Author Archives: Pastor Jim Driskell, Lutheran Church

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About Pastor Jim Driskell, Lutheran Church

I am the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Chestertown, Md. I pray that you will come and worship with us, worship is 10 am Sundays. We are a renewal church and we are lifting God up in classical worship, and being faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. 101 Greenwood Av, Chestertown. Plenty of parking behind the church.

The Lord God is my strength and shield 2 Corinthians

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We make our beginning in the Name of God the Father and in the Name of God the Son and in the Name of God the Holy Spirit and all those who know that God is their strength and their song, said  … AMEN!

How many times have you just thrown it in God’s face, just like the Prodigal Son? That was exactly what he was doing to the “Father”. Even now in the Middle East to do what he did, tell his father to hand over his share of the inheritance, is still a gross insult. Basically saying drop dead old man and hand me over all your stuff. Way over the top. We really miss that in western culture, this kid was totally out of line. We are certainly all sinners, but what this kid did was just so over the top, just a creep. Yet we are all like him. We’ve basically told God go away, we don’t need You, hand over what is “ours”, as if we have anything that is “ours”. Neither did the prodigal son, right? His father was still alive, the son wasn’t entitled to a thing, and yet …

And yet God is our strength, when we do something weak and nasty like the prodigal, we don’t get punished, we get grace. Bear in mind, there are consequences, it may not be God punishing us, but our sinful behavior always incurs consequences. If I go to someone right here, haul off and slug you right in the head, what’s going to happen? You’re going to call the police. God may not be punishing me for battery, but the police will because a complaint was filed after I belted the person. But in repentance I am still forgiven by the Father.

As Christians, though, we can be as obnoxious as this prodigal is, but it is in God’s strength that we are saved, we are forgiven, we are not only forgiven, but we are still, in Jesus, inheritors of eternal life, there will probably be consequences, but ultimately He still saves us. In God’s strength, He makes us His children in Jesus, He gives us forgiveness in Jesus, He gives us eternal life in Jesus. Some see that as weakness. “I saw what he did and he should be taken away and punished! There can’t be any reward for him! Don’t you know what he did? He deserves to be punished, the sooner the better!”

Is that what happened to the prodigal? After he put his father through all that he did? Insulted him, took his money, went off to a foreign land and spent every last dime? He must have caused his father unimaginable anxiety and pain, how many sleepless nights do you think that father had worrying about what happened to his son? How many fathers do you think might have said: ‘Eh, whatever, can’t believe what that kid did, maybe if he gets whacked around a little he might learn something and if something else happens, oh well.” But our Father in heaven doesn’t do that. In what is an enormous, unimaginable amount of strength, God endures so much because of our gross insults, our shameless flouting of His grace, His kindness, His many/countless gifts. What did the father do when the son came home? He could have taken him out back, beaten the tar out of him and no one would have said boo about it. Many would have expected it.

But no! The father shamelessly runs out to the son, kisses him, calls for a fine new robe, a new ring, and!!! The fatted calf, the most delectable meal they knew! Based on the description Jesus gives us, the Father was a very important and wealthy man in the community. Men in general do not run out to greet anyone. They would have to gather their robes up into their belt, which would leave their legs exposed, unless there was an emergency, men of such importance did not run. Reminds me of a Simpson’s line: “You were running? Unless there were lions chasing you down the road, you don’t run.” It would have been the same for the father in this story. Yet there he was, in a most undignified manner, running out to this contemptable, unfaithful young man, who himself admits he is not worthy to be called his son.

This had to be embarrassing for the father, I have no doubt the next day at the city gate some of his peers, at least, gave him a little ribbing, even downright derision, “what was that little demonstration yesterday? We are the leaders of this city, let’s conduct ourselves with a little dignity”.

That’s something we get way too caught up in ourselves, isn’t it? Our etiquette, proper demeanor. That’s something God doesn’t get too caught up in, our dignity. A lot of times, as in this story, He doesn’t get too caught up in His own, especially if it means the difference between saving us or letting us condemn ourselves. Isaiah was called to some undignified acts, David Peters paraphrases Isaiah 20: 1-3; “In the year that Assyria captured the Philistine stronghold of Ashdad, the Lord told Isaiah, ‘I want you to take off your clothes and walk around naked and barefoot.’ Isaiah did as the Lord commanded and walked around naked and barefoot for three years.”[1] Peters points out that God asks His people to suffer hardship and embarrassment because God in His dignity lowers Himself to us in order to pull us out of the hopelessness and despair we are lost in, in our sin. He doesn’t have to tuck up His robes under His belt and run out to take us in and clothe us and give us wealth and food as He did with the prodigal son, but He does it not just to save us, but to fulfill His promise that we would have new life. Paul tells us; “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Through Jesus and only through Jesus do we become that new creation and then makes us “ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.” Through Jesus, because of the indignity that He suffered on the Cross, we are put in relationship with God. We are no longer that old man, that lost, sin filled, pathetic hopeless being wandering around, obsessed with the things we think are important, our dignity, our opinion, our self-importance, our obsessive love of self. No! Instead we are a new creation. God the Father has put aside His dignity to run out to us to save us, to reach down from His infinitely high throne in order to save His lost, rebellious defiant creation. Not only does He save us, but He makes us His new creation and He adorns us with new clothes. Remember, a new robe was an extravagant thing in that time. Clothing was very expensive, the material was expensive and each robe was made by hand, a new gold ring was extravagantly expensive, the fatted calf was a costly, precious delicacy in a world where getting enough to eat everyday was a challenge. The Father takes His new creation, what He makes us in Jesus, gives us hope and promise, takes away the indignity of our sin and adorns us to the epitome of what we could expect. How then could we not know in our heart that God is our strength and our shield, even when he could be very righteously angry with us? And because of that, how can we not sing, give thanks and exalt His name because of what He has done for us by giving us His ultimate sacrifice, giving us His perfect, completely holy and sinless Son to die as the only sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. If that doesn’t make you want to sing and shout, then you have no appreciation for that Father who runs out to meet His lost child and is so elated, that His child was lost and now His precious child, you and I are with Him again in the eternal world of the resurrection that His Son Jesus gave us by overcoming death in His resurrection.

Jurgen Moltman writes: “In him the despair that oppresses us becomes free to hope. The arrogance with which we hinder ourselves and other people melts away, and we become as open and as vulnerable as he was.

What initially seemed so meaningless and so irreconcilable – our hope and Christ’s cross – belong together as a single whole, just as do the passionate hope for life and the readiness for disappointment, pain and death.

