Candle & Quill

Migrating Season...

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:50:00 +0000

After 4 years of blogging on blogspot, I've decided to migrate to a better platform! As of now, you will find me at the following addresses:

http://candlequill.wordpress.com/

For the articles dealing with faith, Bible Study, and life from a Christian perspective.

http://cuppanatter.wordpress.com/

This second site is dedicated to anything and everything to do with food, ingredients, cuisine, recipes, the nuts and bolts of hosting, and tips and tricks around the house. If you enjoy cooking, eating, and trying new things, then welcome! Come into my kitchen and have a seat at the bar with a cuppa – let’s have a natter!

https://stephaniehuesler.com/

The stuff that makes writing wonderful, difficult, beautiful and sublime. You’ll find articles here covering aspects of grammar, linguistics, etymology, and the bare bones of writing English, as well as the fun side of writing – results!

https://historyundusted.wordpress.com/

This blog does just what the title implies: I find obscure stories in history, and dust them off for the unsuspecting public.

Please head on over to my new homes, check out the new blogs, and "like" as well as sign up for new posts! I'll be closing out this blog soon, so that I can start fresh in the new year at the new address. Thanks for coming with me on this journey called life!

A Short Note

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Hello friends.

I'm sure that, like me, you are currently being flooded with end-year letters, Christmas cards, e-mail updates and missions news from friends and family around the globe. And if you're like me, you're also preparing for Christmas and all that it entails: Baking, writing Christmas cards, and getting the house and kitchen ready for Christmas dinner with family. For us the new year will start off with a flight to Berlin for a conference; after that I will begin the steps necessary toward publishing my first novel. There are a lot of variables to consider, but a large part of that is web presence, especially since it will be a e-book. Because of that, in the new year my blog will most likely change forms, and change sites. I will be focusing my spare time into setting up that new home, and will let you know here as soon as it is ready for visitors.

In the meantime, I want to wish you a blessed Christmas season; may you be with family and / or friends, and find a warm place to rest your hearts. May the New Year bring blessings, success in the things you put your hands to, and new vision for your lives and callings, giftings and talents.

Blessings, and Merry Christmas!
Stephanie

Social Issues of Healing

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 03:58:00 +0000

Matthew 9:18-26

Two stories intertwined, of a dead girl and a sick woman. This account is covered in more detail in both Mark 5 and Luke 8; so why did Matthew include them here, in such a condensed form? It’s an eye-witness confirmation of the other two reports; but more importantly, it’s an account of Jesus’ personalized dealings with a woman, and a girl. In keeping with Matthew’s emphasis on the universality of the Gospel, he highlights the Lord’s dealings in four social issues:

1) The issue of death: The touching of, or association with, a corpse meant that one became unclean for the duration of seven days (Numbers 19:11), and there was a complicated ritual of cleansing with water and ash. Not just any ash, but that of a red heifer (not sacrificial bull), killed outside of the camp (for the full details, see Numbers 19). The ashes of this practice were symbolic of the acts of the coming Messiah, who would be sacrificed (crucified) outside of the city, offered vinegar wine (wine of the common man) to drink on a wooden stick with hyssop (See John 19:17, 29; Numbers 19:6; Psalm 51:7), and the scarlet blood of the Lamb of God would flow for their sins (John 1:29, Revelation 5:12). Jesus’ very act of raising the girl to life is a Messianic message of life.

2) The issue of illness: Again, the touching of, or association with, an unclean person – anyone suffering from illness, disease or disability – meant that one became unclean oneself. The woman’s faith compelled her to take that social risk; it was risking being called to account because if Jesus realized he’d been defiled, it would have required him, according to the law of Moses, to go to great expense and trouble for purification (see Leviticus 5:2-6). When Jesus called out to know who had touched him, she shrank in fear – would her faith be rewarded by public humiliation? Would it now cause inconvenience to Jesus and those near him who would therefore be required to pay for sacrifices and cleansing? Matthew was illustrating, through recording Jesus’ reaction to the woman, that he as the sacrificial Lamb himself had the power not only to forgive, but cleanse and heal.

3, 4) The issues of gender and age: In the culture of Jesus’ day, the two lowest on the social totem pole were women and children, especially girls. The disciples reaction in Mark 10 reflects the mentality of the day – why would a rabbi waste his time with children? Or why would he bother speaking to a woman at a well, and a Samaritan to boot (John 4)? Yet he did – not only spoke with them and took time with them, he met their individual needs. He raised a dead girl to life; and he healed a woman who’d spent all she had on doctors, to no avail (Mark 5:26). With her faith intact despite 12 years of isolation and illness, she reached out to touch and was touched herself by a miracle.

Each of the people in these two stories had to overcome doubt and fear to reach out and be touched by God. We face the same challenges, the same human weaknesses. Their stories encourage us to reach out to Jesus and allow ourselves to be touched by him.

Up Next: Against the Flow

Old Patches & New Wine Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:46:00 +0000

When was the last time you had to choose between an old goat skin and a new one? Read on to find out why it’s important to your life.

Matthew 9:14-17

I love visually expressive writing – those passages or phrases that paint images in the mind’s eye. These four short verses are packed with powerful images, and yet each of them can be a bit vague, or insignificant to most modern readers. I mean, when was the last time you made wine and had to decide whether to put it into an old goat skin to ferment, or a new one? Or when was the last time you sewed a patch of cloth to a torn garment? Nevertheless, this passage holds vivid and profound truth for our walk with Jesus. Let’s take a look at the three images:

John the Baptist’s disciples asked Jesus why his disciples didn’t fast, when they and the Pharisees did. Perhaps they were fasting because John had been imprisoned (Matthew 4:12), and wondered why Jesus, John’s cousin, wasn’t fasting with his own disciples, or why they hadn’t yet seen fasting practiced by them. Ancient practice and literature regularly assumed that teachers were accountable for the behaviour of their disciples; thus the question to Jesus about his disciples’ practice. [For more on the subject of fasting, please see “The Lost Art of Fasting”]. Jesus’ reply was three-fold, given in parable forms:

Image of the Bridegroom: Jewish weddings were times of celebration, so much so that they could last an entire week. When the wedding party of Cana (John 2:1-11) ran out of wine it was disastrous – not only for the party, but for the couple and their families as a tremendous social embarrassment. I think it’s significant that Jesus’ first miracle was turning that water into wine: Not only was it a simple act of compassion on the wedding family, but also the Bridegroom of Matthew 9 displayed his glory for the earthly bridegroom of John 2, signifying the future bridegroom, Christ, with his bride the Church. Please take a moment to read the following passages: Joel 3:18; Revelation 21:2-4; Isaiah 25:6-9. Not only was Jesus to be the Bridegroom, he would also be the Kinsman-Redeemer for his bride, for without his sacrifice in death there could be no bride of the resurrection... He died to give life to his Bride. And when that moment of death would come, there would be a period of mourning (see also Mark 16:10).

A New Patch on an Old Garment: I will say firstly that it took days of research to find commentary on verse 16; it’s as if commentators were reluctant to approach any kind of explanation; they usually just skipped verse 16 altogether to describe the verses that have been described before. That’s not satisfactory to my inquisitive mind, so I would like to offer you the following explanation: The Law of Moses only had one required corporate fast – the fast of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29, 31); after the Babylonian exile four more fasts were added (Zechariah 8:19), and by the time of Jesus the Pharisees fasted twice a week. The fasts referred to in this verse were not demanded in the law of the Old Covenant; they were rather part of their contemporary religious traditions. So the question of John’s disciples seems to me to be more based on religious assumptions – accepted religious practice of the time – than on the Old Covenant given by God. This parable is addressing the error of Syncretism (the blending of different religions, cultures or schools of thought): Jesus was teaching and preaching the New Covenant... the Kingdom of God’s principles; it is not compatible with the old ways of doing things (the accepted religious practices), and to try to amalgamate them would cause more harm than good in the end. If his new teachings were patched onto the old ways, it would distort the truth. The old, religious ways must be completely replaced by the new, not patched up to use further (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). Jesus’ disciples are not bound to him by ordinances of religion or religious practices, but by relationship.

New Wine in Old Wine Skins: Wine skins were made out of the cured hide of animals – goat, sheep or some other domestic animal that was used for meat products. The leather would be cured and tanned to prepare it for use in a variety of ways, including as wine- and water-skins. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, a substance from oak trees, which is still used in the wine-making process today to give red wines their unique flavours. When it was ready to receive the liquid content, the skin was supple, and a bit elastic; so once new wine had been poured into it, the skin would stretch as the young wine went through its fermentation process, the wine soaking up the tannin, and the skins becoming brittle as a result. This parable underscores the same message as that of the new cloth on old garments: If you try to put the new message into the old container of religion, as the new matures and expands the old won’t be able to keep up with it, and both will become ineffective and useless.

The Wine of the New Covenant was global; inclusive of anyone who believed. Such a message would never have matured if it had been held within the confines of the old ways. The Mosaic Law and Abramic covenant was essentially interpreted by the Jews as an exclusive arrangement between them and God; this attitude made them complacent in their relationship to God on many occasions (e.g. Amos 6:1), and often arrogant toward anyone not born of Abraham (Matthew 3:7-10). But Genesis 12:2-3 speaks clearly of a global message, and yet it was only inaugurated after the resurrection of Jesus.

The implications for our own lives are evident. Are there areas where you’ve allowed social standards or religious traditions to dictate or interpret the message and impact of the Gospel in your life? The more we come to understand God’s character through reading his Word and fellowship with him, the more we will be able to discern the creeping effects of worldly values, and allow God to guide us to a right understanding and living out of his principles.

