"The Lord called me before I was born."
- Isaiah 49:2
If you read Scripture diligently, if you strive to make it literal, true, and relevant for yourself; if you want to be inspired by it; it if gives you direction; then, perhaps . . . by and by, you read this particular sentence from Isaiah. You read it out loud. And then you ponder and reflect on it.
You say it again.
You hear yourself proclaiming: "The LORD called me before I was born."
It is a big deal to be called by God. Yet if God has a plan for each of us - a purpose - then it is true that we all have been called . . . to do something. And now, you have just admitted it: He called me.
God doesn't call you to do selfish things. Nobody gets called just to play music. You don't get called just to start a business. You do not get called just to teach, or to do taxes, or to heal people.
We get called to build God's Kingdom . . . and the only way to do that is to serve others, to put others first, to set yourself and your interests to the side, in order to touch other lives.
So many "freedoms" today; or efforts in regard to "justice," really are not toward the satisfying of the needs of others. A lot of our social movements today are focused on the selfish, the physical, the sensual, the temporary: on things that make us feel good . . . but do nothing to strengthen us as selfless, pure vessels of God.
The called of God practice self-denial. It is one thing to deny climate science. It is quite another to deny yourself. The called of God put away whatever makes our senses happy . . . because the satisfying of one's senses is the satisfying of one's self. And where is the growth, the spiritual uplift, without learning to say NO to the world and it's pleasures?
God called us. He called me. He put all of the focus on you, because He wants you to put all of the focus on others.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Come On - We Really Do Believe You Are Our Equal
"I truly understand that God shows no partiality . . . "
- Simon Peter, in Acts 10
This may very well have been the start of it all: That moment when, in history, people began to be concerned about the issue of "equality."
"Justice" had always been a big deal. It had been promised to God's people since the days of the early Patriarchs. But Peter had been shown, by the Lord, that in Christ, we were all going to be treated equally: male, female, slave, master. It made no difference. Our worldly statuses were not going to hold up in the kingdom of God. This is a big element in the Good News - those people that think they're better than you? They're not. God says so.
And then Paul the Apostle carried the message even further, by transitioning from the most vile practitioner of the law and superiority of it over all other cultures, into someone that placed acceptance of all others, no matter their background, in the center of God's Kingdom.
Any good thing, in excess, becomes harmful. Too much water is poisonous.
And our generation has taken the idea of equality to such an extreme, that we actually believe that people that do not define it as us, are definitely not our equals. We want to deprive others of their rights, that do not agree with us.
But in the Church it is different. Just accept all people. Treat all with kindness. Look not on the outside, but value what's on the inside.
Having said that, we have a problem. We're human, and are not capable of practicing such godly love. But that's okay. God loves us anyway. The idea is to have that perfect standard before us, and to strive towards it. We're not perfect. That doesn't make us hypocrites if we define it for others.
The Church, and the true believers therein, beg of those around them: "We do see you as our equal. Now just give us a chance to show you."
- Simon Peter, in Acts 10
This may very well have been the start of it all: That moment when, in history, people began to be concerned about the issue of "equality."
"Justice" had always been a big deal. It had been promised to God's people since the days of the early Patriarchs. But Peter had been shown, by the Lord, that in Christ, we were all going to be treated equally: male, female, slave, master. It made no difference. Our worldly statuses were not going to hold up in the kingdom of God. This is a big element in the Good News - those people that think they're better than you? They're not. God says so.
And then Paul the Apostle carried the message even further, by transitioning from the most vile practitioner of the law and superiority of it over all other cultures, into someone that placed acceptance of all others, no matter their background, in the center of God's Kingdom.
Any good thing, in excess, becomes harmful. Too much water is poisonous.
And our generation has taken the idea of equality to such an extreme, that we actually believe that people that do not define it as us, are definitely not our equals. We want to deprive others of their rights, that do not agree with us.
But in the Church it is different. Just accept all people. Treat all with kindness. Look not on the outside, but value what's on the inside.
Having said that, we have a problem. We're human, and are not capable of practicing such godly love. But that's okay. God loves us anyway. The idea is to have that perfect standard before us, and to strive towards it. We're not perfect. That doesn't make us hypocrites if we define it for others.
The Church, and the true believers therein, beg of those around them: "We do see you as our equal. Now just give us a chance to show you."
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Justice and Righteousness
"I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations....
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,..."
From Isaiah 42
The Left seeks justice.
The Right seeks righteousness.
Both are needful. One values people as they are, accepts them, and affirms them.
But the other calls them to higher levels of personal behavior.
And we humans take our pick - one, or the other. But God calls us to seek both.
It is such a difficult balancing act. "Hate the sin, love the sinner." But the sinner certainly does not feel loved when we show them a better, a purer way. Even if we LIVE the godly life, without preaching about it, they get mad. And it's hard to pick out one sin that we NEVER commit, and advocate for it . . . while ignoring the 99 other sins that we do all the time, without thinking. Non-believers (and many believers) have a word for that: hypocrisy.
The Left calls out the Right - saying why are you judging others? You're not perfect. But in making this assertion, they are admitting that a sin has indeed been committed. Children desperately desire acceptance, even when, especially when, they do wrong. Adult sinners living publicly and defiantly in lifestyles that clearly are not pure, nor particularly loving (a word whose definition we have lost); lash out when questioned, even gently. In the dark of the night, cockroaches skitter away when a light turns on. This is us. We hate . . . HATE . . . to be called out. And we all are deserving of it.