Beneath the cross of Christ hope is born again out of the depths. The person who has once sensed this is never afraid of any depths again. His hope has become firm and unconquerable: “Lord, I am a prisoner – a prisoner of hope!””[2]

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amin and Shalom

[1] David Peters  “The Many Faces of Biblical Humor:“ page 200 Location 4873  Kindle version

[2] Jürgen Moltmann, “Prisoner of Hope,” from The Power of the Powerless, English transl. Copyright © 1983 by SCM Press Ltd., reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Dios es misericordioso, pero Él está prestando atención. Ezequiel 33: 7-20 First St Johns 28 de de febrero de, el año 2016

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[for the audio click on the above link]

Hacemos nuestro comienzo en el Nombre de Dios el Padre y en el nombre de Dios el Hijo y en el nombre de Dios el Espíritu Santo, y todos aquellos que viven y se vuelven de sus malos caminos dijimos … AMEN

Estamos en el tiempo de Cuaresma, debemos reflexionar sobre lo que nuestra vida está a punto durante todo el año y, desde luego arrepentirse en esos momentos cuando hemos pecado y fallado a Dios. La reflexión, el arrepentimiento, son el foco principal de la Cuaresma. Las lecturas de hoy hacen hincapié en que. La mayor parte de la Biblia es muy sencillo, muy real en el día a día la vida de las personas que en él se describen. Muchas personas, como la mística, el misterio de muchas otras creencias, sólo por esa razón y despedir el cristianismo como ser un poco demasiado prosaica y no lo suficientemente misterioso. No estoy de acuerdo, el carácter real de la Biblia, de principio a fin, que sea totalmente fácil identificarse, en el mundo real, que describe la oscuridad y el pecado de un mundo caído, y que describe de manera muy arenoso, terroso muchos de los personajes de la Biblia. Hubo poca mística de David, Elías, Pedro, eran hombres muy varoniles-terrosa y básico, a Jesús. La Biblia no se trata de ser mística, misterio que todos los que tratan de hacer que fuera a ser, pero en algunos aspectos es. Hay misterios de peso en la teología cristiana: la Trinidad, la expiación de Jesús, el nacimiento virginal de Jesús, la resurrección. Hay misterios que nunca puedan entender, pero eso no disminuye la realidad muy sencillas de quién es Jesús, ¿cómo nos salvamos, lo que hace el Padre en nuestra vida cotidiana como somos guiados por el Espíritu Santo. Hay partes místicas a la Biblia. Daniel puede ser, sin duda es la Revelación, partes de Isaías. Kenneth Stevenson y Michael Glerup escriben: “Ezequiel también deja su huella en el Nuevo Testamento. La imagen de Jesús como el pastor (Mateo 18: 12-14; Juan 10: 11-18) encuentra su inspiración en la profecía acerca de los pastores y las ovejas (Ezequiel 1: 5-10). Revelación lleva varios importantes vestigios de la influencia de Ezequiel:. La visión del carro desde el cielo con los cuatro seres vivientes (Ez 40-48; Ap 21-22) … y cada libro termina con una visión del nuevo templo “En nuestra Ezequiel lectura de hoy es bastante sencillo, y de acuerdo con Stevenson y Glerup; “… Su enseñanza sobre el juicio parece a veces más dura que el mensaje de Isaías y Jeremías.”

A través de Ezequiel, Jehová es bastante duro con Israel y Él puede estar diciendo esencialmente lo mismo que la cultura actual. David Peters escribe: “Usted no es mejor que los cananeos. Su padre era un amorreo y tu madre era una hitita [me recuerda a la línea de Monty Python, su padre era un hámster y su madre olía a saúco -El mío] Eras un bebé tan feo que le dejaron fuera a morir. “(Ez 3 : 7-9) Peters continúa escribiendo: “Este es hablar bastante peligroso procedente del Señor. Dios les compara con las personas a las que tuvieron el menor respeto – los samaritanos y la Sodomas. Este sarcasmo atrajo la atención de la gente y se quejó de que Dios estaba siendo injusto con ellos. Dios respondió: “Usted dice:” El Señor está siendo injusto en su evaluación de nosotros ?! ‘Escúchame! Ustedes son los injustos no yo ‘ “(Ez 18:25) En un concurso de quién es justo, Dios siempre va a ganar.”

La parte más conmovedora de las lecciones para mí es cuando Ezequiel se levanta el pie del acelerador en el medio de la lectura para recordar a su audiencia: “Vivo yo, dice el Señor Jehová, que no quiero la muerte del impío, pero que el malvado se convierta de su conducta y viva, dar la vuelta de sus malos caminos, por qué moriréis, oh casa de Israel? “(Ez 33:11) ¿Quién es la” casa de Israel “que Dios está hablando con ? … Sí, nosotros, somos Israel. Jesús es Israel, estamos en Jesús, incluso 500 años antes de Jesús, Dios, por medio de Ezequiel, está hablando con nosotros y casi suplicante con nosotros. No quiero ver a las personas mueren en sus pecados, no quiero ver a las personas perdidas en el infierno por toda la eternidad, que es horrible, quiero que me temes lo suficiente, para saber quién soy, lo que he hecho por usted y para que deje de resistir y encontrar paz y descanso en mi gracia. Dios es a menudo prácticamente rogando con nosotros, detenerlo, a superar esta ridícula, rebelde, actitud que sólo conduce a la muerte! Debemos estar en un estado de reflexión, el arrepentimiento y la oración durante todo el año, pero se nos ha dado este tiempo de Cuaresma para reflejar específicamente en la realidad del estado de nuestra naturaleza pecaminosa. No como una manera de vencer a abajo, sino como una manera de vivir de verdad “Yo soy el camino la verdad y la vida …” nos dice Jesús. Su manera, la vida y la vida más abundante en la resurrección. forma en que el mundo es el pecado y la muerte. Podemos pensar que Ezequiel está siendo demasiado duro, pero Dios, por medio de Ezequiel, está tratando desesperadamente de alejarnos de nuestra naturaleza rebelde y pecaminoso y encontrar la verdadera vida, la esperanza, la promesa y la vida eterna de la perfección en él. ¿Hay alguna duda de que cuando alguien se arrepiente, se tapa los caminos rebeldes que el padre se alegre? Lucas escribe: “ESV Lucas 15: 7. Sólo así, os digo que habrá más alegría en el cielo por un solo pecador que se convierta que por noventa y nueve justos que no necesitan de arrepentimiento” Debido a que no podemos tener a nuestra manera , actuamos como si Dios es el enemigo. Vivimos en una cultura “Gotcha”. No se trata de lo que haces, las grandes maneras que usted sirve, las cosas que lograr. Hay gente por ahí que realmente piensan que están sirviendo al esperar en las malas hierbas con el fin de “Gotcha” en las cuestiones más triviales y mostrar lo que una persona verdaderamente horribles que son. El mundo trata de proyectar ese modo de pensar a Dios. Nada puede estar más lejos de la verdad. El “Gotcha” Dios quiere es la época en que se da cuenta de su pecado, arrepentirse y afligidos de cenizas sobre el pecado y darse cuenta de todo lo que ha hecho para salvar a usted y le dará la vida eterna. ¿Hay alguna duda en su mente que el Padre, en su trono, será sonriendo cuando te das cuenta de lo que se ha hecho por ti? Seguro Él sabe que Él ha salvado, pero en medio de la alegría del cielo, no habrá sonrisa de satisfacción del Padre, que Su plan en esa persona ha llegado a pasar? En la parábola de los talentos, Jesús nos dice cómo nuestro Maestro, Dios, (Lucas 25: 21, 23) “Entra en el gozo de tu señor.” El mundo trata de convencernos de que es un “nosotros contra él”.