Up Next: Social Issues of Healing

[Due to the amount of scripture references I use, and the issue of possible copyright infringement should I exceed the allowed limit of 500 verses, I will no longer be quoting the verses in full in the blog; please take the time to read along with your Bible, or an online source. Thank you for your understanding!]

Guerrilla Evangelism

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 02:23:00 +0000

Guerrilla tactics are suited for small mobile groups using the element of surprise. They use geographical features to their advantage. Spontaneity and flexibility are key to their success... whatever is needed to reach the goal. If you know anything about the ministry of Jesus, that description will sound very familiar.

Matthew 9:9-13 [i]

Matthew’s tax (customs / toll) booth probably sat along the major international roads that ran through Capernaum, west from Damascus to the Mediterranean coast, then south to Egypt. And doing what he did, Levi was considered an outcast by the Jews, the dregs of society. His ilk was expelled from the synagogue; they weren’t counted as valid judges or witnesses. And their families were ostracized by extension, the disgrace of one reflecting on the whole family. They were traitors working for the occupying force of the Romans.

Now here comes Jesus, the people’s choice teacher, miracle worker and Messiah. Levi had probably heard a lot of talk about him, reports and rumours as people passed by. And Jesus called him to “follow” – he was asked by a master to become a pupil, which was a great honour in the Jewish culture. Though no one could have guessed it at the time, it would eventually mean the restoration of everything and more for Matthew: Not only access to the temple, but to the Holy of Holies through Jesus. Not only witness, but first of the four greatest witnesses read throughout history. Not only judge (1 Corinthians 6:2 [ii]), but one of the twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:14 [iii]).

Matthew’s response says it all: “He got up and followed him.” He left behind his detestable and lucrative job; he was spiritually hungry, and Jesus offered to fill him. Verse 10: In many ancient cultures of the time, having a guest into your home signified a mutual agreement to “announce” the friendship – it was a display of social ties, a bond of deep trust. It was a far more symbolic act then than now; the home was a private sphere, and to invite someone inside was to make one vulnerable. Levi not only invited Jesus and his disciples, but he invited those who would have contact with a traitor-Jew... the other outcasts of society. [It begs to be asked just what the Pharisees were doing there (most likely standing outside and looking in with the crowds that followed Jesus)... besides bashing people over the heads with the Torah...]

Jesus replied to their implicit criticism with an implicit quote from Hosea 6:6: “For I desire mercy not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” It was not only a clear and direct rebuttal and rebuke, but by quoting Hosea he was implying the whole message of Hosea to their Jewish mindset, and they knew it. Hosea was married to a prostitute, which was in turn a symbolic reference to the apostate Jewish nation... The self-righteous (they) are blind to their own sins and their need to repent; but sinners are not only aware of their mistakes, but usually hungry for a second chance. And Jesus is Lord of second chances. He had come to heal and forgive, not pat the duplicitous on the back.

Jesus’ tactics were guerrilla: Choosing to associate with the outcasts – that certainly had the element of surprise; using geographical features to his advantage (e.g. Mark 4:1[iv]); many of Jesus’ parables and teachings and lessons were determined by the situations he was in at the moment. For Jesus it wasn’t about popularity, but about being a medic in the trenches, the one to go in and pull out the wounded from the firing range. He pulled the likes of Matthew the tax collector out of the firing range of religion and restored him to relationship with God as apostle. He still does that today.

Up Next: Old Patches and New Wineskins

[i] Matthew 9:9-13 (NIV)

⁹As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

[ii] 1 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)

²Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?

[iii] Revelation 21:14 (NIV)

¹⁴The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

[iv] Mark 4:1 (NIVUK)

¹ Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered round him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.

The Showdown (The Dividing Power of Forgiveness)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:32:00 +0000

A showdown was about to take place: Religious leaders looking for a fight, versus the Messiah they claimed to be looking for. Guess who wins.

Matthew 9v1-8 [i]

Jesus had crossed over the Sea of Galilee for a single event [ii], and then returned to Capernaum (4:13 [iii]). Friends of a paralyzed man took the chance and brought him to Jesus. We have no way of knowing their history together; but in a small town, it’s likely that they grew up together; perhaps the injury happened because of something they did together. Whatever the situation, we do know three things: They had faith enough to bring him to Jesus; the friend was paralyzed; and he needed forgiveness. Being lame, his body was considered diseased, and he was shut out of the temple, of religious life... he couldn’t even offer a sin offering to God. But Jesus saw their (collective) faith and responded with forgiveness. “Take heart son; your sins are forgiven.”

Blasphemy was the worst heresy to the Jewish religious philosophy. In their theology not even the Messiah could forgive sins (Mark2:7 [iv])! In Leviticus 24:16 [v], the Mosaic Law called for death by stoning for blasphemy against God. Jesus was claiming divinity when he forgave the man; and he knew it. And they knew it. They thought Jesus therefore deserved death – it was the only theological response to someone usurping God’s authority. Their thoughts probably went to the how and when. [Don’t you find it odd that, though the Jewish leaders didn’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah, they followed him everywhere, almost as much as his own disciples?] In their thoughts of how to carry out the law, though they couldn’t see it, they were contemplating murder of an innocent person. And so Jesus challenged them for “entertaining evil thoughts”!

Which is easier? Spiritual restoration, or miraculous physical healing? Neither. Both are only possible through the power and authority of God. What if the Jewish sceptics hadn’t been present? Would Jesus have healed the man physically? His main focus was the man’s spiritual restoration. I can imagine that, to the man & his friends, that was the biggest relief. “Take heart son” was infinitely more precious to him than “get up”.

Verse 6 says, “but so that you know...” The Son of Man is a phrase relating to the Messiah as far back as Daniel 7:13-14 [vi]; so the Jewish leaders knew he was referring to himself in the context of Daniel’s vision, in all its glory, as Messiah. The physical healing was witness to the truth that Jesus, as Messiah, was God. Jesus then spoke simply to the man; and he obeyed. Against all logic, the paralyzed man not only tried to get up... the miracle is that he succeeded. I can imagine the tumult that broke out at that moment, and the weeks to come: He walked home... and through the door of his house for the first time in a long time. And his friends were right behind him all the way, praising God for his great mercies! The crowds at Capernaum probably talked about that showdown healing for years! Every time they saw that man or his friends, they were reminded that Jesus really is Lord, Messiah, God.

Up Next: Guerrilla Evangelism

[i] Matthew 9:1-8 (NIV)

¹Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. ²Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

³At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

⁴Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷Then the man got up and went home. ⁸When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

[ii] Matthew 8:28-34 (NIV)

²⁸When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,^[a] two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

³⁰Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

³²He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

[iii] Matthew 4:13 (NIV)

¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali...

[iv] Mark 2:7 (NIV)

⁷“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

[v] Leviticus 24:16 (NIVUK)

¹⁶anyone who uses the name of the Lord blasphemously is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they use the Name blasphemously they are to be put to death.

[vi] Daniel 7:13-14 (NIVUK)

¹³‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,^[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Pigs With Impact

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:57:00 +0000

[I’ve gotten feedback that, since some read this exclusively on email rather than clicking through to the site or the provided scripture links, it would be more convenient to include the scriptures entirely; I’ve added them as endnotes to the text this time. Please let me know if this works better than the previous format. I appreciate your feedback!]

Who could imagine that a short excursion across the lake and back would impact an entire community? Through pigs. Jesus had a divine appointment, and not even a storm could stop him.

Matthew 8:28-34 [i]

The event recorded here is also recorded in more detail in Mark 5:1-17 [ii]; whether one man (who probably did the speaking for both in Mark) or two men as recorded here, the fact is that they were demon-possessed, and famously out of control; people couldn’t even use that road because of their violence. They had become so violent that not even chains and shackles could subdue them. And that’s exactly where Jesus headed. Legions of demons had entered these men; what had their histories been to give the demonic realm so much room in their lives? No matter; their lives were about to change forever.

Jesus had just left Capernaum, had a nap on the boat in a raging storm, and as soon as this appointment in a graveyard was done, he headed straight back to Capernaum. In such a seemingly insignificant moment, he not only delivered the men and sent a legion of demons to a watery abyss, but more importantly he brought the message of salvation to an entire town of gentiles!

In verse 29 [iii] it says that the demons recognized the authority and person of Jesus, the Son of God. They begged him not to torture them before the appointed time: In other words, fallen angels live with the knowledge of their rebellion and knowing that judgment day is coming; would that humans had that much awareness – how many would repent immediately if they knew the truth! Revelation 9:1-6 [iv] describes the abyss, the primeval deep created as an abode for and punishment place for those fallen angels who rebelled with Lucifer against God (see Isaiah 14:12-17 [v]; Revelation 12:7-9 [vi]). That place was never intended for human beings; but the verses in Revelation 9 hint that those who are not for God are against him – there is no neutral ground (Matthew 12:30 [vii]).

In verses 30-32 [viii] the demons tried to bargain with their judge – and lost. He did what they asked, but then “sent” them, trapped in pigs, to a watery abyss (and I can imagine that the people were too superstitious, or frightened by the supernatural events, to eat the meat of those drowned pigs; they most likely fished them out and burned the cadavers… a literal fire, symbolizing perhaps the eternal fire to come for those in judgment).

