TRENDING

The trend to follow the crowd is strong. We find a peer group that goes along with some of our ideas, then instead of thinking for ourselves and reasoning things out to conclusions, we go along with the crowd. After all, all of the people can't be wrong can they? Just do what every other person is doing. Yet what’s popular today won’t be popular tomorrow. Basing your life on popular culture is like trying to build a house or building on a foundation that constantly moves and shifts. It will crack and crumble before your lifespan ends.

In this same vein of reasoning, is to do something because that's what Grandpa did, Grandma, or whoever in your family. That does make a little sense - tradition becomes what it is because it works, yet there is no reasoning to go beyond that. The confidence is in society tradition or family tradition as something that is always right. And to some degree, it may be. But when we make tradition, just because it is tradition – law, then we have overstepped the bounds God has given us as Jesus taught, we start putting more importance on the tradition than we do the word of God (Mk.7:8).

Another vanity in this realm of thought is that something is right because of intellectualism. I have thought it out, I have reasoned, therefore I know. Lot of “I's” in there aren't there? “There is a way that appears to be right,but in the end it leads to death,” states Prov.16:23. Even the genius falters at times. Intellect isn't a surety that it is right. Some of the smartest people that have been, have denied God.

Then there are those that base what they do on what “feels” right. Yet, feelings lie all the time! We lie to ourselves more than anyone else. Look at 2 Thess.2 and you will see how gullible we truly are in this area. Solomon, regarded as the man of wisdom in the bible, was led astray by his own gullibility to feelings. Read Ecclesiastes and you will see how much of a quagmire feelings can become, and for some it is a path of no return. If some are fortunate, they will heed Solomon's advice in the end of the book, when he tells us “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl.12:13,14).”

The Psalmist echoed the sentiment a long time ago, when he stated, “Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.(Psa.104,105).” God's word and only God's word is the only sure thing that there is to base life upon.

Culture changes, traditions grow stale, reason can be faulty, and emotions lie. Yet God’s Word never changes. We may not always understand it, or always like it. It won’t always be politically correct, yet, it’s the only thing stable enough to bring peace to our chaotic lives. You can’t become what God wants you to be on a faulty foundation. Perhaps it is time to open the one book that can help you find peace.

Jim

Mk.14:43-50

There are three actions emphasized in Mark’s narrative that warrant further investigation.

1.      The kiss of Judas. Mark uses the normal word for kiss, which means "to love," in telling of the arrangement Judas had made with the chief priests. They were to seize the one whom he (Judas) kissed. In the actual moment, when Judas carries this out, Mark uses an different form of that word, that means a prolonged kiss, a lover's kiss -- a deliberate, prolonged, apparently loving act, yet done with cold determination to accomplish his own purpose. We shudder at the thought and speak with disgust at those who would do such a thing. Yet, this same heart can exist within us, and at times we do the same type of thing – especially in mob mentalities. We “sacrifice” someone with “a word of kindness.” Then leave them to vultures who do nothing but tear and rend.  Judas “Thought” he was doing right. I wonder what he was thinking when he hung himself over what he had done after the fact.
2.    The second emphasis in this paragraph is on Peter's “defense.”  Peter is in this passage, trying to make a show of carrying out what he resolved. He grabs the sword and, as the priests and soldiers move in on Jesus, he slashes away. But so poor is his aim that all he does is lop off the ear of the high priest's servant. That is such a beautiful example of the flesh at work! We may strike out in our attempts to carry out our purposes, but all we accomplish is the lopping-off of somebody's ear. Attempts to do what we think is right -- but it is not of the Lord. We have all done this. The glorious thing, Luke tells us, is that Jesus reached out and touched that servant and healed his ear. How many lopped-off ears have we been responsible for during our lifetime that Jesus has to come behind us and heal because we thought we were doing what is right. 
3.       The third emphasis in this passage is the sudden flight of the disciples. They all forsook him. I am sure this means that, at that moment, after three-and-a-half years, all their confidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah suddenly forsake them. His willingness to give himself over without any resistance into the hands of his enemies and his refusal to defend himself in any way becomes, in their eyes, tantamount to his renunciation of being the Messiah. Now it is every man for himself, and so they flee. In Luke's account of the resurrection, remember that as two disciples walked along the road to Emmaus, a stranger appeared, a man whom they did not recognize, and they discussed with him the events that had taken place in Jerusalem. They said to him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, "We had hoped (notice the past tense) that he was the one who would redeem Israel," (Luke 24:21a RSV). Their hope was gone, so they forsook him and fled.  And thus the smiting of the shepherd resulted in the scattering of the sheep.

Mark adds what is almost a postscript in Verse 51 “And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” (Mk 14:51-52)  Whoever this young man is, it is explaining to us how we get the account of Gethsemane. None of the disciples could have given it. Eight of them were in a part of the garden some distance from Jesus. Three of them were close to him, but they were sound asleep and could not have heard the crying and the prayers; they did not see the angel come and minister to him. But somebody was watching. A certain young man (perhaps Mark himself), was there watching the whole thing and gave us the story, that we might have hope in the hour of our Gethsemane. This account can help us when we feel that we do not want to do what God tells us to do, and we are confident that somehow we can work it out in our own strength. In that hour, this account to reminds us that we can as the scripture states, “come to the throne of grace and find mercy and grace to help in time of need."

Someone may be in Gethsemane's Garden right now. Are we Judas, Peter lopping off ears, the running disciples – or maybe even the young man? There may be some who have just come through it. Will we open our eyes and hearts to understand this passage? We have one who is the shepherd of the sheep, risen from the dead, who goes before us to meet us. The shepherd upon whom we can rely, to whom we can go in the hour of anguish and find the strength -  to do what we do not want to do to obey when we would rather do something else.