De la misma manera, Él no está jugando. Usted quiere tomar el camino ancho en la puerta ancha, hazlo a tu manera? No se puede esperar que Dios esté satisfecho con su comportamiento destructivo. Él quiere salvarte, Jesús vino con el fin de ser la salvación del mundo. El Dios sabe que la mayor parte del mundo se enfrenta a la destrucción, la muerte, la eterna ira de Dios, y por qué no debería ellos los que han rechazado a Dios? Dios no se complace por la muerte del malvado, sino que hizo su elección y rechazó a Dios. Ezequiel escribe: “Una vez más, aunque yo diga al impío:” ciertamente morirás ‘, sin embargo, si se aparta de su pecado y hace lo que es justo y recto, … de cierto vivirá; no morirá “(Ez 33: 14, 15).. A través del Espíritu Santo, que el Padre ha hecho el camino a la salvación bastante obvio y no hacernos pasar por el aro de estar en él, así como todas las demás creencias hacen. Él nos da la gracia pura, sin reservas en su Hijo Jesús. Jesús hizo el trabajo duro y el trabajo pesado. Jesús murió en la cruz del sacrificio perfecto por los pecados de todo el mundo. Dios hizo el camino de la salvación bastante obvio en la vida de su Hijo, la muerte y la resurrección. No hay nada que podamos hacer para ganarlo, para justificarlo, para merecerlo, se nos da para tener vida y vida más abundante.

En nuestra lectura del Evangelio personas se preguntan a Jesús si las personas que murieron a causa de un accidente o de Pilato alguna manera merecen este tipo de muertes violentas porque eran malas personas. Las personas que piden eran de alguna manera “buena” y las que murió recibió lo que merecía. Jesús respondió: “No, os digo; a menos que se arrepientan, todos pereceréis igualmente. “No es que una torre caerá sobre todos ellos, pero Jesús estaba diciendo, sigue haciendo lo que estás haciendo y todo lo que morirán en sus pecados, usted será condenado a la eterna fuego donde hay llanto y rechinar de dientes. No tenemos un “Gotcha” Dios que está a la espera de condenarnos. Juan 3:16 Porque de tal manera amó al mundo que nos dio a su Hijo para darnos una manera segura y cierta a la salvación, la vida eterna, perfecta en la resurrección. La confianza en Aquel que hace tanto por nosotros, volverá y se arrepentirá y saber que en Él, en su iglesia, en nuestro bautismo en él y en la Cena del Señor cuando comemos su cuerpo y sangre, en la vida y la muerte sacrificial de Jesús, Él que ha salvado a la vida eterna en la resurrección. Él quiere lo mejor para ti y espera para darle a usted. No hay alegría en la muerte del pecador, hay alegría en el hombre y la mujer que se arrepiente y recibe el don gratuito de la gracia en Jesús.

La paz de Dios que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guardará vuestros corazones y vuestros pensamientos en Cristo Jesús. Amin y Shalom

God is merciful, but is paying attention Ezekiel 33: 7-20

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[for the audio please click on the above link]

We make our beginning in the Name of God the Father and in the Name of God the Son and in the Name of God the Holy Spirit and all those who live and turn from their evil ways said … AMEN

We are in the season of Lent, we should reflect on what our life is about all year long and certainly repent at those times when we have sinned and failed God. Reflection, repentance, are the primary focus of Lent. Today’s readings emphasize that. Most of the Bible is very straightforward, very real in the day to day lives of the people it describes. Many people like the mysticism, the mystery of many other beliefs, just for that reason and dismiss Christianity as being a little too prosaic and not mysterious enough. I disagree, the realness of the Bible, from beginning to end, make it totally relatable, real world, it describes the darkness and sinfulness of a fallen world, and it describes in very gritty, earthy ways many of the people in the Bible. There was little mystical about David, Elijah, Peter, they were very manly-earthy-gritty men, even Jesus. The Bible is not about being mystical, mystery, that so many try to make it out to be, but in some respects it is. There are compelling mysteries in Christian theology: The Trinity, the atonement of Jesus, the virgin birth of Jesus, the resurrection. There are mysteries that we may never understand, but that does not diminish the very straightforward realities of who Jesus is, how we are saved, what the Father does in our lives everyday as we are guided by the Holy Spirit. There are mystical parts to the Bible. Daniel can be, Revelation certainly is, parts of Isaiah. Kenneth Stevenson and Michael Glerup write: “Ezekiel also leaves its mark on the New Testament. The image of Jesus as the Shepherd (Matthew 18: 12-14; John 10: 11-18) finds its inspiration in the prophecy about the shepherds and the sheep (Ezekiel 1: 5-10). Revelation bears several significant traces of the influence of Ezekiel: the vision of the chariot from heaven with the four living creatures (Ezek 40-48; Rev 21-22) … and each book ends with a vision of the new temple.”[1] In our reading today Ezekiel is pretty straight forward, and according to Stevenson and Glerup; “…his teaching about judgment seems at times harsher than the message of Isaiah and Jeremiah.”[2]

Through Ezekiel, Yahweh is pretty tough on Israel and He could be saying essentially the same thing to today’s culture. David Peters writes: “You are no better than the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittite [reminds me of the Monty Python line Your father was a hamster and your mother smelt of elderberry –mine] You were such an ugly baby they left you out to die.” (Ez 3: 7-9) Peters goes on to write: “This is pretty rough talk coming from the Lord. God compared them to the people for whom they had the least respect – the Samaritans and the Sodoms. This sarcasm attracted the people’s attention and they protested that God was being unfair to them. God replied, “You say, ‘The Lord is being unfair in his assessment of us?!’ Listen to me! You are the ones being unfair not I.’” (Ez 18:25) In a contest as to who is fair, God will always win.”[3]

