Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say … - Revelation 4:9-10

Today's Scripture Reading (May 31, 2021): Revelation 4

Every winter, just after Christmas, I like to watch the World Junior Hockey Tournament. It can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride, especially considering that these are teenagers competing for the prize. Of course, the World Junior Hockey Tournament is actually a competition between two groups of teams. One group is simply proud to have made it into the tournament. Before the first puck is dropped, they know that they don't have a chance of competing against the heavyweights in the tournament, like Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Russia. The second group of teams at least holds out the hope that they can beat the giants. And sometimes, they do.

The tournament starts with a round-robin and then a playdown where a win moves you to the next level, while a loss eliminates you from the competition. But when you get to the final four, the tournament changes slightly. The losers of the quarterfinal play each other, with the victor winning the bronze medal. And then, the two winners of the quarterfinal games face-off, with the loser being awarded the silver medal and the victor taking home the gold. The result is that, as the medals are awarded, both the gold medal and bronze medal winners are delighted to receive their medals. And why not? Both of them won their last game. But the silver medal winners are often crushed, sometimes not even wanting their medals at that moment. And that is a natural reaction; after all, they just lost a hard-fought game for the championship.

John sees a fantastic sight. As the living creatures praise God, the twenty-four elders fall to their knees around the throne of God. There is no division among the elders. All that once might have divided them had faded into the past; it was no longer critical. And then they laid their crowns down in front of God's throne.

These crowns were not signs of royalty; they were a recognition given to the winners. These crowns were the gold medals given to the victor. They had won, but the win really belonged to the one who sat on the throne, and they knew it. So the elders, as they bowed down, also laid their medals at his feet.

We all want to win. It doesn't matter what the competition might be over; we are sure that we are in the right. Our version of Christianity is the right one. And maybe we are. But sometimes it is good to remember that there will be a time when these competitions just won't matter anymore. And in that moment, we will lay our crowns before the one who sits on the throne. Our differences, contests, the places where we were right, and the moments when we were wrong just won't matter anymore. We will fall down and lay our crowns before him in unity.

If only we could learn to do that now while we still walk this earth and not wait for that Revelation moment. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 5

To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. – Revelation 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 30, 2021): Revelation 3

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a police officer named Derek Chauvin. At Chauvin's murder trial, maybe one of the best arguments made by the defense was that Officer Chauvin committed the act even though he knew he was being filmed. He knew that bystanders were filming the whole event on their phones.  Chauvin also knew that the police cams worn by all of the officers on the scene were dutifully recording the events. All of those cameras prompted this conclusion from Chauvin's defense attorney. Derek Chauvin did not know that he was doing anything wrong because you don't commit an immoral act on camera. If we are going to commit a crime, we don't do it in the light of day where everyone can see us. Crimes are done in secret.

Maybe. But an alternate explanation for what happened in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, is that Derek Chauvin knew that what he was doing was wrong; he just didn't care because Chauvin believed he was above the law. And that is a dangerous thing to believe. And it took a jury to prove to Derek Chauvin that both his actions and his belief system were misguided. There is no good reason for George Floyd to be dead for the crime of trying to pass a phony twenty-dollar bill.

Sardis was a prosperous city. William Barclay, in "Letters to the Seven Churches," makes this observation;

"It is of interest to note that the first coinage ever to be minted in Asia Minor was minted in Sardis in the days of Croesus. These roughly formed electrum staters were the beginning of money in the modern sense of the term. Sardis was the place where modern money was born."

Because Sardis was rich and a place where money seemed, at least for some, to come easily, it had a reputation for being a lively place. But it was also a place that had lost its moral compass. Again, turning to William Barclay, he says;

"The great characteristic of Sardis was that, even on pagan lips, Sardis was a name of contempt. Its people were notoriously loose-living, notoriously pleasure-and luxury loving. Sardis was a city of the decadence."

