Sermon: Seeing the Invisible  (7 mb, 23 min, 48 sec)

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

One evening a few weeks ago I was arriving home late at night and as I stepped up into the alcove to our front door I noticed a blue flashing light…….I turned around looking for a police car…I couldn’t see any at all. I looked around dumbfounded. No problem. This happened three nights in a row. I could not figure out for the life of me where this blue flashing light was coming from…..it wasn’t constant, it flashed every ten seconds or so…….. was it the flash off my neighbors TV shining through their front window across the street? Was it someone taking pictures of me, spying on me? It obviously wasn’t a police officer because there was none in sight.

Finally, I asked my wife, Kelly, to come outside. Every time we would get ready to go in we would see the blue flashing light…… and we would turn quickly to try to find the source….but none could be found. We stepped out in the yard and looked everywhere, we crouched down and hid…….but we couldn’t find where this light was coming from. Then we would start to go in the house….and there it was again! Kelly went out in the yard and I turned around in the alcove by the door…..”THERE IT WAS! DID YOU SEE IT!”…….Kelly started laughing so hard she almost fell over. Here we were, two adults, sleuthing around the front yard trying to figure out where this blue light was coming from……..and Kelly saw it as I stood there in the alcove puzzled….it was the blue flash of my Bluetooth earpiece letting me know it was still there…. doing it’s job as it had promised!

Is God ever like that to you? Do you wonder where he is? Are you like me…….is it sometimes hard to find Him because you have a hard time seeing Him? Well, I am here to tell you that He is there……. working in your life….if you let Him.

I want to share with you three things to help develop your “Spiritual Eyes”, three things to help lead you to a better understanding of the beauty of that which we cannot see and the treasure in that which is often hidden from our sight.

 The first thing we can do is focus on the invisible renewal of our hearts as we follow Jesus……and the treasure that lies inside us through Christ, not the visible decay of all that is around us.
2 Corinthians 4:7-12
2 Corinthians 4:16

The second thing that we can do to help develop our “Spiritual eyes” is to focus on God’s invisible glory by following Christ, not on the visible troubles and hard times in our life.
2 Corinthians 4:17
Isaiah 40:31
Colossians 3:7-10

The third thing we can do to help us see life through “spiritual eyes” is to focus on the eternal things in our lives rather than the temporary.
2 Corinthians 4:18
Matthew 6:19-20
Colossians 1:15-17

My hope is that you will seek God, that you will focus on following Christ by living in His will, that you will experience a renewal in your life and that you will see the eternal things that do not pass away. God bless you!

Direct download: 20070715-seeing_the_invisible-JAN.mp3

Marriage: Why Marriage? The relationship between a Man and a Woman

(This is Part  1)

This year is a special year! Our youngest daughter, Shannon, was married June 16th……our eldest and remaining daughter, Jessica will be married on September 1st of this year. Shannon’s wedding went without a hitch (except of course for Shannon and Tim…they’re hitched!). It was simply beautiful….and I was proud, as I know my son-in-law’s family were proud. We were blessed to have their family pastor, Randy Pucket from Eagle Heights Church in Sugar Land, Texas fly in just to marry them! Shannon and Tim left again for Turkey for at least another year. I will miss my baby……but I know that she is in good hands! Both are stationed at Incirlik Airbase in Adana, Turkey (near Tarsus).

This is the first in a study on the covenant relationship of marriage. This first part actually opened up many more questions than it answered. As I looked closely at Scripture I was surprised somewhat by what I found, yet, I was reassured that God’s words…..Scripture, to us….. His children, are wise and ultimately contain what we need to know in order to be reconciled to Him and to each other. Let’s look first at Genesis 1:27 through 28.

Genesis 1:27-28
27 God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The first thing that jumped out at me was the Hebrew word for man….”adam“. This word does not refer to male or female, but for all of humankind……humans in general. Additionally, the word for “him” in verse 27 is strictly a reference to the word “man” used before it. This is called a pronominal suffix. The English translation could be “it” or even in some cases, “she”. As an English speaking people, we read a translation of the Hebrew, and must understand this fact in order to grasp the original intended meaning. So…Genesis 1:27-28 would read like this:

“God created humankind in His own image; in the image of God He created humankind ; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

