Cut People Some Slack
O Lord, I am your servant;
….yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
….you have freed me from my chains.
I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
….and call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:16-17 NLT
Romans 1:1-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
Working through this week’s sermon, a portion of it got me thinking in another direction altogether. We are in the middle of a series on 2 Peter, the Apostle Peter’s final correspondence. He was trying to shore up believers, knowing that his time on earth would be coming to a close.
A couple of paragraphs from my sermon read,
You can imagine how scoffers would easily try to pick apart the memory and embellishments of an old preacher about to die… I’m sure they were more than willing to roll their eyes and figure Peter’s experience did nothing for them.
At that point, I decided to interject,
…we hold Peter in very high regard, but in our eyes, he has had two thousand years to reach that status. While he was living, many probably saw him as just another old guy. They would have had to disregard his reputation and were foolish to do so, but they, the same as we, are only human.
Then, reading through the notes on today’s passage in Romans, I came to understand that if you think about it, the believers in Rome didn’t have a New Testament – at this point, even the Gospels were all probably a work in progress. So, Paul’s letter to them may well have been the first piece of Christian literature the Roman believers had seen.*
To recap my post – Your “Letters” Might Change the World, from this past July – we learned that while Paul staying in Corinth, he wrote this letter. And what a mighty, impacting letter it was!
Not a single leader of those following Jesus had been to Rome at this point. Paul would actually be the first, as we discovered at the end of Acts. It is suspected that some of the first to take the Good News of Jesus’ life and sacrifice back, had been part of the thousands who found salvation in response to Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost. And here we are, an active, vibrant church in existence due to the power of the Holy Spirit!
I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes we have to cut people some slack and let God work through them and us as well. The general populace interacting with Peter would have had to take time to get to know him to realize who he was and the message that burned within his heart.
The believers in Rome were going on what they had heard at Pentecost and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives – then this letter arrived from Paul. They had to open their hearts to its words. They could’ve been suspicious and totally disregarded it but…they didn’t. The Holy Spirit orchestrated a wonderful interaction and their lives, as well as ours, have been changed forever!
Again, sometimes we have to cut people some slack and let God work through them and us as well. We only know a small portion of who they are, and there may be so much more to learn and embrace! We need to keep our hearts open!
*Life Application Study Bible
Aug 31st, 2022, Wed, 7:36 pm
Because It Is Meaty!
What can I offer the Lord
….for all he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
….and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
I will keep my promises to the Lord
….in the presence of all his people. Psalm 116:12-14 NLT
********
I serve a two-point charge (two churches pastored by one person), the service at the one church is at 9:00, and then about a 15-minute trip for a 10:30 service at the other. We have no Sunday School classes, or any other services beyond the Sunday morning ones and a couple of special seasonal ones. And that’s the way it’s been for 16 years now.
Several years ago, a member and his wife from the first church asked that we start a Bible study. They craved to go deeper into God’s word. Sadly, he passed away of cancer not long after, but we kept the Bible Study going up until the pandemic.
One book that I had been told, by another parishioner, would be over many heads was the book of Romans. It was not one we tackled right off the bat but eventually, we did work through it, one passage at a time.
I will admit I find the book of Romans to be a challenge but mainly, I think it is because it is meaty! There’s no marshmallow fluff here! One cannot rush through it. To really mine the riches it holds, one must dig deep and leave no stone unturned.
I have never been athletic in any way, but my Life Application Study Bible worked a sports metaphor into their introduction to Romans that I really must share.
Paul clearly sets forth the foundations of the Christian faith. All people are sinful; Christ died to forgive sin; we are made right with God through faith; this begins a new life with a new relationship with God. Like a sports team that constantly reviews the basics, we will be greatly helped in our faith by keeping close to these foundations. If we study Romans carefully, we will never be at a loss to know what to believe.
It goes on to say in so many words that as followers of Christ we most certainly do not live lives that are separated from an abstract theology that is not livable. God’s word has practical application to every aspect of our lives. If we follow it, it can literally affect how we live out each day. It is not enough to simply know of God, we must know Him personally and intimately! And oh, what a journey we will have…together!
Wrapping up, here are a couple of portions from the prayer GOD ENJOYED from The Valley of Vision. (God works all things out for our good for this one was in tonight’s reading!)
Thou incomprehensible but prayer-hearing God,
Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’.
Continue the gentleness of thy goodness towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence go with me,
thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found thy promises true,
Aug 29th, 2022, Mon, 7:26 pm
Duck!
Let my soul be at rest again,
….for the Lord has been good to me. Psalm 116:7 NLT
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A friend of mine shared a humorous story with me a few years back. Her oldest was just a little tike at the time. He was at that age where he eagerly repeated animal sounds when prompted. You know, “How does a cow go?” And he’d say, “Moo!” And on through the whole list, they would go.
One evening his dad had him on his shoulders, taking him to bed. Dad was pretty tall, and as they were about to go through a doorway, he said, “Duck, Mikey.” Immediately, he piped out, “Quack!” which was followed by a thump as his head hit the door frame! He wasn’t hurt, but it’s been a source of laughter in the many years since.
Recently in my preaching, I’ve become more sensitive to those who might be listening. Vernacular that is very familiar to me may very well not be familiar to them. I may still use the original word, but I strive to follow it up with an explanation. For example, my sermon today opened with a statement about the book of 2 Peter. It is often referred to as an “epistle”. Beyond a church setting, I don’t recall that word being used in general conversation with anyone. So, I quickly made sure those listening understood that the word epistle means “letter” – Peter wrote a letter. And that is what became the book of 2 Peter.
