"It’s Your Thang--Do What You Wanna Do"--huh?

“It’s your thang; do what you wanna do!”  That was the music of my generation.  It was radical, it was hip, new and cool for us teenagers.  It was a cry of rebellion against the older generation, and we loved it.

But as a new Christian at age 15, I couldn’t help having this nagging question – “How does this fit with the Scriptures?”

I was all for independence, and I did move far away from home, go to places my parents had never gone, and followed a career path they did not forge.  However, I was never “on board” with the current culture’s “Do your own thing” protest.  It was mixed with something foul, though I couldn’t put my finger on what.

This morning, the day before Easter Sunday, I read this verse:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:5-6

There is the answer to my question. “Each of us has turned to our own way” sounds awfully close to “Do your own thing,” don’t you think?

What’s wrong with that?  What is wrong is in the meaning of the word “iniquity.”  Iniquity is not innocent independence, as of a young person reaching maturity, but it means being a law unto yourself.  It is an attitude before it is an action.  In ancient Hebrew times it meant to “go astray” or “deviate from the right path.”  In Jesus’ time it meant “the condition of one without law” or “lawlessness.”

I was right to reject this attitude.  This was the very attitude which caused Jesus to die on the cross.  The attitude of “lawlessness” – an extreme version of “do your own thing” – is the root of all sin, and it carries a steep penalty.  Praise God that Jesus chose to take that penalty himself.

This is what Easter weekend is all about – we human beings went astray but then Jesus stepped in and took the punishment.

But the weekend is not over yet!  Sunday’s coming!

Do You Own a Bible?

Do you own a Bible?  Have you ever read the Bible?  This is not a religious question, just a fact-finding one.

If you haven’t read it, there are a couple things you should know before starting:              

1.      The Bible is a special book.  It’s not magic, but it’s the next best thing.

2.      It was written by only One author, who used over 50 different voices.

3.      The Bible is self-correcting.  If you have a question about one part, you will find the answer in other parts.

4.      It promises to slay dragons, protect the weak, and completely transform your life.

Now, suppose you have read the Bible, perhaps in the past, and perhaps only in part, but you don’t care much about it right now.  There are several specific reasons for disinterest in the Bible:

1.      The Bible is a bright light which shows up all the stains in human nature, and all the purity in God’s nature.  That’s uncomfortable.

2.      It can’t be truly understood by just the mind; it is only understood by something in us called the “spirit.”  This part of the human being is not active until that person is touched and revived by God’s Spirit.

3.      If you have any pet addictions or any wrong behaviors you don’t want to give up – you will reject and run away from the Bible, because reading the Bible will prick your conscience.

4.      Worldly human thinking is at odds with the thinking you will find in the Bible.  You will be drawn to one and dismiss the other.

Which way of thinking will you choose?  You’ll never even know there is a choice until you have read the Bible.  Don’t reject it until you’ve tried it.  Chances are you will be very glad.

The Sermon That's Not For Everyone

The Sermon on the Mount 

Matthew 5-7

Jesus’ popular teachings that are often called “the sermon on the mount” are not for everyone.  And yet, of course, they are for everyone.  Let me explain.

In Matthew chapter 4 we read that Jesus had been supernaturally healing everyone who came to him.  Naturally, this stirred a lot of interest!  More and more people began to follow him.  Such a huge crowd of people followed him that he went up on a mountainside to teach them.  It’s as if he was saying: “So you are looking for physical healing from God – let me show you how to find true and complete healing from God – a life transformation.”

I’m sure many books have been written on the teachings in this sermon of Jesus’, but I want to focus on his one simple message –

Here’s how a person who wants to follow God

 can line up his behavior with what God is really like.

I see three truths that Jesus revealed about God:

• God is holy – no fudging it.
• God is genuine – no faking it.
• God is generous – no worries.

Here’s where I explain why this sermon is not directed at “everyone” – Jesus was talking to those who were “following” him, those who were seeking God.

So when he talks about divorce, murder, adultery – he tells them that their cultural morality they have grown up with won’t do.  If you’re seeking after God, God is holy – you will have to set the bar higher.  You think that a good person is kind?  God is even kind to his enemies.  You think that you’re OK in your marriage if you stop short of sex with others, but where is your head?  You think it’s natural to want revenge for a wrong, but God is forgiving and compassionate.

Next he kind of addresses the “religious” crowd – those who have been faithful to go to synagogue and obey the Mosaic law all their life.  Praying, fasting, and tithing, these people “seem” to be seeking God.  But you can’t fake God out – you will have to really mean your prayers and do your service to others from the heart if you want to follow God.  God entertains no fakers.  Get real.

And then there are his encouraging words to the normal, hard-working people – don’t be discouraged, because God is way more generous than you think and he’s got your back.  So you work 9 to 5 and take a second job to support the family and still you worry that you can’t make ends meet?  Look around you!  Even flowers and birds get their needs met by this caring Father, and you have the privilege and ability to ask when you need something!  Don’t worry about it.