And now the pigs have impact: The first news to reach the town was from the panicked now-unemployed swine herders. The whole town was stirred up (it was most likely a communal herd) and they went out to meet Jesus; not one was unaffected by this catalyzing event. They were so frightened that they asked him (politely!) to leave their region (verse 34 [ix]). So why did he come? To drown pigs and scare off the locals?

Luke 8 [x] tells us that the man wanted to follow Jesus; but Jesus, a Jew, knew that the most effective witness would be one of their own (Gentile) town members, known to them, freed and healed, in their midst as a daily reminder… it would best prepare their hearts to be open for the whole message of the Gospel in the future.

Jesus is in the business of using catalysts to prepare our hearts for his work to come – working in our hearts, through our lives and with our obedience in relationship with him. What catalysts has he used in your life? And did you allow your heart to change, becoming more open and receptive to what he wanted to accomplish?

[i] Matthew 8:28-34 (NIV)

²⁸When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. ²⁹“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” ³⁰Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” ³²He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. ³³Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

[ii] Mark 5:1-17 (NIV)

¹They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. ⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” ⁹Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. ¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. ¹⁴Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

[iii] Matthew 8:29 (NIV)

²⁹“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

[iv] Revelation 9:1-6 (NIV)

¹ The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. ²When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. ³And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. ⁴They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. ⁶During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

[v] Isaiah 14:12-17 (NIV)

¹²How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! ¹³You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.¹⁴I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ¹⁵But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. ¹⁶Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, ¹⁷the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

[vi] Revelation 12:7-9 (NIV)

⁷Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

[vii] Matthew 12:30 (NIV)

³⁰“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

[viii] Matthew 8:30-32 (NIV)

³⁰Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. ³¹The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” ³²He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.

[ix] Matthew 8: 34 (NIV)

³⁴Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

[x] Luke 8:38-39 (NIV)

³⁸The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Up Next: The Showdown

Sleeping Through the Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:06:00 +0000

Without warning. That’s often the case with life’s challenges, isn’t it? And often we feel a bit like the disciples – forgotten by a sleeping God. But all is not as it seems.

Matthew 8:23-27

Verse 24 is a very apt description of life sometimes: “Without warning.” Suddenly a furious storm came up… but Jesus was sleeping. How could he, when his friends were in danger? Or were they? Don’t forget verse 23: Jesus got into the boat, and his disciples followed him. That’s the secret: If we’re following Jesus, if we know we’re where we’re supposed to be, then not only are we with the Master Planner, we’re with the one who will calm the seas raging around us. We’ll be able to weather the storms, and handle anything that comes along when we’re with Jesus.

This lake, also called the Sea of Galilee, sits in a basin surrounded by high hills and mountains. This geography funnels the cool Mediterranean currents down through those mountains’ narrow passes which then clash with the hot, dry desert air trapped over the sea, causing sudden and often violent storms. And suddenly their little boat was caught in just such a storm. Even those seasoned fishermen were afraid for their lives – they had natural experience enough to know that they were in real peril. But Jesus was teaching them a spiritual experience.

Jesus, exhausted, fell asleep on a cushion in the stern (Mark 4:38). His heart and mind were not concerned about physical danger because he knew who he was and where he was going (John 8:14 ). “Going” as in “to the cross” – this storm wasn’t his time to go, so he slept like a rock secure in that knowledge. It’s easy for us to stop at this point and think, “of course it was easy for him – he knew what was coming! But we’re different!” I’d like to challenge that assumption… excuse… whatever we label it.

Jesus knew because of his close prayer relationship to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; he wasn’t omniscient; he was working with the same length of stick that you and I have. As it says in Proverbs 29:18, “People without a vision perish...”. See also Romans 8:28-31; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. If we know what our purpose from God is in this life – if we have a vision – it puts everything else, including storms, into perspective. I’ll give you an example from my own life:

When I was seven, I gave my life to Jesus. Soon after two things happened: Firstly, I began having dreams and waking visions of Scotland: In these visions I saw an island of men wearing plaid “skirts” and I knew God was calling me to go there. Secondly, at the annual school medical exam I was diagnosed with scoliosis, later revised to a symptom (one of many) of Marfan’sSyndrome, a genetic growth syndrome. The rest of my childhood was overshadowed by medical treatments three times a week, along with increasing pain. As bad as it got, as dark as it got toward the climax at age 13 when I was finally able to undergo major surgeries (December), and even in death itself in the May before, like Jesus asleep in that boat, I trusted in God. In my childlike faith, I knew I hadn’t been to Scotland yet, so I wouldn’t perish – even when I died I knew it wasn’t the end – that I would return and fulfil God’s call for my life (Jeremiah 1:12). A song that accompanied me through that time, short and simple, is this:

“He did not bring us out this far to take us back again; He brought us out to take us into the promised land. Though there be giants in the land I will not be afraid, He brought us out to take us into the promised land.”

It took 13 years and 2 major surgeries to see that vision come to fruition. But I can honestly say that it was well worth the fight. I am who I am today not only because of the vision and the good things that have happened to me, but because of the storms that taught me that trust in God is my surest anchor.

I love verse 25: The disciples had to go and wake Jesus up. Think about that: The howling blast of the winds, the salt water tossing by the bucketful into the boat, and the roller coaster rocking weren’t enough to wake him! And they may not have had enough faith to see past the waves and wind, but they at least had enough sense and experience to go to the One who did.

James 1:5 teaches me that if I lack wisdom, ask of God who gives to all without finding fault – and gives generously! Because of that I don’t think Jesus’ tone in Matthew 8:26 was exasperated rebuke, but rather gentle reminder; and he immediately emphasized that reminder with action: He got up (responding to their request, not the storm), and simply rebuked it. The wind and waves became completely calm. Their rhetorical question of “who is this?” has been repeated down through the ages: How often do we theoretically know God answers prayer and still get surprised when it happens! We, like the disciples, are still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that Jesus is the sovereign Lord of all creation, God incarnate.

Up Next: Pigs with Impact

Fox Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:24:00 +0000

What do burning bridges have to do with fox holes? Read on to find out.

Daniel, of the Lion’s Den fame, saw a vision of the Messiah; Daniel 7:13,14 says: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, a coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In Matthew 8:18-22, Jesus wanted to cross over the lake with his disciples to separate themselves for awhile; he needed time alone with them to instruct them, and to allow themselves some down-time from the public crowds (Mark 6:30-32). The boat was not only a familiar transport means in the area; it probably belonged to one of the disciples. And it only took so many… a sure way to put some distance between the masses and themselves for a much-needed rest. But before they boarded a teacher of the law came to Jesus; he wanted to follow that Messiah depicted in Daniel’s vision of things still to come. But like so many, he wasn’t prepared or willing to first follow Jesus where there was no glory, no fame, no place to call home or even a place to rest.

How often are we willing to obey God in public ministry, yet grumble or drag our feet when he asks of us something else, like cleaning the church, or simply calling a friend who needs encouragement?

“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (verse 20). His spiritual perception of that moment was perhaps enhanced by his own physical state of weariness (four verses later, Jesus was sound asleep!); but because he was in tune with God’s heart for the man that stood before him, he could respond with compassion, cutting to the heart of the matter.

The next disciple – one who chose to follow him – said, “Lord, first…” It’s not clear whether the father was already dead or not, or even sick; it may have meant, ‘until my father has died… then I’ll follow.’ Jesus’ reply is a radical statement: Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. It’s about radical commitment. It’s not about neglecting duties to family; Jesus soundly condemned neglect of such matters in Mark 7:9-13. This passage also highlights something else: In the Jewish culture, great importance was placed on children’s duties to bury their parents, e.g. Genesis 35:29. What does your culture place importance on? Success? Fame? Reputation? It takes courage to go against the flow; it takes empowerment by the Holy Spirit to do it right.

This passage in Matthew is about counting the cost: Realistically knowing the consequences that may be involved in following what you know is right from the Lord, and still choosing to obey. That moment of bridge-burning, casting off anchors to follow the Wind of the Spirit. But it’s worth it in the end, I promise.

Up Next: Sleeping Through the Storm

Healing

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:12:00 +0000

Matthew 8:14-17

After the divine appointment at his own home base, Jesus had time at last to relax. In Western cultures we tend to think of that as closing the door on the rest of the world and being alone; but in many cultures it’s simply that the individuals learn to “tune out” the people and activities around them. Jesus probably sat on Peter’s couch, the rest of his followers and disciples eating and talking of the recent events just as they would in a market place – with loud animation! But it was restful for Jesus. However many hours it was, it seems that when the temperature began to cool people came out again toward evening and headed to the hot spot of town, Peter’s house. And Jesus served them all; it wasn’t just going through the motions after a long week; it was God’s love made manifest to each individual. It could be that this was the instance recorded in Mark 2.

Jesus delivered those possessed by demons, and “healed all the sick”. Verse 17 says that this was done to fulfil the prophecy in Isaiah 53:4 – “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” I don’t want to go into the subject of healing as I’ve discussed that in an earlier post here, but I’d like to look at the wording in Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities / pain / bore our griefs”: He took our burdens onto himself so that we no longer have to bear them. “He carried our diseases / sorrows / bore our suffering”: He bore the burden of a fallen creation on himself, ultimately on the cross (Isaiah 53:11-12).

I have every reason to believe that on that evening, or in the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth, he healed as many as he could; sometimes there were limitations, e.g. collective scepticism (Mark 6:4-6), and the obvious limitation of him only being able to be in one place at one time. But I also believe that physical healings in that amount were part of his calling in those three years – miracles set him apart from every other rabbi with disciples, from every other firebrand that had stirred up the hot-headed crowds before or since. Those miracles testified to his divine nature and were signs foretold of the Messiah to the Jewish people (Acts 2:22). But we need to be careful in assuming that, since Jesus healed “everyone” in those three years that it means he will continue to do so now in modern times.

