God’s work being the “best work” for us. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

It was just a simple wave

We don’t have a fenced-in yard, so for our dog to get his energy out, we need to walk him twice a day.  We don’t mind doing so, because it gets us out of the house and moving, too.  Our neighborhood doesn’t have any sidewalks, but it’s safe enough to walk along the outer edge of the street.  Generally speaking, when cars approach us, they slow down and give us space…but there have been times when people are going too fast and not paying close attention, and I get a little nervous about potentially jumping up into someone’s yard to avoid being hit.

So about a year ago, I came up with a simple step to help the drivers notice us as we walk along the road – as they got close, I’d raise my hand and give a little wave.  Honestly, my initial thought was that the movement would help them see us and give a little extra room, as if my wave was saying “hey…we’re walking here…please don’t hit us!” I typically mouth the words “Thank you” as they pass by, because, well…I appreciate not being hit.

But after a while, something unexpected happened – people started waving back.  And now it’s kinda become a thing.  We smile and wave at the cars that pass by…and I can see a lot of people smiling and waving back, especially kids and passengers.  There’s a pond near our home with a short walking path around it, and there have been times when people in cars would spot us on the pond path and still wave at us, even though we weren’t on the road.  Which means…if you think about it…they’re actively looking for us, and they’re happy to see us.

I don’t think I’m over-stating or embellishing to say that our waving has made an impact for some people.  I can see the look on their faces when they wave at us – maybe we’re the only friendly face they saw today, maybe they find it comforting to know that they always get a smile and wave from us, or maybe they haven’t heard someone tell them “Thank you” in a while. 

While the vast majority of the New Testament was written to believers, telling them how to live in light of their new identity in Christ, many of the authors also addressed how we should act toward those who are not Christians.  Here are just two examples from the Apostle Paul’s writings:

Galatians 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Colossians 4:5-6
Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.

Whatever good our neighbors are receiving from us while we walk, we’re happy to keep giving it.  We have met a number of people in our neighborhood simply because of our dog.  He’s super friendly and an easy connection point to help bridge the conversation gap between strangers. 

As we go about the busyness of our day – gotta go to work, gotta run the errands, gotta walk the dog – let’s not get so hyper-focused on our own agenda that we forget to do work for the good of all around us and make the most of our time.  Doing good work doesn’t have to be some massive community project, it can be a simple “Thank you” and a smile.  People are desperate for warmth in this cold world, so let’s be the ones to show them the warmth that comes from the Light of the World that lives inside us.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I called Jesus' disciples schmucks. That wasn't well received.

During a conversation about Jesus, His ministry, and His disciples with a Mormon missionary, I made an off-hand, but accurate, statement:

Jesus’ disciples weren’t perfect.  They had their flaws, just like we do.  Let’s be honest, they were schmucks before meeting Jesus.

His body stiffened, he sat up straight, and I could tell he was trying to choose his next words carefully.  Through clenched teeth, he seethed, “These men, these ‘schmucks’ as you call them, were holy men of God.  I don’t appreciate you talking about them like that.” 

While I recognized his desire to be respectful of biblical figures, he had been talking about the disciples as if they were somehow god-like themselves.  So obviously, my labeling of them as schmucks struck a nerve.

In case you’re not familiar with the term, schmuck is a belittling or derogatory term that can range in meaning from stupid/foolish to obnoxious/detestable.

I then pointed out that none of the disciples were in positions of power when they met Jesus and began to follow Him.  They were regular guys with low-level jobs they were expected to work the rest of their lives.  They were fishermen, tax collectors, failed insurrectionists…and all of them were well past the age when a rabbi would have chosen them to be a disciple.  They were passed over by the elites because they weren’t good enough – they didn’t have the aptitude or the ability expected of those who would become part of the religious and political leadership of the nation.  The disciples were the cast-offs, the b-team, the overlooked, and the ignored.

But when Jesus chose them to be His disciples, they didn’t instantly become perfect, either.  All throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see them being selfish and self-promoting, even amongst themselves.  They failed to be like Jesus, many times over.  They fought over who would be the greatest among them (Mark 9:33-34, Luke 22:24), had family petition for their rank in Jesus’ Kingdom (Mark 10:35-41), they didn’t believe Jesus could keep them safe (Matthew 8:26, 14:31), they couldn’t heal a sick child (Mark 17:16), they ran away and deserted Jesus when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56), and although Peter literally swore that he didn’t even know Jesus (Mark 14:71), the other disciples were too busy hiding so they wouldn’t be confronted at all (John 20:19).