The most poignant part of the lessons for me is when Ezekiel takes his foot off the gas in the middle of the reading to remind his audience: “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should turn from his way and live, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ez 33:11) Who is the “house of Israel” that God is talking to? … Yes, us, we are Israel. Jesus is Israel, we are in Jesus, even 500 years before Jesus, God, through Ezekiel, is talking to us and almost pleading with us. I don’t want to see people die in their sins, I don’t want to see people lost in Hell for eternity, that is horrible, I want you to fear me enough, to know who I am, what I have done for you and for you to stop resisting and find peace and rest in My grace. God is often practically pleading with us, stop it, get over this ridiculous, rebellious, attitude that only leads to death! We should be in a state of reflection, repentance and prayer all year long, but we have been given this time of Lent to specifically reflect on the reality of the state of our sinful nature. Not as a way to beat you down, but as a way for you to truly live “I am the way the truth and the life…” Jesus tells us. His way, life and life more abundant in the resurrection. The world’s way is sin and death. We may think Ezekiel is being overly harsh, but God, through Ezekiel, is desperately trying to steer us away from our rebellious and sinful nature and find true life, hope, promise and eternal life of perfection in Him. Is there any doubt that when someone repents, stops his rebellious ways that the Father will be joyful? Luke writes: “ESV Luke 15:7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Because we can’t have it our way, we act as if God is the enemy. We live in a “gotcha” culture. It’s not about what you do, the great ways you serve, the things you accomplish. There are people out there who genuinely think they are serving by waiting in the weeds in order to “gotcha” on the most trivial issues and show what a truly horrible person you are. The world tries to project that mind-set on to God. Nothing can be further from the truth. The “gotcha” God wants is the times when you realize your sin, repent and mourn in ashes over your sin and realize all that He has done to save you and give you eternal life. Is there any doubt in your mind that the Father, on His throne, will be smiling when you realize what has been done for you? Sure He knows who He has saved, but in the middle of the joy of heaven, there will be the Father’s smile of satisfaction, that His plan in that person has come to pass? In the parable of the talents Jesus tells us how our Master, God, “Enter into the joy of your master.” (Luke 25: 21, 23) The world tries to convince us it’s an “us against Him”.

By the same token, He isn’t playing. You want to take the wide road into the wide gate, do it your way? You can’t expect God to be pleased with your destructive behavior. He wants to save you, Jesus came in order to be the salvation of the world. The Godhead knows that most of the world faces destruction, death, the eternal wrath of God, and why shouldn’t they who have rejected God? God takes no pleasure over the death of the wicked, but they made their choice and rejected God. Ezekiel writes: “Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’, yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right,…he shall surely live; he shall not die.” (Ez 33: 14, 15). Through the Holy Spirit, the Father has made the path to salvation quite obvious and doesn’t make us jump through hoops to be in Him, as all other beliefs do. He gives us pure, unqualified grace in His Son Jesus. Jesus did the hard work and the heavy lifting. Jesus died on the Cross the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. God made the road to salvation quite obvious in His Son’s life, death and resurrection. There is nothing we can do to earn it, to justify it, to deserve it, it is given to us to have life and life more abundant.

In our Gospel reading people are asking Jesus if the people who died because of Pilate or an accident somehow deserved such violent deaths because they were bad people. The people asking were somehow “good” and those that died got what they deserved. Jesus replied: “No, I tell you; unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Not that a tower will fall on all of them, but Jesus was saying, keep doing what you’re doing and you will all die in your sins, you will be condemned to the eternal fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. We do not have a “gotcha” God who is just waiting to condemn us. John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave us His Son to give us a sure and certain way to salvation, everlasting, perfect life in the resurrection. Trust in Him who does so much for us, turn and repent and know that in Him, in His church, in our baptism in Him and in the Lord’s Supper when we eat His Body and Blood, in Jesus’ life and sacrificial death, He has saved you to that eternal life in the resurrection. He wants what is best for you and waits to give it to you. There is no joy in the death of a sinner, there is joy in the man and woman who repents and receives the free gift of grace in Jesus.

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amin and Shalom

 

[1] Stevenson and Glerup in “Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Ezekiel, Daniel” p xx

[2] Ibid p xiv

[3] David Peters “The many Faces of Biblical Humor”

Serving, Service, Gifts, Talents

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I don’t know why this bugs me, maybe I’m just not gifted, maybe I don’t serve effectively, or maybe I’m looking at the Bible and seeing that no one in the Bible made massive productions out of their gifts. I don’t even see where anyone can justify their opinion that there are those in the Bible who were especially gifted. It looks to me as though various people were empowered to perform a specific act in the context of the situation. If someone came to Peter for healing, Peter was empowered to heal, but he wasn’t at liberty to just wander around and heal at will. Jesus certainly was, but Jesus is God the Son through whom all creation came into existence. If He choses to heal, then He is certainly entitled to exercise His prerogative.

We are all called to serve, no question. That does not mean that we are empowered to do what we want with any gifts we’re given whenever we want to. In fact as a Lutheran, I would submit that the Holy Spirit puts us into the situations where He wants healing and empowers us to do so. Otherwise, we move along and follow His lead. There are way too many Christians out there (and I’ve talked to many of them) who are convinced that they are somehow specially gifted and entitled to go out and demonstrate those gifts. Sorry, but my “poser” antenna goes up when someone is talking to me in that way. Frankly, I immediately get the sense that this person really thinks it’s all about Him, that he is somehow special and that is why He is gifted. Satan can certainly gift you too. He gives you a gift to do something “good”. OK, lots of unsaved people do “good” things. But what’s Satan’s bigger purpose? Maybe to get you so obsessed with your “special” gift, and how “special” you are and start to separate you from Christ, after all, you don’t need Jesus, you have these special gifts. Hey, Satan really doesn’t care how he turns you from Christ, anything will work, so long as it’s not about Jesus.

This attitude is certainly prevalent among the “Name it and Claim it” types, the Benny Hinns, the Pentecostals, charismatics. These are people whose ministry is almost entirely about their emotional gratification, their “special” gifts, their speaking in tongues and very little about Jesus, grace, salvation, what the Holy Spirit does. No it’s really about what they do and the Jesus stuff? Well that’s a nice incidental.

Their entire schtick, worship seems to be like a carnival barker. They have to have a big crowd, yada, yada, hurry, hurry, come on in, see the great Jesus. Not so much seeing Jesus as seeing what He can do. Problem is not only did Jesus usually do healings in a very subdued, private way, He also told people to keep quiet about it. They often didn’t and were bringing people to Jesus as some kind of side show. Paul doesn’t even talk about performing any miracles, although it seems he did. He wasn’t interested in miracles, if Jesus was going to do a miracle through him, it was all about Jesus and nothing about Paul.