Sardis was a place where even the church was filled with activity; meetings were happening, people were coming to be part of the church, but somewhere along the way, they had lost their purpose. Their purpose was not about Christ; it was about being busy. And as a result, the church had died. They weren't going anywhere. They had stopped resisting what was wrong in the culture, agreeing instead to go with the flow. They thought they were doing what was right, but the reality was that they were just spinning their wheels, going nowhere. The Holy Spirit no longer convicted the church in the city of sin. And, as a result, the people really didn't know that what they were doing was wrong, making Sardis a dangerous place.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 4

 

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. – Revelation 2:14

Today's Scripture Reading (May 29, 2021): Revelation 2

I still remember where I was the first time I heard someone talk about "the donkey that spoke" in church. I am not sure why I was not aware of the story, but the Pastor was participating in a children's exercise called "Stump the Pastor" when he launched into the story of Balaam's donkey, the donkey who talked. It just didn't sound like a story that could be found in the Bible. And yet, there it is in the Book of Numbers.

The Pastor that day talked about "the donkey that spoke," but he didn’t delve into the importance of the story. The Pastor's version of "the donkey that spoke" was a children's tale suited to the audience at that moment, but the story behind the talking donkey is definitely an adult-only tale.

"The donkey that spoke" is really about God trying to get the attention of a prophet named Balaam. Having your donkey, or maybe, for us, our dog or cat, talk to you is an excellent way to get your attention. Balaam was a prophet. Balaam's problem was that he was willing to be a prophet for hire, selling his services to those who were willing to pay him. Of course, God cannot be bought, which was something that Balaam came to understand. Three times he was paid to curse Israel, and three times his curse came out as a blessing.

But Balaam understood what God expected of Israel, and so he was able to counsel Balak on how to get around God's will by tempting Israel into sin. Because of the ministry of Balaam, Israel ate food that had been sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality, placing a blockage between the nation and their God. As a result, Balaam is remembered not as a prophet of God but as a corrupt prophet who taught the enemies of God how to work around God's righteousness.

As John listens to Jesus speak to the Church in Pergamum, one of Jesus's complaints is that some of those in Pergamum held to the theology of Balaam. Most likely, that meant that they were teaching about ways to get around God's will rather than accepting it. And our task is never to find a way to get around God's will but rather to submit to it. Our mission is and has always been to allow God to shape our lives so that we conform to what it is that God is demanding from us.       

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 3

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John – Revelation 1:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 28, 2021): Revelation 1

Artist Paul Klee argued that "Art does not reproduce what we see. It makes us see." That is probably why we all seem to see something different when we look at a piece of art. Art, wherever we find it, draws reality out of us. It is also why art needs to be contemplated over time and not evaluated at a quick glance. The images grow on us, revealing themselves as we allow them to work their magic on us. Art is not a process that can be rushed; its creation and enjoyment are slow processes.

John begins his writing by telling his readers exactly what it is that he is writing. It is a Revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation does not belong to John; the message is all Jesus. And as you proceed through the revelation, you find that it is made up of complex images, many hard to interpret. Revelation is a piece of art, and, therefore, it cannot be rushed and must be slowly contemplated.

The revelation was given to John to share with the church because it is about what must soon occur. It is about the future, but this is where it gets a little tricky. We read it as if it is about our future; we assume that the totality of the revelation is about the End Times. And there is no question that some of it is. But there are elements of the prophecy that might have been fulfilled in John's lifetime. Many of the hardships that the Christian church suffered during the reigns of Nero (ruling from 54 to 68 C.E.), Domitian (ruling 81 to 96 C.E.), both reigning before the revelation had been written down, and even Diocletian (284 to 305 C.E.) ruling two centuries after the writing of Revelation, are reflected in John's writing.

One question. If portions of Revelation pertain to Nero and Domitian's reigns, both of whom reigned before the writing of Revelation, but is about the future, how is that contradiction resolved? Part of the problem is that we don't know if there was a time gap between the vision and the writing of Revelation. Current scholarship believes that John was exiled to Patmos, where he received the vision which resulted in Revelation, during the reign of Domitian. But it is not out of the question that he was exiled during Nero's reign, as the Emperor was having other Christian leaders, including Paul and Peter, executed. If that is true, then the revelation was written as a vision about the immediate future. And the primary purpose of Revelation was to remind the emerging church that just because they are suffering persecution doesn't mean that God is no longer in control, a message that revelation makes very clear.

