And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
- Matthew 17
This is the last week of Epiphany. We move into Lent, next. Lent is the preparation for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. In Lent, we look ahead to the Cross. But in Epiphany, we have been learning about the "coming out," if you will, of Christ. He launched His ministry, He made Himself known. He established Himself as the Promised One.
And so in this last reference, from the book of Matthew, we read of the Transfiguration, which I believe was the experience of Christ's Second Coming, for the eyes of Peter, John, and James. They were the ones that "would not see death," without seeing the Son of Man coming in the clouds, with Angels. (Moses and Elijah are God's servants and messengers, they count as angels.).
And Christ ordered them not to tell anybody about what they have seen, until after He would be raised from the dead. This is another topic for discussion, which we will have to do another time!
We want our denominations and sects. We create labels that define us as "good," and others as "bad." We all want to belong to something. It is natural for us to belong to loving families that accept us. Barring that, we turn to worldly systems that may include us: clubs, fraternities, political parties, churches, denominations . . .
But Christ says, forget about all that. In the end the Three Disciples saw only Jesus. This should be our only identifier.
Would you turn over your life for the sake of Christ? Then you are my brother and sister.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
A Personal Account
. . . but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
- 2 Peter
If the Gospel is all a big hoax, then these words by Simon Peter count as among the most foolish in world history.
He invests a little time into affirming, quite confidently, that it all is true, because he saw it with his own eyes, and heard it with his own ears. He was a witness, if you will, of the very coming of Christ (the Second Coming), by being a bystander at Christ's Transfiguration, and one that walked with the resurrected, eternal Christ.
These words were written almost contemporaneously with the life time of Christ. Peter penned them during the first generation after Christ's ascension. Even the skeptic must wonder, "What did Peter hear and see, after all?" And what made this different from the thousands of similar legends and myths told throughout history, of various and sundry holy men (some of whom even claimed to come back from the dead?)
I think that the difference is that this account sticks. And it is attended by countless testimonials throughout history, of the work of the Holy Spirit: healings, lives changed, the witness of Christ ultimately filling the entire earth.
It is a movement that is distinctly not racial, or cultural. It is for all nations. That was the point even before Christ came. It is a connecting point of all those other cultures; it even connects religious traditions across the board (another topic).
Peter boldly asserted that everything that was written about Christ, is true. And if you have never believed your friends, or anything else ever written or said about Jesus, maybe you will believe the words of this ordinary Galilean fisherman.
- 2 Peter
If the Gospel is all a big hoax, then these words by Simon Peter count as among the most foolish in world history.
He invests a little time into affirming, quite confidently, that it all is true, because he saw it with his own eyes, and heard it with his own ears. He was a witness, if you will, of the very coming of Christ (the Second Coming), by being a bystander at Christ's Transfiguration, and one that walked with the resurrected, eternal Christ.
These words were written almost contemporaneously with the life time of Christ. Peter penned them during the first generation after Christ's ascension. Even the skeptic must wonder, "What did Peter hear and see, after all?" And what made this different from the thousands of similar legends and myths told throughout history, of various and sundry holy men (some of whom even claimed to come back from the dead?)
I think that the difference is that this account sticks. And it is attended by countless testimonials throughout history, of the work of the Holy Spirit: healings, lives changed, the witness of Christ ultimately filling the entire earth.
It is a movement that is distinctly not racial, or cultural. It is for all nations. That was the point even before Christ came. It is a connecting point of all those other cultures; it even connects religious traditions across the board (another topic).
Peter boldly asserted that everything that was written about Christ, is true. And if you have never believed your friends, or anything else ever written or said about Jesus, maybe you will believe the words of this ordinary Galilean fisherman.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
War, and Laughter, and Bill Maher
He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; the Lord has them in derision.
- Psalm 2
The context is people, and nations, that try to rebel against The Lord. He watches, and laughs at their designs to make war, and to become "free" from Him.
War is a human thing. It's the most violent form of tantrum-throwing. To God, it's even cute, to a point. How vain, how narcissistic, how utterly devoid of grace, love, and even maturity, as a race. All bad things come from self-love. And self-love leads to war.
I have always been struck at this passage. At this point I hardly notice the others verses surrounding it. The idea that God sees our war-making, and laughs, shows what He thinks about all of our endeavors.
He has instructed us to care for widows. We make war.
We are to protect and support orphans. We make war.
We should welcome the alien. We make war.
We should live in purity. We make war.
War sells newspapers. It dominates our history books. It distracts us from the more important things.
And it's comical.
