Reg Rivett

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019

Stop Looking At Your Biceps

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
1 Timothy 4:8

When I was younger, this was presented as the reason why it was okay to work out. It was alright to pump the iron, drink whey protein, and get “jacked” because there was a Bible verse saying so. “For physical training is of some value”, so…do it up!

How I wish I was taught differently. How I wish I knew differently.

I was given the smallest, least important aspect of this Scripture and told to major on it. As a small kid, that messes with you.

I was skinny. I’m still skinny. I wanted anything to be not skinny when I was in school. Not to be “skin and bones” as the white-haired women in the church would call me. When I heard that I was “supposed to” be physically training…I focused on that, worried about that, and thought about only that. Not that I was able to change my skinny-ness.

But I missed out on the spiritual training.

As a teenager, as a young man, a man with energy and unlimited time to spare, I missed out on doing something that had value far beyond my physicality.

The training of the spirit, the development of the spiritual life was underemphasized, made of lesser importance. It was a secondary item in a single sermon, but…here I am, sitting and looking at my arms, disappointed that they aren’t bigger.

Our world continues to focus on physical appearance. How one looks depends on how many likes or followers you get. How someone looks makes all the difference in a job interview. How one looks changes who hangs out with who, where one goes, how one behaves. And sadly, it has infected the church.

Verses such as 1 Timothy 4:8 become “proof-texts”, Scriptures that you can use to make your point more “biblical”. Thus, securing your rightness and letting you continue in that way.

But we have sorely missed the point. We have strayed so far from what is at the heart of God when we start maximizing on minute details. When we major on the first part of that verse and ignore everything that comes after it, we are willfully neglecting that is most important to God.

Yes, physical training is of some value…

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

God isn’t that worried about the size of my biceps. God is not as concerned about my body fat index or the number of calories that I have consumed today as we may think he is.

And while taking care of our bodies is important, how much energy have we honestly spent worrying about our spiritual health?

Do we have an app for that on our phones?

Do we have accountability to make sure we don’t…what’s the spiritual equivalent of cheating on our diets?

Do we sacrifice, give up, and otherwise lay down any and all excuses to make God our priority and strive for bigger, better, and bolder in relationship to him? And not our waist sizes?

I can say for myself, I thought about spending time on the rowing machine I have in my basement. Because it’s been a few days and it’s a nice workout.

At no time did prayer, silent and holy time with God enter my mind…until I was convicted to write this.

The church needs to take a step back from the weights, from the mirror, from the keto diets, and whatever other healthy trends we’re caught up in.

We need to remember what God said before he picked the scrawny shepherd boy as the future king of Israel.

We need to remember that our Savior wasn’t a looker, and it wasn’t his appearance that drew the crowds to him (Isaiah 53:2).

We need to remember the whole verse from 1 Timothy 4.

Yes, physical training is good. But there is something of infinite value that you should not be neglecting. Something that you need to be putting more, so much more energy into than your bicep curls, your stomach crunches, and your calorie counts.

The condition of your soul. The substance of your character. The treasures of your heart.

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019

Return To Your First Love Before You Vote

On April 16, I get to vote in a new government. Or vote back in the current government. Obviously, not just me. All of Alberta will put an X on the box corresponding to their political party of choice. They will decide if the New Democratic Party will govern for 4 more years, or if the United Progressive Party will rise to power.

I’ve been having discussion, eaves dropping on Twitter rants and feuds, thinking about the issues and who will best handle them since the writ was dropped.

As Election Day nears, I feel more and more compelled to say this to the Christian Church: Return to your first love.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”
Revelation 2:1-4

God had something to say to the church, and it was good and bad.

God knew what they were doing. He knew they were fighting the good fight. They were standing up against evil people, men and women that consistently did what was wrong. They did not put up with fake Christians, confessing one thing but acting another. The church had endured hard times, persecution and trials, all because they had believed in the name of Jesus Christ.

All of that, God was proud of. It was good. He was glad they had stood their ground. The same can be said for many Christians when it comes to election season.

Christians stand up for what they believe matters to God. They want to see children’s’ lives saved, not extinguished by abortions. They want to see kids protected rather than harmed, either by damaging ideologies or practises.

Some Christians stand up for protecting and preserving the Earth. Others get being the poor and the immigrant, citing the Sermon on the Mount as their reason for putting their flag on this issue.

All good things. All worthy causes to stand up for.

But we need to return to your first love before you put a check mark on the ballot.

As Christians, we’ve sworn allegiance to Jesus. Or we claim that we have. We have called up His name for salvation, calling Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

Not the Conservatives. Not the NDP. Not the Liberals. Not some other political party in Canada. (For Americans, the Democrats or Republicans or third parties.)

But it is very easy to get caught up in the political banter and rhetoric and fanfare, and forget our first love. We are to wholeheartedly and unequivocally follow Jesus, not a shade or shape of government.

You might this the Conservatives are the ones that have the best political platform. Maybe the NDP have the programs that will help the next generation best. Perhaps the Liberals have the agenda that will see the Earth saved from climate change.

Great, but none of those political parties, none of their promises or platforms will save you. None of them are the author of our faith or salvation.

Christians increasingly talk as if these political parties were. As if everything, faith, salvation, the second coming of Jesus, all hinged on whom you vote for and who gets elected. That a poorly cast vote could be the damnation that Christianity fears.

