by Brad Kibler
If you haven't finished Joel, go ahead and do that today, otherwise you can read Obadiah.
Joel and Obadiah both gave warnings to the people they were sent to. How well do you respond when someone tries to give you a warning? If you're like me, it can depend on who is giving the warning, and how it is being delivered. If it is someone I know and trust then I am usually more receptive. Or if someone takes me aside to talk to me about something, I usually respond to that better than if someone is aggressive in their communication style.
How many warnings do we get everyday? If you watch the news or read the paper with any regularity, journalists barrage us with warning messages about what foods to not eat, what not to waste our money on, and what we need to do to avoid or prepare for a possible calamity. You get warning labels on food, medicine, toys, electronics, and other items we use everyday. When you drive, you are warned to stop, to yield, that there may be pedestrians crossing, children playing, bicyclists, upcoming traffic or construction.
But, how often do we get warnings about our relationships?
Warning: You are making this decision without considering what God would have you do.
Caution: This may distract you from spending quality time with your family.
Beware: You may think you can handle this, but you won't be able to on your own.
Watch Out: Your friend has something that is eating away at them that they are scared to share with anyone, be extra-attentive and pray for the right words to say.
U-Turn Ahead: You may be making plans right now to go a certain direction with your life, but you need to focus on what's of eternal importance since your present plans will soon come to an end.
Yield: Your quiet time is about to be interrupted by your child wanting to ask a seemingly unimportant question. Take the time for the latter without neglecting the former.
The Spirit that indwells us can tweak our conscience to not do something or it can prompt us to consider doing something we wouldn't normally do. The more we commune with God the better we get attuned to his warnings and prodding. Sometimes we get a prophet screaming of upcoming doom, sometimes we get a still small voice. Let's pay attention to God's warnings in whatever form they take today.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Harvest Time in Context (Joel 3)
by Brad Kibler
Before jumping in to today's devotion, let me remind you that this week's lesson will be about Joel and Obadiah. Monday's devotion mentioned Joel 2:13 and Tuesday's mentioned Joel 2:28-32, but I didn't spell out a specific section to read. If you haven't read Joel yet, go ahead and read at least chapters 1 & 2 today. Obadiah is only one chapter, so you can read that either Thursday or Friday depending on whether you choose to finish Joel today (it is only 3 chapters) or split it up and do chapter 3 tomorrow.
Harvest Time in Context (Joel 3)
In Joel 3, we see a picture of the last days: "In those days and at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat" (1-2a). That leads me to ask, what is the Valley of Jehoshaphat?
There was a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat who was being threatened by Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir in 2nd Chronicles 20. He prayed "O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but out eyes are upon you" (12). God answered Jehoshaphat's prayer by having the enemy armies slaughter each other and leave the people of Judah unharmed. Not only did Judah not lose lives, but it took them three days to collect all the plunder left in the valley of the battlefield. Jehoshaphat's prayer for judgment on God's enemies got answered in a mighty way in a specific valley, and his name literally means "the Lord judges", so any way you look at it the Valley of Jehoshaphat it appears to be a reference to God's judgment.
Joel 3:2, goes on to say, "There [in the Valley of Jehoshaphat] I will enter into judgment against them..." If we skip down to verse 12, he comes back around to that point: "Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow – so great is their wickedness." We don't swing sickles very often in our society, so that reference may be lost on us as well. We see the sickle occasionally as the implement held by the grim reaper in pop culture, but we don't actually see it used to harvest grain. That leads me to ask, what does this harvesting symbolism mean?
Jesus gives us a similar picture in the parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. He says that a man sowed seed in his field but that his enemy sowed weed seeds among his good seeds. The servants came to the man and asked if the man wanted them to pull up the weeds, but he said no, "because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest" (29-30). Jesus later explains the symbolism to his disciples: "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are the angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age" (37-40)" This brings more clarity as to what exactly is being referred to with the harvesting symbolism. If Joel and Jesus both use this, that leads me to ask, is this symbolism used elsewhere that I might have missed?
John alludes back to the Joel 3 passage in Revelation 14:14-20: "I looked, and there before me... was one 'like a son of man' with... a sharp sickle in his hand. Then [an] angel came out of the temple and called... to him... 'Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' So he... swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested.... Another angel came out... and he too had a sharp sickle Still another angel... called... to him who had the sharp sickle, 'Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe.' The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city and blood flowed out of the press..." To a reader unfamiliar with the harvest symbolism used by Joel of the sickle and the winepress, this could easily be misunderstood. Indeed, there are other times when Jesus spoke of a plentiful harvest, and the workers were too few, and this usually meant an evangelistic harvest rather than one of judgment (Mat 9:27, Luke 10:2, John 4:35). Still other Biblical writers; Paul, the Hebrew writer and James, all speak of a "harvest of righteousness" (2 Co 9:10, Heb 12:11, Jas 3:18) which is also unrelated to the harvest of judgment.
