God Loves a Cheerful Giver

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

2 Cor 9:7 

We give every Lord's day. It is a "tradition" and a good one, yet, I fear at times we become complacent in our giving. God did not tell us to give so that someone else could be paid to do what I want them to. He tells us that giving is always FOR others, not to absolve me of responsibility.  God did not give you your talents and abilities for your benefit. They are for the benefit of other people, and their talents are for your benefit. If you don’t use your talent that God gave you, other people get cheated. Peter states, "whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Pt.4:11)." The way you bring glory to God is by using your abilities, words, talents, life well to serve  others. God is glorified when you do this. 

Everybody has different talents. Paul in Eph.4 illustrates this well.  God has given me some talents. I love working in metal, planting a garden, being a grandfather. One of my talents is taking the Word of God and making it clear for other people to understand. When I use that ability, the people I encounter get blessed. My talent is for you. It’s to help you. But here’s the point: You have abilities too. The question then is when are you going to start being a blessing others with who you are and what you do. When are you going to start helping others?

Think about it. What are the gifts that God has given to you? Have you stopped to consider or ask yourself this? What does God want you to be doing? We speak of doing God's will all the time. Now is the time to start putting into practice what you have and are learning. How are you using who you are and what God gives you to serve others? How do you think God wants you to use them for the benefit of others?

Consider this the next time you drop your contribution in a plate Sunday. Consider and ask, what abilities do I have that I can give God this week? How can I show God's glory in my life to bring hope, blessing, joy, love into the lives of others. 

Jim

Always Perfect

The title? With regard to being a human - its a lie! There is only one that has ever fit that bill, and it was Jesus. That is why He is termed in Heb.12:2 as the "author and finisher of our faith"  He's the mark to strive for.  Many though for whatever reason do not comprehend that striving for something and being something are two different things. They set exacting standards that no one can meet (not even themselves), and then choose to become judges when others do not meet them. Life is not a joy, it becomes a chore.  Why is this? Because perfectionism is destructive to your life in several ways.

It crumbles the desire to want to do anything.  Many of us have had things that we state, “One of these days I’m going to get around to it,” but we never do because we wait for a perfect circumstance when there is none. Outrageously high standards and perfectionism causes paralysis, and you can’t get anything done because the time is never right. Nature itself teaches this -  Eccl.11:4, "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap." 

It damages relationships. Perfectionism — the desire to always correct — damages relationships, because it’s rooted in insecurity. People like this are harsh and demanding on other people are really harsh and demanding on themselves. Nobody likes being nagged or corrected all the time. Pro 17:9  "Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends." The perfectionist never hears the second part of that verse because they are too busy being perfect.

It destroys happiness. Eccl.7:16 reminds us, "Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?" It's obvious that he’s not talking about genuine righteousness or real wisdom. He’s talking about perfectionism. You can take any virtue and make a vice out of it by taking it to the extreme. We often don't see that the worst nag...the worst critic is yourself. We tend to resent and even dislike people who nag us, yet if you’re always nagging yourself, what does that say about you? It says that you don’t like you. You think you’re not good enough. 

We operate under the misnomer that always reminding people of what’s wrong with them is going to motivate them into doing the right thing. It’s doesn't! In fact, it has the opposite outcome - people tend to rebel.  It is a comfort to know that God is not that way. This is what Paul learned on the road to Damascus, that can only learn to relax when you fully experience the liberating grace of God. To learn that God does indeed have laws, and expects us to listen to and obey them. Yet, He understands when we do not meet the precision of the letter. In fact, we often do not meet the letter of the law, which is why we are all dependant upon God's grace and understanding and pray for forgiveness.  When you learn how to relax in God’s liberating grace and break out of the prison of perfectionism, you will find a new level of joy and freedom in your life

When is the last time you showed someone grace and kindness, instead of demanding that they be perfect? When is the last time you complimented someone instead of reminding them that they never get it right? When is the last time you learned to experience the joy of God's forgiveness instead of demanding the perfection to the absolute letter of the law?  Or....are you too busy being perfect?

Jim

The Rubble of Life Can Rob Your Joy!

“Then the people of Judah said, ‘The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can’t continue to rebuild the wall.’” (Neh. 4:10)

We're all familiar with what the verse in Nehemiah states above. We start out on a journey, only to get discouraged, falter and quit.  We’re human beings, and we wear out.  We get frustrated, feel like we have failed. Goals go by the wayside, work gets left undone...complacency sets in and we begin to settle for the second best. 

A number of things contribute to these attitudes and the experiences are recorded in a number of instances throughout the scripture. One hint comes in the text quoted above. Rubble.  Things in life that cause us to get into the monotony of having to deal with minutiae. As a result, things pile up and up to the point it seems insurmountable. Do you have rubble in your life? Have you noticed that anytime you start doing something new, the trash starts piling up? That's part of the trouble. If you don’t clean it out periodically, it’s going to stop your progress. There are things that we simply can’t avoid and need to learn to recognize it and dispose of it quickly so we don’t lose focus on our original intention.

