Paul was like me

Day 218

OT Reading: Psalms 78

NT Reading: Romans 7

Paul was just like me.

I forget that sometimes. Or perhaps a better way to say it; I lose sight of that sometimes. I mean Paul wrote many books of the New Testament. He went on three (or four depending on who's counting) incredible missionary journeys. Paul was integral in the expansion of the early church into Asia and Europe. And when I see his resume and all that he accomplished for God, it's easy to set him apart as a 'super Christian.'

And yet whenever I read, or come across Romans seven, I'm glad to see that Paul was no different than me. He knew the things he wanted to do, but often failed to do them. And the good things he did not want to do, he ended up doing over and over again. And as Paul offers this confessional element to his letter, I see its high point coming in verse 25 where Paul says, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (NIV)

I can relate to that. I can look over my life and see my continued mess-ups. I can see how over and over again I have had to come to God and say, "I messed up...again." In other words, I'm exactly like Paul.

So if you haven't, you may want to underline, bookmark or even frame this passage. Because for me, it helps me be reminded that from Adam to Paul, from Abraham to Peter and everyone in between...Jesus was the only perfect one. The rest of us are all alike.

An incorrect assumption

Day 214
OT Reading: Psalms 68-69
NT Reading: Romans 3

Perhaps my 2011 resolution will be to blog more consistently about this whole 'through the Bible in a year' thing. Hmm. I'll have to consider that :-).

In the first portion of Romans, Paul lays out an intricate philosophy that can be summed in Romans 3:22-24, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (NIV) To many of us, especially those of us who have been in church for awhile, this is a pretty common concept. Even to non-Christians the idea that 'nobody's perfect' is an understood concept. However to the first century audience that Paul was writing to, this was a new idea.

You see the Roman church was made up of two significant groups; the vast majority had been raised as Jews while the remainder had not. And for those who were of Jewish background, one common theme permeated their teachings, "we're God's favorite."

And it's easy to see how they'd come to this conclusion. I mean throughout their history God had been active and showing his mercy to them (see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, etc). And when you carry this all out to its logical conclusion, the Jewish people came to the point of believing they were the righteous ones because they had God's law. Since they knew what God wanted, and they lived by the law, they were on God's good side and everyone else was not.

And that's where Paul turns the tables on them. The Jews saw themselves as righteous. They had the law and believed that because of who they were they were thisclose with God. And Paul indicates otherwise.

Paul lays out that even with the right heritage, family of origin, knowledge of the complete law or circumcision, because of the fact that all have sinned righteousness can be found only in Jesus. In other words, Paul showed that while their heritage was nice, ulitmately it did them no good.

Oddly enough I see a number of people still living under the same assumption as the first-century Jews. Because of their parents' faith or because of their church membership or because of their upbringing, or perhaps because they were baptized once long ago in the past...people seem to believe that they're all set with God. As if any of those earthly ties or actions are the thing that saved them. But ultimately, while those things are nice, our righteousness comes by nothing we do...but instead by faith in Jesus.

Hopefully as we continue through Romans, you don't get so bogged down in the details that you fail to miss the big picture. That nothing we can do can ultimately save us. And that is exactly why Jesus came.

Merry Christmas

Saying goodbye

Day 199

OT Reading: Psalm 25-27

NT Reading: Acts 20:17-38

Ever find it hard to say goodbye? Perhaps you had to say goodbye to a dear friend who was moving a long ways away. And regardless of phone calls, emails and facebook posts...you know it just will not be the same. Maybe you had to say goodbye to a loved one, who passed from this life to the next. And despite all the advantages that may be had by either one of you...that does not take away the fact that something is changing. That physical presence will no longer be there. It's just sometimes difficult to say goodbye.

And I think the apostle Paul would agree. In today's passage we see a tearful, emotional farewell offered from Paul to some men that he has been with on the front lines of ministry. These men were his supporters, his students, his co-workers and most importantly...his friends. Undoubtedly they had been together through good times and bad. They had seen God's hand at work and they had endured tremendous opposition...together. And even after growing close with these men who were now leaders of the church there, it came time for Paul to leave.