We need to stop and do some self-examination.

We need to be very careful with how we go about voting, how we go about talking politics, how we go about as Christians during election season. Because our actions and attitudes, the words we speak and how they are spoken…

I’m seeing less Christians in churches and more advocates for political parties.

Return to your first love, Jesus Christ.

He is the one that called you out of darkness and into the light (1 Peter 2:9).

He is the one that offers life and life more abundantly, more abundantly than NDP, PC, or Liberal can promise (John 10:10).

He is the one that gives us his Spirit, his righteousness, his body for our healing (John 14:26, Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 53:5)

He is the one who has done so much more for us that we can possibly understand. He is the one that we say we love, we say we serve, we say we obey…

Remember who you love. Return to your first love, our hope and salvation, Jesus Christ.

There are many things that I hope that Jesus says to me when I see him face to face. There are many things I hope he speaks to me by his Holy Spirit. I pray none of them are “Yet I hold this against you…”

Return to your first love before you vote.

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

February 21, 2019March 19, 2019

How to Love the Sinner & Hate the Sin

It’s a catchy phrase. Everyone uses it whenever there is a discussion about Christians interacting with people that live counter to Scripture (or their interpretation of Scripture).

“Love the sinner, hate the sin.”

But how do we do that? It’s easier said than done. It can be difficult to see the distinction between sinner and sin.

Thankfully, C.S. Lewis has some wise words to help get us see the line between.

“I remember Christian teachers telling me long ago that I must hate a bad man’s actions but not hate the bad man: or, as they would say, hate the sin but not the sinner. ”¦I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man?

But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life –namely myself.

However much I might dislike my own cowardice or conceit or greed, I went on loving myself. There had never been the slightest difficulty about it. In fact the very reason why I hated the things was that I loved the man. Just because I loved myself, I was sorry to find that I was the sort of man who did those things.”

– C.S. Lewis

It isn’t as hard to love the sinner and hate the sin as we often think, because we are doing it all the time. We love ourselves even though we do things that we hate and condemn in ourselves.

The problem is, we don’t know it. We don’t see it that way.

But when we do, when we turn those eyes of grace from ourselves to others, it is easier to see the sinner and not just the sin. It becomes that much easier to share the love of Christ because we know what it like to receive it.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

– 1 John 4:10

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

– John 13:34-35

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

February 11, 2019February 21, 2019

There Is A Time For Bills

I ran out to the mailbox. It was -35 with the wind, so I didn’t want to be out there very long. I put the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door. I didn’t even look inside. I just thrust my hand in and grabbed everything.

Minus 35 is cold. Wind or not.

As I raced back to the house, I glanced at what was in the pile. Bills. A letter about tax receipts. More bills. Something for my brother-in-law. And more bills.

I got back into the house. Sighs were mixed with shivers from the winter air.

A wave of frustration, a wave of fear, a wave of “Oh God, what are we going to do” hit me. Then completely subsided when the Holy Spirit said these words.

“There is a time for bills.”

Leave it to God to remind me of the Scriptures.

It was a play on the wisdom literature of Solomon, from the book of Ecclesiastes.

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Sometimes this is a hopeful passage. Other times, it’s read when we are profoundly sad.

There are people that read this as if it’s the way that God does things, controls things, acts in the world; as if God made people die, or wanted them to be torn down, killed, or thrown away. But I find that completely out of his character.

Rather, I see Solomon’s book a reflection of how life works. That life works in a kind of cycle. There is a sort of balance. A time to be born and then die. A time when you plant and then harvest.

It’s a cycle. There is a time when things happen. There is a time when things don’t happen.

And there is a time when the mail is all bills like it was that day.

It wasn’t a sign that God was punishing me or my family. It wasn’t a sign of us being irresponsible with what God had blessed us with. It was that time for the bills to arrive.

And there will come a day, hopefully not as cold, when I will check the mail and it will not be bills, bills, and more bills. Because it will be the time when bills are paid.

We can be quick to blame God for what is happening in our times, things that are irritating or uncomfortable; things that may add stress or make our anxiety jump. But that is not his character. That is not who God is.

Remember what Jesus said about his heavenly Father, our heavenly Father,

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
– Matthew 7:9-11

Life works in cycles. Sometimes it is a time to plant. Sometimes it is a time to harvest. Sometimes it is a time for bills. And if you find yourself in that time now, remember: there is also a time when the bills are paid. And God will provide.

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

January 26, 2019January 26, 2019

The Two Most Annoying Things About ‘Revelation’ Commentaries

A Precious Promise: The Outpouring of Godâ€™s Spirit

It’s always in the first few pages.

Every author does it, though I’m sure some are ‘asked’ to do it by their publishers, though they would rather keep it out of their books.

Some people may not be annoyed by it, but for me, it’s one of the most frustrating things about commentaries on the book of Revelation.

”INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION”

That may be one of the biggest misnomer and backhanded comments from the author to other Christians I’ve ever read in a biblical commentary.

Let’s discuss this. Continue reading “The Two Most Annoying Things About ‘Revelation’ Commentaries”

January 21, 2019January 22, 2019

We Need To Change How We Talk About The Bible

I like to win arguments. I like being right. I like showing people that I’m smart. I like using my knowledge and proving a point. It’s fun. I enjoy the rush it gives. And it may be one of the most destructive things I can do as a Christian.