But history repeats itself, which means that even if portions of revelation reflected John's reality, it is also about our future, making it an important document. And one that we need to contemplate slowly, allowing the images to wash over us, making us see, like the work of art that it is.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 2

Personal Note: Happy birthday to my Wife, Nelda

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. – 3 John 9

Today's Scripture Reading (May 27, 2021):  2 & 3 John

In "Pride and Prejudice," Jane Austin writes about the difference between pride and vanity. "Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." Given this definition, pride might be helpful under certain circumstances, but vanity is always problematic.

I would love to argue that vanity is not a problem for the Christian Church, but that would not be the truth. The church is made up of humans, and so, invariability, we all worry a little about what people think of us, our vanity. And for some, it is more than a little. The church exists as a political structure, with people working hard to get into what they believe are positions of power. They try to climb the hierarchical ladder and campaign to be elected to the right denominational boards.

Several years ago, I attended an interdenominational prayer meeting. It started as a prayer time over a specific issue but quickly devolved into a prophecy session. A group of men, they were all men, went around the room picking out particular people, who they then prayed over, and the prayer was followed by a prophecy of what the future held. As this process got underway, I looked around the room and discovered that my boss had left the meeting. And if the boss was gone, I figured that this might be a good time for me to make my escape. I was just about to leave when the group spotted me and decided to make me their next victim. Maybe it was supposed to be an honor, but it didn't feel that way at the time. And I have always been more comfortable working behind the scenes, much to the frustration of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

The men descended on me, placed hands on me, prayed for me, and then prophesied flowery things about my future. Then they moved on, like a plague of locusts to another fertile spot in the room. And with everyone's attention distracted, I left the meeting.

I remember walking down an empty hallway outside of the meeting hall as one group member disengaged from their current victim to chase after me. He had a question he needed me to answer. "Did we get it right when we prophesied over you?" I was confused. If God had given you the message, then it was right. Why do you need me to confirm what God has told you? But the truth was that vanity was at work. It wasn't the prophecy that was important, but that I thought well of this person and the rest of his little group. He needed to be first.

John's letter is essentially a comparison of two men. An excellent example of the faith is encapsulated by Gaius, who Paul loves in truth (3 John 1). But the bad example is seen in Diotrephes, who loves to be first (3 John 9). Diotrephes was vain, and because of his vanity, he refused to welcome Paul into his fellowship. He would not allow anyone whose light might shine brighter than his own to come into his presence. How he was received was more important than the gospel, and that was a problem.

The story of Diotrephes is a cautionary tale that we need to hear because people do not respond well to our vanity. Instead, they need to know how much we love God and each other and that whatever it takes to further the gospel is what we need to do. I am second, and I need to remember that and not love "being first."

Maybe that is precisely what Wesley meant in his Covenant Prayer, written in 1780. He begins with the assertion that "I am no longer my own, but thine" but then moves on to say, "Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee." God, let there be no vanity in me, no need to be thought well of by other people or be first. Just let me do as you need me to do, even if what you need of me is to sit on the sideline and be a cheerleader for others.

We need that to be a description of us, and not that we were a Diotrephes who needed to be first.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 1

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. – 1 John 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (May 26, 2021): 1 John 5

One of the criticisms that have emerged out of the racial dance occurring in the United States is that the law, as it is currently written, is for the protection of white people. Now, admittedly, I am a Caucasian male, so the law is for my benefit by definition. If that is true, then it should be a red warning sign telling us that something is dreadfully wrong. If the law places a different burden on different groups of people, then it cannot be good. I also strongly believe in the adage that justice is blind. It has to be. It cannot see race or gender, it does not know religion or sexual orientation, and if it does, it is not just. Any law that benefits one race over another, or one economic class over another, is corrupt. And therefore, it is a law that must be torn down to its foundation and rebuilt.

This is precisely the discussion that is taking place in our culture. "Defund the Police" is an unfortunate battle cry in the fight because, for some, it sounds like an invitation to societal anarchy. But that is not really what we mean. What we want is for the police to be expanded and made more diverse. We want the police to include social workers and psychologists. The argument behind "Defund the Police" is that not every problem requires the same hammer, in this case, a gun. Different issues require a different set of tools. And, unfortunately, the police seem to be monolithic; they exist with only one set of tools, one gun, to fix all of our societal ills.

But the bigger problem is the law itself. If it is for the protection of the Caucasian, then it doesn't matter how we shape the police because the law itself is an issue. And before we can fix it, we need to understand what the law is supposed to do.