Thinking we have failed is virtually as bad as actual failure itself. Nehemiah’s people were unable to finish their task as quickly as originally planned and, as a result, their confidence collapsed. They were thinking now not in terms of success, but failure. "Might as well give up," becomes an echoed sentiment. Self pity sets in and "woe is me" causes any forward progress to stop. Finally, when you give in to fear, you get discouraged. Nehemiah 4 suggests the people most affected by fear are those who hang around other negative people.   Do you give in to self-pity? Do you start blaming other people? Do you start complaining that it’s impossible? Or, do you refocus on God’s intentions and start moving again?

 If you’re going to control the negative thoughts in your life, you’ve got to get away from negative people as much as you can. You might even be discouraged because of fears, telling yourself,  “I can’t handle this. It’s too much responsibility.” Maybe it’s the fear that you don’t deserve it or the fear of criticism. Fear will destroy your life if you let it. 

But you can choose to resist the discouragement. Say, “God, help me get my eyes off the problem and the circumstance and keep my eyes on you.”  This is what Nehemiah tells the people in Chapter 4. Break the problem down into manageable bits  and understand that the problem is not all of the bits, but what comes if I don't manage them. 

"Don't fall in love with money. Be satisfied with what you have. The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us. That should make you feel like saying, "The Lord helps me! Why should I be afraid of what people can do to me?"  (Heb.13:5,6)

Rubble is the trivial things that waste your time and energy and prevent you from accomplishing what God has called you to do. What is the rubble in your life?  Are you asking God to help you handle it?  Are you seeking to reduce negativity in your life that is keeping you discouraged? Consider the admonitions of 1 Cor.15:33 that evil friends can destroy you. Consider the admonitions of Heb.10:25 to not abandon coming together in God's house with people that will encourage you. 

What goal(s) do you need to refocus so that you can accomplish something God has called you to do today?

Jim

Understanding Kosher Laws

Making Sense of Kosher Laws

Biblical Archaeology Society Staff • 07/09/2012


The origins of Jewish dietary or kosher laws (kashrut) have long been the subject of scholarly research and debate. Regardless of their origins, however, these age-old laws continue to have a significant impact on the way many observant Jews go about their daily lives. One of the more well-known restrictions is the injunction against mixing meat with dairy products. Not only do most Jews who observe kashrut avoid eating any meat and milk products together, many also wait a certain amount of time—30 minutes to a few hours—between eating meat and dairy. Everything the foods touch must be kept completely separate. A fully kosher household, for example, might have two or more different sets of flatware, tableware and cooking ware for making and serving meat dishes separate from dairy-based dishes. Some families even use two different dishwashers in order to maintain the separation. Outside the house, some Jews keep kosher by eating only at kosher restaurants while others have no problem eating non-kosher foods, so long as they maintain a kosher home.

But what are some of the other laws of kashrut, and how are they to be explained? Many of the dietary restrictions outlined in Deuteronomy and Leviticus prohibit the consumption of certain “unclean” animals that either don’t chew their cud or don’t have cloven hooves, such as pigs, camels and rabbits. Likewise, while the Hebrew Bible permits the eating of fish with fins and scales, shellfish like lobsters and crabs are an abomination. Why were such seemingly innocuous physiological traits so objectionable to the early Israelites?


Learn about farming and dining practices in the Biblical world in the BAS Library Special Collection Feeding the Biblical World. Not a BAS Library member yet? Join today.


One possible reason may be that the Israelites wanted some way to distinguish themselves from their non-Hebrew neighbors. Archaeological excavations of Iron Age I sites in Israel have shown that while pigs were a popular part of the Philistine diet, they were entirely absent from the herd-based economy of the Israelites. According to Ronald Hendel, such culinary distinctions soon became codified markers of cultural identity, whereby “the Philistine treat became an Israelite taboo.”* Perhaps similar efforts to affirm Israel’s uniqueness lay at the heart of other animal prohibitions.
But according to kashrut, even permissible animals have to be prepared in a certain way in order to remain kosher. As explained in Deuteronomy 12:23-24, for example, the blood of a slaughtered animal cannot be ingested, for “the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.” The Israelites, like many ancient peoples, believed that an animal’s blood carried the soul of the animal and therefore should not be consumed.** Thus, before a piece of meat could be cooked, it had to be fully drained of its blood. Though not discussed in the Bible, traditional kosher methods for doing this include broiling the meat or a combination of soaking and salting.




The Last Supper is history’s most famous meal. Was it a ritual meal held in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover? Read Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder? by Jonathan Klawans online for free as it appeared in Bible Review.


Kosher law also forbids the consumption of wine that has been made, bottled or handled by non-Jews. Although this prohibition does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, it seems to have been followed as early as the second century A.D. In antiquity, wine was often used in libation rituals to various deities; for Jews this meant that any “pagan” wine could potentially have been made or used as a sacrifice to a foreign god. Thus, in order to avoid coming into contact with contaminated wine, Jews began making and bottling their own wine in accordance with Jewish law.