“The defeat of the intellect is not the object in fighting with the sword of the Spirit, but the acceptance of the heart. In this case, therefore, I drew back.”
– George MacDonald

The mentor of the famous C. S. Lewis shares just what is wrong with Christians fighting, bickering, debating back and forth until there is one winner.

That isn’t the point.

The Bible isn’t somethign we use to defeat or destroy, belittle or beat a brother or sister in Christ. It isn’t a weapon for us to weld to prove how excellent we are at exegesis. It isn’t a stool or an escalator we get on to elevate ourselves above the rest of the Body of Jesus.

If it is, we need to check ourself. Before we wreck a lot more than ourself.

The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God is not for destruction or defeat. While it does pierce through to the heart, dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow (Hebrews 4:12), the end goal of the Bible is not the demise of anyone.

The disciple Peter spoke well to this matter, when asked if he wanted to depart from Jesus,

“Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.“”
– John 6:68

While this first applies to the words of Jesus, it does extend to all the words of Scripture. They are words of life. They are words that do not destroy or defeat or diminish. They are words that encourage, strengthen, and build up.

After all,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
– 1 Timothy 3:16-17

If we are discussing, digging, debating, theorizing, or theologizing with the intent to win, we have failed. And we need to step back.

MacDonald says, “I drew back.”

Like a retreat, a purpose full pause, a chance to reflect and re-evaluate what he was doing.

I think I need to do that more often. I’m sure a lot of Christians do, but I’m thinking about myself for a second.

I am smart, but I know there have been times I have used my knowledge, my wisdom to trounce other Christians, belittle them to elevate myself. I have argued people into corners, made them second guess what they believed just to prove I knew better than they did.

That’s not the point. That’s not what the Bible is supposed to be used for. And there is nothing about that kind of action or attitude that is Christ like.

I need to draw back a lot more often than I do.

This isn’t an anti-debate or anti-intellectual statement or quote either. The mentor of C.S. Lewis? How could a man that taught one of the greatest Christian thinkers be anti-intellectual?

No. MacDonald saw in himself, and I’m sure in others, that while debate and figuring things out is of great value, rightness isn’t the end goal.

A renewed mind and an upright spirit are. The repentant heart.

are your conversations, your debates, your theologizing changing hearts or earning you victory points?

One is in line with the heart of Scripture, the word of God.

The other may be the most destructive thing you can do as a Christian.

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

January 18, 2019January 22, 2019

Stop Calling Yourself The Persecuted Church

There is no more prayer in schools.

They want to take God’s name out of the national anthem.

The list of “assaults” on Christianity grows and varies from Western country to country. Every day Christians take to social media and share how life is so hard. We are under siege. Our lives are in danger of ungodly people changing things in our government. We are suffering at the hands of sinners. And the likes…

These kinds of things make their rounds on Facebook and Twitter because we are the “persecuted church“.

Only we couldn’t be more wrong. And we need to stop calling ourselves that.

Open Doors, an organization dedicated to helping the actual persecuted church, wherever they might be in the world. But it isn’t in North America.

The World Watch List was recently updated, sharing the Top 50 nations where being a Christian is the toughest. While you can find the full list here, read over the Top 20 as shared by BibleGateway Blog.

Top 20 Countries Persecuting Christians

North Korea
Afghanistan
Somalia
Libya
Pakistan
Sudan
Eritrea
Yemen
Iran
India
Syria
Nigeria
Iraq
Maldives
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Uzbekistan
Myanmar (Burma)
Laos
Vietnam

The only “Western” country to make the Top 50 list is Mexico, coming in at 39.

Think about that.

These Christians suffer from Communist or Post-communist oppression, Dictatorial Paranoia, Ethnic Antagonism, Islamic Oppression, and/or Religious Nationalism.

They are regularly attacked, routinely harassed, habitually disturbed and made the public pariah of their respective nations. Their government makes examples of them, create laws with which to demoralize and cripple their lives. Freedoms and rights are removed or none existent.

Christians have no voice, no power, no representation, no ability to advocate for change in these nations. None of which are Western countries.

More than 245 million Christians live with high, very high, or extreme persecution on a regular basis. If not daily. That number is up from 2018. It was 215 million last year.

David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA said this,

“Islamic radicalism continues to dominate and influence all spheres of life for Christians, and we are watching China and India very closely. The distressing impact of billions of people living in an environment in which the government oppresses freedom of religion is unravelling day by day as millions of Christians are being attacked, imprisoned or killed. Open Doors will continue to walk alongside these Christians and advocate on their behalf for human rights we take for granted in America.”

That is the persecuted church. Those are the people that are suffering in the name of Jesus.

Having someone disagree with us on Facebook is not persecution. Having a government make changes to their laws to no favour a single religion is not what people in North Korea are suffering. Someone mocking your faith in a cartoon or a meme is not what is happening in Afghanistan.

They are being murdered. They are being imprisoned.

I’m not saying that our lives are easy or that the way we are treated is right, but what Western Christians deal with is not persecution like the rest of the world deals with.

Let’s remember what our brothers and sisters are going through, remember what our forefathers endured as well.