When you encounter someone who is making a big production about their “gifts” I suggest you treat them very lightly. Too often this stuff is orchestrated, contrived, might I even say demonic. Too often these people show themselves to be phonies and have somehow managed to set up the show their performing. Satan is all about that, sure, all about the gifts and the results, nothing about Jesus who genuinely heals.

God does not respond on command, the only exception being Jesus and certainly Jesus could/can do miracles in His own power. Other miracles were set up because either God specifically sent the person, like Moses, told him what to do, how to do it and God did the miracle through Moses. Certainly you could make the case that God set up the circumstances for that person to be put in the situation to perform the miracle and they only lent their presence to the situation, the power of the miracle was all God’s.

Too many people presume to treat God like a trained monkey, working on command, that’s not how God works. That person should know that and wonder where else this supposed “power” is coming from. Let’s focus on the faith, grace and Word that God gives us and get over this idea that God has given us some kind of unique power. There’s nothing in the Bible that would indicate that He does. Does He give us gifts? Sure. Are they for our gratification or for His glorification? The correct answer, of course is, His glorification. If it is somehow working out otherwise, you might want to seriously question what is going on and if you have used your “gifts” to truly serve Him or just to draw attention to yourself because you’re “special”. You’re not and the more quietly and unassuming God uses gifts through you, in that usual paradoxical way that God works, the more that God will be working through you. You might not think that He’s performing signs and wonders, but in God’s usually subtle ways He may be using you powerfully if you trust in His will and not some idea that you are specially gifted.

 

Lucifer Morningstar

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ESV Isaiah 14:12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!” There are different translations. Lucifer is “Heylel” in Hebrew meaning “light bearer, shining one, morning star, also described the King of Babylon.” (Bible Works) For those who like to claim that the Old Testament doesn’t talk about Hell or Satan, well apparently they haven’t read Job or Isaiah. Matthew Henry notes how the Kings of Babylon were oppressors of Israel, so for the Israelites to think of Satan in these terms would seem natural.

The pericope in Isaiah goes on to say: “ESV Isaiah 14:13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; ESV Isaiah 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ ESV Isaiah 14:15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. ESV Isaiah 14:16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, ESV Isaiah 14:17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ ESV Isaiah 14:18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; ESV Isaiah 14:19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot.” (BibleWorks)

Seems to be pretty cut and dried, no wiggle room here, Satan chose his own way. Jesus described how Satan was cast out: “ESV Luke 10:18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Revelation makes it very clear what happened before God created man: “ESV Revelation 12:7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, ESV Revelation 12:8 but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ESV Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (BibleWorks)

Clearly the issue has been settled. Lucifer was made to be the most perfect, created, being. To such an extent that he convinced himself that he should be “god”, and tried to establish himself as god. He was defeated by the Archangel Michael and tossed out of heaven. Clearly putting himself outside of any possibility of redemption. But that, obviously, hasn’t stopped Satan. He tried to swing Jesus over to his side and Jesus dismissed him. But the effort continues and apparently his PR people make another attempt, among many, in the Fox television series “Lucifer”. I stumbled on it by accident, I was traveling didn’t have my usual list of recorded programs and just happened to land on the program. I did end up recording it and was able to examine it closer.

The program posits that Satan is actually warming up to man, although his track record has been to try to destroy man. Lest we forget he is the one who enticed Eve to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden that got her and Adam kicked out and condemned to a life of sin and out of communion with God the Father. We know that through Jesus, Satan was defeated and our relationship with the Father reestablished through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Let’s also remember that Satan in Hebrew means “adversary” and “accuser”. We’ve taken that to mean God’s adversary, although to quote a New York Times reporter, writing before the 2004 World Series who described the Yankee – Red Sox rivalry has a hammer hitting a nail. That obviously the hammer is the active punisher and the nail receives which would more accurately describe the “rivalry” between God and Satan,. It may be adversarial, but God is clearly the punisher. The Greek word translates diabolos, meaning slanderer, the one who accuses and tries to misrepresent man.

Satan finds a woman police detective fascinating in her convictions as one trying to pursue her job with conviction and also able to resist the advances of Satan. This despite her somewhat unvirtuous background. Apparently in her rebellious period against her parents she made a movie where she appears nude, for which she confesses to her young daughter for forgiveness. Part of the plot is Satan trying to figure out why he doesn’t seem to have an effect on her. It’s obvious in the program that he rather easily affects everyone else. Another power of his being to draw out the desires of those he confronts. He uses his celebrated charm (Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones), to manipulate people who presume to be so much smarter, superior to everyone else, in a kind of Pharisaical way. Lest we forget Satan is beyond redemption, he made his decision by rebelling against God in heaven. Sure we humans rebell, but we were only kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The Father, through the Son, has made a way for us to be in relationship with Him. Satan chose to shoot for the top and ended up in Sheol.

A waitress at Satan’s night club, who is a demon, challenges Satan, accusing him of becoming soft, almost in the sense of selling out. The character makes it clear that he is still very much in control, but maybe becoming, at least, a little more respectful of humans. The Biblical truth is that Satan has an implacable hatred of man and he continues by any means to destroy man and undermine God.

Another character in the program is Ariel. This is a very obscure reference and is not biblical. But it is an apocryphal reference. According to Wikipedia he is an Archangel described in the Book of Enoch. “”Ariel” has been called an ancient name for the leontomorphic Gnostic Demiurge (Creator God).”(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_(angel)) Gnosticism is a very early “Christian” heresy that kind of creates a non-Biblical paradigm around Jesus. Ariel is Hebrew meaning Lion of God, hearth of God. Interesting note, the angel is played by an African- American man, who is clearly not the contemporary image of a fluffy, beautiful woman. He is clearly a warrior, so I will give the show credit on this score. Angels are very much warriors and men, not at all the feminine, cuddly, nurturing types.

Now Satan does have the power to punish those under his authority, those being people who are not saved in Christ. Ephesians 2:2 grants that: “ESV Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-” (BibleWorks) Having said that Lucifer claims in a couple of instances, that he will be passing judgment on humans. Lucifer is sitting across from a papparazzi, Nick, who is a rather unsympathetic figure, trying to convince him to tell him who the real murderer is. Nick is having some guilt re-assessing his life and the lousy things he’s done to “succeed”, “at what cost to my soul”. Lucifer tells him that he will be deciding the cost to his soul; “Well that someone is sitting opposite of you and it’s not looking good.” No, that is above Satan’s pay-grade. Jesus will be making those calls and even a sleezey papparazzi is not beyond redemption. It’s odd though that Nick would think that he could somehow get redemption from Satan, but it seems as if many in the world today think that they can somehow be justified or protected by Satan and ignore Jesus.