The law in any society should protect the people, all of the people. It is not supposed to be a burden; the law is written for our protection. No one, not even the police, should have a right to make our lives harder or to instill fear. No one has a right to cause injury or death to someone else. The law exists to put a layer of protection around us and to keep us relatively healthy. The only things that should be illegal are things that cause us harm or hold us back from being the best we can be.

The unfortunate reality is that human law seldom does any of these things. Our national laws benefit the rich over the poor, the powerful over those without power, one race over others, and sometimes one religious group over another. And all of this makes the law illegal.

The author of Hebrews says that God's law is not burdensome. The intent of the words is not that the law is easy, allowing us to do whatever we want, but that it exists for our protection, to make our lives better. It is something of which human laws consistently fall short. The laws of the Pharisees were so intrusive that they made life harder, and unless you were able to devote your life to law, you could not keep the law. But that was not the way that God's law was designed. God's law was not burdensome, and therefore it could be done as our response of love to God.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 & 3 John

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:11

Today's Scripture Reading (May 25, 2021): 1 John 4

At home, in one of our bathrooms, there is a slow drain. It is never really stopped, at least not often, but it is often slow. And I have tried many things to get that drain to flow, including, unfortunately, harsh chemicals. Sometimes it works, freeing the drain at least for a short time. But the clog returns. The problem is that if the drain doesn't flow, then it is useless. Draining is what it is designed to do. It is supposed to take all of that dirty, disgusting water away from me when I am finished with it. Most of us have experienced a plugged drain, or toilet, at some point in our lives. Sometimes, when it is stopped, we can fix the drain with a plunger, or, sometimes, it takes strong chemicals. And sometimes, you have to spend some real money and hire a professional to fix the problem—all to get something to work the way it was designed.

John writes that because God loves us, we should love each other. God's love is supposed to flow through us, his church, to a world that needs to experience that kind of love. Essentially, we are the pipe. But instead of being the pipe that drains away the disgusting by-product of our lives, we are the pipe that funnels the positive love of God into the world.

But you don't have to look too closely to discover that there is a problem. Too often, our pipes are clogged, and the love of God isn't getting through. When that happens in our homes, all of that dirty water threatens to flow into places where we don't want it. But that doesn't seem to be our problem. Instead of the church being flooded with God's love, we seem to reject God's love before it ever reaches us; we block the pipe carrying God's love before we even get to experience it. And since we do not know the love of God, we cannot pass it on.

John's message begins with the apostle begging his audience to receive the love of God. And then, once it is received, to pass it on to those around us. It was a message that Jesus tried to pass on to his disciples "on the night he was betrayed." As the disciples gathered to celebrate the Passover, he took a towel and wrapped it around his waist and began to wash the disciples' feet. And when he had finished the task, he offered this explanation.

"Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:12b-17).

We are loved. As God's children, his love flows through us. We need to be open to that love, removing whatever blockage there might be that has stopped the flow of love into our communities. But that cannot be the end of the process. Once it flows to us, it has to flow through us to the world. After all, we are just the conduit that carries God's love to the world.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 John 5

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. – 1 John 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 24, 2021): 1 John 3

In "The Warden and the Wolf King," Andrew Peterson writes, "Love runs stronger than blood. Deeper than any name you could give me." This kind of love is the core concept behind the story of adoption, and this love is part of the miracle that takes place every time a couple takes a child who is not their own, as their own. It is not a blood connection that allows us to love; it is something different and undefinable. The beauty of adoption is that someone makes a choice to love, and the fact that we can love is what allows adoption to work. Peterson is right; love can run stronger than blood, which is a truth that is played out daily in homes all across the nation.

John is stressing that God has chosen us to be his children. We are born of him, but he also adopts us. He chose us. And just as it is love that binds adopted children to their new parents, it is love that binds us to God and the reason why our Father works hard to ensure that nothing will separate us from him. Love is the blood that flows through our veins, connecting us to God.

That concept that we are the children of God is not an idea that is original to John. It is something that has been testified to by many voices. Paul says that God himself testifies that we are his children. "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:18). The author of Hebrews says that the Son of God affirms that we are the children of God. "Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters" (Hebrews 2:11). Paul again affirms that the Holy Spirit also confirms that we are God's children. "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:16-17).