Can you get a full grasp of Joel's meaning without familiarizing yourself with the story of Jehoshaphat? Does Jesus' explanation of his use of symbolism bring clarity to how Joel used similar symbols? Can you get the full import of John's meaning without knowing that he is making a reference to the symbolism used by Joel? God's Word is woven together like a beautiful quilt. There are things we can see close up in the fine details that become better understood as we step back and look at the context.
Now when you read Joel 3, today or tomorrow, I hope you'll have a head start as to some more of the extended context.
Before jumping in to today's devotion, let me remind you that this week's lesson will be about Joel and Obadiah. Monday's devotion mentioned Joel 2:13 and Tuesday's mentioned Joel 2:28-32, but I didn't spell out a specific section to read. If you haven't read Joel yet, go ahead and read at least chapters 1 & 2 today. Obadiah is only one chapter, so you can read that either Thursday or Friday depending on whether you choose to finish Joel today (it is only 3 chapters) or split it up and do chapter 3 tomorrow.
Harvest Time in Context (Joel 3)
In Joel 3, we see a picture of the last days: "In those days and at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat" (1-2a). That leads me to ask, what is the Valley of Jehoshaphat?
There was a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat who was being threatened by Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir in 2nd Chronicles 20. He prayed "O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but out eyes are upon you" (12). God answered Jehoshaphat's prayer by having the enemy armies slaughter each other and leave the people of Judah unharmed. Not only did Judah not lose lives, but it took them three days to collect all the plunder left in the valley of the battlefield. Jehoshaphat's prayer for judgment on God's enemies got answered in a mighty way in a specific valley, and his name literally means "the Lord judges", so any way you look at it the Valley of Jehoshaphat it appears to be a reference to God's judgment.
Joel 3:2, goes on to say, "There [in the Valley of Jehoshaphat] I will enter into judgment against them..." If we skip down to verse 12, he comes back around to that point: "Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow – so great is their wickedness." We don't swing sickles very often in our society, so that reference may be lost on us as well. We see the sickle occasionally as the implement held by the grim reaper in pop culture, but we don't actually see it used to harvest grain. That leads me to ask, what does this harvesting symbolism mean?
Jesus gives us a similar picture in the parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. He says that a man sowed seed in his field but that his enemy sowed weed seeds among his good seeds. The servants came to the man and asked if the man wanted them to pull up the weeds, but he said no, "because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest" (29-30). Jesus later explains the symbolism to his disciples: "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are the angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age" (37-40)" This brings more clarity as to what exactly is being referred to with the harvesting symbolism. If Joel and Jesus both use this, that leads me to ask, is this symbolism used elsewhere that I might have missed?
John alludes back to the Joel 3 passage in Revelation 14:14-20: "I looked, and there before me... was one 'like a son of man' with... a sharp sickle in his hand. Then [an] angel came out of the temple and called... to him... 'Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' So he... swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested.... Another angel came out... and he too had a sharp sickle Still another angel... called... to him who had the sharp sickle, 'Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe.' The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city and blood flowed out of the press..." To a reader unfamiliar with the harvest symbolism used by Joel of the sickle and the winepress, this could easily be misunderstood. Indeed, there are other times when Jesus spoke of a plentiful harvest, and the workers were too few, and this usually meant an evangelistic harvest rather than one of judgment (Mat 9:27, Luke 10:2, John 4:35). Still other Biblical writers; Paul, the Hebrew writer and James, all speak of a "harvest of righteousness" (2 Co 9:10, Heb 12:11, Jas 3:18) which is also unrelated to the harvest of judgment.
Can you get a full grasp of Joel's meaning without familiarizing yourself with the story of Jehoshaphat? Does Jesus' explanation of his use of symbolism bring clarity to how Joel used similar symbols? Can you get the full import of John's meaning without knowing that he is making a reference to the symbolism used by Joel? God's Word is woven together like a beautiful quilt. There are things we can see close up in the fine details that become better understood as we step back and look at the context.
Now when you read Joel 3, today or tomorrow, I hope you'll have a head start as to some more of the extended context.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
What's the best way to spread the Word?
by Brad Kibler
What is your first thought when someone mentions the Holy Spirit? This third member of the trinity definitely doesn't always get the publicity that the Father and the Son get, but His work should not be overlooked. Often, when you do hear about the Spirit, there are folks who swing the pendulum far to the other side and focus so much on speaking in tongues or healing that they can cause us in the 'mainstream' to steer away from any discussion of Him at all for fear of being associated with snake handlers and give-to-get televangelists.
Jesus, upon his departure promised "power from on high" (Luke 24:49) and earlier spoke about the promise of the "Counselor, the Holy Spirit," who will "teach you all things and and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26) We may not be able to walk in the garden of Eden with the Creator, but to have his power and wisdom always with us is amazing, and something I too often take for granted.
