Being Part of the “In” Group
Father, thank You for the many components of this day. Though some have torn me down, so many more have lifted me up. I am most grateful that I am whole in You!
Romans 1:5-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
One thing that never bothered me was being excluded from groups that set themselves apart as something special. I know many do struggle with wanting so desperately to be part of the “in” group. “Coming of age” movies are replete with storylines involving characters that went to all kinds of extremes to be included. Most of those storylines show their over-the-top efforts resulting in their being humiliated and rejected by said “in” group. But another thing that often happened was that they realized that when all was said and done, they didn’t need the group. In the end, they figured out that who they could have been in the group was nowhere near as wonderful as who they were just being themselves.
One thing that handicaps the church is the reputation (and oft times it is justly earned!) that we are an exclusive “in” group. “We have salvation. We have an “in” with God Himself. We are surely above sin and all its tag-a-log riffraff.” We say that outsiders are welcome to join us and often wear ourselves out trying to come up with ways to get those who are outside to come inside.
But the thing is, how often do we attach strings? “Oh, you _____?” (Insert any number of things – smoke, drink, cuss, party too hard, etc., etc.) And if the answer is “yes” they get an “Oh, well clean that up first, and then we’ll consider letting you in.”
“Believers” of that frame of mind are no different than the devout Jews of Paul’s day. God’s ultimate goal for Israel was that they would be the means by which God loved all of humanity. But they never grasped the reality or importance of that.
One thing that Herod’s Temple, the one Jesus frequented in His day, had was a Courtyard of Gentiles. It was supposed to have been a place where non-Jews could come and pray to the God of Israel. This was also the place where the Jewish leadership allowed just about anything that would discourage any Gentile from trying to pray there. This is where the moneychangers, sellers of animals, and all were to do their business. It was also the place that Jesus cleared out on two occasions. John 2:13-22 is one, and then there is Matthew 21:12-13.
Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” NLT
God loves us all. Period. No exclusions. No exceptions.
In today’s passage from Romans, Paul makes it very clear he, for one, is doing exactly what God had called them to do. To him it was a privilege…to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. v5
He concludes this statement by saying,
And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. v6-7 NLT
I will add that the “you” he was talking about also includes us! We are all invited, and none are left out if we are willing to come to Him. Talk about Good News!
Sept 8th, 2022, Thurs, 6:38 pm
Good News…What Is It? (Part 2)
Thank You, Father, for an overall good day. It was not totally without its challenges, but what of any quality isn’t? Blessing and praise to You!
Romans 1:1-4 (<<click here to read the passage)
Today we continue our delving into the question, “What is the gospel? (Click on this link Good News…What Is It? if you’ve not already read it.)
As we move from the Old Testament to the New, we can see three distinct ways in which the term gospel is used.
I’m sure that we’ve all referred to the first four books of the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – as the Gospels. Each of them, written by different authors, but all inspired by the Holy Spirit, gives us a different perspective on the Life of Jesus. Gospel in this sense describes a particular form of literature.
While Jesus lived and taught amongst us, the term gospel was linked not particularly with the person of Jesus but with the kingdom of God. In Matthew 3:1-2 John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness…preaching… “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” NLT
How many times have we read Jesus’ words when He said, “the Kingdom of God is like…” (for example, think of mustard seed and yeast). Though some refused to admit it, Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah and the kingdom of God had broken through in time and space.
By the time other major portions of the New Testament had come together, it had become the gospel of Jesus Christ and at the heart of it was the proclamation of who Jesus was and what He had accomplished in His lifetime.
One thing we all seem to struggle with is going beyond the “yeah, those around me know I believe in who Jesus is and what He does in my life” mindset. That is important but just that isn’t telling them the gospel, because the gospel is not about us. The gospel is about Jesus—what He did, His life of perfect obedience, His atoning death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church.
That is what the gospel means today and that is what we need to strive to communicate to others. When we preach the gospel, we preach about Jesus, and we preach about how we are brought into a saving relationship with him.
But a major part of it is the fact that we are incapable of living out that relationship in and of ourselves. That may sound negative but only when we acknowledge that fact can we truly live out that salvation. We may not admit it out loud, but we are weak. We focus on all kinds of other things but never really put a conscientious effort into focusing on Jesus working in and through us each and every day.
Lord Jesus, help us to understand the good news and then to live it out so that others cannot help but see Your impact in our everyday lives. Amen!
(The portions in blue above are from an online article adapted from Romans: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul.)
Sept 6th, 2022, Tues, 6:19 pm
Good News…What Is It?
Tomorrow, it begins, Father! As another school year gets underway, guide us in all we say and do. May we keep You first and foremost in our lives. Amen.
Romans 1:1-4 (<<click here to read the passage)
So, what is the gospel? There may be some consensus as to what it means if I were to ask a good cross-section of believers, but it’s important that we really understand what it has meant and, specifically, what it means today…to us.
I’ve found Dr. R.C. Sproul, founder of Ligonier Ministries, to be an amazing source of information both in the past, and on dealing with this question as well.
First of all, the word gospel comes from the Greek word euangelion. Its prefix is eu- which we find in several familiar words. It – refers to something good. For example, a friend of mine plays a brass instrument called a euphonium. Its origins are eu- for good, and -phōnos meaning sound – so good sound. We talk about a eulogy, which is a good word pronounced about someone at their funeral service.
So, the word euangelion…means “good message” or “good news”… That is the word gospel’s base definition. Sproul goes on to say that in the Old Testament… the basic meaning of the term gospel was simply an announcement of a good message. A doctor’s pronouncement of someone’s illness not being serious was gospel or good news.