We are God's children, and while John might not be espousing an original idea, there is a significant change in our relationship with God in the Christian era. Pastor David Guzik phrases the difference this way.  

In this, we gain something in Jesus Christ greater than Adam ever possessed. We never once read of Adam being called one of the children of God in the sense John means here. He was never adopted as a son of God in the way believers are. We err when we think of redemption as merely a restoration of what was lost with Adam; we are granted more in Jesus than Adam ever had.

We have a privilege that Adam never experienced. We are the children of God in every sense of the word. And that God's love that flows directly from him to us is the seal on that promise.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 John 4

Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. – 1 John 2:10

Today's Scripture Reading (May 23, 2021): 1 John 2

It is a car commercial, but the commercial never mentions the car, at least not verbally. You see pictures of the car about halfway through the advertisement, the name of the vehicle appears at the very end, but the words have nothing to with the automobile in question. Instead, the car manufacturer chose to run the words of Emmanuel Acho.

Because everything great is birthed through discovery, it's time to get uncomfortable … Once we get past our differences, that's when we find empathy because real empathy knows no age, no color, no gender. Real empathy says, "Hey. I see you, I feel you, I hear you, I understand you. I may not be you, but I love you. And that's what truly matters."

I love those last words. "Hey. I see you, I feel you, I hear you, I understand you. I may not be you, but I love you. And that's what truly matters."

John returns to his theme of walking and being in the light. And this time, he defines the idea of "light" a little further. Living in the light means loving our brothers and our sisters. And when we love, we are in the light, and then there is nothing hidden in the darkness that can make us stumble. But when we don't love, there is nothing to drive away the darkness.

Maybe the next question is, "who is our brother and sister?" And I think the answer, for Jesus, might be the same one that he gave to the expert in the law who asked, "who is my neighbor?" In his response, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. I think we sometimes miss the importance of this story because it is about a historical conflict. Samaritans mean nothing to us, but to Jesus's audience, they were both hated and feared. It would be like a modern Jew was rescued by a radicalized Muslim soldier or an LGBTQ activist being saved by a fundamental Christian believer. The Good Samaritan story is about opposites, whoever it is with whom you just can't imagine ever being on the same side. That person is your neighbor. And they are also your brothers and sisters.

Living in the light means loving them. It means getting to the point where we can sincerely say, "Hey. I see you, I feel you, I hear you, I understand you. I may not be you, but I love you." And our news broadcasts reveal how far we are away from that moment. This is about race, but at the same time, it is not just about race. It is about wherever we find division. Whenever we feel the need to exclude, we should hear the words of John, encouraging us that "anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble."

Doesn't sin matter? Of course, it does, but the Christian way of confronting sin is always by loving those in darkness. There is nothing in the parable of the Good Samaritan that tells us that both of the people were good, other than the behavior of the Samaritan. But I don't think either the injured Jew or the helpful Samaritan were ever the same again. Now they were connected by a sacrificial act, and that act bridged the difference in belief.

We need to go out in the light and build those bridges, confronting sin by including those who believe differently in our world. And if we do that, we will change our world, and the light will spread.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 John 3

 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

Today's Scripture Reading (May 22, 2021): 1 John 1

Charlie Peacock wrote the song in 1991. DC Talk featured the song on their 1995 album, "Jesus Freak." The song is about the war that goes on inside of us between who we are and who we want to be. There is always a gap between our aspirations and reality, and that gap makes us very uncomfortable. For the Christian, it should drive us toward being more like Christ. Peacock wrote these words.

I want to be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I want to shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

I can't help but sing the song whenever I read through 1 John 1:7. It is here that John clearly says that the relationship we have with God will be reflected, not only in our behavior but in our interactions with each other.

