Walking with Jesus

One of my core beliefs is that God makes the rules, not people. Only one implication of this reality is that when people do try to make the rules they aren't as good. They tend to be flawed. They tend to favor one group over another. They tend to get worse over time. I believe that is where we are today in America. The Constitution was written in a convention designed to address issues with The Articles of Confederation, which was the first document to unite the various independent States, the 13 original colonies. When such effort seemed beyond reason to accomplish, a new document was proposed. It was ratified with the understanding that discussion of 12 Amendments would follow quickly on specified issues. 10 of these Amendments are now known as the Bill of Rights. The other 2 were not ratified. As more Amendments have been added to the constitution, they have changed the shape and functioning of our government. Unfortunately, some of these changes were (in my opinion) di...

This is a difficult chapter. To forgive like a child forgives? For, that is the charge if we follow the flow: Believe like a child; Need Jesus like a child; Forgive like a child? Yes. Innocence knows how to forgive. But, we have lost our innocence, haven't we? We have been made to stumble. We have been offended. We have been despised. We were lost. Read that as something done to us in this context rather than a state of being: We were lost; Somebody lost us. We were left to perish. What then do we do to become like children again? To regain innocence? We forgive. But, why should we forgive? We were the victims! Yes, but we have also been the perpetrators. We have also created debts, made victims of our own. If we would remain in our own forgiveness, then we must be continually forgiving... like innocent children.

 Giving. God gave us His SON. Emmanuel GOD WITH US What does it mean? Why would God do this? Why would He... Righteous, Pure, Majestic, All-Powerful, ALL-KNOWING Holy GOD Give us His Son? To rule and reign? YES To show us the way to life? YES To receive our WORSHIP? YES And, what more? None of these things require a lowly birth. Why else? Why else was the BABE born in a manger? Born in the midst of moral accusations... Born in the lowest place... Born in the midst of stink and filth... Born practically alone... Born helpless. GOD Born HELPLESS! WHY? Is it because WE are HELPLESS? Why did GOD give us His SON?  ALL-KNOWING Holy God? WHY? Love? Was it the only way to call us FRIEND? But, was it His birth that made us friends? Did the manger restore the RIFT between God and Men? NO Then what did? Why the Manger If the Manger is not sufficient? Was the Manger simply the first st...

Jesus is the Christ (16:16), which means He must suffer, be killed, and be raised (16:21). [It also means He will reign.] Then, Jesus says some standing there will see Him coming in His kingdom (16:28). Does He refer to the resurrection or the transfiguration? The simplest expaination is that He refers to His return (16:27), but that is the hardest to reconcile with 16:28. One answer may be the transfiguration, which is described here with obvious [perhaps] connections to His return. Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah, who are the most likely candidates for the two witnesses. Of course, in the context of Elijah = John the Baptist [Baptizer might be more accurate], those witnesses may also be figurative. But, verse 11 makes me think these actual men will return. This is all a matter of faith, which is exactly what we need more of. The other disciples (never assume He means only the 12) were not able to help the boy because of their unbelief. We must also have faith in Jesus' word...

False religion tests God in order to find fault with Him (v.1). It is insincere and self-serving. It is infectious, contaminating all it touches, as leaven in dough (v.11). It tried to have it both ways, speaking of Jesus while worshiping as it pleases (v.13). [Caesarea Phillipi was a cult center for pagan worship, even in Israel.] True religion confesses that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God." This confession is the rock upon which the people of God are established. True religion is hated by the world (v.21), because it is powerful and effective (v.19). True religion is submissive to the will of God (v.23), not contrary to it (v.22). True religion is self-denying (v.24) and yet seeks God's greatest rewards (v.27). It preserves the soul first by sacrifice in order to find true life (v.25-6). True religion looks to the coming of Jesus, yet knows that "His Kingdom" (v.28) is already among us. Religion is a matter of authority, sincerity, self, a...

