It's All About ME!

I live in the "you"niverse. It's all about "me." I have an "I"pod, I get "my" music from "I"tunes. I talk on "my" "I"phone. I even play video games on "my" Wii - that's "we" spelled with two "i's".... I read "self" help books, like The Secret, that tell "me" how great "I" am, how powerful "I" am, and how in-control "I" am. They're "me" centered, so I'm never disappointed. Even though the "you"niverse is all about "me," I'm still a "truth-is-relative" kind of "me," so all of this can be true for "you" too. Just embrace the "me" centered culture "we" - uh, I mean, "I" - live in. It's not hard to do. Just watch a lot of TV. There are enough commercials that are "me" focused to subliminally encode "your" thinking to be about "me." Have a great day! Is it in you? Obey your thirst. Just do it!

This is a paraphrase from a lesson I heard the other day (a teacher/preacher from Washington)... It's the truth. No wonder people think the Bible is irrelevant. They're bombarded with Oprah-ology all week, and if they happen to make it to church - a Bible teaching church is less likely - that's only 1 hour out of 168 throughout the week. Nevertheless, the truth stands firm.

Romans 1:18-32 says, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

Romans 12:1-3 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual, or reasonable, act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

A Lesson from a Question (2)

In Luke 20:20-26, we read about a trick question that Jesus faces. He answers with a question in order to set up His response. Let's take a look:

Keeping a close watch on Him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something He said so that they might hand Him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned Him: “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right [a Man of integrity], and that You do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He saw through their duplicity [knowing their hypocrisy] and said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” They were unable to trap Him in what He had said there in public. And astonished by His answer, they became silent.

Pretending to be honest in their intentions, the spies come to Jesus and, after proclaiming the truth that He is a Man of integrity, speaking and teaching the truth of God, though they themselves did not believe that at this point, ask Him a question, intending to trap Him.

They ask if it’s right to pay taxes. If Jesus says, “Yes,” then the Pharisees will accuse Him of not being loyal to God. If Jesus says, “No,” then they’ll accuse Him of a political coup attempt against Rome. In their eyes, He can’t win; but in His eyes, He can’t lose.

"He saw through their duplicity." He knew their hypocrisy. They weren’t being honest with God or with men. Matthew’s gospel says that He called them hypocrites. And like Jacob’s tangible wrestling match with God, Jesus gives them a tangible illustration of His answer to their “impossible question.” He responds to their question with a question. “Is it right to pay taxes? …Whose portrait and inscription are on the coin? Give to Caesar’s what is Caesar’s.”

But that’s not the end of Jesus’ answer. He doesn’t say, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” and stop there. That would have been enough, I suppose. But Jesus presses the matter back to them. “Give to God what is God’s.” We read that they were unable to trap Him in His response. They were astonished and became silent.

They hadn’t asked about paying anything to God. Knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus introduced the concept to convict them. Had their inquiry been honest, they would have followed up with another question: “What is God’s?”

Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to him.” They had a coin right there. Jesus is effectively saying it’s right to pay taxes. But He qualifies that answer by saying that we must also give to God what belongs to Him. They should’ve asked, “What belongs to God?” Here we learn something from the question that is not asked. They were silent. Matthew’s gospel says that they left Him and went away.

How do you think Jesus would have responded to that question had it been asked? What belongs to God? You do. And I do. Give to Caesar what belongs to him. Pay your taxes; live a life of honesty and integrity in the world. But give to God what is God’s. Give Him yourself. You are not your own. You were bought with a price.

A Lesson from a Question (1)

In Genesis 32:24-30, we read about Jacob wrestling with God. The text says, "Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.' Jacob said, 'Please tell me your name.' But he replied, 'Why do you ask my name?' Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'"

Jacob had been praying "in great fear and distress" (v7-12) over his upcoming meeting with Esau - the first since the day Jacob deceived Isaac to win the fatherly blessing. Having sent his family on ahead, Jacob stayed and wrestled with "a man," presumably not realizing that the "man" was God Himself until after the subsequent blessing.

We read that the "man" effectively paralyzed Jacob, but Jacob held on. He told Jacob to let him go; but Jacob refused - holding out for a blessing. By this point in the match, Jacob must have known he was dealing with a supernatural being. What happens next is rather strange. The "man" asks Jacob a question: "What is your name?" At first glance, that's odd; but recall the previous time that Jacob was asked about his identity.

In Genesis 27:18-19, Jacob "went to his father and said, 'My father.' 'Yes, my son,' he answered. 'Who is it?' Jacob said to his father, 'I am Esau your firstborn.' Jacob, whose name figuratively means, "He deceives," deceived his father and received the paternal blessing. "What's in a name?" takes on a whole new meaning now. Jacob lied about his name and proved his character as deceptive back then. But now, the "man" wrestling with Jacob asks, "What is your name?" And Jacob replies, "Jacob." Jacob is saying, "I'm a deceiver, a fraud, a sinner." And the "man" authoritatively replies, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

So the lesson from the question is this: Be honest - with God and with men. Tell Him who you are - a sinner, a deceiver, a Jacob. By coming clean with God, He will bless you. By living a life of integrity with men, you will be trustworthy and bring glory to God.

Jacob's response is also revealing. After having his name changed to Israel, literally "He struggles with God," Jacob must know that this "man" is more than a mere man. He says to the "man," "Please tell me your name." It's as if he's saying, "If you have the authority to change my name to 'He wrestles with God," then that would make you none other than God Himself!" But the "man" does not give his name; instead he blesses Jacob. And then Jacob knew. He had wrestled with God, seen Him face to face, and lived.

Be honest with God. Wrestle with Him; struggle with Him. Tell him that you are a Jacob, a sinner, ask Him for a blessing, and He will make you an Israel, one who struggles with God and prevails, one of His very own children, whom He loves to bless.

2 week vacation

Wow. I didn't realize it had been nearly 2 weeks since my last post. I've been quite busy on most days, and the others, well, I just needed a break. But I'm back at it now. I'll begin by noting that after posting last regarding Dallas Willard's book, The Divine Conspiracy, I read a little further. He makes the same comments I made about prayer being more than mere requests. I've continued in the book and plan to finish it by this weekend. It's a strong push toward Christian discipleship and a recommended read for all who would like Jesus to be their teacher.