Now, let me pause here because I can hear the voice of some of my friends, maybe you, arguing that this is why we need to get tough on sin. And I agree. Our behavior should reflect him if we are walking in the light. But whenever I get self-righteous on the issue, I am confronted by the behavior of Jesus. Jesus didn't shun those who were not in the light. He didn't tell the Samaritan woman at the well that unless she got her act together, she would remain in darkness. To the woman caught in the act of adultery, he said that the one who was without sin should throw the first stone. (Yes, he did tell her to go and sin no more, but that seems to be the exception, it is one of two times during his ministry when he uttered those words, even though we seem to like to think it was the rule.) When Peter denied him in Jerusalem, he met him on the banks of the Sea of Galilee and reinstated him. When Thomas doubted him, he came to his doubting disciple giving him a reason to believe. Jesus's message was never, "Come to the light or die in darkness." He seemed to make every effort to take the light into dark places. He never seemed to give up on them, welcoming them into his fellowship even when their behavior was far from what he desired. And that is good news because it means that he hasn't given up on me either.

So, what does that mean for me? And my conscience keeps coming back to the idea that if I am walking in the light, reflecting the behavior of Jesus, I am carrying that light into some dark places. And I am sharing my light with people who may believe differently than me. Walking in the light means not giving up on those in darkness.

Going back to Charlie Peacocks lyrics,     

I want to be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I want to shine like the stars in the heavens

You never see the stars during the day. To "shine like the stars in the heavens" means I am shining in the places where night is dominating. Of course, that is precisely what Jesus did, so why would I expect that my reality should be anything different.

Go and be the light wherever it is that life takes you today. Be the light, as he is in the light. And we will have fellowship together, reflecting him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 John 2

 

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. – Jude 1:3

Today's Scripture Reading (May 21, 2021): Jude 1

In his book, "Habits of the Heart," Robert Bellah and his colleagues describe what they think is the most common religious experience in North America. It is summed up by the testimony of a young nurse named Sheila Larson. "I believe in God. I'm not a religious fanatic. I can't remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It is 'Sheilaism.' Just my own little voice." We have become an individualistic society, and we have remade our religion in our image. Religion is nothing more than what we think is right and what we believe is wrong. And the ultimate definition of faith is found inside of us and not in any outside force or belief.

The result is a very individualistic church. And one that is willing to believe almost anything. Our churches have become a mixture of Christian beliefs mixed with elements of the occult. Some Christians read their horoscopes. Many love some, but not all. Whatever it is that feels right now must be the place toward which the Spirit is leading us. But ultimately, it means that the idea of sacrifice for our faith is entirely absent. We no longer believe that we have to be uncomfortable with parts of our belief system. Everything is what we think is right.

Jude says that he had intended to write "about the salvation we share." But it is not shared because it is easy, but because we all came to salvation in the same way, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There isn't one way for some and another way for others. A recent denominational communication asked a question; is there something that binds us together besides a health plan and maybe a similar standing on hot-topic issues? The letter bothered me because those are not the things that bind us together. If all we are is a community that takes a stand against abortion, gay marriage, and the role of women in the church, then we are no longer Christian, but something less. We are one as a denomination only because, as member churches, we are willing to say that Jesus is Lord! The presence of Jesus in our lives, and therefore in our churches, is what binds us together and what defines what is right and what is sin. The result is that I can stand in disagreement with Christian brothers and sisters because I know that Christ is in them. We are one in his shared love.

That was what Jude wanted to write about, but something changed his mind. Instead, he needed to write about our defense of the faith. Jude uses the word contend, but it carries the meaning of agonize for the faith. Stand up for the faith, even if it hurts you. Jude intends that we will be a community, standing together even through our hurts and differences, defending the cause of Christ because he is what matters; he is the one who transforms us into his Holy People.

There are many differences within the Christian community. But there is at least one thing that we share. And we will agonize, living sacrificial lives in defense of him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 John 1

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrew 13:8

Today's Scripture Reading (May 20, 2021): Hebrews 13

Thomas Bertram Lance is thought to be the one who came up with the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." At the time, Lance was the Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Jimmy Carter presidency. Lance was convinced that the United States could save billions of dollars if they would just stop tinkering with things that weren't broke. Lance declared, "that's the trouble with government: Fixing things that aren't broken and not fixing things that are broken." 