“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”
– Hebrews 13:3
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:8-12

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

January 15, 2019February 24, 2019

Some Historical Evidence FOR Female Leaders In The Church

The fight continues on: should women be allowed to hold leadership roles in the Church? Can a woman preach, considering what Paul said in 1 Corinthians? How can a lady be the head of any religious activity?

The argument has gone on for years, between egalitarian and complementarians.

Complementarians arguing that women are to be submissive and subject to men, while egalitarians argue that women and men are equal in value and ability, able to lead and teach just as well as men.

The fight becomes who has the best Scripture. Who’s Bible verse proves they are right better? Who is the most right?

While I don’t want to get into that fight here, an impartial piece of history may tell us where the Early Church would have landed on this issue. Continue reading “Some Historical Evidence FOR Female Leaders In The Church”

January 9, 2019

Don’t Call Her A Witch

Mention magic or wizards, witches or spells, and Christians the world over will freak out.

Blogs will be written. Tweets will be sent. Names will be called, and lines will be drawn in the sand arbitrarily labelling “real Christians” from the fake ones.

Fascinating what a topic can do to brothers and sisters in Christ.

But I don’t want to talk about that right now. I want to get people to stop calling a particulate person a witch. Because the Bible never called her that.

In fact, there is a reason to give her some praise.

SCRIPTURE

“Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

^”The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.He inquired of the Lord, but the Lorddid not answer him by dreams or Urimor prophets.Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,” they said.

^”So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

^”But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

^”Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lordlives, you will not be punished for this.”

^”Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

– 1 Samuel 28:3-11

THAT’S INTERESTING

Did you notice something?

If you have read the Old Testament or the stories of King David, then you might recognize this story. It’s usually gone by this title.

”The Witch of Endor”.

But the Scripture never said ‘witch’.

Yes, that is the NIV translation, but look at the other ones. They don’t say that she was a witch. A medium, sure. A spiritist, perhaps. The King James says that ‘she hath a familiar spirit’, which I’m assuming is Old English for she is familiar with spirits. Like a medium or a spiritist.

But not a witch.

So where did this “that woman was a witch” come from?

It’s the heading that the publishers added, maybe the editors, or translators. But it wasn’t in the Bible.

WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?

Why? I’m not sure. Maybe it has something to do with the North American hatred of witches, the occult, stuff like that. It could be a particular spiritual philosophy or doctrine that a publisher or editor may hold. It could be how believers tend to damn anyone who does what the Bible specifically condemns ‘believers’ for doing, even if they have no connection to the faith of the Bible.

But by calling this woman, a lady that was never graced with a name, as something more terrible than she is, is horrible.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not encouraging spiritists or mediums.

But if the Bible doesn’t call her a witch, I don’t see why we should be giving her labels that shouldn’t be there.

WHY WE SHOULD PRAISE THE MEDIUM OF ENDOR

Consider another portion of the same story. It comes after the medium calls up the spirit of the prophet Samuel. The spirit speaks with Saul, tells him of his impending death and the gross defeat of Israelite army.

“Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

^“When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

^“He refused and said, “I will not eat.”

“But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

^”The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast.Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.”

– 1 Samuel 28:20-25

Saul going to see the medium of Endor was an illegal act. He had outlawed and cast all and any mediums and spiritists out of Israel. His actions had put this woman’s life in peril. She should have been killed for simply being a medium, nevermind the fact that she called up a spirit. And all that was because the King of Israel wanted it.

How did she respond to the man who brought her potential death to her door? How did the medium of Endor respond after all this was done?

She loved her neighbour.

Not that Saul was literally her neighbour, but she acted in perfect harmony with the teachings of Jesus. I’m not saying that her actions as a medium were like Jesus, no. But her sacrificial love, her killing of her own fattened calf, her giving of time and energy to make bread, her serving this king and his servants after they risked her life; that is just like Jesus.

She gave to someone who could have harmed her, caused her pain, even death. That sounds like Jesus.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

– Romans 5:8-10

CONCLUSION

Was the medium a perfect example of Christ-like living? Was she someone that the Church should ‘saint’? Should we give her a name to elevate her status from secondary character to someone that matters?

Good questions. I don’t have answers for that, but I can say this.

Calling the medium of Endor a ‘witch’ and casting upon her all the evil and wicked connotations that we might have about such people is unfounded and wrong. A medium she was, but not a witch.

Even though we may not agree with her activities, she was not an example of pure evil. In fact, Scripture records that she did something worth remembering and worth seeing as honourable.

She showed love to King Saul, even though he threatened her life with his actions. What she did was a foreshadowing of Jesus and his great(er) love.

November 9, 2018November 18, 2018

Beware of Your Preconceived Ideas

Not all preconceived notions are dangerous.

Some are. Some are very dark, hateful, judgemental ideas that are made without all the information. It could be caused by a single bad experience, secondhand information, or misinformation. Wherever it stems from, some preconceived notions are terrible, destructive ideas that only serve to tear down.

I discovered this week that I have had a preconceived notion, a preformulated idea about a piece of Scripture. I wasn’t wrong about my idea. I wasn’t distorting the Bible, but I was completely unaware, completely blinded to something that was there.

After I show it to you, you’ll most likely realize you did the same thing. We all have some preconceived notions about Scripture and need to be more aware of that.

SCRIPTURE

“Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a sceptre will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls ofall the people of Sheth.”