Paul knew that this was the last time, this side of heaven, he would see these men. And they did not have cell phones, email and Facebook to keep in touch. Paul was going on with the mission God had laid out for him. And in his farewell to these leaders we see him state it as such:

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Paul hated to say goodbye. But he knew, beyond any question, that God had called him for something greater...to speak and represent the message of Jesus.

And that all leads me to a difficult question. When was the last time you felt so led, so convicted and so passionate about God's call for your life that you were willing to:

* leave those that you know and love to follow God's call?

* knowingly head into hardship because of your call?

* be willing to even put your life on the line for your call?

That may be even more difficult than saying good bye.

Psalm 22

Day 198

OT Reading: Psalms 22-24

NT Reading: Acts 20:1-16

The 23rd Pslam is one of the most well-known and often-recited passages in all of Scripture. It is common to hear this passage at a hospital bedside, funeral, or by those enduring the storms of life. But even with the popularity of this passage, it is not the one that I personally am most drawn to from today's reading.

The Psalm I'd like to focus on is the one immediately prior...Pslam 22. It begins with some words you may find familiar, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1, NIV) Jesus himself spoke these words while enduring his final hours on the cross (see Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34). But the connections between Psalm 22 and Jesus' death do not end there. In case they did not jump out before, go read Psalm 22:1-22 again. Despite the names and places you may not recognize...can you see it?

This is one of those times that I'm not going to give you all the answers, as I absolutely want you to go and look at the passage yourself. But as you look, I would like to to consider the following questions:

* How many allusions can you find to Jesus' death on the cross?

* How does the language offered in Psalm 22 impact your understanding of what he physically endured?

When I seriously did LOL.

Day 197

OT Reading: Psalms 19-21

NT Reading: Acts 19:21-41

There is one sentence from today's reading that made me literally laugh out loud when I read it. Maybe it's because I was not expecting it. Maybe it's because it really is funny. Maybe it's because I'm just a little bit weird. But before I give you the sentence, let me set the stage.

The silversmiths of Ephesus, led by a man named Demetrius have led a large group of people into the theater of Ephesus. These people were irate, believing that Paul and his companions were desecrating the name of their sacred goddess Artemis by preaching about this Jesus character. This had caused people to turn away from the faith, it had caused others to throw out their household gods, and most irritatingly, this all was eating into the profits of those who financially benefitted from the worship of Artemis. Yelling at the top of their lungs, angrily shouting out "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians" this mob stormed into the Ephesian theater, grabbing some of Paul's companions on the way.

This scene was, of course, rather chaotic...a massive mob of people, screaming, shouting, angry, insulted. And then in Acts 19:32b we read, "Most of the people did not even know why they were there." (NIV).

I seriously laughed out loud when I read that. Thinking of the mob-like mentality that can overtake a crowd so quickly. And some would just go along...not having any idea what the fuss was all about.

Maybe I'll be the only one who finds that funny. As the saying goes, "Laugh alone...and the world thinks you're an idiot." And you know what? I'm ok with that :-).

A lesson on evangelism

Day 194

OT Reading: Psalms 10-12

NT Reading: Acts 17:16-34

In our reading today Paul offers a valuable lesson on how to communicate the message of Jesus to others: begin where they are.

As Paul made his way around Athens he was taken back by the myriad of idols there. Ancient Athens, it seems, was just filled with temples and idols to gods and goddesses of every variety, shape and color. And just to make sure they did not miss any, we see that they created an idol to "the unknown god." Lest he (or she) be offended by being left out of the pantheon.

Then, when Paul had the opportunity to speak to the crowd in Athens, did you notice what he did? He did not begin by berating the pagan idols that he saw. He did not begin by saying their faith was nothing but idiocy and foolishness. Instead Paul began where the people were.

Because he had spent some time with them...studying them, understanding them, getting to know their beliefs and culture; he was able to use something from their very own society - this god that they did not yet know - and from there begin to preach the gospel.

Sometimes in our evangelistic efforts we're tempted to jump into discussions about sanctification, atonement or even by just throwing out the phrase, "through the blood of Jesus." But doing so assumes that your audience (your friend, family-member, co-worker, whatever) understands what in the world these words and phrases actually mean. Most of these words are used only in the church and to use them without definition to a non-believer would be like me writing this blog in ancient Greek for you.