I want to say that we live in a changing world. The world around us is changing faster than it ever has before. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" might have made sense in the past, but I am not sure that it works anymore because we seem to be continually reinventing the future. And it has become a problem for the worship of the church. For the older generations, there is a love for the stability of the past and the hymns written by prior generations. But for younger worshippers, the conversation around church music often includes the phrase "shelf life." Songs are no longer permanent. Some music may have more extended periods of use than others, but all music seems to wear out. As a result, there is a continual drive to develop more music, music that can replace the worn-out songs of only a few years ago. One young woman once admitted that she had a closet full of CDs from which she no longer gets any enjoyment. And as she spoke, my mind traveled to what I have been listening to from my Spotify account. It is the same music that I was listening to as a teenager; Supertramp, Aerosmith, and Styx still feature prominently, among others, in my playlists.

I want to say that we live in a changing world, but if there is something that Thomas Bertram Lance discovered decades ago, it is that we like to tinker with things. We always have. Change is part of what it means to be human or not God. Maybe the pace of change has been enhanced in recent times, but it has always been a part of who we are.

That is why we need the stability that can only come from God. It is an old idea. Moses, in numbers, says that –

God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill (Numbers 23:19)?

Part of the nature of God is that he will do what he says he will do. When he speaks, he acts. When he promises something, he follows through on the promise.

In Psalm 102, the psalmist clings to this promise. Written during the Babylonian exile, possibly by Daniel, Nehemiah, or even Jeremiah, the author looks at the city of Jerusalem lying in ruins and laments about everything that has changed. But amid this lament, he clings to this hope; "But you remain the same, and your years will never end (Psalm 102:27)."

And as the author of Hebrews finishes the letter, it is that assertion he or she wants to make. Everything might be changing on the outside, but Jesus is not changing. Because he is God, he remains the same today as he was yesterday, and he will be the same in the changing tomorrow as he is today. In a changing world, he is the stability that we need.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jude 1

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my daughter-in-law, Michelle.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. – Hebrews 12:14

Today's Scripture Reading (May 19, 2021): Hebrews 12

Charles Spurgeon argued that "Unholy Christians are the plague of the church. They are spots in our feasts of charity. Like hidden rocks, they are the terror of navigators. It is hard to steer clear of them: and there is no telling what wrecks they may cause." Spurgeon's words hit home with me. I know of many people in my circle of acquaintance who have been wrecked on the rocks of "unholy Christians." Unholy Christians maintain grudges, seldom forgive, and often act selfishly against the interests of others. It is rare when an unholy Christian reacts with compassion or draws the one who has been cast out into the community. I believe that unholy Christians are the most significant reason for people leaving the church. Brennan Manning is right. "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

Hebrews makes two arguments here. The first is that, as people who follow Christ, we should "make every effort to live in peace with everyone." The words are important. They are not "make every effort to live in peace with people who believe like you" or "make every effort to live in peace with people who behave like you." And there is a reason for that. We live in a world that has a spectrum of beliefs. We worship differently and often believe in different things, even if we follow the same God. But regardless of that division, we are to make every effort to live in peace.

I am a Baptist. That means that, among other things, I think that Baptism is essential. But I have changed denominations in my life. I grew up in the Church of the Nazarene, and Nazarene's emphasize spiritual or biblical holiness. Opponents of Christianity make a lot of these artificial divisions. But what is impressive to some is that nothing has changed in my belief structure. When I was a Nazarene, I believed in the importance of Baptism. And as a Baptist, I believe in the importance of biblical holiness. In fact, I know people who have been Baptist all their lives who believe in the incredible importance of holiness.

Even if that was not true, we are still to live in peace with each other. But that peace does not stop there. We are to live at peace with people who are outside of the faith. We are to make every effort to live at peace with everyone.

But the second command is "be holy." It is just another way of saying that we are to live lives that have been set apart for God. Maybe I don't want to get along with a particular person, or I think that someone is tedious and, therefore, below my notice. But I am set apart for God, which means that if someone is important to God, then they are important to me.

The reality is that these two concepts are intimately connected. Because I have been set apart for God, the petty differences present between people in this world are unimportant. "Christ in me" reminds me of the importance of every person I meet, and therefore I will make every effort to live in peace with them. And if I don't make every effort to live in peace, then I am not set apart for God, and I am unholy.

If unholy Christians are the "greatest single cause of atheism," then holy Christians are the single greatest cause for hope. When we are set apart for God and make every effort to live in peace with everyone, we can make this world a better place and positively impact our culture everywhere that this journey through life might take us.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13