Question for You

Can you find the Burning Bush in John Chapter 11?

Can you link the Burning Bush in John Chapter 11 to an exchange that Jesus has with religious leaders in all three Synoptic (Matthew, Mark, Luke) Gospels?

Happy pondering!

What Are We Doing and Why Are We Doing It?

Why in the world do hymnals in the USA have patriotic songs? This generates confusion. Below are some thoughts I shared with someone who is accustomed to singing patriotic songs when we gather to worship Jesus Christ.

Matthew 17:1 – 8: No one should share our worship of Jesus Christ, not even Moses and Elijah (representing the Law and the prophets).

Isaiah 6:1 - 7; Revelation chapters 4 and 5: Can we visualize any other songs and music other than those worshiping God? When we gather on earth we gather as God’s People, Christ’s Body; we represent heaven on earth and our worship on earth should reflect heavenly worship “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

2 Corinthians 11:1 – 3: We have one Husband, Jesus Christ. Our focus and attention and surrender are to be to Jesus alone.

When we studied Jeremiah in Sunday school, one of the lessons discussed syncretism – syncretism is when other elements are blended into God’s Word.

As leaders of God’s people, in whatever capacity, we must be careful to always direct our collective attention to Jesus Christ and to avoid confusion of what it means to worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The Kingdom of God and the nation we live in are not synonymous. When we worship we are surrendering, and we are communing with our holy God – when we introduce any other entity or person into the worship of God it is syncretism. Let’s not forget that the early Christians were persecuted not so much because they worshiped Jesus Christ, but because they wouldn’t also worship Caesar and the Roman State.

We are called to pray for our nation, we are called to confess the sins of our nation, we are called to pray for our rulers (1Timothy 2:1) – but we are not called to worship our nation. (I do think it is appropriate to recognize and give thanks for the women and men in the military who have served, and currently serve, our nation; just as I think we ought to give thanks and pray for our first-responders).

How can we model faithfulness to Jesus on Sunday mornings? How can we show others what it means to love Jesus Christ with all that we are? How can we respond to the Father’s voice, “This is my beloved Son, hear him!”

My Soul Clings to You

“My soul clings to you.” Psalm 63:8a.

I don’t know how else to live, other than by clinging to Jesus Christ and my kind heavenly Father. Psalm 63 begins with, “Oh God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”

Certainly there is no water that can refresh my soul other than the Living Water of the holy Trinity.

The temptations to drink substitute waters are many. Wealth, power, pleasure, possessions…in all their myriad forms. The accolades of others, fame, recognition, security – they all shout “Drink from this fountain, drink from this stream, drink from this river – drink and you will be satisfied!” Religious streams abound as well – power and prestige within religious circles – the esteem of others, self-righteousness, special knowledge…O the fools we can be, deceiving ourselves and deceiving others.

It is with good reason we ought to cling to God in Christ, to not cling is to face the danger of being swept away by currents flowing far away from our holy God. But the greatest reason our souls should cling to the Trinity is found in Psalm 63:3, “…Your lovingkindness is better than life…”

There is nothing like the love of God, nothing is its equal, nothing can compare – He is altogether worthy of our love and praise and adoration; He is worthy that our lives should belong to Him, He is altogether worthy of all glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving.

Holy Father, teach our souls to cling to You, tighter and tighter, closer and closer, with each passing day, with each breath we take. Hold us fast to Yourself and teach us to hold fast to You. Envelop us in Your love and care – may we only and forever drink from You, be satisfied with You, desire only You.

The Context of 1 Corinthians 13

Perhaps there is no single chapter of the Bible that is read outside its context as much as 1 Corinthians 13, often known as the “Love Chapter.”

We take the word “love” in this chapter and merchandise it and idealize it, and generally use it any which we want – what we don’t typically do is submit to it, we seldom have genuine interest in obeying it.

Really now, who is interested in bearing all things and believing all things and enduring all things? Who is inclined to stop himself from bragging? Who honestly does not want to “seek his own”?

This is not an idealized love, this is love in action. But it is not just love in action anywhere, for Chapter 13 is nestled, believe it or not, between chapters 12 and 14 – and those chapters are about the Church, the Body of Christ – about an organic entity whose Head is Jesus Christ. The nexus of Chapter 13 is the Body of Christ, it is not a Valentine’s Day card, or a birthday card, or a sentimental song or poem – it is living in nitty gritty relationship with other members of Christ’s Body.

Now to be sure, the love of the Body of Christ ought to flow outward into the world, and into all of our relationships – but that is a fruit of what occurs in the Body of Christ – 1Corinthians 13 is first and foremost about Christ’s Body, about living in communion with one another in Christ.

As we read 1Corinthians 13…how are we doing? How does our obedience look? Need we seek reconciliation with others? Do we need to confess sin to Christ? As we ponder 1Corinthinans 13, are we prepared to approach the Lord’s Table?

What About That Guy?

I’ve been pondering the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30 – 37; certainly one of the great short stories of all time, right along with the Prodigal Son. Jesus can tell a story and make a point without wasting one word.

The Samaritan got his hands bloody as he nursed the man left for half-dead. We’re told that the Samaritan “took care of him”, we can see him tenderly tending to the stripped and beaten man. Neither the priest or the scribe would get their hands bloody, neither the priest or the scribe would interrupt their day to help. Neither the priest or the scribe would be identified with the bloody and naked pulp lying on the road.

I wonder if the man who was robbed ever came to his senses enough to see the Samaritan? Assuming the victim was a Jew, and I sense that he was, did he realize that it was a Samaritan who was saving his life?

Did the innkeeper know the Samaritan? Perhaps he did, or else why would he take the Samaritan’s word that “whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.”

Did the man who was near death inquire of the innkeeper who it was that saved his life and who was paying for his care? What was his reaction when he was told that the man was a Samaritan?

Jesus told this story in response to a lawyer asking him, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Had the lawyer passed by people in need without stopping to help? Have I? Have you?

What about the man who was robbed and beaten? Had he passed by people in need prior to his own tragedy? Had he played the roll of the priest and the scribe?

More importantly, what was he like after he walked out of the inn, once again a healthy man? Did he give credit to the Samaritan when he told his story…to his family…to his friends…in the synagogue? What about this guy? What was he like afterwards? How did he look at Samaritans? How did he view those in need – of whatever background?

What about that guy? What about me?

What about you?