HE SAYS: WWJD?

The “What Would Jesus Do?” fad is not as popular now as it was a couple of years ago, but I still see some of the bracelets and bumper stickers.  While reading Luke’s gospel today, I noticed some of the things Jesus did and would do still, since he is unchanging.

1.        Stir up an angry mob to the point where they wish to commit murder.

 “All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.  They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.”   Luke 4:28-29  

2.       Hang out with the “wrong crowd”.

”Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”   Luke 5:29-30

3.       Disown his family.

”Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.  Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”  He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”   Luke 8:19-22

4.       Tell people if they are not fit for the kingdom of heaven.

”Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”   Luke 9: 61-62

5.       Not wash his hands before eating.

“But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.  Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.  You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?”   Luke 11: 38-39

6.       Intentionally insult people with the truth.

“One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”  Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.”   Luke 11: 45-46

7.       Call successful people fools.

 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’   Luke 12: 18-20

What do you think Jesus would do?

I think he would speak truth into people’s lives even when it was insulting, hurtful, or degrading.  He did this because He is truth:

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  John 14:6 1984 (NIV1984)

Jesus did this because he came to testify to the truth:

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

"Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  John 18:37 1984 (NIV1984)

Are you on the side of truth?

HE SAYS: “This Too Shall Pass”

I used to sing a song which was encouraging and uplifting to me, but since I have been born again, I do not enjoy the song anymore, and I cannot even sing the lyrics.

Initially, I just felt a sense of dislike for the song, even though I could not identify the reason for my change in heart.

This weekend, the song was sung at the funeral of a long-time family friend, and I could not sing along with the congregation.  I decided to do some analysis of the song to understand better why my spirit rebelled against it.

The first lyric which is problematic is the second stanza:

“Tis not by sight we walk this way of God; But leaning on His love, We follow, with a faith that questions not, on t’ward the things above.”

Jesus never asks us to follow blindly.  He is the light of the world, and he healed many blind people during his ministry.  He healed one man who had been born blind, and everyone saw the miracle.  The Pharisees were so angered by His display of power, they expelled the man from the synagogue.   When Jesus heard what had happened, He revealed His true identity to the man, and the man worshipped Him. 

“Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”   John 9:39 (NIV1984)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.“   John 1:1-5 (NIV1984)

The assertion of the song that Christians blindly follow their “god” while questioning nothing is NOT biblical, but the real heart of the song is revealed in the last stanza:

“When o’er our head the sky may clouded be, Just hear the Father say, “This, too, shall pass- it bears the promise of a brighter clearer day.””

I was intrigued by the words spoken by the “father”, so I looked for the phrase(s) in the bible.  I did not find them!  I next looked on Google, and the phrase “This too shall pass” came up quickly.  It is from a proverb.  The proverb however is from the Sufi prophets of Persia.  They are a sect of Islam, and their faith is known as Sufism.

I now understand this song is not Christian, because Jesus made us a very different promise.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."  Matthew 24:9 (NIV1984)

HE SAYS: Chicken or Egg?

Sandy found the egg under her favorite hen.  She loved the egg from the moment she saw it.  The color was light brown with dark brown speckles, and the shape was perfect.

Sandy carried the egg to her father, and excitedly showed it to him.

     “I’m going to keep this one father.” she said “It is the prettiest egg ever.”

     “If you are going to keep it” he said, “You will need to poke a hole in each end and remove the yolk and the egg white.”

     “No!” exclaimed Sandy.  “I don’t want to ruin the egg.”

     “You only have four choices of things you can do with an egg.” said her father.

“One, you can keep the egg like it is.  In a couple of days, it will be rotten and break open.  Then, you will want to throw it in the trash.”

“Two, you can preserve the egg by removing the contents so it will not rot.”

“Three, you can eat it.”

“Four, you can give it back to the hen who created it, and she will make it live by hatching it.”

      “But I found it!” cried Sandy

     “Yes, but the hen created it.” said her father.  “You must give it back to its creator if you want it to live.”

Sandy understood her father’s wisdom, and placed the egg back under the hen.

In a few short weeks, she had an even more beautiful baby chick to cherish.

 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:39 (ESV)

SHE SAYS: Refreshing!

As these hot days drag on, may the truth of these verses refresh our souls:

"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them righteous."

Psalm 19:7-9

 

HE SAYS: So, You Think You Want to be Like Jesus?

Most nights when we go to the YMCA to exercise, a certain television show is on one of the screens.  It is called “So, You think you can Dance?”  I will reserve my opinion of the show.  Also, we have been studying the book Radical, by David  Platt.  My brain somehow put these two together.

If you want to be like Jesus, please consider the following scripture:

a)      They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.

b)      When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

c)       At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

d)      Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,

e)      When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

f)       and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.

g)      Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.

h)      Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.

i)        And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”

j)        When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.