We assume that everyone knows exactly what we are talking about but just like Mikey, that is not always the case. Now I realize that not knowing the meaning of the word epistle will probably not hinder anyone’s understanding of an important truth but becoming lackadaisical in our mental process of communicating important spiritual concepts can be impacted if we’re not careful.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that we need to be attuned to those with whom we are speaking. When I was a children’s pastor, I needed to make sure that the important Biblical concepts I was communicating didn’t go over the heads of my congregants. I had to adjust my terminology – smaller, more easily grasped words were of the utmost importance.
We don’t need degrees in theology to communicate what God has done and continues to do in our lives. The way we live them communicates volumes. How we respond to the multitude of situations in our lives, both good and bad, celebratory and shattering – those are the things that people around us will remember. God uses us right where we are. All He wants is for our hearts to be yielded and open as His vessels, to convey His love to a world so desperate for it.
Lord Jesus, help us to be genuine in how we interact with others in our lives. Fill us with Your love, to accomplish Your tasks in a world yearning for authenticity. They’re not looking to be impressed by big words and big tasks. They need simple, down-to-earth ambassadors of Christ. Use us to usher in Your Kingdom. Amen.
Aug 28th, 2022, Sun, 8:55 pm
Soften Your Heart
O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
….between my receivings and my deservings,
….between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness,
….between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit.
Who made me to differ, but thee?
….for I was no more ready to receive Christ than were others;
I could not have begun to love thee hadst thou not first loved me,
….or been willing unless thou hadst first made me so.
O that such a crown should fit the head of such a sinner!
….such high advancement be for an unfruitful person!
….such joys for so vile a rebel! – from “The Mover”, in The Valley of Vision
Acts 28:11-31 (<<click here to read the passage)
It’s interesting that the passage of Scripture that Paul quotes at the end of the book of Acts, is the same passage quoted by Jesus in all four Gospels (Matthew 13:14-15; Mark 4:11-12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40). Obviously, it’s very important, because that doesn’t happen very often. There are less than a dozen events that are recorded in every Gospel.
Here it is as Paul quoted it.
‘Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
….you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
….you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
….and their ears cannot hear,
….and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
….and their ears cannot hear,
….and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
….and let me heal them.’
Every reference to Isaiah 6:9-10 is preceded by people refusing to listen to the truth that their ears had heard. Initially, God sent Isaiah to proclaim it to the ancient nation of Israel. Jesus shared many things in parables, and many could not understand the truth in His messages – they didn’t want truth, just things that would benefit them. And then Paul used it after he attempted to bring understanding to the Jewish leadership in Rome about the Messiah’s arrival in the person of Jesus. Only a portion of them had allowed their eyes to be opened.
Each one of us had the opportunity to believe that Jesus is who He is. (Believing otherwise, changes nothing.) No one makes us, but the Lord is always calling out to us. Regardless, of where we are in our lives, we are loved. We are never too far away from God. We are never too far gone. He is just a prayer away.
Lord Jesus, help us to understand and comprehend. Soften our hearts and open our eyes and unstop our ears. Heal us we pray. Amen.
Aug 25th, 2022, Thurs, 7:27 pm
An Interruption of Life
Back to getting ready for school today, Father. Help everything to come together as You would have it. Use me and my brothers and sisters in Christ, to be as the moon is to the sun -may we reflect You with all that we are. Amen.
Acts 28:1-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
OK…sometimes attempting to find information on something you’d think would be basic can lead to some crazy – and interesting – stuff. Reading the notes on today’s passage from the Amplified Bible, it stated that the viper that fastened itself on [Paul’s] hand v3b probably was a sand viper (vipera ammodytes). I’m not a huge fan of snakes, but I was curious as to what it was particularly.
They are found in southern Europe, including Turkey, as well as, in the Mediterranean. They can grow from 2.5 feet to 3 feet in length and have fangs as long as half an inch! (Shiver!)
One page I clicked on spoke of medications that can be developed using their venom – being bitten by them can kill you if you don’t have it taken care of promptly. I didn’t read very far into the article because it was full of long sentences with phrases like “heterodimeric postsynaptic ionic complex composed of two protein subunits”! Another article spoke of how these medications from this viper have been effective in fighting certain breast cancer cells!
Interesting but a little overwhelming!
When Paul was bit, the island of Malta natives thought he was a goner. He must’ve been a pretty bad guy – a murderer no less, they surmised – to have escaped death at sea and then to end being bitten by a poisonous viper. When he shook it off into the fire and suffered no ill effects, they thought him a god! (vs4-6)
He most certainly wasn’t a god, but he did serve the one true God!
There are times in life when we experience the worst of times and come out on the other end still standing. We breathe a sigh of relief and count our blessings. And then we are blindsided by something unrelated but just as threatening. Do we fall crying to the ground? Do we cry out to God, asking, “Why me, Lord?” Or do we respond like Paul?
He didn’t yell or scream…he [simply] shook the creature off into the fire. v5 AMP
To me, it seemed to be more of an “Oh, bother…” kind of moment. There was no panic, it was just an interruption of life.
Paul’s total trust was in God. He had given himself over to Him. He trusted God to handle whatever came across his path. They would handle it together.
To the Philippians, he wrote,
I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Philippians 1:20-24 NLT
Lord Jesus, may we be of the same mind.
Aug 22nd, 2022, Mon, 8:49 pm