Another Old Testament application was during times of war. The only way to get news from the battlefield was by foot and marathon runners would dash back to give the report of either victory or defeat. You may recall the passage from the first part of Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news…” NKJV
I found this next part to be pretty cool! Know this, the roadrunner running from Wile E. Coyote wasn’t the only one who could get a plume of dust to rise behind him when he ran! The watchman in the watchtower would look as far as he could see into the distance. Finally, he’d see the dust moving as the runner sped back to the city to give the report of the battle. They were trained to tell by the way the runner’s legs were churning whether the news was good or bad. If the runner was doing the survival shuffle, it indicated a grim report, but if his legs were flying and the dust was kicking up, that meant good news. That is the concept of gospel in its most rudimentary sense.
I’m going to stop right there for there is more to share but it is far too much for one posting. I hope you will join me tomorrow when we’ll continue to learn together regarding the question, “What is the gospel?” (I’ll also share the link for this who would like to read the whole thing.)
Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
….and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:30 NIV
Sept 5th, 2022, Mon, 6:47 pm
The Apples in a Seed
Father, I come before You humbled in heart and spirit. I am weary in body and mind but amazingly enough, despite my many limitations You choose to use me. May Your will be worked out through me. Amen.
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I’ve recently started delving into TikTok. It’s one of those social media things (like all of them) that you have to be careful in regard to what you watch. But much of the content I have stopped to partake in has been eye-opening and entertaining both.
Today I listened as a young man shared a story about a rabbi who wanted to build a new synagogue in a developing Jewish neighborhood as many were moving from the city to the suburbs of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. There were no funds, but he didn’t let that stop him. He confidently walked right into a local bank and spoke with the manager about getting a loan for $500,000 to build the synagogue. The thing is you’ve got to realize that this was in 1958 and that would be like asking for a five-million-dollar loan today!
Surprisingly the manager agreed to give him the loan, but it came with a story. As a small child, the manager’s father had died leaving his mother and four other siblings penniless. Times were desperate for them. Upon hearing of their plight, a local general store owner went and told his mother that as long as he owned the store they would always be clothed and fed. He would never ask for money, and she could pay whatever she could whenever she could. He also happened to be Jewish.
The manager shared that he was who he was that day because of the kindness shown to him and his family through that time. And now…it was his turn to repay the extraordinary kindness shown to them. The synagogue was built and stands to this day.
The young man continued by sharing an old saying, “Anyone can count the seeds in one apple, but only God can count the apples in one seed.” The owner of the general store could never have known the effects of the one seed he planted into that family…only God could. His lone seed continues to produce fruit in a Jewish community that continues to thrive to this day.
Let me challenge you this day. Never hesitate to do good. Maybe it will be a kind word or a smile for someone who needs it. It might be something that will cost you. You may never see the results of your actions, but God surely will. Who knows the number of apples which may come from your sowing your own seeds of kindness?
Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed]. Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift]. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMP
(If you’d like to watch the entirety of Yaakov Cohen’s TikTok post, click on this link.)
Sept 4th, 2022, Sun, 9:53 pm
Pierce My Ear
Praise the Lord, all you nations.
….Praise him, all you people of the earth.
For his unfailing love for us is powerful;
….the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the Lord! Psalm 117:1-2 NLT
Romans 1:1 (<<click here to read the passage)
For whatever reason, I can remember a song that was popular in the early 80s when I was in college. It sort of caught you off guard if you weren’t aware of its origins. The song was Pierce My Ear (written by Steve Croft) and it was based on an Old Testament passage from the book of Exodus, which takes us way back to when the Law was first given to the Israelites through God’s servant Moses.
The passage dealt with slaves (servants). I realize that the topic of slavery is a very hot topic (and justifiably so) but in this particular context, it was speaking of Hebrews (Israelites) who bought other Hebrews because of their debt or poverty according to the Amplified Bible. The Law made it very clear that the servant shall serve six years, and in the seventh [year] he shall leave as a free man, paying nothing. Exodus 21:2b AMP
But God allowed for an exception, not that the master could force the servant into a lifetime of service against the servant’s will but letting the servant remain with his master if he so chose. The Law goes on to stipulate the following as found in a parallel passage in the book of Deuteronomy.
Now if the servant says to you, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is doing well with you; then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall [willingly] be your servant always. Deuteronomy 15:16-17a AMP
In this instance, the servant knows he is loved and well-cared for by his master and chooses – willingly – to commit himself to serve him for the rest of his days.
In essence that is what Paul is saying here in his opening statement to the believers of Rome. The beginning of verse 1 reads, “This letter is from Paul, a slave [servant] of Christ Jesus…”
A commentator stated, “There were several ancient Greek words used to designate a slave, but the idea behind this word for servant (doulos) is ‘complete and utter devotion, not the abjectness which was the normal condition of the slave.’”
I had to look up abjectness and it means extremely contemptible or degrading, utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched.
Paul did not think of himself as a victim of abjectness. He willingly chose to serve Jesus, giving his whole life to Him, following and abiding in Him.
May the lyrics of Pierce My Ear be our prayer.
Pierce my ear, O Lord, my God
Take me to Your door this day.
I will serve no other God,
Lord, I’m here to stay.
For You have paid the price for me
With Your blood You ransomed me
I will serve You eternally,
A free man I’ll never be.
Amen!
Sept 1st, 2022, Thurs, 7:46 pm