Another scene to try to demonstrate Lucifer’s new found virtue is with a street preacher. It becomes obvious that the man is just putting on an act, has found a way to make money doing this. (Why? I have no idea.) Certainly such a man is guilty of simony, described in the Book of Acts. And certainly this man is also on his way to Hell for this sin. Dante describes the level of Hell from simonists, granted it’s not biblical either, but shows that this sin is historically considered a heinous sin. Lucifer frightens the poser into knowing that Satan is very much real. My question is did Lucifer do this as a way to frighten the man into taking Satan seriously, for mocking Satan? Or is he trying to scare the poser street preacher straight. I have to go with Lucifer was more angry that the man was really mocking him.

There’s more, but I’m not really sure how to posit the rest. I was interested in the depiction of Satan going to a psycho-analyst to hash out his issues. Yea, this may be the cynical wise guy talking, but I found it interesting that he seems to be, somehow, confessing to what many think of as a priestess of this worldly religion of psychology. Why not bring a liberal clergy person in? But the science of self-obsession/self-appraisal and of course for Freudians, that everything in our psyche really comes down to sex, that this is almost confession/worship for him.  Each session begins and ends with Lucifer having sex with the attractive woman who is the psycho analyst. Seems to be in the sense of the temple prostitutes of the various cults in the ancient world.

There is a lot more that could be analyzed. Certainly the writers of the program are trying to portray Satan in a sympathetic light. Calling himself Lucifer Morningstar linguistically speaking, is a much more positive, uplifting name meaning morning star (literally his name would read Shiningone Lightbearer Morningstar) Lucifer also means shining one/lighbearer. Maybe I’m reading too much into the imagination of some writers who really don’t know anything about who Satan really is, but, I don’t know, identify with him more than Jesus. A case could be made that most of the world feels that way. Night clubs, sex, drunkeness, fornication, those are a way of life for most people in the world today, all in all it does seem as if the attempt is “Sympathy for the Devil”. In today’s biblically illiterate world, I’m sure there are lots of people who are buying what the Fox program is selling making Satan attractive, charming, relatable. They did show their hand once with the street preacher, Satan is the Beast, he is unredeemable. Unfortunately anyone buying this and rejecting true salvation in Christ, is condemning themselves with a lie. The sad fact is that God is in control and the rest is another attempt by the Prince of the Power of the Air, to delude people into their own damnation.

We take way too lightly both God and Satan, beings that are far superior to us in so many ways. We really are arrogant enough to think that we can somehow control and sway, both/either. Let’s be clear, God is there for your eternal good, your eternal redemption and salvation in Jesus to true life in the resurrection, the New Jerusalem. Satan is there to corrupt and destroy you, he will try to do this in any winsome way he can or try to terrify you into it, either way that works. Your only refuge is in Jesus, no matter how shiny and pretty Satan looks.

The television show? Really cute, but dangerous as hell.

Jesús, el profeta rechazado de Lucas 13 First St Juan 21 de febrero de, el año 2016

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Hacemos nuestro comienzo en el Nombre de Dios el Padre y en el nombre de Dios el Hijo y en el nombre de Dios el Espíritu Santo, y todos aquellos que saben que Jesús no debe ser ignorado o tratado ligeramente dijimos … AMEN! Pared y de Beth boda

Evangelio de hoy destaca el profeta rechazado. Esencialmente vemos el liderazgo de Israel diciendo a Jesús para ir a tomar un polvo. “Tenemos todo bajo control, sabemos lo que estamos haciendo, gracias por compartir, pero vamos a seguir haciendo lo que estamos haciendo y parar en algún momento cuando usted no puede quedarse tanto tiempo.” Adios, weidershein ave, dospedonia, aurevoir, hasta luego Charlie. Podría parecer que esto es una advertencia de algún fariseo bien intencionado, pero es más como “Herodes quiere matarte y que está muy bien con nosotros, nos vemos, no deje que la puerta golpeó ya en el camino de salida.” Ahora bien, Por supuesto, el más culto y refinado de la sociedad nunca decir tales cosas, que simplemente ser estirada y presuntuosa, claramente el corazón fariseos está lleno de odio. ¿Suena familiar? Ya, obtenemos que muchos en el mundo de hoy. No tanto que alguien va a matar, no, no puedes tener problemas por eso. No tanto que quieren verte muerto físicamente, tanto como acaba arruinado, tal vez … t-ji, un sufrimiento grave, el ostracismo, y por supuesto la marca mundana, el ridículo. De vuelta en el día, sin embargo burla era tan satisfactorio por lapidación alguien o moviendo el dedo hacia ellos, como lo harían, mientras que alguien colgó en la vergüenza de una cruz.

Jesús acababa de tomar un tiro apenas velado en los que presume que es tan religioso, que estaban seguros de que habían sido salvados. Alguien acaba le había pedido: “Señor los que se salvan unos pocos?” La respuesta de Jesús fue “Esforzaos a entrar por la puerta estrecha”. Mientras que muchos le dirá Jesús en el momento final de todo de lo mucho que hizo por él, la respuesta de Jesús a los que se puso un buen espectáculo, pero no está a la altura? “Apartaos de mí todos vosotros, hacedores de maldad”. ¿El tipo de te hacen parar y pensar. Cuando hacemos eso tenemos que dejar nuestro punto de vista, “Lo hice, lo hice, ¿verdad un gran tipo” y empezar a mirarlo desde la perspectiva de Jesús. “¿Es Jim hacer mi voluntad, o es Él sólo pone en una exhibición de la inflamación para su propia gratificación? Me es prestar un servicio, o está sirviendo Jim Jim? “Los fariseos sabía muy bien lo que decía Jesús cuando Él responde a la pregunta. Estaban poniendo en un espectáculo, y en su corazón que se dieran cuenta, y su reacción a Jesús mostraron una actitud defensiva por su parte. “Realmente Jesús, estás diciendo que seremos condenados?” Jesús hizo ir a decir, a aquellos “trabajadores del mal, de la iniquidad” para partir: “En ese lugar, donde habrá llanto y rechinar de dientes, cuando vean a Abraham, a Isaac, a Jacob ya todos los profetas en el reino de Dios y vosotros echar fuera “(Lucas 13: 28). Así que Jesús les lo que está diciendo? … Ellos van a estar yendo al infierno. Han estado ejecutando su propio espectáculo, no se trata de Dios, a pesar de que dicen ser todo acerca de Dios. Se trata de ellos el uso de Dios y su lugar como, presumiblemente, los líderes elegidos de Dios y les recibir toda la gloria y beneficio. Ellos no van a preocuparse demasiado acerca de convertir el centro de atención en Dios, que llevaría lejos de ellos.

