Be Optimistic

    Be Optimistic. I can never say that without humming the Shirley Temple song. But this isn't just good advice sung by a dimple-faced girl. It is a Biblical commandment to think on positive things. And before you get your Bible out to check, it isn't in the Big 10 listed in Exodus. This is a New Testament Commandment. Philippians 4:8-9 says:

   
     Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

    Think on these things. Dwell, meditate, fill your minds on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. Ideas that are excellent or praiseworthy. And this list is not exhaustive but representative. Think about the wording. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.... " Paul is saying if anything falls under these things, it counts.

   
    Ponder for a moment. Think of things you consider good. That is a pretty long list, isn't it? How about noble? Other translations say honorable or reputable. Right or just? Pure or authentic? Lovely and compelling? Admirable, beautiful and gracious? We are to think on the best things, not the worst.

     I know this eliminates much of what we encounter in our lives today. With this criteria, a lot of our television programming, music, etc is a no-go. The Asbury Bible comments that "Right thinking results in right living, which results in the presence of the peace of God."

     But thinking on such things is not an end itself, but preparation for purposeful action. Verse 9 tells us to put this into practice. These two verses have potential to change our lives and bring us the peace that we need in our lives.  

 

1 Peter 1:3-9

I felt like it was time for a new post but haven't had anything really jump out at me lately so I thought I would share my favorite passage and just see where it goes from there.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth that gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Wow. How can you not be excited about that?! Let us try to take it apart for clarification purposes. Here is my paraphrase:

Praise God! He has given us a new hope through his resurrection! And with that new hope comes and inheritance that can never perish. He is keeping it in heaven for us until the right time but until then we are shielded by God's power. Yes, we will have grief and trials but they are to purify  our faith so that is like gold. Our faith will be our praise, glory and honor for Jesus Christ.
Praise God for that inexpressible and glorious joy.

I Can See Clearly Now

I must be on a kick about words. I heard this one on the radio a couple days and it has stuck with me, rolling around in my head. It is the simplest of words, probably on your vocabulary list in first grade: clear. Don't get it yet? Listen to the definition.

Clear - adj.
1. free from darkness, obscurity or cloudiness.
2. transparent
3. without defect, discoloration or blemish
4. easily understood, without ambiguity
5. distinct; evident
6. free from confusion, uncertainty or doubt
7. perceiving or discerning distinctly
8. convinced, certain
9. free from blame
10. free from suspicion of guilt
11. serene, calm, untroubled

These are just a few of the definitions I found, but aren't they neat? Going over these definitions was almost like going through a spiritual check list. Read through them again. Are you clear?

In Paul's words to the church at Philippi:
"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel"
Philippians 1:27

A State of Being

Friendship
Partnership
Relationship
Citizenship
Leadership
Membership
Battleship

... Ok, just kidding about that last one. But think about the these words. They all imply some sort of agreement. In a friendship it takes consent from both parties. And when you are not with the other person you are still a friend. The same goes with the others. When I am not in the United States, I am still a citizen. The suffix 'ship' means "a state of being". With that in mind, what is worship?

One writer notes that:
"Worship in our time has been captured by the tourist mind set. Worship is understood as a visit to an attractive site to be made when we have adequate leisure. For some it is a weekly jaunt to church. For others, occasional visits to special services.. Some, with a bent for Christian entertainment and sacred diversion, plan their lives around special events like retreats, rallies and conferences. We go to see a new personality, to hear a new truth, to get a new experience and so, somehow, expand our otherwise humdrum lives. We'll try anything -- until something else comes along."

What is your worship like? Do you live in a state of worship? Or is it more like something that you think you should only do at church and on special occasions? Are you a touring worshipper- always seeking the "worship experience" at conferences, concerts and rallies?

A Marriage Metaphor

How do you view God -- as master, or husband?

Think about the difference between "husband" and "master" and all the images that these words bring to mind. God wants us to relate to him with an obedience fueled by love and intimacy, not by self-motivated fear, and with a loyalty to a divine-human relationship, not a blind adherence to "principles". A husband harbors a passion toward his wife that is absent in a master toward his slave.

This image of marriage being used to symbolize the relationship between us and God is seen many times throughout scripture. Hosea teaches us that God views his people as a husband views his wife.
"In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.... I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. (Hosea 2:16, 19)

Isaiah uses this metaphor to stress how God rejoices in his people.
As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5)
God delights in us. We make his heart swell.

Christ also uses this imagery placing himself as the groom and us (the church) as the bride. This has to be difficult for men. Women know what it is to be a bride. Most spend their girl-hood dreaming about the day they will walk down the aisle to be joined with their husband. But men only know how to be a groom. I don't know but I can imagine that it must be difficult to mentally go into that mindset for a man. Christ calls us all to be his bride. To join his side in loving submission for eternity.

**Source: Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

Intentional Living

Ephesians chapters 4 and 5 are full of instruction for Christian living. Paul begins this portion of his letter urging us to live a life worth of the calling. And then tells us how: be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearting with one another in love. He goes on to talk about unity in the body and growing in Christ. But I want to skip down to verses 25 through 32. I love the way he has instructed us. If you notice in these verses he has told us what we are doing wrong, what we should do and given us a reason why. We can't ask for anything more, right?

25: Wrong: Put off falsehood, Right: Speak truthfully to your neighbor, Why: We are all members of one body.
28: Wrong: Steal no longer, Right: work, doing something useful, Why: So you may have something to share with those in need.
29: Wrong: Do not let unwholesome talk comeout of your mouths, Right: use speech that is helpful for building up others, Why: so it may benefit those who listen.
31: Wrong: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander and every form of malice, Right: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, Why: Because in Christ God forgave you.

Paul has packaged these words neatly between two parallel ideas. He preped us for what was coming by telling us, "To be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." And he wrapped it up directly after verse 32 by instucting us to be "imitators of God."

Chapters 4 and 5 are full of other "dos" and "don't" of living like Christ but I think it can all be summed up in Ephesians 5:15 Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Be very careful. I don't think Paul is telling us to look both ways when crossing the street, or to not minister in foreign lands that might be dangerous, but he is telling us to live intently, with purpose. If we are living intently, making every step, every decision as though we have a reason we will be living for God, a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. God, I hope I smell good to you :)

What Would It Look Like?

Continuing on similar lines of my last post, I want to pose another question, What does it mean to live as Christ? The Bible gives a fairly detailed description of the daily life of Jesus and his disciples. and it gives us direct commands to "take up our cross and follow". But what does that look like in today's world? What does it look like to leave everything behind to follow a Christ that you can't see? What do we do with passages like,
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matt 10:38-39
And
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:14
Christ has a measuring system so beyond our culture's thinking that we can't begin to visualize it. What would this world think of a group of people who followed a completely different system for measuring success? A group of people who rejoiced when they failed or when their church didn't grow in numbers or their ministry didn't expand.
But there's a flip side.
"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." 1 Cor 9:20-22
How separate can we be while being the same?