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/making-sense-of-kosher-laws/

Book Review: The Question that Never Goes Away - WHY by Phillip Yancy

Guest Post by Margie Gamble

"The Question that Never Goes Away - Why" by Phillip Yancy starts out being an interesting concept of what people might be going through in times of tragedies and what they might be feeling and thinking. It seems that most people blame God for what is going on in their lives, but later in the book, he points out that it all comes down to "attitude."  What each person's attitude is when something bad happens to them varies. Some blame God, others think it was God's divine will, and others think it just happened for a reason. Mr. Yancy notes several tragedies that have happened worldwide over the last few years and how people reacted to them.  The problem I find with the book is that it repeats the same tragedies and the same feelings noted by the individuals, church families and media over and over. After you have read it a few dozen times it gets rather boring to me, but overall it was a interesting book, This book will definitely make a person stop and ponder over things that happen and ask the age old question of WHY!

Am I a Shriveled Piece of Bacon?

"My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,  for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

 Jas.1:2-4

Part of becoming spiritually mature is learning the difference between when God says “no” and “not yet.”  And, the "not yet" can sometimes be an answer that spans years. Why? So God can watch me writhe in pain, or torment me without cause? No...this was Job's take on what he perceived God was doing to him. Until in the end of the book, Job was given a glimpse of the bigger picture and has to then acknowledge, "In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:5,6)"  

God’s delay in answer can mean many things. It may be to test of your patience, it may be because there is something else better that God wants you to do or get, it may be the delay is because God wants someone else to be involved. Whatever the reason, anybody can be patient once, most people can be patient twice. Some of us can be patient three times. So God allows our patience to be tested over and over and over. Why? So he can see how patient you are? No! He already knows that. He allows it so you can see how patient you are — so you’ll know what’s inside you, and you’ll be able to know your own level of commitment. God allows you to be tested so that you can KNOW that He is faithful, even if the answers you seek are delayed.

Even as little children, we learn to pout and declare "its not fair!" We may be going through difficult times right now, discouraged because the situation you feel that what you face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair. It may even seem unbearable, and inside you’re basically saying, “God, I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t take it anymore!”  The truth? - you can.

You can stay with it longer, bear up to, last through because God is with you. We never know what our patience in time of trial is being witnessed by others. Perhaps we need to consider that our trial is as much for us as it is for them. For us to trust God more - for them to see that trusting God is something that they can and need to do. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit.  

If you’re discouraged, turn it around by remembering God teaches you patience during delay. Ask him to transform your discouragement into patience.  

I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.  

Psa.40:8,9

Jim

Do I have to go to church?

Do I have to go to church?

This is a question that all Christian parents hear. As children get into adolescence and more independence it is the question that challenges the parent's authority to explain why coming to and being part of God's house is important. Unfortunately some seem never to grow up and continue to ask that question, challenging other Christians to show to them or prove to them the necessity of "going to church."

This question comes from the basis of an puritan ethic that has infiltrated God's house since before the United States was even formed. When people began corruption of biblical text to support their own concepts and doctrines, a need to control the masses became necessary. "Discipline" was required and to have that you had to exude command over people, thus you create an "organization" over which you establish dominant leadership. A business where things become governed by committees, CEO's, managers, etc. A place where absolute authority exists in the hands of a few and to question that authority is to question God Himself and thereby forbidden.  Sound familiar?  It should, because the modern concept of what many consider "church" is just that - and totally abandons the concept of  God's house as the family which it is, with Christ as the leader of it. 

So, let's approach the question again - why should you go to church?  Understanding that God's house (church in religious speak) is a family and not a business or government, why should we? Paul addresses this in 1 Cor.12:27 and simply put,  “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a part of it.”  In a proper family, EVERY person in the family is needed for the family to function correctly. The same is true in God's house. We have the leader, the head of the family - Christ and you and I are all brothers and sisters within that family. We have different functions and abilities (Eph.4) but we all make up the family. No one is less important than the other, and when someone is sick, missing, or unable to be part of the family - it is a noticeable thing. In God's house, there is no insignificant family member. While as in any family there are some that are visible and some are behind the scenes, all are valuable.  The most important light other than Christ in God's house,  is not the large chandelier in our dining room but the little night-light that keeps you from stubbing my toe when you get up in the night. There is no correlation between size and significance. Every person matters because we are all dependent on each other to function. From the oldest brother or sister to the youngest child, all of us are part of the same family and equally important in that family!

What happens when one part of your own body fails to function? You get sick. The rest of your body suffers. Imagine if your liver decided to start living for itself, demanding to know why it should even be part of your body. Imagine if it just wanted a year off,  just to be fed. "I’ve got to do what’s best for me! Let some other part take over.”  What would happen? Your body would die. When we as "grown up" Christians are unwilling to serve and poutily sit on the sidelines as spectators demanding to know "why should I go to church?" the local family of Christ suffers. It is a failure to understand the most basic thing, that it is GOD who calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. Through the death of His Son, He created you for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for you to do (Eph.2:10). Whenever you serve others in ANY WAY you are actually serving God.

It is God who has invited you to come into His house and eat at HIS table? Are you seriously going to ask why you need to go?

Jim