The Holy Spirit came upon people in the Old Testament, but not everyone, and not in a 'permanent' presence. Moses even remarked to Joshua at one point, when the Spirit came upon the elders for a time, "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (Nu 11:29) Not until Acts 2 do we see the permanent coming of the Spirit. We're told it came with "a sound like the blowing of a violent wind and filled the whole house" (2) and they saw "what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and cam to rest on each of them" (3) Just in case the disciples had any doubt this was Him, they were treated to a little audio-visual stimulation to mark this historic event. The sound of the spirit coming was loud enough that a crowd gathered outside to see what the commotion was about (6). The crowd was from at least 15 different regions, but they could all hear the Galilean disciples in their native tongues (6-12).
With the crowd gathering, Peter gives his first Spirit-filled sermon and about 3000 people converted that day. To start off his sermon, Peter chooses to quote Joel 2:28-32 where the prophet foretold "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people... and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" The Spirit was no longer going to be reserved for special prophetic words or tasks, it was no longer a select few for a temporary time, and it wasn't just going to be for the Jews. Just think, Joshua would be jealous of you! How much more can God work in our lives than that of the Old Testament icons? The sky is the limit! It all rests on our willingness to give God control. Jesus taught in the parable of the Talents, that if we use the gifts He's given us wisely and to the Master's glory that the Master is faithful to provide us even more to use in His service.
Stepping back for a moment, I am sometimes tempted to second guess God's methods for reaching the world. Jesus was active as a carpenter for more years than he was active as a traveling teacher. In that time, if I were God, I think I would have had Jesus invent the printing press. Couldn't the word have been spread farther and quicker had this invention hit the scene a few centuries earlier? It's not like it was way outside their technological grasp. Even going further along those lines, couldn't Jesus just as easily been raised by a metalsmith and then invented the techniques that would allow for the steam engine or the combustion engine? Wouldn't those have provided the means to reach the world so much faster? And if the Holy Spirit can instantly grant us knowledge of languages we never learned, why do missionaries have to struggle for years with tedious and difficult translation work?
I think the answer to my postulation is found in Romans 1:19-20: "...what may be known about God has been made plain to [godless men], 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." God doesn't need documentation or advanced technology to prove His existence or tell of His glory. He has all of creation. If we respond to the light of truth we are given in creation, then God is faithful to provide us more truth, and He is more than able to do so in whatever means possible, and is not hindered by the limitations of mankind's advancement. God does all He can do to draw all men into a relationship with Himself. He doesn't have to use you and me, but He wants to. Don't take this blessing of the presence of the Holy Spirit for granted. Be still and listen to the Spirit's promptings as you walk through today.
What is your first thought when someone mentions the Holy Spirit? This third member of the trinity definitely doesn't always get the publicity that the Father and the Son get, but His work should not be overlooked. Often, when you do hear about the Spirit, there are folks who swing the pendulum far to the other side and focus so much on speaking in tongues or healing that they can cause us in the 'mainstream' to steer away from any discussion of Him at all for fear of being associated with snake handlers and give-to-get televangelists.
Jesus, upon his departure promised "power from on high" (Luke 24:49) and earlier spoke about the promise of the "Counselor, the Holy Spirit," who will "teach you all things and and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26) We may not be able to walk in the garden of Eden with the Creator, but to have his power and wisdom always with us is amazing, and something I too often take for granted.
The Holy Spirit came upon people in the Old Testament, but not everyone, and not in a 'permanent' presence. Moses even remarked to Joshua at one point, when the Spirit came upon the elders for a time, "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (Nu 11:29) Not until Acts 2 do we see the permanent coming of the Spirit. We're told it came with "a sound like the blowing of a violent wind and filled the whole house" (2) and they saw "what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and cam to rest on each of them" (3) Just in case the disciples had any doubt this was Him, they were treated to a little audio-visual stimulation to mark this historic event. The sound of the spirit coming was loud enough that a crowd gathered outside to see what the commotion was about (6). The crowd was from at least 15 different regions, but they could all hear the Galilean disciples in their native tongues (6-12).
With the crowd gathering, Peter gives his first Spirit-filled sermon and about 3000 people converted that day. To start off his sermon, Peter chooses to quote Joel 2:28-32 where the prophet foretold "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people... and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" The Spirit was no longer going to be reserved for special prophetic words or tasks, it was no longer a select few for a temporary time, and it wasn't just going to be for the Jews. Just think, Joshua would be jealous of you! How much more can God work in our lives than that of the Old Testament icons? The sky is the limit! It all rests on our willingness to give God control. Jesus taught in the parable of the Talents, that if we use the gifts He's given us wisely and to the Master's glory that the Master is faithful to provide us even more to use in His service.
Stepping back for a moment, I am sometimes tempted to second guess God's methods for reaching the world. Jesus was active as a carpenter for more years than he was active as a traveling teacher. In that time, if I were God, I think I would have had Jesus invent the printing press. Couldn't the word have been spread farther and quicker had this invention hit the scene a few centuries earlier? It's not like it was way outside their technological grasp. Even going further along those lines, couldn't Jesus just as easily been raised by a metalsmith and then invented the techniques that would allow for the steam engine or the combustion engine? Wouldn't those have provided the means to reach the world so much faster? And if the Holy Spirit can instantly grant us knowledge of languages we never learned, why do missionaries have to struggle for years with tedious and difficult translation work?