We know that God equally created men and women, male and female, both in His image (Genesis 1:27). We know that the complementary nature of both male and female was intended not just in marriage, procreation and family life, but was also intended for life in general. The differences between male and female should be celebrated as God intended, not used to feel that one gender should subordinate another. Both simply have complimentary purposes. We should celebrate with joy, appreciation, openness, honor, service, and fidelity, the complimentary relationship which God created in His wisdom. To further illustrate this, let’s look at Genesis 2:18-25:

Genesis 2:18-25
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘for she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

The phrase “suitable helper” has often been misunderstood, and used to support a distorted view of marriage as well as the nature of the male/female relationship in creation. The word for “helper” in Genesis 2:18  is “`ezer”, and means “a support,” “a helper,” or “an assistant.” However, this very same Hebrew word, “`ezer “, is used in Exodus 18:4 to describe God’s relationship to man….. in other words, the word “helper” does not imply subordination. This strongly supports the equal and complimentary nature of men and women. Only one who is “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh,” and thus fully shares the human identity, could possibly meet anyone’s deeper needs. In its original conception, then, marriage was the union of equals, each respecting as well as caring for the other, and each committed to be the other’s helper.

I recognize that this opens a can of worms in some cases. I also recognize that there are other Scriptures that must be looked at closely, in their original language and context, both historical and cultural. I believe that there are no contradictions in Scripture, as all Scripture is inspired by God….there are only contradictions of our interpretation and understanding of Scripture.

What do you think?

Announcing:
Tim and Shannon Donohue

Yesterday was a special day! My youngest daughter, Shannon, was married. Everything went without a hitch (exept of course for Shannon and Tim…they’re hitched!).

It was a beautiful wedding…I was proud, as I know my son-in-law’s family were proud. We were blessed to have their family pastor, Randy Pucket from Eagle Heights Church in Sugar Land, Texas fly in just to marry them! Shannon and Tim will leave again for Turkey this week. I will miss my baby……but I know that she is in good hands! Both are stationed at Incirlik Airbase in Adana, Turkey (near Tarsus).

I would like to thank Tony and Deanne (Ynottw) for taking the wonderful pictures and capturing these moments. I can’t wait to get the other thousand he took!

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: Mark 1:4

(This is Part 1)

I was honored this week to share the sacrament of Holy Baptism with three believer’s from the same family. Baptism involves the contrast between an old life and a new life……baptism is a milestone in a persons life as they grow in faith. In baptism, no matter what denomination, no matter what traditions……one purpose remains constant: The public declaration of “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). However and wherever this act is performed…..it lends unity to the body of Christ.

My friend, Susan….. 

her daughter, Samantha…..   

and her nephew, Brandon.
 

I would like to take a walk through the Scriptures to discover the full meaning of this milestone on one’s life.

Mark 1: 4  John the Baptist Preaches Baptism of Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins
“And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

I would point out something here that many people don’t always realize. There is a span of 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. There had not been a prophet in Israel for over 400 years! And here comes John the Baptist…with a message……a message we know well……

Additionally, if we look at the OT Scriptures of Joel 2:28-29 as well as Malachi 3:1, we see that it was widely believed that when the Messiah would come, prophecy would reappear. And again, here is John the Baptist, speaking like the prophets of old, saying that people must turn away from sin and turn to God to experience His mercy and approval!

This is interesting because the Jewish people were very knowledgeable about ritual washing (detailed in Leviticus 11-15). Anyone who was not of the Jewish race (gentiles) was unclean. In order for a Gentile to convert to the Jewish Faith, they had to do three things:
– They had to undergo circumcision (we will touch on this later on in another Scripture we study in this series). Circumcision was an outward sign of the covenant with God and Israel. Keep in mind the covenant that was mentioned above in Malachi 3:1.
– A blood sacrifice had to made for this person because only blood could atone for sin.
– They had to be baptized, fully immersed in water as a symbol of the cleansing of their past life.

Here’s the interesting part……..John, he himself a Jew, was calling on Jews, to repent (to turn away from or change their mind about) the sin, the wrongdoing, in their life….to get right with God. Baptism was generally only something a Gentile needed. I believe that John understood that to be a member of God’s chosen people, was not necessarily “simply” to belong to the Jewish race, but that many Jews were in the exact same place as Gentiles….they needed a cleansed life to belong to God.

It is also important to point out that because Mark’s intended audience were primarily Roman Christians, he chose to begin his Gospel with John the Baptist, whose mission it was to announce the coming of Jesus…the most important man who ever lived!