I am reading about Bill Maher this morning. The poor guy was let down by religion once, and his resentment of that has dominated his life. He seems in search of a Christianity that actually does what it's supposed to do. If we did, perhaps Bill Maher would find a less offensive line of work.
- Psalm 2
The context is people, and nations, that try to rebel against The Lord. He watches, and laughs at their designs to make war, and to become "free" from Him.
War is a human thing. It's the most violent form of tantrum-throwing. To God, it's even cute, to a point. How vain, how narcissistic, how utterly devoid of grace, love, and even maturity, as a race. All bad things come from self-love. And self-love leads to war.
I have always been struck at this passage. At this point I hardly notice the others verses surrounding it. The idea that God sees our war-making, and laughs, shows what He thinks about all of our endeavors.
He has instructed us to care for widows. We make war.
We are to protect and support orphans. We make war.
We should welcome the alien. We make war.
We should live in purity. We make war.
War sells newspapers. It dominates our history books. It distracts us from the more important things.
And it's comical.
I am reading about Bill Maher this morning. The poor guy was let down by religion once, and his resentment of that has dominated his life. He seems in search of a Christianity that actually does what it's supposed to do. If we did, perhaps Bill Maher would find a less offensive line of work.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Wait. And Wait. And Wait.
The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there . . . "
- Exodus 24
The life of Christian faith is primarily one of waiting. When you consider that the Bible covers some 6,000 years, and all we have are these 66 very small books contained within it, you realize that an awful lot of the narrative has been left out. We know that Abraham had to wait decades, as did Moses, and others, for God to move.
Now place it all in the context of God making promises to His people. If we expected Him to follow through on His promises, instantly, then we would be constantly disappointed, and even begin to doubt whether we can trust Him at all!
But it's all about waiting.
A friend of mine had his faith shattered when he read ancient texts and concluded that the first generation church had every realistic expectation that Christ would return in their lifetime . . . that none of them would die before He came back to establish His kingdom on the earth.
But my friend is missing the point. From beginning to end, Scripture is one big waiting game. God speaks. He promises, and then we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And sometimes the waiting feels like a joke God is playing on us.
But if you can't wait, then you can't have a faith that gets stronger.
Moses was instructed to go on top of the mountain, and wait. He waited seven days before God took the next step.
And even now there might be people reading this, that can't even wait a few weeks for warmer weather to return in this severely cold season . . .
- Exodus 24
The life of Christian faith is primarily one of waiting. When you consider that the Bible covers some 6,000 years, and all we have are these 66 very small books contained within it, you realize that an awful lot of the narrative has been left out. We know that Abraham had to wait decades, as did Moses, and others, for God to move.
Now place it all in the context of God making promises to His people. If we expected Him to follow through on His promises, instantly, then we would be constantly disappointed, and even begin to doubt whether we can trust Him at all!
But it's all about waiting.
A friend of mine had his faith shattered when he read ancient texts and concluded that the first generation church had every realistic expectation that Christ would return in their lifetime . . . that none of them would die before He came back to establish His kingdom on the earth.
But my friend is missing the point. From beginning to end, Scripture is one big waiting game. God speaks. He promises, and then we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And sometimes the waiting feels like a joke God is playing on us.
But if you can't wait, then you can't have a faith that gets stronger.
Moses was instructed to go on top of the mountain, and wait. He waited seven days before God took the next step.
And even now there might be people reading this, that can't even wait a few weeks for warmer weather to return in this severely cold season . . .
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Start With the Foundation
...like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it.
- 1 Corinthians 3
We're such children.
We can't possibly do everything we want to in life. (I'm assuming that your most important aspiration is to serve others). Even if God has given you a clear objective - you are not going to be able to do it all, yourself.
How much progress is never made, because we refuse to share our vision? We hesitate, because we're afraid that if we tell the details of our plans, someone else will do it, and take credit for it.
Focus on one piece of the entire project. Take the part that you do well, and cultivate others that can help you. Get them on board, show them the goal, then let go, and let them do what they do well!
I have been working now, for fourteen years, on a life mission. If you go back to the seeds of the idea, if actually goes all the way back to about 1975, when my Uncle Joe and Aunt Claire came to visit, and they showed me their genealogy work.
Here's the goal: to create networks that are connected by family - but so extended of a family as to eliminate any trouble with nepotism. I think you go with the Fourth Cousins level. This network will take care of itself, while doing charitable deeds outside the family. Elders and youth will be cared for, protected, and supported. It is possible to live as though John D. Rockefeller were your great-great-great grandfather, if everyone pools their resources.