I think the answer to my postulation is found in Romans 1:19-20: "...what may be known about God has been made plain to [godless men], 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." God doesn't need documentation or advanced technology to prove His existence or tell of His glory. He has all of creation. If we respond to the light of truth we are given in creation, then God is faithful to provide us more truth, and He is more than able to do so in whatever means possible, and is not hindered by the limitations of mankind's advancement. God does all He can do to draw all men into a relationship with Himself. He doesn't have to use you and me, but He wants to. Don't take this blessing of the presence of the Holy Spirit for granted. Be still and listen to the Spirit's promptings as you walk through today.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Going Through the Motions?
by Brad Kibler
What do you remember from yesterday morning? It's only been about 24 hours, so it should still be fairly fresh. I remember running late, and being disappointed that I missed the songs at the beginning of worship, and walked in right at the close of the prayer. I could probably name several of the ministries that Dennis and the round table discussed, but probably not all of them. I could give you examples of themes from Luke's writing and supporting passages, but to be honest, that probably sunk in more because I was being more attentive to my mid-week readings in preparation for these devotionals.
How about the week before this? Or last month? Ideally, I've been able to involve the principles and truths into my ever-maturing world view, but if I'm pressed for specifics, I'd have to refer to my notes to have any hope of a good response. I've gone to church hundreds of times in my life, and pulling out specific examples is difficult. It's like a tradition: you do something in almost the same way time after time and the details of one specific time can fade.
The good thing about traditions is that as you keep doing the same things over and over, the message can become more deeply rooted. On the flip side, once you've participated in a tradition a number of times, the temptation is there to 'tune out' and just go through the motions.
Let's look at songs as an example: When you first hear a song, it can be difficult to focus on the meaning of the words, since you're focusing on remembering the tune, rhythm, and the words themselves. There comes a point at which you've sung a song enough times that remembering the words and tune are no longer your focus, and you can sing the words from your heart like a prayer. You can recall the words and apply their truths even when you're not in corporate worship. It is at this juncture that you can also 'coast'. If we sing that song in worship that you've sung so many times in the past, you may get off-focus onto a new harmony you haven't tried, or the person singing next to you, or even to your mental to-do list.
In Joel, we're not given much specificity as to what they were doing wrong to deserve the punishment they were getting. The only hint we get is "Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!" (1:5a) where it refers to drunkenness. Of course, the prophet started that lyrical pattern with "Hear this, you elders..." (1:2) and it goes on in that pattern to say "Despair, you farmers..." (1:11a) "Put on sackcloth, O priests..." (1:13a). Since not all in the audience were elders, farmers, or priests, I think it is safe to say they weren't all drunkards either. Perhaps it was obvious to them what their sin was. Perhaps Joel told them, but it's just not recorded. In any case, how many times do we read stories of Israel intermarrying with the heathen and then worshiping the pagan gods, and God calling his wrath on them. That sounds so foreign to us. Not too many of us have a daily struggle with our spouse wanting us to pray to Allah or Vishnu. But when the sin is unspecified, it is easier for me to apply the principles involved to today.
One powerful principle God tells his people through Joel is found in 2:13: "Rend your heart and not your garments..." 'Rending your garments' is just a fancy way of saying 'tearing your clothes', which is what the Jews did to show their mourning and repentance. Another way to say it would be: "I want you to follow me with your heart, not just your outward actions." Or, "Don't just go through the motions." Or, "Don't coast." Perhaps the people of Joel's day got lukewarm. Maybe it wasn't some huge outward sin that caused God's army of locusts, drought, and fire to be called forth as punishment. Maybe they had simply tuned out and got distracted with their daily lives.
Whatever you do today, put your heart into it. Don't let your to-do-list run your life today, decide to be passionate in pursuit of God's will today. His will may indeed be that you get through your to-do-list, but it will be to his glory if we are doing it out of a heart of worship.
What do you remember from yesterday morning? It's only been about 24 hours, so it should still be fairly fresh. I remember running late, and being disappointed that I missed the songs at the beginning of worship, and walked in right at the close of the prayer. I could probably name several of the ministries that Dennis and the round table discussed, but probably not all of them. I could give you examples of themes from Luke's writing and supporting passages, but to be honest, that probably sunk in more because I was being more attentive to my mid-week readings in preparation for these devotionals.
How about the week before this? Or last month? Ideally, I've been able to involve the principles and truths into my ever-maturing world view, but if I'm pressed for specifics, I'd have to refer to my notes to have any hope of a good response. I've gone to church hundreds of times in my life, and pulling out specific examples is difficult. It's like a tradition: you do something in almost the same way time after time and the details of one specific time can fade.
The good thing about traditions is that as you keep doing the same things over and over, the message can become more deeply rooted. On the flip side, once you've participated in a tradition a number of times, the temptation is there to 'tune out' and just go through the motions.