Repentance  for  the  Forgiveness of Sins:
This words for repentance in Greek are “metanoeo“, which refers exclusively to turning from one’s sin; “metanoia” which refers to renouncing and turning from one’s sin; “metamelomai” which refers to changing one’s mind, and finally, “ametameletos” (used only twice in the NT, which refers to repentance that leaves no regret.)

“Repentance means doing an about-face—a 180-degree turn—from the kind of self-centeredness that leads to wrong actions such as lying, cheating, stealing, gossiping, taking revenge, abusing, and indulging in sexual immorality. A person who repents stops rebelling and begins following God’s way of living prescribed in his Word. The first step in turning to God is to admit your sin, as John urged. Then God will receive you and help you live the way he wants. Remember that only God can get rid of sin. He doesn’t expect us to clean up our lives before we come to him.” 1

I believe that it is also best summed up by William Barclay, the great world-renowned New Testament interpreter, “The end of pride is the beginning of forgiveness. It is when we find it possible to say, ‘I have sinned,’ that God get’s the chance to say, ’I forgive’. It is not those who desire to meet God on equal terms who will discover forgiveness, but those who kneel in humble contrition and whisper through their shame, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner’ “.

What do you think?

1- Life Application Bible Commentary

The Spiritual and Symbolic Significance of Numbers in the Bible: The Number “One”

(This is Part 1)

 Numbers in the Bible Synopsis

There is a consistency in the use of certain numbers in the Bible, both the New and Old Testaments. Some of these numbers reveal hidden concepts and meanings that are not seen unless one looks closely at the whole of Scriptures. In this study we will look at these numbers that carry a spiritual or symbolical significance. We will examine many of the passages where they are found.

ONE: THE NUMBER OF ABSOLUTE SINGLENESS AND UNITY

Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

This is the Jewish confession of faith is called the Shema (which means to “hear”). It is the basic confession of monotheism: God is one. The emphasis of this Hebrew word, “ehad”, is “unity”.

I would note that the Hebrew word here used for “God” is “Elohim“. In the Old Testament the word “Elohim” is used to describe God in over 2500 places referring to God‘s power and might. As you read the Old Testament in our language, the word “Elohim” is simply translated as “God“. And here’s the interesting note: The Hebrew word “Elohim” is a plural name. While the plural does not teach the Trinity on it’s own, it does allow for the subsequent revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament.

When asked by a scribe what the most important commandment is, Jesus recites the Shema in Mark 12:29, “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Zechariah 14:9 (ESV)
And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.

The prophet Zechariah was called the “prophet of hope”. He looked forward to the age of the Messiah. Here he tells us about the kingdom of God, the kingdom that will be established by Jesus. They are one…God…..Jesus…..in unity.

This Hebrew word, “ehad” is also used to show the complete unity and oneness of a man and woman in the relationship of marriage……the “one flesh” principal:

Genesis 2:24 (ESV)
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)
4 There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

The word “body” here is the body of Christ…the Church. The meaning here is, that as there is really but one church on earth, and there ought to be unity. This “body, the Church, is characterized in unity:

John 17:20-22 (ESV)
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,

This is part of a prayer by Jesus that models the unity of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit indwelled in us as well as describing the unity of God’s people as “one”. The people of God are also described in unity as “one”  in John 17:11.

The Greek word for one, “heis“, describes Christ as “one teacher” (Matthew 23:8), “one master” (Matthew 23:10) and “one Shepherd” (John 10:16). Note that John 10:16 also speaks of the unity of believers in “one flock”.

Philippians 2:1-4 (ESV)
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

In this passage of Scripture written by the Apostle Paul, we find what I believe is the clearest picture of the humility and unity called for by Jesus, indeed God. What is spoken of here is not at all a weak person’s surrender……..but it is a strong person’s rejection of selfishness and determination to be actively concerned with the needs and interests of others. This Scripture calls for us to be unified, to be of “one mind”.

The Apostle Paul also refers to all followers of Christ as being “one in Christ”, unified. We find this in Galatians 3:28.

If we look deeper into the New Testament we find Jesus unified as God in John 10:30 and 1 Corinthians 8:6.