And so I have attempted to shepherd this project from inception to roll out, for sixteen distinct extended family groups, of which I am a member. But it's impossible. Years pass, and a few baby steps are made.
I need help. And so I will begin asking for the help. I will share the vision openly. Some will scoff. Someone might even take credit for it. But if it's done right, then even I will turn out all right in the end.
If you don't know what to do next, start working on the foundation.
- 1 Corinthians 3
We're such children.
We can't possibly do everything we want to in life. (I'm assuming that your most important aspiration is to serve others). Even if God has given you a clear objective - you are not going to be able to do it all, yourself.
How much progress is never made, because we refuse to share our vision? We hesitate, because we're afraid that if we tell the details of our plans, someone else will do it, and take credit for it.
Focus on one piece of the entire project. Take the part that you do well, and cultivate others that can help you. Get them on board, show them the goal, then let go, and let them do what they do well!
I have been working now, for fourteen years, on a life mission. If you go back to the seeds of the idea, if actually goes all the way back to about 1975, when my Uncle Joe and Aunt Claire came to visit, and they showed me their genealogy work.
Here's the goal: to create networks that are connected by family - but so extended of a family as to eliminate any trouble with nepotism. I think you go with the Fourth Cousins level. This network will take care of itself, while doing charitable deeds outside the family. Elders and youth will be cared for, protected, and supported. It is possible to live as though John D. Rockefeller were your great-great-great grandfather, if everyone pools their resources.
And so I have attempted to shepherd this project from inception to roll out, for sixteen distinct extended family groups, of which I am a member. But it's impossible. Years pass, and a few baby steps are made.
I need help. And so I will begin asking for the help. I will share the vision openly. Some will scoff. Someone might even take credit for it. But if it's done right, then even I will turn out all right in the end.
If you don't know what to do next, start working on the foundation.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Turn Away
Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless . . .
- Psalm 119
Does it get any more relevant than this? I'll bet most people in the Western Hemisphere, have seen almost anything possible, if not anything, by the time they're about 12 years old.
Thanks to the Internet, and thanks even more, to adults that don't care, our youth are more than familiar with every variety of gore, and have also witnessed plenty of hardcore porn, by the time they are in their teens. How can they not?
The adults are another case entirely. We have made it so available to them, and hey, it's "adult" content, right? So let them watch whatever they want to! It's legal, and it's a free country!
Just the other day, I was tantalized by some still images of a movie featuring some young actresses that not long ago were "teen idols" playing wholesome kids on Cable TV. They "grow up", they "move on," but their fans remain, and these pre-teen fans too are tempted to see what their faves are up to now. And of course most parents will let them.
These still shots made me want to view some actual video excerpts from the movie, which featured violence, drug use, random (unprotected) sex, group sex, and plenty of "colorful metaphors."
So I watched, and found that I could not take my eyes away. Yes, I will admit that my primary response was one of disgust. But the images, once planted in your mind, stay there for a long time, maybe forever.
Is this what the "Tree of Knowledge" was all about? There are certain things about the Universe that we, as a race, are not able to process yet. It's that "knowledge without wisdom" paradigm.
The Internet has given us unlimited possibilities to do wonderful things; good things. But we haven't figured out how to tame it yet, and so many of society's ills can be traced back to that reality.
So we need to keep our eyes off of things better left alone. If we can refuse to see what's none of our business, and what's actually harmful for us, then our minds can be left uncluttered to focus on the good things.
And we probably do not have the willpower to turn away on our own. We need help.
So yes, turn my eyes away . . .
- Psalm 119
Does it get any more relevant than this? I'll bet most people in the Western Hemisphere, have seen almost anything possible, if not anything, by the time they're about 12 years old.
Thanks to the Internet, and thanks even more, to adults that don't care, our youth are more than familiar with every variety of gore, and have also witnessed plenty of hardcore porn, by the time they are in their teens. How can they not?
The adults are another case entirely. We have made it so available to them, and hey, it's "adult" content, right? So let them watch whatever they want to! It's legal, and it's a free country!
Just the other day, I was tantalized by some still images of a movie featuring some young actresses that not long ago were "teen idols" playing wholesome kids on Cable TV. They "grow up", they "move on," but their fans remain, and these pre-teen fans too are tempted to see what their faves are up to now. And of course most parents will let them.
These still shots made me want to view some actual video excerpts from the movie, which featured violence, drug use, random (unprotected) sex, group sex, and plenty of "colorful metaphors."