Let's look at songs as an example: When you first hear a song, it can be difficult to focus on the meaning of the words, since you're focusing on remembering the tune, rhythm, and the words themselves. There comes a point at which you've sung a song enough times that remembering the words and tune are no longer your focus, and you can sing the words from your heart like a prayer. You can recall the words and apply their truths even when you're not in corporate worship. It is at this juncture that you can also 'coast'. If we sing that song in worship that you've sung so many times in the past, you may get off-focus onto a new harmony you haven't tried, or the person singing next to you, or even to your mental to-do list.
In Joel, we're not given much specificity as to what they were doing wrong to deserve the punishment they were getting. The only hint we get is "Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!" (1:5a) where it refers to drunkenness. Of course, the prophet started that lyrical pattern with "Hear this, you elders..." (1:2) and it goes on in that pattern to say "Despair, you farmers..." (1:11a) "Put on sackcloth, O priests..." (1:13a). Since not all in the audience were elders, farmers, or priests, I think it is safe to say they weren't all drunkards either. Perhaps it was obvious to them what their sin was. Perhaps Joel told them, but it's just not recorded. In any case, how many times do we read stories of Israel intermarrying with the heathen and then worshiping the pagan gods, and God calling his wrath on them. That sounds so foreign to us. Not too many of us have a daily struggle with our spouse wanting us to pray to Allah or Vishnu. But when the sin is unspecified, it is easier for me to apply the principles involved to today.
One powerful principle God tells his people through Joel is found in 2:13: "Rend your heart and not your garments..." 'Rending your garments' is just a fancy way of saying 'tearing your clothes', which is what the Jews did to show their mourning and repentance. Another way to say it would be: "I want you to follow me with your heart, not just your outward actions." Or, "Don't just go through the motions." Or, "Don't coast." Perhaps the people of Joel's day got lukewarm. Maybe it wasn't some huge outward sin that caused God's army of locusts, drought, and fire to be called forth as punishment. Maybe they had simply tuned out and got distracted with their daily lives.
Whatever you do today, put your heart into it. Don't let your to-do-list run your life today, decide to be passionate in pursuit of God's will today. His will may indeed be that you get through your to-do-list, but it will be to his glory if we are doing it out of a heart of worship.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Roadside Assistance (Luke 24:13-35)
by Brad Kibler
What about those fuel prices? And how long is that construction going to last? And where did all those bad drivers come from? When you're driving as part of your daily routine, these are likely some of the thoughts that come to mind. Our society has grown in such a way that we can now travel in seclusion, each of us in our own compartment. We may have passengers with us, but they are the ones we started our trip with, we don't usually pick up folks along our route. It wasn't always that way. When you walked or rode from place to place, it was much safer to travel in a group. Even as recently as America's westward expansion, you would have been considered a risk taker to go out too far with a lone stagecoach. You can't circle a single wagon.
So, the afternoon of our story, Cleopas and his friend go out for a trip that will take them more than an hour, maybe two depending on their pace. As they were going along they were discussing the latest news about Jesus' recent crucifixion. A stranger comes up and asks what they're talking about. "You must not be from around here!" was basically their response (Luke 24:18). They then explained to the stranger about Jesus' power and how they'd hoped he was the redeemer, but that he had been killed. "But, the strange thing was that some of the women said they saw angels that told them he was alive. Some of our friends went to look for themselves, and saw the empty tomb, but no angels." (22-24)
The stranger responds with "Why are you so slow to believe? Isn't that what Jesus said would have to happen?" (25-26). Then the stranger went through and explained to Cleopas and his friend how the scriptures predicted all those things about Jesus. (27) It's around supper time when they get to their destination, but they want to continue the conversation, so they offered the stranger a meal and a place to stay (29-30). After the prayer for the meal, it hit them that the stranger was Jesus! And with that realization, he disappears! (30-31)
Wow! It's one thing to read this when we know how it ends, but can you imagine living through this? Cleopas isn't mentioned by name anywhere else in the Bible. Mark alludes to this story, but doesn't go into the detail that Luke does. It's one thing for Jesus to appear to the women who were close to him that wanted to honor his memory, or for him to his chosen apostles, but why Cleopas? And why appear to Celopas before John, the disciple Jesus loved, or James or Peter who were also among the closest to him? We can only guess, but it sounds like Cleopas was a reliable witness. Luke, ever the historian, gives readers his name so that the story can be verified. Dissenters could say that if Jesus only appeared to those closest to him that it was all made up, that they conspired to steal the body to promote their agenda.
Cleopas had the details of how Jesus fulfilled the various prophesies explained to him by Jesus himself before anyone else 'got it'! Can you imagine that privilege! He apparently didn't have a problem sharing the story of Jesus with strangers, since that is what he tried to do even before he had it all explained to him He immediately went back to Jerusalem to tell the group there. I'm sure his pace was quicker on the way back! Cleopas was still there with the Eleven when Jesus appeared again to that group (35-36), so he got to hear the explanation again. (44-46).
Are we open to conversation with strangers? Would we have allowed Jesus to step into our conversation, or would we have shut him out? Were there others that Jesus appeared to, that never did "get it"?