So, we see that just as in a marriage, God intended for a “unity” in our relationships…….with Him as well as others……..just as there is unity in God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. “Oneness” is a quality of God. “Oneness” is a symbol of unity as well as the unique value of each individual person. God’s people, the church, the body of Christ, was founded on the unity of Christ with the Father. Being united with Jesus, we take on the same attributes that he had: humility, compassion, tenderness, encouragement, like-mindedness, and a deep love for all those around us….as well as the celebration of the uniqueness of each of God’s children……I believe that we should also celebrate the uniqueness of the many denominations in the kingdom, as they are simply people…..that are unique………we serve one God…..we should be united as one people.

What do you think?

1- Defender’s Study Bible

The Kingdom of Heaven-The Kingdom of God     Luke 10:9 / Luke 10:11
“The Seventy-Two (or seventy) Sent Out”

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20) (Part 21) (Part 22) (Part 23) (PART 24) (Part 25) (Part 26) (Part 27)(Part 28) (Part 29) (Part 30) (Part 31) (Part 32) (Part 33)(Part 34) (Part 35) (Part 36) (Part 37) (Part 38) (Part 39) (Part 40) (Part 41) (Part 42) (Part 43) (This is Part 44)

Jesus had quite a large following as evidenced by him sending out 70-72 disciples (some newer manuscripts number only seventy sent out). In verse one, Luke tells us that Jesus “appointed” these disciples and sent them out. The Greek verb “anadeiknumi” is used here (the only place it is found in the New Testament is here and Acts 1:24, where it is translated as “show”) and refers to the action of “choosing” or “appointing” these disciples. It is important to note here that unlike the twelve, whom Jesus taught closely and chose to be constantly with Him, to see, learn and experience God in the flesh, these seventy-two were sent out to prepare His arrival throughout the area. They were His “point-men”. Let’s look closer at these Scriptures:

Luke 10:1-12
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Let’s look first at the seventy-two (seventy): If you were a Jew in that day, when Jesus appointed seventy-two (seventy) disciples to go out and lay a foundation of truth before His arrival, you would have understood the significance. In the book of Genesis, the 10th chapter, we see a table of nations, the descendants of Noah after the flood, the traditional number of nations in the world. We find 70 names in the Hebrew Old Testament and seventy-two in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint (or LXX). It is important to know that the Greek Septuagint was the Scriptures read and most often quoted by Jesus and the apostles. The LXX was translated in the first to third century BC and was the “Bible” of Greek-speaking Jews and then later of Christians.  I find it interesting also that LXX is “70″, derived from the tradition that it was translated by seventy (or seventy-two) Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt. I found it also surprising to note that there is a difference between the order of the books in the Septuagint and the Hebrew Scriptures………and the order of the Hebrew books in the Septuigant became the accepted order we now see in our Christian Bibles…….not the original order in the Jewish Scriptures.

I would also note, and find it interesting, that while these “seventy” or “seventy-two” were not named in the Scriptures, tradition (dating back to the 3rd century AD) names them and many of the names are recognizable, such as Mathias (the disciple that was chosen to replace Judas as one of the Apostles), James (the brother of Christ and author of the book of James), Mark, Luke, Ananias, Timothy, Stephen (the first Christian martyr), Barnabas (one of the possible authors of the book of Hebrews), Titus, Philemon, Apollos, Aquila and many more.

The key to understanding here is that by choosing seventy-two (seventy) disciples to go out and lay the groundwork, to be point-men for His arrival in those towns, Jesus was symbolically showing that all the nations in the world would one day here His message. Luke places great emphasis on the message of Jesus being taken to the Gentiles.

Jesus sent the disciples out “two by two”…..there is so much wisdom here….every Christian needs such a friend, and should seek someone who they can share their thoughts, trials, and life with…..someone who they can share their feelings and prayers. This was common not only among first century Christians, but also among the Jews. It provided companionship and protection…as well as the “double witness” required in Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15.