– Numbers 24:15-17

MY PRECONCEIVED NOTION

Whenever I’ve read this passage, and yes, I have read through Numbers before, I have come to one conclusion.

This passage is about Jesus.

The prophet Balaam, hired to curse the nation of Israel, couldn’t do it. Instead, the Lord prompted him to speak words of life and promise. And in doing so, I thought, was speaking specifically about Jesus.

Jesus would be the star out of Jacob. It made sense. There would be a star that gave direction to the Magi so they could offer his worship (Matthew 2).

Jesus would be the sceptre to rise out of Israel. It made sense. While He didn’t come as a king or ruler on this earth, Jesus was, is, and forever will be the ruler over all things, sitting at the right hand of the Father (Revelation 1:4-6).

But is that it?

While I’m not wrong with that idea (and neither are you if you agree), that isn’t what the Israelites would have understood upon hearing or reading that passage from Numbers.

They would have had a very different understanding. Not a wrong understanding, but one that most Christians wouldn’t have thought of. Something that shows us just how powerful our preconceived notions are.

WHAT WE HAVE MISSED

From the pages of F.F. Bruce’s Jesus & Christian Origins Outside The New Testament, I discovered a different interpretation of the Numbers passage. It was held by a particular group of Jews, though possibly not exclusively.

While discussing this groups understanding of Messiah, and the criteria of, Bruce said this.

“The first [proof-text to validate their understanding of Messiah] is the Deuteronomy passage about the prophet like Moses with some associated passages; the second is Balaam’s oracle about the victorious ‘star out of Jacob’ and ‘sceptre of out Israel’ in Numbers 24:14-17, which originally referred to King David and so is appropriately reapplied to ‘great David’s greater son’...”

As soon as I read that, I put the book down. It wasn’t something I was reading for. It isn’t even what the book is about, but I was dumbfounded by what Bruce had said.

Balaam’s prophecy was about David…not initially Jesus.

It isn’t that the prophecy doesn’t apply to Jesus. It does. And this particular group of Jews, one that never came in contact with Jesus, totally believed that the Messiah, or one of the Messiahs, would fulfill this prophecy. But Jesus was not the first answer to “Who is this prophecy about?”

21st century Christians, while we are right in our conclusions, our preconceived notion of Balaam’s prophecy, we are also blinded by it.

CONCLUSION

We need to be aware. We need to consider the fact that our preconceived notion may not be right, or may not be the first right answer to questions from the Bible.

We aren’t necessarily wrong, but we may be overlooking interesting and important truth because we are “sure” we know the right answer.

As we read the Bible, we should feel free to ask what else could the Scripture be saying. How else could this be understood, by the original audience, by the first generation after that, or even the people that lived in the days of Jesus? There may be things that we are missing.

Beware of your own preconceived notions.

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

November 9, 2018

How Will You Be Remembered?

In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill, three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime – the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness.

– Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

What a way to be remembered. What a way to go out.

Three extremists, all hung on trees to die a cruel Roman death. Two were left unnamed, unknown to us today. But the one, a sign hung above his head proclaiming his “crime” and his rightful title.

“King of the Jews.”

While people scoffed at him, ridiculed him to his face, those that followed him all the days of his earthly ministry knew that he was the extremist that Reverend King spoke of; Jesus was a man of love, truth, and goodness.

What a way to be remembered.

It seems fitting that Jesus would be remembered this way. He lived out his message. He walked the walk right after he talked the talk. He said, if you follow me, do it. Act this way. Live according to this law. And then he showed us all how.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

– John 13:34-35

It was Jesus command, maybe his last command to the disciples before his death. Love. Love one another. The people in your inner circle of friends. The people that make up your family. The people in your spiritual communities. The people in your communities, the towns and cities that you live in. The people that live and make up your countryman.

Love.

Show them love. Tell them the truth. Speak words of life and peace, share all the of the gospel message of Jesus with them. In this way, you will show them love.

Show them love. Be good to them. whether they stay in your life or they make a quick exit, do all you can to bless them. In this way, you will show them love.

While King’s realization about Jesus is true of the man from Galilee, I wonder if it will be true of me when I die. How will I be remembered?

Will it be said of me that I was a man of love, truth, and goodness, like my Lord and Savior, Jesus?

Will it be said of me that I walked the walk and talked the talk of Jesus, day in and day out, with family and stranger?

Will it be said of me that my life honoured the living memory of that one unique man crucified on Calvary’s hill?

What about you? What will they say about you?

Let us prayerfully consider our actions; whether they are deeds of love, truth, and goodness.

Let us prayerfully consider our words; whether they are seasoned with love, truth, and goodness.
This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

November 9, 2018

Don’t Lose Sight Of The Real Issue

“Jesus wants to get rid of the sex trafficking [in the world just like I do], only he takes it a lot more seriously than I do…“

– Joshua Ryan Butler, The Skeletons in God’s Closet

No sane Christian will ever stand up and say that sex trafficking is good thing. No one that is taking Jesus’ words and actions seriously will ever be for the moving of persons for the selling and trading of sex acts. Obviously.

Christians rightly stand against such things. We should be protesting and fighting against those people and institutions and systems that make such things happen. We should be anti-sex trafficking.