Instead, why not build a relationship with this person. Get to know who they are, where he is from, what she likes to do with her free time, what they think about God, Jesus, religion in general. Then, based on your knowledge and relationship, you have the opportunity to begin wherever he/she/they are at...and from there lead to the truth about Jesus.

It may sound overly easy, it may sound really complicated, but why not give this approach a shot? Realizing you likely will not do it perfectly just do what you can to begin wherever the other person is. Then, from there, lead on to Jesus.

The Bereans and some misconceptions about ministers

Day 193

OT Reading: Psalms 7-9

NT Reading: Acts 17:1-15

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

Acts 17:11, NIV

For a few years now I've been in a full-time located ministry. My job is with a local church. For my occupation I study the Bible, make hospital calls, offer Scriptural counsel, and a host of other things. It is all part of what I do. But over the few years that I've done this...I've made a few observations about the ministry life and listed them below. Basically just know that if I had a nickel for every time I saw one of these misconceptions lived out...I'd be a very rich man.

* There are people who believe you only work on Sundays. And if I didn't preach that day, I basically must have had the week off.

* When people meet me for the first time, their entire demeanor may change once I answer the, "So what do you do for a living?" question.

Coincidentally, I've asked a couple dentists if they too sometimes begin to hear excuses when first meeting someone (e.g., "I really know I should go to the dentist, but you know, things are just so crazy with my life..."). Most have confirmed that they have, on multiple occasions, had such a conversation. It's good to know that ministers are not alone in that.

* Most people think you have more figured out than you really do.

* Because you are the minister there are some people who will believe or do whatever you say because they believe you are speaking for God.

Now I'll admit, I do get irritated at the suggestion that I'm basically a 'part-timer.' And it is annoying when someone's entire disposition, demeanor or vocabulary changes once they find out I'm a minister. And no matter how many times I reiterate it, I'm afraid people may assume I've got more of this spiritual-life stuff figured out than they do. But that last one in this list is the one that particularly concerns me. Those who will mindlessly follow, conform to or even obey based solely on my occupation or position in the church...that worries me.

Let me put it this way...for the record...I do not want you to take my word for it. I do not want you to just trust that I'm presenting Biblical truth accurately. I do not want you to look at the degrees on my wall and assume I know what I'm talking about. And I certainly do not want you to do something...just because I said to.

The Bereans were commended, not because of their hospitality, not because of their lively worship and not because of their sweet facilities. The Bereans thoroughly studied the Scriptures, to see if what Paul was saying was true. This is why we ask people to open their Bibles, to read it for themselves because God has enabled each of us to look into and understand His will through His word. It is my hope that these writings and your readings have more equipped you to do just that...to thoroughly test what you hear/see/read against Scripture.

The beginning of Psalms

Day 192

OT Reading: Psalms 4-6

NT Reading: Acts 16:16-40

So far we've read only six out of the 150 Psalms, and if you haven't gotten it already, you'll find that the Psalms pretty well run the emotional spectrum. Already we have seen:

Joy: "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me well in safety." Psalm 4:8-9, NIV.

Sorrow: "I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears." Psalm 6:6, NIV

Fear: "O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!" Psalm 3:1

Suffering: "My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, oh long?" Psalm 6:3, NIV

And hopefulness: "From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people." Psalm 3:8, NIV

This sets the stage very well for what we're going to see through the rest of Psalms. Psalms displays the heartfelt thoughts, prayers and frustrations of the writers. We will see the highest of highs, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever!" (Psalm 107:1, NIV) We will also see the lowest lows, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1, NIV) From all this we can take one very important lesson: it's ok to tell God exactly how we feel.

If you're paying attention, you will come across some passages that frankly disturb you. Ones that you probably would not even think of praying to God, much less reading in church from the Bible. But that's part of the point. God is not threatened by our anger, our frustration, our questions (remember Job?)...God is fine with us telling Him exactly how we feel.

So when you pray, why not open things up a little? Pull away from the formula prayers and the mindless repetitive statements that you could say in your sleep. Why not start talking to God about exactly what you think and feel. And if you are not willing to give that a shot...just tell me one thing. What is keeping you from it?