May the Welcome Stick!
What a day! What a week! What a month so far! Father, my schedule has been full, to say the least, but You have surely been in the midst of it all. I have not been entirely overwhelmed but I am weary. Father, use me in it all despite myself. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:1-2 (<<click here to read the passage)
I would think that at some point, and probably many points, in our lives we’ve been invited to be a part of something that maybe we’ve never experienced before, and other times it was something not totally new to our experience but in a different setting with different people.
When I was a freshman at Mt. Vernon Nazarene College, I saw an invitation to take part in a play – The Great Physician. It was a story built around the Biblical character of Luke, a physician by trade, who wrote the Gospel that bears his name and the Book of Acts.
The high school I attended from 10th-12th Grades didn’t do those kinds of things at the time, so this was new territory for me. I had a very small supporting role, but I must say it was a lot of fun. I played a slave owner, and my only line was “Stop! Or I’ll have you boiled in oil!” One thing that sticks out in my mind was they colored my brown beard with black mascara!
New friends and new experiences for a very naïve, wet-behind-the-ears young man, but I was welcomed into the “established” family of the theater. (The college at that time didn’t have a performance hall so we used Mt. Vernon’s Memorial Theater – a post-World War I venue.) What an experience! I’ve never done anything like it since, but it was wonderfully fulfilling.
I didn’t stop participating because I was not welcomed, but simply because my life went in different directions after that.
Later, after Karen and I got married and moved back to relatively close proximity to Mt. Vernon, we began searching for a church to attend. We visited a couple, and the initial visits proved unfruitful. They were good, solid, impacting churches with good pastors doing good things. But despite those things, the welcome didn’t stick. We soon visited another church and it fit us perfectly – so much so that we were an active part for 10 years, 5 of which I served on staff as their Pastor to Families with Children. It was a wonderful interaction with wonderful people, many of whom are wonderful friends, now 20-plus years down the road. They extended an open invitation – we accepted and were rewarded!
As the Corinthians were, so are we called by God to be his own holy people. Everyone has an open invitation from God Himself to be his holy people. All are welcome, none are rejected who come wholeheartedly before Him. We are made…holy by means of Christ Jesus. The Amplified Bible states that we are sanctified (set apart, made holy) in Christ Jesus.
I sure pray that you have accepted his invitation! It’s not complicated, just acknowledge your wrongdoings and accept Jesus’ free gift of salvation. Truly the rewards are out of this world fantastic! Eternity is before us but the earthly benefits of being a part of this family are incredible as well! I pray His welcome sticks!
Sept 13th, 2023, Wed, 8:17 pm
It’s OK to Blend In, Isn’t It?
Father today seems to have been one of those wheel-spinning kind of days. I touched a lot of things, but it feels like I didn’t make it very far with any of them. May this time be productive as only You can make happen. Amen.
********
Well, yesterday’s post wrapped up my journaling of the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome. I wrote an introductory post over a year ago (Aug. 30, 2022, to be exact) and though I have shared many posts that stepped away from Romans – throwbacks from past years, and random writings about things I’ve seen or experienced – we have come along way from that day’s post, Because It Is Meaty!
So today, we begin on another journey covering another one of Paul’s epistles, 1 Corinthians. And as is often the case, my Life Application Study Bible sets us off on the right foot.
Most of us are familiar with chameleons. The basics is that to some degree they can change colors, blending in with their surroundings. Also, many creatures in God’s great creation have the ability with their individual coloring to not easily be seen in their environment – deer, rabbits, artic foxes, Eastern Screech Owls, and Stick Insects to name a few.
Out of necessity, for survival or to make them more formidable hunters, it’s natural to fit in and adapt to the environment.
But what about us? What about those who have given their lives over to Christ? We are new creations, born from above and changed from within, with values and lifestyles that confront the world and clash with accepted morals. True believers don’t blend in very well.
And there lies the problem. What is our natural tendency? To blend in…we don’t like sticking out. Most of us abhor being different. Many work very hard to blend in, to be like everybody else. The thing is salt doesn’t mask flavors; it enhances them! Light doesn’t help us hide things; it exposes them – it brings them into clearer focus! And that is what we are called to be in Christ.
So, that is where the work begins. The Apostle Paul addresses many things in his writings to those affiliated with the body of Christ in Corinth. The city of Corinth was a hot mess – using a common current vernacular, and it was rampant with sin – enticing sin, luring sin. And the church was being undermined by immorality and spiritual immaturity. The believers’ faith was being tried in the crucible of immoral Corinth, and some of them were failing the test.
Paul heard of their struggles and wrote this letter to address their problems, heal their divisions, and answer their questions. Paul confronted them with their sin and their need for corrective action and clear commitment to Christ.
Our world is not that much different…is it? Won’t you join me as we journey together into the teachings of Paul? If we are determined to follow, the finish line will be victory!
Sept 12th, 2023, Tues, 6:08 pm
Keep the Worm Out of Your Line of Vision!
A busy day with many things happening simultaneously, Father, but I can feel your calming hand in it all. Help me to continue moving forward, in the direction You know is best. Amen.
Romans 16:17-27 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the most dangerous tendencies in the body of Christ is that far too often believers are as gullible as a fish with a worm before its eyes – except the problem is the worm has a hook through it. The worm can’t get away, but soon neither will the fish.