Let's not miss any opportunities! We don't have to immediately dive into 'religious' topics of conversation, but even just talking about current affairs will allow us to bring our worldview and God's truth in to the mix. I find personally, that folks tend to have a preconceived notion of 'what Christians think' about things. We have Christian organizations that warn us not to let our kids watch certain movies or TV shows, read certain books, listen to certain music. I am all for protecting my kids, and I find those warnings useful to that extent. That being said, I purposefully went out and read the Harry Potter series, watched the Golden Compass, and listen occasionally to controversial popular music. And in each of those cases, I've been able to have conversations with folks at my workplace about those topics. If I had completely shunned these things, would the same doors have been open? I think, too, of Paul's speech in the Areopagus: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God…." (Acts 17:22-23) Paul 'looked carefully' at the culture and was able to use it as a stepping stone to proclaim the truth (Acts 17:24-31). The church is not to be a cloister, completely separated from all things 'worldly'. What use is light if it never shines into darkness?
See if you can find a way to use current events or cultural media to share God's truth today. Maybe you can start a conversation with someone at the gas station or in the elevator or in line as you wait to transact your business. The easiest place to start is with the world around us.
What about those fuel prices? And how long is that construction going to last? And where did all those bad drivers come from? When you're driving as part of your daily routine, these are likely some of the thoughts that come to mind. Our society has grown in such a way that we can now travel in seclusion, each of us in our own compartment. We may have passengers with us, but they are the ones we started our trip with, we don't usually pick up folks along our route. It wasn't always that way. When you walked or rode from place to place, it was much safer to travel in a group. Even as recently as America's westward expansion, you would have been considered a risk taker to go out too far with a lone stagecoach. You can't circle a single wagon.
So, the afternoon of our story, Cleopas and his friend go out for a trip that will take them more than an hour, maybe two depending on their pace. As they were going along they were discussing the latest news about Jesus' recent crucifixion. A stranger comes up and asks what they're talking about. "You must not be from around here!" was basically their response (Luke 24:18). They then explained to the stranger about Jesus' power and how they'd hoped he was the redeemer, but that he had been killed. "But, the strange thing was that some of the women said they saw angels that told them he was alive. Some of our friends went to look for themselves, and saw the empty tomb, but no angels." (22-24)
The stranger responds with "Why are you so slow to believe? Isn't that what Jesus said would have to happen?" (25-26). Then the stranger went through and explained to Cleopas and his friend how the scriptures predicted all those things about Jesus. (27) It's around supper time when they get to their destination, but they want to continue the conversation, so they offered the stranger a meal and a place to stay (29-30). After the prayer for the meal, it hit them that the stranger was Jesus! And with that realization, he disappears! (30-31)
Wow! It's one thing to read this when we know how it ends, but can you imagine living through this? Cleopas isn't mentioned by name anywhere else in the Bible. Mark alludes to this story, but doesn't go into the detail that Luke does. It's one thing for Jesus to appear to the women who were close to him that wanted to honor his memory, or for him to his chosen apostles, but why Cleopas? And why appear to Celopas before John, the disciple Jesus loved, or James or Peter who were also among the closest to him? We can only guess, but it sounds like Cleopas was a reliable witness. Luke, ever the historian, gives readers his name so that the story can be verified. Dissenters could say that if Jesus only appeared to those closest to him that it was all made up, that they conspired to steal the body to promote their agenda.
Cleopas had the details of how Jesus fulfilled the various prophesies explained to him by Jesus himself before anyone else 'got it'! Can you imagine that privilege! He apparently didn't have a problem sharing the story of Jesus with strangers, since that is what he tried to do even before he had it all explained to him He immediately went back to Jerusalem to tell the group there. I'm sure his pace was quicker on the way back! Cleopas was still there with the Eleven when Jesus appeared again to that group (35-36), so he got to hear the explanation again. (44-46).
Are we open to conversation with strangers? Would we have allowed Jesus to step into our conversation, or would we have shut him out? Were there others that Jesus appeared to, that never did "get it"?
Let's not miss any opportunities! We don't have to immediately dive into 'religious' topics of conversation, but even just talking about current affairs will allow us to bring our worldview and God's truth in to the mix. I find personally, that folks tend to have a preconceived notion of 'what Christians think' about things. We have Christian organizations that warn us not to let our kids watch certain movies or TV shows, read certain books, listen to certain music. I am all for protecting my kids, and I find those warnings useful to that extent. That being said, I purposefully went out and read the Harry Potter series, watched the Golden Compass, and listen occasionally to controversial popular music. And in each of those cases, I've been able to have conversations with folks at my workplace about those topics. If I had completely shunned these things, would the same doors have been open? I think, too, of Paul's speech in the Areopagus: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To An Unknown God…." (Acts 17:22-23) Paul 'looked carefully' at the culture and was able to use it as a stepping stone to proclaim the truth (Acts 17:24-31). The church is not to be a cloister, completely separated from all things 'worldly'. What use is light if it never shines into darkness?