Los fariseos están realmente se comporta como si estuvieran fuera en el patio de recreo, “oh sí Jesús? Estamos los niños frescos y nuestro hijo de Herodes, así que va a arreglar su pequeño carro rojo. “Pero no fue una pelea después de la escuela, rodeado de todos los amigos del matón de Herodes. Herodes podría fácilmente llevar a Jesús y le han ejecutado y eso es justo lo que los fariseos querían ver, por lo que tendrían que mueve la satisfacción de sus dedos en él, y eso es lo que harían.

 

Jesús o los fariseos no podrían estar pensando en ello, pero Jesús ya ha estado en la mira de Herodes. Herodes el Grande trató de poner fin a la cuestión camino de regreso, cuando Jesús era un bebé, cuando Herodes envió soldados a Belén para matar a los Santos Inocentes. Jesús se supone que es uno de esos inocentes. Pero no era la voluntad de Dios.

La respuesta de Jesús a los fariseos era: “Ve y di a ese zorro”! Herodes no tiene idea de quién está jugando. Para el efecto es mejor tener cuidado y pensar en lo que ya he hecho. No soy alguien para jugar con, tratar de intimidar, he demostrado que soy y que, Herodes, que será mejor que tener mucho cuidado de cómo jugarlo. Este Herodes, el que trató de evitar la ejecución de Juan el Bautista, era ni de cerca tan decisiva como su padre. No hay duda de que Jesús habría puesto Herodes el Grande en la notificación de la misma manera Él estaba advirtiendo a Herodes Antipas, pero quería Herodes Antipas que ser muy conscientes: “Ve a decirle a ese zorro …” Jesús sabía que era Herodes, astuto, disimulado, un hombre sin honor, que estaba más preocupado por su ego, no se puede confiar. Una vez más raro en el hombre o la mujer post-moderna. Ve a decirle que la auto-ego maníaco obsesionado con quién está tratando. “He aquí, echo fuera demonios y hago curaciones hoy y mañana, y al tercer día soy consumado.” Usted no está en el control de amigos, yo soy. Usted no decide lo que pasa, lo hago. He hecho cosas que nunca podría hacer, voy a decidir cuándo se ha terminado y luego lo que pase, yo soy el Hijo de Dios! Usted Herodes va a tomar ese camino ancho a la destrucción donde habrá llanto y rechinar los dientes, junto con sus amigos fariseo importante. Así que voy a recoger y dejar de aquí, he hecho mi punto y ahora se pasa a Jerusalén, donde se elaboró ​​el plan de Dios conforme a su voluntad, no la voluntad de algún déspota de dos bits.

En este punto Jesús probablemente se volvió en la dirección de Jerusalén, lo que debería ser la ciudad santa, pero en realidad aquel en el que los profetas de Dios son asesinados vergonzosamente. Lo que está en parte en la desesperación y en parte abatimiento tan altas esperanzas para ti, Jerusalén, y sin embargo estás tan sucio y lleno de pecado como el resto del mundo y que camoflouge con la ornamentación y la pretensión. Si Jerusalén es culpable de su arrogancia y rechazo de Dios el Hijo tanto más que el resto del mundo. Jesús declara que Jerusalén es abandonado y estará con aquellos que toman el camino de la destrucción. Para aquellos de nosotros que conocemos a Jesús como nuestro Salvador, ¿cómo podemos mostrar al resto del mundo su gloria y la misericordia y la forma en la necesidad de que todos somos de Él?

La paz de Dios que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guardará vuestros corazones y vuestros pensamientos en Cristo Jesús. Amin y Shalom

Jesus the rejected prophet Luke 13:31-35

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We make our beginning in the Name of God the Father and in the Name of God the Son and in the Name of God the Holy Spirit and all those who know that Jesus is not to be ignored or treated lightly said … AMEN!

Today’s Gospel reading emphasizes the rejected prophet. Essentially we see the leadership of Israel telling Jesus to go take a powder. “We have everything under control, we know what we’re doing, thanks for sharing, but we will keep doing what we’re doing and stop in sometime when you can’t stay so long.” Adios, ave weidershein, dospedonia, aurevoir, see you later Charlie. It might appear that this is a warning from some well meaning Pharisee, but it’s more like “Herod wants to kill you and that’s just fine with us, see ya, don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.” Now of course the more cultured and refined of society would never say such things, they would just be snotty and presumptuous, clearly the Pharisees heart is full of hate. Sound familiar? Ya, we get that a lot in the world today. Not so much that anyone is going to kill you, no, you can get in trouble for that. Not so much that they want to see you physically dead, as much as just ruined, maybe … tee hee, some serious suffering, ostracism, and of course the trademark worldly, ridicule. Back in the day though ridicule was just as satisfying by stoning someone or wagging your finger at them, as they would do, while someone hung in shame from a cross.

Jesus had just taken a thinly veiled shot at those who presumed to be so religious, who were sure that they had been saved. Someone had just asked Him: “Lord will those who are saved be few?” Jesus’ reply was “strive to enter through the narrow gate”. While many will tell Jesus at the end time all about how much they did for Him, Jesus’ reply to those who put on a good show, but didn’t live up to it? “Depart from me all you workers of evil”. Does kind of make you stop and think. When we do that we need to drop our perspective, “I did this, I did that, aren’t I a swell guy” and start looking at it from Jesus’ perspective. “Is Jim doing My will, or is He just putting on a swell display for His own gratification? Is He serving me, or is Jim serving Jim?” The Pharisees knew full well what Jesus was saying when He answered the question. They were putting on a show, and in their heart they knew it, and their reaction to Jesus showed defensiveness on their part. “Really Jesus, you’re saying that we will be condemned?” Jesus did go on to say, to those “workers of evil, of iniquity” to depart: “In that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.” (Luke 13: 28) So Jesus is telling them what? … They are going to be going to Hell. They’ve been running their own show, it’s not about God, even though they claim to be all about God. It’s about them using God and their place as, presumably, God’s chosen leaders and them receiving all the glory and benefit. They’re not going to worry too much about turning the spotlight on God, that would take away from them.

The Pharisees are really acting as though they’re out on the playground, “oh yeah Jesus? We’re the cool kids and our boy Herod, well he’s going to fix your little red wagon.” But it wasn’t a fight after school, surrounded by all of Herod’s bully buddies. Herod could easily take Jesus and have Him executed and that’s just what the Pharisees wanted to see, so that they would have the satisfaction of wagging their fingers at Him and that is what they would do.