But is that far enough?In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear. Stopping sex trafficking is not enough, though it is important.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.“

– Matthew 5:27-30

Pastor and author Joshua Ryan Butler put it this way in his book, The Skeletons in God’s Closet.

“Jesus wants to get rid of the sex trafficking [in the world just like I do], only he takes it a lot more seriously than I do.

I want to get rid of sex trafficking; Jesus wants to get rid of lust. I want to prune back the wicked tree; he wants to dig out the root.“

We can feel good about agreeing with Jesus when we hear his words. We can feel good about picketing or signing a petition to see sex trafficking systems destroyed. We can feel good about the steps we take to see this destructive abuse of people taken down.

But that isn’t enough.

Jesus wants to see lust, not just the effects of lust, destroyed. Jesus wants to see our adultery, in all its forms, obliterated.

For Christians, the issue includes sex trafficking, but isn’t limited to that. Porn, masterbation; these might be the big ones that come to mind, but there is more. The lingering looks at girls, or guys, as they walk by. Fantasizing about sexual encounters.

The issue of lust runs deep and gets intwined into many parts of our every day.

Our every day.

Yours and mine. You and me.

Yes, sex trafficking and lust is a real issue out there. But it is also a real issue in us. In our hearts.

Let’s not forget that we are sinners too.

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

November 9, 2018

What Do You Believe From The Scriptures?

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.

– St. Augustine, Sermons

But I believe everything in the Bible. I take the Word as it is. The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it.

Right?

The truth is that we are far more selective of the Bible verses we adhere to than we would like to admit, and tend to reject much of what Jesus said. We ignore some parts and highly favour others. This is not a good thing. Especially when it comes to the words of Jesus.

As Peter said, only Jesus’ words are the ones with eternal life (John 6:68).

You would think we would be better about listening to all of Jesus’ words then, but we are terrible for picking and choosing.

An example,

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

– Matthew 6:25-27

Now, everyone, please, honestly tell me that you do not worry. Ever. About anything at all.

We’ll quote this verse. We’ll talk about how good God is that he provides all the time. We have so much, so many blessings.

And then we worry and stress and lose sleep over, agonize and torment ourselves and fret about money, work, our relationships. We completely forget about what Jesus said and try to solve, try to figure out, try to establish a plan to solve all our problems by ourselves.

(I am preaching to the choir. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ll know that I struggle with worry.)

This is a perfect example of picking and choosing verses. Picking and choosing Scripture that we want and don’t want. Picking and choosing what we want, when we want.

Not that worry is a small thing, by any means, but there are so many other things that we pick over and choose to ignore.

Like,

Loving our neighbour, the immigrant, the distinct other race of people in our community.

Giving to the poor, whether that be financially or by giving them opportunities to compete and be at the same level as other people.

Finding your treasures not in the possessions you have or your neighbour has, but seeing the stuff and junk and garbage of a consumer-driven society for what they are.

Basically, reread the Sermon on the Mount.

Look at what Jesus said. Think about how many things Jesus specifically called us out of, what he called us towards.

There is a lot that we pick and choose. And considering Saint Augustine’s quote, there is a lot of us in our beliefs, and not nearly enough Jesus. Not nearly enough gospel for how Christ-like or Christian we claim to be.

Let’s ask ourselves; what do you believe from the Scriptures, and what do the Scriptures call you to believe?

This article first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

January 24, 2018February 24, 2018

Would You Kill A Child? The Folly and Hypocrisy of Subjective Truth

Something is either true or it isn’t. There is no third option.

This can get dicey and offend people very quickly, but that doesn’t change the truth. Subjective truth is a lie that people cling to, covering their eyes, declaring they are fine as they walk off a cliff.

How can I write something so bold? How can I tell you that any notion of “relative truth” is nonsense?

A simple thought experiment will help explain this. Let’s say that you are a believer in “subjective truth”, that something can be true for you, but not true for me. In essence, we make our truth. Truth can be this way one day, and change the next. What you believe is good for you, and what I believe is for me, and we should just let that be. These are your beliefs.

Let’s also say that I am not a believer in “subjective truth” and oppose you. I maintain that truth is consistent. That the truth is unchanging, regardless of time, space, cultural differences, and such things. What is true, is true.

To stir up trouble, a third individual enters and holds the same views as you. She is a believer in “subjective truth”. Then she says, “Killing children is okay.”

For me, hearing “killing children is okay” immediately strikes me as wrong. Jesus taught that all killing was wrong, even going so far as to say that hatred of a brother was sin (Matthew 5). The very idea that killing kids would ever be okay is such a bad, wrong, evil idea, that it is just a lie to suggest otherwise.

But now, you, as the believer in subjective truth, must decide. Is killing children okay?

Is that a truth that can exist alongside other truths like, killing children is always wrong?

Would you allow such an idea, something that churns and turns your stomach, something you know to be wrong, to be called truth?

It would take a very sick individual to say that it is subjectively true that killing children is okay. We would call them a monster, a person that is in need of serious help. We all know that killing children is wrong. We know it in our gut. Some things are wrong. Some things are the truth, regardless.

If you believe in subjective truth, try telling yourself that it is fine if someone in the world thinks that killing kids is okay. And then sit comfortably with that idea, that someone is out there, killing kids, believing that they are doing nothing wrong.

You can’t, can you?