Make no mistake: He DOES heal today! I’ve seen it with my own eyes: I’ve seen the lame get out of wheelchairs and walk; experienced a deaf person regain their hearing in an instant; seen a teenager healed overnight of extreme psoriasis. I’ve experienced it dramatically in my own body on at least three major occasions. It’s a fact that in countries where access to modern medicine is either scant or beyond the financial or geographical means of people, miraculous physical healings occur much more regularly than they do in societies with health care systems and insurance coverage. My point is that healing is a means to an end; but we as temporal beings often rank our physical well-being as top priority. God simply has a higher perspective. He will heal an individual miraculously if it best serves that person’s needs not only physically, but spiritually in their development and maturing process in their relationship to God and the world around them. Either way he’ll give them the grace to carry them through to the highest goal (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

In December 2011 I slipped on the ice on a mountain observation platform, and broke my ankle. I knew it was broken (the snap was a dead give-away), but I still had to walk to the nearest train station, and then to our car. In the week following, when it was open as to whether or not I would need surgery, we prayed constantly that surgery wouldn’t be necessary; I’ve had some bad experiences in hospitals, and I’ve seen the inside of doctors’ offices to last me a lifetime, thank you. When it became clear that I’d need surgery I was at first disappointed that my prayers had been unanswered... ignored. But God had a better plan. Not only did they discover damage that hadn’t shown up on multiple x-rays and were able to repair it properly, but most importantly I had an all-round positive experience, from the care given and the competence of the staff in every way. It healed a deep-seated fear, and I learned in a deeper way to trust God that even when his answer to my prayer seems more like ignoring it, he does it his way for my highest good.

God’s highest, deepest, broadest and widest motivation is passionate love for you and I, in every action he takes, in every move he makes for our lives. The more we learn to trust him in that, the less we’ll question when things don’t go according to our own plans.

Up Next: Fox Holes

Detours & Divine Appointments

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:55:00 +0000

How often do we have our plans “upset” by God’s timing? We can see it as either a detour or a divine appointment; and it could make all the difference in the life of someone else...

“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.”- Gilbert K. Chesterton

It could well be that the Sermon on the Mount was the event recorded in Matthew 15:29ff. If that’s the case, then imagine this scene in Matthew 8: Jesus had just spent three days working miracle after miracle, fed thousands, and was finally pumped out and ready for a time of rest. Before the end of the chapter he’ll be sound asleep in a boat! He finished the sermon, gets up and walks off the mountainside with his disciples right behind him, and the people follow. A leper is healed; a centurion interrupts his plans; he finally gets home to Peter’s house – and Peter’s mother-in-law is sick. He heals her. A brief repose and the crowds press in for more healing – their only hope was Jesus in a time of doctors whose only options were rudimentary herbal remedies, leeches to let blood, and sawing off the limb that offended! And he didn’t send them away; he took the time, and met each need.

How often do we have our plans “upset” by God’s timing? And do we allow it obediently, or begrudgingly? I’m not talking about guilt-driven or image-driven people who burn the candle at both ends; I’m talking about those times when we know we should be involved in a certain situation, and we still want to stop the merry-go-round and get off for a “deserved” break. Somehow we feel it’s our right – that we’ve earned it. Remember that with God it’s never an isolated event, but will always ripple – we humans have no idea of the impact from a simple act of obedience. Or disobedience.

Jesus was no different from us in the sense that he was human; he felt tired, drained, the need for rest. And yet he had very different remedies than the average human: He withdrew to a place of solitude to gather strength from time alone with God (Luke 5:16); and he only did what he knew the Father wanted him to be doing (John 5:19), which meant that he was in no danger of burning out; and he had a mission to fulfil in a very short time. How short, he had no way of knowing; but his close ear to the Father gave him guidance step-by-step even if he couldn’t see the whole road laid out ahead of time. Just like us. Each detour that Jesus took from the cradle to the cross was divinely ordained, though it’s easy to see that now in hindsight for us; at the time, he was just as time-bound as we are in not knowing the future, not seeing the whole picture.

We often miss that fine balance of activity and solitude: Either we warm the proverbial bench on the sidelines, or we work until we drop, driven by others’ needs or our own, rather than by conviction that a specific situation is where we should be. And sometimes in our drive to reach our “goal”, we misinterpret divine appointments as detours, interruptions or distractions.

So the next time the phone rings, or an email comes, or someone crosses your path needing help, and you start to feel your schedule pressing in, your rights infringed upon... take a minute to pray. Give it to God and listen to his heart; then feel free to obey his leading in that moment, whether you are to take that detour or not. On one hand there are times when it’s wise to pull back and find a place of rest; but it will only be refreshing rest when we do so in tandem with God’s agenda. On the other hand, an annoying detour many just turn out to be a divine appointment instead.

“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.”– G.K. Chesterton
“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.” – G.K. Chesterton

Up Next: Healing

Centurion Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 17:04:00 +0000

Even Jesus could be astonished. It took a Roman centurion to do it. Since he’s not on Facebook I can’t send him a friend invitation; but I can do better – I’ve put him on my “to meet” list in heaven! Read on to find out more…

Matthew 8:5-13

Capernaum was Jesus‘ base, at Peter’s home, in the crossroads of cultures. And rather appropriately, his path is crossed there by a Roman centurion. In command of 100 professional soldiers, he laid aside his position, his right to force Jesus to help, and any number of haughty attitudes that were typical of the conquering ruling Romans toward the strife-plagued Jewish population, thought of as little more than a basket of snakes to be kept under control. Instead he came himself, humbly, asking for help.

The way the centurion addresses Jesus shows his high level of respect; on the outside Jesus looked no different than the rest of the Jewish “rabble” under Roman rule. But this powerful man recognized authority in Jesus: If he wasn’t yet aware of the concept of one living God and therefore attributed his perception of divine power to “the gods” of Rome, so be it; but I think he was intelligent and open-hearted enough to be touched by the living God in a transformational way… one that transcended cultural and social barriers. The first word recorded from his mouth says it all: “Lord”. He addressed Jesus’ divine authority and then stated his case simply. Jesus’ reply is straightforward as well.

The centurion humbly refused to allow Jesus to enter his home: Not only was it a defilement to a Jew to enter a pagan’s home (Acts 10:28) and though Jesus didn’t bother about such things, the centurion was politically sensitive on his behalf; but his response also speaks of his deep understanding not only of worldly authority, but that he’d recognized that level of spiritual authority in Jesus at which demons and infirmities were under his command. Orders could be given, even by proxy, and they must be obeyed. “I myself am a man under authority.” It was one powerful man addressing another.

In his incarnate state Jesus was not omniscient, and he experienced every human emotion. Because of that He constantly maintained his relationship with the Father; if doubt or fear or temptations of earthly power or anything else came in, Jesus went to God the Father in prayer and solitude. Here stood a man, strong enough in faith and humble enough in authority to astonish even Jesus (:10).

Jesus’ response was equally astonishing: He opened up a much wider perspective than just the immediate situation: He foretold worldwide conversions, east and west representing the span of the sun’s reach; yet those who assumed they had automatic admission because of birthright inherited by no act of their own (Jews at that point – and generational church-goers now included), and therefore they had no need to make a personal effort or decision, would be thrown out. Luke 13:28 used the same description for hell, and Isaiah 25:6-9 describes the feast of the Kingdom of Heaven: For those who trust in the Lord – who can say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him and he saved us” – it’s not about passive acknowledgement of a God who saves… rather about intimate awareness that he’s saved me.

Jesus fulfilled the centurion’s request, as he asked. That centurion, that servant who was healed, his entire household and most probably all of his soldiers and their households, knew in no uncertain terms what had happened. How many of them spread out from Jerusalem, on to some other post across the Roman Empire, from Persia to the British Isles, taking the story of salvation with them? And how many will I meet one day in heaven? I’ve added them to my “meet” list!

Up Next: Detours & Divine Appointments

Touching the Unclean

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:09:00 +0000

Matthew 8:1-4

Imagine the scene: Jesus has just finished his inaugural sermon; hundreds get up and follow him when he leaves. But suddenly a murmur rolls up through the crowd from the back; the pressing mass begins to part in panic as people shout, “Unclean! Unclean!” in the wake of a leper. But his focus today is on Jesus, the only hope he has left. He falls to his knees before this master teacher, asking only that he be willing to cleanse him.

Jesus’ response is what sets him apart as one with authority: When everyone else clears the way to avoid even brushing up against this leper, Jesus reaches out and touches the man. “I am willing… be clean!” Immediately the white patches of rotting, putrid flesh, scarring, or perhaps even missing body parts… healed. How could the man – and all those in the nearest vicinity that were eye witnesses – NOT shout it from the roof tops!?

What Jesus said next seems, on the surface, a very odd thing to say in light of the miracle that had just taken place in full view of a gaping public: “Don’t tell anyone!” Jesus was realistic to know that it probably wouldn’t happen, but it was nonetheless strategic: If Jesus became viewed as “just” a miracle-worker, too much time would have been eaten up by dealing with the physical being, when the spiritual being was (and is) far more important. Not only that, but too much publicity would more quickly stir up the jealousies of the politically powerful religious leaders, hindering Jesus’ ministry, and hastening his arrest and death – and he had a mission to complete first.