See if you can find a way to use current events or cultural media to share God's truth today. Maybe you can start a conversation with someone at the gas station or in the elevator or in line as you wait to transact your business. The easiest place to start is with the world around us.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The Lazarus Who Wasn't Supposed to be Resurrected – Luke 16:19-31
by Brad Kibler
I think one of the universal philosophical questions asked throughout the ages and almost every recorded culture is: "What happens to us after we die?" How we answer this question leads us each to the root philosophy on which we base our lives. If there is no after-life, then why not live for the moment? If we knew we could 'get away with' something and no one would ever know in this life, then what would stop us? On the other hand, if there are eternal consequences for our actions, our lives should absolutely be lived with that fact constantly in mind.
Even if you agree there is an afterlife with reward and punishment, there are still unanswered questions: Do we immediately 'wake up' in either heaven or Hell? Do we have to go 'toward the light' to reach our final destination? Is it possible to get 'stuck' in Limbo or Purgatory or on this earth as a ghost? What happened to the Jewish believers who died prior to the coming of Christ? Well, Luke 16 seems to give us a glimpse into the answer to that question.
If you're not familiar with the Lazarus that Jesus did not raise from the dead, Luke 16:19-31 tells us his story. You can read the whole thing on-line at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016&version=31, but the basics are that Jesus told about a rich man who had a beggar named Lazarus that lived at his gate. Lazarus died and "the angels carried him to Abraham's side". The rich man also died, and was then in torment in Hades. The rich man "looked up and saw Abraham far away... so he called to him... 'have pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony...'" (23-24) Abraham says no, because that wouldn't be fair to Lazarus or the rich man (they were both getting what they deserved) but also because "between us and you a great chasm has been fixed" (26) that either side can't cross to get to the other.
Now there are theologians who will call this story a parable, but if it is, it is unique in that it would be the only parable in which Jesus gave a character a name. Luke, the doctor, also uses a specific medical term in describing Lazarus' condition that doesn't appear elsewhere in the New Testament. If this was a theoretical scene, then why use a specific name and a specific diagnosis? Now, if this isn't a parable, then that would infer that this actually occurred, which is amazing in so many ways to me, and raises so many more questions: Is part of the torment that he could see what he was missing? Was Abraham the only one who could communicate across the 'chasm'? Did this occur prior to Jesus' coming to earth when he was present to witness this exchange, or did he have regular insight into afterlife happenings while here on earth? But, I digress.
After getting his hopes for relief dissuaded, the rich man asks that this other Lazarus be raised from the dead to warn the rich man's family. Abraham's reply is "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." (29). The rich man persists that a resurrection would be better, and Abraham concludes the narrative with "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not listen be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Wow. That's a reality check: The biggest obstacle between disbelief and faith is not a lack of evidence. There is more quantity of evidence of God's existence and His love story for us, and more availability to that evidence than ever before in history, yet the case could be made that there is more widespread ridicule of that evidence than at any other time in history.
Who in this country hasn't heard the name of Jesus? Yet organizations pay good money to put just his name on billboards. Is that really changing hearts? People seek God because they see how He changed the lives of those who follow Him. Share your life experiences with those who don't know Him. Make it your mission to be ever present light in the lives of those who are in the dark, and the Spirit will provide the opportunities and the words to say. Don't think that people need a miracle, they just need you.
I think one of the universal philosophical questions asked throughout the ages and almost every recorded culture is: "What happens to us after we die?" How we answer this question leads us each to the root philosophy on which we base our lives. If there is no after-life, then why not live for the moment? If we knew we could 'get away with' something and no one would ever know in this life, then what would stop us? On the other hand, if there are eternal consequences for our actions, our lives should absolutely be lived with that fact constantly in mind.
Even if you agree there is an afterlife with reward and punishment, there are still unanswered questions: Do we immediately 'wake up' in either heaven or Hell? Do we have to go 'toward the light' to reach our final destination? Is it possible to get 'stuck' in Limbo or Purgatory or on this earth as a ghost? What happened to the Jewish believers who died prior to the coming of Christ? Well, Luke 16 seems to give us a glimpse into the answer to that question.
If you're not familiar with the Lazarus that Jesus did not raise from the dead, Luke 16:19-31 tells us his story. You can read the whole thing on-line at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2016&version=31, but the basics are that Jesus told about a rich man who had a beggar named Lazarus that lived at his gate. Lazarus died and "the angels carried him to Abraham's side". The rich man also died, and was then in torment in Hades. The rich man "looked up and saw Abraham far away... so he called to him... 'have pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony...'" (23-24) Abraham says no, because that wouldn't be fair to Lazarus or the rich man (they were both getting what they deserved) but also because "between us and you a great chasm has been fixed" (26) that either side can't cross to get to the other.