Jesus or the Pharisees might not be thinking about it, but Jesus has already been in Herod’s sights. Herod the Great tried to end the issue way back, when Jesus was a baby, when Herod sent soldiers into Bethlehem to slaughter the Holy Innocents. Jesus was supposed to be one of those innocents. But it wasn’t God’s will.

Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees was : “Go and tell that fox”! Herod you have no idea who you’re playing with. To the effect you better be careful and think about what I’ve already done. I’m not someone to toy with, try to bully, I’ve demonstrated who I am and you, Herod, had better be very careful of how you play this. This Herod, the one who tried to avoid executing John the Baptizer, was no where near as decisive as his father. No doubt Jesus would have put Herod the Great on notice the same way He was warning Herod Antipas, but he wanted Herod Antipas to be very aware: “Go tell that fox…” Jesus knew who Herod was, crafty, sneaky, a man without honor, who was more concerned with his ego, not to be trusted. Again not uncommon in post-modern man or woman. Go tell that self-obsessed ego maniac who he’s dealing with. “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.” You’re not in control buddy, I am. You don’t decide what happens, I do. I’ve done things you could never do, I will decide when it’s over and then what happens, I’m God the Son! You Herod will be taking that wide road to destruction where you will be weeping and gnashing your teeth, along with your self-important Pharisee buddies. So I’m going to pick up and leave from here, I’ve made my point and now it’s on to Jerusalem where God’s plan will be worked out according to His will, not the will of some two-bit despot.

At this point Jesus probably turned in the direction of Jerusalem, what should be the holy city, but in reality the one where God’s prophets are shamefully killed. What is partly in despair and partly dejection such high hopes for you, Jerusalem, and yet you’re just as grimy and sin-filled as the rest of the world and you camoflouge it with ornamentation and pretense. If Jerusalem is guilty of its arrogance and rejection of God the Son all the more the rest of the world. Jesus declares that Jerusalem is forsaken and will be with those who take the road to destruction. For those of us who know Jesus as our Savior, how can we show the rest of the world His glory and mercy and how in need all of us are of Him?

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amin and Shalom

Fear the world or fear God?

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Seems like we’ve had it backward for a long time. Oh sure, the world can do bad, mean things to you. However, can it do anything worse than an all-powerful God who can not only allow your life to be tough here, but can just allow you to slide away from Him and into an eternal world of “wailing and gnashing of teeth”. (Matthew 13:42, 50)

Fear is just so prevalent in the world, despite all the technological advances, plenty of almost anything, fear is even more common. You see these people with their facial hair, tatoos, piercings, all intended to intimidate. What you find are these fearful little people who live in a constant state of anxiety.

The Blackabys’ point out “…Their fear hinders them from pleasing God because they waste their efforts appeasing other people…Fear causes us to stop and question what God has clearly told us to do.” (Experiencing God day by day p 34)

Just like all the other vices of the world, the ones that we are just so “free” in, (yea ask the next heroin user you see how “free” that person is. Same goes for alcohol, sex, money, power, yea sure “free”)

The question for me is how to I help people understand how real God is, how they should fear Him. “ESV Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Shouldn’t this focus people’s attention? This life is not all there is, there is an eternity. That eternity will be in Christ in the new world, the perfect life of the resurrection. Or it will be eternal separation and suffering. That is what existence is separated from God, if you reject Him, you are choosing separation, existence without the all-powerful protecting hand of God.

God does not will anyone’s death, He does not want anyone separated. But if you let your fears separate you from God, if you do not trust in His power, that He will save you from anything you are afraid of now, ultimately in the new world, then you have rejected life and allowed yourself to be separated, because of your fears and that you thought you could handle your fears alone.

I hope that you will pray that the Holy Spirit guide you from your fears, to show you true freedom in Jesus, that life won’t always be easy. But in Jesus we will ultimately overcome our fears. Say thank you to the Holy Spirit for guiding you from your fears and into Jesus.

Hallowed be His Name

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Worship, that is about hallowing God’s Name. That’s how Jesus tells us to pray, “hallowed be Thy Name”. We are called to bring glory to God’s Name. As the Blackabys point out: “If, however, our actions detract from God’s reputation…We can so tarnish the name of father that we hinder other people in coming to God.” (Experiencing God day by day  Henry and Richard Blackaby p 229)

People today are hungry for God, God the Father of Jesus Christ, the all-powerful, omniscient, omnipresent, Creator and Sustainer of all. But we, as Christians, have trivialized His Name so much. Starting decades ago, Jesus our buddy, our brother, our co-pilot. How can God be all – powerful if He needs us to lead the way and He’s just there to buck us up. I can always use another buddy, God has blessed me with many, but what I really need is an all powerful God, who created the universe, controls the universe and is completely in control of how this is all going to play out and how I, as an eternal being in Jesus, will live my eternal life. The world really wants to know that God. The world wants to see Him being treated worshipfully and reverently by His people. How can they take seriously a God that when we leave “worship”, it’s about the same way we would feel leaving an Aerosmith concert. All pumped up, but not for the right reasons.

Our worship should be respectful in terms of how seriously we take God vs how much it’s really about us. We talk about profaning God’s name vs Hallowing His Name. How does a “praise band” hallow God’s Name in worship. Seems to me that trivialize God’s Name for our own comfort and amusement. How can anyone else take His Name seriously, turn to Him as the true strength against the evil of the world, the true salvation of the world, the true sustainer of the world? “Jesus is my buddy, Jesus makes me happy, it’s all about me la, la, la”. One person said they really question a song about Jesus when the number of personal pronouns outweighs anything else in the song. Me, I, ours, it’s not really about Jesus is it? It’s really about you, isn’t it? That’s what distinguishes hymns about God, they are all about God, how He is the ultimate, how we glorify Him. He is the infinite, eternal, all powerful God, there is so much to say about Him, not what we usually have now, a mindless mantra, repeating over and over some particular attribute. The attribute the singer clings to because they really don’t know all that much about God. Jesus told us: “KJV Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” [Bible works}

We are taking God, the rock of our salvation and making Him the rock and roll of the trivial. We’re trying to turn worship into a time that pleases us, not Him, making His Name common place and trivial, what’s the point of glorifying Him? After all it is all about me, right? God is a tool for me, to use or not use as I deem necessary. He’s not the all powerful Savior, Sustainer, Creator, all powerful God. He’s just something to amuse and please me. If He doesn’t serve my purposes, well there are other alternatives in our great post-modern world, things that will make me “happy”, because the ultimate goal isn’t the reverential worship of God almighty, hallowing His Name. The ultimate goal is that I “like” things and they make me happy. “We ought to pray daily, as Jesus taught us to, that God’s name be treated as holy.” (Blackabys)