Instead Jesus told the man to “go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” Jesus was sending a clear message: the Old Covenant is to be honoured, even as he was in the process of inaugurating the New Covenant. It is the dilemma we as Christians have: We live in the paradoxical state of becoming new creatures while dying daily to the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:17; Luke 9:23-24; 1 Peter 2:24; Galatians 5:24); of living for heaven while still on earth (1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5; Colossians 3:2); of being of the Not Yet in the Now (Ephesians 2:6; Romans 12:2).

For me however, the greatest message of this short passage is that Jesus’ compassion overwhelmed social and religious considerations and restrictions, touching humanity.

Without that compassion, if the man were healed it would only have been physically. But for the first time since his illness began, someone willingly touched him. I can imagine that moment: Jesus looked into his eyes, spoke to his heart, and then reached out his hand. Perhaps the man automatically drew back, not wanting to put Jesus at risk; but Jesus touched him, no reservations, in tender compassion. The pain, humiliation... everything melted away in the presence of his Creator.

We are called to show that same compassion. Every group of people has the usual mixture of characters: The challenging, the uncomfortable, the irritating, the slow, the hyper... you know what and who I’m talking about. They’re there to smooth out our rough edges, iron out our wrinkles and make us aware of our own failings, bringing a greater understanding, patience and compassion for those around us. Stop and think of your own contacts for a moment: Which ones do you tend to avoid, like that crowd? Roll your eyes and say, “Oh no, here they come again”? In such moments we make a choice: Either be like the crowd, pulling away, or we choose to walk in the compassion of Jesus. It’s a choice that each of us face on a daily basis. Those who prefer ivory towers of harmony face a bigger challenge than those who work with the homeless, but even the latter have the human tendencies to avoid the unpleasant. The more we learn to live out the compassion of Jesus through his grace, the more blessing we will be and receive.

Up Next: Centurion Faith

Foundations

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:22:00 +0000

When I was in Greece in the early 1990s I noticed that everywhere I looked there was construction on private homes and businesses alike; it looked like a housing boom. But the closer I looked, the more I saw that they were dormant construction sites: People lived in these half-finished houses for years, generations even; the scaffolding rusting, the stacks of bricks surrounded by a healthy growth of weeds and wild flowers, and piles of wooden beams rotting where they lay. Why? A local explained that, according to tax laws, one didn’t have to pay property taxes until the development of the property was completed. So rather than pay taxes everyone simply “added a room” or “added a storey”, to live in a construction zone ad infinitum (if I can use a Latin phrase to describe a Greek phenomenon!). At the time I remember thinking two things: 1) How many other areas are they cooking the books in? and 2) How long will it be before they have to pay the Piper? And now they wonder why their government has, for all practical purposes, declared bankruptcy! Foundations.

In Matthew 7:24-28, Jesus calls the builders “wise” and “foolish.” No middle ground. It is foolish not to count the cost: In Greece’s case, that cost is now that their nation only survives financially because of the aid of other countries – but that doesn’t trickle down to the individual’s wage security, or being able to pay bills or buy groceries or petrol for the car. There are riots in the streets of those generations raised on the assumption that the Piper won’t come knocking for payment. The American financial crisis began when credit card and mortgage books were being cooked wholesale, and the smoke sent up signals that were ignored until it exploded.

Bringing it down to a personal level, I am challenged to search my heart to make sure there are no areas in which I myself am “cutting corners”; because if there are, I am only cheating myself of a solid foundation when the going gets tough.

These verses in Matthew are not just about who to trust – ourselves or Jesus; not about merely following the letter of the law. They’re about understanding God’s heart, walking in agreement with his will, and living a life of integrity. Tough times will come; they are part of the rhythm of life, part of the training ground for spiritual muscles.

When the crowds listened to Jesus, they recognized his spiritual authority; the worst indictment against the religious leaders of the time was that, though they had power and authority in the eyes of the people and political clout in relation to Rome, they were foolish builders; they had no real spiritual authority. Jesus set the example by practicing what he preached; and his church, his house of worshipers, has stood the test of time, the waves of persecution and the winds of adversity.

So when the going gets tough, when the rubber meets the road, when the waves come crashing in, I pray that our foundations are built on the Rock of our Salvation (Psalm 95:1). Only then will our lives stand firm.

Up Next: Touching the Unclean

Success vs. Results

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:01:00 +0000

The verses of Matthew 7:21-23 are where the rubber meets the road. They’re tough statements, especially for Christians with an A-personality, with over-achievers, perfectionists, and teacher’s pets. But they also serve as a warning: Don’t play the role of “perfect Christian”. Ever.

To paraphrase the dialogue:

“But Lord! I was a television evangelist! With lots of staff! But Lord, I preached every Sunday in my best suit! But Lord, I was active in ministry! But Lord, I showed up every time the church doors were open whether I wanted to or not!”

“Yes, but that’s not what I really wanted,” He’ll reply. “I wanted a friendship with you, not a great fiscal result or a popular puppet.”

The deciding factor is doing God’s will… to find out what He wants to do together with you, and then go for it! If it’s His will for me to be an evangelist, and I’m a housewife instead, I’m not doing his will, and it probably won’t make much of an eternal difference. But if I’m a good housewife because that’s His will, then it will make an eternal difference! I think God’s will is often revealed to us through the natural talents and giftings that He’s placed in our personalities and characters. A girl of seven once asked her little sister what she wanted to be when she grew up. The sister said, “A famous painter!” The wise older sister replied, “You don’t have to be famous to be a painter.” In other words, use your giftings as you have the opportunity, and leave the rest to God.

Our world view is too often focused on success, not results. Many a famous person leaves a shambles of broken relationships behind on their climb up the ladder of fame, yet many think they’re wonderful and want to be just like them. Just pick up any celebrity gossip magazine and you’ll see exactly what I mean. And according to these verses, without acting from a relationship with Jesus, it’s not only useless to be successful under our own steam (prophesy, drive out demons, perform many miracles – these are religious activities, but you could substitute any “secular” mark of “success”); he even goes as far as to call it “doing evil”!

It’s a call to those who have ears to listen: Check your heart once in awhile, and make sure your motivation is to please God, not man. My hope is that my writing, whether blogs or letters or novels, comes from a place of relationship, intimate friendship with God; because even if it’s a success in everyone else’s eyes, I don’t want to see disappointment in His. If my writing touches, encourages, challenges or helps one person grow in their relationship with Jesus, then it has not been in vain.

Isaiah 1:11-20 is an interesting passage: A message to Sodom and Gomorrah, God basically says that it’s about the heart – the moral character and conduct – of the person, not the number of activities. “’The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me?’ says the Lord… they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.’” Hollow service is a burden to God! What if you bake bread passionately your whole life, but God doesn’t like bread?...

Luke 12:16-21 is the parable of the rich fool (I love the title!). He thought himself successful, and planned to build bigger and better – but. If you store up things for yourself but are not rich toward God, it is all vanity of vanities (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

Again and again (and again) in the Old Testament, it all comes down to God’s heartfelt desire for relationship with us. Exodus 29:45,46 is specifically related to the Tent of Meeting, but it is also symbolic of relationship with us. 2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “We are the temple of the living God. As God has said, ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.’” The song from Sister Act comes to mind: “Nothing you can do can tear me away from my God…”

The most valuable use of my time is that time I spend being with God. In the west, wealth and success is measured by possessions and position. But I’ve heard it said that in Ethiopia, it’s measured by how many friends you have.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says that three things endure: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Anything done out of love remains, endures, lasts. At the end of the day, anything else is a waste of time.

Up Next: Foundations

Figs or Thistles

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:33:00 +0000

In five short verses you have the vivid images of sheep, wolves, grapes, thornbushes, figs, thistles, good trees, bad trees, and fire. And it’s all about discernment.

Matthew 7:15-20

Jesus gave the images that everyone could relate to: His contemporary audience knew all about shepherding sheep and the dangers; there were vineyards and fig groves, and they all knew a thing or two about husbandry – taking care of fruit trees or vines to make sure they produced their best crops.

When Jesus talks about cutting down trees that do not bear good fruit, it’s a double-inference: The Bible uses the image of fruit for the achievements, or actions, of believers. We are to bear good fruits. e.g. Proverbs 12:14, Matthew 3:10, Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 5:9, Colossians 1:10. But his contemporary audience obviously hadn’t read most of the above passages as they hadn’t been written yet! And so the second inference was to Deuteronomy 20:19-20, to Moses’ own instructions about trees in a time of siege around an enemy’s fortress or city: They were allowed to cut down non-fruit trees, and that would include trees that weren’t productive. Such trees would be used against the enemy in war. One spiritual implication is that if we’re not bearing good fruit, we are in danger of being the unwitting weapon of the enemy against our own side. And the fire is both the literal fire of using wood not good for anything else as kindling, as well as the figurative fire. I don’t think this verse is implying that if you don’t bear good fruit you’re going to hell! I think it has more to do with refinement; pruning. When a tree is cut down and the useless part burnt away, out of the stump will come new growth, healthier than the old, more fit for the future.

From these verses comes the famous image of a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing, meaning a deceitful person camouflaged in the guise of a friend. Israelites were used to prophets who dressed in animal hides; Mark 1:6 says that John the Baptist wore clothing made of camel’s hair; an interesting passage for study is Zechariah 13:4; it says that false prophets “will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive” on that day that God calls Israel to cleansing from their sins; in other words, that’s what they were doing until that time. To add another metaphor to this passage, I’d say that it means, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Just because someone dresses nice and acts like a good person doesn’t mean they’re intentions are good; just because someone touts the label “pastor” or “prophet” or “ministry” doesn’t mean they’re biblically-rooted, or looking out for your best interests. Acts 17:11 is a good example of applying discernment; the Bereans didn’t even take the apostle Paul’s word at face value, and I’m sure he praised them for it!