How many positions do we hold fast when they are merely tradition? Democratic congregational leadership, worship style, Deacons who replace Elders, Sunday school, children's sermons, paid vocational ministers... These are not doctrines; they are methods. They have seasons. They can be new or old. They may be good, even right, but they are not "the commandment of God." We can operate beyond the specific commandment of God without sinning. Jesus was sent "to the lost sheep of Israel" but He did nothing wrong by answering the Canaanite woman's plea. He merely went beyond the call of duty. In like way, our traditions can help us do more that what we are merely commanded. But, the lesser must not usurp the greater.

Herod : I have always heard that Herod had taken his brother's wife, which was unlawful. Yet, there may be a better explaination the situation. Herodius was a daughter of Herod the Great. Therefore, she was sister to both Herod and Philip. Neither could have her as wife because it was incest. [Thus, John's rebuke was about Philip. He would not have rebuked Herod in favor of Philip when Philip's marriage was also in sin.] Herod's hatred of John was not for himself, but for Philip. His family ties were more important than fearing God. He had no Faith. Peter : The waves were already there, but when he focussed on them he lost his faith. Or, did he? It faltered but was it lost ? The text says he was "beginning to sink." He did not just drop into the sea. And, what did he do? He re-focused on Jesus! He looked back to the source of his faith for renewal. [After all, it was when he saw Jesus the first time that he came up with the idea of walking on water to begi...

Jesus taught in parables. He said He had to (v. 12). He taught about the Kingdom and what He taught may be surprising. In several parables, Jesus taught that the Kingdom will grow with both those who hear (v. 9, 43), who "understand" and "bear fruit" (v. 23), and those who do not believe. This seems to be one of the "things kept secret from the foundation of the world" (v. 35): You aren't "in" just because you show up. Some of us are unfruitful (v.22), tares (v. 30), birds of the air (v. 32), leaven (v. 33), and "bad" catches (v. 48). [Scripturally, none of these things are good.] Those are allowed to remain for the sake of the true hearers, and perhaps some will become hearers [doers, believers] as well/ Perhaps they will also "sell all" (v. 44 & 45) for Jesus. Perhaps not. These words can be offensive to us, if anyone but Jesus spoke them. But, there is a tag line to chapter 13, another Sabbath. And, the lesson...

Chapter 12 and most of 13 happen on a single Sabbath day. This, of course, was a Saturday. (The Sabbath is always on Saturday in Scripture.) [*] Jesus connects the proper use of the Sabbath with God's desire for mercy. (We tend to associate it with sacrifice.) The Sabbath is God's act of mercy toward us. It is "good" and therefore "good" is a legitimate part of it. Healing, teaching, exhorting, and even rebuking are all Sabbath-kosher activities. After all, Jesus does them. They are acts of mercy; They are good. In Mark's version, Jesus also says, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." Again, the Sabbath is God's act of mercy toward us; It is good. Jesus taught on this Sabbath that "a tree is known by its fruit." In this context, the question arises, "Is our fruit mercy or sacrifice (that is, legalism)?" Are we "good" (merciful) trees or "bad" (legalistic) trees? Don't ...

We put up our tree a couple of days ago... So, of course, Olivia thought it was a good opportunity for a photo shoot.

Do we preach with confidence or with vanity? How many dogmatic proclamations do we make when we would do better and more honestly to remain humble? No matter how many times we have been encouraged in out doubt by the example of John, it is actually unclear (even in Greek) whether the doubt was his or his disciples. Jesus proclaims John the greatest man ever born. This is strange praise indeed for a herald who doubts the message he brings. John's faith is then used in contrast with the doubt seen in the cities in which Jesus had done many of His miracles and even in the context of the sure revelation of God as Father and Son. Perhaps these seemingly disconnected sections are more related than we know and argue for John's faith in sending his disciples to see Jesus for themselves [to answer their doubts], an image more consistent with Jesus' words and [John's description in] the rest of Scripture. Therefore, it is possible John lost his faith [as we often hear], bu...