Now there are theologians who will call this story a parable, but if it is, it is unique in that it would be the only parable in which Jesus gave a character a name. Luke, the doctor, also uses a specific medical term in describing Lazarus' condition that doesn't appear elsewhere in the New Testament. If this was a theoretical scene, then why use a specific name and a specific diagnosis? Now, if this isn't a parable, then that would infer that this actually occurred, which is amazing in so many ways to me, and raises so many more questions: Is part of the torment that he could see what he was missing? Was Abraham the only one who could communicate across the 'chasm'? Did this occur prior to Jesus' coming to earth when he was present to witness this exchange, or did he have regular insight into afterlife happenings while here on earth? But, I digress.
After getting his hopes for relief dissuaded, the rich man asks that this other Lazarus be raised from the dead to warn the rich man's family. Abraham's reply is "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." (29). The rich man persists that a resurrection would be better, and Abraham concludes the narrative with "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not listen be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Wow. That's a reality check: The biggest obstacle between disbelief and faith is not a lack of evidence. There is more quantity of evidence of God's existence and His love story for us, and more availability to that evidence than ever before in history, yet the case could be made that there is more widespread ridicule of that evidence than at any other time in history.
Who in this country hasn't heard the name of Jesus? Yet organizations pay good money to put just his name on billboards. Is that really changing hearts? People seek God because they see how He changed the lives of those who follow Him. Share your life experiences with those who don't know Him. Make it your mission to be ever present light in the lives of those who are in the dark, and the Spirit will provide the opportunities and the words to say. Don't think that people need a miracle, they just need you.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Stuff of Life (Luke 12:11-34)
by Brad Kibler
It often takes a tragedy for us to take a step back and look at our priorities. It is often the tragedy of death that gets us thinking with an 'eternal' perspective and out of our here-and-now perspective. In Luke 12:13, Jesus is confronted by a member of the crowd who said to him "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." In the wake of the death of his father, he and his brother are at odds. Should this be? Shouldn't the death of a loved one help focus our hearts on fostering relationships, and honoring the heritage that was passed down to us?
Earlier this year, my mother's mother passed away. In the wake of her passing, I have communicated more with my cousins and uncles than I have in years. My communication with my cousins has been great, and we're bonding and growing closer together. On the other hand, my communication with my uncles has focused almost all on, you guessed it, the inheritance. I won't bore you with the details of Illinois probate law, but suffice it to say that basically one of my mom's brothers, who is the executor of the estate, thought there should be a 3 way split between himself and his two brothers, but my dad and I thought that my mom's share should pass to her heirs and not be 'absorbed' by her siblings.
I admit that I spent way too much time doing legal research and basically obsessing about this for at least a month or two. I feel like I've resigned myself to let happen what will at this point, but it was a real struggle to get to that point mentally. When Jesus responded to the audience member's query about his inheritance, he told him a parable about a man who encountered prosperity and said to himself
If you're like me, it can hard to find that balance between focusing on my work and my responsibility to provide for my family, but not focusing so much on that provision that I try to take the reigns out of God's hands. How many times during the day do I need to hand those reigns back over to Him? The more I focus on the people and relationships in my life, the less that I focus on 'stuff'. And really, aren't the relationships we build here the only thing we take with us?
If you haven't read the full story of the parable of the "Rich Fool" and Jesus' take on worrying about things of this world, you read it online at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=12&version=31 or you can use your own Bible.
It often takes a tragedy for us to take a step back and look at our priorities. It is often the tragedy of death that gets us thinking with an 'eternal' perspective and out of our here-and-now perspective. In Luke 12:13, Jesus is confronted by a member of the crowd who said to him "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." In the wake of the death of his father, he and his brother are at odds. Should this be? Shouldn't the death of a loved one help focus our hearts on fostering relationships, and honoring the heritage that was passed down to us?
Earlier this year, my mother's mother passed away. In the wake of her passing, I have communicated more with my cousins and uncles than I have in years. My communication with my cousins has been great, and we're bonding and growing closer together. On the other hand, my communication with my uncles has focused almost all on, you guessed it, the inheritance. I won't bore you with the details of Illinois probate law, but suffice it to say that basically one of my mom's brothers, who is the executor of the estate, thought there should be a 3 way split between himself and his two brothers, but my dad and I thought that my mom's share should pass to her heirs and not be 'absorbed' by her siblings.
I admit that I spent way too much time doing legal research and basically obsessing about this for at least a month or two. I feel like I've resigned myself to let happen what will at this point, but it was a real struggle to get to that point mentally. When Jesus responded to the audience member's query about his inheritance, he told him a parable about a man who encountered prosperity and said to himself
"You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry" (12:19). But, that very night he was to die, and would never enjoy that planned merriment. Jesus followed that parable with this teaching: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, … or about your body, what you will wear… do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well" (12:22,29-31).
If you're like me, it can hard to find that balance between focusing on my work and my responsibility to provide for my family, but not focusing so much on that provision that I try to take the reigns out of God's hands. How many times during the day do I need to hand those reigns back over to Him? The more I focus on the people and relationships in my life, the less that I focus on 'stuff'. And really, aren't the relationships we build here the only thing we take with us?
If you haven't read the full story of the parable of the "Rich Fool" and Jesus' take on worrying about things of this world, you read it online at http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=12&version=31 or you can use your own Bible.
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