An interesting point about pruning is that it doesn’t really matter which bits you prune; the remaining fruits will improve in quality because of it. If you’re multi-gifted, sometimes it doesn’t really matter to God which ones you trim away for a season and which ones you apply... At times he leaves the decision up to us, and will bless the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 2:7).

For me, one of the implications of this passage is that we not only apply discernment regularly (the more practice we, the better we will become at differentiating between a fig & a thistle), but also that we ourselves bear good fruit that is borne out of relationship with and dependence on Jesus.

Up Next: Success vs. Results

Which Road Do You Walk?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 01:12:00 +0000

Matthew 7v13,14

Whenever I read this passage, the story of Pilgrim’s Progress comes to mind; I haven’t read it since I was a teenager, so I’ve recently added it to my Kindle to read (if you haven’t read it before or recently, I would encourage you to do so!). The narrow path as well as the broad path are vividly portrayed in all their facets, dangers, deceptions, difficulties and the differences between the two choices.

GOODWILL: “Do you see that narrow way? That is the road you must take. It was traveled by the patriarchs in olden times, and by the prophets, and by Christ and His apostles; and it is as straight as a line can make it.

CHRISTIAN: But are there no turnings or windings by which a stranger may lose his way?

GOODWILL: Yes, there are many roads branching off from this one, but you can distinguish the right way from the wrong, for the right way is the only road that is straight and narrow. Then Christian asked Mr. Goodwill if he would remove the burden from his back, for he was still carrying it and could by no means get it off without help. Goodwill counseled: "Be content to bear your burden a little longer, until you come to the place of deliverance. Then it will fall from your shoulders of itself."

(John Bunyan; James Thomas. Pilgrim’s Progress in Today's English (p. 30). Kindle Edition.)

The Narrow Way is the central theme throughout the story; it is the only safe path to take even though it may at times be difficult, or the enemy tries to entice the main character, Christian, to leave the path to take an easier or more lucrative way, or to frighten him with tales of what’s to come. But as long as Christian stays on that narrow path, he is safe. He’s given tools and weapons along the way to aid him, and companions that come to encourage him such as Hope, Charity, Faithful or Prudence. False or deceitful companions also come along; those with good intentions, or those with bad: Formality, Hypocrisy, Deception. Only as he remains obedient to his instructions will he arrive safely at his destination.

“I must climb up to the mountain top;

Never mind if the path is steep,

For I know that through strife lies the way to life,

And the way-farer must not weep.

So courage! my heart, don't faint, don't fear

Though the rough rock makes the way slow,

The easy track only leads me back,

Up and on is the way I must go!”

(John Bunyan;James Thomas. Pilgrims Progress in Today's English (p. 44). Kindle Edition.)

Here are a few scriptures to meditate on: Psalm 16:11; Psalm 17:5; Psalm 23:3; Psalm 44:18; Psalm 57:6; Psalm 119:9; Psalm 119:35; Psalm 119:105; and the list goes on and on!

Sometimes I think, “Wouldn’t life be so much easier if it were that simple? Walk on this path, avoid people with names like Deception and Hypocrisy, and everything will be fine?” Unfortunately it’s not like that in real life; we have to apply discernment; and above all, we have to take the time to read the Bible and become familiar with the principles of the Kingdom we’re travelling toward. By the way, that goes both ways: If we familiarize ourselves more with the principles of the Kingdom of Darkness and befriend the World, that’s the road we choose… and it leads to destruction. If we familiarize ourselves with the principles of the Kingdom of Light and befriend Righteousness, we will reach our goal alive and well.

Up Next: Figs or Thistles

Fish & Bread, Snake & Stones

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Matthew 7:9-12

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

There’s no straightforward interpretation of these verses: By that I mean, they imply the assumption, or indictment against our modern culture, that ^a) parents will provide for and nourish their children physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and that ^b) someone who’s been neglected as a child will know what “bread” or “fish” is in order to trust a Heavenly Father to give “good gifts”. If a child has been abused, neglected, or has grown up with half an identity engrained in their hearts because of an absent parent (children tend to receive their moral and social values from their mothers, and their sense of self-value from their fathers), don’t expect them to understand the image of bread (security) and fish (affection). Statistics on abuse and disintegrating families vary from country to country; but the trend is a rising one; as more abused and neglected children reach adulthood unequipped with the tools they need to instil healthy values and a healthy self-image in their own children, the cycle perpetuates. It is the task of the church – meaning you and I – to reach out and help in the healing process for those around us, so that they will learn to distinguish right from wrong, and be capable of trusting a Heavenly Father who truly loves them and who wants to pour out His love lavishly on them. If you grew up in a stable home, with two loving parents, you are a rarity in many societies today. Take spiritual children under your wing and raise them in the love and admonition of the Father.

Let me explain briefly what I mean by applying security and affection to the two elements of bread and fish: Bread is ubiquitous to every culture; when bread has been threatened, either by drought and famine or by politics (resulting in bread riots throughout modern history), the security of the individual, family and nation is in dire straits. Fish relates to affection in the following ways: The serpents of neglect and abuse are the antithesis to godly love expressed through affection. If a father takes a son fishing, not only is he teaching him life skills, but they are able to spend quality time together; it is a form of practical affection.

If a healthy human instinctively knows how to give good gifts, how to show love by providing for their children or loved ones or neighbours to the best of their ability, how much more does a loving, perfect, personal supernatural being provide for and show His affections for those He loves? Incomparable, really. Unsurpassable. And it’s not a passive love, the kind we mean when we say we love pizza, or even when we love our cat or dog. It’s an active love that, from before the first moment of creation, was planning ways to bless us. Not only did He create an interwoven and perfectly-balanced working system from the smallest particle to the swing of the galaxy’s gravitational hold to the balance of the universe; He created us, in His image and with a free will, so that He could love us. His greatest hope and reason for it all is that we would love Him in return.

Unrequited love is a painful thing; heart breaking. And when mankind rebelled, God put into motion the plan we know as Salvation, but it could just as easily be called the Plan of Reconciliation, or Restoration. Restoring a chance for personal intimacy with God through the greatest sacrifice of all – Himself. John 15:13 says it all: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Not only did Jesus live, die and live again for our sakes, but He gave us a tremendous gift: He left. By leaving this earth, where like us He was bound in a physical form, He could give us Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:9-13 is a parallel passage to this Matthew passage, and he writes, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The Holy Spirit, God’s presence given to dwell within those who love Him, is our “all-in-one”: Comforter, counsellor, teacher, guide, peace, guardian, perspective, interpreter, intercessor, refresher of our souls; you name it!

But these gifts all come with a responsibility that is also a privilege: Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” It brings us back full circle. We have the freedom in Christ to do good; to be generous; to give lavishly (money, time, and / or talents), regardless of how the other treats us, or has treated us. It’s not “what others do to you,” but what you would like. That desire is not a right we can demand. Our responsibility is our own attitudes, our own heart-setting, and leaving the others’ attitudes to God. When we set our hearts on blessing others we will not only be a blessing but receive blessings in return (whether from that person or from God in another form – Matthew 6:18).

And let’s not forget that last little bit from verse 12: “For this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” It’s about leading by example; about sowing and reaping. It goes against our grain and calls us to pre-emptive behaviour: If you want respect, respect others; if you want to be understood, try to understand others and be patient with their weaknesses / differences; if you want friends, show yourself friendly; if you want trust, show yourself trustworthy. As we allow God to do His work in and through our lives, the healing process will break that cycle of abuse, of neglect, of giving snakes and stones.

Up Next: Which Road Do You Walk?

Asking, Seeking, Knocking

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:51:00 +0000

Before we dig into Fish & Bread, Snakes & Stones, I wanted to take a look at these two little verses on their own; they are worth looking at separately, because they are so well known.

Matthew 7:7, 8

„Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

These verses are so well-known that they’re in danger of being skimmed over quickly; yet they hold great truth, as well as great challenge. They reveal the paradox of complex simplicity: Just ask, seek and knock… you’ll receive, find, and have doors opened. The complexity comes in the actual doing – the putting it into action: To ask implies trust; to seek implies actively searching; to knock implies expectation. As the saying goes, you can only be guided if you’re moving.

I find this same paradoxical theology throughout the Christian life and throughout the Bible: God is a God of mercy (Deuteronomy 4:31), but also justice (Isaiah 30:18); Jesus lived, died and lives to give me life (Romans 8:34) that I may die to self and live to Christ. As bondservants of Christ (Galatians 1:10) we have no rights; we die to ourselves; therefore we have no right to demand; if we receive, it’s called grace. At the same time when we walk in relationship with the Creator of the Universe we are heirs to the Kingdom (Romans 8:17), princes and princesses of the heavenly realm. And the list goes on.

And the beauty of it is that the more we learn about God, the more we realize the less we know. Our finite brains will never have Him sussed, and that’s such a comfort! Often we may feel that God has not answered our prayers, when His answer was simply not what we wanted / expected / assumed. If you pray for patience don’t be surprised if you get problems instead. “But God – that’s not…” “But you want patience; this is the path to take if you want to build the muscle it takes for the end result… patience.”