Even after Jesus returned to Heaven and the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they still weren’t perfect.  Jesus had to correct Peter on which people groups were allowed to hear the gospel (Acts 10:9-16).  Later still, Peter succumbed to peer pressure and hypocritically began to follow the Mosaic Law again, separating himself from non-Jews…and he was rebuked by Paul for it (Galatians 2:11-14).

All-in-all…that’s pretty schmucky.

But schmucky people are the ones that God often calls to do great things for Him.  In fact, Paul reminded the believers in Corinth of this very fact:

1 Corinthians 1:26-28
Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.  Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.  God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something

A few members in the Corinthian church may have been considered “wise” or “powerful” or “noble” – but most weren’t.  God accepts everyone who believes in Jesus for eternal life, but He often elevates the lowly in ways that might not be expected.  But why would He do that?  Continuing with Paul’s letter, we find out:

1 Corinthians 1:29-31
so that no one may boast in His presence.  It is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us – our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption – in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

God doesn’t elevate individuals so other people can marvel at how great a person the individual is…rather He elevates the lowly schmucks so that other people can see how great God is and what His power can accomplish. 

I think our lesson here is two-fold:

1.       Don’t put anyone – not even one of the original disciples – on a pedestal.  We’re all sinners saved by God’s gracious gift of Jesus.
2.       When God elevates you, don’t point to yourself (even if other people do)…instead, point them to God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

10 years of writing THE WORD

That title makes me pause a bit.  On the one hand, it doesn’t seem like I took up this mantel from my mentor all that long ago…but, on the other hand, it feels like I’ve been writing this blog for so long, that I can’t remember not writing it…

As I reflect on these last 10 years of blogging at least once a week, a few things come to mind:

·       This wasn’t planned.  My mentor, Joe, had started a daily email for a handful of people in 2009.  I was fortunate enough to be included in that handful.  There were times over the years that my faith was hanging by a thread, and that thread was Joe’s daily email.  Starting in 2011, I would occasionally guest write for him, when he needed a break or had family in town…and that had been the case in June of 2013.  I had just finished a series and had handed THE WORD back to him…but then Joe fell and broke his hip.  On July 1, 2013, I stepped into the gap that Joe had manned for so long and took up THE WORD full time.

·       There are so many recipients who read THE WORD every week that I have never met.  Thank you for sticking with me and walking with me as I write to process and write to share what God is teaching me.  I occasionally get replies or second-hand stories of how my contribution has impacted someone’s life or their view of God.  Your stories both humble me and inspire me to keep going.

·       Knowing that you read THE WORD has kept me in the Scriptures.  Believe it or not…I can get lazy.  Having responsibility keeps me from drifting in that direction.  I know God is fully aware of this tendency of mine, and I firmly believe that He gave me this ministry because of it.  If it wasn’t for this assignment and you all reading it, I don’t know how consistently I would have been in the Scriptures over the last 10 years.  I don’t write because I am a “strong Christian”, instead I continue to write because I am too weak of a Christ-follower to go without it.

·       This blog doesn’t always come easy.  Sometimes I can quickly translate what I’ve learned into something readable.  Other times, crafting thoughts into digestible paragraphs takes more energy than I want to give (to be honest…sometimes just finishing has been more instructive to me in that moment than the actual blog post).  And as much as I would like to “get ahead” and have a few posts in queue while I work on the next series, I am almost always writing in the days before a post is published.  This work has given me great sympathies for pastors who preach week-in-and-week-out.  We should show them more appreciation for the effort they put into building up Christ’s body.

·       Since 2014, THE WORD has been available at www.trustingson.com. I didn’t realize it when I started it, but it has been wonderful having this library of what God has taught me!  I can search up any topic or verse and see where I’ve been…please use the search feature there for any life topic or Bible passage you have a question about!