Sometimes we are too naïve and trusting for our own good. We hear a preacher say something with authority straight from the pulpit and “gulp”, we swallow it whole. We don’t question it. We don’t verify it. We don’t check any of it out, we just accept it.
Probably one of the biggest sources of misinformation that we take for the gospel truth is things posted on social media. We see and think, “Oh, man, that’s awful! People need to know this!” and without any research whatsoever we immediately hit the share button.
In societal and political scenarios, it is most certainly devastating but on a Scriptural end of things? We must do our homework!
Looking at my study Bible* notes on verses 17-20 it reads,
When we read books or listen to sermons, we should check the content of what is written or said so that we won’t be fooled by smooth talk and glowing words. Christians who study God’s Word, asking him to reveal the truth, will not be fooled, even though superficial Christians may easily be taken in.
An example given in the notes was to look at Acts 17:10-12. I once again read through my post on that passage and would encourage you to do the same. Click here on the title to do so – Seek Out the Truth.
That post goes a little deeper but basically, Paul and Silas were teaching the Bereans and the last part of Acts 17:11 says,
They [the Bereans] searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. NLT
Don’t be hoodwinked. Don’t be reeled in. And this may hurt a little…but don’t be lazy. Don’t just assume that what you’re hearing and seeing from what you hold to be a reputable and upstanding source is spot on. Check it out. Affirm the truth for yourself under God’s supervision and keep the worm out of your line of vision!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 11th, 2023, Mon, 1:00 pm
Maximilian Sunflowers
(One of the many clusters of Maximilian sunflowers from my route.)
It was a beautiful day, Father, on so many fronts! It began with good times of worship at our churches and progressed into an enjoyable time with family. Please bless our time together. May I clearly hear Your words. Amen.
********
I love finding things on my bus route! Over the last few days, I have seen these flowers blooming along the side of the road toward the end of my elementary route. They are brilliant yellow against a dark green background of foliage. I love their vibrancy but one other thing that drew my attention is that they seem to be reaching out, as I drive by – stretching themselves to grab my attention.
I’m pretty sure that they are Maximilian sunflowers. They looked like a few other flowers when I tried to look them up online – one being the Jerusalem artichoke! (Maximilian sunflowers are actually related to Jerusalem artichokes.) I understand that they are a prairie sunflower that is native to the American West. (Don’t ask me how they ended up in Ohio!) Another interesting fact is that where most sunflowers are annuals, which means that they live for only one year, these sunflowers are perennials, which means that they come back for many years from their roots (which are edible, by the way.)
Seeing these beautiful flowers made me think of how we as God’s children must be constantly reaching out to Him! He loves us and encourages us to stretch ourselves to get to Him. The thing is He is easy to get to, but I think the problem lies in the fact that we are much too comfortable staying back in the “foliage”, if you will. If we are to be the followers of Christ we cannot be content with staying where we are. We must always be yearning – doing everything we can – to reach out to Him in everything we do.
The other connection that needs to be stressed is that our relationship is not a one-time thing – we are not annuals. Where Maximilian sunflowers are by no means eternal, we are. God, in His grace and mercy, extends to us eternal life in Him – an eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father that we can only dream about! We know only a snippet of what eternity will be like and I believe the wonders and beauty of this world in all of their majesty, will pale in comparison to what God has in store for us! Amen!
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” ~ Jesus (John 3:16 AMP)
Sept 10th, 2023, Sun, 8:05 pm
Ordinary to Extraordinary
There are lots of things happening simultaneously, Father. Help me to focus on the right areas to do what needs to be done. Amen.
Romans 16:1-16 (<<click here to read the passage)
God can bring so many things together to focus on something very important. This is my leaping point…
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home. vs3-5a NLT
My study Bible* has this to say about that…
Priscilla and Aquila ministered effectively behind the scenes. Their tools were hospitality, friendship, and person-to-person teaching. They were not public speakers, but private evangelists. For some of the Romans, their home was used for church meetings (16:5). Priscilla and Aquila challenge us with what [we] can do together to serve Christ.
And then, I recalled that a couple of Sundays ago I shared the following illustration under the point, “God’s will is always better than our best-made plans.”
Author Gary Thomas, founder of the Center for Evangelical Spirituality, writes in Discipleship Journal: When my wife and I prayed extensively about buying a house we gave God many opportunities to close the door. God appeared to bless the move. Five years later, our house is worth considerably less than what we paid for it. “Why didn’t God stop us?” my wife and I kept wondering. After all, we had given Him plenty of opportunities. But one day as my wife was praying, she sensed God asking her, “Have you ever considered the possibility that I wanted you in that neighborhood to minister there rather than to bolster your financial equity?”
The point is that Priscilla and Aquila were just ordinary people who chose to actively live out their faith in Christ. They weren’t apostles or preachers, they simply decided to live as Christ lived. They loved people. Nothing stopped them.
A little background… We first meet them in Acts 18:1-3,
Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
A little in verses 24-26 it says,
Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. NLT
They loved people and served Christ to the utmost!
The last portion of notes from my study Bible* asks some very pointed questions to be contemplated by our hearts and minds.
Do we regard our families and homes as gifts through which God can accomplish his work? How might God want to use your home and family to serve him?
We need more Priscillas and Aquillas in our world!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 7th, 2023, Thurs, 6:46 pm