When Solomon asked for wisdom in 1 Kings 3:5, God made him the wisest man in history. Solomon asked in humility, daunted by the task set before him; he didn’t ask for riches or honour, and so God gave it all to him and more. But make no mistake: these verses are not about the “name it and claim it” philosophy; manipulation or coercion of the Potter is not the Potsherd’s place (Isaiah 45:9; 64:8). The receiving, finding and opening doors are due solely to the grace of God.

When I’m asking, seeking and knocking, I learn to trust God – to leave the results up to Him. When we get problems instead of instant patience, and we’ve taken the time to learn about God’s character (we’ve sought his face before we seek his hand), we learn to trust that He knows what He’s doing, and that nothing comes into our lives that hasn’t first passed through His hands... through His plan for our lives. There are circumstances that sometimes come into our lives, even life-changing, that we can’t explain; our limited understanding or trust in God often prevents us from seeing the big picture. At such times it’s, well, human to blame God for dropping the ball, or for allowing a tragic course of events into our lives. But at those moments more than ever we need to remind ourselves of God’s true character, lean into Him and trust Him. The closer I walk in relationship with Jesus, the closer my desires will be aligned with His, and the more my asking, seeking and knocking will coincide with His desires for my life.

Up Next: Fish & Snakes, Bread & Stones

Pigs n' Planks

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:03:00 +0000

[I’ve been away for a fortnight, and unable to access internet; my apologies to those of you who look forward to this regularly!]

Matthew 7:1-6

When I was in college I experienced something straight out of a film: One day I heard that there was a group of professional atheists, travelling from campus to campus to stir up dissention and trouble for the Christians, “preaching” on the lawn near the CAC (Campus Activity Center, the heart of the campus). I grabbed my Bible and went off to hear what they had to say; there were already a couple hundred students gathered! Their basic message was condemnation and judgment, and solidified through their rhetoric: Unless you were a male virgin you were going to hell; everyone else was condemned, from women who spoke or wore trousers, to babies who died! I’d never heard anything more offensive, or ridiculous. And that was their point: They were confusing people and slamming doors for Christians’ true message. Something had to be done.

I began asking them uncomfortable questions and countering their claims straight out of scripture. They were indulgent until they realized who they were dealing with; then they got aggressive, rude, and belligerent; they weren’t expecting actual opposition. When they tried to shout me down and hit below the belt, suddenly a group of students swept me up and set me down on a stone wall while another group silenced the atheists. The students began asking me heartfelt questions, asking me explicitly for reassurance from the Bible, and I ended up preaching the Gospel for over an hour, answering question after question! They’d been confused by the pseudo philosophy, and were hungry for the truth of God’s love. Many of the hungriest were homosexuals needing to know that they had a chance to receive forgiveness just like everyone else who needs it. One of the key scriptures I confronted the trouble-makers with was Matthew 7:1-2.

These two verses in Matthew 7 apply not only to those who are intentionally causing division and controversy; they apply to those who call themselves Christians and yet who “Bible bash”, who sow hate and criticism and condemnation by their actions rather than love and a helping hand; quite frankly, usually the ones who end up in the media’s limelight and who give actual Christians a bad name. They would serve God far better by keeping their mouths shut. And that’s not judgment on my part against them; it’s simply a fact that needs to be stated. The judgment referred to in these verses is a hypocritical, self-righteous one, about being quick to form an untested and unverified opinion about someone or some situation. But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water: Christians are supposed to judge rightly. To be discerning, to assess a person’s character whether a dog (:6), a false prophet (:15), or fruit-bearing (:16). We are to encourage others in love.

In John 7:24 Jesus tells us to “stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment.” Repeatedly the Bible encourages us to evaluate carefully between good and bad. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 tells us to test everything, and hold on to what is good.

In rebuking critical judgment of the wrong kind, Jesus uses the images of sawdust and planks (:3-5) – the same elements, just different perspectives. My mother says, “We see our faults in others”: If it’s a fault or weakness in me and I look at another person, I will see it as giant and interpret it as theirs. If I deal with my own faults and flaws as first priority (rather than trying to correct or put everyone else straight first) I’ll learn a lot along the way, including enough humility to serve others best in their own processes.

Verse 6 says to me that if I discern and judge rightly about others, I’ll be able to show them the kingdom in a way that they can absorb and understand. It does neither of us any good to preach gold when all they can grasp is straw. Pearls to pigs; straw to sows.

Pigs are very aggressive, hierarchical herd animals. They are quick to react, but poor judges of size – they will fight a piglet or a massively larger opponent, including their own masters, if they perceive a threat. Jesus’ use of this image is interesting: If someone is “as ignorant as a pig” and you try to teach them, they will view you as a threat or rival, and blindly attack. Even though you may be right, the effect will only be alienation. But if you judge rightly and choose your timing and wording well, applying discernment, the soil of their souls will be more tilled than trampled.

Proverbs 25:11-12: “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.”

Up Next: Fish & Bread, or Snakes & Stones?

Don't Worry - Be Happy!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Have you ever seen a bird worry? Or a flower? I haven’t. And I think they’ve got the right idea.

Matthew 6: 25-34

“Do not worry”… three little words that, if followed, pack a big punch. As humans it’s so easy to worry about the things beyond our control: Finances (ours, or economy at large); relational issues; and when the going gets tough we even worry about basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing. When health is threatened, even if we know our hearts and lives are in the loving hands of a trustworthy father and we can trust Him to carry us through victoriously (whether or not our earthly vessel survives), it’s still tough not to worry. It’s when I try to box God in and set conditions of my trust that worry finds a fertile field. And still Jesus calls to our hearts, “do not worry.”

Jesus mentions clothing and worrying about what to wear several times in this short passage; it seems it’s been a concern for millennia. But Jesus wasn’t talking about vanity fashion; back then clothing was not just an identity symbol (e.g. Joseph’s cloak, Genesis 37:3-4; Jonathan gave David his robe as one of the symbols of identity with himself, 1 Samuel 18:1-4), it was also their protection from the elements, and the thing that kept them warm at night as they slept in the same garments (Exodus 22:26-27). That’s why Jesus’ suggestion in Matthew 5:40 was so radical to their way of thinking.

If my treasure (and therefore my heart) is in the right place, safe in God’s hands, then I will know in my heart that He is faithful, trustworthy and reliable. If the world’s economy collapses and money isn’t worth scrap metal or wallpaper, God is still faithful, and able to provide for His children miraculously… multiplying food in the cupboard like the oil and flour of the widow in 1 Kings 17:15-16, or by providing funds through multiplying resources (e.g. 1 Kings 4:1-7). And I write this out of personal experience in both instances! I’ve seen God do some amazing things by way of provision; I’m sure every missionary has their own tales to tell!

Jesus gives us direct examples of His provision – examples that are timeless and global: Who’s never seen a bird, or a flower, or clothes? See how the Father provides for the birds? And far more valuable than birds or any other creature, you and I are made in His image. Worry never brought any good, but it can bring bad (health, spirits, relationships, etc.). And have you ever seen a bird worried?

See how the Father provides for the lilies? Even Solomon, the richest and wisest man on earth, could not compare to the elegant beauty of the lily. Verse 30 says it all: “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”

Worry is for unbelievers; leave it to them. The more we learn to trust in the Living God, the less we’ll have cause or reason to fret! In other words, “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (verse 33). Tomorrow will take care of itself. Let’s learn to put it into practice, lean back and enjoy the ride with God at the helm.

Up Next: Pigs n’ Planks

Treasures in Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Matthew 6:19-24

In societies that are consumer-oriented, our senses are constantly bombarded with ”buy, buy, buy!“ and the sly lies that happiness (and sunny, spotless & newly renovated homes) are just a bottle of X away. Only when we pack to move do we realize how much needless junk we’ve accumulated; nearly every person in the western world has an embarrassment of riches. While the topic of last week’s musing, Fasting, is an inward discipline, “Simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” (“Celebration of Discipline”, Richard Foster)

Jesus admonishes us not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven. Sometimes I wonder, if a fire were to consume my home, what I would grab on the way out the door. That scenario shows where our hearts lie; what we’re attached to. I’d grab my USB chip of computer backups while swooping up the cats! But the rest of it? Honestly, it would be painful to lose some things, but it’s all replaceable; though I wouldn’t want to replace it all. In 1991 I lived in England for 6 months, away from my usual home in Paisley, Scotland. One weekend I travelled home by train with a friend, and while I was there I packed my return bag with most of the things I valued – photos, favourite clothes, music, books, etc. The bag was stolen from the train before we’d even left Glasgow! It was a hard experience – a personal violation in some ways; but it also taught me some powerful lessons: God is ABLE. Able to replace even the sentimental things; able to provide the finances out of the blue to cover the extra expenses incurred; able to comfort and help me find the humour even in such a situation. And – I learned that God is an excellent shopping buddy! He knows where all the right items are, and the best prices!

For me, the point of this verse isn’t about possessions, but heart. Possessions bring with them the danger of ensnaring our hearts, but if we keep in mind that we are only stewards of what God entrusts us with (Matthew 25:19-21), and we therefore have the responsibility to use it wisely, dependent on God for guidance in how we invest / spend, we are far less likely to become focused on the goods as a source of happiness, fulfilment or security. Interestingly, Exodus 34:15 is a metaphor for spiritual adultery, and James 4:4-6 ties the two concepts together: The “world” referred to is not the natural world, but the attitudes of rebellion against and independence from God. James 1:27 gives us a further clue: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Verses 22 & 23 (eyes and lamps, light and darkness) may seem on the surface to be mismatched with the rest of the passage; but for me these verses are talking about discernment: If we can clearly discern (our eye) who our source of happiness, fulfilment and security is, we’ll be more able to make clear decisions, and act on that awareness (our body). It’s when we either cannot discern or choose not to that we “walk in darkness”. “If then the light within you is darkness (wilful ignorance), how great is that darkness!” For a bigger picture of spiritual darkness and its cure, see: Psalm 18:28; Psalm 112:4-6; Isaiah 42:16; Matthew 4:16; and Ephesians 5:8-11. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be found. No one can serve two masters. Joshua 24:15 throws down the gauntlet: “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Up Next: Don’t Worry. Be Happy!