10 years is a long time, and we’ve walked through a lot of Scripture together, but I don’t feel like God’s done teaching me yet – so that means there will be more to share.  I do think there will be some changes, though.  For one, the website needs a refreshed look.  It’s been the same layout since 2014, so it’s time for an update.  I’ll let you know when it’s ready.  Second, I think something else, in addition to the blog, is on the horizon.  Maybe a podcast, maybe a book, maybe something else…we’ll see where God leads (if you have a suggestion, I’m all ears)!  Lastly, I want to share a passage that has kept me inspired and motivated over the years:

Galatians 6:6-10
Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher.  Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked.  For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.  Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Our applications from this passage:

·       If you have learned or applied anything from reading THE WORD, please share it with me.  I love hearing from you.  Feel free to share with others and encourage them to sign up as well, at www.trustingson.com/subscribe.

·       God rewards our work, known as the “law of sowing and reaping”.  But notice that the reward for sowing has two components: it comes at the proper time…and…if we don’t give up.  Let’s keep on keeping on with what God has asked us to do, even if we don’t see the immediate benefit.  God is good for His promises.

·       Let’s intentionally work for the good of all, believers and non-believers alike.  But make sure you are especially kind to your brothers and sisters in Christ.  After all, we’re going to spend eternity together…may as well get those relationships right in the here-and-now!

Over the next two weeks, I’m going to share the TOP 10 Blog Posts from the last 10 years which have been most impactful for me.  I’m looking forward to unpacking those for you.  But no matter where God takes this blog or when He takes me home, please know that I truly appreciate you joining me, for however long we’ve been walking together.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Proverbial life: dangerous infidelity

We’re taking a topic-focused tour of the book of Proverbs.  Although Solomon was commenting on life roughly 3000 years ago, his observations ring loud and clear in today’s modern times.  In this blog post, we’ll be looking at a topic that we’ve all been directly or indirectly impacted by: infidelity.

When God gave Moses the 10 Commandments, the 7th stated “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) – or, as the KBC version (i.e. – according to me) states: Don’t screw around on your spouse, and if you’re single, that includes your future spouse. 

For many years, I’ve held the following position: If the entire world, regardless of their standing before God, could just follow the 7th commandment…then half the world’s problems would go away, and the other half would be significantly easier to deal with.

That’s how impactful infidelity has been to our world.  And, not surprisingly, when Solomon wanted to write down wisdom for his son, he talked many times on this subject.  We’re going to look at two of those times.  However, before we get into Solomon’s warnings, let’s start with one of his positive declarations:

Proverbs 18:22
A man who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.

God designed marriage as a good thing, a special relationship where a man and a woman can connect and grow.  Here in this proverb, Solomon reveals a great promise – that also within this unique relationship, we can obtain favor from the Lord.  The Lord’s favor, blessing, or protection on our physical lives is not a guarantee.  In fact, in Scripture we see that God’s favor, blessing, or protection are often conditional upon how we are living our lives.  Whenever we come across a promise of how to obtain favor, we would do well to pay attention.

That said, Solomon’s son does need to be warned about the dangers of breaking his marriage covenant:

Proverbs 22:14
The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.

Flirtatious words, ego-raising compliments, and promises of desire all sound good, but Solomon’s son needs to know that when these words come from a woman who is not his wife, he is in danger of falling into a deep pit.  In Jewish thinking, you are either blessed or cursed by God; and, as we stated earlier, these two options are often dependent upon a person’s life choices (e.g. – Deuteronomy 28).  If Solomon’s son isn’t walking with the Lord, he will be more susceptible to falling into this trap of the forbidden woman.

A second warning Solomon gives his son is also beneficial for us to review:

Proverbs 23:26-28
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
For the prostitute is a deep pit, and a wayward woman is a narrow well;
indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber
and increases the number of unfaithful people.

A number of years ago – in the pre-smart phone days – I was traveling by myself to visit family in Nevada.  I was reading a book while waiting for my flight to Las Vegas, when two women sat down directly behind me and started a loud conversation.  Although my back was to them, given the tone of their voices and the phrases they used, I guessed they were both in their early to mid-twenties.  One of them had never been to Las Vegas, and the other had been there many times.  The more experienced one began coaching up her friend about all the ways to get guys to buy them drinks, take them out to eat, and get into exclusive parties.  She explained how to dress sexy, which ways to flirt, and how to toy with a guy’s affections throughout the night in order to exploit him for as much as she could.  Her friend was shocked that it would be “so easy”, but the experienced woman assured her that she was about to have a fun weekend with everything she wanted essentially paid for by other men.