Secondly, let’s look at Jesus’ instructions to these seventy-two (seventy):
     “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” This image of lambs among wolves was how Jews (Israel) often saw themselves in a pagan world. The thought here is that the disciples are like lambs……defenseless and the totally dependent on God.
     “Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; ” The instruction here is to travel light….not be cluttered and burdened with material things.
     “do not greet anyone on the road.“ I believe that Jesus was saying this to place emphasis on the importance and urgency of their mission. In that ancient day, greetings were long and involved, almost ceremonial. They often involved kneeling, laying prostrate on the ground, kissing of the hand, embracing, as well as rather formal greetings…….and then there was the parting…….these were time consuming. This is similar to the instruction found in 2 Kings 4:29. Additionally, according to Jewish teaching, a man who was on sacred work or business (a sacred journey, in prayer, etc.) should not interrupt his duty in order to great someone.
     “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.”  “Peace” refers to God’s blessing upon the house. If the owner of the house had a proper attitude towards God, he would be open to the kingdom message. If he didn’t share in that peace, the greeting would return to the one who had given it so that he could share it with someone who would appreciate it.
     “Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.“  We must not be about God’s work for what we can get out of it, moving from place to place simply to find a more comfortable place to stay. I would note here that Jesus may have anticipated that some of these disciple teams might be welcomed in non-Jewish homes where the food might not meet Jewish strict dietary and ceremonial laws……I believe that He did not want them to be sidetracked from their mission to take the Gospel to all people.
     “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.‘” This, of course, is the key directive. Healing and proclaiming the kingdom of God are linked together. Look at Luke 9:1-2 (where Jesus calls the twelve disciples together) and Luke 9:11. This is the heart of Jesus’ message. Can we heal the sick? We can…we can be instruments of God to heal not only the physically ill, but the spiritually ill as well. We can offer aid, we can share God’s hope and message of grace and forgiveness, we can listen to broken hearts and tell them about the great healer. 
     “But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ’Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.“  Jesus was clear that not all would receive the Gospel message. However, just because some don’t believe….this doesn’t change the message. Even if they don’t believe…..the kingdom of God is still near. I would note that in that time, pious Jews would not want the dust of pagan towns to cling to their sandals. Shaking the dust of the city off their feet was a testimony against them. Most know of the story of Sodom and Gamorrah, for those who might not, Sodom was a wicked city that was destroyed by God because of it’s great sinfulness (see Genesis 19:24-28).

Today’s CLUE: Jesus was clear that not all would receive the Gospel message. However, just because some don’t believe….this doesn’t change the message. Even if they don’t believe…..the kingdom of God is still near. Healing and proclaiming the kingdom of God are linked together. Look at Luke 9:1-2 (where Jesus calls the twelve disciples together) and Luke 9:11. This is the heart of Jesus’ message. Can we heal the sick? We can…we can be instruments of God to heal not only the physically ill, but the spiritually ill as well. We can offer aid, we can share God’s hope and message of grace and forgiveness, we can listen to broken hearts and tell them about the great healer.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Bible Difficulties: Matthew 5:22
“Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell”

My sister called me today with a question. Her question: “Is it a sin to call someone a fool, to use the word, ‘fool’?” It seems she had been talking to a friend who told her that calling someone a “fool” was a sin because Jesus said it was. I do not know the full context of their conversation, however, I find that this is one of those passages that, when taken out of context, or when taken literally, can be misunderstood. Oh…..the danger of taking a portion of Scripture literally without looking at the context. The answer may very well be “yes”, however, not quite in the legalistic, literal way that my sister understood this statement to be. Let’s explore this statement that Jesus made in context, let’s look at Matthew 5:21-22.

 Matthew 5:21-22
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

This is a great passage in which to do some word study. Let’s first look at the word “Raca” then “fool”:

Raca: This term is only found here in the New Testament. “Raca” is an Aramaic term of contempt, an insult, that was transliterated into Greek meaning “empty headed, worthless or foolish”. Using this term toward someone in Jesus day might warrant being charged with slander before the Jewish council or the Sanhedrin (the Jewish supreme court).

Fool: The Greek word for “fool” (used here) is “moros“, meaning “morally worthless”, which is where we get the word “moron”. It is a more serious charge than raca. Raca scorns a man by calling him stupid…….moros scorns him concerning his heart and his character. Moros also carries the image of rebellion due to the possibility that it may be a transliteration of the Hebrew word “moreh“.

So, what is Jesus telling us here? Jesus, as He does often, reveals the heart of God’s wisdom. Killing is a terrible sin….however, anger is just as bad as it violates God’s command to love our neighbor. The anger mentioned here is extreme anger or bitterness directed at another person. This anger is a dangerous emotion that often  moves us to lose control and strike out in rage, bitterness, or violence. Anger leads to emotional hurt, mental stress and spiritual damage. Anger keeps us from developing a spirit pleasing to God.

Jesus is not saying that calling someone a fool will condemn them to hell. What He is saying is that to utter such words is to place our self in a worse condition, one that damages our spirit and moves us away from God. I find it interesting that it is much like the pot calling the kettle black…..if a believer is angry enough to call someone a fool, morally worthless…..the person uttering these words suffers from the same condition……rebellion and moral worthlessness……..placing the utterer in a worse condition at the time of judgement (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

What do you think?