So I watched, and found that I could not take my eyes away. Yes, I will admit that my primary response was one of disgust. But the images, once planted in your mind, stay there for a long time, maybe forever.
Is this what the "Tree of Knowledge" was all about? There are certain things about the Universe that we, as a race, are not able to process yet. It's that "knowledge without wisdom" paradigm.
The Internet has given us unlimited possibilities to do wonderful things; good things. But we haven't figured out how to tame it yet, and so many of society's ills can be traced back to that reality.
So we need to keep our eyes off of things better left alone. If we can refuse to see what's none of our business, and what's actually harmful for us, then our minds can be left uncluttered to focus on the good things.
And we probably do not have the willpower to turn away on our own. We need help.
So yes, turn my eyes away . . .
Monday, February 17, 2014
Family: The Need Is Right Before You
You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin . . .
- Leviticus 19
People today love to bring up obscure and obviously ridiculous statements from the Old Testament, to taunt and mock Christians for not taking the entire Bible literally.
The argument can be made that God gave the people all the laws they wanted, and more . . . for people like laws, and in their natural state they love government. But God would not have had it that way. It was very clear that he did not wish for them to have a human king. But when they insisted, He gave in and gave them a monarchy; and they learned that having is not so desirable, after all, as wanting.
Leviticus is, admittedly, full of laws and ordinances that are impossible to follow, and in modern times, unrealistic and even harmful.
But the universal will, the permanent, will of God is very clear from Genesis to Revelation. He wants us loving one another, and He wants families caring for each other.
Out of all the good stuff in Leviticus 19, I chose this one about loving family.
In my work connecting families together, I am often struck by the response, "I don't know those people, and I don't care about them," when referring to someone as close as a first cousin. This is cold, heartless, and against God's will. God loves families. He set up His plan for the ages, through a family. Families that remain close, down through the generations, become like nations. In same cases, they are nations.
I leave this for the reader to consider. Learn about your family, and love them.
As you research them, you will find poor people, lazy people, criminals, dead-beats, cheaters, liars, drunks, drug addicts, multiple divorces and marriages. You'll find lonely children of single parents, aged shut-ins, some with severe disabilities, people whose minor children died from cancer. You will find other tragedies, coming from auto accidents, house fires, and even murder. You will find victims of crime. Unemployed people, talented people, rich people, famous people. But they connect to you through people that you knew and loved: your grandparents, who were first cousins to their grandparents, and played together as children.
Who to serve? Who to love? Who to help? Who to make no longer lonely? Who to give hope to? It's obvious when it's your own kids, or your parents or siblings. Start learning about your extended family and you'll find someone with whom you have a wonderful, even mystical bond, that needs your help, or your ear, or your time, now.
- Leviticus 19
People today love to bring up obscure and obviously ridiculous statements from the Old Testament, to taunt and mock Christians for not taking the entire Bible literally.
The argument can be made that God gave the people all the laws they wanted, and more . . . for people like laws, and in their natural state they love government. But God would not have had it that way. It was very clear that he did not wish for them to have a human king. But when they insisted, He gave in and gave them a monarchy; and they learned that having is not so desirable, after all, as wanting.
Leviticus is, admittedly, full of laws and ordinances that are impossible to follow, and in modern times, unrealistic and even harmful.
But the universal will, the permanent, will of God is very clear from Genesis to Revelation. He wants us loving one another, and He wants families caring for each other.
Out of all the good stuff in Leviticus 19, I chose this one about loving family.
In my work connecting families together, I am often struck by the response, "I don't know those people, and I don't care about them," when referring to someone as close as a first cousin. This is cold, heartless, and against God's will. God loves families. He set up His plan for the ages, through a family. Families that remain close, down through the generations, become like nations. In same cases, they are nations.
I leave this for the reader to consider. Learn about your family, and love them.
As you research them, you will find poor people, lazy people, criminals, dead-beats, cheaters, liars, drunks, drug addicts, multiple divorces and marriages. You'll find lonely children of single parents, aged shut-ins, some with severe disabilities, people whose minor children died from cancer. You will find other tragedies, coming from auto accidents, house fires, and even murder. You will find victims of crime. Unemployed people, talented people, rich people, famous people. But they connect to you through people that you knew and loved: your grandparents, who were first cousins to their grandparents, and played together as children.
Who to serve? Who to love? Who to help? Who to make no longer lonely? Who to give hope to? It's obvious when it's your own kids, or your parents or siblings. Start learning about your extended family and you'll find someone with whom you have a wonderful, even mystical bond, that needs your help, or your ear, or your time, now.
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