After a little while, I grabbed my bag to go get some food.  As I walked back to my terminal and to the seat I was in before, I was able to see both women for the first time.  I had guessed correctly at their ages, and they were very attractive, especially the one who had been to Las Vegas before.  Based on their looks and their discussed tactics, I knew their plans would succeed.  They were about to manipulate their way into just about anything they wanted.

Solomon warned his son that these type of women were a trap, just like a deep pit or a narrow well.  They were setting an ambush like a robber, and they were about to fleece any man who would take the bait. 

As a father of two young men, this is a bit scary to think about…that they could become trapped and exploited by a woman that has zero interest in them or their well-being.  Warning them is a good place to start, but Solomon also showed how to provide maximum support to his son.  He gave himself as the example:

Proverbs 23:26
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

To paraphrase what we’ve read so far: If your ears are full of the forbidden woman’s words and your eyes are blinded by her beauty, look to me as your example and I’ll set you right.

A mentor can be a lifeline when a man is walking toward or even caught in a trap.  Us guys need to be a resource for each other in order to keep our minds focused and our marriages pure. 

On the one hand, this is great advice from Solomon.  On the other hand, we must acknowledge that this advice is coming from someone who had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines, and Scripture says they turned Solomon’s heart away from God (1 Kings 11:3).  However, no matter how you look at it, Solomon is still an example to his son.  His words, if followed, tell how to obtain favor from the Lord, whereas observing his life shows us the dangers of what happens when we make the unwise choice.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

It's ok to write on the walls

It’s around preschool age when a child starts to develop the finger dexterity to hold a pencil steady and is able to make the lines and curves that represent our spoken words.  Moving from individual letters and sounds, at some point it mentally clicks for them – there is a particular combination of these letters that make up “my name”, and my brother’s “name”, and the dog’s “name”, etc. 

Shortly after learning these combinations, our oldest began to fill pages with letters and drawings.  However, he wasn’t always good at keeping his practice space to just a piece of paper.  One day I went upstairs to the boys’ room, and on the wall next to the doorframe was our youngest son’s name, written in blue crayon.  Curious, I asked our oldest if this was his handiwork…because he knew that he was not allowed to write on the walls.  He insisted that the perpetrator was his younger brother – obviously, because that’s whose name was on the wall.  The problem with his sound 5 year old logic was that his younger brother was still toddling around at point, and he was far from ready to write out anything, let alone his own name.

What’s crazy to think is that God once specifically told the Israelites to write on their walls.  However, what they were to write was more important than simply their brother’s name:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.  Repeat them to your children.  Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

Thinking about God’s words, talking about them with others, and having them visually available would help keep their relationship with God in the forefront of their minds.  It’s hard to love God if you’re not thinking about Him.  You can’t have a relationship with Him if He’s not a part of your day.

I love how practical these directions are.  To be honest, Moses could have stopped much earlier and simply said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.  That direction is potent, and we could talk for hours about how to make sure this is the focus of our lives.  However, Moses emphasizes how important these directions are by giving a detailed list of examples for the Israelites.

God’s words are to be passed down to your children.  Talk about God’s words when you’re at home and when your out and about.  They should be visible in your actions and potent in your thoughts.

The most interesting part of the section is the last verse: Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

One of my favorite ministries, Chestnut Mountain Ranch in Morgantown, WV, has a tradition when constructing a new building.  The workers and volunteers who help with construction write Bible verses and prayers on the wooden frame of each building.  This is a way for them to acknowledge the work God is going to do in the boys’ home they are constructing.  They pray for everyone who will use that space to make a generational impact.  You can see an example of this in the pictures at the bottom of this page.

One last observation: the doorposts and the city gates are rather specific locations for Moses to call out.  It doesn’t prevent them from putting up God’s words on other parts of their homes or in their community, but why these two places?  I think these are the best place to have God’s words visible to His people – because the doorposts and city gates are their transition points during each day.  When you leave your home and when you return back to your family, there are God’s words waiting for you.  When you leave your community to head out in to the world and upon your return – God’s words are there to ground you and remind you whose you are.