But God wants BOTH from us: desire justice until your head aches. But live in righteousness (self-control, purity, charity), until your desire to taste the world's delicious poison bends you to the breaking point. The search for justice can break your bank. Your giving in to temptation can waste your bank. Your elevation in both areas is painful and backbreaking.
But you HELP others by doing both. Justice helps the physical needs of others by protecting them. Righteousness helps the spiritual needs of yourself by keeping your soul pure.
We need both. Go for broke. Go for both.
he will bring forth justice to the nations....
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,..."
From Isaiah 42
The Left seeks justice.
The Right seeks righteousness.
Both are needful. One values people as they are, accepts them, and affirms them.
But the other calls them to higher levels of personal behavior.
And we humans take our pick - one, or the other. But God calls us to seek both.
It is such a difficult balancing act. "Hate the sin, love the sinner." But the sinner certainly does not feel loved when we show them a better, a purer way. Even if we LIVE the godly life, without preaching about it, they get mad. And it's hard to pick out one sin that we NEVER commit, and advocate for it . . . while ignoring the 99 other sins that we do all the time, without thinking. Non-believers (and many believers) have a word for that: hypocrisy.
The Left calls out the Right - saying why are you judging others? You're not perfect. But in making this assertion, they are admitting that a sin has indeed been committed. Children desperately desire acceptance, even when, especially when, they do wrong. Adult sinners living publicly and defiantly in lifestyles that clearly are not pure, nor particularly loving (a word whose definition we have lost); lash out when questioned, even gently. In the dark of the night, cockroaches skitter away when a light turns on. This is us. We hate . . . HATE . . . to be called out. And we all are deserving of it.
But God wants BOTH from us: desire justice until your head aches. But live in righteousness (self-control, purity, charity), until your desire to taste the world's delicious poison bends you to the breaking point. The search for justice can break your bank. Your giving in to temptation can waste your bank. Your elevation in both areas is painful and backbreaking.
But you HELP others by doing both. Justice helps the physical needs of others by protecting them. Righteousness helps the spiritual needs of yourself by keeping your soul pure.
We need both. Go for broke. Go for both.
Monday, January 2, 2017
He Carries Me
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.
Isaiah 63
I am excited to revive my Reflectionary blog this year. I hope that my four readers enjoy it.
The year begins with me having endured an on-line pommeling, for expressing my emotions about the danger of auto traffic, and the too-real hazards of being in an accident.
People said I was too "preachy." Hmm . . .
How many would-be preachers never enter the ministry, because nobody wants to be considered "preachy"? Most people just don't want the trouble. Research shows that most people just want safety and security. There are very few outliers. Unfortunately, in our times, the outliers seem to have the advantage.
The Mainstream is being tugged along by the nose, by people on the fringe.
But our first promise from God this year, is that He will "carry us."
In the midst of all of the trouble and discord . . . surrounded by people that want to violate us in the most fundamental of ways: they want to silence us - - - God promises to carry us.
The advantages to being carried by God are numerous:
If you are under attack, yet at the same time comfortably in the arms of the Lord, then He surely will take our case. Remember that.
In our on-line angst . . . just remember: God is carrying you. Let HIM deal with it. Say a prayer. Get your guidance from Him. And if no answer comes, it's because He wants you to just forget about it. Give it time.
In my post this morning, about the auto accident in our neighborhood, two people confronted me, and as I said, accused me of being "preachy," (the first thing to notice is . . . these are the same people that consider it a virtue if you don't care what others think).
But someone very close to me, that I really trust, called me, and called me out. On her advice alone I deleted the comment, and then wrote a more gracious comment regarding the accident, with an apology.
But let me move on forward a little bit. My response was to take my things and go climb up into God's arms. As soon as I read the Isaiah reading above, from the Lectionary, I received a notification that someone had posted a response to my apology. She said that I did not need to apologize, that I had done nothing wrong.
That was God carrying me.
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.
Isaiah 63
I am excited to revive my Reflectionary blog this year. I hope that my four readers enjoy it.
The year begins with me having endured an on-line pommeling, for expressing my emotions about the danger of auto traffic, and the too-real hazards of being in an accident.
People said I was too "preachy." Hmm . . .
How many would-be preachers never enter the ministry, because nobody wants to be considered "preachy"? Most people just don't want the trouble. Research shows that most people just want safety and security. There are very few outliers. Unfortunately, in our times, the outliers seem to have the advantage.
The Mainstream is being tugged along by the nose, by people on the fringe.
But our first promise from God this year, is that He will "carry us."
In the midst of all of the trouble and discord . . . surrounded by people that want to violate us in the most fundamental of ways: they want to silence us - - - God promises to carry us.
The advantages to being carried by God are numerous:
If you are under attack, yet at the same time comfortably in the arms of the Lord, then He surely will take our case. Remember that.
In our on-line angst . . . just remember: God is carrying you. Let HIM deal with it. Say a prayer. Get your guidance from Him. And if no answer comes, it's because He wants you to just forget about it. Give it time.
In my post this morning, about the auto accident in our neighborhood, two people confronted me, and as I said, accused me of being "preachy," (the first thing to notice is . . . these are the same people that consider it a virtue if you don't care what others think).
But someone very close to me, that I really trust, called me, and called me out. On her advice alone I deleted the comment, and then wrote a more gracious comment regarding the accident, with an apology.
But let me move on forward a little bit. My response was to take my things and go climb up into God's arms. As soon as I read the Isaiah reading above, from the Lectionary, I received a notification that someone had posted a response to my apology. She said that I did not need to apologize, that I had done nothing wrong.
That was God carrying me.
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