The Lost Art of Fasting

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:26:00 +0000

Matthew 6:16-18

Fasting is a lost art in our modern consumer cultures. And I’m not just talking about food, though that’s the most common form of fast that comes to our minds, and it’s where the rubber of abstinence meets the road of selfish control. But fasting can also be from media, music, hobbies, telephone, or whatever it is that occupies your time (aside from your job – though God may lead you to take a break and go away with him from that too). The things to fast from are those things that slide onto the throne of our hearts, those things that could consume our lives, thoughts, actions, time and plans if given free reign.

If you’ve never read the following book I would highly recommend it: “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard J. Foster. He takes a concise, explanatory look at each of the Christian disciplines, and recommends practical steps on how to apply them in our modern lives. In his research on the topic of fasting, he found a void of Christian literature on the subject of nearly 100 years! To say that it’s a neglected topic would be an understatement; it’s a shunned one. And he makes an interesting point: “With the decline of the inward reality of the Christian faith, an increasing tendency to stress the only thing left, the outward form, developed.” With that tendency to a form void of spiritual power, legalism developed, and extreme forms of deprivations and mortification of the body arose; most modern minds therefore associate fasting with some fanatical leaning and disregard it. Coupled with the bombardment of the senses to satisfy pleasures or desires ASAP, denial has become more or less a side-lined theory for a rainy day. One reason it’s unpopular is that, more than any other discipline, it reveals the things that control us, and puts non-essentials into perspective. If you do a Bible study on this subject, you’ll find that it has a lot to say, and nearly every major person in the Bible is mentioned in connection with fasting. Many great Christians down through the ages have fasted and testified to its power. And it’s not an exclusive discipline to Christianity – other religions practice it more “religiously” than we do! The point is that they recognize its merit; shouldn’t we?

Biblical fasting, referring to abstaining from food, always focuses on spiritual purposes. Both full and partial fasts are described or mentioned in the Bible (Daniel 10:3; Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9), as well as both private and corporate fasts (Leviticus 23:27; Joel 2:15). 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the most famous Bible verse on the subject (though fasting is not mentioned per se in this verse, the actions and purpose of fasting are all mentioned); the benefits of a corporate fast would have a wide social impact if a nation of Christians would carry it out in unity simultaneously!

What fasting is not is a tool to serve ourselves: If your goals for fasting are weight loss, detox, or even spiritual power, it will be for nothing; that’s religion, not relationship. Our focus in a fast is to be on Jesus… spending time with him, focused on him. But for all its benefits, you will come up empty-handed if you search the Bible for a command to fast; there is none. Our freedom in Christ gives us the free choice; it does not mean however that we can or should ignore this powerful opportunity (Galatians 5:13). As you fast from food, feast on God’s Word – it’s a time of celebration because we are more able to draw near to God (Romans 14:17); we’re telling our carnal desires who truly sits on the throne, and we’re gaining blessings that can only come through such disciplines. What more motivation do we need to pursue it?

Up Next: Treasures in Heaven

How to Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Matthew 6:9-15

The most familiar Bible passages, often the most important, are the ones that Christians can rattle off the fastest, and are therefore the more difficult to gain a fresh perspective on. But it’s exactly those passages which we need to dig deeper into. Anyone can quote John 3:16; but has the truth of it sunken in fully to our hearts?

This passage is probably runner up to that verse: Known as the Lord’s Prayer (though perhaps it should rather be called “the Disciples’ Prayer” as it is for me and you to follow, not the Lord!), it was given at another occasion in Luke 11 as a response to a request: Jesus’ disciples had seen him often in prayer, and they wanted to know how he did it. That’s something each of us can always learn more about: Not only recognizing an example to follow, but having the courage and the humility to learn from them and ask them how it’s done.

This model prayer given by Jesus contains six petitions: Three relating directly to God (vss. 9,10), and three to the speaker of the prayers (vss. 11-13):

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

Addressing God as my father, my first desire (petition) is that his name would be revered; he is already holy (“hallowed” – see Leviticus 11:45), but I want the world to acknowledge that fact. I want his purpose of salvation (by having sent Jesus to do his will through sacrifice) to be fulfilled.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

His kingdom has already come; in Matthew 5:3 & 10, Jesus says “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” – not will be. Throughout the New Testament the kingdom of heaven is referred to in the present tense, not future. So the desire expressed here is that the kingdom of heaven should be more and more fully expressed, manifested until its final and full manifestation, the consummation of the second coming of Christ (Revelation 11:15)! His will shall be done when I play my part, and this phrase is a confession and proclamation of my own willingness to be used to see it done on earth as it is done in heaven. Only as each believer fulfils their calling will God’s will be accomplished, enabling his kingdom to come in that fullness.

“Give us today our daily bread.”

Bread is the most common form of nourishment on the planet, from baguettes to tortillas to Ethiopian plate bread. It has always been seen as a basic necessity and a sign of “having enough”; withholding it has caused riots, wars and rebellion (look up “food riots” on Wikipedia for a few examples). In this verse it represents God’s daily provision, meeting the needs we have each day, whether food, or wisdom, discernment, decisions, grace, strength, comfort, council, compassion, focus or whatever else comes our way. See Romans 8:26; 2. Corinthians 12:9; Lamentations 3:22,23.

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

The debts meant are moral debts… sinners sinning against sinners. We are all sinners – some of us are simply forgiven, and set on a path of discipleship, a path of change. Forgiveness is not an absolution, a license to therefore go out and sin some more. Repentance leads to salvation (Isaiah 30:15; Matthew 3:8; Acts 20:21 ), not simply verbal confession (Romans 6:16; 1. Samuel 15:22).

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

God doesn’t tempt us (James 1:13); rather, this verse expresses a desire that he not lead us through trials so hard that we’d be tempted to lose faith, or to be unfaithful to him. Trials will come, because not only do we live in a fallen world, but more importantly it is that through trials we become strong. Just as a butterfly that is helped from its cocoon will not have developed the strength it will need to survive, to spread its wings and fly, so it is our own struggling phases that facilitate change, strengthens our spiritual, mental, and emotional muscles, teaching us about our new potential. Crawling skills won’t be enough for the new life beginning. As we look to nature for such allegories to apply to our own lives, we can see God’s loving wisdom in the things he chooses to allow into our lives. And we have his promises (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5; 1. Corinthians 10:13) to remind us not only to trust him, but that he is trustworthy.

In “delivering us from evil”, God not only fights on our behalf in the spiritual realm, a very real battle field (Ephesians 6:10-18), but he delivers us step by step from the darkness of our own hearts and lives (Romans 8:31-39).

“For if” (v 14): Two very powerful words. If I forgive – if I keep my heart humble and vulnerable before God, and am willing to forgive those who’ve injured me, God is able to forgive me when I injure others. If not, then He’s unable to forgive me. Jesus described that concept in Matthew 18:21-35, making it clear that forgiveness must come from the heart.

Up next: The Lost Art of Fasting

When You Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie -) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 02:22:00 +0000

Matthew 6:5-8

This following passage is often overlooked as people jump straight to what’s known as “the Lord’s Prayer,” from verses 9-15; that’s precisely why I’ve decided to take a look at them in isolation. Following on from the theme in verses 1-4, Jesus says, “When you pray.” Not “if.” If you’re a Christian like me, our goal should be toward 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray continually” – prayer, always at the tips of our tongues or hearts. How often would such a heart stance prevent a critical thought or word? We’d pray for someone rather than judge them. The verse isn’t implying a monk’s life – that’s too unattainable or realistic for the majority of people; it’s the heart attitude. When it’s set right, we won’t be “like the hypocrites” (verse 5) – our focus will be on God, not man… it will be about intimacy, not fame or reputation.

When I was growing up there was a man in our church: I knew that every single Sunday he’d go up to the front microphone and give a loud, long prayer, a loud prophecy (with a regular “thus saith the Lord” tossed in to point it out) or word of knowledge. As a child it was as plain as the nose on my face that he was in it for the self-glory; don’t misunderstand me – there’s nothing wrong with giving a public word when God prompts our spirits (it would be wrong not to give it!), and God could still use him to speak into others’ lives; but he chose the fleeting reward of recognition, and lost out on the myriad of blessings that would have come otherwise. Perhaps that’s why power is so addictive; it’s an increasing constant craving with ever decreasing moments of satisfaction. In verse 7 Jesus admonishes the listener not to pray “like the pagans”: They had so many idols that were, for some odd reason, (stone) deaf to their prayers, so they had to rattle off long lists of idols’ names repeatedly, hoping that the one in charge of their problem’s department would react. But Jesus said that the true God is our Father, loves us, and knows what we need before asking. So why ask? It’s about relationship, not complicated or flowery words, thus saith the Lord.

The Psalms are full of prayers, moments when David or the other writers cried out to God; wherever we’re at, whatever we’re doing, we can learn to focus on God, and pray.

Up Next: How To Pray