Transition points in our day are ripe with opportunity to reset our minds on what is most important.  Rather than move from Point A to Point B or from Task 4 to Task 5, here are some practical ways we can remember God’s words and reset our minds during the day:

·       I recently heard someone say that when they would drive to various meetings with clients, they would spend their drive time talking to God about the next meeting. 
·       To choose a strong password for your accounts, select a Bible verse (e.g. – Philippians2:14) and say it out loud when you log in.  If your work requires that you update your password every 90 days, then next time change it to Philippians2:15 and say both verses together.  And yes, it’s ok to look at the verse to help you memorize it…but after saying the verse for 90 days, trust me, you won’t need any help – you’ll have God’s word in your heart.  I have memorized chunks of Scripture using this method.
·       We use elevators to take us to specific places and people.  So when you ride one, tell God thank you for all the places He’s taken you in life and for the people He has introduced you to.  Name the places and the people you are thankful for.
·       Hang a Bible verse near your door, or even take my son’s approach and write it on the wall.  Find a verse that reminds you of who you are in Jesus and how much He loves you.

Search your day for transition points.  Change one of them.  This reminder will strengthen your relationship with God and help you love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The try-hard Christian

You may or may not have heard of someone being called a  “try-hard”, but I bet you know exactly what I mean.  When our boys were teens, they would almost reluctantly use the phrase to describe classmate that was overtly trying to fit into a particular group or look a certain way.  Oftentimes, the boys would follow up a “try-hard” description with a sigh and say, “I wish they would just relax and be who they really are.”

Unfortunately, I think there are a lot of try-hard Christians.  And if we’re honest, we’ve played the part, too.  We learn the Christian-ese, churchy lingo…we put on our Sunday best and our best Sunday smiley face…never show where we’re struggling…never admit that we have doubts about ourselves, our marriages, or even about God…

You may have been surprised in last week’s blog.  In it, I said the reason I was a jerk to my coworker was not because I needed to work harder at behaving “as a Christian should”.  Maybe you expected me to say that to fix my poor behavior, my next step would be to try harder to “do the right thing” the next time I wanted to sharply correct someone.  Instead, the root cause of my jerkishness was because I had forgotten my identity in Christ, and instead I acted out of my own selfishness.

The New Testament authors routinely refer to our selfishness (or self-centeredness) as “the flesh”, especially when in contrast to “the spiritual” life that God imparts to us when we believe in Jesus for eternal life.  And yet…when we try to live out what we expect life as a Christ-follower to be, we grit our teeth, try hard to gut it out, and forcefully course-correct our self-centeredness.

This is a common approach to attempting to live like a Christian, but it ends in failure.  Even the apostle Paul fought this battle…and lost.  In Romans 7, he described his early Christian experience.  And he kept losing out to “his flesh”:

Romans 7:15, 18
For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but [instead] I do what I hate…For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh.  For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.

Paul recognizes the desire to do good – it was given to him when he believed in Jesus for eternal life.  But trying to drum up the ability to actually be the way he desires to be has left him feeling hopeless.

Romans 7:21-23
So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me.  For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, but I see a different principle in the parts of my body, waging war against the principle of my mind and taking me prisoner to the principle of sin in the parts of my body.

Paul felt so trapped by this conflict – he could not find a way to make himself accomplish the good things he truly desired.  So much so that he felt like a prisoner to the inability of his flesh.  No wonder he exclaimed:

Romans 7:24
What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Fortunately, Paul found a way out of his frustrating contradiction…and fortunately, so can we.  A few verses later, while Paul speaks rhetorically to the believers in Rome, he hands over the keys to get out of this prison:

Romans 8:10-11
Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

Twice here Paul reminds them of their status as believers: he says to them if Christ is in you (implicitly saying “and He is”), and then he says to them if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (implicitly saying “and He does”).   

The key to getting out of their “inability prison” isn’t to work harder; instead, it is to recognize that the Spirit gives life because [Christ’s] righteousness was attributed to them the moment they believed.  This is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, and as such the Spirit will bring your mortal bodies to life, thus enabling us to do the good we now desire to do.