So, you see, Jesus was not talking to people who want to be good, he was talking to people who want to have God.  You can be good by the world’s standards and miss God’s completely.  How badly do you want God himself?  It’s up to you.

4 TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDING ANY BIBLE PASSAGE

1. Pray before you read. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul tells us that we can only understand the things of God through the power of the Spirit. We can read and read and read the Bible all day long, but only the Spirit can reveal to us the wisdom and truth that God has for us.

2. Read more than a few verses at a time. Applying isolated verses or passages to our lives is a modern concept. Books of the Bible were often read in large chunks. Paul’s letters, for example, were read aloud in their entirety to churches. It is always beneficial to read at least the chapter before or after the passage to help you understand the broader idea.

3. Use a study Bible. Study Bibles contain tons of notes that help explain each passage of the Bible. Not only that, but they offer cross-references to help you see other passages that relate to or are the foundation for the passage you’re reading. This will help you better understand confusing passages and words.

4. Read in community. The original audiences both heard and read the Scriptures in group settings as communities. There is no such thing as solo Christianity, and therefore there is no such thing as solo Bible reading. Yes, we should read alone and in private prayer, but we should also read with others, soaking in the wisdom and encouragement God has given them through the same Word.

These tips were posted by Christian Standard Bible on Facebook.  They really speak to me and challenge me.  Are there any of these you have applied?  

What results did you have?

The Lesson of Love -- Sandy Winn

Yesterday I lost a dear friend.  This special woman was in my life for 28 years.  Death tends to make us reflect on life.  What was this person's life all about?  What did they mean to me?  Are there any lessons, any takeaways, for me to apply?

My special friend had many talents, but her best talent was loving people well.  She made me feel I was worth her time.  She made herself available when I needed counsel or just needed a smile and a hug.  And what's more -- she did this for everyone she knew.  Imagine it -- a person who makes every other person feel they are her favorite!

Today there are thousands of people grieving because she is suddenly gone from us.  They are posting amazing tributes on her Facebook page.  There are dozens of pictures of her standing next to a friend and smiling -- as if each friend now treasures the fact that she especially loved them.

But amidst this grief there is also joy.  Feeling loved makes our hearts rejoice. The Scripture instructs us to "love each other deeply."  When we do that, opening our hearts and homes -- as Sandy did -- we empower others to love as well.

Sandy Winn has helped each of us to love well.  

Lorraine Mahan
10-28-2016

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."
1 Peter 4:8-10

GOD, I NEED HELP!

The Helper

Read the story here:John 16:5-15

  Listen to story here: John 16:5-15 

The words, “God, I need help!” have come from the lips of every Christian at some point in life.  The wonderful thing about this short prayer is that God provided the help we need long ago—at Pentecost.  Inside every believer dwells an intimate, all-sufficient Helper with one goal: to ensure we grow in Christlikeness.

Even before we become believers, the Holy Spirit starts working to reveal the character of Jesus.  Remember the vivid story of scales falling from the eyes of Saul (later known as Paul) to end his blindness? (Acts 9:18)  A similar thing happens as we receive the Spirit’s instruction.  He pulls away our scales of unbelief and manifests the true nature of Jesus Christ.  First, God’s Spirit testifies to the saving power of Jesus; then, after we have become believers, He acquaints us with the Lord’s character through Bible reading and observation of God’s work in our daily life.

Our dependence upon the Holy Spirit should grow in tandem with our understanding of God.  As we learn of the Christ to whom we are being conformed, the Holy Spirit at the same time reveals our inadequacy to appropriate such divine attributes without His coping so that He may live out Christ’s character through us.  We trade frustration for peace, anger for patience, and shallow happiness for pure joy as we become more like the Lord we serve.  With the aid of our divine Helper, our old existence of lonely desolation is pushed away in favor of a triumphant Christian life.

-Author unknown

EYES ON THE PRIZE

It’s so easy to get tangled up in worries or even pleasures and get off the track in life, but we have a race to run!  

God has already marked out the course for us, so we just have to keep on keeping on. Keep your eyes on the prize.  Here’s how: FOCUS your eyes on Jesus.  Don’t take your eyes off him for a second, because he is the Only One who won this race and got the gold.  He’s the only perfect example of a faith that pleases God. 

He got to the joy God promised him, but he had to endure a cross of pain and suffering first, as shameful as it was.  Now that he’s gone through that, he’s been given a Throne of Glory in Heaven.  That’s got to be the ultimate medal.  He rules!

Think about it – every ambitious and ungodly force was arrayed against him, but he got through it.  He didn’t give up, he didn’t get discouraged, and we shouldn’t either!  Our pain isn’t half as bad as his was because we’ve still got our lives.

Don’t forget – God is like a father who only disciplines his sons for their own good.  Take heart! – your troubles are actually evidence that God loves you like a son.  

You can do this.

Hebrews 12: 1-13 paraphrased by ldm