This is where subjective truth falls apart. This is where the hypocrisy lies. Because no one in their right mind would be okay with the killing of children. No one would say that is acceptable to anyone. Subjective truth cannot bear the weight of such an idea.

The truth is that no one should ever kill children. It is wrong. Across time, space, cultural differences. It is wrong, evil, satanic, whatever other words you would use. Killing kids is absolutely wrong. And that is an absolute, unchangeable truth.

That is the folly of subjective truth. Here comes the hypocrisy.

As you think about how to decide about this third individual claim that killing children is okay, you actually are facing a much bigger dilemma.

Because if you say that their subjective truth is wrong, you are saying that all subjective truth is wrong. You are asserting that they are wrong in their notion of a truth that is only applicable to them. You are asserting that there may be rules that are true no matter what.

But, if you say that some subjective truths are wrong…could yours be wrong too?

Asserting that any subjective truth is wrong puts your own ideas of truth under the microscope. Suddenly all the ideas of truth that you were holding onto start crumbling. The whole notion that you can believe something and someone else believe something different and be equally right suddenly doesn’t hold.

Will you assert the absolute truth that killing kids is wrong? Or go against what you say you believe. Can it be okay for some people and wrong for others?

Consider these things, and consider this the end of the thought experiment.

The Bible tells us that God has written his Law in our hearts. Even people that have never read the words of Jesus still have an understanding because God hasn’t hidden this away from them. God has inscribed it on their hearts; some things are wrong, some things are right, some are true, and some are lies.

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles (non-Jews), who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)” – Romans 2:13-15

There are absolute truths that do not change, regardless of time and space or cultural differences. There are some truths that are bigger than you and me and our opinion of things. To say that all truth is subjective is to stand on the very shaky ground. The hypocrisy, the inability to hold it’s self up to a simple test, shows just how weak and feeble this idea is.

We shouldn’t settle for a truth that changes with the wind. We shouldn’t be okay with a truth that is relative to who we are, where we are, or when we are. We should build our lives on nothing than absolute truth. We should anchor our lives to the truth that doesn’t depend on us. The best place to start doing that is found in the person of Jesus.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6

Cling to Him, the unchanging Truth, and abandon the hypocrisy of subjective truth.

This blog first appeared on Christian Thought Sandbox.

December 11, 2017January 12, 2018

How Do You Talk to Kids About God?

Hey parents: Do you want to reduce the chances that your child will follow the crowd to the point of rejecting Christ and the values and truths you hold so dearly?

It’s no secret that children of all ages are being exposed to negative criticism of Christianity as they spend time at school, with friends, or online. Are you prepared to talk with your kids about how they can effectively answer the tough questions that come their way?

I often wonder how I am going to teach my three kids about Jesus, the Bible, and the radical love of God found in these ancient pages. Do I start with the Romans road? Do I start with the Gospels, driving the Sermon on the Mount into their minds? Or do I pick and choose from the myriad of Old Testament stories, Noah and the flood, David, and Goliath?

Most parents may not give it much thought, and I believe that is a great mistake. What we teach our kids about Jesus and the Bible is of everlasting significance. We should thoughtfully and prayerfully consider how and what we teach our children. Especially when it comes to our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Starting with Jesus may seem like the best place to start. Though, there are good reasons for starting with the Apostle Paul and the Romans Road. But Mike Fabarez, author of Raising Men, Not Boys makes an interesting argument. He suggests we start at the beginning and go from there.

“Don’t get me wrong, but in one sense it is unfortunate that the first verse our boys traditionally learn is John 3:16 (i.e., “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”). Yes, that is a fantastic and essential summary of God’s saving work motivated by His love. But it assumes a lot of foundation truths that many don’t learn until much later. In a sense teaching our boys first about God’s love is out of biblical sequence. It’s like having someone in high school tell you that “Jennifer loves you!” if I know little or next to nothing about Jennifer, or worse yet, if I imagine Jennifer to be someone she is not, learning that Jennifer loves me will end up being meaningless. (44-45)”

It makes sense, doesn’t it?

If we don’t talk to our kids about God as Creator, God as Sustainer, God as the One Who Sees Us, all characteristics revealed prior to John 3, who will they assume this God is that loves them? It would make perfect sense for them to ask “Why would God do something like sending Jesus to die?” if they have no framework or reference to the love of God that has been present since the before the world was created?

Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side

Starting with Genesis 1:1 and taking our kids on the journey with the Israelites, learning and discovering who this God is could be a great way to reveal the true heart of God. The heart that is ultimately shown in Jesus Christ. Seeing Israel realize more and more that God is not interested in blood sacrifices or physical circumcision, but the circumcision of the heart and a living sacrifice may help your kids to realize the same thing. That faith in God is not about a routine of sacred actions but the inward change that results in an outward expression of love.

Don’t get Fabarez wrong or misunderstand him. He does say “in one sense”, so I hardly think that he has forced his kids to a strict linear learning and reading of Scripture. But there is some wisdom, some insight into teaching our kids this way.

It gives you something to think about when it comes to teaching and raising your kids, doesn’t it?

My prayer is that each of your children will grow up to be, as author George Barna puts it, “an irrepressible follower of Jesus Christ who accepts the Bible as truth, lives by its principles, seeks ways to impact the world and continually deepen his or her relationship with God.”

This article was originally posted on Christian Thought Sandbox.