Jim 

I KNEW YOU!

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 

Jer.1:5

Purpose - we need it. All of us wants to know that we are useful in life in someway, that our lives are not all just a waste. We are not robots on an assembly line, doing the same tasks, the same way, everyday. We were created unique and approach things from different mindsets, experiences and determinations. Yet, this is not an excuse for abhorrent behavior by sayng, "God made me this way!"  All sinful desire and sinful behavior no matter how small or deviant comes from within man (1 Jn.2:3,16) and ultimately finds its home in the evil one (Jn.8:44). God did not make us the way we are, that is not what Jeremiah says.  Evil - sin is a choice and been such since the days of our creation.  So, let's see what Jer.1:5 is saying that God knows, and what He did create us for.

1. I knew you  in this passage does not mean mere acquaintance. It is a statement of choice as a consequence of knowledge. This parallelism of contrast is frequent in the poetical books of the Bible (Psa.1:6;  Gen.18:19; Amos 3:2) and shows God's knowledge of what kind of people we can be if we choose to and set our minds to it. 

2. I consecrated you  “to set apart” from a common to a special use; hence arose the secondary sense, “to sanctify,” both in a ceremonial and moral way. It is not God keeping Jeremiah from ever sinning as some would have it mean, but that because of Jeremiah's character separated hims to be His spokesperson not merely the Hebrews, but also the nations hostile to them (Jer.25:12-38; 27:1-21; 46:1-51:64).

3. I appointed you - God had a purpose for this kind of person. The same as God has always had in men like Noah, Moses, Abraham, Daniel, and many others, who because of their character God saw something special.  

What we need to understand here, is that we do not have to be a "special" someone in order to be used by God. It is not the glitz, glamour, money, popularity that God looks for (1 Sam.16:7; 2 Cor.10:7). It is the heart, your soul, your spirit that God looks at. What we need to understand is that it is God's will that will always be done. We can either be useful to that cause, or we can be used for that cause. Just as God chose Jeremiah because of his spirit for good, God also chose Pharaoh of Egypt for his spirit to demonstrate what if we will not allow God to use us for God - He will use us in our evil to accomplish His will to bring about good.  

The question we need to ask ourselves, is what kind of spirit do we have?  "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.(Eph.2:10)" 

Jim

The Jesus Code by O. S. Hawkins

The Jesus Code by O. S. Hawkins 

 I'll state off the bat, I'm impressed. When reviewing books, you have some degree of control in title selection but you never really know what you're getting until it arrives. The first glance, I thought I would be disappointed as I have seen books in this format before and after a few chapters in found myself sighing - Ya, Ya. I was pleasantly surprised! First chapter, hmmmm, interesting. Second chapter, that's  a good thought! Third chapter, this is down right interesting. I'll let you read the rest. I have found this a delightful read for beginner or veteran alike. It does not presume to indoctrinate you, and doesn't treat you like you don't know anything. The questions presented are engaging, valid, and worth considering by all stages of faith.  Now someone may say, "Yeah, you're  just saying that cause you're reviewing the book."  

Yes, there is a lot of positive here, but that's  because I haven't found a negative. I give this book top rating and from me that isn't easy. I have the tendency to be critical.

If you're debating on getting this book, don't! It is well worth having in you're library.

Prepared to Answer

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Pet.3:15)

This advice is given by Peter in his encouragement to the Christians of his day as they came in contact with people on a day to day basis. Many read this scripture and experience fear. Fear that they have to become bible scholars in order to teach someone.  Unfortunately, this is a fear that has been instilled into believers for over 1800 years, when religious leaders told people like you and me that we could not do this because we were not “professionals,” or part of what became known as the “Clergy.” This however is NOT biblical teaching.  Paul considered himself a “brother” and “fellow servant” with Tychicus (Col. 4:7). The same was true for Paul and Epaphras (Col.1:7). Ephroditus was Paul’s “brother, co-worker and fellow soldier” (Ph’p.2:25). Paul and Timothy called themselves the “servants” of the Corinthian church (1 Cor.4:5). Peter viewed Silas as his “faithful brother” (1 Pet. 5:12). The apostles never talked in terms of “us” and “them” in the context of serving Christ. They considered themselves to be fellow laborers with all believers in the church.

The truth is, that everyone you come in contact with needs a reason for hope.  We all want the world to be a better place, yet, few do anything about it to make it better for someone other than themselves. That is why Peter states what he does. Christians should be and appear in public to be people that look beyond life and its drudgery to something better.  A happiness in their step, a smile on their face, an encouragement in their talk.  The hope that best helps people is the hope from somebody who says, “Been there, done that.”

Most think “give an answer to every man” in Peter’s passage means they have to explain why Jesus died on the cross, quote Scripture verses from memory, and know a bunch of Greek or Hebrew. We are not Lawgivers – there is only one with that authority – Christ (Jas.4:12).  We are not Attorneys or Lawyers of the Bible, again, that role belongs only to Jesus (1 Tim.2:5).  It’s not your job to convince people to accept Christ, and try as you can you cannot convert anyone (1 Cor.3:7). God does that. So what does this mean? It means simply that you tell others what has given you hope, a reason to smile, an outlook that today is good even though it has evil things in it.  He wants you to say, “Pain really got my attention. Let me tell you what I learned. I learned that God is all I need. You don’t know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got. I learned that God’s going to hang with me no matter what.” You simply share what you have learned through your own difficulty and experience. You tell people what changed you!

We all recognize others that have difficulties by the looks on their faces, the demeanor they carry – that “aura” that says “I need a friend right now.” What are the good and bad experiences in your life that God can use to impart hope with someone else? That’s what God wants you to do.

Can you think of one person in your life that you can share experience from your life with this week?  

Jim