Don’t think these verses only apply to some day in the future.  Notice that the Spirit gives life to your mortal bodies – that is here-and-now language, not future.  The Spirit of God performs a resurrection of our dead flesh, giving us the power and ability to live this life the way God designed for us.  Which flows to Paul’s conclusion:

Romans 8:12
So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh

I think this is also why Paul tells the Galatian church:

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body [literally: the flesh], I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

We are not obligated to live the life of a try-hard Christian.  We don’t need to muscle-through our circumstances to do the right thing.  Instead, we trust God that He will resurrect our mortal bodies to live out the new desires He has given us when He gave us life through His son. 

The Christian life is a miracle of resurrection.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Paper towels and mixed messages

There’s plenty of guilt to go around these days, even when it comes to what I should be using to wipe off my kitchen counters.  Within the last week, I’ve watched a TV advertisement that claimed in order to protect my family from germs, viruses, and food-born illnesses, I need to buy their paper towels.  The convenient single-use paper towel, they claimed, was superior to cleaning with a dishrag that was previously used and now sitting in my sink.  The commercial went on to warn me how a multi-use dishrag was a festering breeding ground for all sorts of nasty bugs, and it also contained bits of food and grease from whatever it was I cleaned up last time I wiped down the counters.  You wouldn’t wipe off the door of your microwave with a slice of pizza would you?  Then, obviously, any responsible adult who desires to protect their family would buy these paper towels.

And then today, when I was flipping through an online list of “Top money wasting purchases when cleaning your home”, what did I come across?  But, of course: paper towels.  This story said a roll of paper towels was too easy for a family to use up quickly and inefficiently.  They did the math, and if you used 2 rolls a week at $1/roll, then that’s over $100 for the year!  And, of course, you should feel guilty for the strain you’re putting on the environment.  Paper towels are tough to recycle, so you’re just filling up your community’s landfill by using them.  Instead, they suggested, I should buy some cheap, reusable microfiber towels.

So, no matter my choice, I am either a poor excuse for a family man or someone who hates the environment.  Talk about getting mixed messages!  You could tie yourself up in knots trying to figure out what is “the best” way to wipe down your kitchen.

We’ve been looking for a new church home, and we recently attended a church on a friend’s recommendation.  To be honest, after over a year of online services from various churches, it was refreshing to be a part of a group worshipping God.  The pastor was an engaging speaker who quoted a lot of Scripture.  His current series centered around the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 4:22-23).  He was spending one week discussing each fruit listed by Paul.  The week we attended, the topic was faithfulness.

While most of his talk was spot-on, there was one part when my ears perked up.  He made a statement to the effect that “We Christians have erroneously combined the ideas of faith and belief.  When in fact, they are two different things.”  And I thought, “Right on. They are different. I’m interested in what he has to say next.”  He then continued to say that believing something isn’t enough, that God expects us to put action to our beliefs and that’s called faith, and that’s what a Christian does.  After repeating a few more times that believing wasn’t enough, he cited a commonly misquoted passage:

James 2:17-19
In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.  Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.  You believe that God is one.  Good!  Even the demons believe – and they shudder.”

“See?” the pastor said, “The demons believe and that’s not enough.  We have to have faithfulness and put action to our faith.”

I winced.  It’s a common misquote, but it’s still a misquote.  To find out what James meant by faith without works is dead, click here to read last week’s post.  The pastor finished his preaching and then another lady came on stage to wrap up and dismiss everyone.  What really worried me was something she said next.  She invited anyone who wasn’t a Christian to join God’s family, and all you had to do was “believe and follow Jesus”. 

If I was a non-Christian or someone who was not used to church-lingo, I would have been very confused.  The pastor just said multiple times that “belief” wasn’t enough, that I also needed some kind of actionable faith.  But then she said all I had to do was “believe and follow”, without giving any explanation as to what that meant, especially in relation to what the pastor said.  Talk about mixed messages!