Matthew 25:37-45
Being Used by God…….Filling the Void With His Presence

Last night my friends and I sang and played at Grace and Grits. It was a refreshing spiritually charged night as we fed the homless and hungry in so many ways (with food, with hope, with kindness and…….with prayer).

I was telling my wife, Kelly, on the way home about the opportunities I had to pray with many folks at Grace and Grits last night. One woman has been thinking about taking her life (her son died in June and her niece last week), she is 60 years old. Another friend of  mine is still trying to rid himself of the demons of alcohol addiction. Another woman is having deep personal problems and is fighting with her boyfriend. But what what I found most touching was when I yelled across the room telling a friend that I would be praying for her and this other lady, whom I did not know, but have seen many times there (she is usually very quiet), looked at me sadly across the room and sorta cried out, “would you pray for me?”. The look in her eyes and the tears after I went over and prayed with her was very emotional…..I saw an emptiness that resided there wanting to be filled. I saw a sadness wanting to go away, I felt a void just yearning to be filled with God’s presence.

 I told my wife as I was driving home that I really feel a connection in praying with others. Many of these folks seemingly have quit praying for themselves and even more importantly, quit communicating with God altogether….often, I believe, because they maybe feel unworthy, unlovable or simply insignificant. This feeling that I have sensed over and over is so very far from the truth!

I also told my wife that it seems, to the person I am praying for, like they put some special stock in the fact that “I” am praying for them (maybe because I have a deep relationship with Christ and they think of me as a preacher, which I am not…at least not yet). However, again, I believe that this is so very far from the truth! What I try to do is to give them the hope and comfort that is found in prayer and communication with our Father and at the same time foster a deeper and ongoing communication with God by asking them to also pray for me during the week, as I have many things in my life that need intercessory prayer also.

Prayer is a dialog with our Father. It makes a difference in what happens in our life. So often we rely on ourselves….when we should rely on God (James 4:2) . Prayer leads to a greater communication with God and a greater understanding of His will in our lives.

I would like to point out just a few simple things

– No matter where we are in life…..addicted….living in sin….faithful……rich or poor……God wants us to have dialog with Him, he loves us and wants us to know Him…….pray………….have dialog with outr Father.
– Each of us is worthy to go to the Father on behalf of others, offering them hope in God the Father and Jesus the Son.
– When we pray….encourage those in need to pray also for us as we, no matter where we are in life, are in need also.
– Don’t ever feel that it is at all about “you” when you pray for others…..it’s not….it’s all about God, them, and their relationship with God.

May God bless you and may you pray powerfully with those who long for God in their lives, and may they see God’s presence, hope, forgiveness and love in your simple acts as you simply follow Christ.

Our Brothers and Sisters

A close friend sent this link to a video today. I believe that it is important to watch and understand. This is from Israeli Channel 2 TV and is about Israelis that believe in Jesus. So often we, as Christians and followers of Jesus, forget that Jesus was Jewish, a Jewish Rabbi and teacher, in fact……..even more than that……He is the Son of God, our Savior, God Himself in the flesh come to redeem His people….us. We cannot fully understand Jesus…unless we understand the world and culture in which He lived.  God’s story as told in the Scriptures is for all people.

One of the topics I will be speaking this weekend at the “Elements” Retreat in Daytona Beach about the Scriptures, is about the story of God…about the five act play that is revealed in the Holy Scriptures….

1. Creation….
2. The fall….
3. Israel (After the fall, God chose Israel, narrowed His focus and concentrated on this group of people to carry His message…always with the same ultimate goal: To bless all the people on earth, remove the curse from creation  and to restore the original relationship that existed in the garden).
4. Jesus
5.The new people of God

Take a moment to view this short 8 minute video, it is a powerful testimony to a powerful and loving God. I would note that in this video these Messianic Jews reject being called “Christians”. I can understand from the perspective that over the centuries we have seemed to take the Jewishness out of Jesus and His followers, transforming Him into many things He wasn’t. To fully understand Jesus teachings, indeed the wisdom of God….we must understand the context and culture in which His words were uttered.

May God bless you and keep you close as we follow together in His wisdom and footsteps, being a part of the redemption and healing of this world by following our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

View the Video from Israeli Channel 2 News

What do you think?