All References are New International Version.

a)      Luke 4:29 (NIV)

b)      Mark 3:21

c)       John 8:59

d)      John 10:31

e)      Matthew 2:13

f)       Matthew 26:4

g)      Luke 19:47

h)      Mark 15:19a

i)        Mark 3:22

j)        Luke 23:33

HE SAYS: The Lesson of the Mockingbird

I arrived at work yesterday in a bad mood.  As I walked into the building, the only thoughts on my mind were negative, defeating, and critical.  Then, I heard the mockingbird.  He was perched on the top rung of a roof access ladder on the side of the building, and he was singing non-stop.  Occasionally, his joy would overflow, and he couldn’t sit still.  He would fly up into the breeze and float back to his perch, never pausing a moment in his song.

I stood and watched for a minute.  His joy was contagious.  I walked away saying to the Lord, “Point taken!”

We are called to proclaim the love of Christ to the world.  We are called to be a light in darkness.  We cannot however, expect our witness to be welcomed with open arms.  I met a woman who hated mockingbirds.  I was surprised to hear her statement, so I asked her why.  Her simple response was, “They never shut-up!”

This animosity toward joy is not only directed at mockingbirds.  I was surfing YouTube the other day, and came across a Jim Carrey standup comedy video.  In his routine, he makes the statement, “I want to be one of those gospel singers on the PTL club.  Those guys are just happy no matter what.”  He crudely parodies a couple of gospel singers and complains about happy people.  He postulates that happy people are so annoying that people will “tunnel under the street” to avoid them.  He then explains his frustration with the statement, “Of course, if I wanted to be that happy, I would have to forget all my problems…and the only time I forget all my problems is when I'm right smack-dab in the middle of a…” moment of peak physical pleasure with another partner.  (I paraphrased the last part at Sharon’s request.)

I’m sure Mr. Carrey’s statement is mostly intended for the shock effect of comedy.  Regardless, he helped me understand why some people despise joyful people.  When something you desire with your soul is impossibly out of your reach, people who have obtained it are a painful reminder of your unfulfilled yearning.

So, why are Christians so joyful?  How can we truthfully be that happy?

John 15:11 (NIV)”I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. “

John 16:22 (NIV)”So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

Acts 8:7-8 (NIV)”For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.  So there was great joy in that city.”

1 Peter 1:8 (NIV)”Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,“

Our joy is inexpressible and unexplainable, because it is a miraculous gift from God.  Alleluia!

She Says: Take the Ultimate Taste Test

Most of us take our ability to taste for granted, yet what a wonderful gift the Lord has given us to experience flavors that range from sweet to salty, sour to bitter. 

Around 350 BC, Aristotle postulated that the two most basic tastes were sweet and bitter. Much study has been given to how the tastebuds work and how other senses like smell and touch (texture) impact the perception of taste.  All basic tastes are classified as appetitive or aversive.

People are most sensitive to bitter tastes.  Bitterness is often perceived as unpleasant, disagreeable, or sharp.  The intense reaction of most people to bitterness makes it a great deterrant.  In 1958, researchers discovered that denatonium, a synthetic chemical was the most bitter substance known.  Because of its aversive characteristics, it is commonly added to toxic substances to prevent accidental ingestion.

On the other hand, many people derive a pleasurable sensation when they eat sugars and other substances that are classified as sweet tasting.  Think about some of the best food memories you have, I bet there were some sweet ones! 

In Psalm 34, we are invited to participate in a taste test like no other.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8

If you've never experienced the Lord, I challenge you to take this "Ultimate Taste Test".  To get started, I suggest you ask God to remove the blindfold (only He can). Next, open your heart to Him and ask Him to pour Himself into you and show you who He is.  If you have a Bible, begin reading it.  Psalm 119 describes what God's Word is like:

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"   Psalm 119:103

There is a very interesting parable in Isaiah 5:1-7 about God and His Vineyard (House of Israel).  God took every effort to provide His people with all the care, protection and provision that they would ever need (A sweet deal, don't you think?).  However, in verse 4 He ponders: 

“What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?

Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?

Has God given you care, protection and provision?  I know that He has for me, but what has it produced in us? 

The passage goes on to proclaim how God turns the House of Israel over to their own destruction (a bitter ordeal to say the least) and announces woes on those who reject His goodness, truth, sweetness and wisdom.  Here are some of His reasons for doing so:

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever in their own sight!" Isaiah 5:20-21

And yet, in verse 25, His hand is still held out to them.  God does not want any to perish.  He exhibits this again when He pleads with the people through the prophet Ezekiel:

Say to them, ‘ As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’ Ezekiel 33:11

These people created their own relative truth, their own understanding, their own standard of goodness, and their own wisdom and the Sovereign Lord deemed them wicked.  There is little difference in 2012, and it is my prayer that God teaches me (and you) His truth, His holiness, and His wisdom.  This same God is still the Master of the Vineyard and in His infinite love and mercy He pleads with us to "Wake Up, Turn Back, Taste and See that I am Good."  Take refuge in the Lord and He promises you Eternal Life.