November 25, 2017April 28, 2020

Warranty and Salvation Aren’t Enough

Most days I moonlight as a lube technician/oil change guy. It’s how I pay my bills. It’s during this wonderfully flexible job that I hear some of the most uninformed people making crazy declarations they believe to be truth. They will stand on sinking sand and claim that they are perched on the mountain.

I was helping one customer when I recommended that something on his vehicle be serviced. It was the rear differential oil (for those of you who know what that is), and it looked like it had water in it. (For those that don’t know, you never want water in any of your vehicle fluids). When he realized what I was showing him, he declared with gusto, “Warranty will take care of that!”

Unfortunately, and this customer will soon find out, that isn’t how vehicle warranty works. And the same is true for our salvation.

When you buy a vehicle, new or used, most car dealerships will include some kind of warranty. Sometimes it is for 5 years, others offer 7. In rare case, a dealership will offer you “lifetime warranty”. What is often missed or misunderstood are the conditions in which warranty works.

Just because something breaks on your car doesn’t guarantee that warranty will cover it. Some warranties are only for the engine. Some are strictly for the transmission. There are other warranties, with their clever wording and clauses in fine print, that will expire at a certain time or mileage, whichever comes first. Even with these restrictions, you are not guaranteed a new engine under warranty should it break down. You may still have time and mileage before your warranty runs out, but you may not get the repair done for free.

When you buy your vehicle, you sign a contract stating that you will maintain the vehicle. You will change the oil in the engine. You will make sure that there is oil in the transmission. You will make sure that there is no water in any of the vehicle fluids, so not to rust out important moving parts.

If you don’t maintain your vehicle, or if you don’t pay someone to do these check and changes for you, there is the very real possibility that your warranty will be void. It will be no good. You will make a claim, saying that your engine is broken, but if they find out that you never changed the oil, it won’t matter. Your warranty won’t cover it. You will have violated the rules and arrangements you signed and stated you would follow.

Some people believe that when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior that life will suddenly become easier. “Jesus is Lord, he’s the master of my life. He’ll fix everything” is a the assumption. Because we have this salvation, a “deal” with God, that suddenly everything is taken care of. “There is nothing more that I have to do now that I am saved.”

This idea about salvation is just as wrong as vehicle warranty.

This isn’t a downplaying of salvation or the importance of it. But saying a few words or the Sinner’s Prayer doesn’t grant us a problem-free life. Praying a prayer, asking Christ to be your Lord and Savior is about entering into a relationship. It’s like the signing of an agreement. It’s the start, it’s the beginning of a kind of deal that requires your involvement, something like having vehicle warranty. You have a part to play, there are things for you do to, and you need to be aware of that. Whether you are evanglizing to other people or processing your own faith journey, you need to know that warranty and salvation aren’t enough. That isn’t the end. It is just the beginning.

Salvation Calls You To Work

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say,

“You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”- James 2:14-18

The letter from James says that saving faith is the start, but it doesn’t end there. Simply believing, having found salvation in Jesus Christ is not enough. Salvation, this spiritual deal with Jesus, isn’t a guarantee that doesn’t require anything of us. On the contrary, it demands that you act.

Salvation needs to be followed up by works. James says, “I will show you my faith by my deeds.” I will prove to you that I have salvation through faith in Christ, and the proof is in what I am doing. I cannot sit still and simply hold on to this salvation. I have to demonstrate it to the world. That is what I must do. That is part of the deal.

This isn’t to say that we are forced to do good deeds. Christ doesn’t become a taskmaster, whipping us into doing these things. Doing good deeds should be an expression of our faith, a visualization of the joy that we found and want to share with the world.

Salvation doesn’t give us a free pass to be complacent or inactive. In fact, it should drive us to be that much more active. Show the world the faith, the salvation that you have found through good works.

Salvation Provokes You To Growth

I’ve talked about salvation being similar to signing a contract or making a deal, but that is a very poor analogy. The truth is that salvation is a part of the relationship with God that we get to have because of faith in Jesus Christ.

With every relationship though comes a challenge. We need to grow. Staying at the beginning of the relationship will not work. You have to mature, get to know the other person in the relationship. You have to figure out what they like and don’t like, even if that other person is God.

The Apostle Paul knew that being at the beginning of a relationship, like being a kid, was fine for a time (1 Cor. 13:11). But you can’t stay a kid forever, nor can you live forever at the beginning of a relationship. Even with God. You have to grow past the point of salvation, into deeper relationship with God.

What might that look like? Paul answers that question a few verses later.

“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.”- 1 Corinthians 14:1

To start to grow in relationship, to move beyond the beginning, we need to follow the way of love and desire the gifts of the Spirit. The way of love is found in Jesus. The way he lived, the things that he spoke of when he was on the earth, these are the things that we need to be following and living out. Praying for those that persecute us. Giving to those that are in need. These are just a few of the ways to follow the way of love.

These are the things that we should be seeking. These are the evidence that our relationship with God is not stagnant, that it is not still at the beginning. The fruit of the Spirit, as it grows and develops in your life, is evidence that you are maturing from a child into an adult. You are responding to the salvation you found in Christ, and seeping your relationship with God.

A relationship with depth is far superior to any kind of deal or contract signed. Seek a deep relationship with God.

This article first appeared at Christian Thought Sandbox.