Our word choices matter, and we have to take into consideration the audience we are speaking to.  I spoke with the lady afterwards and although I knew what they were trying to say, I warned her that between the two of them, there was the potential for a lot of confusion.  We talked through everything and came to a basic understanding.  There would have been a lot less confusion if either of them had clearly stated that the preacher’s message was directed towards those who already believed in Jesus for eternal life, and her invitation was for those who have not yet been convinced of Jesus’ offer.  Here’s a rundown of what else we discussed:

·       What the demons “believe” in James 2 isn’t belief in Jesus for eternal life.  Eternal life isn’t offered to fallen angels, so in context, what the demon “believes” is that there is only one God.
·       Believing in Jesus for eternal life is how a person is “saved” and joins God’s family.  There are no other conditions.  (John 11:25-27; Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16)
·       All believers are called by God to act out our faith. See the James 2 passage the preacher quoted.
·       Choosing to “follow Jesus” is often our first action based on our new faith in Jesus, but it is not a requirement for salvation.

One last thing to note – a clarification, if you will.  In preparing for this post, I have changed my mind on the idea that belief and faith are two different things.  In Greek, they are different versions of the same word, with the only difference between them is that belief is a verb (pisteuo) and faith is a noun (pistis).  As such, if you say that either you believe in Jesus for eternal life or you have faith in Jesus for eternal life, you are saying the same thing.

I hope that clears things up.  I wouldn’t want to give you any mixed messages.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

What is meditation, really?

We’ve been looking at the beginning verses of Psalm 1 and have found guidance on where to expect happiness and where not to expect happiness.

Psalm 1:1
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!

Psalm 1:2
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.

However, I’m pretty sure I can hear your thoughts…

Seriously, Ken?  All I have to do to be happy is to read my Bible more?  And…somehow find “delight” in doing so?  I’ll admit some parts are interesting and other parts are easy to understand, but you’ve got to admit there’s a lot challenging things in there.  It’s really hard to “delight” in something that is a struggle to read.

I understand, and I agree…but my suggestion to help you connect delight with the Lord’s instruction is in the second half of the same verse: meditate on it day and night.

But what is meditation, really?  And how do we do it?  Is there a certain phrase to repeat or setting we need to be in to meditate properly?  It’s tough to know when there’s so many mixed messages about it in culture.  Meditation is used for jokes in kids’ shows and often portrayed as hippie mysticism in adult shows.  We hear stories of monks who silently meditate all day, every day.  Some parts of Christianity avoid it entirely, while other Christians advocate it as an essential spiritual discipline.  So what are we to do when read verses like Psalm 1:2?

We always want to avoid putting a modern spin or definition on how we interpret the text, so the first thing we do is look at how the original writer/reader would have understood the practice of meditation.

meditate (Hebrew: hagah) – ponder, give serious thought and consideration to selected information, with a possible implication of speaking in low tones reviewing the material, to mutter, to make a judgement about something after a thought process

From this definition, we see that meditation is intentional, not accidental.  Biblical meditation is mulling over the Lord’s instruction, it is not any of the examples or definitions we find in other cultures or religions.  There is no “emptying the mind” to find out what new thought will eventually fill it,  or “centering” on one word repeated over and over.  Looking at a one-for-one Hebrew-to-English translation of the second part of Psalm 1:2 can also help us see the emphasis of the verse:

mediate torah himself day night

God desires for His people to think about His words throughout their day.  For an example, we can look back to one of the pivotal moments in Israel’s history.  Just as they were getting ready to enter into the Promised Land, Moses gave meditative-like instructions to the Israelites.  Life was about to change for them, in a big way, as soon as they crossed the Jordan River.  They would need to remember who they were and whose they were.  Moses knew they would only remember these truths if they found ways to incorporate God’s words into their daily lives:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9
These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.  Repeat them to your children.  Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.

God’s words were to be a part of their daily lives, which would help the Israelites think about them throughout their day.  Lastly, notice how Psalm 1:1 and 1:2 are contrasted between action and contented thinking:
walk/stand/sit                                vs           meditate
wicked/sinners/mockers           vs          the Lord
advice/pathway/company        vs           instruction

From this contrast, we realize that our happiness is not found in the actions of the first column, instead it will be found as we allow God to renew our minds with His truth.

How can we apply this Biblical method of meditation to Scripture?  It involves examining a passage, thinking about it, praying about it, and exhorting ourselves to fulfill it.  It can include talking with others about it or intentionally having reminders of the passage show up at different parts of our day. 

A godly person is not influenced by unrighteous people, but by his mediations on the Word of God.  Biblical meditation does not mean emptying our minds, instead it is about filling our minds with God’s Word…but only if we desire to do so.

Keep Pressing,
Ken